With history on its side as Korea’s first animated love story, Lost in Starlight still failed to give me something to hold onto
Lost in Starlight is not just another love story from Korea; it has made a mark in the country's cinematic landscape as the first original Korean animated film. Korean animation studios, Climax Studio and Red Dog Culture House, have brought the story to life from a script written by Han Ji-won, who also directed the feature.
In Lost in Starlight, the vastly different worlds of Nan-young and Jay collide. While Nan-young is an aspiring astronaut, Jay is a musician who repairs vintage audio equipment. After a chance meeting, they fall in love, but Nan-young's impending Mars mission puts their romance to the test.
Disclaimer: The following article contains the writer's opinions and spoilers for Lost in Starlight. Readers' discretion is advised.
Set in 2050 in Seoul, the Netflix movie features neon-lit cityscapes and a blend of analog and futuristic elements. At its heart is Nan-young and Jay's budding romance. There is plenty of atmospheric depth, but it is the emotional depth I found lacking. I did not feel the expected emotional connection with the characters.
Lost in Starlight does not capture the emotional depth its story aspires to deliver
25 years before the events of Lost in Starlight, Nan-young's mother, Ji-young, went on a space expedition to Mars to find out if the planet was habitable for human beings. However, Ji-young and her team succumbed to a marsquake, thus failing to return to their home planet.
The ambition to finish what her mother started drives Nan-young to become an astronaut. At one point, she admits she was programmed to become an astronaut, which reveals that her identity has been shaped by expectation rather than choice.
But did that expectation ever give way to genuine passion for going to space, or was she going to travel on that predetermined path, driven by obligation? This question is left unanswered, which makes her character arc feel incomplete.
Ji-young never returned from Mars, but her husband remains deluded that she is alright and keeps sending her messages. Their love story is one torn apart by space and distance. When Nan-young finally goes to Mars, it feels as though history is repeating itself as Jay remains on Earth.
Nan-young and Jay face the same dilemma as Nan-young's parents once did, but what has changed now? How is this love story different than the one that ended in tragedy decades ago? Once again, questions like this, which fill out the gaps in Nan-young and Jay's romance, remain unanswered.
Also read: Lost in Starlight: Is Netflix's first animated K-drama voiced by Kim Tae-ri and Hong Kyung worth a watch?
Lost in Starlight's emotional resonance does not match its visual splendor
As a fan of romance dramas and rom-coms, the story of Lost in Starlight felt like a bit of a disservice to the romance genre, not because it did not have enough romantic moments.
The long-distance, interstellar romance has a lot of unexplored potential, as the characters often feel underdeveloped and emotionally distant. Even the conflict in the love story does not feel as deep as I had hoped.
The cross-galaxy love story at the film's core feels strangely hollow because it fails to anchor the quiet moments in the movie in deeply felt stakes or character growth. While the film dazzles visually and impresses with its innovation, I feel that it ultimately falls short on an emotional level.
The movie is undoubtedly a milestone, but it would have resonated more with me if its emotional gravity matched its visual scope. That said, the voice cast and the creative studios have done a brilliant job, so I will give it a pass.
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Lost in Starlight is available to stream on Netflix.
