You From Another Star: Episode 21 (Final)

498 February 27, 2014January 24, 2016

by javabeans

It’s overrrrrrrr, we can all resume breathing now. You From Another Star ended today, and I admit to going into the finale still wondering how the heck they would get our couple out of their cosmic fix. There are a few spots I think got glossed over, but I’m left with a solid appreciation for the value of appreciating each moment of happiness and living life to the fullest, which isn’t about doing stuff so much as it is being conscious of what you’ve got while you’ve got it. Not a bad sentiment to go out on.

SONG OF THE DAY

Kim Bada – “그대와 영원히” (With you forever). An interesting spacey cover of a classic ballad. [ Download ]

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RECAP: FINAL RECORD

Min-joon makes his heartfelt “I love you” speech, telling Song-yi that he’d said so in suspended moments, afraid of letting the words be washed away by the flow of time. Song-yi replies, “The you I’ve known in my time, and also the you from time I haven’t known—I love you.”

Interviewing, Min-joon explains that in the four hundred years he’s been here, he has faithfully kept to his rule of not having anything it would be too painful to lose. He was always aware that he wouldn’t be able to take anything with him, so he didn’t want to love anything or anyone. And that rule worked well for him.

“But in these last three months, everything has crumbled,” he says.

In bed, Song-yi asks him to tell her when he first liked her. In interview, he thinks it over and isn’t quite sure—all he knows is that he grew to love her and became afraid of losing her. “Right now, I’m thinking of what is the best thing I can do for her. My final fate is beginning. Will I be able to beat it?”

Song-yi and Min-joon head out to the balcony, where they look up at the sky, especially bright tonight with the comet on its approach. As we see in a news report, the comet has now left its orbit and is heading toward Earth, and people are urged to look for meteors. Sure enough, a shower lights up the sky with stars falling in abundance and exciting bystanders, who stop to look up in awe.

Song-yi suggests wishing on a falling star, and Min-joon complains that those are just rocks, and that he always found that wishing custom silly. Despite the gripe, though, he closes his eyes to wish along with her.

As people stop what they’re doing to watch the meteor shower and take pictures, one meteor flares extra-bright as it flies overhead. One man confusedly thinks he saw a UFO rather than a comet, though this comment gets laughed off.

But we know better, and at a distance that UFO hovers over the dark forest and shines on its lights. Miles away, Min-joon, who’s still praying on his star, feels it and his hand starts to flicker into transparency before regaining its solid form. Shaken, Min-joon holds up that hand to touch Song-yi’s face while she’s still deep in her prayer, but doesn’t make contact.

Instead, he begins his last goodbye: “Chun Song-yi, whom I love. It’s cold, so don’t go around wearing things that are exposed. You’re prettier when you’re covered up.” Eyes still closed in prayer, Song-yi starts to cry as she listens to him continue, “As I said last time, kiss scenes or back hug scenes are no good. So are passionate melodramas. Don’t be sick, and don’t read negative internet comments. Don’t sing alone pitifully and cry, either. Don’t eat alone, and don’t just walk into any room when you’re drunk.”

Song-yi’s face crumples in tears and she has to turn away. Min-joon’s voice shakes as he keeps going: “Don’t look up at the sky at night and wonder uselessly which star it is. It’s not a place you can see from here. But I’m going to look every day, seeing where you are from there, and I’ll try every day to come back. No matter what it takes, I’ll find a way to be with you for a long, long time. I will.”

By now they’re both choking back sobs, and he has to try extra-hard to maintain his composure. “But if… if I can’t come back… then forget it all.”

She cries, “How could I forget?” She asks how he could ask that of her, then grows scared when he doesn’t reply. She turns in trepidation… and he’s gone. Oooof.

Denial hits first and Song-yi demands that he stop playing tricks on her, that he can’t be so mean as to leave before she got her say. But she knows the truth and sinks down, crying her heart out.

Out in the forest, Min-joon’s body vanishes into a million particles of light, just like we’d seen in his vision.

On to less devastating events. CEO Ahn redoubles his efforts to win Song-yi back to his agency, via her weakest link: Mom. He comes by with designer bags and gifts, but you know Mom has changed when she tries to slam the door in his face anyway.

CEO Ahn makes his pitch, that Song-yi is currently the recipient of the whole country’s remorse, and it’s time to strike while the iron is hot. Mom says that she doesn’t care about bags or fancy goods, and entreats, “Just please do something about Song-yi.”

She describes Song-yi’s zombie-like state of the past few days, not eating or sleeping and spending all her time next door in Min-joon’s home. Song-yi wanders around the empty place and see Min-joon appearing next to her, though we see that she’s just imagining his presence.

Jae-kyung’s trial begins, and Prosecutor Seok starts by listing the charges. Jae-kyung’s attorney gets up to argue for his release on bail… or that’s what Jae-kyung expects. To his shock, the attorney accepts the prosecutor’s terms, and judging from the stern look on Daddy CEO’s face, it seems clear that he has cut the line of support.

Afterward, Jae-kyung speaks with his father and adopts an entreating tone, insisting on his innocence and asking Dad to send Hwi-kyung far away. He shares his plan to set up his secretary as the sole criminal and asks his father to arrange the payoff for the secretary’s family.

Dad states that he’s turning over all assets in Jae-kyung’s name to charity, which Jae-kyung approves as a tactic to curry favor with the public. But his face falls when Dad adds that he has no desire to aid him any further: “You’ll spend the rest of your life in this cold prison. It’s a shame.”

Realizing that his father is not on his side, Jae-kyung tries to argue that this would be too huge a blow to the company, but Dad says he intends to step down and hire a professional CEO. He hadn’t realized he was harboring a monster in his midst, not even when it ate up his son. Dad now regrets covering up an accident in Jae-kyung’s childhood that half-blinded his friend, blaming himself for everything. “I had no idea you would do that to Han-kyung…”

Jae-kyung tries to laugh that Hwi-kyung’s accusations are absurd, saying that Hwi-kyung is trying to usurp his place. But Dad is unbudging, and as Jae-kyung is being escorted back to his cell, he thunders that he’ll find a way to get himself out of here on his own.

