Saturday, January 4, 2014

[Recap] Romance, Comedy, Sadness & Thrills- “Man from the Stars” Has It All

Man from the Stars” continues to soar with high ratings, intriguing plot lines, and lovably flawed characters. Romantic feelings begin to develop between our lead characters, especially within the stoic Do Min Joon. Chun Song Yi faces increasing backlash for her rival’s death, but at least Min Joon never seems too far away to help. Flashbacks are beautifully interwoven with the present day events, providing a satisfying context for Min Joon and Song Yi’s fated relationship. Not only do the main characters shine, but the supporting cast and subplots combine to make a captivating story that leaves viewers on the edge of their seats.


10 Signs Min Joon Has Fallen for Song Yi


Screen Shot 2014-01-02 at 5.30.20 PM


There’s no way around it- Min Joon is falling hard for our heroine. Having Song Yi stranded in his apartment overnight certainly didn’t hurt their budding relationship and with each interaction and flashback, we see Min Joon’s feelings develop more and more. 


Carry


1. He may have a 1 meter distance rule, but it seems he can’t even follow his own guidelines. 


Meal with Min Joon


2. He allows Song Yi to bully him into eating a meal with her and his “father”. Shopping


3. He goes shopping for Song Yi, just like any other caring husband would. 


Min Joon Stop


4. He does his best to distract Song Yi from the pain and sadness that is about to assault her. Lying about the reporters, blocking her way to the balcony, using his powers to break a vase- I’m sorry to break it to you Min Joon, but you like her! 


Min Joon Miss


5. He can’t help but miss her. Heck, he won’t even turn over his fish when he eats after her scolding. 


Min Joon Doorbell


6. He teleports to her apartment to ensure her safety after seeing the suspicious Jae Kyung in the parking garage. If teleporting wasn’t enough, frantically ringing the doorbell is a sure sign of love!


Min Joon and Hee Kyung


7. He deliberately lies to Hee Kyung to provoke jealousy over his relationship with Song Yi. Little does Min Joon realize that he too is falling victim to the same naive and childish emotion. 


Note for Song Yi


8. He leaves her a note to remind her to come take her final exam. There may have been a threat of failure tied in, but the note still showed he wanted to see her. 


Min Joon Press


9. He rescues her from the press who harass her when she comes to school. Min Joon makes the best legal advisor!


Min Joon- Stop Time


10. Last but not least, he stops time so he doesn’t have to hear her response to Hee Kyung’s confession.


Some things just aren’t worth hearing. 


Jae Kyung is Terrifying


Jae Kyung


I don’t know if I’ve ever been so scared of a drama’s bad guy, especially this early on! Jae Kyung gives me the creeps. His “be careful of your health” line is the stuff of nightmares! We’ve already witnessed some of his horrible and heartless actions, but now all signs point to Song Yi being his next target. Oh no! 


Jae Kyung Garage


The thrilling end to episode 5 when Jae Kyung comes to Song Yi’s apartment put me on the edge of my seat. At first I thought, oh, don’t worry Min Joon will be there to save her, but then when he is suddenly pulled away by the detective, I felt my heart drop. No! Don’t leave Song Yi alone with that crazy man! 


Overheard Brother


My only consolation to Jae Kyung’s terror is that Min Joon already suspects him. A super powerful alien is always a good tool to have when fighting an evil lunatic, right?


The Past Comes to Life


Song Yi Death


Important knowledge about Min Joon’s past is filled in through a series of flashbacks to his time with Song Yi’s look-a-like Yi Hwa. His vow of protection goes unfulfilled when his powers fail to save Yi Hwa from death.


Past- Hair Piece


The dramatic conclusion to their story revels why Min Joon remains protective, yet distant at the same time. Losing your first love in such a gruesome manner is not exactly the best “Welcome to Earth” present. 


Museum


Min Joon also tests out Song Yi’s affinity to Yi Hwa’s hair piece. I’m very intrigued by Song Yi’s overwhelming feeling of sadness when she encounters the object. All signs point to reincarnation!


Song Yi’s Career is in Danger


Song Yi Fall


With her growing blame in Yoo Ra’s death, Song Yi’s popularity fades overnight. Her advertisements come down, her lead character is suddenly written out of her drama, and even her contract with her agency expires. Talk about falling fast. Song Yi may be disheartened, but she’s not going to let anyone tell her she is not good enough. Rather than wait for the noose, she proactively “rejects” all of her contracts in an attempt to fight back against the criticism. 


