Super natural

Fans of the most talked-about South Korean drama in town, My Love From The Star, are basking in the bittersweet ending of the series' star-crossed lovers - alien professor Do Min Joon (actor Kim Soo Hyun) and his neighbour, the sassy A-list actress Chun Song Yi (actress Gianna Jun).

The finale of the 21-episode series was aired on Korean entertainment channel One on Wednesday night.

One of the channel's top-rated dramas in the past 12 months, it ended its run on a high at 29.6 per cent in South Korea last month, slightly below its peak ratings of 29.9 per cent scored during the 18th episode.

The phenomenally successful drama has attracted a loyal regional following. Fans were kept guessing on how the alien-human couple would continue their romance as both counted down to Do's inevitable return to his home planet.

Fans that Life! spoke to have mixed reactions but are generally satisfied with the happy middle ground screenwriter Park Ji Eun penned for the ending: Extra-terrestrial boyfriend Do gets sucked into a wormhole, a space portal that later serves as an expressway to earth, and he gets to return to see Chun for a period of time at each go.

Ms Joycelyn Poh, 26, who works in the health-care industry, says: "I was hoping that there would be a way for Do to stay on and survive. But that would have been too far-fetched as it was said he couldn't live much longer on earth.

"If the scriptwriter made it such that Do could suddenly survive, it wouldn't have been believable. I think it's a pretty good ending - at least he can return to Chun's side."

Miss Fu Qiaohan, an 18-year-old student, says: "I don't exactly love it. Then again, I can't think of a better ending for the whole series without it being illogically happy or sad."

There is also the unfinished business that fans wanted taken care of: In one of the later episodes, the couple had talked about having kids and Do revealed that he wanted seven.

Avid fan and model Teddy Zeng, 27, who described the wait for each new episode as "miserable", says: "I was interested to find out how the couple were going to have kids, since Do got so ill just by kissing Chun."

Do, who arrived on earth 400 years ago and missed his ride back to his home planet then, is allergic to human saliva and passes out whenever he comes in contact with it.

For now, the number of children the couple will have remains a mystery.

But to satisfy fans' craving for more lovey-dovey action, the production team created an additional short clip showing Do and Chun moving into a house and enjoying sweet moments together.

The clip which was posted on Seoul Broadcasting System's (SBS) official website on March 4 was later reposted by delighted fans on third-party websites to spread the joy with fellow fans.

Miss Fu says: "What's not to like about the drama when you have a hilarious heroine and a handsome alien that doesn't age, has super powers and loves only the female lead?"

The pair's unconventional love story kept audiences hooked, but there were other elements that contributed to the drama's popularity in Asia. Lawyer Joel Yap, 27, who made time to watch the series despite his hectic schedule, says: "The romance is the core plot of the show, but it has suspense with an ongoing murder case. The story is so unpredictable that it could have gone many ways.

"My female friends are into Chun's fashion. Jun is hilarious to watch, it feels like the role of Chun was made for her," he says of the actress who shot to fame in the romantic comedy flick My Sassy Girl (2001).

This was her first television role in 14 years since she had been focused on making movies, such as The Berlin File (2013) and The Thieves (2012).

Indeed, Chun has unleashed a craze for the lipsticks she wears on the show, as well as cravings for her favourite snack - fried chicken and beer (see other story).

Even local actress Michelle Chong has been bitten by the Chun Song Yi bug: She recently posted a photo on Instagram of herself as her alter ego Chinese KTV girl Lulu, applying lip gloss.

The tongue-in-cheek caption read: "Actually Lulu and Chun Song Yi have the same lip colour."

On Jun's appeal, Professor Shim Doobo, from the Department of Media Communications at Sungshin Women's University in Seoul, says: "She was a star of the mega popular film My Sassy Girl, which is arguably the most popular Korean film ever in China. She already has the star power and audiences around Asia have retained a certain form of love and nostalgia for her."

"With a height of 1.73m, she can wear any kind of dress flawlessly. She's a unique actress. While she is beautiful, she also shows her playful and foolish characteristics naturally," adds Dr Shim, who has studied the effects of the Korean wave in South-east Asia.

Lead actor Kim, 26, has also seen his popularity skyrocket. He reportedly pocketed 3 million yuan (S$612,600) for the filming of Jiangsu Satellite TV's variety show The Brain on March 8.

In Taiwan, fans snapped up all 4,000 tickets to his fan meet on Feb 14 within 30 minutes, reported K-pop site Mwave.

Kim will be in Singapore on April 27 as part of his 2014 First Memories Asian tour, which will also take him to Shanghai, Bangkok, Jakarta and Japan.

Tickets went on sale on Tuesday, and the top two categories of tickets, which cost $238 and $188, sold out within hours.

Before taking on the role of Do, he had starring roles in the hit period series The Moon Embracing The Sun (2012) and teen drama Dream High (2011).

There has been no news on what projects Kim and Jun, 32, will next work on. However, fans can look forward to seeing them working together for an endorsement deal that they recently signed with Korean electronics giant Samsung, as reported by K-pop news site allkpop.

The popularity of My Love From The Star is certainly far-reaching: The Washington Post reported earlier this month that it had become a topic of discussion at a government meeting in China, with officials wondering how to replicate its success in China's own television productions.

Dr Shim sums up the appeal of the hit series: "The story line is not heavy and serious. Instead, it is light.

"Today's audiences are fed up with the stress of the everyday. What they want is a soothing consolation. The drama provides the very basic elements of the happiness, which are laughter and love."Five things fans love about the series

1 Chun Song Yi's style

In sickness and in health, a top star such as Chun Song Yi has to look good. In episode three, acute tummy pain did not stop the vain actress from putting on a full face of make-up and dressing up before heading to the hospital's emergency room.

