There are two distinct and competing parts of this show and therefore this review: the first is the production overall, from the cinematography and the music to the acting; and the second is the plotting.
For the first element, this show excels at being a beautiful, compelling, moody psychological thriller with outstanding performances from all the actors involved. The directing, music and acting all combine to effortlessly create a gripping and emotional show that draws you in and keeps you watching. This show is expertly made and that deft production shows in every frame.
Park Sung-woong is always a fantastic performer in everything he does and he brings out every layer of the complicated and conflicted Yoo Jin-gook, a detective and older brother of the female lead. Jung So-min is very good as female lead Yoo Jin-kang who is drawn to but also wary of Seo In-guk's complicated anti-hero Kim Moo-young.
But it's Seo In-guk who really shines in this. In fact, it is the performance of his career. Ziggy is well known by now not just for acting a part but for living it. He doesn't create a new person, he completely inhabits them down to his fingertips. But even knowing that about the actor, this is still a tour-de-force of a performance - one that propels him up above the regular pack of Korean actors and puts him into a class of his own. After this drama, there are few people who would argue that he is now on a different level - one inhabited by the likes of Yoo Ah-in and Bae Doona and even Park Sung-woong himself. If it is possible for an actor to have a new breakout role - one that doesn't launch his career but that finally takes it into orbit than this is it.
It's difficult to discuss the other elements of the show without spoilers - and this is one drama where the wrong word can potentially ruin it for any future viewers. However, beneath the fantastic production values and Ziggy's blazing acting triumph, this show struggles with its plotting and characterisation. In some respects, this is due to its source material - Japanese writers tend to create strange, almost surreal characters that only infrequently behave like normal people. This somewhat wars with the Korean sensibility in the back half and the plot falters as well. Combined with opaque character motivations this can make a lot of the episodes frustrating to watch.
Regardless of how poorly the back half was written and how dissatisfying the show was overall, the show is entirely worth watching for Ziggy's mesmerising extraordinary performance.
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Wow, just wow.
With really good dramas you can just tell right away, like almost always at some point in the first episode I'm like yup, this is it. This was definitely one of those times.If you like the bad boy then Kim Moo Young will have you literally dying from being heart struck. I loooved Seo In Guk's portrayal of Kim Moo Young. The first time he nonchalantly waltzes on screen with his ever so slight smirk, smooth walk and cool confident gaze there was no going back. Kim Moo Young is complicated. His character's persona isn't obviously good or obviously bad but his choices lead both ways. He is a multi-dimensional character without much of a moral compass who views others as pieces to a game, a form of entertainment in this strange world. He is a flawed individual that eventually stumbles upon past trauma and becomes broken because of it. He is intriguing because you never quite know what his response will be to a situation. A very powerful male lead who led the drama well.
Jin Kang (Jung So Min) was the PERFECT match for Moo Young. Initially cautious of Moo Young, she slowly became entangled in his life and as past storylines unfold, it's very clear why. Jin Kang challenged Kim Moo Young. She didn't fawn over him as every other woman had ever done and she didn't excuse his behavior. She also didn't parent him or patronize him. She put her faith in him to be better and she believed in him even when from the outside perspective she maybe shouldn't have. She instilled love and goodness in an otherwise cold dead heart. She held onto him and never gave up on him. Jin Kang was strong and kind and had her wits about her.
Jin Kang’s older brother, Yoo Jin Gook (Park Sung Woong) is the other main character who does everything in his power to care for and protect his sister. She means the world to him and their relationship is truly heartwarming to watch. Sometimes his protectiveness went over the top to the point of harming his beloved sister, but as much as I didn't like to admit it, I always understood his point of view even when I too thought he crossed a line. I thought Park Sung Woong was perfect for the role of her brother, because he can look very intimidating and formidable but when he smiles and talks he looks like a teddy bear.
