A new teaser for tvN’s upcoming rom-com Castaway Diva has washed ashore, featuring our heroine’s fish-out-of-water reactions to the unfamiliar cityscape. Better yet, we also get a glimpse of our two male leads and their (swoonworthy) attempts to help her readjust to society.
Park Eun-bin (Extraordinary Attorney Woo) stars as Seo Mok-ha, an aspiring idol whose escape from her abusive household went awry. An unforeseen storm threw her route off-course, leaving her stranded on a deserted island instead. As the teaser opens, we see a terrified Mok-ha weathering the torrential rain during her first night on the island, flinching at the roaring thunder.
Fifteen years later, Mok-ha is finally rescued. Returning to civilization at long last, Mok-ha finds herself even more adrift than before, bewildered by the unfamiliar city. We see someone slip shoes onto a pair of muddy feet, mirroring the present day, where Chae Jong-hyeop (Unlock the Boss) — playing the variety PD Kang Bo-geol — presents Mok-ha with a squeaky-clean pair of new sneakers. Notably, the worn-out trainers Mok-ha is wearing look just like the shoes in the flashback — did Bo-geol give her those, too?
Bo-geol isn’t the only one looking out for Mok-ha — his hyung Kang Woo-hak is, too. Played by Cha Hak-yeon (Joseon Attorney), the warm-hearted reporter Woo-hak finds himself wanting to protect Mok-ha. We see Woo-hak grabbing his coat and dashing out of the office without hesitation, presumably to rescue Mok-ha from whatever danger she’s facing — yet the person leading Mok-ha through the rain is wearing a different set of clothes. (Bo-geol, is that you?)
In voiceover, Bo-geol asks: is this coincidence, or fate? The teaser suggests that there’s more to Mok-ha’s past than meets the eye. A brief flashback shows a young boy tackling a man — Mok-ha’s violent father, perhaps? — as Mok-ha says, “If not for that sign, then fifteen years ago…” We close on a shot of Mok-ha, all dolled up and ready to take the stage. Our diva’s dream is finally coming true — as the poster’s tagline reads, “My dream will shine, thanks to you.”
With the team behind While You Were Sleeping and Start Up — namely, PD Oh Chung-hwan and writer Park Hye-ryun — taking the reins again alongside writer Eun Yeol, we can rest assured that we’re in good hands. Castaway Diva is slated to premiere later this month, on October 28.