Comparing American TV shows with K-dramas could be like comparing apples and oranges. But this week a new American show has taken on the subject of a human-alien romance, the same subject that is at the core of the hit k-drama "You Who Came From The Stars."
How do they compare? Obviously, one show is wrapping up and another just beginning but there are some similarities as well as obvious differences.
"You Who Came From The Stars" is a ratings hit, starring Kim Soo Hyun and Jun Ji Hyun. It's about an alien who landed on earth and managed to live quietly among humans for 400 years. His stay is a success until he falls in love and risks not only exposure but also his life. Both of these characters are adults, although Jun Ji Hyun's character does have her childish side. Because he is one of a kind, Jun Ji Hyun takes a long time to accept that he is an alien or that aliens even exist.
In "Star Crossed," a race known as the Atrians crashes on earth in such a dramatic way that they cannot escape detection. Although they look like humans, they are hunted and put in internment camps. Eventually a group of teen aliens are allowed to integrate a human high school and that's where the alien boy played by Matt Lanter meets the human girl played by Aimee Teegarden. The aliens, distinguishable by their tattoo-like markings, would have a hard time keeping their identity a secret. They are treated like second-class citizens; in fact they are not considered citizens at all. So love between the species is forbidden. Both main characters are teens and must contend with their families' prejudices and history.
Like Kim Soo Hyun's character, the Atrians are careful to keep their powers hidden for fear that they might be exploited. They don't have to worry about being exposed but they do have a chip on their shoulder from being treated badly.
Now that Kim Soo Hyun's character has been exposed, he may no longer be able to remain among humans or something similar could happen to him.
While the stories differ, they both borrow a page from "Twilight" or even "Romeo and Juliet" in that they concern two people from very different backgrounds who fall in love. That love must overcome serious obstacles to survive. While Jun Ji Hyun and Kim Soo Hyun have been able to date without detection until now, that time is over, and he has other life-threatening issues to face.
And whether the story is about 400-year-old aliens, new aliens, vampires or merely young lovers from rival families, the real story they share is what human and even non-human creatures will do for love.
Have you seen both shows? How do you think they compare?
