DO NOT watch this if you're looking for a light hearted drama, this one is heavy from the beginning to the end.
Wonderful actors, amazing writing. I can't say enough good things about this.
It has its flaws, of course, the biggest one in my opinion being the development of the female lead. But on the other hand, the male lead character building was outstanding. In the end her story is just an accessory to his. But as a whole it was so worth it!
[WARNING: may contain spoilers]
Oh, and I have to say I started thinking it was about a sociopath and hated the way they were romanticizing his condition, I almost dropped it because of this. If you're like me, don't give up! They make you understand him way better.
Cheers to a good (and heavy and sad) drama!!
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Less secrets are healthier
Although the plot interest solely relies on keeping secrets and never telling important and at times crucial facts to the main leads I think it went too far for melodrama's sake.I still give it a 9 because the main couple does really well, but personally, I would have preferred a more positive last 4 episodes if, at least, the most crucial fact had been known to the ML. This could have been easily achieved by the writers and I believe it would have made more sense, helping to balance all the previous sorrows that are pretty heavy all throughout the drama. I thought it was really a shame to harness till the very end on an overdramatic plot.
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Bad story
As much as I like the cast, the story was just not giving... I started feeling grossed from episode 8 and had to just stop watching at episode 10 really not a fan of such a Story and still struggling to imagine how they decided to add romance to this kinda Gross story.. just not giving.. Crying at your BFF funeral like that and also forgetting the main reason she died and started dating the so called bad guy, well at least she doesn't know he is a rotten fruit, he is bad to everyone else but her but seriously the writer gat to show me his address, I really need to give him a piece of my mind for making my favourite actor partake in this stupid drama of his, really don't care about anyone else but I know how he is, as much as I like him he also made me hate him because his acting was just too notch so I had to stop Midway to avoid hating any of his coming movies, now I get why my sister's don't like watching his movies ever since they watched this particular oneWas this review helpful to you?
A Very Good Melo-Drama!
I am watching this drama for the 3rd time and it never fails to amaze me. This is one of the best dramas with Seo In Guk. Roles like this does not come by often and it sits well with Seo In Guk as he made "Moo Young" so believable.The love story between Moo Young and Jin Kang (played by Jung So Min) immersed well with mystery and suspense. I liked how the director placed the plot with all the twist in the right places, and yet allowed the innocence of love shine at the right time. Even then, every minute of the frustration and suspense was felt....right up till the very end.
Yes, I enjoyed this drama very much. To-date, I have yet to see Seo In Guk surpass this role in all his other endeavors, but I am still keeping an eye on him, for he is a very good actor.
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This review may contain spoilers
Dark-cold yet heart warming and flawed at the same time.
To be clear it is not much of a review but just kind of notes on the drama.I have always liked Seo In Guk and Jung So Min because I think they give that vibe of being without malice. So this drama was on my watchlist for a long time.
After watching the drama there are many mixed feelings although on the scale, it is still on positive side.
What I liked in this drama?
1. Ending- After that scene in 15th episode, we become pretty sure, the story is going to end with either of the one lead dying. I felt Seo In Guk would be killed at the end for redeeming his arc. So it came as a surprise to watch both the leads killed off. Its been a long time after old kdrama- 'I am sorry, I love you' that I got to watch the pair dying together. I am sucker for those kind of endings. Although the end was fitting but the manner in which it was done was really hurried and irrational. It made no sense for the character of the secretary to be so cold and inhuman and be such a faithful dog nor to pop up at that time at that place.
2. The lead pair- their chemistry was instant and so good. It has been a long time since I got to watch such a genuine chemistry between the couples. I think, one can watch this drama solely for the chemistry between the couple. Seo In Guk as a empty sociopath and Jung So Min as a warmhearted counterpart were perfect and complimented each other nicely. In most of the dramas when the lead couple enter in a relationship, I end up skipping their dating scenes. But not in this one. Strangely, in this one, you could feel their pure-innocent love for each other. You could also feel the healing of Kim Moo Young. And hence I ended up watching those scenes. Rare for me!
3. Start- The start hooks you right up. Seo In Guk's mysterious persoanlity meeting innocent and cute Jing Kang; you can see the impending romance. Although its a meet-cute kind, you can feel its going to be trouble.
4. Pacing - its evenly paced, I felt it kinda of stretched at the end. The scenes of crying and thinking were stretched for too long for me.
5. Music- Music is complimentary. It enhances the mood. It makes the scenes of people crying or sighing watchable.
6. Relatively less cliches- The biggest win for the drama is, the female lead is not stupid. She is not air headed and pretending to be smart. Her warmth and caring nature feels genuine. Jung So Min is a really talented actress.
What I didn't like?
1. The writing of other characters was not on par with that of main leads. The chemistry between Park Sung Woong and Jung Young Nam was terrible. Although I liked Jung Young Nam in other projects, I kind of felt irritated by her as you are irritated when a mosquito buzzes near your ear. Her character really was useless in story telling. She is not meant for light fun kind of roles. She is better in psychotic-dark kind of roles. Kwon Soo Hyun as Uhm Cho Roon was really bad. Even Kim Ji Hyun as Kang Se Ran the self identifying psychopath was really boring and one could see the actor was not up to the task. Seo Eun Soo as Baek Seung Ah was a nice surprise. The role of clueless girl just experiencing the taste of adrenaline rush, suited her nicely.
