Lost In Starlight (2025) Dir: Han Ji-won
- Ridley Coote
- Aug 13
- 2 min read
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Romance has never been my favourite genre - I know, I know; what a typical man - but this Korean Netflix original from Han Ji-won caught my eye instantly when I saw it advertised. As a lover of science fiction, I found the prospect of a space-related love story very compelling. It did no harm at all that the film has had some terrific reviews from viewers either.
I thought that the animation was, for the most part, very pretty. The character designs left a little to be desired, for me at least, but I thought everything else looked really good. The use of colour at some stages of the film was wonderful. The accompanying soundtrack was very fitting, and helped me get swept up in the story, both in regards to the romance and the adventure sides of it.
The story was tropy and predictable, but endearing nonetheless. The two love interests had an almost painfully sweet character dynamic, but it worked well enough. I did find that the inevitable conflict in the romance was pretty weak, and could've been solved with some very simple communication, but I understand the attempt. Despite my critical words, I did enjoy this film a fair bit, I should emphasise. It was very cute.
Kim Tae-ri's leading voice performance was a wonderful blend of assertive and vulnerable, which suited her character perfectly. She brought her protagonist to life with an exuberance that felt so genuine, and an emotional ambiance that was ideal. I was slightly less keen on Hong Kyung's vocal performance, but I should emphasise that I still enjoyed it on the whole. I didn't quite connect with him or his character so much, but that isn't necessarily the actor's fault.
Overall, I thought this was a very sweet, though certainly flawed, science fiction romance. It had an endearing couple of characters, a relatively compelling story, and some beautiful animation. I do wish the emotional arc had been a little more nuanced, but the film served its purpose well enough, and I can't fault it too much for that.
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