The Smile Has Left Your Eyes is not a show, in my opinion, that you can watch for the plot because the writing is extremely weak. The characters made little to no sense as the writers couldn’t seem to be consistent about any of their personalities.

The absolute weakest part of this show was the brother. His character made no sense and did the craziest things you’ve ever seen, with somehow little to no reaction from the other characters. His relationship with Seo In Guk’s character changes drastically from scene to scene with no explanation. His relationship with his sister also felt very off. Her characterization was pretty weak and only Jung So-min’s fantastic acting saved it. Her character’s reactions to some of the things that her brother did felt like a reaction that no human would ever have. It felt so bizarre that it completely took me out of the story.

With all of the weak points aside, this is Seo In-guk’s drama. I didn’t know much of him before this and it made me a fan. His character is dark and manipulative, but also magnetic. His performance was so expressive; I could’ve watched him smirk all day. It was easy to understand how Jung So-min’s character was pulled into his orbit. The chemistry between the two of them was what kept me watching. I’ve never seen Jung So-min not have great chemistry with someone in a drama before, but hers with Seo In-guk might be the best. Their characters had great physical chemistry but they also depicted intimacy and connection in a beautiful way as well.

I think this show makes little to no sense in terms of the characters and the story. In order to enjoy it, I think you have to watch it for the vibes. It’s a dark, melancholy show with these deeply flawed characters that are inexplicably drawn to each other. If that’s what you’re looking for, it’s still worth watching, I’d just say to set aside your expectations for the writing.