The entertainment world naturally has its bifurcated acting system. Movie stars rank highest on the totem pole while the drama/television stars don’t command nearly the same level of clout in the industry. Some straddle both worlds on a regular basis but when a A-list movie star heads back to television there is always the rubbernecking interest on whether the fame transcends mediums as well as an eye for selecting the right project. A-list starlet Jeon Ji Hyun‘s first return to dramas in 14 years has been nothing short of a masterful success. You From the Star is a ratings winner from day one and its entertaining popcorn cheesiness with a side of sly humor makes for one easy watch. The drama is still a cauldron of wacky tonal shifts from screwball alien-human comedy to sociopath-on-the-loose murder thriller. Not that watching cackling villain Jae Kyung isn’t entertaining in a Dr. Evil in Austen Powers sort of way, but his story is clearly shoehorned in as the antagonist to put the two leads in constant danger. The entire murder and cover up is so over-the-top and the investigation hamfisted to drag out the danger element and ultimately I don’t think this story needs it since the very premise of an alien who is about the leave Earth falling in love and struggling with whether to stay or good is pretty darn good angst enough.
My gripes with the story construct aside, it’s Jeon Ji Hyun’s performance as Hallyu superstar Chun Song Yi that remains a revelation of charismatic acting and a wonderfully written character. Song Yi is the heart and soul of this drama for me and Jeon Ji Hyun more than proves her movie fame isn’t overrated in the least. Her meltdowns are epic and hilarious and her heartbreak moments raw and stirring. I’m still having a tough time connecting with Kim Soo Hyun’s stiff acting in this drama or his alien character Do Min Joon but there is no need to hash into it since it hardly distracts from my appreciation for Song Yi. Jeon Ji Hyun makes all these myriad of faces that deserves to be immortalized as how to act animated without being cartoonish. She is a pure and unfiltered delight to watch in YFAS and singlehandedly makes this drama for me despite me finding everything else mediocre – poorly written one-note supporting characters, uneven directing and spastic tonal shifts, and a howlingly bad OST. I used to have merely a fondness for Jeon Ji Hyun (after she did Daisy with my I Lub You) but now it’s a full blown “we are not worthy” salute to her existence to shine light on us mere mortals with her ability to entertain. Check out some of her “girl with a thousand faces” below along with clips of the best scenes in the recent episodes of YFAS.
The magic charm of Cheon Song Yi:
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I am obsessed. I hardly get why this is such a crack drama for me - for all the reasons that Capt k stated with the haphazard storyline, odd tonal shifts etc. But CSY is such a delight and feels so real in a way that I haven't really felt for any character in a long time, least of which is a character that is a hallyu superstar. I absolutely love her here... Great role for her. She really goes to town with her character and she definitely has won me over. I actually like the balance between CSY and DMJ - I think that is one part of SY's appeal - the way that she reacts and acts towards him. I just have to find out what happens to them. Yesterday's episode was lots of sadness, with a touch of giggles. I hope they can be happy sometime in the future, this OTP.
JJH - thanks for such an awesome ride so far. Yo
I get you -- for many of us its crack too despite knowing how flawed and narratively lacking it is. I love the otp and of course when you love the otp nothing else really matters you just go along for the ride.
This is her best role! I am impressed by her acting, sad, comedy, dramatic. I love this drama!
Yeah to all the flaws you mentioned. I feel like jae Kyung is the most misplaced character ever, and the alien premise is more than enough to work with imo. Hopefully they can solve that plot and focus on the alien dilemma and his returning home in the last stretch of the drama.
I actually like the ost except for maybe the syrupy sweet destiny -- but that hasn't been overplayed since k.will and hyorin have lended their voices to the osy. Hyorin has a sweet voice herself, her song suits this romcom.
I feel like we keep repeating ourselves when we say jeon ji Hyun is perfection but she is.
I feel like she deserves all the praise and I've never seen such a variety of facial expressions in one sitting alone. Part of it has to do with how awesome her character is, but I think most of it has to with jeon ji Hyun adding oomph and bringing life to this character. I wonder how much is really tweaked, adlibbed, or her ideas.
she just became my fav kactrss within a matter of one kdrama role.
even some of my favorites (ha ji won, son ye Jin, moon char won) had to prove themselves in various roles. Jeon ji Hyun is sorta like love at first sight.
I think the first time I love her acting is in The Thieves, but after YFATS, I'm crazy about jeon ji hyun.
Her Chun Song Yi just pure awesome. And its true, while MK have a solid cast and script, YFTAS have Jeon Ji Hyun to raise it high, and I only need her to watch its entire run
Such a treat to watch her act...love her.
Have so much respect for Jeon Ji Hyun now as an actress! I think for someone who was labelled as a CF actress before, she has in the recent years tried her hardest to shed that image (and was successful) from The Thieves to Berlin File, where she was good with her subtle and nuanced acting. Then now playing Cheon Sun Yi, she's giving it her all. For a really top A-lister, she doesn't half-assed her way towards a paycheck, and kudos to her. :)
I totally agree! I am absolutely blown away by her. I am trying to come up with a Hollywood analog for her ability to be both hilariously funny and heart wrenching. I can't really come up with one at the moment. She really is in a class by herself. To do comedy like Lucille Ball and then turn around and pull my heart out like Meryl Streep is really amazing. And then she is breathtakingly beautiful on top of it all! She is definitely the total package and deserves any praise she gets and more! This drama has increasingly become the Jeon Ji Hyun Show and I am totally ok with that!
JJH is perfection, in how she evolved her career. She hit it big early, but did not settle for the fame and money but instead improved her acting steadily. She also enjoys her life and does not trap herself in the industry, getting married early for example.
I have the same thoughts on this show, she is the only reason I am watching. The directing and story is not up to par with her. Her co-stars so so too.
Love, love, love Jeon Ji Hyun in this drama, especially last episode. She really shines in every scene she's in. I do get the narrative flaws. Jae-kyung the murdering brother's sole purpose is to get Song-yi in danger so that Min-Joon will come rushing to her side. Not that I am complaining though, I really enjoyed how she was in danger and had to live with Min Joon for a couple of episodes for her personal safety.:D
Can't say I find the OST that bad though. I really like "Destiny" and the new track "Hello" is so infectious, I was listening to it on loop yesterday and now the song is stuck in my head. K. Will's track I find just so-so and the hilarious scale-ascending piano track that plays every time something comical happens makes me laugh every time.
I love this drama so much! It has made me an eternal fan of Jeon Ji Hyun and Kim Soo Hyun. Can't wait for the next episode.
i was a somewhat big fan of her prior this drama because there's something her natural presence on screen that make me love almost everything she is in. Its kinda hard to constantly love her because she did like a movie a year and took a long break from korean movies for her international ones which sucks. But now i just love her more than ever in this drama.
As much as I love Kim Soo-hyun, YFAS is without doubt the Jeon Ji-hyun show. She's charismatic goddess incarnate. I just adore her and Song-yi. <3
LoL! If this were 'Moon Embracing the Sun', it seems there's a Lunar eclipse happening here, where JJH outshining KSH. Hehehe!