You Who Came from the Stars (2013)

When I started this drama, the entire cast except for Yoo In Naa was 'alien' to me, heh. I noticed there was a big hype over Kim Soo Hyun and I've even read an article that said Jeon Ji Hyeon has made her big comback with this role after some 14 years. The premise seemed intriguing, the reviews practically tugged at your sleeves to just go ahead and watch it already, and having done so, here's my little review.

For those who love the original Star Trek series, they will notice a similarity between Mister Spock and the main fella, with all of these quite troublesome feelings you get because Do Min Joon has different lifespan from everyone else and you start watching this show knowing how many people he'll lose down the road. Which is very terrifying to think about and might make it hard to watch in later episodes. That aside, don't worry, he is nothing like Mister Spock because he has executed his own character well, and frankly, he made his extraterrestial background very visible throughout the series. On the other side, Chun Song Yi was hilarious. I think she might be the most fun female lead in any series that I've seen so far, because she's not afraid of expressing herself fully in any given scene. As a couple, they complement each other in every sense, their chemistry is completely functional and the comedy relief scenes are up to the task in most parts.

Jeon Ji Hyeon and Kim Soo Hyun have done very well in their roles, I think that KSH is growing to be a great actor and I'm looking forward to both their new dramas/movies. From the other cast, Lee Jae Kyung was an incredible character up until last few episodes, I hate how small they made him in the end, he had the skills to pull off an entirely different, more impactful, lasting version of himself. I also liked Oh Sang Jin as he reminded me of classy old detectives and he was very cute while doing so.

Music is okay, nothing too memorable but nothing too awful either, the main ost is very heartfelt and nice to listen to, and the overall musical background has been timed well with the scenes.

As for the rewatch value, it's definitely a drama I'd watch again after some time, it has all the needed elements for it. However, I'm not a fan of overly angsty plots so this takes quite the score from the rewatching for me.

I loved this drama. There was an abundance of romance all around, bittersweet chunks that left the tissues wet, hilarious parts where I would rewind just to see them again. I watched the last few episodes slowly just to prolong the experience, which serves to show how enjoyable it was to watch. However, the score is 8.5 because of the immense angst toll from the second part, it completely faded out everything else. I also disliked how DMJ was tasking everyone with protecting CSY! In last two episodes it made me very irritated how jumpy the others were around her, she's a woman of her own, for cat's sake! And Lee Hui Kyung, you'll never move on? It's been twenty years man, come on! But aside from these two things, I liked the ending. I find that it was the most proper way of saying goodbye to this drama.

Recommended.

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This drama is truly a masterpiece, I swear.
Every single cast in this drama portrayed their character very well (well, probably not Yoo In Na's character because I do find her character slightly weak in this drama).
At first, I watched this drama because of Kim Soohyun as I am a fan of him ever since Dream High. I'd never expect this drama to be so awesome after I read the story plot which is totally unrealistic.
However, this drama touches me. Especially the frozen-time-kiss scene. I cried numerous times because of the love of Do Minjoon to Cheon Songyi which totally touched me.
I love how he actually protects her by trying to push her away before he realised this hurts Songyi more, and then finding ways to stay with her forever. Even if he gets hurt, he'd never want Songyi to get hurt instead.
I also feel the warmth in Songyi's family, especially her father. Even though the other family members bicker all the time, I can see how much they care for one another, especially Yoonjae to his noona. It's just so cute to see him caring for her like this.
As well as Hwi Kyung. Oh yes, I really love how he loves Songyi by protecting her always. I love how realistic he is when he knows that loving someone doesn't mean you cannot let go of that person. He is really one of the best second-male-lead-character I have ever seen. Why is Songyi so lucky to have so many guys around her protecting her?! -jealous-
Furthermore, this is the MOST LEGAL ROM-COM DRAMA I have ever seen in my life.
Almost every single episode is funny, yet romantic at the same time - a drama I have ever wanted to watch.
The OSTs made this drama simply perfect. Although I wished that the production crew could play Hyorin's Hello in more episodes. The OSTs especially Lyn's My Destiny made me think back how much both of the leads love each other, willing to sacrifice anything just to be with each other.
Awwwwww I do want to watch again and again and I really don't mind buying the DVD. (:

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"You who came the stars" is your typical drama, riddled with the all the cliches; chaebol family, lavish apartments, unnecessary evil people, unnecessary side characters, unrequited love blah blah.

