“An alien who came to Earth 400 years ago is almost able to return to his own planet, but when he meets a famous actress, he doesn’t want to go home.” That is the logline of My Love from the Star, and it is also the whole engine of the show. Park Ji-eun wrote it, Jang Tae-yoo directed it, and SBS aired its 21 episodes from December 18, 2013, to February 27, 2014.
Trailer, via SBS .
Do Min-joon Landed in 1609
The premise is stranger and better than the logline suggests. Do Min-joon, played by Kim Soo-hyun, landed on Earth in 1609 during the Joseon period. He saved a girl named Seo Yi-hwa from falling off a cliff, missed his return trip, and has been stranded for four centuries.
He does not age. He takes a new identity every ten years — doctor, astronomer, lawyer, banker, now college professor. He has enhanced vision, hearing and speed, and a cynical view of human beings. Kim plays the weariness straight, which is why the comedy lands.
Chun Song-yi Is the Reason He Stays
Gianna Jun plays Chun Song-yi, a Hallyu actress who got famous as a schoolchild and whose haughty manner has earned her derision in the industry and on social media. Her spendthrift mother mismanaged her money. Her younger brother Chun Yoon-jae is estranged by her success.
With three months left before Min-joon’s departure, Song-yi becomes his next-door neighbor. He saves her repeatedly, then becomes her manager on the strength of his legal knowledge. He also discovers she resembles Yi-hwa, the woman he loved 400 years earlier.
The Second Leads Do the Real Work
Park Hae-jin is Lee Hwi-kyung, Song-yi’s friend since middle school, still in love with her, still rejected. Yoo In-na is Yoo Se-mi, cast in supporting roles beside Song-yi, quietly jealous of her career and her love interest.
| Character | Actor | Function |
|---|---|---|
| Do Min-joon | Kim Soo-hyun | 400-year-old alien professor |
| Chun Song-yi | Gianna Jun | Hallyu actress, his neighbor |
| Lee Hwi-kyung | Park Hae-jin | Childhood friend, unrequited |
| Yoo Se-mi | Yoo In-na | Supporting actress, jealous rival |
The Annals of the Joseon Dynasty Connection
The plot draws on historical records from the Annals of the Joseon Dynasty. In autumn 1609, residents across the Korean peninsula reported sightings of unidentified flying objects. Park built a 21-episode romance on a bureaucratic footnote. That is the show’s best trick.
24 Percent and a Fashion Wave
Nielsen Korea recorded an average nationwide rating of 24 percent. The show sparked trends in fashion, make-up and restaurants, and has been credited with spreading the Korean wave.
Nine Nominations at Baeksang
At the 50th Baeksang Arts Awards, My Love from the Star got nine nominations and three wins. Jun took the Grand Prize – Television; Kim took Most Popular Actor – Television. It won Best Drama at the Korea Drama Awards, Excellent Korean Drama at the Seoul International Drama Awards, and Best Foreign Television Series at the Magnolia Awards.
Our Verdict
The alien machinery is the hook, but the four-century loneliness is the point, and the second-lead triangle gives the middle episodes their friction. What dates is the length: 21 episodes is more than this premise needs, and the jealousy subplot thins out well before February.
What holds is Kim and Jun. He plays restraint; she plays noise; the show is the collision. A 24 percent rating and a make-up trend are not the same achievement as a good ending, and My Love from the Star knows which one it has.
Get the Notebook.
The day's best stories and every fresh verdict, in plain English, in your inbox by seven. One email a day, no more.