Released Year: 2013

Main Cast: Kim Soo-hyun, Jun Ji-hyun, Park Hae-jin, Yoo In-na

No. of Episodes: 21

Main Plot :

Do Min-joon, an alien stranded on Earth for 400 years, falls in love with top star Chun Song-yi just before he must leave the planet.

EPISODES SUMMARY :

Episode 1: Alien’s Arrival

One peaceful night during the Joseon dynasty, a brilliant burst of light appeared in the sky. The villagers were frantically pointing to the sky and murmuring their prayers, hoping to think they had witnessed a sign from God. However, that wasn’t a sign from God or a star. An alien, something far more metaphysical. A guy who appeared to be a man yet was too attractive to be one emerged from the light. And he was frighteningly elderly for his age. He was a person named Do Min-Joon, and he had the ability to change time.

He finds himself at the center of an incident almost quickly after arrival. A young noble girl’s palanquin collapses during an ambush, putting her life in peril. A flick of Min-joon’s powers freezes the universe around him. Silence absorbs the chaos, enemies stand still, and arrows hang in mid-air. He tenderly saves her and then lets time pass once more. She finds it miraculous. He has made the dangerous error of momentarily exposing himself to humanity.

However, Do Min-joon is stuck on Earth because the spacecraft that brought him has already departed. What should have been a short visit turns into centuries. Dynasties come and go, bringing about unthinkable change to the globe, but Do Min-joon remains undisturbed by time or death. Our lives are brief and fleeting, yet he dwells in solitary and silence. Before his continuous face is recognized, he changes his name, disappears, and changes his career to hide his secret. Each and every relationship ends in tragedy, therefore he never allows himself to connect.

Do Min-Joon now lives in a quiet area in Seoul. He presents himself as a professor of a famous and respected university in the outside world, despite a beautiful performance and speaking pattern. Their students admire their intelligence, innocent appearance and formal speech, although they are sometimes unstable in their cold and distant manner. Nobody realizes the centuries of the experience done within his sharp gaze. For Min-Joon, human life feels fleeting and delicate, and is not interested in connecting with it more than necessary.

But this is not so easy with luck. South Korea’s most famous and notorious celebrity, Cheon Song-Yi, moved to the next door apartment. She is praised by millions and is bold, honest and beautiful, but she joins the constant controversy. Cheon Song-Yi is loud, dramatic and fiery, everything is detected. Her attractive lifestyle and tendency to make headlines seem like a complete opposite of his careful protected silence.

Despite their efforts to live separately, their world begins to overlap. One evening,  Cheon Song-Yi notices her neighbor on the balcony, quietly seeing the stars through a telescope. For her, he looks mysterious and strangely old -fashioned, standing with a sadness that feels far away from normal life. Before she can do more inspection, Do Min-Joon quickly closes his curtain, removes himself from the eyes. Inside alone, he reflects from going for centuries, flipping through his valuables – the intricate items and memories of the past that remind him of the people he once saved and lost.

They came into contact more directly the following morning. Cheon Song-Yi, sporting her trademark dramatic flair, stormed into the apartment lobby while browsing on her phone while sporting big sunglasses. Min-Joon entered the lift as well, composed and detached. Neither did any of them talk as an elevator climbed. Cheon Song-Yi imposed impatiently and adjusted his posture with flair, while Do Min-Joon stood silently, composed and expression without expression.The quiet ride created an awkward tension, marking their very first meeting as neighbors.

click to Read the Summary of another iconic drama of Jun ji-hyun.

Episode 2:Neighbours

The facts of Chun Song-Yi’s domestic life challenge their glamorous personality. She tries to satisfy the director’s requests while presenting strangely during a photo shoot, stating how unnatural she can be under the polish celebrity. She is even more irritated when she comes into harsh online comments when she is later ridiculed for her skills and personality. Although she insists that criticism is insignificant, her facial expressions clarify that she bothers it.

Song-yi goes back to graduate school in an attempt to gain greater notoriety than her star status. She tries to assimilate by being in very casual attire, although she soon finds the environment hostile. Pupils are already giggling or mumbling when she walks into the lecture hall, as they apparently think it is funny to pretend she is diligent. She sees now that the instructor at the front is in fact her neighbor, Do Min-joon. This makes the situation even more awkward.

Song-yi faces ridicule in the classroom when a student poses an advanced question to her. The audience laughs at her expense in amusement at her stammering to respond. Min-joon steps in just as she is about to lose her dignity. His forceful and composed tone gives her the response she was unable to. She avoids more humiliation as a result, but she becomes even more irritated since she sees his move as an attempt to make her appear completely stupid.

News soon breaks in the entertainment industry that Han Yoo-ra, an actress and Song-yi’s long-time rival, has been found dead. The incident has been officially reported as an accident, yet the details leave the place for suspicion. Rumors sparked quickly with Yoo -ra’s stressful ties with Song-Yi. With the media spotlight intensifying, reporters bombard Song-yi with questions while online communities paint her as a possible suspect, damaging her public image even further.

Song-yi’s personal issues persist later that evening. A drunk Song Yi mistakenly thought Min Joon’s house was hers late at night. Her noises were loud, and she continued to press the pinpad. Min-joon finally opens it after she bangs. He hesitates to let him go inside, but it is clear that he does not like to bother. They close it immediately because Song Yi is loud, dramatic and always talking, while Min-Joon is calm and different. This scene highlights their sharp contradictions: he is composed and organized, while he is uncertain and disorganized.

While taking a shower, Min Joon tries to divert his attention after hearing the conversation from the adjacent room. Min Joon smiles slightly as Song Yi wakes up and stops Hwi Kyung from kissing her as he leans in to doze her off. In private, Se Mi is hurt and left waiting when Hwi Kyung forgets his date. Memories are triggered later when Min Joon finds a wallet with a family photo. At a salon, Song Yi and Yoo-ra argue, and before Min Joon steps in, Yoo-ra almost smacks her. After he uses his skills to make the lights explode, he hands Song Yi the picture and demands, “Who are you?”