I Am The Years You Are The Stars is actually a collection of different themes in a single drama. It has romance, mystery, sci-fi, medical, friendship, and bromance elements which are part of the story. They are not forcefully cobbled together but the drama still ends up weird to me. Maybe because it tries to make light of the solemn subject of death or perhaps the whole story is just incredibly farfetched. Not to mention the drama begins with no clear explanation on how the characters are related to one another and the length they would go to to protect the male lead’s secret.

In other words, the story is very different from your typical romance dramas such as Nothing But You and Love At Night. It has potential in that sense but the execution is lacking unlike Shining For One Thing which also has a sci-fi element to it. The romance blossomed out of the blue when the couple started off disliking each other and the subplots tend to drag the story out unnecessarily. Some scenes editing are off and the transitions look choppy. In addition, some parts also give the drama a low budget feel especially towards the ending.

If You Don’t Mind An Unrealistic Plot…
Basically, I Am The Years You Are The Stars is not meant to be an intelligent mystery or sci-fi romance drama. You can’t watch this and try to apply logic to the story. For instance, it doesn’t make sense for a girl to agree to live with an abnormal being who can mutate into a zombie no matter how much she is paid. Moreover, she didn’t like him to begin with. But this is how the story flows and you can’t question it too much as you watch if you want to enjoy the drama.

However, while the drama is weird and unrealistic, it also has a certain level of intrigue to make you watch till the end. Chances are once you start, you will want to know the protagonists’ fate in the last episode. This is because the girl is expected to die and the guy wants to give up his immortality when the story begins. Hence, you will be curious about how they will end up and whether they will be dead or alive. So, the drama is far from great but ironically addictive in a strange way.

Apart from that, the story also consists of a twist towards the end. It is not totally unexpected for those who are astute or have a suspicious mind. But if you have no inkling of what is to come, it adds a layer of surprise to the overall story.

Acting And Chemistry
Both the leads put up a respectable performance to me although I also don’t see anything groundbreaking. They did their part as required with Estelle Chen managing to portray Xiao Yu’s inherent personality of a cheerful and positive lass. She has this vibrant demeanor with spring in her steps. It may seem inconsistent with her situation as someone who is going to die but she that is how her character has been written rather than bad acting on her part.

Liu Hai Kuan’s character is harder to play as he has to be an old man trapped in a young man’s body. He did well to a certain extent as he displays a more reserved attitude that is consistent with men of his generation. But I also can’t help but feel that his acting in some scenes feels forced. He doesn’t look completely natural in that role but I guess Jiang Bai Ju is a very unique character with a lot of inner turmoil and conflict which the actor couldn’t convincingly express.

When the two leads are put together, their chemistry is lacking to me. They can be acting sweet and lovey-dovey but I can’t really feel the couple vibes between them in some scenes. Even the kissing ones fail to make my heart flutter unlike really matching on-screen couples such as the ones in Once We Get Married and You Are My Glory. Maybe it has a lot to do with this couple’s background which just doesn’t resonate with me.

Unconventional Couple
The pair in I Am The Years You Are The Stars is not your typical romance drama couple. Some viewers may find them refreshing but they give me the impression of having nothing in common with each other. The guy is an old soul while the girl is young and restless. He is tired of living and wants to die but she is eager to live with a zest for life. He views love as something serious and fated while she doesn’t mind trying out a relationship. I could just sense a generation gap between them.

Therefore, I can’t really get into this couple from start to finish. I did try to give them a chance to grow on me but their romance still falls flat as far as I’m concerned. It didn’t help that their relationship happened very abruptly when the girl simply decided she wanted to date. Maybe you will have a different view if you like the concept of opposites attract and an unconventional couple. Then, perhaps you will be able to detect a healthy dose of chemistry between them.

My Verdict – Not My Cup Of Tea
Well, I Am The Years You Are The Stars just doesn’t suit my taste for a Chinese drama. To be honest, I scanned and skipped as I went along as it got boring towards the middle. The subplots got too much air time which dragged out the drama. Although they are tied up with the main plot in some way, they could have been shortened or better executed. The romance isn’t great to me while there are no side couples to fall back on for alternatives.

However, there are still a few redeeming qualities despite my unflattering view on this drama. The mystery part should help viewers to maintain some level of interest to enable one to cross the finish line. The cute friendships and bromance are other positive factors which provide the needed lighthearted moments. So, it might not be a great drama but there could be enough attraction to make you plough on. After all, you can always quicken the speed for the boring scenes.

For this I Am The Years Your Are The Stars review, I would give it a score of 6.5/10. I don’t really recommend you to watch this drama unless you can lower your expectations before you start. Not everything is properly clarified either when the drama ends. You won’t feel dissatisfied but some clarity would have been good. Watch it if you want some mystery and sci-fi elements in your romance dramas. But stay away if you can’t stand cheesy romantic lines and prefer more realistic and conventional couples.