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The first two episodes succeeded in capturing my unyielding attention. Nam Ji Hyun and Kang Ha Neul were sensational in portraying their roles as the younger versions of the main characters, and did well to establish the base story and emotions which would carry on for the rest of the drama. The purity and beauty in their interactions really did make the story feel like real life rather than a written script being acted out. Suffice to say, the first two episodes of Angel Eyes have become some of my most enjoyed episodes from any series. All of the actors/actresses were sensational. The way the story began was great. Everything about how the first two episodes were filmed was well done, from the scenery, to the ambiance, to the lighting etc., and this was all backed by (what I thought) was very fitting and effective OST.
As for the rest of the episodes:
Story (7/10): The story started off strong in the first half of the drama, but from half way onwards it got suuuppeerrrr draggy at some points. Picked up though near the end when s*&^ started to happen. Honestly, it was the main love story that dragged; it was all of the other side stories that definitely kept the enjoyment level up. Many of the comments I've seen said that "this drama could have (and should have) ended in 16 episodes instead of 20". I completely agree.
Acting/Cast (10/10): One of the strongest, if not THE strongest, thing about Angel Eyes. I thoroughly enjoyed each and every cast members' performance. Each and every one. They all just seemed to play their roles so effortlessly. My favourites were the young Dong Joo and Soo Wan, the older Hye Joo, Detective Cha, Dong Joo's mom, and the three nurses in the ER.
Music (7.5/10): As with many dramas, there are some songs in English, where the singer is clearly not a native English speaker. Yes, they can sing very well, but singing "...and your Anjer Eyes are shriling in my life" instead of "...and your angel eyes are shining in my life" can get slightly distracting. Most of the songs fit the scenes well, and despite the sometimes off English, they were pretty catchy.
Re-watch Value (5/10): In short, the only episodes I would re-watch would be the first two (definitely), and a few near the end when s*&^ started to get real.
Overall (7/10): It was a good drama for the most part, but quite draggy at points even considering it's a melodrama. I liked how the "evil" people in this one weren't truly bad to the bone evil. All the reasons they did what they did could be understood (but not necessarily accepted) by considering them in an unbiased, objective mindset. What I didn't like was the older main girl. She just got annoying. At times. Although sometimes sweet. But annoying. To be clear, Koo Hye Sun did a great job of acting, it was the character she played that I wanted to throw rocks at.
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Yea, she was/is awesome.
This drama started off well, and for the most part I enjoyed it. Not being familiar with the Trot genre, took me a song or two to get used to it but I appreciate it now. In terms of the story, either than a trot singer infiltrating the pop-saturated music scene, there really wasn't anything unique. The first half was good, setting up the story and getting things rolling, but halfway through it started to get bland and generic, story-wise. Several common drama plot twists were used and slightly lowered my motivation to keep watching. The ending was ok - not exciting, and not bad either.
The two strongest points of the drama though were the acting and the music. The cast were all great and fit each of their roles well. The two main characters shared such a genuine and emotional bond that really added to the overall mood of the drama. Their scenes were always warm and felt real. Although all of the characters were portrayed very well, there really weren't any unique characters either, save a few. Shin Sung Rok (Mr. President) really was a breathe of fresh air. His slightly awkward demeanor melded so well with his playfulness and quirky lines. Each of his scenes were great to watch. As for Eun Ji (Choi Chun Hee), from the first line I wrote, it's easy to know what I thought about her. Her character was pretty typical, but at times she proved to be quite different from other main characters. Eun Ji herself though. Wonderful. Excellent. Super. That's all you need to know.
As for the music, I appreciate this drama for bringing to the spotlight a great genre of music. The OST was great, not really much for me to say there. But the performances, especially Eun Ji's, were always well done. She has such a beautiful and rich voice backed by great control and feeling. Each and every time she sang her emotions could be felt through the computer screen. Not just her though, every cast member who sang did a great job.
Overall, if you enjoy great quality singing, if you cannot resist funny quirky characters, if you enjoy super intimately cute moments, or if you are a fan of Eun Ji, I suggest you watch this. If you're looking for a ground-breakingly unique and original drama, this is not what you're looking for.
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