Angel Eyes

Summary: Angel Eyes is a 2014 k-drama produced for SBS. This 20 episode series follows the relationship between Yoon Soo Wan (Ku Hye Sun) and Park Dong Joo (Lee Sang Yoon). Their fairytale romance begins when they meet as teenagers and fall in love. Yoon Soo Wan is a lonely girl suffering from blindness and carrying the guilt of her mother's accidental death on her shoulders. Park Dong Joo is a hardworking teenager trying to help support his family after the death of his father. They find happiness and support in one another until they are tragically torn apart. Years later, Park Dong Joo returns to find Yoon Soo Wan, whose vision has been restored. Will she recognize her first love now that she can see? And, can they overcome obstacles from the past that are holding them back?

Recommendation: I liked Angel Eyes and I'm willing to positively recommend it to others. It has a strong start and it carries well through the first 10-12 episodes. But, in all honesty, they could have wrapped it up neatly by episode 16 with a few tweaks. I had figured out all the major players and how the story would resolve as soon as the adult cast was introduced. The main reason for continuing to watch was to see how the events would unfold and for the combined hotness of Lee Sang Yoon and Kim Ji Suk. I'm not a fan of Ku Hye Sun but I think she turned in a reasonably good performance for this series and her chemistry with Lee Sang Yoon was spot on. A surprising treat was Seung-Ri in the role of Teddy Seo. I know he's a pop star but this was my first exposure to him and I think he held his own against the more seasoned actors.

 Other Thoughts (And Possible Spoilers): My initial instinct was to avoid this k-drama. Even with my RomCom sensibilities, I thought the premise sounded cheesy. But after the first episode, I was hooked. The young actors did a great job establishing the foundation of the story - even if they don't bear a strong resemblance to their adult counterparts. Still, it was one of the more successful attempts at the teen/adult castings this season and the script handled the transition nicely.

I'll be honest. I'm not a huge fan of Ku Hye Sun, in large part because of The Musical.  It was like a bad sequel to Boys Over Flowers that involved singing the same song over and over again. All she did was play the role of Geum Tan Di under a new name with the same exact facial expressions, mannerisms, and hair ruffling. That made Angel Eyes a nice surprise. It finally feels like Ku Hye Sun has shed her BoF persona and presented something new to the audience. There were momentary relapses but the performance was more Yoon Soo Wan and less Geum Tan Di.

A few years back, when Twilight was dominating the box office, there was a lot of discussion on whether to be on Team Vampire or Team Werewolf. I think Angel Eyes is worthy of a similar discussion. Should we be on Team Dr. Park or Team Dr. Kang? I've put together a comparison to help everyone choose.

Pros Heart surgeon Loves his mother & sister Above average looks Believes in first love Writes letters Abs of steel (in the shower)	Pros Brain surgeon Loves his mother Above average looks Loyal to his girlfriend Remembers anniversaries Abs of steel (in the shower)
Cons Holds in his emotions Suffers in silence	Cons Stalker like tendencies Hit and Run offender Psycho mom

My opinion on this one is not entirely unbiased. I've been a fan of Kim Ji Suk since Chuno, Personal Taste, and Wonderful Mama. He's a great character actor that has taken on some really dynamic roles. And, quite frankly, I think he's an overlooked talent that could carry a drama as the leading man. I'm going Team Dr. Kang on this one.

Final Thought - Another great soundtrack! However, they were a little goofy with releasing it on iTunes. Instead of one soundtrack it was released as seven different singles. Searching for "Angel Eyes (Original Soundtrack)" will bring up all of them.