2. Story choices- use of 'people hiding things' was used too much. It went on till the last episode. Due to this, you feel real irritation for the characters of Park Sung Woong and Jung Young Nam.
After saying all of this, it would make sense if I give it a 7-7.5 star. But why I am giving it 9? Its mostly for the main leads and genuine chemistry they had. Seeing those two people being toyed by fate and misunderstood by others- still able to smile and have such love and understanding for each other was heartbreaking. Add to that the magnetic dark aura Seo In Guk brings to the character keeps you riveted.
Also it reminded me of old school-ill fated kdramas like- I'm sorry, I love you, Stairway to Heaven, Winter Sonata, Beautiful Days etc.
All in all, it felt fulfilling to watch this.
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This review may contain spoilers
Inconsistent storyline.
I thought it was good overall but there was such blaring plot consistencies that it made it hard to enjoy.The FL knew the ML cheated on her friend, but that didn't stop her from dating him. She knew he used her friend and had something to do with her death but that didn't stop her either. He was also a suspect in a murder case where at the very least he covered it up but that never became important. Why wasn't he in jail for this? She knew he wasn't a good person. Plus her brother the cop telling her not to date him. All of these added together makes it unbelievable she would have anything to do with him.
What was the point of the stabbing? That is so inconsistent with the character of the brother, he's all broken up about shooting a criminal but stabby stabby is all right with him. No guilt there. That's too crazy.
I got caught up in the last few episodes but the writing was terrible.
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This review may contain spoilers
A few episodes in, I could see where Hundred Million Stars From the Sky was panning out to. Hidden under the guise of a murder mystery, it truly is a birth secret drama (where the lead couple is separated as kids due to a tragic incident, only to reunite as adults, fall in love and face their fears together), following largely in the footsteps of Kill Me, Heal Me. If the latter explored the multiple personalities developed due to the horrifying near-death incident, in Hundred Million Stars From the Sky, it is the reverse, as Kim Moo Young (Seo In Guk as remarkable as ever) ends up emotionally distancing himself from everyone and everything, after facing a similar tragedy.There are more similarities between the two shows, especially when considering the climax, but except for the dash of amnesia, a pinch of red herring (which I will come to later), the tone is vastly different. Kill Me Heal Me used the fun and ease of watching a rom-com, to present to us a difficult topic, while Hundred Million Stars From the Sky uses a murder, that isn’t even directly related to the three main characters, to lure us into the real mystery that has to be solved.
Writer Song Hye Jin takes this tried and tested formula and tweaks small elements, that does something so different, that the end product stands out against other dramas with a similar plotline. Till we are even introduced to the larger mystery at hand, the past is constantly teased via dialogues, especially the ones shared between Moo Young and Yoo Jin Gook (a brilliant Park Sung Woong), without ever revealing what exactly was the nature of the incident or resorting to the use of flashbacks. This heightens the suspense and tension more when you consider that Moo Young is a morally ambiguous character, who may have committed a murder or at least has instigated one.
The story too just flows with many different plotlines — involving romance, chaebols, police investigation, without ever feeling muddled, but brilliantly integrated together. This gives the show a much more established setting, that is by investing so much time in the present, it becomes as important as the past. These characters and their choices matter as much now as they did before.
This is especially important when it comes to Jin Kook, who treats his whole life as a penance for his one wrongdoing, early in his career. We meet him as a detective who works under his subordinate and is seen as a burden for the team, but as he crosses path (literally at first) with Moo Young, he almost ends up making the same mistake he is now paying for.
Seo In Guk is one actor perfect for playing grey characters. His aloofness would make you question him, but his inherent charm would disable those suspicions immediately. We aren’t privy to any of his thoughts, and his interactions with other characters are limited except for when he is with Jin Gook and Jin Kang (Jung So Min). So, you can never predict what he is going to do, what exactly is going on in his head, and basically, whose side he is on, but rather than scare you, his confidence and calmness make you relaxed, as someone who knows what he is doing.
This drama is the official remake of the 2002 Japanese drama of the same name and while the original had quite a controversial ending where it is revealed the two main leads (here that would be Moo Young and Jin Kang) are biological siblings, the Korean one releases this (false) information for an episode, to provide shock and create some damage for our characters, and then smartly eliminates every possibility of it in the next.
Though I expected this reversal, as Korean dramas generally tread safely when it comes to their leads (unless its a movie — Oldboy, anyone?), the reveal — for however short it was — made sense especially considering Jin Gook’s constant disgust for Jin Kang dating Moo Young, but the sudden swerve back to safety, (which made me personally feel better), didn’t make sense when considering Jin Gook’s extreme actions, in particular when he stabs Moo Young to keep him for dating his sister.
A similar reveal had been teased before in Kill Me Heal Me too, albeit for a short period, between Cha Do Hyun and Oh Ri Jin, and also between Oh Ri Jin and Oh Ri On, but where it is swiftly revealed that they aren’t biologically related as Ri On loves Ri Jin.