However, it still managed to be entertaining with the sci-fi twist and of course the star of the show Jun Ji Hyun- whom I believed if wasn't casted as main lead, this drama would be such a big hit.
She brings something new and fresh as a main lead, is so relatable,, fun,and absolutely HILARIOUS - like laugh out loud funny. Another thing I like is how managed to bring a lot of depth to her character - which I feel is something not a lot of mainstream actresses are able to do with their roles.

Kim Soo Hyun I think was pretty decent, he seemed a bit too stoic and dull at times,I understand he was supposed to be an Alien but I would have appreciated if he came to life more on screen and gave us versatility.
There is great chemistry and some really touching moments between the two main leads without it ever being too over-dramatic and cheesy.

Overall it was a very enjoyable drama, with a great leads and some golden moments which saved it from being an all around cliche fest.

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This drama left me speechless from the beginning to the end. It's been a while since I've watched a drama that has me off my seat throughout all the episodes. I am so in love with this drama and it's now my favorite drama for many reasons. It has all the elements: romance, comedy, fantasy, mystery, and a bit of historic. The teaser, honestly, does no justice to this drama. This drama is really unique with Do Min Joon as an alien with superpowers and it's not at all like the cliche korean drama stories.
I can't imagine any other actor playing the roles. The writers make you feel a roller coaster of emotions. I felt attached to the main couple because Kim Soo Hyun and Jeon Ji Hyun has an unbelievable chemistry. Besides that, the supporting characters were an outstanding addition. It made you sympathized with Hui Kyung and Jae Kyung played an evil role perfectly.
The plot introduction was captivating and the ending is a very satisfactory and unpredictable one. Overall, I really enjoyed this drama and I highly recommend everyone to watch this!

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Just finished watching.... I really enjoyed every episode...
Before starting this drama I was hesitating whether to start it or not, cuz i've seen some dramas with fantasy genre, where the start is amazing but later on they become so complicated and ...
Anyway in this drama everything goes fluently from start till the very end. While watching I was continually thinking about the end, how it will end, and was satisfied (there couldn't be a better way, cuz i mostly like happy endings).
I mostly watch dramas with high ratings and this was not an exception, so I liked everything- acting, music (especially "you're my destiny" & "hello,goodbye)...
If u're looking for a light and a cute drama, than don't delay it anymore. ^_^

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'You Who Came from the Stars' is a really unique drama. It is not unique story-wise or anything. It just possesses a certain quality which sets it apart from countless other Korean dramas. I can almost say with confidence that any person that watches this drama will either love it or get bored with it. However, you won't find yourself hating it.

This drama is like a candy wrapped in an attractive cover. When you unwrap it and take a bite of it, the degree of sweetness felt by each person may vary but will never seem bitter or sour. It's an absolute HIT or MISS.

I started this drama out of utter boredom and ended up marathoning it within 2 days!! This drama managed to keep my attention in spite of its good and bad parts.

STORY:

To be honest- the story wasn't great. I felt like the sci-fi arc was totally and completely nonsensical. That was the least interesting part of the drama. What makes the drama enjoyabe is the comedy, romance, suspense and melodramatic moments that are more than enough to keep you hooked.

The romance was pretty good. I don't recall watching a romance this satisfying since watching The Master's Sun. The main story (thankfully) is the love story rather than the "sci-fi" part. That's what makes this whole drama work. The leads seemed comfortable enough together for me to be convinced that they were in love. Even the age difference is hardly felt due to the way they acted around each other. They were pretty cute and cheesy at the same time. I like cheesy so I won't complain but sometimes the level of cheese was more than I wanted.

The beginning of the drama was sort of random and rough for me. It took around ep 7-8 for me to fully get the hang of the characters and the plot. Once it picked up, there was no looking back. Like every single drama, it dragged towards the end but it was very much bearable.

