I suddenly missed this man, so I began rewatching some of his fan meeting and fan concert videos over the previous years. Long story short I got addicted again, so I decided to do a rundown of my most favorite concert performances of him. Ever.
Here goes.
1) All For You (Snow - Our Season, 2018). Apart from All For You being one of the "national anthem" of Seo In Guk fans, I love this performance a lot because of how cute and thoughtful In Guk was when he decided to come back to the stage right after he had just walked towards the exit, signaling the end of the concert. He couldn't resist his fans who began to sing for him that he decided to sing with them for one more round, too. Now this is what you call fan service. Such a lovely man. ๐
2) Mint Chocolate (S#33/TAKE 10, 2019). Can I just say how hawt he was in here? And that rap? That was super. ๐
3) Someday (Snow - Our Season, 2018). A Yi Sung Yol original, this song was among the OSTs of his most recent drama The Smile Has Left Your Eyes. Although In Guk seldomly sings for his own television series, he does cover some of its OSTs during concerts that coincide with the year the drama was aired. Someday is a perfect example of that, and I just love how he poured his soul in peforming this song, making it beautiful and truly his own.
4) Fluttering Heart (Fall In Guk, 2015). Another lovely song, and another lovely rendition from Seo In Guk. He's amazing at singing various genres but I think I love him better in soothing ones, such as this. ๐
5) Better Together (Mint Chocolate, 2016). This was a song that In Guk has written for his fans following his military enlistment. It was already emotional in its own, but In Guk's performance made it even more emotional and memorable for all the fans he had dedicated the song to.
6) Marry Me (Fall In Guk, 2015). An Im Chang Jung original, Seo In Guk's rendition of the song was lovely it gave me a lot of fuzzies while listening to it. The song was wonderfully arranged and hits you right to the heart. It was as if In Guk was serenading me somehow and I just melt.
7) Mou, Aenakute (Tokyo Live Talk Show, 2016). This is my most favorite among all of In Guk's Japanese singles, and it was just lovely how he performed the song with cuteness and so much heart.
8) Flower (Snow - Our Season, 2018). Seo In Guk was amazing in delivering such an emotional and powerful song. It didn't matter if it was performed live, the voice quality and emotional punch remained the same.
9) I Think Of You (Seo In Guk x Heartrider Birthday Fan Meeting, 2014). A One More Chance original, I absolutely love this performance and In Guk's rendition of the song because of how soothing it is to the ears. Not to mention it showcases In Guk's great piano skills, too.
10) My Baby U (Mint Chocolate, 2016). The arrangement of this song was lit. Nuff said.
2019 has been awesome not just because of the celebration of Seo In Guk's 10th year anniversary, but also because of the many projects and memories SIG Angels around the globe were able to create because of the friendship and support we give to one another.
As a last hurrah, here's our very pretty rice wreath for In Guk's S#33/TAKE 10 concert two days ago!
The year 2019 has been a milestone not only for Seo In Guk but also for us fans, as this marks the 10th year that In Guk has been in the industry after winning the reality show Superstar K way back October 2009.
Because of this, Seo In Guk is gifting his fans with a year-end anniversary concert, S#33/TAKE 10, which will be held on December 28, 2019 at Donghae Culture Art Center, Gwangwoon University.
In support to In Guk and his decade long awesomeness, SIG Angels is launching another wreath support project as a gift for him too. Apart from a lovely rice wreath for his upcoming concert, we also plan to send another wreath for his upcoming movie "Pipeline". As always, SIG Angels want In Guk to know that he has loving and super awesome fans outside of Korea, so we hope to see a lot of participation from our global fan community.
Here's a quick video of the 30-second LED ad project courtesy of SIG Angels PH admin SIG MyPop.
Number "two" of our anniversary surprise is a heartfelt greeting for Seo In Guk. This gigantic Globemaze is located at the 4th largest shopping mall in Asia at the SM Mall of Asia located in Manila, Philippines. This was sponsored by the elite heartriders of SIG Angels PH!
Thank you for supporting this wonderful project! Enjoy the video Angels!
Posted by Sig Mypop on Sunday, October 27, 2019
The SM Mall of Asia LED Globamaze project is SIG Angels' second "surprise" event for Seo In Guk's 10th Year Anniversary. The first one was for a commemorative coin which will be given away to supportive participants who made this year's projects successful, as well as to a few lucky heartriders who will be present at the venue of Seo In Guk's year-end concert.
Good morning Seo In Guk Angels! It's Seo In Guk's 10th Year Anniversary! Yay!
