Possibly my favorite melodrama kdrama I have seen.
The story of 'The Smile Has Left Your Eyes' is something so vastly different than most Korean dramas. It is a melodrama that sublimely incorporates the genres of thriller, mystery, romance, and tragedy of all things--and on top of your not-so-typical antihero lead, it sheds some light on some controversial topics (which will not be named due to this review being spoiler free). The story starts off quite eerily, full of suspense and mystery, and gradually as the drama progresses, the melodrama kicks in while retaining most of the suspense.
I do feel it slightly lost some spark towards the climax due to the script demanding misunderstandings (don't we love those?). Many conflicts could have been avoided if there was better communication amongst the characters. I suppose this can be said for virtually any drama, but it especially applies in this case. It doesn't help that some of the situations aren't fully concluded. I do also feel there were just a tad bit many plot devices used to progress the story. Some character actions just make little sense, and there was either little or no explanation to them afterwards. I at often times felt frustrated by many of these actions, but fear not; it shouldn't detract much from your entertainment, as the overall execution and the story itself are quite beautiful.
Moving onto the cast--they were absolutely splendid. The leads had amazing chemistry, and everything felt genuine, from hardships to happiness.
Seo In Guk plays his first antihero role in Kim Moo Young, and he truly delivers. His character is sharp, mysterious, and conflicting, and much like Jin Kang, I could not help but be drawn to him, wanting to figure out his character, questioning his motives and actions. Moo Young's dialogue was also quite intricate in that viewers and characters alike could draw multiple meanings from his words. I think this was one element the drama and In Guk pulled off especially well.
Jung So Min plays Yoo Jin Kang, a rather strong willed woman who is also very kind, forgiving, and sympathetic. Jin Kang's strength as a character is not what I would classify similarly to a strong female lead, but she is strong because of her ability to endure everything she has experienced, accept it, and move on. Jung So Min conveyed Jin Kang's emotions so vividly well, the emotional pain is visible through her interactions.
Park Sung Woong nails his role as Jin Kang's brother, Yoo Jin Gook, as well. He portrayed the shifts in emotion as the drama progressed very well. I do however, wish his character was better written.
As for the supporting cast, their performances were stellar as well. Seo Eun Soo pulled off a very convincing girl blinded by love in Baek Seung Ah. Go Min Shi as well with the complications in her character, Im Yu Ri. Special mention Kim Ji Hyun whom played Jang Se Ran. She completely took me by surprise, both her acting and her character.
Most of the faults in the cast were largely due to shifts and errs in the script, not the actors themselves. The actors always delivered in their roles, but often there were actions that just didn't make any sense, conflicts that could have been avoided if we applied any spec of common sense to the situations, which leads back to my stance on there being too many (in)conveniences to the story.
The music in this drama was synced flawlessly. If I had to compliment any one thing about the drama, it would absolutely be the soundtrack. The eerie, sinister themes added so many elements of suspense to drama. Sorrowful, yet calming and somehow uplifting music complemented the melodrama and romance all too well, especially 'Lost' by Ahn Ji Yeon. 'Someday' by Yi Sung Yol was the perfect song to end off many of the episodes' suspense, while leaving you craving for the next. And I can't forget 'Star' which was a beautiful addition sung by none other than the 2 leads Seo In Guk and Jung So Min. I feel this song greatly reflects their relationship in the drama.
Definite a recommend from me if you're looking for a melodramatic romance with thriller and mystery! Just take note that this does happen to be a tragedy.
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This definitely isn't my first time liking either of the leads in a drama, but I feel like this is both of them at their absolute best. Seo In Guk and Jung So Min also have legendary chemistry here, ranging from entertaining banter, to intimate and genuine, to emotional rollercoaster. They both really get to showcase their range in these roles and create truly memorable characters who I couldn't help but care about and root for, even if their relationship was extremely complicated and messy. That's what I loved most about this drama and its characters, nothing is all good or bad, and nothing is as predictable as it may initially seem. These characters make frustrating decisions and take scream at the screen inducing actions, and instead of that making me mad it just made them all feel more human.