I wished they could have done something good with the alien part. It ended up being a cheap plot device without any explanation or logic attached to it. Being a sci-fi fan that was the biggest disappointment to me regarding the drama. It was like, the movie E.T. (with grown ups) rolled in Twilight and Vampire Diaries and came out like a Korean drama plot. LOL. Not saying that it was horrible but it wasn't great either. Don't worry- that didn't keep me from liking the drama. It had a lot of great things in it as well as already pointed out.

ACTING/CAST:

I think the cast was great. The star of the drama is Jun Ji Hyun hands down. She OWNED the entire drama and I have to say- even overshadowed Kim Soo Hyun. It's unbelievable how she managed to make an otherwise annoying character of Cheon Seong Yi into someone totally likable and someone I found myself caring about. I, for some reason couldn't relate to Kim Soo Hyun's acting. He did well in some parts and but after a while it didn't impress me much. I didn't quite feel the transition of the person who was closed up for 400 years to someone who fell in love. I felt like he should have put more effort into seeming cold in the first place. I am not saying that he doesn't show emotions on his face- because he does.

I hated Yoo In Na's character. She transformed into the typical Kdrama second lead too soon for me. She was sweet in the beginning though. I wish she picked better roles because she sure is good. The second male lead was meh for me. He was just wishy washy and I couldn't connect to him at all. I rather liked the brother of Cheon Seong Yi better. He was funnier and way more entertaining.

I disliked the bad guy character in the story. He was just silly, forced and boring. However, I liked the actor and he did a good job of his role.

MUSIC:

I didn't like the soundtrack nor did I hate it. Nothing special.


ENDING:

I hated the ending. It was one of the worst endings of all time. It was obviously done to please the viewers but I couldn't buy it. It made me more angry than happy. I wouldn't have minded an alternate ending which would have made at least made sense. It would have made the drama more epic in my opinion rather than some randomly drawn sloppy conclusion.


All in all- a pretty enjoyable watch. It has its ups and downs like all dramas do but does manage to stand apart from the others. I recommend this to everyone. :)

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Things to Love about You Who Came from Another Star

I've been watching Asian dramas for more than 15 years, but Man from Another Star is the best romantic comedy I have seen from the time it was released until now (2021). I'm not saying it's perfect, but here are the reasons why you should watch it:

1. The storyline is awesome. It's not your typical Korean drama about an ordinary girl and a chaebol guy who fall in love; this one has aliens, movie stars, Joseon people, and a whole lot more -- a perfect mixture of elements without being too preposterous. It's definitely fresh! (At least when it came out in 2014).
2. Our alien guy is one of the coolest in dramaland. He's smart, handsome, rich, has superpowers and has lived as a doctor, lawyer, professor, and whatnot. He can even sing!
3. The female lead is one of the most memorable characters I've watched in dramas. From being a dumb, arrogant, selfish diva, she becomes pathetic but charming and hilarious (though a little overacting at times).
4. The romance is delightful. Every episode makes your heart flutter -- it is abundant with "skinship" and kissing scenes while staying wholesome.
5. It's not just one of the most romantic but also the funniest dramas ever! There are many unexpectedly amusing situations. Even scenes that you think will be sad can manage to bring laughs.
6. A single episode is able to make you experience different emotions -- bliss, surprise, worry, sadness and relief. One moment you're rolling from laughter, the next, you're weeping.
7. Each episode gets better and better. Just when you thought the current one is the best, the next one beats it. I suppose it could have been shorter, but I never felt bored watching any episode.
8. Need I say that the cast is perfect? The powerhouse couple Kim Soo Hyun and Jun Ji Hyun, two of the most attractive and talented K stars, have amazing chemistry. The other actors, though less known, are also very well-suited for their roles.
9. The soundtrack is charming. Some of its songs made it to the top charts in Korea! It's also a plus that a couple of the songs were sung by the main lead. Although there were a few songs that I didn't exactly like, the music is generally appropriate.
10. The supporting characters are dynamic and lovable -- the female lead's adorable younger brother; her unlikely best friend; the devoted second male lead; and finally, the ever-faithful lawyer.
11. This is the first drama where the male lead's best friend is a 60-year-old man, and their friendship is a very touching one.
12. You'll learn Korean archaic expressions from it.
13. The parodies are a nice touch. It's refreshing to see it make fun of other dramas/movies.
14. The epilogues/end credits -- the first show I've seen that uses an epilogue for every episode to show something unexpected. They'll either make you laugh or break your heart. At the time this series came out, end credits were not common in Korean dramas. However, now they're not uncommon anymore.
15. The rewatch value is very high. Needless to say, it's so good that you can watch it over and over (especially the romantic scenes)!

