My picks for entertainment ~ suggested movies, TV shows, music, and books ~ so you can enjoy some quality ME time! (ATTN Korean drama addicts! This blog has lots of K-drama love.)
The keyword for "My Love From the Star" is "destiny".
This classic Korean drama, released in 2013, is about Do Min‑Joon (played by Kim Soo-Hyun, “The Moon Embracing the Sun”, “Queen of Tears”), a centuries‑old alien living secretly on Earth. He is just months away from returning to his home planet when his quiet, carefully controlled existence is upended by Cheon Song‑Yi (played by Gianna Jun, “The Legend of the Blue Sea”), a glamorous actress whose chaotic life keeps pulling him closer. Their "connection" is rooted in a girl he once failed to save in the Joseon Era.
When Cheon Song‑Yi crosses his path in modern-day Seoul, it forces him to confront emotions he has avoided for 400 years. His interactions with the snobby actress are further complicated by the people in her life who get tangled up in his quiet life.
a best friend who is really not a friend,
a close friend who insists he's her boyfriend, and
the brother of the alleged boyfriend who is murderous and ruthless.
Complications involving Song‑Yi’s "circle of friends(?)" threaten to expose the alien's true identity.
As Do Min‑Joon struggles between duty and desire, "My Love From the Star" unfolds as a modern tale of star‑crossed lovers—destined to meet yet destined to suffer.
The series remains beloved not only for its cosmic romance but also for its compelling characters, sharp humor, and, as of 2026, the real‑world resilience of actor Kim Soo‑Hyun, who overcame damaging AI‑generated allegations before returning to the screen.
"Queen
for Seven Days" is a Korean drama series released in 2017, with 20
episodes, categorized as Romance, historical period, sageuk, costume
and period; and streaming on Viki. It is based on a true Joseon
queen who only lasted on the throne for literally 7 days.
SUMMARY:
A dramatization of the life of Queen Dangyeong. TRUE STORY: Shin
Chae-kyung became Queen Dangyeong. She married Grand Prince Jinseong.
In 1506, when Prince Jinseong ascended to the throne, he became King
Jungjong and Shin Chae-kyung became the queen. Just seven days later,
she was deposed and expelled from the palace. Her father, Shin
Su-geun, was implicated in a coup against King Jungjong, which led to
her deposition. She remained deposed until her death in 1557. Her
title was posthumously restored, i.e. she was honored with the title
of Queen after her death.
♦
Based
on the True Story of Queen Dangyeong
In “Queen for Seven
Days”, Shin Chae-kyung is the daughter of the king's most
trusted official. That official is also a relative of the queen and
is well-connected in many ways. Even so, he did his best to hide his
daughter in the countryside and she doesn't know why. She thinks her
parents are ashamed of her. However, her parents were told a
prophecy. If their daughter married into the royal family, there
would be a bloodbath. Her mother and father believed that.
(Although, truth be told, during the Joseon Era, weren't there always
bloodbaths in the royal family?) Nevertheless, Shin Chae-kyung
overheard servants talking and saw that an important document was
supposed to be delivered to her father. She stole the document,
dressed up like a young boy, and traveled from the countryside to
Hangyang to visit her family's home. It would be a surprise!
Surprise? More like a SHOCK!
Before she finally
reached her home, she had a few misadventures.
First,
she accidentally met Grand
Prince Jinseong,
the boy who would become her husband and would also become the king and she would be his queen. Having never been to Hangyang or the palace, she was clueless and thought he was just a rude child of a nobleman who acted like a gangster.
Second, that important document that she was carrying to give to her father was stolen by a pickpocket. She wrongfully accused the grand prince of stealing it.
That misunderstanding led to more misunderstandings.
Third,
she thought she was chasing after the grand prince but crossed paths with the current king, the older brother of the grand prince instead. Once again, she was clueless, not realizing that she was interacting with her future brother-in-law.
By the time she finally
reached her home, her mother and father were meeting with the royal
family, discussing her marriage to the grand prince. She was
standing outside the door and could hear her parents making all kinds
of excuses
about why she was not a suitable match. The grand prince noticed
that someone was eavesdropping and when he pushed the door open, she
fell down. Her parents were shocked and yelled out her name in the
form of a question. “Chae-kyung????“ It was their turn
to be clueless. What
was their daughter doing in Hangyang? That was their question. Her
question was why were her parents saying such terrible things about
her? She was a suitable match for the grand prince and she was
going to prove it!
Shin Chae-kyung had no
idea about the prophecy. She also had no idea that the document she
was bringing to her father was the “secret order” of the late
king. It was that king's will that the grand prince ascend to the
throne. Grand Prince Jinseong was also clueless about these matters.
They were both innocents who had unintentionally walked directly
into a fire, a hotbed of treachery and treason, and a bloodbath. They
would eventually marry but Shin Chae-kyung would not survive?
If only that young innocent girl had remained hidden in the countryside and/or her parents had told her about the prophecy.
More importantly, if only the Joseon noblemen, government and court officials, and the royal family didn't always engage in politics based on treachery and treason!
Would
her history have been different? We
will never know.
Park
Min Young has had a loyal following
ever since “Healer”
but “Marry
My Huband” made her even more popular. Fans may want to visit or revisit some of her earlier work like “Queen for Seven
Days”.
Interior
Chinatown is a hilarious Hulu Original series, with 10 episodes,
adapted from a 2020
award-winning novel by Charles Yu; released November 19, 2024.
"Feel
like I'm a background character in someone else's story." - Willis
Wu
This
series pokes fun at Hollywood's stereotypes of Asians while making
you laugh and also get involved with the main character, Willis Wu,
who has always thought that nothing significant or important ever
happens in his life. Then a female detective asks for his help in
solving a crime and in the process, he learns things about his own
family that he never knew.
If
you liked Jimmy O. Yang as a stand-up comedian, you'll probably be
happy that he got the opportunity to spread his wings. Getting the
lead role in “Interior Chinatown” is definitely something
significant and important in his life. In an interview with The
Wrap, Yang indicated the his character was very much like him in that
he had similar experiences early in his career where he felt
invisible or not represented. (Interior
Chinatown: Jimmy O. Yang Talks Stepping Into Lead Role |The Wrap)
The
reviews on this Hulu Original series are mixed.
It figures. Asian-Americans rarely speak out about the racism and
discrimination they experience. So
when a TV show gets released pointing it out and poking fun at the
unfairness and inequality, and it's very IN YOUR FACE, that might
strike a nerve with some people. Me? I like Jimmy O. Yang and am happy for this major step he has taken with his career. All of the
actors in “Interior Chinatown” were an impressive cast.
FILMING
LOCATIONS: Filmed mainly in
Los Angeles, California (on-location shoots and studio spaces,
including the Fox Studio Lot and Universal Studios Lot). Certain
scenes were in the actual Chinatown neighborhood in Los Angeles.
Treathyl Fox aka Cmoneyspinner – Home Business Entrepreneur. Think. Dream. Focus. Believe in yourself? Hire yourself! Be your own boss! Do it! Self-employed and loving it! ♦ DISCLOSURE: In compliance with FTC rules and guidelines, be advised that some links shared via this websites might contain affiliate referral links which means commissions might be earned if product sales resulted from your click-through to the vendor’s website.
♦
DIDN'T FIND WHAT YOU WERE LOOKING FOR? SEARCH THE ENTIRE WEB