It also helps that the entire cast is impressive. Park Sung Woong big brother role and Jang Young Nam also have amazing chemistry and give really great performances. I loved Moo Young rivalries with various characters. I especially loved the moments when Jin Kang and Jin Gook hid darkness and depth behind their smiles and teasing. The whole cast really played well off of each other. Some roles end up being more significant than others but there's not a single weak link in the cast, which helped to make some of the more melodramatic moments feel more realistic and made me more invested in everything that was going on, even during moments when I was confused. Eventually, all the elements of the story do come together, so any confusion I had was always temporary, and just kept me more interested in what was going to happen next.
Would I watch this drama again? Without hesitation. Although the suspense of not knowing what's going on would be gone, just watching how all the pieces fit is entertaining to me. I also feel like this is the kind of drama where I might pick up on something during a second viewing that I missed the first time. I really wasn't ready for this drama to be over, even though it ended in a way that seemed inevitable and was well done. I still miss the characters enough to want to see them again, especially the sensitive yet slightly sexy and sociopathy Moo Young. I crushed so hard on Seo In Guk watching this it was almost shameful. That's another automatic reason to want to watch this again. I will probably watch the original version too, but I can't imagine me liking this version any less after viewing it... it's too good.
I should also mention the music which to me fit the show perfectly. There was even a moment when I was holding back tears but as soon as "Star" played, Seo In Guk and Jung So Min's duet, the floodgates opened and I couldn't hold the tears back any longer. The harmonies got me right in the feels and now it's among my KDrama OST favorites. I had no idea it was even them singing the song at first so that's just another reason to love them together.
Overall this is easily one of my new favorite dramas ever, so of course, I would recommend it to anyone and everyone. The story is a pretty dark one, but it's not without light moments and scenes that made me smile and swoon. This isn't exactly a sweet romance, but there are plenty of moments to satisfy romance fans. There may not be much action for crime thriller fans, but I think the suspense around characters and the story makes up for that. If you are the type of person who prefers stories about happy people living happily ever after, then you may want to skip this one, but I think you're missing out.
Now that there are no more episodes left, I feel the smile leaving my eyes : ( but since it is Thanksgiving I will just be thankful that I got to watch what I'd easily call the best drama of the year!
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This review may contain spoilers
I just finished the drama and needed a few hours to collect my thoughts. My review is going to be pretty unpopular as i did not love the drama. This is extremely weird for me as i adore the cast ( especially the 2 leads, In Guk and So Min) but the story overall is just okay. The plot left me feeling shortchanged at the end of it. This review contains spoilers so please stop reading if you have yet to watch the drama.**SPOILER ALERT**
Jin Gook is the saving grace for this drama. He has so much empathy and depth. Sung Woong did such an outstanding job bringing him to life. I could feel his despair, frustration and helplessness towards the whole situation. I didn't cry at the end when the leads died but cried terribly when Jin Gook ran into the house. Poor guy gonna live with even more guilt for the rest of his life...
Despite liking the core of Jin Gook's character, i couldn't get over the following inconsistencies to the story.
The stabbing scene... There was hardly any reaction nor consequences to it. Everyone just went about their lives as though it never happened soon after. Jin Kang just treated her brother as per normal. Like i can't fathom how could one stand being in the same room as someone who just stabbed your boyfriend? And also his colleagues just kept him in the team and rejected his resignation despite his shocking confession ... I really don't get it.
The way the team treated Jin Gook was so uncalled for. It was as though Jin Gook set out to kill with ill intentions but it was never the case. Yes. He shot someone and that person died. But it was all out of self-defence and it's nothing out of the ordinary for a policeman. I hated the fact that the writers built up so much suspense for this and at the end of it, I was left thinking "wait...That's it?".
