Behind Your Smile

Love. Love. Love.

It was my first taiwanese drama in ages and even tho the revenge plot is really common, i wanted to give it a try.
So, the storyline was nothing special - the good looking male main lead wants to take revenge for his family and gains the trust of an innocent but sweet woman who falls for him.

Lei Xin Yu the female lead, was really sweet and all i wanted to do was but her into bubble wrap and protect her from the world. Haha.
And the Soundtrack, especially the opening song is such a good one, i keep listening to it even month after finishing this drama! This Drama was beautifully done and written. Not many unnecessary side characters that just waste screen time and that you just get bored with. Although the episodes were pretty long, you just couldn't stop watching and the minutes would just pass by and suddenly you're on the next episode. It was a really refreshing drama, i have to say it's probably my favorite Taiwanese Drama for now. Binge watch potential!!

Marcus and Eugenie both did really good, you could really tell the chemistry they have on-screen. I really hope they'll do another project in the future!!

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This was my first Taiwanese drama after a long time. I was skeptical with this one, but the comments and poster intrigued me. There is a very misguided synopsis of this drama in many places, it's not about an immortal who has lost his emotions. This story is about a man who lost something very precious in his life and seeks revenge on those who made him lose his happiness. In the journey he loses more, his emotions, his family, his happiness until the daughter of the person who he seeks revenge upon enters his life and changes everything. No matter how much he tries to control himself, he just can't seem to with her and ends up deeply falling in love with her.

So I first started this drama, and like 7 min into it, I dropped it. I could not stand the ignorant experessions the female lead portrayed and pushed this drama aside assuming this Taiwanese drama was one with a lot of over reactions and crazy situations which I'm not fond of. I don't know what, but after finishing a Korean drama, I decided to give this a shot and just watch one episode before really giving it up. I am so glad I did. I have had a habit of dropping dramas the minute they go downhill, no matter how much I liked it before. With this one, once I got to know more of the story, I was constantly intrigued and wanted to continue. Marcus Chang, steals the show with his wonderful portrayal of the character (Zhao Yiting) he plays. The lead female although annoying initially, portrayed her character well enough. Their chemistry was especially good!! The script was well written, and tied up all the lose ends, to give the viewers and satisfying feeling in the end.

Final thoughts: became a fan of Marcus Chang. Will no longer think that big noses look bad. Behind your smile, will make you smile!!

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Behind Your Smiles is currently my 2nd favourite Taiwanese drama. Marcus Chang seems to portray the role of Zhao Yiting effortlessly. I loved how Eugenie Liu portrays this character she doesn't come across as annoying and appears to be very intelligent. The two actors have great chemistry on screen. From the very first episode I was instantly hooked. I was amazed by was the cinematography. It is not something that I would expect in a Taiwanese drama and the production quality was great. It lifted the bar of what people would now expect to see in Taiwanese dramas. You could tell that the plot / storyline was really well planned out with no plot holes from start to finish. The OST's / Soundtrack worked really well with the dramas especially the opening song He isn't worth it by Taiwanese- Korean singer Shi Shi. Overall I really enjoyed this drama and would definitely recommend people to watch this drama. I have the full version of my review on my blog.

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Watch it for Marcus Chang and amazing OSTs

I am gonna say right up, I came here after Lost Romance for Marcus Chang. The FL is really dumb at times but its not bad acting its just the character. I guess if you sympathies with people easily you will understand hwr better than me. But oh by Marcus is sizzling in every episode. His character, Zhao Yuting, is probably my most favorite of all others.

Also AMZING OSTs ALERT. This was the first C/T show i watxued without skipping intro even once. Rather rewatched lol.

Revenge romance is common trope but just like contract marriages we can never get enough of it.

Lastly, Marcus please make a new drama!! He is really picky lol.

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Not deep enough

My apologies for those who love this drama, but I found it boring.
The acting was fine but I think the FL's personality was too unrealistic. The love story part was weak, the love triangle went almost unnoticeable. I felt that the couple was depicted as high school students rather as adults thus their struggles didn't move me at all. Giggles, chuckles, hiding our face of embarrassment over nothing.. oh please..
The music was actually pretty good, I didn't mind listening to the same two lines over and over again.
I've seen more engaging Taiwanese dramas than this.

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Get ready for the skip button on this one. The only saving grace to the show were the leads; the source of my generous rating here. This drama is lacking in many things, namely a reasonable plot. The show places the heroine in the most ridiculous, humiliating circumstances to create conflict and for the hero to swoop in and save the day. Having said that, once we get to the parts where the leads interact, I ended up forgetting all the nonsense preceding it. So the overarching plot felt contrived but the scenes/dialogues between the leads felt real and thoughtful.

