When The Stars Gossip brings together a high-profile cast led by Lee Min-Ho and Gong Hyo-Jin in a show that aims to blend romance, drama, and science fiction. Directed by Park Shin-woo and written by Seo Sook-hyang, this series is ambitious in its premise, though not nearly as successful in its execution.
The show offers a blend of humour, emotional stakes, and a sci-fi setting, but in trying to do too much, it fails to deliver something truly engaging or memorable.
The story revolves around Dr. Gong Ryong, played by Lee Min-Ho, a gynaecologist who finds himself a space tourist on a South Korean space mission. His interaction with Commander Eve Kim, portrayed by Gong Hyo-Jin, begins with tension but gradually evolves into a romantic entanglement.
Ryong, who starts off as a somewhat clumsy, well-meaning character, ends up entangled in a pregnancy situation aboard the space station-one that hasn't been explored before in space. As Eve faces complications with her pregnancy in zero gravity, Ryong is forced to make increasingly difficult choices. The narrative offers potential for drama, yet it never fully taps into the emotional depth it sets up.
The central issue with When The Stars Gossip is its inability to make the audience care about its characters or their plights. Despite a plot that revolves around life-and-death decisions in outer space, the emotional stakes feel unearned.
Lee Min-Ho's portrayal of Ryong is more or less one-note, attempting to be charming but coming off as one-dimensional. His character lacks any real growth, and his chemistry with Gong Hyo-Jin feels forced. Gong Hyo-Jin herself, while competent as Eve, doesn't quite deliver the depth the character calls for. The premise might set up for moments of heartfelt drama, but the performances and writing fail to support this.
The supporting cast, including Han Ji-eun as the chaebol heiress Go-Eun and Oh Jung-se as the eccentric scientist Kang-su, are given limited screen time and even less room to develop. The secondary storylines, which should offer some levity or intrigue, instead feel tacked on and contribute little to the overall narrative. Their inclusion seems to be there to pad out a plot that doesn't know where it's going. These characters, like the romance between Ryong and Eve, are ultimately underdeveloped.
One of the biggest flaws of When The Stars Gossip lies in its visual execution. The space station and zero-gravity sequences, which could have been its most striking aspect, are laughably bad. The VFX are inconsistent and, at times, downright distracting. In a high-budget show like this, where the setting itself could offer a sense of grandeur and awe, it instead delivers a jarring lack of realism that takes viewers out of the experience.
It's a missed opportunity to ground the fantastical premise in something visually stunning, and the cheapness of the graphics makes it harder to buy into the high-stakes drama unfolding.
As for the soundtrack, it does little to elevate the story. While it doesn't detract from the narrative, it also fails to make a lasting impression, a rarity for a K-drama where the OSTs often become iconic.
When The Stars Gossip feels like it's trying to hit all the right notes - a quirky romance, a thrilling sci-fi backdrop, some melodrama - but it ends up being a hollow imitation of better works.
The narrative struggles with pacing, dragging at times when it should be heightening tension, and rushing through emotional beats that would have benefitted from more careful development.
The love story, which is supposed to be the driving force, falls flat. Ryong and Eve's connection feels undercut by the superficiality of their interactions, and their relationship, while supposed to be emotionally charged, never hits its mark.
Ultimately, When The Stars Gossip is a series that suffers from over-ambition and under-delivery. What could have been a fresh take on romance and sci-fi is instead a mishmash of cliched tropes, stiff performances, and lacklustre visuals.
The potential for an engaging, emotionally powerful drama set in space is squandered in favour of trying to cover too many bases, none of which are executed well enough to make an impact.
If you're looking for a space-based K-drama with heart and depth, you'll likely be disappointed by this lacklustre offering.