You From Another Star: A Beautiful Letdown

Maybe I expected too much. They gave me a happy ending. Well . . . a sorta-happy ending. Nobody died. So why do I feel so dissatisfied? I used to worry that the writer would betray me with a tragic, heartrending finale that left me weeping in a puddle. And even though that didn’t happen, I still feel a little let down. I think YFAS is a victim of its own success. The first 20 episodes blew me away so much, that I expected the wrap-up to be this amazing, supercalifragilistic masterpiece of superhero, slapstick, romance, and warm fuzzies. Instead, it was . . . nice. Bittersweet. Like a piece of dark chocolate. Give me a cavity-inducing Resee's Cup any day.

I actually got this joke!

Since I’m still a rookie, who doesn’t even speak Korean, please allow me to pat myself on the back for actually getting this scene. I’ve been a fan of figure skating for years, and I knew of the controversy with the latest Olympics. I didn’t watch the ladies skate, but read that South Korea’s reigning gold medalist, Kim Yuna, turned in a flawless performance. They expected her to take the top spot on the podium again, but the judges placed a young Russian, Adelina Sotnikova, in first place. Apparently, sports commentators and former professionals alike called foul. There was talk of the “Home Advantage” Adelina got by skating in Sochi. Perhaps the crowd’s reaction swayed the marks. Who knows? It doesn’t help that the judges’ scores remain anonymous. No accountability. Who’s to say if the Russian judges didn’t cook the books a little for one of their own. So the fact that the writer alluded to this, and had Song-yi asking Min-joon if he couldn’t do something about it was hilarious.

The teary part, and the really teary part

We spend 20 episodes dreading the return of the mothership, and when the moment arrives, Min-joon just leaves without a word. Poor Song-yi and I both were like, “That’s how you’re gonna do it?” I don’t think I felt weepy at all during the finale. The next-to-last episode delivered the more moving goodbyes. First, with Lawyer Jang’s breakdown, and then Song-yi’s proposal. Speaking of which, would it have killed Min-joon to marry her before Scotty beamed him up? I expected some sort of ceremony after the way episode 20 ended, even if it were only symbolic. We never got that Going-to-the-chapel moment. Call me old fashioned, but I like my happy endings with shoes and rice.

The bromance that never dies

So many little brother moments! Him fighting with Song-yi for who Min-joon belongs to. Sitting with his favorite alien, chocolate milk in hand and promising to be good to his sister in exchange for the prized telescopes. Asking for just one hug and not taking no for an answer. And finally, discovering a planet which he names after his hyung. I just love this relationship. I wish we could have seen the reunion of the brothers-in-law after Do Min-joon’s return.

Pwahahahaha

K-dramas have this infuriating habit of redeeming everyone in the final hour, whether they deserve it or not. I’m so glad this was not the case with Psycho Puppy Killer. Who else enjoyed the satisfying sight of him locked in a dark, tiny cell with no one to talk to except the phantom of Do Min-joon? I expected this character to wreak some last minute havoc by breaking out of jail, or something. But, nope. He’s caught. Punished. That’s all folks.

The big, Hollywood ending

The lights. The cameras. The red carpet and designer gowns. What an appropriate place for a movie star to reunite with her true love. Except he disappeared again. I feel kind of like someone handed me a cookie, then took it back after one bite. “Here’s your happy ending. Just kidding!” But at least we got one sizzling liplock. Someone needs to sit Park Shin-hye down to watch this clip on a loop until the light finally dawns.

In many ways, this drama reminds me of one of my all-time favorites, Queen In-hyun’s Man. The Joseon/Modern juxtaposition. The insurmountable barrier of Time. And even the way they interspersed the heavy moments with bits of humor. But there’s one thing QIM got right, and YFAS didn’t. Song-yi brought the issue up herself. There was nothing she could do for him. Do Min-joon shoulders the burden of returning or staying lost forever. All Song-yi can do is wait. In QIM, the way the hero is able to return to his love is when she defies the fate-induced amnesia, remembers him, and makes a call that connects over centuries. (I wonder who her service provider was?) It took both of them to make their reunion possible. I know some people see this ending as a bit too convenient, but you can’t get more convenient than finding a magic wormhole. At least the cell phone macguffin was hinted at throughout QIM’s story. The wormhole was never even alluded to until the very end. Tah-dah! And I could have used a few more answers to the important questions. Is Do Min-joon still going to look the same when Song-yi is eighty? Will he spend centuries alone after she dies? Was she supposed to be the reincarnation of the original, Joseon widow? Did poor, sweet Hwi-kyung ever get a girl of his own? And, most importantly, was that pesky saliva problem ever solved?!!!!!! (For that last one, they could have showed it so simply by having a baby monitor sitting on the nightstand in that last scene. Just a little present for the eagle-eyed.)

