The Smile Has Left Your Eyes (2018)

Jesus Christ...! Let me tell you: this is crazy. One of the most intriguing and suspenseful dramas I have ever watched. Mostly because of the main character. Seo In Guk is spectacular. It's maybe the best acting I have ever seen in a drama series. He just nailed that character which means something when a character is that complex. The way he talked, his facial expressions – everything was just perfect. This series haunts you even after you finish it.
The acting, the way the story was told (the dialogues!), the music, the production – this is beyond great.
The only problem: the plot is paper-thin if you look at it from a distance. It doesn't bother you while watching the series. The drama is so well made that you are longing for more and more ... But after finishing it, you really wonder why it had to be like this. Why certain things happened. You feel like it could have been avoided all together.
It seems this series is a remake of a Japanese drama. They changed a very important part of the plot and I feel like if they hadn't done that, the plot would make more sense. I don't want to spoil, but the motives and the behavior of the brother of the female lead made no sense. They tried to explain it later on, but it didn't convince me at all.
Overall this drama is too great to not rate it very high. I watched it until the end and didn't skip a scene. I even plan on watching it again, just to enjoy Seo In Guk's great acting. His co-star was good too, of course. Jung So Min always delivers. I would love to see those too again in a drama.

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it is really great how the director show the darkness of each character.

Seo In Guk do a great job show the darkness of the character as well as the sad love in his soul make you move from
hate to compassion. Jung So Min was not bad to express the credulity. Park Sung Woong in every part of his act.

the biggest wrong was not give Park Sung Woong character "Yoo Jin Gook" enough part of play, also not emphasize enough on him, he is a great actor and his character must play a biggest part in the story ass well as show enough of his feelings.

The story was great, may it is too soon to clear the darkness of Seo In Guk. the ending could be better, it is good.

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I watched the Japanese version a long time back and when I heard about the Korean one I thought that I’d only watch a few episodes here and there as I was curious about the ending but when I watched the first episode I was intrigued by the eerie vibe of the drama and started to religiously tune in every week. All the actors fit perfectly in their roles and the plot never felt like it was dragging or boring as it never stopped intriguing the audience. This drama was amazing in terms of cinematography and acting along with the plot that wasn’t completely far off from the original. Both the Korean and Japanese versions have their own charms and what I’d want to say is that this drama is worth the watch and it will definitely draw you in with its strong plot, characters and beautiful cinematography.

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Great start, but a not-so-great execution

Only God knows how I wanted to like this drama. I even gave it a second chance after putting it on-hold for almost two years, but unfortunately it fell flat to me.

Since this drama was focused more on the plot and the thriller instead of romance, I'll be more strict judging the story than I usually am cause I had very high expectations for this.

This is not the type of show that'll keep you at the edge of your seat, as it's slow paced and the story takes its time to develop. The first two or three episodes are amazing, all very engaging and efficient at establishing the mystery and the main characters personalities and connections without giving too much away. But after that the drama shifts its focus from the murder mystery and the story looses traction really fast. There were also some dumb plotholes here and there. Jin Gook is constantly withholding important information from his sister just for the sake of creating misunderstanding and keeping the plot going. He also does some poor detective job sometimes, like why would you just leave an important clue you found behind when it's highly likely the suspect will have easy access to it and obviously try to get rid of it? Or how people see someone who clearly attempted suicide and do nothing about it. Also the fact that Jin Kang and Cho Rong dated is completely irrelevant, they don't even act like a couple afterwards (at least not until the point I watched) so why even bother with it?

What bothered me the most, though, was the romance between Jin Kang and Moo Young. I wasn't aware there would be romance in this drama when I first started it and honestly I hated every second of it. I'm sorry but they don't share anything in commom besides their tragic past, every time they meet they fight so how am I supposed to believe they could actually fall for each other? I just wanted the plot to reverse back to the murder mystery and stay away from that relationship cause it was, at least to me, extremely uninteresting to see. I love Moo Young, he's a very unique male lead, cunning, stoic and whose motivations are hard to grasp at first which makes him very engaging to watch, but he is not good as a love interest. Realistically nobody would want to be in a relationship with someone so annoying and hard to figure out with that devil-may-care attitude of his, specially not someone who's initially so level-headed and mature like Jin Kang so that's why I couldn't immerse myself in the story anymore.

The acting is top-notch, though. After seeing So In Guk in Shopping King Louis I was extremely surprised by his portrayal of a polar opposite character here, it was astounding. Jung So Min does a very good job as well and I think all the cast is pretty good with their acting. The soundtrack is also great, it helps to create a very eerie and enigmatic atmosphere throughout the narrative.

All in all it's definitely not terrible, but it was a great disappointment to me. I unfortunately read a spoiler about the Japanese drama and I thought it was a really unexpected revelation, which would've potentially made this drama worth watching, but I just couldn't keep myself interested enough to get to the end. Even so, I'd still recommend it for people who wish to see some drama with a different atmosphere from your typical Korean romance.

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How can I find and put together the suitable words and write a review about one of the most iconic creations in the Drama world??
Its tells a haunting tale of love and tragedy. they are destined to be together , this is tale of revenge, but in the most subtle of ways, I love the ending just like Romeo and Juliet.
The "Drama" aspect of the drama however, is outstanding: direction are all top notch, Seo In Guk and Jung So Min chemistry is on fire !!! to me they are the best on screen couple so far :) but please dont pair them again in next dram or whatever because that would killed the flavour.
I love the part when Kim Moo-young finds out about the father and he said" I want to born again" that look , I'll never forget that look !!
Seo In Guk is my new obesession, he is a class act, :))), Had there also been an Oscar for best smouldering Seo In Guk would have walked it .