Let's talk also about poor Seung Ah. She was totally dispensable to the story. Her whole life was pretty much a joke. For her to die off "in the name of love" with someone who didn't care one bit for her, to having her"bf" and bestfriend falling in love immediately after the accident, how much more pathetic can her character get? Soon after she died, they basically erased her from the story. No traces of Seung Ah whatsoever until that one scene where Moo Young breaks up with Jin Kang . I just wish they did more with her character (the same can be said about Cho Rong). I can't understand how Jin Kang is such BFF with her (Crying that hard at the funeral) and yet do such a thing to her.
And oh yes, don't get me started on the ending as well. How abrupt was that? ! Also, lack of chemistry between the leads is a little painful at times. There's way more i could say but i shall stop myself here.
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Seo In Guk is one of my favourite actors but I didn’t like his role. I suppose that just proves what a great actor he is to make me dislike him so much in this. Kim Moo Young begins as a character with a traumatic past who is cold, manipulative and has many psychotic tendencies. By the end we are meant to believe that his love for Jin Kang made him want to become a better human being. But I feel that the writers did a poor job in conveying this transition.
Which leads me to Jin Kang. Jung So Min did her best given the role but I found it very hard to empathize with her character. For the sake of love, Jin Kang, disappoints, betrays and lies to everyone around her. She is foolishly blinded by love and fails to recognize that Kim Moo Young is simply a bad person. The fact that the story romanticizes this fact is troubling. This is not a story of a bad boy who is misunderstood by all except the female lead. Kim Moo Young is only good to her, and not to the rest of the world. The script partially tries to justify his actions by exploring his troubling past but I don’t think it was very convincing.
Finally, the brother, Yoo Jin Gook. He is the only character that seems to be reasonable. Although he too does some questionable things, but compared everything else that goes on it seems less significant.
As for the rest of the cast, they did well but were under utilized. What was the point of Hong Bin’s character? He pretty much disappears mid-series.
I've already said a lot about the script so I’ll keep it short. The beginning and ending episodes were engaging but in between it felt like the story was going nowhere.
The OST complemented the series well. “Star” is the song that stands out. Jung So Min has a very serene voice that really shines in this song.
Overall, the series turned out to be somewhat of a disappointment. I may not have liked the story but I appreciate the fact that it had a solid ending that tied up most of the loose ends.
Coincidentally while this was airing, I also watched “Come and Hug Me" which shares a lot of parallels with this show. In my opinion that show had a superior script and would recommend you watch it if you like these types of dramas.
If it weren’t for the fact that I watched the drama while it was airing, it would have been a difficult watch mainly because of the slow pace. I don’t intend to rewatch this show. Not even the J-drama version if it is anything like this one.
As I mentioned before, I really wanted to like the show but unfortunately it couldn’t live up to my expectations.
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This review may contain spoilers
I haven't seen the Japanese source material for The Smile Has Left Your Eyes, but I don't think any of my criticisms here would be ameliorated had I seen that version beforehand. I guess it's possible for me to exonerate the South Korean version of its faults and just attribute every outrageous plot point to bad writing elsewhere, but for the love of the gods above, can't we get an adaptation that improves upon its source rather than a beat-for-beat reconstruction of popular garbage just because?Here's where I provide full disclosure: I only started watching this because I generally like Seo In Guk's work, and I've liked several other cast members' work in other dramas. I don't seek out the thriller and mystery genres, I tend to stick with art house cinema or comedy romance shows, and I stray out of those areas when I feel like I'll be rewarded for experimenting or when I'm feeling tired of the same obscurantist shit or poorly written bubbly junk food. This show was unbelievable, and it was unpleasant, and it encouraged me to return to my usual fare for a while.
Spoilers, obviously. If you haven't clicked out, this is your final chance.
