When I opened my eyes, the world had changed. On the banks of the Joseon River, a boy is discovered inside a meteor that fell with a strange light. And 400 years later, in a university classroom in modern Seoul, a man stands before students, his face, speech, and even tastes completely unchanged. He is the alien Do Min-joon (Kim Soo-hyun). With a lifespan that far exceeds that of a human, he fell to Joseon as if adrift, witnessing the change of dynasties, wars, modernization, and industrialization, becoming a living archive and a thorough embodiment of loneliness who has never truly made a "person of his own" in all those long years. Like Louis from 'Interview with the Vampire', the only thing that ages in eternal time is his soul. Everything ignites at the point where the countdown begins for the last three months before he must leave Earth.
On the opposite side is the top Hallyu star Cheon Song-yi (Jun Ji-hyun), who dominates an era. An actress living amidst billboards, variety shows, internet articles, and malicious comments. On the surface, she seems to have a steel mentality that can reflect any insult or criticism, but in reality, she is a character who is swayed by her family and dragged along by management and public opinion, somewhat clumsy and lonely. One day, due to a chance incident, she drunkenly barges into the house next door and discovers that the man living next door is "the most handsome, the coldest, and the most aloof man in the world." Thus begins the worst first contact between an alien and a top star.
Do Min-joon originally had a plan. To not get involved with humans anymore and quietly tidy up his affairs on Earth before returning to his home planet. So he keeps his distance from those around him. He maintains a proper boundary with students and does not invest emotions in his neighbors. However, everything twists when Cheon Song-yi crashes into his living space with a bang. Arguments sparked by noise complaints, her drunken antics causing all sorts of trouble while she remembers none of it the next day, and yet transforming into a dazzling actress on stage. Do Min-joon tries hard to ignore it, but his gaze increasingly drifts toward the living room window.
How can a 400-year-old man be so attractive!
The interesting point of this drama is that it intricately weaves thriller, family drama, and coming-of-age stories within the guise of a romantic comedy. As the second-generation chaebol Lee Hwi-kyung (Park Hae-jin) and his brother Lee Jae-kyung (Shin Sung-rok), who hides cruelty behind a cool smile, appear around Cheon Song-yi, the story takes a dark turn. The manipulated death of an actress, the power and violence behind it, and the hands reaching out to Cheon Song-yi to destroy evidence. Do Min-joon tries to protect her while hiding his identity, but at the same time, due to his abilities as an alien, he is drawn into increasingly dangerous situations. He can stop time, teleport, and possesses senses that far exceed those of humans, but his powers are not perfect on this planet. Especially as the time to leave approaches, his abilities begin to show slight cracks, and his body becomes increasingly vulnerable. Just as Superman becomes powerless in front of kryptonite, Earth becomes an increasingly deadly environment for Do Min-joon.
The characters surrounding Cheon Song-yi also add layers to the story. Her rival and friend Yoo Se-mi (Yoo In-na), who has admired and envied her since childhood, shows how an actress who has always been consumed as a supporting role cultivates darkness. Like Nina and Lily in 'Black Swan', the relationship between Cheon Song-yi and Yoo Se-mi precariously oscillates between camaraderie and jealousy. Cheon Song-yi's family appears to be a typical "problematic celebrity family", but in reality, they are a group of people who cannot help but cling to each other. The lawyer Jang Young-mok (Kim Chang-wan), who first perceives Do Min-joon's identity, is a cold advisor and almost his only human friend after many years. Through these characters, the relationship between Do Min-joon and Cheon Song-yi expands into emotions that clash with various layers of reality, rather than being a simple fated love.
As time passes, Do Min-joon struggles. He must leave to survive. If he stays here longer, his body will collapse, and his very existence will be at risk. But can he leave Cheon Song-yi behind? Conversely, Cheon Song-yi also increasingly realizes that Do Min-joon can never be a "normal boyfriend". Although they appear to be the same age, he is actually a 400-year-old man who has lived since the Joseon era. This enormous gap in time hints at what shadows might loom over the destination of the two, beyond the jokes in the romantic comedy. Until Do Min-joon makes his final choice, the distance between the man from the stars and the woman who wants to reach the stars repeatedly contracts and expands. Like a cosmic dance where two stars are drawn to each other's gravity while avoiding collision. I recommend checking the final value of that distance in the last episode. The ending of this drama leaves a rather complex emotion that cannot be simply summarized as a happy or sad ending.
The Rhythm of a Lively Romantic Comedy and the Tension of a Thriller
'My Love from the Star' is a quintessential Hallyu romantic comedy and at the same time a masterclass work. Just looking at the setting of an alien and a top star, it seems quite cartoonish and light, yet it is pursued with astonishing seriousness. Through the perspective of "a human seen from the eyes of an alien who has lived for 400 years", it multilayeredly touches on loneliness, death, love, and separation that transcends time. The scenes that Do Min-joon experiences as he travels between Joseon and modern times, especially the repeated tragedies of past connections, add a tragic gravity to the fantasy setting. This evokes the weight of loss accumulated by the Time Lord in 'Doctor Who' who has lived for hundreds of years.