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Seo In-guk is a revelation to me! He was so charming in Shopping King that I was enticed to watch this new drama and it did not disappoint.

Can't help but clap and tip my hat off to his superb, convincing performance here. Jung So-min did pretty good as well, plus the sweet chemistry between the two was undeniable.

It was a drama about different facets of personal relationships, it's value, what one is willing to give in the name of love and friendships. The closeness of peers Park Sung-woong and Young-nam Jang was a proof that two people can still develop a deep relationship without malice.

I still can't get over this highly-recommended drama. Well done!!!

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Serious melodrama

This review is based upon my reaction ONLY to the show. I'm a romance/happy ending kind of girl, and this was WAAAYYY on the other end of the spectrum. This is a serious melodrama.

If you want to see some awesome acting by Seo In Guk, watch this. He was amazing. Here he plays completely opposite to anything we've seen him in to date. I had a hard time seeing him as anything other than the hero of a show, but he was chillingly believable.

I felt that the female lead's character was severely lacking in self esteem and came across as needy. This was a woman that should not be let to make her own choices, because she chooses wrong every time.

The music was perfect and carried the mood well.

I have to say that I was depressed after watching this show. Too much angst, too much deception, too much melodrama.

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I watched this in 2018, but it seems like a pity not leaving a review.

I've been wanting to do a rewatch for a couple of yrs now, but haven't got the chance.
I will not compare this remake to the original Japanese one.

Seo In Guk has been one of my favourite Korean actors since the beginning of his career, and I think he showed many different characters in his show.
In this one, he seems even younger than he was at the time (his undereye mole always get me) and in some scenes he seemed also vulnerable, if possible, nonetheless he managed to scare me and gave me chills from the very first episode.

I didn't like the female protagonist at first, but then I fell in love with the chemistry between her (Jin Kang) and Moo Young.

I clearly remember Yellow from Coldplay being in one of the episodes, and this already gave the OST a good vote from me :)

The story was not as linear (especially if I think about Jin Gook's choices and the police actions), but it was a good one.
I especially enjoyed the mistery around the main couple and the sad truth(s) revealed during the series.

Regarding the ending, I loved how the production decided to dress Jin Kang in white, pure from the beginning to the end, and Moo Young in black, almost indicating their "side" but also their bond, like the Yin & Yang.
Also, when Jin Kang comforts Moo Young at the end, it seems like she's giving him forgiveness and peace.

Highly recommend, I hope I can do a rewatch soon!

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This drama can be described in only one word: unbelievable. Protectiveness is surprisingly the fatal flaw in this series that leads to the characters demise. Seo In Guk and Jung So Min had a satisfying amount of chemistry but nothing too spectacular. Seo In Guk outdid himself with this drama, being able to display a cold, calculating, and mysterious character who you just are drawn towards and want to figure out. Jung So Min's acting was good, but her expressions were too stoic in this drama. I found it hard to believe the FL had the type of unconditional love for a manipulator. She literally went to bed with the ML right after the ML indirectly murdered his girlfriend/her best friend. Secrets were kept far too long right until the very end, but by then, it was too late. Tragic love with unexpected twists and reveals. Everything could have been done better but still worthwhile watch.

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O Sorriso Deixou Seus Olhos - resenha de Helena Mansur

Esse drama me surpreendeu de muitas formas. Coloquei ele na lista por causa do Seo In Guk (que não decepciona nunca) e demorei a vê-lo por achar que seria bem clichê. Mas ao começar a assistir, o roteiro bem escrito e a trama bem elaborada foram me cativando, trazendo personagens cheios de traumas psicológicos e segredos do passado, e que estavam entrelaçados de alguma maneira. Porém as coisas foram se revelando aos poucos, aumentando minha curiosidade e me deixando mais interessada. Diferentemente de muitos dramas de romance, o amor que existe entre os protagonista se revela muito profundo e o final é insuperavelmente forte (me lembrei do quanto sofri em "Moon Lovers"). Mas, muito além do romance, esse drama traz a mensagem de que sempre vivemos as consequências de nossas escolhas, o que é bem típico da cultura oriental, pois não há como ser feliz causando dor aos outros e, infelizmente, inocentes também sofrem. Muitos personagens desse drama trazem essa mensagem. Aliás, o elenco é ótimo! Sou muito fã de Park Sung Woong Oppa (rsrsrs) e de Jung So Min. Talvez não seja o drama ideal para as "dorameiras sonhadoras", mas é perfeito para quem curte histórias de suspense e anti-heróis.

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Poignant and Haunting!!!

I've re-watched this drama so many times that i've lost count, seriously. If i can find the kind of love that the two leads found with each other - despite the tragic ending - i can live/die a happy person! The plot is gripping and I was thoroughly drawn to the romantic development and progression of the main leads when they met each other as adults, but didn't have a clue that they were connected to each other from way back in the past. Another drama that comes closest to this in terms of the melo-romance and nature vs. nurture theme is The Flower of Evil (2020), which is another must must watch!!!

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It was mind blowing

Thanks to the story and the acting especially seo In-guk act, after a long time I watched something unique and different, Different good.
The character of Kim mu yoong was so remarkable and beyond my expectation. He has a dark character a boy who has some issues which is a good thing since I get tired of watching cute and funny main character in dramas. Although I see this drama as a first rate one but of course it has some problem some of its episode get boring and it was like the story lost its direction. Any way literally I love it and I'm going to watch it again

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