Along with this, there were some loopholes in the plot, which don’t really hamper the viewing experience but still prick your mind from time to time, like Moo Young being let go from the murder investigations even when it was made clear that he put the idea into Im Yoo Ri’s (Go Min Si) head and helped her plan it. Or the fact that Dr. Yang thought it was a good decision to let a kid with burn scars and a memory loss wander off than be continued to be treated in the hospital. That plot point was completely lost on me.
Did I mention that an OST plays for the first time, only in like the tenth episode!
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This review may contain spoilers
The Korean version of this drama is not the wrenching Greek tragedy that the Japanese one was and that is both bad and good to me. Bad because it was not as emotionally disturbing as the Japanese version. And good because … it was not as emotionally disturbing as the Japanese version. The Japanese version left me feeling completely drained. This one is not quite as upsetting. I like the characters in this Korean version better. Kim Moo Young is not as damaged and Yoo Jin Kook is much more sympathetic. I think all of the actors did a great job, particularly Seo In Guk. Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
A whole lotta stupid
I give this drama an 8 for the first half and a 3 for the second because everything becomes stupid. It's pretty unbelievable that the writers are able to create such an engaging story and then turn it into a marathon of stupidity.Kim Moo Young is built up to be a cold, manipulative, incredibly intelligent sociopath with a sex appeal up the wazoo. He doesn't care about anyone's feelings and shamelessly uses poor Seung Ah as a recreational activity cuz he can. He plays her like a drum while the plot slowly develops his feelings for Jin Kang through playful banter, meaningful conversations, and flirting. His bad-boy charm, cunningness, and insanely good looks are the highlight of the show. Unfortunately, all of this intelligence goes *poof* in the second half leading to some very stupid choices.
The drama's biggest let down is the characters' motivations, actions, and incomprehensible consequences based on those motivations and actions. Everyone hates Moo Young's lack of empathy. But, Yoo Jin Kang has no problem spending time with him while he dates Seung Ah all the while preaching sanctimonious b*llshit about morals. Later on, she unapologetically lies to her brother and goes on dates with her hot boyfriend behind oppa's back while preaching more sanctimonious bs. Oppa gets a little too high on his moral high horse about Moo Young's shenanigans and stabs him in the gut without regrets. It's even more asinine that he does not get arrested for assault/attempted murder or even get questioned after making a confession. Jin Kang throws a temper tantrum about her sexy boyfriend now having a hole in his belly, but doesn't seem to care that her brother is the culprit.
The murder mystery is the most interesting and complex storyline. But, it ends early with Im Yoo Ri's character being largely unutilized while the writers decide to bore us with the childhood trauma plotline, and characters preaching morality and acting illogically. Moo Young transforms from clever and observant to gullible and reactionary. He believes Jang Se Ran's atrocious story, the same Ms. Jang who is an insane sociopath and the least likely to tell the truth, and hastily makes a life altering decision leading to very tragic consequences. Special "thanks" to the genius who decided to make a tertiary character like Ms. Jang into a central plot device. She is an attractive and calculating older woman who is the head of a conglomerate. So, it's totally believable that she would fall for someone like Moo Young, who has no special skills, talent, or money, and then make him a CEO. And that's because Moo Young's biggest asset is dat ass.
Moo Young and Jin Kang have some very spicy chemistry on screen. But, the best thing about the drama is acting. Seo In Guk was made for this role. He wasn't just playing Kim Moo Young. He was Kim Moo Young.
The ending is tragic, but who cares, because everything! is! stupid!
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It's my personal opinion so please don't come after me . Thank you!
So ... the smile has left your eyes is a beautiful drama.The plot is smooth and captivating , the suspense is in the right place and time. It keeps your eyes locked on the screen to find out what next comes.
the cast is amazing and did an awesome job. I felt every single feeling that the characters felt.
Honestly i have cried a lot so prepare yourself tissues if you're going to watch this drama.
This drama for me deserves to be watched at least once in our life.
So give it a shot!!
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This drama was a rollercoaster of feelings and emotions that the characters have achieved to portray. Each character and their personalities were wonderfully presented to the point at which I imagined what the character would do in the following episodes. The chemistry between the two main leads was indescribable and beautiful, they could understand each other's emotions and feelings perfectly. Although the romance was alluring, the plot of the story describes a suspenseful ill-fated romance with a bit of tradegy. Every episode keeps the audience engaged from the beginning to the end.
You should definitely give this a watch!!!!
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Great, deep drama
This was my first Korean drama, so it stays kinda special to me. I loved it the first time, and I still did the second time. It was quite raw and emotional ride and while there can be some little complains or slow scenes, I did love it overall. The main lead did such a great job, for me his best work to date, really convicing and strong. The female lead was also excellent, their chemistry was great. I liked the police man as well, really good, reliable actor as well, the psychiatrist also. OST was also very good and the ending.... well, it was different and definitely strong, leaving a mark. Reccomend to anyone, who does not look for a sweet, cliche or funny drama.Was this review helpful to you?
