This review may contain spoilers
One of the Korean Dramas of all time
My Love from the Star is a korean drama. It ticks all criteria that a korean drama should have. It is korean and it is dramatic.Amongst korean dramas, I have seen op characters that some how walk into table corners or have inconsistent powers, I have seen insufferable characters or characters with annoying traits, and I have seen some stupid decision making from main leads in the story.
But I have not experienced a show, where they manage to contain all of these, creating main leads so inconsistent, insufferable and idiotic all at the same time.
The main characters, despite having the potential for depth, are often reduced to stereotypical roles.
The female lead has no redeeming factors. Apart from the show making us feel slightly sympathetic for her, she's mainly a bit of an inconsiderate and stupid bitch. Not only that, she treats her "friends" and coworkers like shit and kinda expects the world to kinda just bend to her will. She probably doesnt even consider them her friends or consider her coworkers as humans. She has major main character syndrome and its infuriating.
The male lead has zero reason to like her. It is wish fulfilment/fantasy that a guy that lived as long as this dude, would legitimately fall in love with this doll. There aint no way.
The chemistry between them seems so forced. Like bro was all about the bachelor life and suddenly dropped all standards when he saw this girl acting like an adult infant. And this isn't even mentioning that this dude is lowkey an asshole.
Many characters display annoying traits that make it difficult to root for them. From insufferable arrogance to nonsensical decision-making, these traits are more irritating than endearing.
Character development
Three characters are interesting, the rest are pretty insufferable.
At least there was some redemption for the guy that totally stalked the female lead for several years, cuz he did end up clutching up at the end. Lowkey mvp.
Same with Sunny's brother. He was pretty interesting. Its a shame that there couldn't be more screentime for him.
The fake dad is a nice guy, understanding and chill. Bro's wise and funny. Good shit.
Also idk what happened with Sunny's character. They couldn't decide whether she was gonna be a bitch or a friend or a bitch. If they just fleshed it out more, it could have actually been kinda interesting.
I would say that the characters dont even exist to drive the plot, because there is no plot.
However, this would be a lie. There is a plot. Its just really dumb and forced. At any point, the male lead could have just done some investigation into horse tranq bro or like idk, get someone to drop a brick on bros head.
Special effects
They special for sure.
Instead of being like epic and make you feel abit more immersed, it breaks immersion and looks goofy as shit.
Plot
The majority of the story didnt make any sense.
Especially horse tranq guy. Bro has no sense of fear.
The male lead has god-like powers but sometimes doesn't make sense.
The female lead is like stupid as shit but also can be Sherlock at random moments. And even then she says it with no awareness at all that shes alone with the killer in a room.
I don't think the female lead even realises who the killer is or why shes being targeted for the entire show. Like wtf
The 21 hr runtime was kinda insane. considering the story can be condensed into
Actor dies -> FL gets framed for it -> ML falls in love cuz he feels bad or something idfk -> real murderer tries to kill FL -> ML ends up solving everything without FL even realising -> ML and FL have their romance -> ML dips -> ML comes back
The music was quite nice and carried the enjoyment of the show.
The acting was also pretty good by most of the side characters. The main characters felt either very stiff or caricatures of stereotypes, which ended up being goofy. Which is still enjoyable in its own way.
Honestly, with abit more development around the romance and the consequences of either of the main characters dieing, this could have redeemed the show.
Give us a sad ending you cowards.
If they killed one of them off at the end, that shit would have been peak.
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I felt the story line is very unique. At first when I started watching I thought this would be smallville type of series. However, this is a very cute and mature drama, not about the powers, but more about the connecting and realizing that this person is meant for you. Honestly, I felt I was part of the story. I believe it is very well written. The actors had done a great job.
One thing I would tell you is to sit back, relax and keep your mind open about the possibilities because you do not know what course the drama will take.
