Reviews

Unveiling the Shattered Facade: A Review of 'The Smile Has Left Your Eyes

"The Smile Has Left Your Eyes" weaves a complex and enthralling narrative that delves into the depths of human psyche and the blurred lines between love, tragedy, and fate. The series unfurls the tale of enigmatic characters grappling with their inner demons and the consequences of their choices.

The plot centers around the mysterious Kim Moo-young, a troubled young man with a past shrouded in darkness. His life takes a fateful turn when he encounters Yoo Jin-kang, an optimistic and caring woman, and her protective brother Yoo Jin-gook, a dedicated detective. As the story unfolds, secrets are unearthed, and the intricate connections between the characters come to light.

The series expertly balances a suspenseful crime thriller with a deeply emotional melodrama. The cat-and-mouse chase between Moo-young and Jin-gook keeps viewers on the edge of their seats, while the blossoming romance between Moo-young and Jin-kang adds layers of complexity to the storyline.

One of the strengths of the plot lies in its ability to constantly subvert expectations. The story keeps viewers guessing, throwing unexpected twists and turns that challenge conventional tropes of love and morality. It explores themes of trust, trauma, and the thin line between good and evil, leaving the audience pondering the depths of human nature.

The characters undergo significant development, their layers peeling off to reveal the true essence of their being. Moo-young, in particular, is a enigmatic anti-hero whose past and motives are intricately interwoven into the storyline. He embodies the theme of redemption and the struggle for a second chance at life.

While the plot is complex and at times emotionally taxing, it doesn't shy away from highlighting the fragility of relationships and the impact of past experiences on the present. The series masterfully addresses mental health, societal prejudices, and the enduring power of love in the face of adversity.

It is a gripping narrative that stays with you long after the screen fades to black. It's a roller-coaster of emotions, a tantalizing mystery, and a heart-wrenching love story all wrapped into one, making it a must-watch for fans of intense melodrama and thought-provoking storytelling.

Kim Moo Young, portrayed so well by Seo In Guk, deeply fascinates me as a character. One of the best Melodramas I have seen.

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Intimate Relationships Are A Spectrum

Japanese BL writers are often fantastic at portraying life situations in a raw and realistically human way. As humans we are complicated and emotionally messy. We have dark sides and traumas that shape how we pursue romantic relationships and affection. In my opinion, rarely do we see media portrayal of a BDSM relationship in such an intimate and relatable way.

We’re introduced to Mizuki and Yoh’s relationship from Yoh’s perspective. From the beginning, according to Yoh, we believe Mizuki is quiet, domineering and unkind to Yoh completely unprovoked and without context. As the viewer, we’re led to think Yoh is a domestic sexual slave in Mizuki’s home with no other options in life, outside of his own free will. As we continue the series, we learn that Yoh seems to like the dynamic of thier relationship and often resorts to pouting and childish behavior when Mizuki doesn’t show him the kind of dominating attention he craves. He often provokes Mizuki’s jealously and possessiveness so he can be the “victim” of Mizuki’s gentle yet “cruel” behavior. Mizuki seems to understand this dark side of Yoh and he happily grants Yoh’s wishes. Even cooking and caring for him when Yoh loses his job and falls into a state of depression.

While reeling at the loss of his job and his status in life, Yoh takes his provocation of Mizuki too far. On an animalistic and subconscious level, Yoh is provoking Mizuki to find out how much he cares for him. As a result, Mizuki’s jealously rages and he resorts to stalking and possessive behaviors, to bring Yoh back to his side, even though Yoh never considers leaving him. Since the two never clearly communicate thier feelings or emotions, they often run with negative and exaggerated interpretations of benign day-to-day situations. When Mizuki finally reveals his true feelings and tells Yoh he cannot breath without him, Yoh revels in this revelation but still doesn’t verbally reciprocate his feelings to Mizuki.

I personally love the push and pull by Yoh and Mizuki in this series. Yoh and Mizuki have a codependent relationship that makes them both happy and anxious, simultaneously. They know how to press each other’s buttons and it all seems to be, at least from Yoh’s side, for the sake of sexual gratification and arousal. Are they communicating in a healthy way, no, is the relationship kind of toxic, yes, but is it a realistic slice of life, absolutely. It’s obvious that they love and care for one another, but they show it in a way that differs from what society deems as “normal”. BUT they also require what we all want in a long term relationship, reassurance and stability. After 4 months living together, I believe we, the viewer, are meeting them at a pivotal moment in thier relationship. Will they give each other the emotional and verbal reassurance they need to sustain a long term relationship or will thier relationship crumble under misunderstandings due to lack of emotional transparency.

