Sweet, But Worlds Apart From Its Predecessor…
For those unaware ‘Hoshi Kara Kita Anata’ ( alternatively known as ‘ 星から来たあなた’ or ‘ My Love From The Stars’) is adapted from ‘ My Love From The Star’ starring Kim So Hyun ( ‘ Dream High’, ‘ Secretly Greatly’ and ‘ It’s Okay To Not Be Okay’) and Jun Ji Hyun ( ‘ My Sassy Girl’, ‘ The Legend Of The Blue Sea’ and ‘ Jirisan’).
‘Hoshi Kara Kita Anata’ focuses upon the same basic plot premise as its predecessor . Mitsuru Higashiyama ( Fukushi Sota- ‘ BLEACH’, ‘ Omukae Desu’ and ‘ Avalanche’) is a seemingly ordinary university lecturer, apart from one fact: he’s not human.
Stranded on earth during the edo period, Mitsuru has been forced to blend in with humans for more than 400 years whilst keeping his abilities and identity low-key.
However, everything changes for Mitsuru when he encounters popular and seemingly haughty actress Sasahara Tsubaki ( Yamamoto Mizuki - ‘ Tokyo Alice’, ‘ Perfect World’ and ‘ Ningen Kowai’). Tsubaki and Mitsuru soon find their paths crossing in more ways than one, as Mitsuru finds it harder to keep his secret…
As mentioned previously, ‘ Hoshi Kara Kita Anata’ is based upon the popular Korean series ‘ My Love From The Star’ and was initially written by award-winning screenwriter Park Ji Eun ( ‘ My Husband Got A Family’, ‘ The Producers’ and ‘ Legend Of The Blue Sea’).
However whilst there are certainly some intriguing things to note about Amazon Prime’s Japanese adaptation ‘Hoshi Kara Kita Anata’, it’s admittedly hard not to notice where the screenwriting felt inconsistent even as a standalone piece.
Naturally this isn’t entirely the fault of writing problems alone. A limited duration length did naturally restrict the abilities to explore plot lines, or counterplots in detail. On the other hand whilst time can be a limiting factor for any production or adapted series, it was still noticeable for viewers that ‘ ‘Hoshi Kara Kita Anata’ did little to adapt itself to its limitations.
Whilst the series did admittedly draw greater attention upon the potential romantic relationship of main leads Tsubaki and Mitsuru, the overcommitment for attempting to tie in several unexplored subplots in a short space of time could often make the events of the narrative feel somewhat sporadic and desultory . As a consequence this allowed restricted and limited opportunities in order to explore characters beyond their surface level.
The acting quality of the series is admittedly variable dependent on scenes. Fukushi Sota and Yamamoto Mizuki were fairly decent as our main leads, though surprisingly, despite the talents of both respectful actors , Sota and Mizuki’s onscreen chemistry felt somewhat lukewarm at best.
Admittedly this wasn’t entirely the fault of the actors. Despite several attempts in order to reiterate the importance of the romantic relationship between the main leads in ‘ Hoshi Kara Kita Anata’, there were few and far distinguishable or emotive moments in the series where the audience could truly understand the importance or relevance of this relationship.
Of course whilst there were several heartwarming exchanges and insights into the characters at times, the paper thin roles of the main characters could often impact their presence onscreen.
Despite Tsubaki seemingly being an actress who has suffered under false stigmas and stereotypes , it was hard to truly pinpoint moments where audiences saw Tsubaki as a dynamic character, mature or at least be explored with more vulnerable sides. Similarly, whilst Mitsuru is seemingly a character who has carried a seemingly arcane burden of being stranded as an extraterrestrial on earth, Mitsuru rarely seemed to be affected, develop or being given opportunities in order for viewers to digress his current persona or past.
In addition to our main leads, there is also an array of side characters. Whilst some of these side characters are necessary to a certain extent in the events of the series, ‘ Hoshi Kara Kita Anata’ rarely fleshed out the significance of these particular characters , built up their presence onscreen or at least foreshadowed or tied in certain actions or events surrounding their appearances to make them memorable for the audience.
Then of course there’s the question of pacing with ‘ Hoshi Kara Kita Anata’. As mentioned previously, ‘ Hoshi Kara Kita Anata’ was limited from the outset with having to compact a storyline into a space of ten episodes. Whilst the narrative is certainly expedited by mainly focusing upon the romantic aspect of the main leads, this also manifested as a double-edged sword with execution.
Pacy, engaging and allowing opportunities in order to allow the storyline to progress, but rarely did this allow time for ‘ Hoshi Kara Kita Anata’ to build upon its characters, plot line or a sense of conflict, dilemmas or obstacles for the main leads. Indeed whilst the drama did attempt to throw in several conflict points by the final part of the series, the finale felt somewhat anticlimactic as a result.
As for the filming quality and cinematography , ‘ Hoshi Kara Kita Anata’ is admittedly average. The quality, whilst not bad per say, was unimpressively fuzzy in certain scenes for a production released under the name of a top company such as Amazon Prime. In addition to this the absence of a sleek gradient, versatile camera angles as well as absent palettes schemes and even a lack of subtle motifs were prominent as the series progressed.
