CJ ENM, a leading entertainment conglomerate, has successfully hauled itself out of a period of decline, much to the surprise of industry observers. 

The company has put an end to its ongoing string of financial losses, primarily fuelled by the success of its recent offerings, chief among them being the television drama, 'Castaway Diva.'

The performance of 'Castaway Diva' has been particularly commendable. The viewership ratings for this tvN weekend drama, which premiered on October 28, have displayed considerable growth. The first episode registered a viewership rating of 3.2% (according to Nielsen Korea, computed based on nationwide paid households). Remarkably, this figure surpassed 8% by the time the last four episodes aired, tripling its ratings in barely two weeks. Analysts expect this uptrend to continue, predicting ratings to cross the 10% mark soon.

Park Eun Bin, the "trusted actress," whose impressive portrayal in the drama has received high praise, plays the lead role in 'Castaway Diva.' Given the lackluster performance of most of their content this year, this success story has come as a much-needed respite for CJ ENM. Even their high-budget production 'Arthdal Chronicles' struggled to break past viewership ratings in the 4% range, triggering concerns about the company's ability to create compelling content.

In 'Castaway Diva,' Park Eun Bin portrays an aspiring singer, Seo Mok Ha, who is rescued from a deserted island where she has spent 15 years. Park Eun Bin's impressive showing in 'Extraordinary Attorney Woo' last year had already set high expectations for her next project. 

Subsequently, her commendable performance in 'Castaway Diva' has managed to inject a shot of vitality into CJ ENM's works, countering the criticism of their content being perceived as "stale" and "past its prime." The original soundtrack (OST) for 'Castaway Diva' has added to this success, trending across numerous music platforms.

With 'Castaway Diva' leading the charge, the company's creative vortex has been re-energized, contributing to its financial recovery. On November 8, CJ ENM announced that they achieved a profit of 7.4 billion KRW (~5.7 million USD) in the third quarter. This was a noticeable turnaround, given they had to weather through losses amounting to over 80 billion KRW (~61 million USD) during the first half of this year. Market experts had even predicted a further loss of over 10 billion KRW (7.6 million USD) for the third quarter.

CJ ENM is optimistic about its financial recovery continuing into the fourth quarter, banking on a slew of promising content lined up for release. The company plans to broaden its drama series portfolio by featuring well-known actors in projects like 'Castaway Diva' and 'Maestra: Strings of Truth.' Additionally, proven entertainment content like 'Green Bean, Red Bean,' 'Unexpected Business 3', and 'The Genius Paik 2' will solidify their market position.

A representative from CJ ENM said, "We will enhance profitability through the strengthening of anchor content competitiveness," specifically mentioning 'Castaway Diva.'

Highlighted as a key area, the company's film and drama division needs to maintain its revival momentum. Notably, despite returning to profitability, their film and drama division experienced an operating loss of 20.4 billion KRW within the third quarter. However, with the spotlight on 'Castaway Diva,' it is anticipated to expedite a comprehensive recovery.