Maitreyi Ramakrishnan & Justin H. Min Reveal Secrets of Netflix’s First Animated K-Drama Love Story

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The series “Lost in Starlight” features performances by Maitreyi Ramakrishnan and Justin H. Min that they both found enjoyable due to the distinct aspects of acting in this critically praised production. At the moment of writing, it holds a commendable 90% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. This heartwarming and captivating tale unfolds in a time far into the future. Nan-young, an exceptional astronaut, is planning to attempt joining the Mars missions that had claimed her mother’s life years earlier. Yet, her life becomes more complex when she finds herself falling for a charming musician in Netflix’s newest animated journey.

In a nutshell, critically admired Korean dramas have found a home on Netflix, but what sets Lost in Starlight apart is its animation adaptation of a Korean love story. During an interview with ScreenRant, the English dub actors for Lost in Starlight, Maitreyi Ramakrishnan and Justin H. Min, shared their favorite aspects of this animated K-Drama, the distinctive hurdles and rewards of voicing a foreign film, and why they were moved by the central romance portrayed within it.

Lost In Starlight’s Romance Was A Unique Project For The Stars

“I’ve Done Voice Acting Before, But This Was So Different.”

The animated series “Lost in Starlight” became the first K-Drama to premiere on Netflix, catching the attention of its English dub actors, Maitreyi Ramakrishnan from “The Netherfield Girls” and Justin H. Min from “The Umbrella Academy.” As Ramakrishnan expressed, this was a remarkable chance. She recalled the initial glimpses of the animation style, which immediately captivated her heart with its beauty. Moreover, she mentioned that the music in the show would be excellent due to Jay being a musician. In summary, it was an honor for her to contribute a small piece to such a large and intriguing project.

Given that the movie was animated, Justin H. Min got an opportunity to view the completed project prior to agreeing to portray Jay. Normally, as an actor, you only get to see a finished production after you’ve joined the cast. They shared the film with me and asked if I’d like to participate, so I was able to watch it. It moved me deeply; it’s a truly captivating story that resonates emotionally. As soon as I saw it, I knew I wanted to be a part of it.

Watching the unedited version of the movie, featuring the original voice artists (Kim Tae-ri as Nan-young and Hong Kyung as Jay), was a crucial step for Ramakrishnan during her preparation phase. As she put it, “I relied on the Korean dialogue track,” she shared. “Although I’ve done voice acting previously, this experience was unique. I have immense admiration for dubbing artists because I recognized many factors that need to be taken into account when in the recording booth. My goal is to stay true to the character’s portrayal while ensuring a smooth transition into English.

The experimentation with delivery for both actors, particularly since they were adapting to the pre-existing lip movements in the Korean-produced animation, required a lot of learning. Ramakrishnan chuckled, saying “I’ve gained so much insight into lip synchronization“. “I am incredibly grateful for the exceptional performance by the original cast. It greatly enhanced the emotional depth, allowing us to appreciate the highs and lows” he added. For Min, it was his first time dubbing, and the seasoned actor commented that “it’s a distinct experience. You strive to preserve the essence of the original content while also honoring the initial direction and acting“.

Since the animation has been completed with lips synchronized, there’s not much room for change if the original actor is speaking loudly. However, there are pockets of opportunity where creativity can bloom. I believe creativity thrives in such restricted environments. It was quite enjoyable to discover subtle moments that offered a fresh perspective while still adhering to the original voice actors and direction.

Lost In Starlight Brings Real Emotion To A Sci-Fi Setting

“I Was Rooting For These Two As A Fan, While Getting To Be A Part Of It.”

The affectionate bond between Nan-young and Jay is deeply rooted in sincere feelings, without compromising their individual aspirations. It’s Jay’s ardor for music that initially captivates Nan-young, contributing to some of the movie’s most endearing moments. Min found this portrayal of two people balancing love and personal ambitions particularly relatable. “I identified with the concept of being in a relationship while simultaneously pursuing our own dreams,” said Min. “That idea really resonated with me.

One captivating hurdle when adapting a story like “Lost in Starlight” is inherent to the chosen medium. In film and television, romance plots frequently depend on the organic chemistry between actors, which is utilized through their physical interactions and expressions of affection. However, as “Lost in Starlight” is an animation, Maitreyi Ramakrishnan and Justin H. Min had to record their parts separately.

Min effortlessly discovered the concept of chemistry, given his familiarity with Ramakrishnan’s prior research.

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Min found the chemical concept easily, thanks to his understanding of Ramakrishnan’s previous work.

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Thanks to his knowledge of Ramakrishnan’s earlier work, Min had no trouble grasping the chemistry concept.

Ramakrishnan had an enriched experience compared to Min, as he listened to Justin’s complete track prior to recording his lines. He felt quite pampered by this arrangement. For Ramakrishnan, the essence of the film lay in the authentic flow of the script. The interaction between our two main characters didn’t feel contrived. As an actor, we rarely get a chance to witness the final product before we join it ourselves. In fact, I was already rooting for these two characters as a spectator, and then I got the opportunity to be a part of their journey.

At heart, Ramakrishnan was captivated by the touching tale of “two individuals striving to be kind towards each other across great distances“, as portrayed in “The Lost Starlight“. He found it particularly remarkable that “a straightforward idea could be expanded upon in a futuristic setting… the film explores grand ideas, yet it remains grounded with an element of relatability.

For Min, being Korean-American and this film being an animated production from Korea, there’s a special bond and understanding that resonates deeply with him. This connection is something he hasn’t found in many projects he’s encountered in America. What took him by surprise during the experience was not the central romance, but rather the music he had to perform as Jay.

Min eventually had the opportunity to create English versions of Jay’s songs, an endeavor that the actor found to be surprisingly tough. He hadn’t anticipated how intriguing it would be to convert Korean lyrics into English words while maintaining the same syllables. It was quite a journey, and we owe a great deal of thanks to our exceptional sound engineering team… I believe the result is incredibly powerful, and music plays such a significant role in this movie.

Lost in Starlight is now streaming on Netflix.

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2025-06-01 19:10