Mild spoilers ahead
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16. The ending. You may not agree with me on this as you might be hoping for a happier one. However, given the circumstances of the characters, this ending was satisfying and poignant. It was not predictable which makes it special.

This series may not be perfect and there there were many questions that it left unanswered. However, there are so many things to love about it that its flaws can be overlooked.

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My Mini Back-Story:

Wow, it's been a while since I've written a review. I'm sorry that this one won't be as long as my previous ones.

Now, going into this drama I was very excited because when was the last time that Jeon Ji Hyun was in a drama eh? She's coupled up with Kim Soo Hyun too! That sounds like an advantage there already.


Storyline:

In general, the storyline seemed to be unsure of where it was heading. I felt like the first half of the drama felt different than the second half of the drama. I mentioned in the comments that starting around episode 12 to 21, everything felt generic and repetitive. To be honest, I cannot differentiate between what happened in that episode and the previous episode. It got to the point where it was that bad. I got tired of the bickerings and the reminiscence revolving around the two main protagonists. It was like as if the writers were actually feeding us cheese at that point! All I remember is how Cheon Song Yi followed Do Min Joo like crazy then she cries in her room and he hears. It was cute at first, but then it was just like, "Am I supposed to laugh because I've seen this countless of times previously". They kept saying the same thing over and over. Instead of all of that, the writers could have simply made us learn more about our beloved characters by adding substance and background to them.

Moreover, the beginning of each episode where Do Min Joon was in the Joseon period did not correlate to the current scenes IMO. Sometimes they added those in certain episodes, and some episodes did not even have that.

Characters/Acting:

Another thing that bothered me was that, did Cheon Song Yi know that Do Min Joo was the guy she was waiting for since forever? They made so much emphasis of that at the beginning but there was no correlation afterwards. Also, Se Mi's character was weird. She was being b*tchy then all of a sudden became thrown out of the script. What was her purpose? If the two second leading characters were not in this drama, it would have not made a difference!

The thing that bothered me the most about the drama was Lee Jae Kyung. How on Earth did he master all those evil plans? I have no clue. I know this is a drama, but at least make some sense! Even when he was captured at the end, he still blabbered child play stuff. Who defends themselves like that? I'm sure you guys know what I'm talking about if you've seen the last elevator scene before he was sent away. That just ruined the drama for me and it made me realize all the other fatal errors.

The acting in this drama, hands down, is superb thanks to Jeon Ji Hyun. She's such a fluid actress. She feels genuine. She reminds me of the protagonist Kim Sam Soon in her acting skills and talking ways. Oh man, Cheon Song Yi is not only beautiful, but she's really funny! Jeon Ji Hyun doesn't try hard at all. She's a treat to watch. She's naturally funny. When she's sad, you also really feel her pain. I cross my fingers that she will be in another drama with a better script!

Kim Soo Hyun was alright in this drama. I liked him, and I enjoyed his scenes, but Jeon Ji Hyun stole all the scenes.

The two supporting casts were dumbed down. They had potential, but not enough credible substance behind their characterization to say much. I feel bad for the actors.

Music:

The songs played in this drama matched well with the scenes. There wasn't a particular song that really stuck to me, but overall the soundtracks were in the moment. It added more emotion to the drama. Lovely.

Bonus:

Cheon Song Yi's fashion and beauty was a huge bonus for me HAHA. I loved her dance of "Will You Marry Me?" by Bruno Mars too. The random spurt of english from both mother and daughter were funny.

Overall:

The plotline was really messy. They built so much on it at the beginning, and they just let it all go near the end with uncertainty. In fact, near the end, it kind of reminded me of "The Time Traveler's Wife" haha!

The characters in this drama were not fleshed out. The acting was not bad at all though.

The songs were well put together as well.

However, I would not rewatch this drama except maybe Cheon Song Yi's scenes.

Overall rating for review: 6.25/10

Purely for entertainment: 6.5/10

My Dramalist rating (avg): 6.375/10

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