The Smile Has Left Your Eyes

This is a story about two beautiful, good people who adore one another and just want to be left alone; but of course it's a drama, so that isn't going to happen. And the resultant themes that drive the narrative are as ancient as storytelling: secrets, love, sex, jealousy, class, revenge, manipulation: and especially the sins of the fathers (and brother) landing straight on the heads of the children who deserved none of it.

Writing, direction, and cast are all excellent, though I did shave off a point because there are some questionable plot decisions. That said, the series belongs to SEO IN-GUK who is extraordinary. This is one of the best Korean series I've seen, and he is an incredibly gifted actor--now one of my favorites, because as superb as the cast is, Seo In-Guk is working on a different level that no acting class can teach: he simply becomes the character and breaks your heart. For as one commenter wrote, this drama is not for the faint of heart: it is a complex, mature story that will cause both joy and anguish in viewers--will steadily pull in every emotional direction, right through the conclusion, where I sat stunned. But I was grateful for the experience of this drama.