From a directorial perspective, this drama skillfully combines the rhythm of romantic comedy with the tension of a thriller. In dating scenes, bright lighting and lively music are arranged, but when a murder or threat looms, the colors and sounds freeze in an instant. The way Do Min-joon's abilities are expressed is also sophisticated without being overly flashy. Every time he stops time, the camera subtly glides and scans the frozen space, and the scene where only Do Min-joon walks slowly while others are frozen has become a visual signature. Just as the bullet time in 'The Matrix' redefined the aesthetics of slow motion, the time-stopping direction in this drama presents a new grammar for fantasy scenes in Korean dramas. Thanks to this, the portrayal of superpowers does not float like "game graphics" but settles as a subtle rule of this world.
Above all, the core of this work lies in the chemistry between the actors, especially the two who play Cheon Song-yi and Do Min-joon. Cheon Song-yi (Jun Ji-hyun) is a character who has literally been elevated to an "icon". She convincingly embodies both the glamour of a top star and the vulnerability of her bare face. Selfish, overly vain, and unruly, but beneath it lies professionalism and wounds that bear the responsibility of her own life. Jun Ji-hyun's comic timing and fluid expression changes amplify the character of Cheon Song-yi, turning her from a simple rom-com heroine into a cultural code of an era. The act of eating chicken and beer on the first snow day has become a cultural phenomenon after this drama, and Cheon Song-yi's fashion has been replicated throughout Asia, including China.
On the other hand, Do Min-joon (Kim Soo-hyun) exemplifies the archetype of an alien character with compressed emotions. He reveals the waves of his heart through small changes in expression and trembling gazes. His words are cold, and his actions are slow and cautious, but in a crisis, he operates more quickly than anyone else. Although he appears expressionless, the moment Cheon Song-yi gets hurt, his expression seems to evaporate all calculations, conveying the message that "even after 400 years of loneliness, a person ultimately loves another person." Just as non-human characters like 'Data' (Star Trek) or 'C-3PO' (Star Wars) learn humanity, Do Min-joon also rediscovers the emotions he has suppressed through Cheon Song-yi. In the scenes they exchange, there is a power that drives them to the brink of cringe, only to overturn emotions in an instant.
The balance of genre mixing is also commendable. This drama ambitiously incorporates melodrama, comedy, thriller, fantasy, and even social satire, without any one element being completely separated. The dark side of the entertainment industry, the power crimes of chaebols, and realistic concerns like malicious comments and witch hunts are subtly dissolved within the fantasy framework. Nevertheless, the overall tone is not overly heavy and does not deviate from the central axis of "a love story". Therefore, it was able to be transmitted to overseas viewers without genre barriers. The explosive popularity in China was not a coincidence. This drama precisely touched on universal emotional codes that transcend cultural barriers.
Of course, there are also drawbacks and points of contention. After the midpoint, some evaluations suggest that the narrative of chaebol murders and conspiracies becomes somewhat stagnant, and there were criticisms that the product placement is noticeably excessive, hindering immersion. In particular, the moments when chicken brands, cosmetics, and car advertisements are inserted like a home shopping channel break the magic of fantasy. There is also disappointment that Cheon Song-yi's character converges from the fresh comedy of the early stages into a typical overly tearful heroine in the later stages. Sometimes, the rules of Do Min-joon's abilities loosen for the convenience of the story. The consistency wavers as to why teleportation works in some scenes and not in others. Nevertheless, the impressions left by the characters, scenes, and dialogues are so strong that they overwhelm and surpass these weaknesses.
A Pinnacle Work of K-Romantic Comedy
For those who want to re-experience the taste of "authentic rom-com", this is almost a must-listen. Even in an era where genres are subdivided, 'My Love from the Star' remains a benchmark that can declare, "This is what romantic comedy is." The ratio of exciting scenes, funny scenes, and heart-wrenching scenes is remarkably precise, so even after several years, rewatching it flows well.
Also, it is optimal for those who want to slightly sidestep reality through fantasy settings. Do Min-joon's perspective is, in fact, a distance that we all might want to have at least once. "Observing the human species and the emotion of love from a slightly removed position." Just as an anthropologist studies an unknown tribe, Do Min-joon tries to analyze human emotions but ultimately gets sucked into them. The process of his cold gaze shaking upon meeting Cheon Song-yi makes us re-recognize how irrational and simultaneously powerful love is. Just as Spock from 'Star Trek' fails to logically understand human emotions, Do Min-joon also finds that 400 years of wisdom becomes useless in the face of love.
Finally, if you want to sensibly understand "why Hallyu dramas have resonated worldwide", this work serves as a perfect starting point. It is a comprehensive package of a drama where exaggerated settings, sincere emotions, the star power of the actors, music, and fashion explode all at once. This is a cultural phenomenon that is born at the moment when all elements align perfectly, like 'Titanic' or 'La La Land'. After watching this work, you might think, "I want to believe this, even though I recognize that this is not reality." For those who need that kind of sweet fantasy, 'My Love from the Star' remains a valid piece of fantasy. The story of a strange being from the stars discovering love on Earth ultimately reminds us that in some sense, we are all aliens. And yet, it whispers the hope that we can still connect.