Hwi-kyung comes by to cheer Song-yi up with chicken and beer and grumbles about Min-joon ditching her. But Song-yi tells him, “He did everything he could for me. What I can’t bear right now is that I realized that too late. I couldn’t do anything for him, or say a proper farewell. He’s going to do his utmost there, too. He told me to wait, so he’ll be doing everything he can over there. He may not be able to come back in the end, but I won’t forget. I won’t forget a thing, and diligently wait.”

Hwi-kyung shares that Min-joon had asked him to look after Song-yi while he’s gone, because while he feels uneasy about keeping Hwi-kyung at her side, he also feel safest asking him.

Then, something catches Song-yi’s eye. It’s Min-joon’s dying plants, becoming green again, and she says with hope, “They’re living. He must have arrived safely. He must be okay now.” Aw yay.

Song-yi finds her brother tending to his new telescope, surprised to hear that Min-joon had given it to him. In flashback, we see Min-joon telling Yoon-jae about leaving on a trip soon, which by the way stirs adorable hope in Yoon-jae that he may need a bike with a basket. *finger touch*

Min-joon asks Yoon-jae to listen to his noona while he’s gone, using the telescope as a bribe. Yoon-jae is so thrilled that he asks permission to hug him, and then ignores Min-joon’s “No” to assault him with one anyway.

On the set of Se-mi’s movie, the director is antsy to have Song-yi back from her personal leave. Se-mi sidles up for a master stroke at reverse psychology, saying that she supports the idea of firing Song-yi. After all, Song-yi’s been on the rise lately with tons of offers heading her way, and it’s making Se-mi uncomfortable. “I’m sure we’ll be a hit with just me onboard,” she says. “Surely we won’t flop.” That’s enough to get the director to backpedal right away.

Bok-ja goes in for her post-heartbreak Felicity routine, asking for an even shorter haircut. She sighs that it was a push-pull relationship she’d been working… even if she never pushed him away and was mostly pulling.

And then, Song-yi plops into the chair next to her and asks for a haircut too. Bok-ja scoffs that Song-yi doesn’t have the confidence to pull off short hair (heh, a fun dig at Jeon Ji-hyun’s career-long resistance to changing her hairstyle), and the ladies relocate for a pity party in Song-yi’s apartment.

Song-yi busts a gut laughing at Bok-ja’s tale of woe over Min-joon, then asks Bok-ja to share more stories about him. And when Bok-ja says there’s nothing more to tell, Song-yi asks her to repeat the stories she’s already told, her laughs turning to sobs.

Se-mi arrives to check on Song-yi and deliver the shooting schedule, and Song-yi turns to her too, asking for Min-joon stories. “I don’t care what it’s about, just tell me something,” she begs.

Song-yi wonders how long it’ll take for mention of Min-joon not to hurt, if that’s even possible. Se-mi tells her that right now her every thought is of him, and that it’s harder to not think of him. But somewhere down the line, she’ll think of him out of the blue, and realize that she’d been thinking of something else. That’s when it’ll stop hurting, because she’ll be able to think of other things.

Song-yi asks how long it’ll take, and Se-mi says for her it was fifteen years, but now it doesn’t hurt. Song-yi says sympathetically that it must’ve been hard for her, then wonders how she’ll be able to survive if it takes her that long.

Then, we cut to Song-yi in Min-joon’s library, in interview mode. She describes how hard it is not to think of Min-joon, and revisits the places they’d gone to seek traces of him. She also describes how it felt to come upon their hundred-day anniversary, and as promised she goes to the Namsan Tower restaurant. She waits there all night, looking hopefully at every person who walks in, until finally someone sits down across from her.

It’s Min-joon, and he smiles at her. She smiles back, but a moment later we see that she’s sitting alone at that table.

In another interview, Song-yi says that at things started to feel different, though. Early on, she had assumed she’d been seeing things, but at a point she started to believe she’d actually seen Min-joon. “No, I did see him,” she corrects. But she knows that’s impossible, and wonders if she’s going crazy.

Fortunately she has a kindred spirit in Lawyer Jang, who laughs that he’s felt the same thing. He recounts an incident where he’d been tending to Min-joon’s thriving plants and heard Min-joon call his name, appearing behind him. Lawyer Jang had gotten up excitedly to embrace him… only to have Min-joon vanish.

Song-yi says that she’d gone to the hospital and been told it was grief-related stress. She figures that Lawyer Jang must’ve been quite close to Min-joon to experience the same thing.

Yoon-jae makes an exciting discovery with his telescope—a minor planet that he reported to the international astrology bureau, which he’ll get to name if they credit him with the discovery. Mom suggests that he name it after her, but he says he’s gonna name it Do Min-joon Star.

That segues us into three years later, when Yoon-jae gets his wish and the discovery is confirmed. He’s interviewed by a reporter and credits his mentor for helping him with the difficult achievement, hence the planet name Do Min-joon.

Bok-ja has assumed the role of his manager, her hair now quite a bit longer than when we’d last seen her. Judging from the way she fawns over Yoon-jae, it’s not hard to see where her current (delusional?) interest lies. He rejects her flat, and she coos that he’s playing hard to get.

The two investigators discuss the Jae-kyung case, which has given up its appeal and drawn strangely little support from S&C Group. Jae-kyung was recently moved to a safe cell because he has started insisting that he’s being visited by people he has killed. Seok figures this is one case of a criminal having a mental break when confronted with his misdeeds and facing a dead end.

However, there’s one oddity that Seok has heard: Jae-kyung claimed to see Min-joon recently. Detective Park shrugs it off as further sign of insanity, but now we’ve had three Min-joon sightings. Dare we hope this signals a return? Is he appearing in flashes? Beam me down, Scotty?

Song-yi’s career is back on top, with Hwi-kyung ever her faithful supporter/friend/investor. He denies any connection to being her investor despite all facts pointing to the contrary, feigning ignorance when she notes that his company keeps funding her movies. He’s outed when the film crew swings by and thanks him for all his constant attention, support, and food trucks. Ha.