Suspense and melodrama are heavy themes in this drama. My concern is always that as a drama progresses the story will plummet and we'll be left in a cliche last few episodes of nothingness. This was not the case. Up to the very last second of this drama I was hoping there would be more. Usually at the second to last episode you can tell things are on their way to resolve and wrap up but I was left on the edge of my seat till the end. Fitting of a melodrama, this is a dark storyline. Every conflict is not resolved perfectly and wrapped up with a golden ribbon. It’s a drama with pained characters who are trying to continue on even when everything in their lives comes crashing down. The relationships and how they evolve are what makes this drama so special. I tend to stay away from heavier dramas that I know are going to bring on the tears, but I would 100% recommend this one.
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After I already finish this drama I have some questions, how this drama getting worst and worst?...
When I started I so really excited watching first episodes soo what happen? also How many people rank more tan 8 point we watch same drama?
I admit the cast was really good, I love Ink Guk so much he has amazing dramas but this is no one of these. The plot soundsnninteresting and we have a mistery, however al of this good point just fell like coconut.
while we advance in different episodes, I feel pretty frustrating, a lot of siuation that looks like anyone cant remember like accidents (Friend), crime scenes ( Magical cleaner?) and when principal characters start a "romantic relationship"
Don't realize how toxic was both sides?
After start to "untangle" so many memories appears magical until the end.. last episode she was remember everything with this I feel more interesting in a children story, more details and situations.
And no to mention the end was so silly... remember me romeo and juliette but without reason just they want to dead, and so really sad for the bother that just want the better for them.
Certainly no chance of repeating this drama ever.
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I'll write this review for those who have watched the Japanese version of One Million Stars Falling From the Sky. I was originally hesitant to pick this one up because even though the original story was pretty wonky, I'm a huge fan of Kimura Takuya and Sanma because they have such great comedic chemistry together (especially the Christmas and New Year's variety specials they do~) and 100MM Stars was really the starting point of their on-screen collaboration. For those who aren't familiar with 100MM Stars, it was to Jdrama was Fashion King was to Kdrama. I'm the type of M fan that still loves them both, so don't trust my taste too much.
I usually can't stand watching Korean remakes because they tend to copy every~single~detail~ and invite endless comparisons, usually, for the worse. In this case, while the details more or less matched up the broader plot changed dramatically. The story is much tighter, fills in tons of plot holes, and is much kinder. For example, you get an explanation of why and how the two leads got together that actually made sense (gasp!).
That said, I couldn't help but remember the absolute wretchedness of the original at certain key points—I think a lot of scenes that should have totally fallen flat for the Korean-only viewers had me practically in tears, and vice-versa. So don't take this review as reliable if you don't have the BG of 100MM Stars.
The Smile Has Left Your Eyes was a very pleasant surprise. I accidentally started watching because of Seo In Guk (The titles are different! The story starts out differently! How could I have known what I was getting into??). He brought a whole new image to the MC. Rather than Kimura's short-tempered abrasiveness, Seo channeled more of a cool-headed psychopath type of character. It was only until quite late in the series that he really started to overlap with Kimura's style/mannerisms and I really began to miss Kimura deeply (at a certain angle, in those same clothes, with that hair color...). I actually really like the MC's new job working in a brewery (less comparisons to SxS's champion cook!) and being able to see his interactions with his coworkers opened up a new dimension to the character. Seo eventually evolves into a softer, more self-assured version of the MC that is pleasing to the eye.
Seo's scenes with Park Sung Woong really couldn't match up to Kimura-Sanma's—the vicious but clever back-and-forth banter, the overwhelming tension in their relationship—all of that is gone. There was much less interaction between these two characters, and it boiled down to one simple flow (distrust -> trust layered with guilt as Park learned more about Seo's background — compared to Sanma never trusting Kimura, but gradually coming to pity him as their relationship constantly flips back and forth). That said, if you're not used to watching makjang Kdramas some of Park's interactions with Seo come off as absolutely ridiculous; maybe it was an effort at "localization". I was deeply unimpressed with the older brother character, despite adoring Park as an actor.