The characters' motivations, actions, and the consequences (or lack thereof) were outlandish to the point of offense. Irrespective of Moo Young and Yoo Jin's uncontrollable lust for one another, the fact that Yoo Jin even entertains the idea of shacking up with Moo Young after he emotionally cheated on her best friend WITH YOO JIN and openly bore some responsibility for her death is LUDICROUS. Moo Young's infuriating antagonism when he's being investigated in a murder case is absolutely insane. That Yoo Jin was even willing to be in the same room as her brother after he stabbed her super special boyfriend and miraculously didn't even lose his cop job is incredibly ridiculous. Why did Yoo Jin agree to date Moo Young ONLY on the condition that he actively self-improve, and neglect to provide any sort of schema or apparatus for Moo Young to achieve whatever it is she's envisioning, if she was just going to essentially drop the subject entirely as Moo Young continues to lie to her? Why does her character turn from observant and assertive to naïve and acquiescent to the whims of the guys?
I couldn't buy into the drama, because the premises and conclusions were nonsensical and inconsistent. The people in this universe don't seem to understand the weight of others' transgressions, or else SOMEONE in the police department would have pulled Jin Kang's murderous stabby-mc-stabber brother in for questioning. I don't know any decent person who would get involved with their dead BFF's unfaithful, manipulative ex. Even a sociopath would know that they have to make some claim to their innocence when a cop starts stalking them. It's like the showrunners thought that suspense equates with whimsical, destructive, unchecked trickery on the part of the characters.
Stories only remain suspenseful insofar as the viewer can suspend their disbelief and immerse themselves in the urgency of the situation. But nothing here had any repercussions until everyone started shooting each other. The moment some threat was posed to any of the main or supporting characters, it was immediately quelled by folks who are disturbingly comfortable with their loved ones' violent urges or that thread was dropped entirely. Yoo Jin would be in fucking therapy for what went down with Seung Ah, is what I'm saying. Sleeping with a dude your friend fucked is awkward enough, never mind the weird-ass sociopathic shit and the death.
I couldn't buy into anything this show was selling. Basically, its overarching mysteries were boring and predictable (obviously Moo Young isn't the killer??? He's not the one stalking random people?? You can clock most of the murderers in this show based on how many people they're stalking until episode 15) and its twists were so stupid that they divested from whatever wisp of a suspenseful tone the rest of the plot succeeds at sowing. The whole thing plays out like a sensationalist novel that started out as erotic fan fiction on the internet. It's like there's no need to reconcile the various parts within the whole because it's more important to use to just throw out whatever shocking crap we can to keep people tuning in every week.
The sixteen episode standard didn't benefit this narrative either. It DRAGGED, and from what I understand, the Japanese version was only 10 episodes long. Cut the flashbacks, cut the repetitive conversational loops and cut to the chase: are these sociopathic weirdos gonna bang or nah? That's infinitely more intriguing than drawn out conversations while people sit around tables and cry intermittently, running in and out of that top-floor apartment incessantly because we couldn't afford another set.
Waiting for Moo Young and Yoo Jin to finally seal the deal was excruciating, because they had to play out a coy dance as if Yoo Jin ACTUALLY cared about Seung Ah, as if anyone was actually thinking about Seung Ah (including the writers). Yoo Jin had a thousand chances to be a good friend, or a decent human, to Seung Ah before she finally agrees to bang Moo Young, and she never rose to the occasion, so I don't understand why there had to be this pretense that Yoo Jin was conflicted for eight episodes when she clearly wasn't??? She literally sexed her dead best friend's boyfriend like two days after she died??? So cut four of those episodes out! Seung Ah dies, boom, we get the nookie. There you go. Millions of dollars, saved.
Oh, I figured it out - the real monster is Yoo Jin. She pretends to have emotions and morals, meanwhile she somehow pulls together a bunch of murderous wankers to annihilate her messianic, perfect, lovely friend before they burn the world down, and her with it.
I feel like I wasted my life. I'm giving this a 10 in rewatch value because I think it'll be great material for a drinking game with my friends.
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The acting and the whole vibe from this drama was outstanding and powerful. I loved the tragedy aspect so much,nowadays you can't really find stories like this one, it had the kind of angst that can linger on the viewers heart for a long time but...after watching the first half,my excitment for this show slowly went down. Some things were dragged out constantly and their moral choices made me lose interest. I wish i had enjoyed the story more without the main female lead annoying me and without rolling my eyes everytime the brother and his girlfriend spoke.