Just then, Song-yi spots Min-joon standing in the crowd of fans and gets up with a start, scanning the faces intently as she shouts his name. When she can’t find him, she dissolves into tears and Hwi-kyung does his best to comfort her.

Mom and Dad ask about her tearful breakdown later, as Song-yi’s preparing for an award ceremony. Song-yi bursts into tears again, saying, “I miss him… I want to see him, and touch him, and be with him so much I want to die.”

Award ceremony time. Stars make their arrival on the red carpet, giving us cameos from Sandara Park and Kim Won-joon. Se-mi gets her moment in the spotlight, but it’s Song-yi’s arrival that sends everyone into a frenzy. Cameras flash like crazy, fans scream, and Song-yi works the carpet like a pro.

And then… time freezes. Aie! No! Is it…?

Strangely, Song-yi doesn’t freeze. She looks around in confusion at the sudden halt of everything around her, and spots someone out in the crowd, walking past all the frozen people into plain view: Min-joon.

Incredulous and speechless, Song-yi meets him at the landing, where Min-joon shrugs out of his jacket to place on her shoulders, reminding her that he told her not to go around all exposed like this.

She can’t quite believe it’s him, but he assures her that it is, and she clutches him tightly. He apologizes for coming so late, then kisses her—just as time unfreezes on the spectacle. The crowd goes wild.

For the first time, we get a joint interview with the couple as Min-joon fields the question of whether he’s back for good. Oh, is this an actual news interview? Min-joon wonders how to explain it, and Song-yi says that he did come back, but he disappeared soon after.

Back at the award hall, Song-yi opens her eyes from the kiss to see that Min-joon is gone again. Everyone is stunned since he was just standing there moments ago, and she looks around in confusion, alone again.

Interviewing, Min-joon explains that when he’d left three years ago, he’d been sucked into a wormhole. After he recovered his health, and started searching for a way back. He tried many times and had fleeting successes, but was only able to come to Earth for seconds at a time. The hundred-day Namsan Tower date was his first success, not a hallucination after all.

Seeing Lawyer Jang was his second success, and then we see him appearing in Jae-kyung’s cell. He says that he is here to confirm that Jae-kyung had in fact lost everything, while Jae-kyung is deeply rattled, thinking himself mad.

He experienced many failed attempts, but the crucial point is that with each try he was able to remain on Earth for longer stretches. This time has been a year and two months, Song-yi confirms.

On a cozy night in, Song-yi and Min-joon settle back to watch the stars, his plants still thriving. Song-yi repeats the words she’d said the night of his proposal, “I’m perfectly happy.”

But that’s when Min-joon disappears from his chair. Song-yi takes in the sight calmly this time, assured of his eventual return.

He leaves his book behind, open to the line: “Once, there was rabbit that miraculously found its way back home.”

EPILOGUE

Song-yi interviews, and is asked the question of how hard it is to deal with Min-joon’s unpredictable departures. Of course it is, she says, but it also allows her to love him more: “If I think that this may be the last time I see his face before me, that moment feels incredibly precious.”

And as she sleeps in bed alone, Min-joon appears next to her and is there when she wakes to say, “I’m back.”

COMMENTS

Ahh, it’s over. Time to make sense of it all!

First off, I am happy that we ended on a happy note, one that left our two characters together and in the moment—I didn’t want to be given a poetic or metaphorical facsimile of a happy ending, I wanted my happy ending with a concrete win against the cosmos, tied up in a bow. And given the epic nature of this couple’s battle with the fates (in that it was like cancer to the tenth power, with an interfering meanie universe to boot), maybe some fanservice too. Maybe a lot of fanservice. By virtue of the fact that we got that, I can’t complain too much about loose ends or plot quibbles, because the overall emotional arc was resolved and I’m at peace with it.

On the other hand, I’m not perfectly satisfied on an intellectual level, because in addition to the romance finding its cheerful resolution (which was the paramount concern), I was still hoping for all the mysteries and plot questions to be answered in a way that felt logical and feasible. It didn’t have to be scientifically accurate or believable in a real-world sense, but I wanted the drama to explain its mechanisms, and I don’t think it did that.

This is a weakness in many a Korean drama dealing with paranormal/supernatural/fantasy elements so You From Another Star is hardly the only offender, but it remains that if you set up this fictional world with very distinct and quirky rules (you can only space-travel home once in four centuries, your existence is threatened if you don’t return, human saliva makes you sick), then I’m going to want to know why. Some answers were given (like the comet explanation for the 400-year cycle) but many were not. Since some of these rules are so interesting and amusing, I’ve been waiting all series long to get an explanation, however silly or fictional, and when the drama chooses not to address them at all, I can’t shake a feeling of disappointment.

For instance, why does Song-yi not freeze when Min-joon returns? Did that last kiss make Min-joon sick, or is he completely fine now that he’s been back and recovered his health? Does that reset his sick-meter so that he won’t undergo the slow decay as he did the first time, or is he actually rejuvenated (so to speak) by his regular trips through the wormhole?

Speaking of wormholes: WTF, wormhole. Talk about a last-minute deus ex machina, aka that magical answer to curing finale episodes in need of a happy ending. You From Another Star made me think of My Girlfriend is a Gumiho in that the supernatural beloved is whisked away out of reach, leaving the earthbound half to wait for years, to be then gifted with their lover’s return because of a solution that doesn’t really make sense. It seemed out of the blue to have Min-joon return home that first time via wormhole given the arrival of the UFO, but I suppose we needed it to establish the wormhole travel that would then account for his trips back and forth, but as this all came in the drama’s last fifteen minutes, I’m not sure it was necessary.

How much do I love how the ending line of the drama (pre-epilogue) works with our hero’s journey, where the book describes the bunny finding his miraculous path home? Because despite the fact that Min-joon spent centuries waiting for his spaceship back to his planet, it turns out that home actually is on Earth, with Song-yi, with the people he loves.

I’m not going to quibble about the Time Traveler’s Wife feel of the constantly disappearing Min-joon, because at least that gave us emotional payoffs that felt organic to these characters. And that’s the kind of thing that has buoyed my love of the show all series long, because when you pare down the plot to its essential bones, it’s a familiar story of lovers fighting a force outside of their control to be together, and barring that, to make the most of what they’re given.