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Kim Soo Hyun is the reason I watched this drama, but Jeon Ji Hyeon is the reason I stayed. Actually, the whole cast was fantastic, I just really really loved Jeon Ji Hyeon's character. I didn't realize before, but after looking the actress up, I discovered that both her and Kim Soo Hyun were in The Thieves (more reason to love them)!
Anyways, on with my review. You all read the plot summary already. Honestly, I thought this drama was gonna be lame, but it was actually quite enjoyable. It's about this alien thts been on earth for 400yrs, and is returning to his home planet in three months time, but ends up falling in love with a human. You'll witness the process of him falling for her, and it's actually really cute. But I'll admit, I was a little annoyed at this drama. I understood Min Joon's motivations (the alien), but I want to scream out of frustration every time he rejected Song Yi (the human). I totally understood Song Yi's frustration with him, like he tells her he doesn't want her, and then won't leave her alone. Song Yi is just fantastic throughout. And I really really really loved the guy that's in love with her, Lee Hui Kyung. I really hated his brother tho, but then again, who didn't. And the scenes when he's performing his powers/abilities were really cool. I really loved those parts, they're possibly my favorite parts in the whole drama.
Min Joon's background story is so boring tho. Thts why I didn't rate this drama higher tbh. It was really stupid, and I just did not care. I don't want to spoil anything, so all I'll say is that 400yrs ago, when Min Joon first came to earth, he saved a girl that looked just like Song Yi. Most boring part for sure. There were many other minor annoyances, but I can't list them because it would definitely spoil this drama, but like I said, they're minor.
I wouldn't say I loved this drama, but I did like it a lot. First of all, Kim Soo Hyun is my baby and I love him to pieces and he is the best crier in all of Korea okay. He is the best, period. Second, if you watched Dream High, there's a treat for you in this drama! I'm not gonna say what it is, because it's so much better as a surprise, but all I know is that I screamed in delight and it made me love the drama more. Thirdly, the cast is wonderful, especially the main actress. I've become a fan of hers. I wouldn't rewatch this drama anytime soon, but I did marathon it. It's engaging, and it's entertaining, and yea I guess I'd recommend this drama if you're looking for a romance drama. Pretty good in my book.
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Story:
The story is probably the weakest part of this series with several discrepancies that leaves you with more questions than answers. The weakness stems from the supernatural-ness of the main character Do Min Joon being an alien who comes from another planet. Over time while watching, many questions will arise regarding DMJ (the alien's) background and how relevant it is to the story at all. In the end, the only relevancy appears to be the fact DMJ never ages and he is a living fossil of 400 years of Korean history. If you go into this show expecting Sci-fi rational you might be sorely disappointed. However questions about DMJ's past aside, the rest of the storyboard which focuses on melodrama is very solid and extremely well paced. 8.5/10
Acting/Cast:
JJH acting as Cheong Song Yi really outdid herself in this role, the amount of versatility required of her character was extremely high. She has to portray the glamorous life of a top Hallyu star with all the pride and arrogance that celebrities are known for, while showing the viewers the vulnerable person underneath all that; a girl who was forced to grow up too quick, a woman who has not yet experienced the thrills of first love, and a daughter in a broken family. In the span of this drama, she awes us all with the facets of the character Cheong Song Yi, we laugh when she is silly and drunk, cry when she is sad and heartbroken, scream when she is alone and in danger, and then laugh some more at her singing and rapping.
KSH acting as Do Min Joon the alien who lived on Earth for more than 400 years. He did a great job at expressing emotion using very little facial expression and portraying a 'old soul' aura onto his character. KSH has very natural chemistry with JJH this cannot be reputed, their very brief but scorching kiss scene in The Thieves was the highlight of the movie while I watched it. The same can be said for this drama, whenever scenes of the two occur it's a natural magnet for the eyes they stand out in a very good way. So kudos to the casting for putting KSH and JJH together in one drama, they already won half the battle in my opinion.
