The Smile Has Left Your Eyes (2018)

Truly one of the best acted, written, scored, directed, and shot dramas I've ever watched. With that said I understand this drama isn't for everyone, especially if you're used to watching light and fluffy dramas. Even so, I recommend this show wholeheartedly, but keep in mind that the overall tone is heavy and mournful.

Story
What I enjoyed about the writing was that it felt real and raw. I could believe the dialogue between the characters as actual conversations versus lines on a page. What I usually hate about the writing in dramas is that the characters are too one-dimensional, inconsistent, or simply don't change. Not here as you will find complex and authentic characters, no doubt helped by the excellent cast. The only thing I disliked was how Jin Kang was perhaps a little too forgiving of the people around her for acts that were quite heinous, which felt unrealistic but perhaps that's just her character trait.

Acting
I say with confidence, every single actor here was amazing. I've watched Jung So Min before in "The Sound of Your Heart" where she was quite funny, but this role transformed how I see her from now on. She has a special mix of charm, strength, heart, and humour. This is the first time I've seen Seo In Guk in anything, and I was speechless. He completely transformed into an enigmatic, tender, and dangerous Moo Young. Overall extremely impressed by the entire cast.

Music
The orchestral and instrumental pieces really elevated the scenes they accompanied. Definitely far better than average background music. I actually want to buy the OST.

If you can't tell, I really loved this drama. It balances the mystery, drama, crime, and romance very well. Production value is high here, and you'll be able to tell as soon as you start to watch. Just a warning, don't watch if you can't handle serious and tragic themes which can affect rewatch value.

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Story:
10/10 idk about what other people think but i loved this kinda of mystery plot.....it makes me feel so curious throughout the whole drama therefore making it addictive and keeping me excited about wed and thurs each week! This would probably be my first thrilling and romantic drama THIS YEAR. the thing i don't like is how they rushed their romance a bit so they seemed to have more time dating than MAKING chemistry BUUUUT they are still so cute and i love themmmmm I SHIP SO BADLY they rlly do suit each other
Acting/Cast:
10/1000 Not surprised by BOTH Seo in guk and Jung so min ;) They make such beautiful and cute chemistry i actually wished they could actually date in real life ~ I love how SIG can makes diff eye expressions (from evil to innocent to worries >.<) at the same time (and he's like a pupppy tooooo cuteee) and JSM is so pretty here. They are both long term and experienced actors/actresses so no surprise they would be that good ~
Music:
7.5/10
Not that great but not bad either....they seemed to change songs at sudden times but eh it did suit the atmosphere you could say?
Rewatch Value:
9/10 I'd def go watch it again! Bc some characters only stayed for a short amount of time this is my chance to see them again by rewatching it haha but since i already know the story i think i would skip some parts. There is also a few annoying and frustrating scenes but that's one of the reasons why the drama is so addicting and highly rated.
Overall:
9.5/10 I didn't go for a perfect 10/10 bc nothing is perfect ~ ;) but I STILL HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS TO YOU it made me have similar feelings towards DOTS but the genre id kinda diff?...i haven't seen the japanese ver but this is so worth your time!!! WARNING: PREPARE A PACK OF TISSUES I HAVEN'T CRIED THIS HARD IN A KDRAMA FOR SO LONG :"""")))

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*Y'all better buckle in your seat belts cause this is a long overdue review for this drama.*

Holy lord this story does not disappoint. I didn't watch the original Japanese version but boy was this version a ride. It kept you on your toes every step of the story between the mysterious plot of mysterious murder, Moo Young's past, the blooming relationship between Moo Young and Jin Kang and even the brotherly protection that Jin Gook has over his little sister. Not to mention how the whole plot just made you want to watch more (I finished this drama roughly within a day...). The connection between Moo Young and Jin Kang is more than what meets the eye and the layers underneath it all really make you go crazy on how you missed it. The little details that reveal themselves through multiple characters are nicely fit into each piece of the story. There's also the dark undertone of the story as the murder case is opened wide and everyone is in the crosshairs of Jin Gook's side investigation, Moo Young included. You also see this brotherly and sisterly love that Jin Kang and Jin Gook share and how their relationship has been over the years. The appearance of Moo Young is truly what changes their lives, whether it be by chance or not. It's a crazy thriller that non-stop makes you wonder what will happen next. The drama does have it sweet small filler moments but barely anything that a whole episode worth, the main story is always the focus as it should be. I don't think it's even possible to go into depth with the story without spoiling it, so I won't. (You'll understand if you watch it)