What made this drama such a winner for me was Song-yi’s irrepressible spirit and Min-joon’s unflagging devotion, and the fun alien-superpower stuff was mostly gravy—cause for a good laugh, but not the meat and potatoes. Not to downplay the value of a solidly crafted joke, because goodness knows we’ve seen enough bad attempts at comedy fall flat that I give respect when a drama pulls it off. There were some truly golden moments, like Song-yi’s verbal mix-ups, Min-joon’s brief but awesome dips into childish pettiness, Yoon-jae’s blind adoration (and ET fixation), and superpower-related sight gags.

Some of that we owe to the leads’ chemistry, which was the main reason I tuned in—sure the alien premise was interesting, but mostly, I’d seen The Thieves. I’d seen the kissing. Rawr. There’s nothing worse than a romance that falls flat because of a lack of rapport, despite everything else working, so when you already know the couple is going to crackle together, that’s gold. Served up on a silver platter. Sparkling with diamonds.

And I can’t even express how thrilled I am with Jeon Ji-hyun’s drama comeback—you could almost call it her drama debut, given that her last series was Happy Together in 1999 and she had very limited television work on her resumé. She had actually spent quite a bit of time lumped into the “pretty actress with limited acting skills” category, though I think she’s been underestimated. But it was hard to see all her potential in action when she only acted in select film projects and not that prolifically at that, so for her You From Another Star is something of a discovery moment, even though she’s well into the second decade of her career and is already an A-list star.

Kim Soo-hyun, on the other hand, seems to be unable to put a foot wrong, though I can’t begrudge him his success since he has earned every bit of it by always being present and committed. He has some of the best crying skills in dramaland, because I never see a guy trying to make tears happen; he inhabits his pain so that you actually feel him trying to rein it in while everyone else is trying to force it to burst, and it can be quite powerful.

So no, not a perfect way to tie up loose ends (in that some remain untied), but in the scheme of things the most important issues were resolved happily, and I can put this drama away with a sigh of satisfaction.

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201 imanii

March 16, 2014 at 7:05 PM

"For instance, why does Song-yi not freeze when Min-joon returns? Did that last kiss make Min-joon sick, or is he completely fine now that he’s been back and recovered his health? Does that reset his sick-meter so that he won’t undergo the slow decay as he did the first time, or is he actually rejuvenated (so to speak) by his regular trips through the wormhole?"

All these q's NEEDED TO BE ANSWERED!!! I was left feeling unsatisfied that I got NO explanation for anything. major disappointment...another disappointment was that serial killer's ring. from the beginning I thought it would MEAN something. Like I dunno, he's an evil alien with evil alien powers but no...he just twisted it whenever he felt murderous. Ok.

"He has some of the best crying skills in dramaland, he inhabits his pain so that you actually feel him trying to rein it in while everyone else is trying to force it to burst, and it can be quite powerful."

True that. It's what makes him a really amazing actor. O_O

Overall, I have to say...I was dissatisfied with the lack of explanations...of any info relating to Do Min Joon's planet, etc. I have heard (and it was mentioned here too) that there have been kdramas that have ended tragically and WORSE. So I count myself lucky this hasn't happened to me and at least there was some semblance of a happy ending.

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imanii

March 16, 2014 at 8:18 PM

what I forgot to add though, is that the rest of the drama was thoroughly intriguing and entertaining and I won't deny that it's on my list of favorite kdramas EVER.

I might add too that i'm glad the ending wasn't all happy-gooey-sappy in a totally unreal way. I accept the ending as happy enough; again i'll just point out that I had wished for some simple explanations. that's all~

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Jax

April 26, 2014 at 8:25 PM

I agree. I think that ending was just a downer considering the great progression of the series. The ending seemed forced to me like the director tried to make it a happy ending but had a lot of inconsistencies in the way it was executed. This is not saying that I didn't like the drama because personally I loved it, but the ending could've been better than that.

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202 adxg

March 19, 2014 at 6:09 PM

I apologize if this has been posted but I couldn't resist...

Too hilarious not to share.

"MJ and SY"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fmg4T2sV2C4

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203 Kimbora

March 23, 2014 at 2:14 AM

I found this very beautiful fanmade MV for the drama. So lovely.

http://vimeo.com/89818170

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204 Katy

March 29, 2014 at 11:52 AM

Just watched the final episode and I absolutely love it. The final comment is so true. The drama cast showed good chemistry and we are left with star candy eye dazzle. Conclusion: a great fun and rom-com drama. <3

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205 aimee077

April 1, 2014 at 2:03 PM

In my own theory just like what others commented MJ would also age as he goes back and forth and they would probably have babies as well. Of course their babies would be half blooded and as they grow ol der they would also find love and starttheir family with humans and this is ow the race of aliens and humans would start.

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206 arina

April 5, 2014 at 11:27 AM

Honestly speaking..tho I like KSH but i stuck to this drama becoz of Gianna Jun acting..it is so over the top acting but she managed to make it so fun and adorable...I really enjoyed watching her and KSH adorable fights...

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207 chink

April 18, 2014 at 10:43 PM

somehow after watching this drama, i've been singing the song of Train "drops of jupiter" in my head...and somehow it gives me a bittersweet feeling...

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208 Portia Burk

April 22, 2014 at 2:37 AM

i loved this drama but i found the ending a bit weird but at least it was happy and at least he found a way to be with her and keep his powers

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Jax

April 26, 2014 at 8:21 PM

I know right? I just finished watching it but I also found the ending a bit lacking and not well done. The previous 20 episodes were good but that ending just did not cut it for me.

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209 MNS

April 22, 2014 at 4:32 AM

The actress, after trying hard to recognize her, finally came to my recollection the one of the all time hit Sassy Girl and Windstruck. Those were years ago and age is indeed showing into her face (specifically the forehead). Her acting was similar to these two. The actor was really painfully young and an anomaly for the pairing.

