My Love From Another Star Review (2014)

(Also known as You Who Came From The Stars)

Drama Rating: *****
Personal Rating: Loved it!

Story:
College professor Do Min Joon is actually an alien who arrived on Earth 400 years ago during the Joseon Dynasty with supernatural powers. In the present, he happens to chance on Cheon Song Yi, a popular Hallyu star who bears a striking resemblance to a beloved young girl who was saved by him and in turn died for him not long after he arrived on this planet. By chance, she moves in next door to him and the sparks begin to fly...

*Spoiler warning*

Plot/Script:
Screenwriting: A

From beginning, middle to end, this drama was solidly written. There was a good balance of historical and modern scenes to provide context when necessary and the mini-interviews at the end of each episode were an absolute delight. References to other korean dramas were a hilarious touch and the abundance of comedy made for some supremely satisfying scenes. And despite the huge potential to screw up notions like supernatural powers (eg stopping time, teleportation), the author took care to minimize their use as much as possible to craft an ending that didn't seem totally out of this world (pardon the pun!) but didn't require a sudden leap of faith. The screenwriter clearly took a very whimsical and inspired route with this script and it was greatly appreciated.

Characters:
Kim Soo Hyun as Do Min Joon: B+
Jeon Ji Hyun as Cheon Song Yi: A
Kim Soo Hyun & Jeon Ji Hyun chemistry: A

Do Min Joon and Cheon Song Yi quite likely rank among the most memorable and well-loved couples in recent kdrama history. Jeon Ji Hyun and Kim Soo Hyun's characters have a wickedly amusing relationship and the director makes use of their chemistry to the maximum extent possible by infusing the drama with their continual romantic development. The supporting cast was perfect in the sense that they did a great job in supporting the leads but never overshadowing them.

Music:
OST: A+

I was quite impressed with the OST to this drama. There was a wide range of melodies that were peppered throughout the drama from the dreamy to the stately to the unsettling. One of the highlights was the numerous times throughout the series when Cheon Song Yi themes appear with their mischievous, Puck-like tones, that well characterize the female lead and her idiosyncrasies. And I think any fan of this show can hum the tunes to My Destiny, a romantic ballad that appears every so often to represent the love between the leads. Overall, I think the soundtrack was very well designed and paired nicely with the scenes in the drama.

Verdict:
I must admit I was a little hesitant at the beginning after hearing about the strange alien plot and was somewhat skeptical the supernatural power aspect would be handled well. Happily, my fears were unfounded and instead, this drama succeeded immensely at creating a classic piece of work to which I'm sure many other dramas will be compared. Definitely a two thumbs up from me and I truly hope you enjoy it as much as I did!