To fill in the duo's missing scenes, we get Jang Young Nam as a brand-new character starring as Park's buddy-cop and she really does a great job of driving Park's role to its depths. She's a strong, confident and lively breath of fresh air among all the testosterone and provides a healthy balance against the head-smashing vapidness of the young ladies chasing Seo. Her presence was deeply appreciated, not least because 100MM Stars felt like an anti-women anthem.
Speaking of, Jung So Min as the female lead had great presence, strong acting (better than Seo), and was all-around an improvement on Fukatsu Eri's character. She single-handedly delivered so many scenes; without her, this remake would have collapsed. The script dragged her back at times, but she delivered with sensitivity and talent.
Smile cut out a lot of empty filler from 100MM Stars and packed it with background plot (minus some emptier staring-down-the-street scenes that seem to be in fashion with Kdramas recently). Much, much better than hours of repeatedly being subjected to "boiling kettle flashbacks" and "handball tournament training". There was actually one scene where Seo played with that damned handball—I cried from the bottled-up repressed trauma, but I'm not sure what first-time viewers saw in it as the detail popped up out of nowhere.
Maybe it's because 100MM Stars really tore out my heart, but I appreciated Smile's shift to a happy ending (well... a happier ending). If you're still harboring damage in your heart because of 100MM Stars, I recommend this as your therapy. I'm not sure it stands up among the Kdramas greats.
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Though I was tempted to include spoilers in this review because of how much i disliked certain plot points towards the end of the drama, I have decided to keep it spoiler free. The Smile Has Left Your Eyes is at its core a murder mystery. The drama opens with this murder and it is the lens through which all of the characters are introduced to the audience. From this murder the rest of the plot builds. For the first 5 episodes or so this plot device works wonderfully. The audience is left guessing as to who did it and everyone is looked at with an air of suspicion. However, by around episode 8 I felt this plotline had already been dragging for at least three episodes. New plotlines and elements which the show clearly wanted the audience to focus on more than the original murder were being introduced and yet were not being developed because the original murder was still hanging over the characters. This is the first instance of bad pacing in the show and I felt from here it only got worse. The most glaring issue with the second half of the drama is the fact that many of the plot twists or reveals have been figured out by the audience well before the show confirms them. I was left saying to myself 'Come on already. We KNOW! Just get to the point' frequently. I feel that a well paced show should not leave a viewer feeling this way. But the thing that I disliked most about The Smile Has Left Your Eyes is the general plotline/reveal of episode 14. It greatly impacts the show's finale, predictably as it is only two episodes later, and was so frustrating and disturbing. It truly tainted the drama for me and I wish the writers had just excluded it altogether.
This drama of course had many good elements. The acting for one was excellent and I felt that Park Sung Woong in particular was amazing. The general overarching plot was interesting and the cast of characters were very well developed. However, for me, these good aspects of the drama could not overcome the pacing issues that ran throughout the plot.
Overall The Smile Has Left Your Eyes was decent. A drama that could have been so much better but that fell prey to an all too common pacing issue many other dramas have faced before. I'm glad I watched it but would not do so again.
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shattered heart
Can't even begin to explain how this drama made me feel. It's been a while since I last cried so much.I don't want to drag on and write a long ass review cause I can't put my thoughts in order.
What I liked the most about this drama was the chemistry between the two main characters, they made my heart pound so much. Their scenes are simply beautiful.
The last two episodes broke my heart, and I can't even explain all the things I felt when finishing it. I literally cried for half an hour, that's how broken and shattered my heart was.
The other thing that I liked the most was the ost, the musicalization in general. Good choices, good tracks that go along with the scenes. Beautiful.
Don't know what else to say, it's a good drama to just cry and cry. Though the story is good and it made me suffer a lot, the best of the drama are the characters themselves.