I was so hyped to see Seo In Guk acting again. I had always loved his characters as he just fits into the acting world to me. I mean, he perfected the role of Moo Young so well that I almost forgot it was a drama (plus his voice is so nice, check out his music). Not to mention how well he got the dark side of Moo Young's character, which I respect him for even more. I had never seen a drama with Jung So Min, but I was also quite impressed with her performance of her character as Jin Kang and I will surely be keeping my eye out for her now that I've seen how well she can act. I tried keeping my expectations low for the drama since I didn't want to get too invested but I couldn't help it with the cast. I mean Park Sung Woong as the brother was phenomenal. His character was intense yet overprotective, but he showed it flawlessly, even in some scenes where he didn't even talk.

Now music wise I was thoroughly enjoying it throughout the drama. The songs that I liked the most were Star by Seo In Guk and Jung So Min themselves & Lost by An Ji Yeon. It really hit the heart feels right at the crucial moments and you can't help but feel more emotion in the scenes where the music does play. They're definitely on my playlist now but I suggest that you listen to it yourself to see how you like it.

Overall, I would watch this drama over and over again just to remind myself of the crazy ride it was. It's a drama that I honestly don't want to forget the main details of, which is a short list of dramas for me (with the others being Scarlet Heart Ryeo, A Korean Odyssey, and Strong Woman Do Bong Soon).

This has been "The Smile Has Left Your Eyes".

(I did like the title, Hundred Million Stars From The Sky a little bit more but it seems most people know it as the one mentioned above.)

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As I started watching TSHLYE I was literally overwhelmed with emotions. The plot was anything I can think of since it was incredibly unpredicatble. However the hype began to fade as the episodes went by. From an amazing psychological drama it went to a lovestory which we have seen in plenty other dramas.

Although I am kind of disappointed at how the story turned out, this is still one of the best productuions I've watched. I can say that this is mainly thanks to Seo In Guk's insanely interesting character Kim Moo Young, whose personality is complicated and unpredicatble and probably one of the best charaters I've had the pleasure to watch in a korean drama. His development as a person is also very heartwarming while he goes from an merciless psychopath to a man willing to change for the sake of his love.

I think the story between the police oficer and the male lead was more exciting than the love story itself. They had a kind of cute bromance and yet they were each other's greatest enemy. Yoo Jin Gook is kind of the typical moralistic policeman every thriller drama neads. His relationship to his sister is also very heartwarming to watch.
Yoo Jin Kang's character was a rather boring one and it seemed like she was overshadowed by the others although she wasn't the typical weak female lead we've seen in many other kdramas.

Lastly I can say the drama had everything to suit everyone's taste. A melodramatic thriller with a misterious vibe and even some humour. I stronlgy recommend it but if you're looking for a happy story and a beautiful ending, better choose something else!

Hope my review was helpful and I apologise for the mistakes ??

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The spoilers from my Instagram feed made me watch this drama and tbh I didn't regret a moment. Or maybe the end of the drama disappointed me a bit. Okay, let's go one by one.

Plot: Was amazing. The 1st 12 episodes were amazing. Actually, it was good till the end but personally, I feel like they should have brought the story in a different direction. I mean when I think about again, I do get it but I'm a sucker for romance; forbidden, angst-filled kinda romance so I was frustrated and disappointed till it was running in my mind for a couple of days. No matter how perfect they were for each and other, they were toxic as well to other people so killing them off was the only choice because separating them at the end is out of topic.

Acting: All the actors did such a good job justifying their characters. There wasn't a moment where I thought "this person is annoying me". except for the b**** of a sister who started the whole mess. hahaha. I've never cried along with the main characters in any other dramas but when Kim Moo Young and Yoo Jin Kang were crying, tears dripping down my chin automatically. You can feel the pain both going through like it hits your core. Especially when KMY cried, you can feel that he's crying because his world just ended and that he has no other choice but to take such decisions and if he could, he would simply end his life on his own because the pain was too much to bear. This is the 2nd drama I watched of Seo In Guk and I have to say he did a good job improving. and I'm planning to watch his other dramas to see him in different genres. Christ, his eyes. His passive eyes. Like he couldn't give a damn about anything but they spoke so many emotions words cannot describe. ARGH...