The OST for ‘ Hoshi Kara Kita Anata’ was sparsely used in the series. Notably when music was present in scenes, it was often faint and synchronic; attempting to place emphasis on characters or scenes, without always leaving an impactful punch by the end of episodes. Arguably one of the few memorable tracks found in the series was GReeeeN’s ‘ Ryusei no Kakera’; an avant-garde yet surprisingly upbeat melody which played as the drama’s main theme song.
Acknowledging a drama as a standalone piece is always quintessential when talking about adaptations. Admittedly ‘ Hoshi Kara Kita Anata’ did add its own idiosyncratic touches to the storyline by bringing on board the talents of Fukushi Sota and Yamamoto Mizuki as the main leads. On the other hand it’s hard to deny that the chaotic bricolage of the drama’s inconsistent narrative, characters, pacing and filming, couldn’t help but make the series feel as though it failed to live up to legacy of its predecessor and past incarnations. An average and easygoing binge-watch, but perhaps not a worthwhile investment.
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A different way to revisit a wonderful k drama, but a little far in quality.
Since I saw the original Korean version first, I can separate them both. Even so, i like the story and that is why i watched this.STORY – the story is nice, but they cut some important parts that made this hard to follow. The fact that i knew the story could glue some loose ends in my mind.
An interspecies love, where we can almost forget, as most of the shows, that he's an alien. 400 years after, he rediscovers his love reincarnated. When everything was set for him to finally leaves Earth, love makes him having second thoughts. But he as to go and...
ACTING - I like the main leads acting. I think they did or shine more because of the plot and the writing. The other cast was also ok, but the screen time was low.
MUSIC - too mellow for me. Never felt that punch and strength that some songs can give.
REWATCH- i don't think i will watch this again. I already have viewed the k version twice and usually i don't do that. So, i prefer to revisit the original.
OVERALL - of course that i like this show. It would be better if i saw this first.
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It just can't live up to the korean show
While it's a really cute watch mainly because I do like the main couple together, I can't help but wonder why they felt like making this. I loved the korean drama so I thought a japanese version would be great. Except.. it's not as good. I mean, why would you make a worse remake if it adds nothing new to the story? They hardly use any new ideas and scenes. This made me skip most of it because I feel like I have already seen a better version of these scenes XD.I'm only finishing it because of the main actors ... :)
I can't even remember any of the music except the ending song which is kind of ok but not my taste.
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✒ ☄Incompatible☄: A Little Bit of Nonsense ✴6.8✴very cute✴
Here's to the long-distance relationship. Sometimes Love is incompatible. At times, it's downright impossible.The handsome Fukushi Sota is Toyama Mitsuru, an alien who has been stuck on earth for 400 years. Like The Highlander, he doesn't age, so he has to set up new identities every half generation or so, and he has accumulated enough wealth to live /comfortably/. He actually has enough to live like a movie star, and he lives /exactly/ like one - A popular actress just moved in next door. Together they occupy the entire 30th floor. Sota has many extra-human powers, from spoon-bending to stopping time. He keeps them well hidden - mostly by maintaining a low profile.
Yamamoto Mizuki plays celebrity Sasahara Tsubaki, and she's a universe away from low-profile. Sure she's somewhat spoiled and entitled, but she's actually a decent person, Her mother helps keep her that way. Mom is such a selfish and narcissistic pill that Mizuki doesn't want to be anything like her. Nevertheless, for Sota, who is more like Dr. Spock than not, Mizuki is irritating. She's the type to stumble into his place uninvited, while drunk, and pass out on his couch. He is still drawn to her against his will… She is so like that human girl he was compelled to rescue all those centuries ago. As a college prof, he is NOT drawn enough to her to put up with her stuff, though. When she returns to school to boost her image, he doesn't hesitate to give her a zero for plagiarism. (To think, she paid /good/ money for an originally written paper, too!).
As we get to know them more, we see that their fates may have been intertwined for a long time. Could she really be the reincarnation of that woman he saved so long ago?
MLFTS is a 2022 release that is rated 7.4 on MDL. It is 1 season consisting of 10 40-45-minute episodes. After the credits roll, there's commentary and actor interviews and deleted scenes.
The Bad guy, Imai Tsubasa, is a pop idol IRL. He'd never played a bad guy before. He's almost unrecognizable in his post-show interview; that's some nice acting. The screenwriter is Seki Erika, and this was adapted from Park Ji-eun's original work for the Kdrama, My Love From Another Star, which was released in 2013. Ms Park is also screenwriter for Legend of the Blue Sea-7.2 and Crash Landing On You-9.1. Good stuff. The director is Matsuki Tsukuru, whose most popular piece is the film, Rika: Self-Proclaimed 28 Years Old's Pure Love Monster. Ima plan to watch that. I love the title.