I don’t want to sound ungrateful. You From Another Star provided me with so many moments of laughter and squees, and I thank it for those whole-heartedly. The end may not have been everything I wanted, but the journey sure was fun.

YFAS: Not ready to let go

How does this show mix so much light and dark into one hour without setting off the eye-roll alarms? It should seem manic the way it swings from pain to punchline and back again. But I'm buying every minute. And wishing I could get my hands on the recipe, 'cause this angsty, alien fruitcake is too good to only enjoy once.

The thing I love about this show 

No matter how hopeless the future looks, the script never forgets to mix in a heaping spoonful of humor. After a heartbreaking scene where Song-yi abandons Min-joon in the woods because she can't handle the one month expiration date on their relationship, we're treated to a sobfest sing-a-long in Se-mi's van. I credit the writer for inserting such a scene at the right moment to relieve the tension. And I double credit Jeon Ji-hyun for her ability to sell any situation and make it seem sincere, no matter how farcical the premise.

Keeping the in-laws happy 

I dub this scene “Do Min-joon babysits Song-yi’s brother”. The way he humored an irate Yoon-jae like he was entertaining a five-year-old, and then bribed him with an offer of chocolate milk delighted me to no end. And the fact that this milk came in a juice box with a straw just added to my glee. All it took was one selfie with his fancy, high-powered telescope to turn “Stay away from my sister!” into “Hyung, she doesn’t deserve you”. I hope this isn’t the last we see of this duo because I can imagine all sorts of brother-sister squabbles as they fight over who gets to play with Do Min-joon today.

Petty superpowers for the win

I’ve already devoted an entire post to how awesome the superhero vibe of this show is. But how much fun was it to see Min-joon use his abilities to be the best Alien Boyfriend ever? Someone needed to teach that spiteful director a lesson as he made a woman WHO JUST GOT OUT OF THE HOSPITAL BECAUSE OF AN ACCIDENT ON HIS OWN FILM SET dive down a hill for take after take. I wish that mound our hero mind-pushed him off of had been a little taller, but at least his sadistic sidekick went tumbling down with him. And then the hilarious scene with Song-yi taking everyone to the cleaners in Go-Stop. Talk about a sore-winner. I wonder if she knew her superpowered boyfriend was stacking the deck? But the best part may have been the adoring smile on his face as he watched her enjoy her lucky streak. I’d trade in the flying, teleporting, time stopping extras any day, for a guy who would look at me like that, even when I'm being ridiculous.

The Sides are stepping up 

I understand the necessity of giving extra screen time to the side characters as the story nears the finish. The stars must be exhausted from their copious scenes, and need someone else to share the burden. In so many other dramas, it feels shoehorned in, like a sudden romance for a co-worker that we don't even remember the name of. But I'm really enjoying the deeper storylines for Star's side characters. The little brother hijinks are totally floating my boat. And I am loving the new and improved Hwi-kyung. I'd actually be satisfied to watch him take down his brother, instead of our alien hero. I don't know why they refuse to flesh out Se-mi's character more. After Queen In-hyun's Man, we know Yoo In-na is totally capable of winning us over. I'd like redemption and a happy pairing for her and her longtime crush.

The most revealing epilogue, yet

So now we know that Song-yi makes it out of this show alive. I had my suspicions that we might be headed for some sort of double-death Romeo and Juliet climax mixed with a reincarnation They-Can-Be-Together-In-The-Next-Life cop out. But this epilogue showed us a hale and hearty Song-yi 100 days later. So that’s a little over two months after Min-joon’s scheduled departure. And she’s sitting in Namsan Tower waiting for someone. The obvious question is “Who?” I wouldn’t be surprised if it was a fake-out with her comic-book store friend arriving to keep her company as she sits there remembering her lost love from the stars. I really have no idea where this show is heading. Well, I have lots of ideas, but which one do I really want? If Min-joon misses the spaceship for the second time and chooses to remain on earth, he will still look like a baby-faced twenty-something when his significant other is a tottering senior citizen (a fact that was hilariously realized this week by a panicking Song-yi as she tried to slow down the aging process with face masks and hula hoops). As our age-obsessed actress so aptly put it, “That’s not a happy ending!” What if Song-yi decides to return to his planet with him? That somehow seems unlikely. Or our alien explorer could leave for home, find a magic pill that turns him human, catch the next new and improved comet back, and come walking into that restaurant as easy as pie. Yeah, that’s a total cop-out. I must have my happy ending! I just don’t know what it is.