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210 hermiati

April 22, 2014 at 1:13 PM

thanks alot for your detail posting... my dvd stuck in last 20 mnt...
now 3 am .. next 4 hour is my working time..
now i can sleep after know the end
hahahhaa

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211 KevIna2927

April 25, 2014 at 7:20 AM

Before anything else I wanted to share this to all of you "waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh" :'( :'( :'( it's been 2 months since it ended but still I cannot moved on to You who came from the star , every time I'm going to see the picture of Kim Soo Hyun I'm always looking Jeon Ji Hyun beside him or the other way around.... I miss CSY and DMJ super ! haaaiissst ... I just love everything about the drama. It's true that after thwatching the ending I was a bit "what?! that's it? what about DMJ is he going to aged? what about hui kyung did he accept the fact that he is just a friend for CSY? what is the worm hole all about? " I have so many questions too but after rewatching it, I pause and I realized why asking for more? it's too much the story of Do min joon and cheon song yi is not about what will happen tomorrow but it's all about LIVING and LOVING the moment. right?

this will be the no. k-drama for me. KUDOS to the creator and who make this all possible :)

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212 Jax

April 26, 2014 at 8:19 PM

I watched this series and overall, I think it was pretty good. JJH is just so pretty, I liked her more now than before. Although I do agree with the one point of the review which actually hit me as I watched the last episode. The ending and the instances of the last episode seemed so similar to My Girlfriend is a Gumiho where one of them dies then miraculously comes back. Is it just me or do Korean series just love to kill their main characters in the end? Anyway, to my point, I was just disappointed with the ending considering the build-up of the series. I mean the progression was great, it had you hooked up for more but it also needs a very strong ending as to compensate for the great build-up. I was really hooked up with the drama that I streamed the whole series for 2 days straight but I was somewhat disappointed with the ending because of how Do Min Joon came back. I mean wormhole, really? And they did not establish any facts on the whole series to back-up how DMJ came back. It was like the happy ending was forced in my opinion. I think the ending could've been better. I think this is one of the mistakes of Korean Series who like killing off their leads because people always love to see a happy ending. Sometimes public sentiment changes how these dramas end especially those who have high ratings. The ending just did not sit well with me because I agree there were a lot of "how did that happen" type of questions that were not answered. Yeah they may say that I am being to critical with the ending or stuff like that but what I am only trying to say is that this was one of the best I've watched and I just wanted an ending wherein there are no questions that are unanswered. And the arrangement where DMJ appears only at a certain time frame, that was not well thought of. It was unique and everything but that's just not gonna cut it since it was explained in the past 3 or 4 episode before the finale that there was no coming back. Well overall it was a great drama, I enjoyed watching it and I think JJH did a great job in the drama.

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213 Ivoire

April 27, 2014 at 4:03 AM

Hello Ssie (and maybe atz),

This is Ivoire, from Gap-dong recap, episode 3. Something has come up, and I don't think I will be able to post my comment as soon as I was hoping to do so (meaning now). I will try and do it tonight or Monday morning, Dramabeans' time. My post is quite long, so I think that you might be interested in reading it. Please let me know if you saw this message. Thank you!

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Ssie

April 27, 2014 at 7:20 AM

Hello Ivoire! No problem! You do what you need to do! Thank you, I'm looking forward to a fruitful discussion! :D

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Ivoire

April 27, 2014 at 1:22 PM

Hi Ssie,

I am so glad you are OK with this, because I realized I have A LOT to say (once I started writing), and this would be the perfect place to say it, so we don't hijack the Gap-dong recap's comments section, and upset the other beanies. I also want to post a couple of links for you to read. If you don't know about this page, or have read these threads, I think you might find them interesting. I am so glad we are staying in touch, and that I am connecting with someone who saw some flaws in that drama (and a few flaws in KSH), since everyone (or almost everyone) seems to have been crazy about that drama and the male lead :-)

So please check here to see when I have posted my comment. I won't forget, I promise (just give me a little time) :-) Have a wonderful week :-)

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Ssie

April 28, 2014 at 4:04 AM

Haha no problem! I do not hate the drama. And I can understand where the other fans are coming from. I didn't even discuss it with my other friends because I do not want to offend them or burst their bubble... which I think is odd when you think about it because I'm not one to hold back an opinion. It's just that the drama is a bleh for me I guess that I'm not passionate about hating it or whatever. It's a snooze train so to speak. In that regards, I guess Heirs is a better stand-out because at least with that, I can't seem to forget disliking it hahaha

Anyway, you take your time XD I'm just lurking here in this site :D

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Ivoire

April 29, 2014 at 9:34 AM

Hello Ssie,

I just wanted to let you know that I haven't forgotten about you, and about our fruitful upcoming discussion about YWCFAS. It's just that I have a deadline for tomorrow (Wed.), and I am behind on what needs to get done :-( Once I am done with that project, I will post my comments (because I need to add some thoughts to what I have already written). So hopefully on Thursday (Friday at the latest), I will have posted my comment.
I hope you are doing well :-) and that your week is going well. If I may ask, in what part of the world do you live? Is where you live also where you are from? (I was just curious. I will understand, if you don't want to answer :-) ).

214 poplhein

April 28, 2014 at 11:17 AM

the best drama of all time..i can't express how much i loved this movie..the ending goes the way i wanted it to be..he didn't lose his power and his love.. :) <3

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215 Sey

April 30, 2014 at 2:21 AM

is their part 2?:)

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216 Sherry C.

May 3, 2014 at 5:10 AM

So to continue your feels on this couple, just watch "The Thieves". It was quite an action movie all the way but just appreciate it though. They were paired there. Yipee! :)

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217 sabrin

May 7, 2014 at 1:32 AM

OMG....love them both...