To start the celebration we created this precious item with special thoughts of our beloved Seo In Guk. This coin has his image on one side and on the other carries the official fan club logo. Of course we acquired special permission from heartrider prior to using the logo. This coin signifies the togetherness of Seo In Guk and his fans for 10 lovely years!
No... This item is not for sale but 100 lucky fans will be getting this on site for free when they attend Seo In Guk's fan meeting this December in South Korea. Watch out for our post to reserve a special coin! Please note, that you have to be an offical heartrider member in the cafe or an official SIG Angels Global fan member.
We also would like to thank everyone who contributed to the angel project 2019. Because of your beautiful hearts, we are able to make meaningful events as an international support group for In Guk. You have the option to have this coin shipped to your address. Make sure to email us at globalheartrider@gmail.com but note that shipping fees are excluded.
Let us celebrate this day with a smile and a heart that's full of loving thoughts for Seo In Guk!
Watch out for our next surprise later tonight!
#SeoInGuk10thYearAnniversaryCoin
#SIGAngels
#Heartrider
#iHeartriders
#AllForSeoInGuk
#Happy10thYearAnniversarySeoInGuk
#10YearsWithInGuk
#SIGAngelsFanSupport
#TogetherForSeoInGuk
#ใฝใคใณใฐใฏ
#SeoInGuk
#์์ธ๊ตญ
Posted by Sig Mypop on Saturday, October 26, 2019
Thanks for all the help, fellow angels! All of this wouldn't be possible without your support!
Happy 10th Year Anniversary, Seo In Guk! We love you big time! ❤️
I'm not sure if I'd still be carrying this show on after this episode. The premise looks promising—there's romcom, there's fantasy, and then there's thriller/mystery. And then there's Park Bo Young, the ever so talented Park Bo Young, whom I loved a lot in Oh My Ghost and Do Bong Soon. However, Ahn Hyo Seop doesn't seem to click to me somehow... Honestly speaking, I am only here now because of Seo In Guk and Jung So Min's cameo. Sorry not sorry.
I'm still not quite sure what to make of these two though because they're like grim reapers with that all black garb, but then again, they're like aliens with that entrance and that ball. Seeing Seo In Guk transform from a dog to a human with a stern Jung So Min on his tail scolding him was amusing, it was like seeing Jin Kang scold Moo Young all over again. Ha.
It's already been half a year but there are still some instances when I get to remember The Smile Has Left Your Eyes and how wretched it has ended, so I'm taking this cameo as an epilogue of some sort for my own peace of my mind.
Now, as these two leave after the 100th million star has fallen, I hope these two have a great future ahead.
The after party for Angel Project 2018 was held the day after the charity proper due to unexpected schedule conflicts. In that regard, I'm making this an extra photo filled post (photos are courtesy of Avy ๐). Because I'm a sucker like that. ๐
So... Let's begin with some photos of the venue.
Some games...
Freebies...
Food...
And a few chit-chat!
It's always a happy day with SIG Angels, especially since the fandom's accomplishments for the year, including the successful charity drive for the Angel Project, are all worthy of celebration.
Here's to more years of loving Seo In Guk! Cheers! ❤️
Hooray for another successful project for SIG Angels Philippines and SIG Angels Global! ๐
Through generous global angels' help, our fandom was able to accomplish yet another milestone under Seo In Guk's name.
Angel Project is an annual charity drive launched by SIG Angels for brave young warriors battling cancer. It is an activity usually held around December, as the said month is known for festivities and sharing love to one another. However, due to some unforeseen conflicts, Angel Project 2018 had to be moved from being held on December to a different date on January. The upside? We were able to gather more funds and donations to get our yearly drive moving. Yay!
For this year, apart from donations for cancer patient kids and those who are extremely ill, SIG Angels also extended help for patients in the PICU ward.
Through the funds that the group was able to generate from various sponsors around the globe, we also got to share a few more gifts to the rest of the kids in different wards.
Indeed, there is no darkness so dense, so menacing, or so difficult that it can't be overcome by light. And our undying love for Seo In Guk proved just that. Through our fandom's yearly efforts, we prove time and again that fangirling isn't as shallow as other people deem it to be. Fangirling can also serve a purpose—a light of hope to those in need—just as how our Angel Projects always are.