Two weeks and still plenty of story left. But even if there wasn't, I imagine Jeon Ji-hyun could make a phone book sound brilliant, so I'm looking forward to our remaining time together. But when all is said and done, will I be able to let go?

YFAS: You sure know how to sweep a girl off her feet

I just got out of a bad relationship. You see there was this show called The Prime Minister and I. We spent 17 whole hours together and then it went and ended everything with a HANDSHAKE. But I’m an optimist at heart. Surely love would come again. Wednesday followed Tuesday, as it always does. And You From Another Star arrived to wash away any traces of the bad writing left over from PM&I. Thank you, show. Thank you for being so consistently awesome week after week. Even if you betray me at the finish with a sad, weepy ending, I think I can still forgive you because of all the many moments that left me grinning like a loon. Moments like this:

 Yes, YES, YEEEEEEEESSSSSSS!!!

This scene kept one-upping itself. Min-joon mind-flipping the desk before the evil baddie can press the emergency button. Then slamming him into the blinds, and lifting him off the ground. Of course, the raging psychopath smiles as if he still has the upper hand. So let’s sweep him to the roof and dangle him off the building. I bet there was a whole chorus of viewers chanting, “Drop him! Drop him!” We knew Min-joon wouldn’t kill the villain this early in the show, but I wanted the satisfaction of watching that perma-smirk wiped off his face. So what does our accommodating hero do? Drops him. Just a teeny-tiny bit. Mr. Puppy Killer falters, but still tries to play it cool and so our Joseon Superman mind-bends him back in slow motion and then . . . he let’s go. The bad guy screams all the way down until he brakes right above the pavement and hits just hard enough to scratch up that sneering face. I could have stopped right there and gone to bed happy. But I’m glad I didn’t.

Mystery Solved: Hwi-kyung has a brain and he’s not afraid to use it!

Hwi-kyung drew ever closer to unmasking his psycho brother, as he tracked down the missing sister-in-law to the mental hospital where she’s held captive. How hot was he when he gave Nurse Pants-on-fire the third degree? Not only was his IQ alive and well, but his EQ proved strong and steady when he brought a caravan of fancy, food trucks to Song-yi’s movie set. Just to make her look good. Plus it wiped the self-satisfied serenity right off the face of our second lead, Miss Aspertame (she looks like sugar, but just might kill you). Then he tops it all off by throwing himself under a falling Song-yi to save her life. In that moment, he was almost awesome enough to make me forget Min-joon. Almost.

Did Jun Ji-hyun need a vacation?

I read an article on Soompi that poor Kim Soo-hyun gets maybe one hour of sleep a night during filming. It makes me wonder if Ji-hyun arranged for extra rest as part of her contract, because between Min-joon pulling an Edward Cullen while she slumbered, to her ambulance ride, to her extended hospital scenes, her character spent most of Episode 14 flat on her back. (Has anyone else seen the dvd bloopers from Secret Garden where a tearful Ha Ji-won stands at the sick bed of the comatose Hyun-bin, and you suddenly hear him snoring? Hilarious.) Although I’m all for well-rested actors, I felt the absence of Song-yi’s sparkle. She injects her scenes with an energy which is all the more noticeable when it’s missing. Thank goodness she woke up at the end of Episode 14 in that brief but squeeable epilogue.

Can you blame her?

Song-yi put on her big girl designer pants this week and showed Min-joon he couldn’t toss her around like his own personal Barbie doll. She didn’t swoon at the sight of him appearing in her hospital room. She switched to formal speech to keep him at a distance (not that she always remembered to keep it up). And the sight of her cheerfully stomping her feet in the cold as she waited to film her tiny scene somehow got to me. I respect her for taking charge of her own life. After spending her entire adulthood in a pampered famous fishbowl, she’s finally learning how the other half lives. She could take the easy way out, and accept the help of her hot, manager-neighbor, but she’s got more pride than that. I feel for our poor, misunderstood hero. He’s only trying to do what’s best for her. But don’t we all hate to see him go down the noble idiot route?

Can you blame him?