Music: Perfect. Nothing else I can say more to prove my point. It was perfect. Slow mellow like music gets to your heart and stays in your mind for a long time. My main Korean music playlist consists of songs from drama OSTs, so trust me when I say I don't regret listening to the OST at least 3 times a week.

Rewatch Value: I highly recommend rewatching the drama but I'm gonna wait till this throbbing pain in my heart to settle down a bit before I could ever think about rewatching the drama. His pain throughout the drama spoke a lot and it kills me every time I think about it. So maybe a year or so maybe, who knows hahaha

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Haven't watched the Japanese version of this so I won't be comparing the two :)

Story 8.5/10
The story develops pretty seamlessly and the pacing is pretty perfect, but that doesn't mean the drama doesn't have its problems. The drama carries through two distinct phases separated pretty much first half and second half so I'll frame my thoughts based on these two parts.
The first half involves the crime the synopsis depicts, and it's damn near perfect. What really steals the show the first half is the relationship between Jin Kang and Kim Moo Young. Just like Jin Kang, we have no clue what's going on in Moo Young's head but we slowly fall in love with him anyways! They have your typical "I hate you" turned "I love you" k-drama formula, but the way the drama does it feels more raw and less cheesy because Moo Young isn't your typical male lead. He's mischievous and you never know what he's thinking. I like watching a drama that has subtlety in what it's doing, it knows that it doesn't need to show in giant black ink what's going on for you to catch on but at the same time, keeps you just confused enough to stay curious and keep watching.
But once the crime mystery ends we enter into the second half of the story and that's where all the problems become more apparent. I can't really describe these without spoiling the story too much but just be expecting these things. First, the relationship gets kinda toxic because the situation is messed up. The side characters that were involved in the first half lose their purpose entirely in the grand scheme of things, so I can't help but wonder why they're even there (Seung Ah, Yoo Ri, Jin Gook's lady friend, Cho Rong, the brother's mean boss... need I continue?). Moo Young is probably the only character that goes through any development. Unfortunately, Jin Kang and Jin Gook don't go through any development, things just get revealed about them so you can be shocked about their past. Which is a shame, because the development with Moo Young is really, REALLY good. By the end of the drama, you REALLY feel for this man.
Also, you probably already know this going in but this drama is the definition of melodrama. Your emotions WILL get screwed with! :(

Acting/Cast 10/10
The acting is SO good, and it makes me so happy! It's a melodrama, but the main cast acts doesn't go overboard and they act their scenes out so that it really feels like how people would react if these things were to really happen to them. Once again, I think a strong point of this drama is its subtleties. In particular, Seo In Guk doesn't blatantly say what he wants or is thinking, he emotes it subtlety. This is not to say that during the dramatic parts of the drama he doesn't give a BANGER, because he absolutely does. During the final episodes, the acting is some of the best.
Also, can we talk about Seo In Guk and Jung So Min's chemistry? It's REALLY good. I was literally out here shipping them the moment they met.

Music 10/10
I'm not picky with my music, the music they chose was solid and did what it needed to. Especially OST #2 with Seo In Guk and Jung So Min, so freaking good! They're definitely songs I'd listen to outside of the drama (although I'm gonna have to wait a couple of weeks to calm down and power through my withdraw symptoms from this drama before I listen to it because I'll just cry if I do).

Rewatch Value 5/10
Wouldn't watch this again, but I wouldn't watch any melodrama again because I can't put myself through all the pain again. I'd for sure watch clips again to see the performances from the actors or any cute bits.

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Even though it's rare sometimes you know you'll love a drama even before watching it. I read the drama description before it started airing and from the very first moment I was excited and I already couldn't wait anymore. Back then when the Drama just had started airing I remember reading some comments about Seo In Guk and that someone else should play his character. I think he later showed everyone that he was in case the most perfect actor for this role. Moo Young's trauma, his pain and his growing love for Jin Kang - he let us feel what he felt. I think Jin Kang could feel it too because from the very first moment she was drawn to him. Jung So Min told us Jin Kang's story perfectly. Even her body language showed the viewer how her opinion of Moo Young went from "danger" to "I want to be your safe place". Both of them did an amazing job and their chemistry was overwhelming good. It may be obvious but to me the plot was perfect as well. I haven't watched such an entertaining drama since some time. I was never bored not even for a single second and I was really happy that they changed the original plot to their own version. Till the end this Drama was amazing written and played. The ending couldn't have been better. Bittersweet but also full of love that can't ever be destroyed. I'm so going to miss this Drama and it's characters. May the future bring us more dramas like TSHLYE.