The ending was brilliant but again,i wish it didn't end so abruptly,perhaps it could've been more extended.
Overall,this drama has a lot of potential but it just wasn't what i wanted. Watch this for yourself,this was my honest opinion and it might be just mine.
Also,everyone of us is a Moo Young in our own world trying to figure out this life.
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This review may contain spoilers
I was addicted to this drama from start to finish. There are NO skips necessary. Every episode engrosses you further into the story and there isn't one scene that is dull. THE PLOT was very interesting to me. Some may just dismiss this drama because of the "good girl meets bad boy" trope, but if you keep watching you'll see that it's not as black and white as it seems. The writing and dialogue were the two strongest points of this, hands down. This drama truly lives up to its title. As serious and melodramatic this is, there are still moments that are softening and endearing to watch, yet as fast as you smile, it will leave your face just as fast as it came. The main cast executed their scripts to a T! The portrayal of their characters really showed, and it definitely helped progress the story. THE PLOT TWISTS ARE UNPREDICTABLE and the final one left me so stunned I was literally SO SHOOK. I was so shocked as to how the story took many twists and turns in ways you never expected.
THE MAIN CHARACTERS were exceptional and outstanding at the same time. The dedication that Seo In Guk, Jung So Min, and Park Sung Woong put into their characters deserves just as much if not more praise for the drama itself. The chemistry between the leads was through the roof. You really believed they were a couple who was just going through the motions. There. were barely any scenes where I didn't believe the emotions that were being conveyed, except for some scenes with Jin Kang. I felt she was too lenient with the actions of her brother and Moo Young, but then again her character was made to be very forgiving. In a way you almost pity her for being so naive and failing to face the reality of things, but that's what made her character so human. Sometimes our love for others blinds us from seeing them for who they really are. Moo young was not a good person, even to her, at times, and the audience knows this, but Jin Kang is so convinced that Moo young is good and he can do no wrong, that he is the way he is simply because life has dealt him a bad hand of cards, and that is so earnestly human. Now I'm going to talk about Moo Young. What an amazing performance. EVERY TIME HE SMILED THERE WAS NO SMILE IN HIS EYES AND THAT WAS INCREDIBLE TO WATCH. you never knew if he was really being sincere with anyone, no matter how convincing he seemed. Seo In Guk delivered the best performance from a male lead in a drama I have seen thus far. I haven't seen him in anything besides this but I will for sure check out more shows with him in the future. What a complex character. Dangerous but somehow approachable at the same time. He is cold, arrogant, selfish, manipulative, and dismissive of other people he doesn't care about(he enjoys messing with people's emotions which kinda comes off as a sociopathic), but under the surface is a severely damaged young boy who is desperate to find his identity and learn the reason behind his suffering and tumultuous past. What's sad is he grew up believing that his past defined him, and how many people out there do the same exact thing? As for Yoo Jin Gook, he played the role of Jin Kang's brother very well. He is very protective of Jin Kang, but only because she's the only family he has. As annoying as it was watching him withhold the truth, he was the perfect example of what happens when you are not honest with your loved ones. I understand that he did not reveal Moo Young and Jin Kang's past because he wanted to protect them, but had he just said the truth early on, it would have prevented a lot of the events leading up to the finale from happening(I just find it wild that he really let his sister sleep with her brother like wow). However what makes him human is the fact that he really thought he was doing Jin Kang and Moo Young justice by withholding the truth from them when in actuality it worsened the situation of everyone involved. I'm sure there was a time where we didn't tell the truth to protect someone we cared about. My only real complaint about Park Sung Woong is I felt like he could have shown off more of an emotional range. A lot times he looked too stoic and lacked the emotion that a scene demanded. Although he is flawed you understand the actions he makes and the reasons behind them. As an orphan he did the best he could to raise Jin Kang and protect her at all costs.
