This review appears on: https://frommelbtoseoul.wordpress.com/2020/04/12/you-from-another-star-2013/

I didn’t think I would enjoy this as much as I actually did. It was a very easy and entertaining watch, but had a solid plot line so that I wasn’t left feeling unsatisfied.

Breaking away from typical modern-day dramas, You From Another Star ventures into a sci-fi area, by introducing the existence of aliens. It’s definitely not the first but, I think it is the first I’ve watched with said element. I’m surprised the drama was able to introduce and explain the supernatural aspect quite well. I wasn’t really left with any confusions, which is a plus because sometimes that can detract from watching the drama in general.

I’ve mentioned that the plot was solid. It was easy to follow through and fast paced enough to not get bored of. The cliffhangers were so epic for every single episode, which kept me hooked. Underlying the romance that was to occur, was actually a mystery that needed to be solved. That was probably the “main” plot following the two protagonists. Whilst I felt like it was very exaggerated – I mean the villain was evil to the point where it felt ridiculous – in a world where aliens exist, I guess it wasn’t too crazy. To be honest I wasn’t invested in that part of the drama until it threatened to break down both the protagonists, and that’s when it grabbed my entire attention.

Hands down, Cheon Song Yi is the best female heroine in drama land. She is sassy, flawed and (deep, very deep down inside) caring. I loved that she didn’t lose her personality as soon as Do Min Joon stepped into her life. Song Yi was strong-headed and hilariously stupid, but she had such a caring and loving personality you couldn’t hate her for it. I loved that she was confident and wasn’t afraid to show it. It was refreshing to see the female protagonist take the lead most of the time, and didn’t cave into the male’s will power. More than that though, she was genuinely a decent person and had everyone’s best interest at heart, even if she didn’t show it well enough. One of my favourite female characters ever.

I also loved Min Joon as well, but in the way that any viewer would admire the hero. He was every bit intelligent, strong and charismatic, very much a typical but desired character. I felt like the drama did a great job of representing that humanity is in everyone, no matter who or where you are, and that emotions can override almost anything. It was also a great exploration of how to define where the “home” is, and mind vs heart. Another plus was the casting of Kim Soo Hyun because he was easy on the eyes not only because he’s gorgeous, but because he’s such a talented actor as well.

The minor characters all had their silly quirks and it was hard not to pay them attention as well. Not a lot of them were irrelevant so it didn’t distract from the plot.

The chemistry between Kim Soo Hyun and Jun Ji Hyun was actually quite good. It was definitely steamy in some moments and I squealed so much. The progression of their relationship was very thought out and made sense. I could see why Song Yi would’ve fallen for Min Joon, and why Min Joon would go out of his way to see her happy/safe. It wasn’t insta-love like most times.

Overall, You From Another Star was a great watch that drove many emotions and thoughts. It wasn’t hard to get immersed and I liked that there were some sci-fi elements, because it added to the excitement. It’s not an amazing drama but it’s solid enough to be good. If you haven’t checked out then give it a go, you might like it. A minor issue was it’s predictable ending, but not one that was frustrating, so I overlooked that.