Actresses' lives are loaded with drama. Sota, though he doesn't know why, helps Tsubaki out of a scrape. Then he helps her with another. Now, it's a habit. A rival ends up dead… It looks like a suicide, but the police get involved. Tsubaki is the top suspect. Soon the police are wondering: Who is this strange man appearing and disappearing on the surveillance footage? As part of the investigation, they've examined all the relevant footage. The most suspicious thing they've seen is Sota, because they see him, then they don't see him, and then he appears somewhere else.
A drawback to love is that Sota is allergic to human blood and saliva. Another trifle Is that his ship, after 400 years, is returning with the comet in 3 months. He's headed back home. He's allergic to human blood & saliva, but they make no mention of sweat… it's not optimal, but I think we can work with that. In the anime Fruits Basket, the “men” will transform if a human girl merely hugs them. There's no making that work.
Another obstacle is that he's not very social. “Don't give. Don't receive. And don't expect. That way, you'll never be let down,” he muses. She doesn't understand that philosophy. “Isn't that kind of lonely?” She may not be a good student at school, but she's a better student of life than he. Another roadblock to love is her attitude. “I understand why other people turn away from you. You're simplistic and impulsive.” He forgot to mention that she is fairly self-involved, as well. Unfortunately (or not) for him, his argument is logical but his heart has already boarded and strapped in for the ride.
This is a simple show meant for turning off the brain and relaxing. It is nicely done for that effect, but such simplicity does lower the degree of difficulty, and thus the top score. It also has its outright shortcomings. They're sloppy with the rules that govern his existence. Human blood and saliva make him sick, but he, otherwise, seems completely human. Springing new ideas and developments on the viewer without laying down sufficient hints, foreshadowing, or other elements that constitute good filmmaking is something they rely on. The effect is that it seems like they are making some of it up as they go. It's not a show where nitpicking will make a difference, as there's little mental exertion required to watch and enjoy. Thinking will actually ruin it. Turn off your brain for this one. Just don't look for thoroughness, clarity, or explanations.
The fun factor outshines any problems. Some of the fashion is wonderful and some is weird. Her jewelry is snazzy. There's an excellent sort of frozen kiss in one of the later episodes. She makes an allusion to Hunter X Hunter, my absolute favorite anime, so I appreciated the show from that point on.
Will these 2 reach the point where they soar? Or will they crash to earth? Sota is a natural problem solver, and he's decided the 30th floor is close enough to heaven (and the heavens) for him. He's lost enough, and he refuses to lose Tsubaki or anything else. He's going to iron out this warped drive.
In order of ~lite&trite~ to ~heavy&serious~ you may also like:
Modern Day:
Mad For Each Other 7.8 ~silly fun;
My Secret Romance 7 (if you ff thru overdone flashbacks);
A Witch's Love 7.8;
Love to Hate You 8.9;
Her Private Life 8;
Touch your heart 8.2;
Romance is a bonus book 7.9;
Boys Over Flowers 8 ~ melodrama to the max;
Crash Landing On You 9.1;
Oh My Ghost 10;
It's Okay Not To Be Okay 9;
Love Struck in the City 7.3;
Hospital Playlist 9;
My Mister 9.5;
More Than Friends 8;
I'll See You When the Weather is Fine 9;
Something in the Rain 9
〰🖍 IMHO
📣7 📝6 🎭7.5 💓6.5 🦋5 🌞5 🎨6.3 ⚡4.9 🎵/🔊6 😅4 😭3 😱3 😯3 😖2.5 🤔2 💤0 🔚7
Age 12+ PG language; A pregnant woman dies and the police must investigate whether it's suicide or murder along with other violence
Re-📺? Who knows? I have no strong feelings about it. I do want to see the Kdrama, which is immensely popular. I'm still working through the Prime, Hulu, and Netflix inventory before taking the Viki premium plunge. We're talking months until that happens, not years. I've already got my watchlist stacked up.
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My love from the star, avec l'esprit de synthèse japonais (et Fukushi Sota :)
Ayant déjà vu plusieurs versions tirées de cette histoire (coréenne, thaï, philippine, etc.), j'ai regardé ce drama pour 2 raisons :1/ Je suis fan de Fukushi Sota (qui assure complètement dans ce rôle, comme d'habitude).
2/ J'étais curieuse de voir comment les japonais pourraient raconter une story de 16h en 10 fois 35 minutes, sans en perdre l'essence.
eh bien, ils l'ont fait !
Évidemment, ce drama n'est pas aussi détaillé que la version coréenne :
- Certains arcs narratifs sont totalement zappés, des personnages n'existant plus (les parents des 2 frères, par exemple), des scènes cultes ont disparu (apparition du ML sur le tapis rouge dans les scènes finales).
- mais les longueurs ont aussi disparu et l'esprit du drama est conservé.
J'avoue que si Fukushi Sota est parvenu à estomper l'image culte de Kim Soo Hyun, je suis beaucoup moins convaincue par la FL (et je ne parle pas de son designer, car ses tenues ne sont pas à la hauteur d'une star de cinéma).
Je suis néanmoins contente d'avoir regardé cette série, que j'ai globalement bien appréciée.
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