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Sequel may be in the stars

March 3, 2014

News about Man From Another Star has China excited

The sci-fi drama, which stars Jun Ji-hyun and Kim Soo-hyun, is the story of a romance between an alien and an actress. (Newsis)

A poster of Man From Another Star

Man From Another Star

By The Korea Times Los Angeles staff

A sequel may be in the stars for Korea’s favorite drama of the 2014 winter season, as its popularity spreads to Chinese audiences.

Man From Another Star rocked viewers’ ratings in Korea, recording a nationwide average of 24 percent viewership during its 21-episode run.

Jang Tae-yoo, the show’s producer, said on SBS’s Good Morning that a sequel was possible, although it remains unclear whether the two lead actors, Kim Soo-hyun and Jun Ji-hyun, will return.

The show follows the love story between an eccentric actress named Chun Song-yi (Jun) and a mysterious alien called Do Min-jun (Kim) who has been living in Korea for 400 years.

Because Do has lived through many eras, it may even be that Chun isn’t his first love, Jang said. He said the possibility is open for a storyline for Do through the Joseon dynasty, the Japanese colonial period, or in the 1970s.

Meanwhile in China, Star is brewing up the kind of popularity previously experienced by hallyu sensations like Winter Sonata and Jewel in the Palace. From new tourist packages with stops in the drama’s filming locations in Seoul and Gangwon Province to fashion items worn by Jeon — a winter coat by ShesMiss, or Yves-Saint Laurent’s No. 52 lipstick, for two — selling out in days, the response has been astronomical.

“My Love from the Star” has created a “chimaek” (eating chicken and drinking beer) craze in China. (Korea Times file)

Man From Another Star has created a “chimaek” (eating chicken and drinking beer) craze in China. (Korea Times file)

One of the most-discussed topics on Weibo, China’s micro-blogging site, is “chimaek,” the Korean term for eating fried chicken while drinking beer. More than 3.7 million posts have been made about chimaek there, according to a Chinese entertainment newspaper.

In addition, a nine-minute special about the drama that aired on Chinese state CCTV television noted that four out of five search words on Weibo and Baidu are related to the drama.

Both Jun and Kim are beloved faces in Korea. Jun became a beauty icon through the 2000s with her winning role in the rom-com film My Sassy Girl, and Kim became a household name after appearing in 2012′s The Moon That Embraces the Sun.