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did they just end it like that ?!!
one of the dumbest endings i've ever watchedlike after the bitch told him they were siblings
i know he was shocked and frustrated but still his character is supposed to be
smart , not at that moment , a day or even two days after , he should have checked
and not just take the bitch'word , and there were a lot of obvious ways
there is something called DNA test these days you know
and why didn't he think that if they were really related , her brother would've known and told him , DUUUH
and the ending , how the F did their killer know the place , if he had a phone they could trace
the police would've already cought him , if he followed the MC it may make sense but still
i feel like they wanted to avoid a cliche happy ending but messed up everything else instead
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This story was amazing, until it wasn't. It was gripping, and I really enjoyed the twisty paths the author takes us on trying to figure out who did what, who is who, who is who in the past, who knows who already and who knows what other strange questions are unravelled throughout. Really clever, a complex unravelling that I really enjoyed.
The acting was superb, Seo In Guk - who i'd seen previously in a radically different role (goofy, light hearted etc) in Shopaholic Louie was amazing in this role as a much darker character with clear "damage". He keeps you on your toes throughout trying to work out if he's just got baggage from the past, or if he's actually missing some key parts of his humanity. Jung So Min I saw previously in Because this is my first life, and in many ways it's a similar type of character so was instantly familiar. The third main character was Park Sung Woong who I saw last in "Remember" - plays Jung So Min's older brother and police officer, always delivers a strong performance and is key in all the unravelling that goes on, his character has to resolve and handle a number of complex things in his past and how he copes with them and I really believed in his character.
I was totally hooked on this all the way through, it made a nice change from some of the lighter fluffy ones (which this most definitely is not) and has quite a lot of depth - it's not just solve one mystery and all done, there's layers upon layers.
However after the 16 episodes are done, i'm left with a feeling verging on anger and frustration at the ending. For me that's why the rewatch score is so low, otherwise this would have been a definite rewatch. The ending just seemed unnecessary, there were options going forward hinted at earlier in the story that could have been used to make a better (IMHO) ending. As I warned at the start, the area I have the most critical feedback on I can't because otherwise it's a spoiler.
All I'll say is - watch it, it's definitely worth the watch, but brace for the conclusion.
Props for some supporting characters / actors - Tak (Jang Yun Nam) provides a great sounding board for Park Sun Woong's character, and I liked that she was a strong character in her own right (though I can't imagine anyone not being strong who gets to any kind of position in the police force). Im Yoo Ri (Go Min Shi) was another interesting character to watch and I really liked the journey of improvement she went on ultimately - which is kinda why I was more let down by the ending as I was really expecting that this was the blueprint for the way forward for the final ending as well... not to mention a flash forward x years to see her "reborn" and doing well with good support around her. Ah well.
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Why?!
The only think I can think of, after completing this series is: Why?! Why waste a good line up of actors (and crew, I assume) to mess it all up with an inconsistent and perverse storyline.Spoiler alerts now, do not read any further if you don't want to:
How can a brother talk about the love for his sister, when he does anything to keep her away from the man she loves, including stabbing him? The only reason I have come to conclude is that he purely out of selfish reasons didn't want the truth to be found out by the boy and the role he played in his miserable life. All in the end we find out he knew all along that he was the 'lost boy' and that his sister and that boy were very close friends before. As someone who has lived with guilt all his life he should have been extremely happy to have finally found that boy and see him reunited with his sister. Can't get around the twisted minds of those plot writers and actually feel cheated by them. What a waste of a basically interesting story 'bad boy can become good if he's given the chance'.
Still, the actors tried their best and drew you into their drama. It's only a pity that there were so many inconsistencies and unexplainable behaviour (sister is all la-di-da with her brother after hearing he stabbed her boyfriend!?).
So, all in all, a lot of missed opportunities to create a strong dramatic love story.
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EPisode 13-16
Man, What a lackluster drama.I sit through this whole drama because I love the idea. But it's hard to sit through a drama who have no idea what they want to convey. It has the idea and element from what I love about melodrama from hallyu era, For Example Misa. . A damage male lead, the idea of the leads has been trapped in the past for years, an anti heroes, guilt driven plot. Etc.. But it's somehow doesn't come together cohesively, and lack purpose to convey something meaningful. Add to that of not so subtle acting. Make this drama a lackluster melodrama.
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