Awaiting for part 2

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218 terrybels

May 7, 2014 at 4:43 AM

lol, i hooked here up.. i just watched this accidentally on it 2nd day here in the philippines and i really fall in love with this, then i feel so addictive so i search a full movie, then its blocked on my country,, i feel so hard, then i found this written story, so i'd just start to read morning and finished in the eve. :D i also escaped my meal just to finish reading. hahaha. now i can sleep better.. :D thanks to this. great story, great actors and actresses, all are perfectly executed . iloveit a lot. applause! :*

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219 miko

May 13, 2014 at 1:51 AM

PART 2 PLEAAASEEE

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220 San

May 16, 2014 at 11:38 PM

I just finished this show on Tuesday and OMG I dunno if ill ever watch a drama like this ever again!! I felt like every episode had my full attention and I really wanted to know what would happen in the end not mention the EXPLODING chemistry between the two and their kisses. OMG swooning bc of min joon. And I loved song yis personality. She feels so real and doesn't care about letting her thoughts and emotions out and I just think more than LOTS of kdrama heroines I really feel her the most. Everything about the drama was great and I feel like crying bc I dont get attached and finish many dramas like I did this :-(( its gonna be hard to see all these faces in different roles after this. Damn. This is painful.
I could gush about it forever but ill just shut up now bc there's not much to say about perfection. hee.

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VictoriaHK

December 21, 2014 at 11:01 PM

"I feel like crying bc I dont get attached and finish many dramas like I did this :-(( its gonna be hard to see all these faces in different roles after this. Damn. This is painful."

I can certainly relate to this! Feeling exactly the same...

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221 Alicia N.

May 18, 2014 at 9:01 AM

Did you guys know that there's an addendum to the epilogue of the last episode?? Granted it's only 1-2 min long but I felt it kind of putting the icing on the cake with that clip.

Apparently they didnt show it because they ran out of air time. Anyways, I saw the clip on viki.com. It was definitely a pleasant surprise when I saw that extra clip!

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222 tata

May 21, 2014 at 5:56 PM

The best DORAMA in the world !!!!!!!!!! :')

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223 Ginalle

June 21, 2014 at 8:21 AM

I really love this story boobita and alien are mean to be.

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ginalle

June 21, 2014 at 8:24 AM

I HOPE THEIR WILL BE PART 2.

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224 JessaCristyLozano

June 29, 2014 at 9:27 AM

I'm a super fan of these kdrama name my love from the star, wen i was high school,I've no time to watch any kdrama because 8 in the evening is my time to go home.. and now that I'm graduated,My first love kdrama is my love from the star.. I love this kdrama, MLFTS made me laugh,cry and fall inlove.. Matteo Do and Steffi Cheon is my kdrama idol.. and now that this is the last week of My love from the star I don't know what to,I feel broken hearted.... but thank you because for the first time in my life i watch a very wonderful kdrama.... thank you korea for this wonderful kdrama.. I'm im hoping for another kdrama of Kim soo hyun and jan ji jeong... thanks.. and sorry for my wrong grammar.. Hehehe I'm not good in English.. sorry.. do,

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225 fujoshigurl♥

July 1, 2014 at 5:08 AM

I have just finished watching My love from another star! And i simply love it ♥♥♥ although there are many questions left unanswered, I was quite satisfied with the ending ^_^ I wish I could also find a love like what Do min joon & Cheon song yi had ahihihi :* :* :*

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226 VictoriaHK

December 21, 2014 at 10:56 PM

I must be an odd figure on here, because I've never been a huge fan of dramas (Korean or any other), one of the reasons being that I simply can't be bothered to follow it faithfully to the end.

However, this drama is my SECOND love affair with the Korean drama - the first one was "Love Story in Harvard".
And as is usual in this case, it's often hard to put your finger on what exactly drew you in :-) In my case, I believe that I liked plot twists in both of them, aaaand - most importanly - I was captivated by the leads. I believe that at least 80% of any cinematic piece's success is due to a clever choice of actors. For me, both dramas' leads were perfect; they made me feel for them, and they were very convincing. That is why I went out and bought a whole DVD set! It amazing how easy it is here in Hong Kong: all this stuff is available in good quality with GOOD English subtitles.

I'm still watching "You From Another Star" now and I'd like to thank the owner of this site for providing such insightful recaps. I had a glimpse of this drama in a local nail salon and I have to say got drawn in completely, having watched only 1 and a half episodes :-) It was dubbed in Chinese, with Chinese subtitles, so I could understand very little. However, I was able to spot a few keywords that I later used to search for it online. Then I burnt to know what the whole story is about and went searching further....and this is how I found this website.

Once again, thank you for letting me make the decision to buy my DVD set :-)

Jeon Ji-hyun and Kim Soo-hyun are amazing. They have a tremendous chemistry that shows in every episode. If it weren't for them, I don't think I'd care that much about this drama.

Now if you excuse me, I need to get on with my viewing. Episode 6 is awaiting.
Thanks again!

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dramadreamer

March 3, 2015 at 1:48 AM

totally agree with you, victoria! this is my first k drama and what a great start to my love affair for everything korean! the age difference , while visible, slowly became insignigicant as the show progressed. love ksh altho i likely look like 100 year old crone to him wahahah. and jjh is amazing actress. her chameleon like changes deserve all the accolades. have started on single cunning lady but still in yfts mode!!!

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227 Janette Daniel-Whitney

December 22, 2014 at 8:41 PM

Just finished marathoning this drama. It is midwinter holiday time 2014 and this was a perfect feel-good holiday drama. I thoroughly enjoyed watching it.

Still......Dramabeans, appreciated your review and the comments about loose ends. So many Kdrama endings seem cobbled together, incomplete and unsatisfactory. I am wondering if this is because they are often written and rewritten as they are being filmed, making it very difficult to do any but the most basic foreshadowing.

I have been a science fiction fan for a long time and tend to require explanations for the "unbelievable" that I can "believe". So why, for example, couldn't the writers work the concept of wormholes into the overall explanation of how an asteroid might travel across lightyears so that when the wormhole resurfaces at the end it would not be quiet so jarring. After all, even 400 years is the blink of an eye in cosmic terms; it really needed that wormhole early on in the story.

And the unresolved issue of lethal saliva was truly a stretch when one considers that it is implied that they will spend a lifetime together. Just how do they plan to have 7 (yes 7 in this day and age!) children? And why did she not get just as sick from his saliva as he did from hers? Did I miss something?

I realize that I am expecting too much from escapist entertainment. And I was entertained. But then my husband gets frustrated when I moan and groan, or even leave the room because what we are watching requires a bit too much suspension of disbelief.

Sorry I can't be more gushy. But I would still give this drama somewhere between a B+ and an A-.