Props should also be given to the supporting casts especially Yoo In Na who played the jealous best friend of Cheong Song Yi who somehow managed to gain my sympathy despite the antagonism of her role. Park Hae Jin who played the foolish man who is in love with the same girl for over 15 years and still persists, what a stubborn and loyal guy. Shin Sung Rok the villain with the deadly creepy glare, he has pretty natural chemistry with KSH too, the scenes of the two standing face to face glaring at each other redefines black and white. 10/10
Music:
I was very taken with the music in this drama, both instrumental and OST songs. My favorite songs in the OST are 'Like a Star' by K.Will and 'Tears Like Today' by Huh Gak. I really enjoy the way the OST complements the natural atmosphere of the drama and enhances the heart warming aspects without sounding like background noise as it happens in some dramas. The instrumental Beethoven Revolution, Stars Comic Tension, Run Away (Ending Title), are some of the highlights in the drama that never fails to set the mood and increase the tension. 9/10
Rewatch Value:
This where this drama breaks open my door and set a new record for me in terms of loving it. How worth is it of a re-watch? I can answer this by saying, the first time i watched this drama i did it in 3 days. 5 days later i re-watched it again this time in 2 days. It only took another 9 days for me to decide to re-re-watch it again. Each time i watched I did not regret every single minute it took because i still laughed at all of Cheong Song Yi's silliness and enjoyed every bit of DMJ/CSY interaction on screen just as if it was the first time. Would i re-watch this drama even more in the future? Without a doubt yes, maybe in a year or two i will come back to it again. 10/10
Overall:
I wonder if this drama set the bar too high for me in the future of kdramas, post YWCFTS i've tried to watch a few other kdrama but none had as big of a emotional impact on me. I'm not in the habit of rating things 10/10 and in light of the flaws in the story, as well as the ending nearly disappointing me I will not give it a perfect 10, but a 9.5.
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I love Hwi Kyeong and his sexy evil brother, I love Song Yi`s family and everyone working with her, I love the lawyer, Bok Ja, the prosecutor and his partner and even Se Mi... there are many enjoyable characters in the show, which is a relief. I love the flashbacks the most and the little epilogues... I am shamelessly in love with this show and everything about it to even question the plot here and there so this will be just another positive review, sorry guys.
Everyone should watch this.
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anyone out there ho made to ep 6 before dropping it. give it till ep10 cause if u don like it by then get a head examination lol if the main cast can't do a second season right now why not one with their kids as the mc anyone interested in this idea mssg the person behind the show
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Story is very romantic, even though it was about unhuman but i don't see the male lead as unhuman at all, i can related to him right away after i watched for 5 episodes, a guy with his personality actually has in our world, this was the part i like about this drama more than other k-drama that i found the male lead is always stupid at some point. But this one is one good example for a real world when you really fall in love with someone you are willing to do everything to the girl you like. When you don't say some words that doesn't mean you didn't feel it but it just the way it is for some certain people, i'm also one that kind too so i like this drama more because somehow it speaks out for me what i thought in my mind.
The cast was brilliant i have no negative point to point out here.
One of lovely and must watch k-drama. If some of J-drama fans get little bored please check this one out and you can always go back to watch your j-drama anytime, just to change your mood and setting a bit with k-drama wouldn't hurt.
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The romance was out of this world (pun totally intended) and I lost count of how many times they broke my heart and put it back together. The chemistry between the actors was wonderful - the kisses were romantic (and the aftermath was somewhat humorous). The side characters were used well.
I read that some were a little disappointed by the ending, but it was appropriate regardless - you won't be brokenhearted at the end. Do Min Joon's "happy dream" is an emotion wrecker. I think the writers dealt with the ending in the best they could. I was satisfied with the ending they gave us, and that was what was important.
The music was used well - it evoked the right emotions for the moments.
