Netflix's latest animated adventure.

Critically acclaimed K-Dramas are among the best shows on Netflix, but Lost in Starlight brings an animated version of a Korean romance story to the streaming service. During an interview with ScreenRant, Lost in Starlight's English dub actors Maitreyi Ramakrishnan and Justin H. Min discussed their favorite elements of the animated K-Drama, the unique challenges and perks that come with voicing a foreign-language film, and why the film's central romance spoke to them.

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

"I've Done Voice Acting Before, But This Was So Different."

Lost in Starlight is the first animated K-Drama to debut on Netflix, something that wasn't lost on the English dub stars, The Netherfield Girls star Maitreyi Ramakrishnan and The Umbrella Academy veteran Justin H. Min. "I mean, what an opportunity," Ramakrishnan noted. "I seeing little glimpses of the animation style, and I instantly fell in love with it. It's so beautiful. And the soundtrack! Jay is a musician, so you know the music is going to be good. It was such an honor to be able to be a small puzzle piece and part of a much bigger project."

Because of the animated nature of the film, Justin H. Min was actually able to see the film before g on to play Jay."As an actor, it's such a rare occasion to see a finished project before you sign on to be a part of it. They sent me the film and asked me if I wanted to be a part of it, so I had the chance to watch it. I was very emotional. I think it's such a gripping film, it really tugs at your heartstrings. Immediately after watching it, I was on board."

Seeing the original cut of the film, with the original voice actors (Kim Tae-ri as Nan-young and Hong Kyung as Jay), proved to be an important part of the preparation process for Ramakrishnan. "I leaned on the original Korean track," she explained. "I've done voice acting before, but this was so different. I have high respect for dubbing voice actors, because there are so many things that I realized you have to consider when you're in the booth. I want to make sure I'm being authentic to the interpretation of the character, but also making sure it fits in English."

This meant a lot of experimentation with delivery for both actors, especially as they adjusted to the lip flaps already included in the Korean-produced animation. "I learned so much about lip flaps," Ramakrishnan laughed. "I'm very thankful that the original cast did such a great job. It really did help bring out the emotion, to see those highs and lows." It was also Min's first time dubbing, with the experienced star noting that "it is such a unique experience, because you want to respect the source material as much as possible. You want to respect the original direction and acting."

"There isn't really much you can do, because the animation has already been made and the lips are already moving in a certain way. If the original actor is raising their voice, you can't whisper... but at the same time, there are some areas where you can have a little creative freedom. I think creativity flourishes in these confined spaces. It was really fun to find small moments where you could find something new, even while respecting 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 love story between Nan-young and Jay is one built on earnest emotion that doesn't detract from one another's goals. Jay's ion for music is what really catches Nan-young's attention, leading to some of the sweet elements of the film. "I really resonated with this idea of two people who are falling in love but also trying to pursue their dreams," Min said. "We're already trying to figure out how we can have a partnership with someone else while still being able to pursue our own dreams. That was something I really clung on to."

One of the interesting challenges of bring a romance like Lost in Starlight to life is a necessity by the very nature of the medium. In film and television, romance storylines often rely in many ways on the natural chemistry of the stars. The physical interplay and elements of the romance are important tools for the actors when developing a romance. However, the animated nature of Lost in Starlight meant that Maitreyi Ramakrishnan and Justin H. Min recorded apart.

It wasn't hard for Min to find that chemistry, however, thanks to his knowledge of Ramakrishnan's previous work. "It was so easy, because the animation does so much of the work. The beauty is already there; you can feel it just by watching it. We weren't in the booth together, I was telling Maitreyi that her voice is so unique and present throughout her work. I was able to imagine it [as I recorded it.]

While Min was able to imagine his co-star's performance, Ramakrishnan got a fuller experience because "I had Justin's full track before I got into the booth. I was very spoiled." To Ramakrishnan, the true heart of the film is the natural tenor of the writing. "The dynamic between our two leads isn't anything forced. We, very rarely as actors, get to see a final product before we get to insert ourselves in it. I was rooting for these two as a fan while getting to be a part of it."

"It's just two good people trying to do good by each other and trying to figure out how to do that for themselves at the same time. I love a story like that." At the end of the day, the sweet story of "the world's longest long-distance relationship" was the true draw of The Lost Starlight for Ramakrishnan. "It's incredibly impressive when you can take a simple premise and put it in this future world... there are larger than life concepts in the film, but the nugget of it is still so relatable."

[For Justin H. Min,] that created a connection between him and the film in a way that "I haven't really related to in a lot of projects I've come across here in the States."

For Min, "as a Korean-American, and this being a Korean animated film, there's just a level of connection and relatability for me." That created a connection between him and the film in a way that "I haven't really related to in a lot of projects I've come across here in the States." The biggest surprise in the experience Min wasn't the central romance, but the music he had to perform as Jay.

Min actually got the chance to record Jay's songs in English, which the actor itted "was quite the challenge. I didn't realize how interesting it would be to transcribe Korean lyrics into English words, but then try to keep the syllables all the same. It was quite the process. Thanks to our incredible sound engineer team... I think it is so powerful, and music is such a big part of this film."

Lost in Starlight is now streaming on Netflix.