THE MUSIC was so moving and fit the theme of emotion for every scene. Just perfect. The melody to "Lost" really stuck to me and I can't stop thinking about the scenes between Moo Young and Jin Kang.
Overall I give this drama a 10/10. I wouldn't rewatch cause I don't like rewatching things I've already seen even if I enjoyed it, but that doesn't mean it was anything less than amazing. The ending wasn't happy but given the tone of the drama, it wouldn't have felt right if Moo Young and Jin Kang got happily ever after. I felt a certain peace knowing that in the end, regardless of their intertwined pasts and mistakes, The two had fully accepted one another and were willing to face anything together-including death. One thing that stood out to me was that Moo Young was always self-aware of himself so he was never too far gone, and somehow Jin Kang was able to get through to him and convince him to change his ways. Had he had more time, I would like to believe that he would've become a better man. He had already started, but it was too late. It really is inevitable for a person's deeds to catch up to them. The end of their saga was beautiful and tragic at the same time, but I wouldn't end it any other way.
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The drama is certainly engrossing... to a point. Gosh, where do I begin?
The writers successfully built the suspense, mostly by beating around the bush just so to stretch out the length of the drama. Some characters came - like the cute, awkward ex of the FL - and vanished; very frustrating and unnecessary. The cinematography was good, adding to the dark theme the writers intended, but it made me feel detached to the story. Furthermore, the painstakingly slow pace of the conversations with extended silences in between made me skip a few seconds. Perhaps my watching it in a day led me to be so impatient, so take my opinion on the pace with a grain of salt if you don't plan to binge-watch.
The music was good. It was hardly out-of-place and complemented the character of the drama. However, they could have added music to a few moments to add life to the story. Good music always enhances - this feature was slightly underused.
For acting, I will start with the positives: Park Sung-Woong and Seo In Guk did great as main leads (the side actors were good too). In Guk embodied Kim Moo-Young's character well enough for me to be creeped out by him. Personally, however, Sung-Woong stood out the most - he portrayed the various colors of Jin Gook amazingly. After his moment of insanity with Moo-Young, Jin Gook's internal numbness felt real; I felt for him despite my disappointment. Jung So-Min did not really convince me as Jin Kang, or perhaps she did (if the character was meant to be what I got from it). Her expressions were usually blank; for example, when Moo-Young mentioned her "gentle eyes" or "look of pity", I genuinely could not see it on her face. She usually gazed with curiosity or disbelief (the latter annoyed me greatly), and that's it. I feel like an exception since I'm unable to see how great of an actress she apparently was here.
The characters? Goodness, their antics made me want to rip my hair out, especially our FL. She pretended to be so morally upright, turning out to be the opposite in many ways. I wanted to grab her by the shoulders and shake her. She could accept situations easily and move on, which is certainly commendable, but, gosh, don't start sleeping with your late friend's boyfriend who was a total asshole to her. How she could be so disloyal to her friend is beyond me. While knowing that the ML was deceiving her, she kept quiet and let out an "Oh" as a warning, which clearly didn't do the job. Forever talked about ending aquaintancehship with the ML but never lived up to her words. It offended me how easily she forgot that her new boyfriend actually led her bestie to her death. The FL mentioned her older brother in a fond light, felt she owed much to him, but her actions were so selfish, it hurts. I was unable to empathize with her struggle with guilt over being a burden. I understood, but it never convinced me to root for the character. I won't even comment on the ML, since he was obviously not stable, but the poor writing apparently wanted him to be regarded as a misunderstood being. The brother seemed reasonable enough, not being swept by people's words, but certain actions of his in the end sometimes disappointed me. In my opinion, the writers tried too hard to paint the characters in grey, and it backfired. In my opinion, grey does not mean justifying wrong by narrating sob stories - grey means to see the reasoning behind actions and thought process, and letting the viewers empathize.
