Mixing K-drama, sci-fi, and a massive 50 billion won budget might sound like a formula for success, but When the Stars Gossip proves otherwise. Starring Lee Min-ho and Gong Hyo-jin, the series attempts to weave space adventure with romance and intrigue but ultimately feels disjointed and misguided.
From the start, it was clear this show wasn’t going to be serious sci-fi. Directed by rom-com specialist Shin Sook-hyang, the story prioritizes drama and relationships over scientific depth. Sci-fi, at its core, relies on ideas, but here, space feels like a decorative backdrop rather than an integral element of the story.
By episode nine, the series abandons its space setting as astronaut Eve Kim (Gong Hyo-jin), space tourist Gong Ryong (Lee Min-ho), and their reluctant ally Park Dong-ah (Kim Joo-hun) crash-land back on Earth. What remains is a messy mix of romance, deception, and melodrama. The sci-fi elements fade into the background, leaving a formulaic love triangle and exaggerated side characters.
Despite being engaged to corporate heiress Choi Go-eun (Han Ji-eun), Ryong embarks on a zero-gravity affair with Eve, who herself is entangled in a dysfunctional relationship with Dong-ah, who has been secretly involved with Space Centre director Kang Tae-hee (Lee El). The characters deceive not only their partners but also each other. Ryong’s secret mission—smuggling an embryo into space to fertilize a wealthy heiress’s egg using her deceased husband’s sperm—adds another layer of absurdity.
The show borrows heavily from Interstellar, Gravity, and The Martian, but lacks the scientific curiosity and narrative strength that made those films compelling. Even its soundtrack seems heavily inspired by Hans Zimmer’s iconic scores. This tendency to imitate rather than innovate has been a persistent issue in Korean sci-fi, seen previously in the box office failure of The Moon.
Science fiction thrives on a balance between science and storytelling, a balance often achieved by visionary creators like Arthur C. Clarke, Isaac Asimov, and Andy Weir. While Korean cinema has produced sci-fi gems, such as Bong Joon-ho’s Snowpiercer, When the Stars Gossip falls short. With only a few episodes left, one lingering question remains: when will they stop?
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