If you are one of the few out there that has put this off, or a newbie to Kdrama, put this on your list and make sure to watch it. Also, a little tip (I didn't figure this out until several episodes in and had to go back) - be sure to keep watching after the freeze frame end with the music. There is a little extra tidbit for you at the end of each episode, and it's another little piece of the story. The episode is truly over when you see the book with the people as star outlines. :)
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The dialogue was sharp and witty when it needed to be, and touching when it needed to be. It set the tone right, unlike most other romantic dramas (which later fall into the melodramatic category). I'll admit that it became a bit of a melodrama during the final two episodes; however, it never completely fell into the weepy melodrama that I was expecting it to and it retained the majority of its comedic charm throughout its run. I also admire how the romance never fell flat and that the leads didn't play a long match of love ping-pong with each other.
However, the two story lines that were running concurrently against each other didn't feel united. Yes, the characters were linked to one another, but the murder mystery didn't quite sit well with the romantic developments. Cheon Song Yi was so far removed from the whole murder intrigue and when she was involved she was simply being used as a pawn during the villain's evil machinations.
The story would have been so much more cohesive if Song Yi was sleuthing with Do Min Joon and Lee Hwi Kyeong, instead of just watching a suspicious video of a dead girl with a woman who is obviously very scared and not thinking much of it.
Because the two story lines failed to develop and link with each other, the drama felt unnecessarily dragged out to me. And whilst the two second main leads certainly weren't the most annoying 2nd main leads in drama history, they just turned out to be vapid and lacking in development. Yeah, Hwi Kyeong was nice and was brave to stand up against his brother, but that's all he really was. I didn't see much of point in Yoo Se Mi's character...she didn't really make you feel anything towards her - she was just there.
But the drama did present a believable romance. Although Cheon Seong Yi bears a strong resemblance to the young girl that Do Min Joon saved 400 years ago, that it isn't why he falls in love with her. Yes, he's interested in her because of that resemblance - both that interest is just sheer curiosity. He falls in love with her imperfections: she might be blunt, hot-tempered, and a bit crazy, but it doesn't matter to him. He loves her. And she loves him. Also, I am very glad that it was never a one-sided love story!
Finally, Jeon Ji Hyun shines so brightly in this drama. I really can't imagine a 3-dimensional character like Cheon Seong Yi being portrayed by anyone other than Jeon Ji Hyun. I know most of the surrounding hype in regards to YWCFTS was centered around Kim Soo Hyun, but this drama was really made by JJH. It wouldn't have had the same attraction if she wasn't the main. KHS is not a bad actor, but he has the tendency to be wooden and I don't believe he has established the same amount as screen presence as JJH has.
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The idea of him being an alien with superpowers you have to take with a pinch of salt as it sounds (and is) a little ridiculous, however the rest of the story more than makes up for it with its fast-paced plot and cute romance. Unlike plenty of other dramas which have slower parts to the story (and thus becoming a tad dull) this drama held my attention throughout its 21 episodes.
Apart from that, the only other fault for me was that I found young Chun Song Yi (Kim Hyun Soo)'s acting a little monotonous. However, her part is small and it in no way affected the story for me. Both leads are cute and I loved the humour. I have, and will probably again, rewatch You Who Came From the Stars, and it will continue to be amongst my favourite dramas.
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Acting/Cast: Hey! how can I complain? this is one of the best of the best of it's time when it was airing, Kim Soo Hyun and Jeon Ji Hyun? Their chemistry and acting was fantastic! I fell in love, hated and cried with them!
Music: I love all of the OST! I had everything on my phone!
Rewatch value: I can't count how many times I've re-watched this masterpiece!
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The Plot/Setting:
That's always been the thing with Korean dramas (maybe other Asian dramas too), the plot is always never simple. Even if it does start simple, it'll eventually dig deeper as the series progresses. So, MLFAS definitely have a simple plot at face value but it gets much more complicated than that. Actually, the plot of this seems like one of those sci-fi/dystopian romantic novels that I absolutely hate. However, MLFAS at least, tries to go deeper than what it originally presents. Though I don't like the plot 100%, I think that in some way, it's a refreshing watch. And one that I'd like to think has taken quite a risk (especially to a wider audience) as perhaps this would appeal to local audience.
