Star Appeal 2005

An extraterrestrial visitor from Mars arrives on Earth and is taken in by a young man named Xiao Bo. The newcomer is curious about every facet of life on this blue planet, and Xiao Bo eagerly shares the marvels of his world—from the streets and skylines to the small rituals that make up daily life. Yet the alien’s arrival unsettles those around him: Wenwen, Xiao Bo’s girlfriend, remains unconvinced about the creature’s origin, while Xiao Jian, Xiao Bo’s boyfriend, is more cautious than curious. Even as Xiao Bo grows convinced of the visitor’s authenticity, the others keep their distance, watching with a mix of awe and wariness as the alien learns to navigate Earth’s rhythms.

To keep Xiao Bo distracted from his unusual guest, Wenwen adopts a playfully grandiose ruse, posing as a person from Jupiter and weaving a taunting tale about far-off worlds. The plan, however, does not go as hoped. When that distraction fails, another plan steps forward: Xinxin steps into the scene with a more provocative proposal, declaring that she will bear a mixed Earthling–Martian child with ET. She brings the visitor back into her home, teasing him and attempting to coax him toward that audacious future, only to end with ET fainting and his health hanging in the balance. The moment becomes a turning point—Xiao Bo, who cares for ET deeply, finds himself confronting the limits of trust, loyalty, and the tenderness that can grow between two beings from radically different worlds.

In the midst of this tension, a breakthrough occurs in a fragile, almost sacramental moment. Xiao Bo, unintentionally and perhaps impulsively, utters a confession that resonates with both human emotion and Martian sentiment: I love you. The words hang in the air, and a hush seems to fall as the alien—the one who survived on sunlight alone—begins to respond to the human expression of love that has been spoken across the divide. The breakthrough is not just emotional; it is transformative. ET’s consciousness returns with clarity, and the alien’s senses begin to open to a new repertoire of experiences that Earth life has to offer.

Before the journey home, the visitor experiences a first, hesitant taste of ordinary Earth pleasures. ET had survived purely on solar energy, never needing food or drink, but for Xiao Bo’s sake, he tries coffee for the first time. The bitter warmth of the drink becomes a small, intimate ritual that marks his gradual immersion into human habit: the scent of roasted beans, the steam against his skin, the tiny tremor of pleasure as caffeine nudges his senses awake. With each new sensation, ET absorbs more about Earth’s physical realities—the way bodies can tire, bend, and heal; the way affection can be expressed through touch, proximity, and shared silence. He moves from observer to participant, stepping into emotional spaces he had only watched from a distance.

As the days pass, ET learns what it means to love in a human sense, discovering the pleasures and vulnerabilities that come with it. He discovers that love on Earth can be about mutual care, patience, and sacrifice, and he witnesses how companionship can give meaning to ordinary life. Yet even as he grows more deeply connected to Xiao Bo, there is a sense of time running out. On the eve of ET’s planned return to Mars, the bond between them culminates in a deeply intimate moment that mirrors the most profound human expressions of connection. The act—made out of a combination of longing, trust, and tenderness—becomes a symbol of ET’s dedication to Xiao Bo, a Martian’s love offered in a final, intimate vow before departure.

When ET finally leaves Earth, Xiao Bo is left with a new sense of self shaped by the Martian encounter. He returns to the place where he and ET first met—a location that now holds a bridge between two worlds. The encounter leaves Xiao Bo changed in subtle, enduring ways; the experience has infected him with a Martian quality that reframes how he sees Earth and the future that lies ahead. In that quiet moment of parting and return, Xiao Bo discovers a route back toward Mars, a path that speaks of possibility, memory, and the visions that survive even after a traveler has gone.

The cast of this story is brought to life by a set of performers whose presence anchors the journey: Apollo Yu, Weiming Wang, Yu Bin, Wang Guifeng, and Jian Hou. Their work helps translate a tale of wonder into a grounded, human-centered experience that underscores the tension between longing and attachment, between the spark of curiosity and the gravity of belonging. The result is a narrative that feels both intimate and expansive, a meditation on how love can cross cosmic distances and illuminate the ordinary moments of life on Earth.

The cast includes Apollo Yu, Weiming Wang, Yu Bin, Wang Guifeng, and Jian Hou.