The South Korean TV series “My Love from the Star” has struck a chord with hundreds of millions of Chinese viewers, who are passionately following every minute, writes Wang Jie.

Chinese women in Shanghai are falling head over heals in love. Even women old enough to know better can’t resist.

One group of female friends has even gone so far as to tell another friend she can’t remain in their circle if she doesn’t share the same feelings.

Their fanatisism is for “My Love from the Star,” a South Korean television series.

The show is about professor Do Min-Joon, an alien who landed on earth 400 years ago during the Joseon Dynasty (1392–1897). Do is handsome and has enhanced vision, hearing and speed compared to humans. The show is set in the present and Do falls in love with actress Cheon Song-Yi three months before he is about to leave Earth.

The episodes have received more than one billion views from Chinese fans at major video websites including Baidu.com, Iqiyi.com and Youku.com. The final episode is schedule to air on February 27.

Chinese viewers are not just watching “My Love from the Star.” Other Korean TV shows such as “The Heirs” and “Queen Inhyun’s Man” are almost as popular, creating a so-called Korean culture wave, or hanliu.

Fans of “My Love” are extremely devoted and passionate about the show.

“I am so crazy about Do Min-Joon that I get up at midnight to watch the new episodes simultaneously with South Koreans,” says Christine Wu, a 36-year-old human resources manager in Shanghai. “I know this sounds ridiculous at my age, but I can’t help myself. For no reason, the character reminds me of my first love.

“When I watch I am no longer a mother of a seven-year-old son or someone’s wife. I am addicted to Do Min-Joon,” she added.

Like Wu, millions of Chinese are tuning in for the new episodes live on Iqiyi.com every Wednesday and Thursday at 8:30pm even though most don’t speak Korean. Many of these viewers then wait several hours until early the next morning to watch the episode again — this time with Chinese subtitles.

Some female fans joke at online chatrooms that “once you watch ‘My Love from the Star’ your husband immediately becomes boring.”

For young fans, actor Kim Soo-Hyun, 26, who portrays Professor Do, has become the latest male heartthrob as his character is intelligent, cool, good-looking, wealthy and young.

Kim’s Chinese fans have already purchased a full page newspaper ad to wish him a happy birthday (February 16). On Weibo, microbloggers were typing tributes to Kim. A dessert shop in Shanghai that has been endorsed by the actor now often requires wait times of several hours due to the long queues.

The actor will visit Shanghai to meet with fans on March 23. Massive crowds of screaming and crying women are expected to turn up for the occasion.

Lee Min-ho, another popular Korean actor starring in “The Heirs,” recently appeared in Shanghai. Some fans were willing to pay 3,800 yuan (US$625) for a ticket to see Lee.

Feng Yalan, a local psychology consultant, says the show’s fans are extremely passionate.

“Suddenly all my friends started talking about Professor Do,” she says. “They even told me that if I am not watching this drama then I won’t be accepted into their circle.

“That made me curious. How could a fictious character ignited the desire of so many women of different ages and backgrounds?”

Feng is not alone in wondering what makes Professor Do so desirable.

“I would say the success of ‘My Love from the Star’ goes partly to the scriptwriter,” says Xu Shenming, a Shanghai-based film and television critic. “The show combines many interesting elements like science-fiction, romance, suspense and comedy without any awkwardness. The lines between the hero and heroine are carefully designed.

“The writers seem to grasp what women want when it comes to ‘Mr Right’,” Xu says. “It is easier said than done because if the character is too perfect, then the audience won’t get dragged into the drama. The balance between real and unreal is subtle and delicate.”

Fans and critics also credit Professor Do’s love interest for making the series so interesting.

Sharp contrast

She is poorly educated, impolite and aggressive, unlike traditional female characters who are often pure and soft.

Feng says this contrast makes their relationship more interesting.

“They are so different and that’s part of their attraction and chemistry as she serves as a foil to Professor Do,” Fengs says. “If Professor Do can accept and love such an imperfect woman, then he doesn’t seem so ‘snobbish and arrogant,’ which consequently touches the hearts of female viewers.”

Fans also can’t get enough about the fashion sense of the show’s two stars. While most of the scenes take place in their apartment, the characters always seem to be decked out in clothes by Chloe, Channel, Gucci, Paul Smith or other world famous designers.

Fashion sense

“The South Korean stylists are rather something,” says Meng Fei, a local stylist. “I know many of them were born in the US and they returned to South Korea. They have a wide network of friends, including Western designers and stylists, so they immediately know what is happening on the international fashion stage.

“For example, the clothes the characters wear are chic, yet have a rare home feel, such as the heroine may wear a Chanel dress like a pair of pajamas.”

Things appearing in the show like jewelry, hand bags and clothing have quickly become objects of desire among trendsetters.

In one scene, Professor Do is reading the book “The Miraculous Journey of Edward.” Within a month, 50,000 copies had been sold in South Korea. In the previous five years, only 10,000 copies were sold. In China, both the English and Chinese versions of the book have sold out.

Korean wave

The Korean wave is reminiscent of a similar trend from a decade ago. Back then, several Korean television shows were popular due to the dramatic plots and beautiful characters. But gradually viewers here started joking about the “overly dramatic plots.”

For example, the hero or heroine would die in a tragic accident or suffer an incurable disease. If it wasn’t a sudden death, the love birds would discover they were brother and sister who had been separated as infants.

“These shows were slow and the plots were nearly the same,” says Xu. “But the Korean shows seem to have changes in recent years. The scripts are more creative and production standards are quite high.”

Compared with the usual 40-episode television series that are shot in China, Korean TV series like “My Love from the Star” are usually limited to around 20 episodes. Many are still in the shooting process when the first episodes are aired to see the response from the audience. Some episodes may be cut if ratings are low or sometimes the plot may be changed based on the reaction of the audience.

Psychologist’s caution

While Feng counts herself as a fan of “My Love from the Star,” the psychologist in her can’t help but caution other about getting too carried away with the show.

She says some women may get caught up in a fantasy world to the detriment of their real lives.

“If one cannot differentiate between what is real and unreal in life, then it would be difficult for her to find the right person in reality,” she says. “There are many ‘left-behind’ women and they already have their standards for a partner. If some become too addicted to these TV characters, they won’t give the real men around them a chance.”

Song Ye, a 30-year-old local office worker, says she already knows her future love will never be able to match Professor Do.

“Professor Do is the ideal man for me, but I know he doesn’t exist on earth,” Song says. “I know finding my real love will be disappointing due to the shadow of Professor Do.”