Television series
My Love from the Star
A cynical alien stranded on Earth for four centuries falls for a vain actress in modern Seoul. *My Love from the Star* is a fizzy romantic comedy with genuine stakes—the sci-fi premise isn't window dressing, it's the engine of the emotional conflict. Charming, funny, occasionally thrilling, designed for anyone who likes their romance with a little supernatural distance and a lot of chemistry.
Should you watch it?
Watch it if you enjoy a romance with a sci-fi wink, where the fun comes from the sparring between a cynical alien and a sharp-tongued, famous actress who gives as good as she gets.
Skip it if you need a lean thriller, since the sci-fi stays in the background while the story lingers on melodrama, misunderstandings and a runtime that stretches across 21 episodes.
What it asks of you: Twenty-one episodes of roughly seventy minutes each make this a commitment, and its tone swings from sharp banter to sudden tenderness.
Not sure? Find tonight's pick in a minute.
If you liked this
Crash Landing on You2019
A South Korean heiress falls for a North Korean army officer after literally crashing into his life. Same warmth, chemistry, and blend of comedy with real danger. The rom-com scaffolding is identical but executed with such charm you won't care.
But It's a very slow burn across 16 episodes. If you need plot momentum over character time, you'll find stretches where nothing much happens.
Goblin Slayer2018
A goblin cursed to live forever meets a grim reaper and a girl who can see ghosts. Shares the impossible romance and the ache of immortality meeting mortality. Gorgeously shot with genuine emotional weight beneath the fantasy.
But Darker in tone than *My Love from the Star*, and the mythological framework demands patience. Some viewers find it precious rather than poignant.
What's Wrong with Secretary Kim2018
A perfectionist CEO and his indispensable secretary finally acknowledge their chemistry. Lighter and snappier than *My Love from the Star*, but with that same pleasure in watching two people circle each other before the inevitable surrender.
But The humor is broad and sometimes relies on physical comedy that can feel dated. If you prefer subtlety, the comedy register may jar.
Not sure tonight? Get a pick in a minute, starting from My Love from the Star
The wildcard
Something you would not have found on your own.
The Midnight Library
Both explore what it means to watch centuries of human life unfold—one from the outside looking in, one from the inside looking back. The longing is the same; the perspective is reversed.
A woman on the brink of death gets to live alternate versions of her life, each one showing what she sacrificed for her choices. Like *My Love from the Star*, it's about immortals grappling with what it means to be fixed in time while the world moves on. But here the immortality is temporary and the alien becomes human—the emotional registers are inverted.
But It's British and sentimental in a way that can feel claustrophobic if you're not in the mood. Some viewers find the magical realism soft and unconvincing.
More like this (7)
The Empress of China2014
A woman navigates the Forbidden City with cunning and ambition while falling for an emperor. Epic in scope with genuine political intrigue. If you loved the tension between Do Min Joon's ancient worldliness and Song Yi's modernity, this explores that time-clash idea at much greater length.
But It's 70 episodes across two seasons. The pacing can feel glacial, and you'll spend a lot of time on court intrigue that doesn't always land dramatically.
Descendants of the Sun2016
A soldier and a surgeon fall in love in a war zone. Same leads-with-chemistry formula, but grounded in real danger and moral complexity. The action feels consequential rather than decorative.
But Tonal shifts between romance and combat can feel jarring. Some viewers find the balance heavy-handed, pivoting between comedy and tragedy without a graceful middle.
It's Okay to Not Be Okay2020
A con-artist romance writer meets a sensitive psychiatric nurse. Visually inventive, psychologically complex, with chemistry that crackles precisely because both characters are broken in different ways. Surprising emotional depth.
But The narrative can feel disjointed; it's more interested in mood and character than plot coherence. If you need a driving story engine, you may find yourself lost.
Business Proposal2022
A woman goes undercover to stop her company's arranged marriage scheme and falls for the CEO instead. Fluffy and fun with good pacing. Returns to the *My Love from the Star* formula of witty banter and genuine affection without the sci-fi complication.
But Deliberately lightweight—there's no thematic depth or real stakes. If you want substance alongside your romance, you'll find it thin.
Legend2015
A reincarnation romance spanning dynasties. Scratches the same itch for impossible love across time, with lavish production design and genuinely moving moments. The premise gives weight to every scene.
But Suffers from inconsistent pacing and some plot threads that feel abandoned. The reincarnation logic can strain credibility even in a show explicitly about reincarnation.
Strong Woman Do Bong Soon2017
A woman with supernatural strength falls for a CEO. Playful, energetic, with real chemistry and a premise that inverts the power dynamic you'd expect. Shorter than most K-dramas at just 16 episodes, so it moves.
But The thriller elements—there's a serial killer subplot—are handled unevenly, tonal whiplash between comedy and violence. The secondary romance is genuinely annoying to watch.
About Time2013
Both feature men with god-like abilities who realize their power means nothing against time's fundamental cruelty. The science-fiction premise isn't the point; it's a lens for looking at love and loss.
A man who can time-travel uses his gift to improve his love life, then realizes time-travel can't solve the real problem: time itself. Shares the DNA with *My Love from the Star*—a supernatural power that should solve everything becomes proof that it can't. Tender, funny, genuinely moving about mortality and family. Unfolds with real grace.
But It's melancholic beneath the rom-com surface, and the second half shifts away from romance entirely. If you want fantastical escapism, the emotional honesty will feel heavy.
People
Cast
Recommended by
Crash Landing on You, Strong Woman Do Bong Soon, My ID Is Gangnam Beauty, Saimdang, Light's Diary, 100 Days My Prince, Guardian: The Lonely and Great God, The King: Eternal Monarch, The Legend of the Blue Sea, Nodame Cantabile, Twenty-Five Twenty-One, Kill Me, Heal Me, Something in the Rain, Twenty Again, Love in the Moonlight, Dazzling, Splash Splash Love, 20th Century Girl, Jealousy Incarnate, Summer Scent, A Gentleman's Dignity, Heartstrings, She Was Pretty, Take Charge of My Heart, The Time We Were Not in Love, Extraordinary You, Personal Taste, Oh My Venus, Angel Eyes, High Society, Winter Sonata, Stairway to Heaven, A Thousand Kisses, Fated to Love You, Just You, Tokusatsu Gagaga, Witch Yoo Hee, The Beauty Inside, Lovely Horribly, In Time with You, Gogh, The Starry Night, Secret Love, Uncontrollably Fond, Hana Kimi, A Love Other Than Yours