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VictoriaHK

December 25, 2014 at 9:45 PM

Janette, I can see where you are coming from, but I have learnt one thing about this kind of movies: they are meant to be enjoyed - attempts at applying too much reverse engineering would be futile. ;-) What we have here is both a melodrama and a comedy, with elements of sci-fi and mysticism.

I don't know if Korean drama endings tend to be unsatisfactory because I haven't watched many of them, but in this particular drama, I believe, they did the best they could to wrap up the whole story and give it a bit of an open ending. I really appreciate that! It's not a lovey-dovey, happy-family-life one but rather bittersweet - as someone mentioned earlier on, it serves to emphasize the drama's two key concepts: time and fate. And, most importantly, how precious our time is and how we don't seem to make the best of it.

The saliva issue is more or less clear to me :-) He doesn't seem to have immunity for human saliva, so each time he gets sick...however, as was implied in one of the last episodes, he was eventually adapting and recovering faster. So I guess we could assume that with "practice" he'd be eventually completely okay with that.
As for why Song Yi wasn't reacting the same to his saliva...well, that is probably because humans have those antibodies that the creatures from Min Joon's planet are lacking? It's not impossible, it it?

The one issue that I wish the drama writers addressed further and gave more details on was the wormhole thing. Even as I finished watching it I was still in the dark as to what those wormholes were and how it could affect our hero. Also, WHY was he sucked into a wormhole in the first place? These questions were just left hanging for me.

P.S. My DVD set has an extra disc that seems to have something like " the making of..." features of the drama. Which is what I prefer NOT to have, for any movie. I don't want to lose the magic of what I've just watched and burst my bubble ;-)

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228 cutiesteph

January 8, 2015 at 10:07 AM

i soooooooooo love dis movie nd have u guys seen their other movie 'the thieves'

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dramadreamer

March 3, 2015 at 1:36 AM

Hi cutiesteph. any idea where to get hold of the "the thieves"? only on amazon?

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229 dramadreamer

March 2, 2015 at 11:16 PM

hi, only managed to finish watching YFTS now. picked up the DVD and left is aside for months. loved everything about it and totally obsessed with details. anyway, thanks for all the recaps and discussion it generated. It's a really beautiful story, with solid acting all round, good pacing, sweet moments, good comic relief and even murder and intrigue. can understand how it became such a phenomenon.

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230 dramadreamer

March 3, 2015 at 1:31 AM

As usual i am one of the last ones on to a good thing ! in this case, YFTS. sigh. well better late than never. cried buckets after work everynight watching the dvds. woke up with swollen eyes to go to work and repeat the process over again for a week before i finished it. am now a ksh and jjy fan. lurveeee them so much! individually (both r eye candy who would be considered beautiful even on KMT185 or whatever) and together (coz of their chemistry). the first time KSH smiled after his professor and dour /serious "humans are so weak facade" for the first few episodes - wow ! bam! what a hottie! JJY as CSY - who wears her heart on her sleeve and "heck it if i look like a loose woman i dun care! i just wan Do manager!" is so endearing! very realistic portrayal of human relatioships, man and woman, parent and child, friendships and of course bromance (between YH and DMJ). love all the philosophy mumbo jumbo which made sense - how humans struggle and fight so hard even knowing the end, because living for each day with our loved ones makes life worth living. oh man, what am i gg to do with my life with the end of YFTS? just like the day i finished reading the last page of Harry Potter and the Deathly hallows - Noooo......!! anyway, love reading all the comments here from all the fanboys and gals. and the stills and recaps from javabeans /girlfriday . muacks!!

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231 dramadreamer

March 3, 2015 at 1:42 AM

Yeah, it's me again. yakking to the stars :P. as i am experiencing withdrawal symptons , typing here is really therapeutic. hopefully, some other latecomer can join in and we can both get drunk and start bawling our eyes out! trying to start on another k drama to chase away the blues but mind keeps replaying all the scenes of do manager and csy! can even quote what they say to each other. gah! time to change my wallpaper on the phone to kimchi instead of dmj and csy.

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232 Paris

March 7, 2015 at 5:47 PM

Anybody else wonder how they're going to have kids? Or if they'll ever fix the aging of CSY? I seriously cannot have a happy ending until this is figured out. Lol ???

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233 Alex

April 15, 2015 at 3:17 AM

Anyone know who sang the song that was play in the barber where bok jae cut her hair?

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234 rabbitlover

June 23, 2015 at 10:11 AM

Hi there,

I feel such an idiot...this series was so popular last year...my sister told me to watch but I didn't until now...and I have been obsessed with it...watched it over 3 times in cantonese dubbed and then in original korean voice with chinese and English subs...

Wow...can Kim Soo hyun be so "suave" but so cute at the same time...

Although flawed, with all the great comments about wormhole, saliva issues, kids issues, I think for a 20 chapter series it really is more of just a romance series not a sci-fi series...which happen the characters to be unique, one an alien and one a top not superstar..

For a romance part, I really really loved how they tied the 400 year ago story -- the girl was the first that MJ met, who he promised to protect, yet she ended dieing for him...first time he tried to save someone and first time he witness death in his arms...so why wouldn't he be traumatized. I don't think he was in love with her then as she was just a little girl and the concept was probably knew to...I liked how the writer wrote up the that she said " she wished she grew up faster so that he can see what a beautiful woman she would turn to and the she liked him"..

and then poof tied it up 400 years later she is "grown" up in reincarnated form, after seeing her 12 years before still in "girl"hood....and that when Songyi saw the hairpin she felt pain...and that she didn't like movies in Josean era -- I think these little tidbits of storyline was beautiful written...

I loved Song yi -- boy she always had different outfits....although I did find at times depending n outfit she looked alot older than he did..(man always seem to look younger)...and even with the 15 sec kiss and the ending proposal she did she REALLY looked much older..I tstill thought she was great with her acting...and character. The only times I didn't like her character was when she was upset he didn't propose -- ah they only have a few weeks together yet she was wasting time instead of having a great dinner with him but was mad? -- and the time he asked him if she fell in water with lawyer zhang who would he save first -- oh gees that's his only friend in the 400 years of existence...but overall loved her..