Song Yi Cameras


Her strong will may not be fooling anyone, but her staff can’t help but go along with her plan. Heck, they are actually relieved she is taking full responsibility. 


Se Mi is Moving Up Now that Song Yi is Falling Down


Se Mi


With Song Yi out of the way, Se Mi finally has a chance to shine. She’s offered the leading role in Song Yi’s drama and instantly snatches up the opportunity. She tries to keep up the appearance of supportive friend, but Song Yi sees through her lies. 


Heart to Heart Conversation


Terrace


This conversation made my heart melt a little bit. Song Yi not only confides some of her deep feelings about loneliness and stardom to Min Joon, but these two also exchange their respective philosophies on life. Min Joon in his typical detached fashion believes the secret to not getting hurt is to never give or take anything from anyone. Song Yi is quick to call him out by asking “What’s the fun in living then?”. While they appear to hold opposing viewpoints, their overarching loneliness still bonds them together. For now, at least they have each other.   


Min Joon’s In Trouble


CCTV


Looks like Min Joon won’t be having an easy time during his last three months on Earth. Not only does he have to deal with his growing emotions, but his image was caught on multiple cameras in places where he shouldn’t have been. The detectives involved with Yoo Ra’s case already suspect him.Se Mi Photos


Worse yet, Se Mi found his CCTV picture from the boat, instantly recognizing him as the man who saved Song Yi’s life in middle school. Dun dun dun! What will she do with this new information?


Se Mi’s Brother is the Prosecutor in Yoo Ra’s Case


Se Mi's Brother


This will either be super convenient or super harmful for our main characters.


Se Mi’s recent discovery of evidence makes me think this connection is not such a great thing. 


Hee Kyung’s Endearing Attempts at Romance


 Hee Kyung Flowers


Hee Kyung continues in his efforts to gain Song Yi’s love. He bails Song Yi’s brother out of jail, brings flowers to her mom, and even arranges a birthday surprise at an amusement park. Unfortunately for him, Song Yi seems to remain firmly in the “we’re friends” mindset. We’ll find out next week for sure when she responds to Hee Kyung’s earnest confession of love. 


Song Yi Can’t Function in the Real World


Song Yi Driving


Now that Song Yi is without her entourage, she must venture out into the world by herself for the first time in a long time. Long story short, she is an hilarious hot mess. She can’t drive straight, she leaves her bag hanging on her mirror, and instead of signing for her credit card, she gives the gas station attendant a signed postcard. She needs help.


Manager Do?


Min Joon Profile


We may see Min Joon wearing a new hat in the next episode. Upon realizing her own inaptitude, Song Yi asked Min Joon if he was interested in a part time job. She proposed that he take on the job of being her manager, a role he’s already filled more than once since they’ve meet. I have a feeling his new found attachment to Song Yi won’t allow him to say no!


Good thing Song Yi’s last manager left a letter of instruction. I think Min Joon will have something to say about her disliking the Joseon era!


Min Joon is Filthy Rich


Min Joon Rich


Not that Min Joon needs the extra cash from the manager gig. It turns out after 400 years of smart investing, Min Joon has developed chaebol levels of wealth. It will be up to his friend Lawyer Jang to slowly sell off his vast fortune once he leaves Earth. 


Bonus: Heirs Parody


Heirs Parody


Heirs made unexpected appearance in “Man from the Stars” when the OST song “I’m Saying” sung by Lee Hong Ki played in the background while a young boy confessed his love in a very Kim Tan manner. The little tribute brought a smile to my face and Song Yi’s friend used the moment to teach about the power of love. I’m hopeful for more crossover parodies in the future!


In Conclusion


Oops


This was another great week for “Man from the Stars”. I’m already deeply in love with these characters and the pacing of the show continues to be excellent. Min Joon’s superpowers are being used in all the right ways and his fated connection to Song Yi is highly captivating. From flashbacks to confessions and comedy to suspense, this show does it all. I’ll be laughing one moment and then suddenly crying the next. “Man from the Stars” is worth every minute of the ride!


How do you think Min Joon’s new feelings of love will affect him next week?


Do you think it will be long before Song Yi’s life is in real danger? 


Feel free to comment below!


*****


Rachel’s K-pop and K-drama blog Rara-Pop is full of good information any fan of Korean entertainment will enjoy. You’ll find articles like “Korean Celebrity Inspired Wants,” “Top 5 Engrish Phrases in K-pop,” and a wide range of music video and drama reviews. Warning: T.O.P’s cheekbones may be a frequent topic of discussion. Be sure to check out this great blog! 


 


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