Star's Lover Explained

Alt Name:Celebrity's Sweetheart
Genre:Romance, Drama
Director:Boo Sung-chul
Starring:Choi Ji-woo
Yoo Ji-tae
Country:South Korea
Language:Korean
Num Seasons:1
Num Episodes:20
Location:South Korea, Japan
Runtime:Wednesdays and Thursdays at 21:55 (KST)
Channel:Seoul Broadcasting System
Hanja:스타의
Rr:Seutaui Yeonin
Mr:Sŭt'aŭi Yŏnin

Star's Lover (; also known as Celebrity's Sweetheart) is a 2008 South Korean television series starring Choi Ji-woo and Yoo Ji-tae that aired on SBS. A love story between a star actress and an ordinary man, director Boo Sung-chul said the series was inspired by the 1999 film Notting Hill.[1] [2]

Plot

Lee Ma-ri (Choi Ji-woo) is a top star in South Korea and throughout Asia. The head of her management agency, Seo Tae-suk (Sung Ji-ru), hires a ghostwriter to help transform Ma-ri's image. Poverty-stricken university lecturer Kim Chul-soo (Yoo Ji-tae) takes the job in order to earn money to repay his ex-girl friend, who paid for his college tuition. Whilst they are in Japan he falls in love with Ma-ri. However, when the travel essay book Lovers in Asuka, written by Chul-soo on Ma-ri's behalf, becomes a bestseller, Ma-ri gets caught up in the controversy generated by the ghost writing. The two lovers try to continue their relationship away from media attention, but obstacles abound: eligible young executive Jung Woo-jin (Lee Ki-woo), who pursues Ma-ri; Ma-ri's first love Kang Woo-jin (Choi Phillip), who suddenly vanished from her life; Chul-soo's ex-girlfriend Choi Eun-young (Cha Ye-ryun); and the manipulative Seo Tae-suk, who seeks to control everything in Ma-ri's life.

Cast

Main characters

Lee Ma-ri

child Ma-ri

young Ma-ri

Kim Chul-soo

child Chul-soo

Jung Woo-jin

Choi Eun-young

Supporting characters

Seo Tae-suk, CEO of Ma-ri's management agency

Son Ha-young

Kang Woo-jin

Min Jang-soo, Ma-ri's bodyguard

In-seo

Lee Seung-yeon, Ma-ri's stylist

Ye-rin

Ma-ri's grandmother

Lee Eun-sil

Choi Seung-wook

Professor Ahn

Kim Ok-ja

Lee Ji-soon

student (cameo, ep 1)

Hong Kong movie director (cameo, ep 1)

department store magnate (cameo, ep 1)

actor, Ma-ri's ex-boyfriend (cameo, ep 8)

Eun-young's friend (cameo, ep 20)

Ratings

width=100 Datewidth=100 Episodewidth=100 Nationwidewidth=100 Seoul
2008-12-10 1 9.5% (17th) 9.8% (14th)
2008-12-11 2 8.8% (17th) 9.3% (16th)
2008-12-17 3 6.8% 8.7%
2008-12-18 4 7.0% 8.5%
2008-12-24 5 5.9% 8.0%
2008-12-25 6 7.6% 9.8%
2009-01-01 7 9.1% 10.1%
2009-01-01 8 7.8% 10.1%
2009-01-07 9 7.9% 9.1%
2009-01-08 10 7.5% 8.5%
2008-01-14 11 7.4% 8.9%
2009-01-15 12 6.2% 8.5%
2009-01-21 13 7.6% 8.4%
2009-01-22 14 7.3% 8.5
2009-01-28 15 8.2% 9.0% (19th)
2009-01-29 16 9.2% 8.8% (19th)
2009-02-04 17 8.3% 8.4%
2009-02-05 18 9.0% 8.8
2009-02-11 19 5.3% 8.3%
2009-02-12 20 7.2% 8.5%
Average 7.6% 8.9%
Source: TNS Media Korea

Production

As of the twelfth episode Choi was reported to have worn 147 outfits, thus averaging 12 ensembles per episode, with episode two alone featuring 25 different outfits. The sheer volume of clothing and range of styles is in line with her character as a top actress.[3]

Many of the scenes were filmed on location in Seoul and Busan.[4]

International broadcast

It first aired in Japan on satellite channel WOWOW beginning May 1, 2009.[5] Reruns followed on terrestrial network TBS from September 27 to October 22, 2010,[6] and on cable channel KNTV from November 9 to December 4, 2009.[7]

In Thailand it first aired on Modernine TV in 2011.[8]

External links

Notes and References

  1. News: Oh. Jean. Mega drama duo signals hot winter. 2012-05-30. The Korea Herald. 1 December 2008.
  2. News: Han. Sang-hee. Celebrity's Sweetheart Knocks on Viewers Hearts. 2012-05-30. The Korea Times. 2 December 2008.
  3. News: Choi Ji-woo in Costume Change Marathon. 2012-05-30. The Chosun Ilbo. 14 February 2009.
  4. Web site: A Star's Lover. Korea Tourism Organization. 2012-05-30. https://web.archive.org/web/20150518093339/http://english.visitkorea.or.kr/enu/SI/CU_EN_8_5_1_51.jsp. 2015-05-18. dead.
  5. Web site: Choi Ji-woo Explains Dating Rumors in Japan. KBS Global. 2013-09-13. 16 March 2009.
  6. Web site: 韓流セレクトのトップページへ. www.tbs.co.jp.
  7. Web site: Kn番組 ドラマ スターの恋人 . 2014-10-20 . https://web.archive.org/web/20131024202846/http://www.kntv.co.jp/prog/detail/?p=10306 . 2013-10-24 . dead .
  8. Web site: th:ก้าวสู่ปีที่ 4 เอสทีจี มัลติมีเดีย ส่งซีรี่ส์สุดอลังการ ลงช่องโมเดิร์นไนน์ ใน โมเดิร์นไนน์ซีรี่ส์ 2 ช่วงเวลา. http://www.pingbook.com/news/view.php?id=13644. pingbook.com. 13 October 2015. 29 August 2011. thai.