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DaouOffroad chemistry and

This is my #1 show from 2023. The first episode was kinda bizarre, but it made me genuinely laugh so I kept going and I'm SO glad I did! The main couple are good actors and have excellent chemistry together (they're played by tpop idols Daou and Offroad). The supporting characters are fun, silly, and add value to the show.

The storyline is simple but solid. No glaring plot holes or inconsistencies. The drama knows what kind of a story it's trying to tell, and does a good job at not taking itself too seriously. There are emotional moments, comedy, great kisses, tension, family ties and friendships, overall this is a lighthearted and easy watch.

Yes, there is product placement, but it's cute and integrated into the story well. It's obvious there was money behind this project, so I'll take the pp in exchange for good sound, camera work, editing, all the production stuff that makes a quality show.

Love in Translation is worth watching for sure!!

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Over the top girl

Strong Girl bong soon introduced me to k dramas was great romance innocence and of course funny storyline with drama had everything. I know Nam-soon as i write this is only ep2 but im disappointed weak storyline not even funny its lost its way. i be a bit unfair and hopefully it will improve later and i can give a better review but so fair its dying a deah to me if i had watch this as a first intro to kdramas i would have given up on them an miss a lot of dramas that i now love. Like i say im hoping for improvement as i was eagerly awaiting this title like everyone has strong bongsoonis still my favourite kdrama and my go to feel good show. heres hoping it gts better.

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More gifworthy than watchworthy...

This is the story of the highly annoying customer service expert who attracts the attention of a kind overbearing slightly aloof CEO, because honestly is there any other kind of CEO in drmaland? And goes on a journey filled with second hand embarrassment and scheming, scheming as far as the first 7 or 8 episodes reach there will be scheming. When we finally get a break from the scheming we get some pretty decent romantic gestures, friendships a and a bunch of steamy kisses... After that we get some more scheming... before they call it a day and the drama comes to its end.

Was this good? Nope,
Was it bad? Nope,
Will I remember this drama in a month? Probably not.

But it did make way for some really good gifs!

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Beautiful, Real, Powerful, Hopeful.

General spoiler only at bottom of review.
The way the story was written and told resonated deeply with real life. I had long lingering feels after the series ended. It made me nostalgic of the ups and downs of college, first love, and the hope of youth. Cried hard twice (one sad one positive). Some heavy themes (and a character actually getting help from regular therapy, which I so appreciated). Loved the main characters and their (true) friends.

Positive messages. Deeply touching. Riveted the entire time, didn't fast-forward through anything. Pacing and tension consistently well-crafted.

Chemistry between the leads was like magnets. Skinship and kisses were natural and full of feelings. Beautiful intimacy.

Beautiful cinematography and use of light. Artistically captured the feel of the ocean (didn't just look pretty).

Music, natural sounds, and silence were well utilized and timed. Really enhanced scenes. Some of the songs chosen were memorable and the orchestral piece at the end with the credits was perfect.

Note to self: Because this touched me deeply and resonated with some difficult personal past experiences, I may find it too emotional to rewatch frequently.

GENERAL SPOILER ON THE ENDING:
It is a happy and hopeful ending.

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muito muito bom

muito muito muito muito muito muito muito muito muito muito muito muito muito muito muito muito muito muito muito muito muito muito muito muito muito muito muito muito muito muito muito muito muito muito muito muito muito muito muito muito muito muito muito muito muito muito muito muito muito muito muito muito muito muito muito muito muito muito muito muito muito muito muito muito muito muito muito muito muito muito muito muito muito muito muito muito muito muito muito muito muito muito bom muito muito muito muito muito muito muito muito muito muito muito muito muito muito muito muito muito muito muito muito muito muito muito muito muito muito muito muito muito muito muito muito muito muito muito muito muito muito muito muito muito muito muito muito muito muito muito muito muito muito muito muito muito muito muito muito muito muito muito muito muito muito muito muito muito muito bom

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Age gap romance

When I started watching this I didn't realize that initially this kid is 17 (obviously the actor is probably in his 20s) but I found it super strange that the older of the pair actively kisses (and gropes?) this kid and then all of the sudden he has a problem with their age gap (writers trying to make it seem like they're paying attention to the potential criticism they might receive because of said age gap?). The kisses are fine, I guess, but I don't really feel much of the tension because the actor who plays the younger of the pair just doesn't have a whole lot of range when it comes to expressions. He looks like he's acting while he's half asleep. I think that they're in a rush to get through so much plot that the initial build up of the romance goes by very fast, and it just doesn't make a whole lot of sense. I don't mind age-gap romance, but I do mind it when one of the people in the relationship isn't even 18 yet. And this guy knows that he's about to get this kid into trouble. The second couple is a little more interesting, but not by much. I think a lot of the problem with this drama is framing, is it a rom-com, or is it a gritty gangster story? Who knows.