Moon-jin -- can he be so handsome? I've mostly watched HK and Chinese series...but boy I never thought a man as handsome as Kim--Soo hyun would be alive..(although I think he looks best in this series with this hairstyle).. --

anyway..at first I thought his acting was "stoic" but then realized his character was supposed to be such and then had a great appreciation for his acting..the little things he shows with his eyes...like the relief when he found out she didn't accept parkhai(is that his name?) proposal or when he was jealous (which I loved seeing and cracked up since he mad a whole speech to class that ne never would be jealous be such a low thing..hah well when you in love you get jeaoulous)....

I thought the musical...

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235 rabbitlover

June 23, 2015 at 10:12 AM

I thought the musical scores , especially the moments when was thought about the little girls death 400 years ago and said he wished to stop time there,forward 400 years later he wanted to stop time at the ferris wheel so he wouldn't here songyi's answer to the marriage proposal...and the "still" kiss at the lake...the music, setting, just beautifully thought out...

and I love how they tied the Edwared Tulane sotry about finding love and opening up heart -- I think after that death with the girl so traumatized him that he closed himself up...so people say why only it is 3 months into leaving earth he starts opening up..one it is fate, but two, its like "when people" think they leaving this world (die) they think of all the regrests that they have not done...in this case was the same...

Now of course there are flaws with the series, I think people want more about his alien life about wormhole, etc..but the point of this series is not sci-fi its just pure romance...I found the 400 years a bit long a timeline and the 3 months a bit sho(he basically fell in love with her after a week its seem)

At the end...I don't mind the two in a series again..but please I don't think there needs to be a sequel or god forbid a prequel about another love life he hadd -- would make no sense since he said he never loved or kissed anyone in the 400 years..nor a seque that shows how she will have a love rival etc...

There are unanswered questions such as how long he stays, if they can conssumate marriage and actually have kids, that she will grow old and he will remain young...this is after all just a series...

the reason why we watch movies is to fulfill our fantasies from our boring eveyrday lifeetc...so I feell there is no necessaryneed to be so logisitc...if so why not just watch scientific documentaries instead ....

anway i am so in loved with this fantasy....

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236 rabbitlover

June 23, 2015 at 10:24 AM

Another thing...are Korean drama very conservative with kissing scenes...

There were several ksising scenes but truly it was the last scene on the red carpet where they were actually kissing...

the rest really was just lips touching (I didn't feel they actually kissed)..

I saw an intereview with JJL that said her husband was jeoulous (rightfully so) and that she was nervous about kissing...actually I find it amazing the a model/actress like her so beautiful had avoid it for so many years...

somwhere she said her first kiss on screen kiss was to kim-so hyun in the thieves..but I though she had another on screen kiss as well somewhere else..

anyway..alhtough they didn't truly kiss (mostly lip touching even in that 15 sec "kiss") it was still truly romantic...afterall this is not a 3x rate series...

I have seen much more true kisses in HK and chinese series than this series...

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237 Pari

August 10, 2015 at 4:23 AM

Love this Drama..
what's the background music name when DMJ and CSY were giving interview...

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238 nila

August 28, 2015 at 12:45 AM

hai..this serial is very nice..i like the hero very much..it is very different concept..my bro is also like this...very nice concept...............................

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239 Lamar

September 4, 2015 at 3:57 PM

Finally! Best actress in a series this year whether comedy, drama, satire or fluff, an all around force on the screen. She reminded me of an ex girlfriend, so it was love ugh at first then love love by the end. I was involved in the story. Overall, a great series that was funny, loving, crazy as kitten, and I fought the tears but by the time it was over I was swearing my allergies the culprit.
Great payoff for making it through 14 Days, Doctor Stranger and Dr. Jinn. It does pay to read the Dramabeans reviews in advance of investing in a series. I have grown to have quite the affection for your ways of breaking down a show into it's parts and then deciding if there are qualities that make it either worthwhile or to avoid. Thank you, dramafemmes!

You, From Another Star wins on all fronts, enough so that I let the leaps of science remain suspended to the imagination rather than seeking to obsess over the wormholes. Let me bask in the greatness that was the character of Song Yi, and all in the world is a vision through rose colored lenses.

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240 dramabird

October 16, 2015 at 2:26 PM

I'm going voting crazy!

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241 ObsessedMuch

October 17, 2015 at 11:02 PM

So I still hadn't discovered Dramabeans when i first saw and fell in love with this gem of a show. Here to give it 5 stars <3

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242 No1

October 18, 2015 at 5:21 AM

although they are killing this drama by dubbing to the native language of our country... i loved and enjoyed the drama immensely in the original version

all the way 5 stars for this episode and for the drama

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243 Graceful

November 28, 2015 at 3:49 PM

its awesome. Cute do min joon *thumbs up*

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244 Graceful

November 28, 2015 at 3:52 PM

its awesome. Cute do min joon *thumbs up* ... I wish u and unni JJH are dating. The chemistry is strong mhen...but u are married :(

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245 Gina

January 2, 2016 at 4:20 AM

Aigoo!!! Loved d drama 2 pieces! Luv CSY n DMJ lyk crazy! He does nt still time 2 get back, he just did it in d Awards Ceremony n I am sure they will have babies in tym 2 come since DMJ dreamt of it. I loved CSY's 4ny expressions n comments. I also loved DMJ's cold personality. I also loved d song 'My Destiny'

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246 Linh

January 6, 2016 at 4:56 AM

Sorry, this may be very, very, very late, but I just want to tell you that this wasn't really the end of the episode. The very last episode was episode 22. It's the episode where Min-joon was really back on Earth, with Song-yi, at the new house they rent or buy to live together, where they were outside the house on the rocking chair, Min-joon reading the book with Song-yi on his lap. That was truly the end of the episode.

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247 Victoria

January 20, 2016 at 5:32 PM

This drama was awesome. Hands downs. But I have something to do say about the time worm. The reason why he's stuck in a time worm is because he didn't age. But now he's on the earth for good(as far as we know)will he age. They should make a two and see if he dissapears into the abyss agian. If they have any anime or manga that goes more into the story leave me a reply thanks