I genuinely wanted the toxic relationship between the ML and FL to be shown in an un-romantic light, but it seemed the writers wanted us to cry over the tragic end to their brief period of infatuation. I'll admit, some scenes were touching at times, but should that change the nature of the relationship?
The interactions I enjoyed were the brief moments of sibling bonding and healthy friendship - Jin Gook and Jin Kang had great banter; and Jin Gook and Tak / Cho Rong. The ML's false memory of his father being a policeman searching for him was bittersweet when it was revealed who he was actually thinking about.
The plot ties together well in the end. We get to see many things, after much wait, and some questions aren't answered, like the ML's motives with the first murder case (or maybe I missed it in my skipping spree near the end). The potential to greatness was there. The idea of "love conquers all" led to its downfall. They should have shown how, realistically speaking, such ideas play out in toxic relationships and sociopaths. If the writers intended to tell us that what was unfolding between the leads was poisonous, they did a poor job. What I saw a weak attempt at redeeming the ML and FL (her decisions, to be precise).
I just feel sad for the brother: he did not deserve this.
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1. The Storyline
Maybe only The Smile Has Left Your Eyes Korean Version who bring many genre in one drama. When you watched the first episodes maybe you think this is a thriller genre and the other episodes you think this is a melodrama genre, but every scene in this drama bring you like a roller coaster guessing what genre it is. Melodrama, Thriller, Mystery, Romance, Family genre contain in this drama. And you will feeling like riding a rollercoaster when watching this drama.
2. The Cast
All the cast especially Seo In Guk and Jung So Min which the main actor and actress they did a very good job on bringing the chemistry between them. But the praise also for all the actors and actress in this drama, they really bring into their character as well.
Seo In Guk really did an awesome skillness of acting in this drama. I even forgot i was watching a drama, not a reality show.
And also the scriptwriter and the producer who made the drama just perfectly awesome.
3. Music
Even the original soundtrack and the background music so matching in every scene. The place for every scene they take also made this drama perfect.
4. Rewatch value
I was rewatching some episode for 2/3 times because the line and the scene on this drama will make your heart melted. And the place they took for some scene was very beautiful. I give 10 to rewatching this drama just because TSHLYE deserve a perfect score.
But if i was ask, do i want to rewatching the drama? Maybe the answer is no, because it to much feeling do i have to take rewatching on this drama. I can’t bear into it once more.
5. Overall
Maybe i sound exaggerating to this review. This just i’m feeling TSHLYE is THE BEST korean drama i’ve ever watch in my life. This drama deserve an award, oh no maybe not only an award maybe a lot awards.
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This review may contain spoilers
I'm impressed. This drama manages to bring us a classic tragedy, something rarely seen anymore. The tragic hero with the fatal flaw, the misunderstandings where the viewer can easily understand how if only xyz had happened everything could have turned out well, the star-crossed lovers, the sense of inevitability at the end :D Right out of the Greek tradition. Shakespeare would love it.I'm so very happy this did NOT go the same way as the Japanese drama did. Dark, twisted surprise endings are forced endings, and I hate contrived conclusions.
Tragedies and comedies are deeply entwined, BTW. In the classic ones (again, think Shakespeare) the comedies could go horribly wrong at any given moment, while the tragedies could end well 'if only'. This is a reflection of reality, and gives us that cathartic release - there but for luck go I.
That's exactly what this drama gave me. The real tragic figure is the cop who adopted the little girl. He made a mistake, and tried to rectify it, but his tragic error lay in not being honest with her. That continued when he finally found the other child - he was never honest with Moo Young either, until forced. If he'd told either of those kids the truth, the story could have ended well.
Kudos for an excellent adaptation!
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If you have any level of depression, that will respond well to a very sad story, DO NOT WATCH THIS. I and other friends who watched this were traumatised by it (I've been told the Japanese story that this is from is even darker&sadder)
It is months since I've watched this, and just the small mention of it and the distress this drama caused floods back in. Another fellow watcher described it as requiring DECOMPRESSION afterwards.
Excellent performances by actors but this script is just way too unpleasant.
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