I'll probably finish it out of boredom, but it isn't for me.

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It's okay.

The little over four hours have a lot of educational content, a big chunk of that is sex ed. that Asian women desperately need. (I had relatively recent interactions with an Asian girl and It was shocking to hear how little she knew about her body & sex despite being experienced..) My problem with this is that I think many of the scenes the intended audience will find jaw dropping and very interesting have a lot of commercial intent behind them. The net effect is still very positive, but gosh if only they could've dialed down the greed just a little bit more..

As for me, I'm more than well versed in this topic. I have learned -almost- nothing new, so of course for a normal adult from the western world much of this would be very boring. Outside of education the romances were very simple, but at least refreshingly spicy and somewhat entertaining, but there is not enough time to really get invested. The show is very well acted though, Hani was absolutely amazing in this role and everyone else too. As for chemistry, I'm not sure, but it's certainly not the best for either of the couples.

Still the fact that a show like this not only managed to air, but also featured relatively big stars is great for progress, which Korea desperately needs. Not only the country, but the entertainment industry too, because I think the sale value of deadfish kisses & 30+s shy hand holding is not doing it for many anymore.

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poor story & dialogues

what to say …. this movie was such a disappointment! I wanted to live this movie as knights of the zodiac was a big part of my childhood. Mark Dacascos & Mackenyu were well casted but can’t say the same for the rest of the cast. Costumes don’t make justice to the anime at all and the special effects are low quality and we don’t realize the power nor the increase of power of Pegasus.

Now, the plot … they massacred the story. It doesnt make sense, they tried to summarize so many things and missed the whole point of the knights of the zodiac purpose. I don’t know if they tried to copy marvel sense of humour, but this whole “I’m a goddess” jokes weren’t funny and rather made the character of Athena look like a pretentious little girl.

This was a miss. I hope that if they continue the serie, the director & script writer will change. Otherwise, it will be a waste of time & money and will also stain actors credibility.

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Woke up still thinking about this movie

I'm not the best with reviews so keep that in mind. This movie really surprised me I thought it was going to be a regular slice-of-life movie with a student going through hardships but I found it to be way deeper than that. The main protagonist goes through life trying to find some sort of love or comfort that she can't get at home. A home I relate to very much where no one expresses love to each other. She looks for relationships to fill that void but even those let her down. She meets this teacher, and they become close. The teacher looks like she's going through her own hardships in life but still can relate to this lost elementary student. She becomes sort of a mother figure or guidance for the girl. What I felt during this movie is life can be hard it's so easy to be numb from what we go through but people and life are worth getting to know.

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A very good drama brought down by immature characters and scenes

Good

1. Actors and the chemistry between ML and FL
2. The way they meet and bond in high school and the separation
3. Smart FL (although sometimes too soft but i can live with that)

Bad

They go to college and thats when the drama which could have been great starts wavering. Immature characters and scenes that doesnt make sense at all. Computer science competitions are no where like the way they show.( i was a computer science student and been in the industry for a decade. ) . SML is outright stupid but thats ok. ML is a good character overall but when they do fight its very immature. And some side characters annoy the heck . Be it FLs best friend who being best friends with FL cannot realise she loves ML and instead keep spouting rubbish about SML or be it ML friends who post in ML profile without ML permission to help him. And so many so many side characters who are into ML or hate FL ughh. And random scenes like some college students attacking ML bcs of a wrong accusaton doesnt make sense at all.
Also FL is shown to be hard working but there is not that much professional interest shown for her ( i am comparing this vs lighter and princess FL where FL really starts loving programming)
And also FL hiding things from ML becomes repetitive after a while. it is just way too annoying if characters dont develop and learn.
Even after all of this its a fun to watch . Just because of ML / FL chemistry and some good scenes on growth of ML and FL..

PS : i am not sure if its good to compare but i would still say this is a little immature (not great but okayish) version of lighter and princess. Bcs there characters showed growth be it communication or regrets or letting go of past. Here we dont see anything . Characters makes mistakes again and again and again!

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