Throughout the series, the 1.73m-tall actress Gianna Jun, who plays Chun, struts around in the latest designer looks from top fashion brands.

She wears Gucci to sleep, Chanel to lounge around the house, Celine to attend a lecture at university and Dolce & Gabbana to return a kimchi container to love interest and neighbour Do Min Joo, played by Kim Soo Hyun.

Her to-die-for wardrobe has thrilled fashionista fans and there are blogs dedicated to chronicling her outfits in every episode.

Even the lipsticks she wears - ranging from bright pink to orange - have sold out in South Korea, China and Singapore.

For example, the Yves Saint Laurent coral pink lipstick (Rouge Pur Couture Shade No. 52) has a waiting list numbering in the thousands, according to a brand spokesman here. Close to 1,000 tubes have been sold here since the drama started airing in South Korea last December.

On eBay, it is going for over US$100 (S$127) - it usually retails for $48 here.

Korean beauty brand Laneige has also seen its #YR25 Neon Orange shade from its new Serum Intense Lipstick range fly off the shelves. Good news for fans - the $34 lipstick is still available.

Accountant Jennifer Huang, 27, is a fan of Chun's style on the show. "It's hard to pick my favourite outfit, she looks good in all of them. I really like her Gucci striped top and print pants.

"She has an edgy style that is wearable for every day. I'm inspired to try out her style. I'm also tempted to buy her lipstick shade and want to know what foundation she wears. Her skin looks flawless."

2 "Sawrrry" is the funniest word

Comedy is Jun's forte, in spite of her ice queen appearance. The starlet left an indelible impression on audiences in the hit comedy My Sassy Girl (2001) with her role as the domineering girlfriend with erratic moods and violent tendencies.

As diva actress Chun (above), she hams it up for the camera with her antics (getting stuck in a sleeping bag) and her affected American-accented English pet phrases ("Oops, sawrrry").

Mr Teddy Zeng, 27, a Singaporean model based in Taiwan, says: "I remember her from My Sassy Girl. She was really funny. Here, as Chun, her acting is natural and her bimbo self is endearing. And I love the way she says, 'Oops, sawrrry'."

Fans who cannot get enough of Chun's trademark phrases have downloaded Chun Song Yi-themed stickers from smartphone chat app Line. The stickers feature Chun in scenes from the drama, such as her taking a selfie with a cup of mocha or with speech bubbles of her spouting phrases such as "sorry" and "excuse me".

A spokesman from Line, which is owned by South Korean company Naver, says: "The stickers have received lots of love. There has been an explosive response from users in Singapore and other Asian places including China, Hong Kong and the Philippines, recording high download figures."

3 Do Min Joon, the devoted alien boyfriend with supernatural powers

The upside of dating an alien is that his superhuman powers come in handy in all kinds of situations.

Leading man Do can help one win a card game by stopping time and changing the cards to his advantage. He can also get one out of life-threatening situations.

Student Fu Qiaohan, 18, says: "I especially liked the Clark Kent Superman-type scene, where Do stops Chun Song Yi's car from driving off the cliff (above)."

Even male fans can see the appeal of such a boyfriend. Lawyer Joel Yap, 27, says: "I think Do's superhuman powers makes the show more romantic. The guy is able to do what a normal guy is not able to."

The extra-terrestrial also has a human side that endears him to the audience. Fans say they look forward to the epilogues after each episode that revealed the aloof Do's true feelings for Chun, which is a contrast to what he does in that episode.

Ms Joycelyn Poh, 26, says one of her favourite epilogues was when the usually confident Do gets cold feet and backs out of proposing to Chun in the 18th episode. They are about to set off on a date and Do asks Chun to open the car boot. She is expecting to find a surprise inside, but finds only a brush.

The epilogue later reveals that Do got nervous and, just as Chun was about to open the boot, stopped time so that he could remove the surprise - the celebratory balloons he had placed in it.

Ms Poh, who works in the health-care industry, says: "He's really cool and hides his feelings. I like the clips at the end of each episode that show his true feelings. It's a hilarious contrast to his cool self."

4 Beer and chicken snack

The character Chun is on a constant diet but can never say no to fried chicken (above) and beer.

Throughout the drama, she is seen indulging in her favourite combination, after revealing in one episode that she loves eating "chimaek" - a combination of the words chicken and "maekjoo" (beer in Korean) - when it snows.

Dietitian Firyn Lee, 25, says: "I've always loved my fried chicken and beer even before watching the drama. But watching Chun eat the fried chicken made me crave it."

She is not the only one. According to Ms Shin Seon Do, 30, co-director of Kko Kko Nara Fried Chicken at Tanjong Pagar, the Korean fried chicken restaurant has seen a 20 per cent increase in takeout orders since the drama started airing in December. She says: "Singapore customers don't really know about Koreans eating fried chicken with beer.

"But since My Love From The Star started airing, we have customers asking for what the leads are eating - fried chicken and beer. The women customers talk about male lead Do and the men talk about Chun."

5 Fifteen-second seduction and kiss

In episode eight, self-professed femme fatale Chun is baffled by alien professor Do's apparent indifference to her charms.

She declares to him, "All men go crazy for me" and "I mesmerise people within 15 seconds of the commercial".

Exasperated, she challenges him to withstand her 15-second seduction routine.

What follows is a hilarious showcase of her range of facial expressions. Against a ticking timer, she goes from sultry to coquettish to lovelorn puppy.

Netizens went ga-ga over the seduction scene, leaving comments such as "My heart was beating along with those ticking 15 seconds" and "That was the longest 15 seconds of my life! But weeee! They love each other!"

Indeed, the aloof Do succumbs and kisses her, and subsequently passes out because he is allergic to human saliva.

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