'Til our next fangirling for a cause, angels! Merry Christmas! ❤️
A 16-episode South Korean television series broadcast by tVN, The Smile Has Left Your Eyes is an adaptation of the 2002 hit Japanese drama entitled Hundred Million Stars From The Sky (Sora Kara Furu Ichioku no Hoshi). It features the story of a craft brewery assistant named Kim Moo Young, a man of complex and grey nature who has forgotten everything about his past. Later on he meets and falls in love with advertising designer Yoo Jin Kang, and together, they embark on a journey to finding his memory and the meaning there is to his life.
❀ RAVES ❀»•»
1) Character Portrayal. The leads and other characters of The Smile Has Left Your Eyes were absolutely impressive. Jung So Min's performance, for one, came as a surprise; as the only drama I've seen her from was Playful Kiss added by very few glimpses of her from Because This Is My First Life (I didn't watch that). It also didn't help that I wasn't feeling her that much for being cast alongside Seo In Guk prior to the start of the show, which was why I was sooo glad to see her in a different light for playing Jin Kang and stretching her acting chops with such command and grace.
My favorite performance of Jung So Min was when Jin Kang was banging at Moo Young's door while wailing inconsolably outside his house in Episode 15. She knew Moo Young didn't really intend to break up with her. She knew that there was something strange, and that the cold facade Moo Young was showing her was just a mask he'd worn to hide his pain away. Jin Kang was the only person who could see right through Moo Young, and her desperation to reach out to him at that moment added by her exasperation of not knowing what was wrong when she knows there is something wrong was perfectly portrayed by Jung So Min that it was reallyyyyy painful to watch.
And Kim Ji Hyun... This girl played Jang Se Ran convincingly good, too. She was disturbing for the most part, but that's a good thing acting-wise because it just shows that Kim Ji Hyun is connecting to the audience by delivering Jang Se Ran's psychopathic characteristics relatively well.
Even though I wished Moo Young didn't really pull that trigger on Jang Se Ran in Episode 15, that was such a satisfying scene to watch, most especially since it was like seeing two psychotic characters finally come at each other face to face. It was wicked, and Kim Moo Young was like a ticking time bomb in that scene. It was as if he'd blow off anytime he hears something from Se Ran that didn't sit well with him. This was why the witch's constant yapping, added by her fake conversation with Jin Kang and her amusement at the whole ordeal was annoying yet chilling to watch. While it was just wrong of Moo Young to shoot her thrice let alone pull that trigger, I was still silently rooting for him to punch her or something. Yes, Kim Ji Hyun's acting was that effective.
2) Seo In Guk as an Anti-Hero. Seo In Guk's acting was definitely gold in this drama. The smile has literally left Kim Moo Young's eyes in most part of the show, all thanks to Seo In Guk's powerfully evocative portrayal of Kim Moo Young.
This scene from Episode 15 was among my favorite deliveries from the show and from Seo In Guk because even if it wasn't a full blown meltdown, Seo In Guk embodied Moo Young's repulsive pain, anger and heartbreak so poignantly raw and real that it heart wrenchingly hurt. My heart ached so much for him that that meltdown made me cry along with him, too. His mind's conclusion plus Se Ran's confirmation that Jin Kang was indeed his sister wasn't easy for him to fathom, and that drunk-like, nauseous state he has shown added by a couple of restrained sobs made me gleam at Seo In Guk for being such a great actor.
That being said, it was such a good move for In Guk to take this role after being on hiatus for soooo long, and I just can't thank him enough for gifting us fans with this new side of him before the year ended. Kim Moo Young adds variation to an already vast range of characters that In Guk has played, especially since portraying an anti-hero, for me, required a lot of depth, effort and emotional build-up in order to make the character come across as multi-dimensional rather than just evil. From Kim Moo Young's erratic, multifaceted behavior down to his smirks, deadpan gaze and body language, Seo In Guk has owned the conflictingly dark and complex Moo Young as his own, so much so that I sometimes forget this is the same bubbly man who played the goofy chaebol shopper in Shopping King Louis. His ability to switch from being emotionless to being warm and being emotionless again in just a snap was a feat deserving of praise. Indeed, the transition in his acting was swift and smooth, because yep, Seo In Guk is that good of an actor.
3) Psychological Touch. The Smile Has Left Your Eyes isn't just a tearjerking melodrama nor a bittersweet romance. For me, it was more psychological which not only focuses on a scarred Kim Moo Young, but also touches various difficult themes such as trauma and mental illness. It was like seeing I Remember You again in glimpses (hello, Min and Hyun), with a darker and deeper approach at that, and I love that through its entire run, it kept me intellectually engaged.
