You Who Came from the Stars (2013)

Watch Jun Ji Hyun and Kim Soo Hyun Shine!

The two leads (Jun Ji Hyun) and (Kim Soo Hyun) really keep this series afloat with their dynamic performances. There are a number of flaws and inconsistencies in the series, especially with the depictions of Do Min Joon as the alien who has been living in Korea for 400 years.

Do Min Joon seems to be a cross between E.T. and Superman in the sense that he seems to have been left behind and won’t be able to return home until our current time. He’s used a number of different identities, systematically “killing off” previous ones so as to not arouse suspicion that he’s an ageless alien living among humans. He’s also a bit like Superman in the sense that he has enhanced strength, speed, and hearing as well as the ability to stop time. With only three months left, he finds his abilities are becoming more unpredictable.

What is interesting about Do Min Joon, is that he appears to be a rather primitive alien in the sense that he’s not very long on wisdom. For a species that has mastered space travel as well as time manipulation, he doesn’t have much wisdom to share in how to live, thus demonstrating that his species is not very evolved. Do Min Joon is a bit temperamental, doesn’t like to be touched, and has some serious trust issues. In other words, he doesn’t trust anyone or find the need to do so.

Enter Cheon Song Yi, arguably the most popular actress in Korea, and she knows it. I lost count how many times she says to someone, “I’m Cheon Song Yi!” as if her very name demands attention, respect, and immediate capitulation to any request that she makes. She’s spoiled, conceited, immature, a bit dimwitted, and yet, she is also incredibly captivating and loves with all of her heart. It cannot be understated how well Jun Ji Hyun plays this part. To take a character with so many unappealing characteristics and to make that character so appealing and likable demonstrates Jun Ji Hyun’s mastery. Cheon Song Yi is also a horrendous tease! Lee Hui Kyung is the son of a powerfully rich family and a long childhood friend who’s had eyes for nobody by Cheon Song Yi. And yet, despite not having any feelings for him, she strings him along because she simply loves the attention. She also has a gold digger for a mother who mooches off her wealth, believing that her daughter owes her everything. I can’t imagine a worse person for a parent. Parents who treat their children like property and commodities aren’t parents at all. They’re parasites.

Most of the series is spent with Cheon Song Yi and Do Min Joon teasing and dancing around each other, obvious that they like each other. Do Min Joon acts as though he could care less and finds Cheon Song Yi annoying. They end up neighbors, each living in massive penthouses. Cheon Song Yi finds Do Min Joon cold and aloof, but as someone who demands and commands attention from everyone, she initially sets out to find a way to get Do Min Joon’s.
Now, Do Min Joon does have a viable reason for not getting romantically involved. Well, he has a couple of reasons. First, he’s leaving in three months, so what’s the point of getting into a relationship? And second, his body chemistry prevents him from prolonged physical touching, especially kissing which incapacitates him to the point of a high fever and requires long periods of time to recover. In that sense, they are incompatible.

The charm of the series is watching these two beloved characters figure out a way to acquire the courage to simply confess their feelings for each other before it’s too late. And the chemistry between Jun Ji Hyun and Kim Soo Hyun is undeniable as well as being the central reason why the series works.

On a less effective side story, we have the brother of Lee Hui Kyung as a very bland and uninteresting sociopath who has a long history of murdering anyone who stands in his way. Actor Shin Sung Rok was the least impressive to me of the mostly talented cast. His portrayal just as no flavor or uniqueness to it. He’s almost robotic and wooden that it nearly ruins the character. Seeing him and Do Min Joon has an ironic similarity to Superman and Lex Luthor. In fact, I wondered if they were the inspiration for this rivalry.

The series is heartwarming and has some very humorous moments. As with so many K-Dramas, it also has some tender moments that might tug at your heartstrings. Actress Jun Ji Hyun really sells us the last couple of episodes when Cheon Song Yi realizes that she’s likely to lose the love of her life, and how devastating that blow is to her, even when she knows it’s coming.

Overall, this is actually a very good series that rests upon the strength of its two lead actors. The story, especially when Do Min Joon is suddenly “found out” borders on the ludicrous. Scientists from around the world would have converged on Korea in a heartbeat to find out more about him. Sometimes, the writers fail to fully consider the ramifications of such a ploy rather than simply find an easier out. But fortunately, this doesn’t do too much damage to the story. Sometimes, charm and sweetness can outweigh the rational and the obvious, which isn’t always a bad thing.

Lees verder