Thankfully, Min-joon seems to be taking a detour into Selfishville. And I applaud the move. Especially if it will give us more kisses like this week. *Swoon* His overactive imagination gave him a much needed push toward Song-yi as he continuously pictured a romantic future between her and Hwi-kyung. Looking at it objectively, he should be pushing for her to get over him. He’s still a 400-year-old alien who’s leaving the planet in a month. How is this relationship a good idea? But he’s past caring, and so am I. We’ve both decided to enjoy the warm, fuzzies while we may. The future can go throw itself off a building.

So many shows have let me down this year. Marry Him If You Dare, The Prime Minister and I, Pretty Man. Is it any wonder I’m feeling a little hesitant to embrace something new? But I’m taking a page out of Min-joon’s book. Let’s see how selfish I can be as I relish every pratfall, superhero save, and toe-tingling smooch that this story will give me. It might hurt down the road, but I’d rather live in the moment.

You From Another Star: You remind me of someone

I got a snow day this week, thanks to the Head Weatherman Upstairs, and spent part of it re-watching Miss Congeniality. Anyone else remember, “I’m GLIDING here!”? When I later watched You From Another Star, it struck me how Sandra Bullock-like Song-yi can be. The girl has a gift for comedy. I never got around to posting about last week’s episodes. (Well, technically, I got around to the screencaps and typing out a few words on the computer. It was the finishing that never happened.) So I thought I’d pull from last week and this week to showcase several moments where our lovable egomaniac was the most Sandra-esque.

Roly-poly Princess 

This bit went on and on. But it never got old! The way she shuffled around in her vinyl cocoon. Min-joon flipping her over his shoulder and dumping her on the couch. And who could hate her doing a ninety-degree new year’s bow to her host’s “father”. I hope Jeon Ji-hyun isn’t claustrophobic. She probably spent hours wrapped in that full body straightjacket to get all those shots. For which I am ever so grateful!

I’d like to be a fly on the wall 

Let’s just ignore the fact that her outfit is lemon yellow. That might be the latest trend in South Korea, and I have never been what you would call a fashionista. But this posture! Watching Jeon Ji-hyun play this role makes me realize how prissy a lot of the K-drama actresses are. If they kick off their designer heels to chase after the guy, that’s a big action scene. But JJH climbs on furniture and sticks to the wall like a piece of silly putty. She hobbles around in sleeping bags, and careens across the ice like a five-year old. I wonder if she runs marathons or something? Where does she get all that energy?

Nutty as a fashionable fruitcake 

Again, let’s ignore the fact she’s wearing a primary color, striped poncho. Maybe it’s supposed to represent the bars on the cell they’re going to toss her into when she’s declared legally insane. Cause Song-yi is giving new meaning to the phrase “crazy love”. Her eyes bug out as she compares love to chicken legs and designer handbags. And the doctor wastes no time in upping her meds. I admit this scene felt a little over the top to me. But I’ll take over-the-top slapstick over unbelievable-amnesia-twist-makjang any day of the week.

Lock up the liquor cabinet 

On second thought, please don’t! Cause drunk Song-yi guarantees all sorts of funny-bone-tickling good times. Props to the writer for revealing her descent into Plasteredville bit by hilarious bit. I love the little things, like the way her body went straight as a board as she slid off the couch. Or the giant clip just dangling from the ends of her hair. And I REALLY love the big things. Like her screaming DO MANAGEEEEEEEEEEEEERRRRRR over and over. And Song-yi trying to buy Min-joon’s love with her sparkly heels. Remember, he has super-hearing. Did he have to listen to her drunken ramblings all night? Pfffft. Serves him right!

A little goes a long way 

You could feel the heavy in episode 12 as our leads spent most of the time unconscious or apart. Min-joon pushes Song-yi away knowing that every card in the universe seems stacked against them. But there’s always that glimmer of frenetic funny that our heroine brings, no matter how dire the situation. How about her faking tuberculosis as she hobbled to her front door, in an attempt to keep someone from buying Min-joon’s apartment? And who didn’t guess what was in her head the moment she glanced at the giant flower box separating her balcony from his? It was only a matter of time before she’d be scrambling up there. Thank goodness he called when he did, or he might have had to pull another Superman when she fell off the skyscraper, screaming DO MANAGEEEEERRRRRRR all the way down.

I saw Jeon Ji-hyun in The Thieves, but this drama has opened my eyes to what a well-rounded actress she is. She rips your heart out one minute as she faces her former “best friend” telling her their relationship was a fake from the beginning. Then she’s pure comedy gold as she flops around in a t-shirt and shorts with mascara streaks running down her face. If she ever gets together with Sandra Bullock for a movie, that is one ticket I will be lining up to buy.