Lost in Starlight

It is not anime, but anime-influenced animation. The Korean studio did it very well.
This movie made me wait for the Mars part lol, it is in the second part of the movie.

This animation project is not a movie made by **Makoto Shinkai** !

South Korea is not globally recognized for its original animation projects, and Korea’s animation studios are rarely in the spotlight.
However this might change eventually, considering the fact that South Korea announced relatively recently that a huge amount of money more than **$1 billion USD** through **2029** will be invested in the animation industry.

The desire to boost this industry is definitely present. Not only that, streaming platforms such as Netflix also invest in Korean content. Some animation projects are definitely on the way and there’s a chance to create some really good projects in the near future.

That being said, I would have really liked **Lost in Starlight** to have more personality, to offer something different, something new.
Instead, what we get is an animated film that surely must have cost several million of dollars but relies on basic ideas, almost as if no mistakes were allowed under any circumstances.

**The Summer**, a movie directed by **Han Ji-won** in 2023 already had some similarities with certain projects created by **Makoto Shinkai**, but **Lost in Starlight** is **Han Ji-won’s** most Shinkai-esque film in every sense, and honestly, it’s a bit regrettable.
It feels less like a true expression from the director and more like she borrowed many classic patterns, ideas not only that but also Makoto Shinkai’s style that’s what makes it somewhat unsettling.

Many elements seem forced and cliché, particularly in the romance aspect of the movie, which makes it feel unnatural. The writing of our two main protagonists and the story development have major issues overall.

When it comes to the romance aspect, Nan-young represents the future, Jay the past, both different, not living in the same world, but ultimately two sides of the same coin, two opposites that naturally gravitate toward each other but this aspect is never really explored before, during, or after they begin their relationship while their past stories and traumas are actually portrayed in a nice way, in the end everything seems just so basic so simple.

**Lost in Starlight** is a romance movie that mainly explores themes of love, distance, perseverance, but also trauma. The film undeniably has great visuals.

I appreciated the way it depicts South Korea and Seoul, with a futuristic aspect that still remains faithful to the city’s image. It’s a romance and sci-fi film that preserves the architecture of the past in certain buildings, shops, and streets, which brings a natural feeling of nostalgia to the film, a nice touch of coherence to the story. Visually there’s very little to criticize it’s a beautiful movie.


While I wasn’t entirely convinced, **Lost in Starlight** is the first major animated project from South Korea and a visually beautiful film.
Quite frankly, for both of these reasons it’s worth watching it, as it is from my perspective the foundation of what South Korea can bring to the animation industry.


6/10

Stunning visuals and the story is well written. 10/10 worth watching!