Though cold but not a total jerk, the hero is the mastermind behind many of the heroine's mishaps. It's complicated with him since he hates her mom and has been planning revenge for 12 years. While staying close to the heroine to mete out his revenge, he remains elusive emotionally. She is perceptive to that and tries to reach out to him earnestly. She doesn't doubt his intentions, it is more that she understands he is just a lonely soul who needs warmth. We can see from her efforts that she is kind and pure. I liked watching his internal struggles to deny his feelings and failing every time. Their moments together, whether sweet or angst filled, are well-done (waltzing, biking, dinner by the piano were especially memorable). I could see clearly how and why they fell for each other; her in simple ways, him in layers of complexities. I found myself smiling watching them.

So the show does reward you for sticking with it, with the cute leads, but there was nothing else to offer. Or maybe I just didn't care for all the side stories about the tragedy behind the revenge, the families, and how it all got resolved. In any case, if you're having a long day and just want to shut off your brain and escape into the world of dramaland, you can enjoy this by skipping around.

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Ruined Ending

It was a bittersweet melodrama which made me shed tons of tears. for the first 18 episodes that is. Then they had to add the last episode and turned it into a comedy of sorts! The kidnapping and chase scenes were soo soo bad, it was hilarious! It's like the writers and directors quit last minute and the interns that prepare coffee for the staff took over! Why, why why???!!! They ruined the whole show to be honest.
Having said that, I would still recommend anyone who reads this to watch the show. The personal growth of the heroine from a helpless, naive girl to a strong and self assured woman without discarding her trust in humanity is endearing. Personally, I felt the male leads growth was not complete though, he was still emotionally constipated till the end. Chemistry between the leads was on fire during the first half but then it gradually fizzled out towards the end due to too many things happening at the same time..
And if you do watch it and anytime you feel like dropping it for whatever reason. I highly suggest you watch the kidnapping/chase scenes at the last episode. Purely for its entertainment value! And for the two extras that played the bumbling cops in those scenes, I give you my utmost respect and admiration!

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Not even mediocre

My apologies for rating this 1, but there was no redeeming factor in this drama.
Personally I find taiwanese dramas finer made than Chinese and was really looking forward to seeing the ML again after True Romance.
But this drama takes you on a spin which is boring, mediocre, with barely any romance and lower than zero chemistry.

I only watch romance genre and even through that only prefer romcoms.
So bearing in mind that this review only compares with other dramas in this genre, and after having worthlessly wasted hours on this nonsense, please forgive me T drama team for scaling this drama down.

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Revenge, Lies, One Killer OST, and a “Mommy” That Nearly Broke Me

(WARNING: Potential Spoilers — I’m Not Saving You from Any Emotional Damage)

Let’s be honest: I started Behind Your Smile because of Marcus Chang. That man could stare at drywall and I’d tune in. What kept me watching was him—and most of the cast—except for the character of Lei Xin Yu.

Important distinction: Eugenie Liu did her job well. This is not an acting issue. This is a character construction crime.

Lei Xin Yu is written as overly sheltered, painfully naive, and aggressively childish. And listen—innocence is fine. Sweetness is fine. But the constant “Mommy” this and “Mommy” that? Jail. Immediate jail. Not many adults talk like that, and the way it was written grated on my nerves like a mosquito that knows your social security number.

If you can get past that (and some people will), the show itself is decent. Lies. Deception. Revenge. An enemies-to-lovers trope that somehow forgot the banter. Which is tragic. Criminal, even. If they’d given the female lead an ounce of attitude—just a crumb—we could’ve had sparks instead of polite emotional drizzle.

I once saw a comment that said the casting should’ve been shuffled:

The actress playing the FL should’ve been the vet

The best friend should’ve been the FL

The vet should’ve been the best friend

And honestly? I agree. Wholeheartedly. No notes.

Now—THE MUSIC.
Oh my god. The theme song? Killer. Absolute banger. Emotionally devastating in the best way. The entire soundtrack came in, fixed the mood, and carried the show like a responsible eldest sibling.

This drama survives on vibes, music, and Marcus Chang’s face. And sometimes… that’s enough.

💭 Final Mood
“Annoyed but humming the OST against my will.”

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A Slow Paced Revenge Melodrama

As a revenge melodrama, I found the direction pretty slow paced. The plot in itself was not anything out of the ordinary, so I did not feel a sense of anxiousness watching this drama.

As for the main leads, I could not feel the chemistry from the two of them, even though there were a few good kissing scenes. I think perhaps, the FL acting is too calculated and feels too young. However, there is no denying that Marcus Chang has been acting for a while and he played his ML role well. First time I am seeing Marcus Chang and look forward to his other work.

The only character that had a lot to work on and did a pretty good job is Esther Yang who played Jian Xiao Yue, good friend of FL, Eugenie Liu who played Xin Yu. I liked her role who is on survival mode and has a direct attitude. I felt all her emotions and even as a second lead, she had lots to act right until the last episode. Good for her.

All in all, this drama is not a disaster. However, in my opinion, one could give this drama a miss, unless you are running out of Chinese drama to watch or you want to check out the hot and handsome Marcus Chang. Even the second lead Sean Lee is also pretty cool!

Cheers!

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