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Great melodrama

I've been planning to watch this drama for 4 years and somehow couldn't get around to it. Recently I was looking for something to make me sad and I found it. Great acting, full of drama, mysteries, death, murders, crime story and Seo In Guk in the main role. In my opinion he played the role very well. There were some things that I didn't understand too much, especially that they completely forgot about the first murder. After all, the main character was also involved in that murder, so why didn't they do anything about it. I also don't understand why Jin Gook stabbed Moo Young back then if he felt so sorry for him. Perhaps he was afraid that Jin Kang would find out about her past? I don't know because it wasn't explained.I fell pain when because of a stupid joke about Jin Kang being Moo Young's sister, it ruined everything. But on the other hand, I really like it because I like to feel that way while watching tv shows. I'm very happy with the ending, it made me sad and cry, which is what I was looking for. It's just a pity that I watched it after such a long time and missed a really good drama.

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Worth my time

I always feel sad and after seeing any death in drama. But this drama show death of people like its very common. I think writer loves deaths too much.
Apart from deaths, everything was perfect. It's just that so many people died without any special meaning or effort or anything. While whole story revolve around Moo Young father's death. But they didn't give any attention to other deaths.
Me who love happy endings so much, I feel last two episodes were not needed, we can call it a happy ending just after episode 14.
Character Development
There is very little progress in characters.
Kim Moo young who is portrayed as bad but good person, who still becomes bad person at end who can be overtaken by his anger. Jang family both children were dead but still Moo young doesn't feel any remorse or anything.
Yoo Jin Gook is same throughout the drama, a very good person with a bad past. but still some points which did not even matched with his character like he stabbing Moo Young.
Yoo Jin Kang is the character I love the most, there is progress in her character
Tak is also a very good character which make this drama so lovely.
But still no explanation between Jin Gook and Tak has been provided like why they are not married when she is also good to Jin Kang.

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Less secrets are healthier

Although the plot interest solely relies on keeping secrets and never telling important and at times crucial facts to the main leads I think it went too far for melodrama's sake.

I still give it a 9 because the main couple does really well, but personally, I would have preferred a more positive last 4 episodes if, at least, the most crucial fact had been known to the ML. This could have been easily achieved by the writers and I believe it would have made more sense, helping to balance all the previous sorrows that are pretty heavy all throughout the drama. I thought it was really a shame to harness till the very end on an overdramatic plot.

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Not my usual watch.

This is not what i usually watch but i did so because i like to two lead actors. The story is a little confusing and the early episodes set the tone of the ML character and later the FL character. The story revolves around what happened many years ago and tells a tale of the failure of adults to protect the children. The lack of honesty and selfishness of the brother and his female friend left me feeling very angry with those characters. Also the doctors character is somewhat questionable.
In the end of course through many twists and turns it is the children/now adults who pay the price for all the deception.
The ML and FL portrayed their characters in a stunning performance from start to finish. I will look for more from these two actors. they were the shining light that carried the story through to the end.
It is a story that you need to be strong to watch.

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One of best melodramas

You are hooked In first episodes with the enigmatic storyline. You fell in love with Kim Moo Young but also feels wary towards him.
All the twists and mystery around the 2 main characters keep you in suspense. The passion and the complicated character of the male lead is the most interesting one. It feels real, well written and the scenarists actually did an amazing job to depict such complicated emotions.

Two things made me tick though! When Yoo Jin Gook stabbed Kim Moo Young. When you finally understand how they’re related and what Yoo Jin Gook did to his father, the way he treated him didn’t make sense, and to want to kill him was way out of the picture and didn’t fit the regrets and guilt that he felt.
And then it is how Yoo Jink Kang reacted to that vs how she felt completely desperate when she learned her brother killed Kim Moo Young’s father. It felt strange and also out of place.

We will learn only in the last episode who she really is and how the 2 main characters are intertwined.
Regardless, these flaws, the drama worked for me as the psychology of the characters is really well written and makes you question how you would react in these scenarios. Human beings are indeed complicated animals.

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