MLFAS deep history connects (or tries to) connect its characters. Since MLFAS' timeline spans longer, there's more connection that needs to be done. But MLFAS lacks the clarity and the conciseness to connect its characters. Sometimes, it seems forceful rather than letting it smoothly fall into place. Now, there's some loose ends. The connection is not tight enough especially with regards to Cheon Song-yi's "reincarnation" which was touched by the drama yet was left hanging. Those kinds of coherence and unity makes the connection or as MLFAS dubs it, "fate" seem sloppy.
However, besides the characters being the drama's highlight, I think the plot's almost "forbidden-love" concept makes it very moving and really pushes the characters. The villain itself is a slight segment to tear and bring the characters apart as well as destiny's wish. It's a true embodiment of you-and-me-against-the-world. Of course, it's not perfect but at least the supernatural elements are justified and addressed rather than being left out. Though,a realistic ending would've been better even if it hurts. (I cried buckets of tears in the last three episodes)
And each episode ends with a cliffhanger. That was torture because you have to keep watching.
The Characters:
I didn't know that Jun Ji-hyun is the one that plays Song-yi's character but after I did, it made me love the series more. And besides how the love story pushes the characters, the characters pushes the story too. I love how Song-yi contrasts with Min-joon (played by Kim Soo-hyun), this is effective because it brings out the best in their characters. I've seen Ji-hyun play a very sassy, bold and loud character in My Sassy Girl (which brings back a lot of nostalgia) and her personality despite being so annoying is really the exhibit of a fragile character. Song-yi's character is such a fun character to watch. Despite the show's heavy dramatic elements, I never fail to laugh at her and smile at how much she has developed over the course of the series. However, she still manages to show her soft and fragile side using her loudness as a cover-up because of her profession as an actress. Ji-hyun has always been good at playing this time of characters as seen in My Sassy Girl.
Do Min-joon on the other hand has also changed from being a serious, monotonic character to being someone who can love and care for someone so deeply. His character who's more mature, more rational is a complete opposite of Song-yi's and they bring out the best in each other. I'd say that the chemistry between all the characters are such great pleasures to watch. Even Song-yi and Se-mi's best friend rivalry has chemistry. And that's important because it makes each interaction much more pleasing and something to look forward to. I do love all the characters and I think that they were able to form connections with their audience, effective in its emotional approach.
Despite having a seven-year age gap between Ji-hyun and Soo-hyun, the chemistry is undeniable. It just makes the forbidden love more appealing.
The Soundtrack:
Whenever "My Destiny" plays, I already know it's about to get emotional. That is all.
The Romance:
There is an obvious age difference between Kim Soo-hyun and Jun Ji-hyun. In fact, their age difference is like seven years, if I remember correctly. However, there's an instant chemistry despite all that. I think that this "forbidden" love story that both characters have is both beautiful and sad. There's always that thing that pulls you as a viewer to be truly content and happy knowing that Do Mi Joon could be leaving Earth anytime. It's a tangled of secrets and sacrifices. And that in turn, made their romance so compelling that I cried buckets of tears.
The Themes:
Besides the forbidden love drama which later becomes a me-and-you-against-the-world, there's the obvious family drama. The isolation. The alienation. Best friend-zoned and the struggles of being a celebrity. It's all tangled up. As much as I love the drama to frame away from the very cliche past history being connected and loneliness/alone theme, it doesn't. In fact, it needed to. For the sake of Do Min Joon's identity and to make their romance the best of the best and out of this world. Leaving cliches aside, the drama does heavily rely on making the romance the central pulling force of its plot and its characters.
The Soundtrack:
Enough to make me cry. That is all.
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