Kim Moo Young was such a conflictingly dark and complex character. He was manipulative, apathetic, impulsive and at the same time, erratic. Sometimes he looked bad, other times, he didn't. There were instances where he seemed a little bit kind too, probably even capable of sincere concern provided he's with the right people... which then boils down to the question: Was Moo Young really that bad, or was he just misunderstood? This resonates all the more when he asked Jin Kang to "teach him" how to be a good person in Episode 9. He knows he's sort of sociopathic and he wanted to change, but he needed someone's help to be able to get to that. Dang, that was intricately beautiful.
4) Life Lessons. For the most part, The Smile Has Left Your Eyes is also a very insightful watch. There's a vast array of messages you'd come across by watching this drama, such as the cliche honesty is the best policy, for one.
A lot of the dramas' tragedy and unnecessary complications could have been avoided if only the characters had been honest and communicated with each other. Say for instance, the tragic fate of Moo Young and Jin Kang could have been avoided had Jin Gook been honest about their connection straight from the get-go. Communication is the key to get rid of misunderstandings, just as it is the key to lasting relationships.
I also love how the show tended to emphasize that the past, however it is painted, does not define who you are as a person.
Dr. Yang: "That's just your father's business. It's just something that was buried deep in your memories and had nothing to do with you. The past doesn't explain who you've become. What you are now is a testimony to who you are."
And that no matter what you did, there's always a fresh start waiting ahead for you.
Jin Gook: "A person can always start over. Although it's a given, it's true."
5) Romance that Heals. Jin Kang and Moo Young were two characters at the opposite ends of a pole, as while Jin Kang was lovely and full of warmth, Moo Young was downright cold and calculating. Yet their romance works. It works, and at the same time, it heals. Jin Kang was the solace that Moo Young had always needed. She was the only person who could see right through him—she could see right through his lies and cold demeanor, and knows that all of these were just masks that he'd put to hide his pains away. And I love that through all of this, Jin Kang stayed loyal and patient with Moo Young, because someone like her was what he really needed, especially when the times are hard. Moo Young needed someone who was willing to listen and understand him without judgement. In that sense, Jin Kang complements Moo Young, the same way he complements her by being her protector. They were each other's saving grace.
6) Chemistry. Seo In Guk and Jung So Min absolutely sizzle together. As mentioned, I never really expected their chemistry to be as outstanding as this as I wasn't really getting the vibe from So Min during the early promotion of the show. But dang, they do deliver. The sincerity and pureness of Moo Young and Jin Kang's love is evident in In Guk and So Min's interactions. The way they gaze at each other, the conversations, the cuddles... it all felt so vividly real. Their extremely complicated relationship isn't something that can be easily portrayed, and I appreciate that up until the last episode, both Seo In Guk and Jung So Min were able to sustain the roller coaster of emotions that they had built from the start of the show.
7) OST. The sound track for this drama was hands down amazing. It was beautifully made, and definitely fits the show perfectly. It wasn't the widely diverse kind of OST as compared to other dramas, but nevertheless, it delivers K-Drama feels effectively that the memories of the show begin to resonate whenever you hear its songs play. One of my favorites were Someday by Yi Sung Yol. It was beautiful and nostalgic and had this Japanese vibe that sounded like a tribute to the source material. And of course, Seo In Guk and Jung So Min's Star. In Guk has been very cautious in singing an OST for a drama where he also appears, and the last he sang for his own drama was way back 2014 for High School King of Savvy. That being said, I was very delighted when I found out that he'd be singing for The Smile Has Left Your Eyes with So Min, and that they both had written the lyrics for the song themselves.
❀ RANTS ❀»•»
1) Ending. I get that the show was aiming for a tragic ending given its type as a melodrama. It was poignantly beautiful to say the least, and I think the twist in the end was quite well played too. However, I'm still not entirely sure about completely buying that ending.
Nope, I am not sour-graping because I wanted to have a happy ending for Moo Young because of Seo In Guk. He's better off dead. Narratively speaking, that's the most plausible ending especially if the show wanted to stay true to the source material somehow, and at the same time, keep the tragedy burning. However, I think there were some instances that just didn't work in one way or another. For one, I didn't like why Moo Young and Jin Kang both had to die in the Jang family's secretary's hands. Sure he might have been ordered by the dad to do the hit, I mean, the Dad lost not just one but two of his children, and all because of having been involved with Moo Young at that. However, even if it was beautiful to see Jin Kang take the first bullet for Moo Young in parallel to how he took most of the burn from the scalding hot water for her when they were kids, and that Moo Young's first and last declaration of love as they die by each other's arms was so harrowingly poetic, the secretary being the agent of their death still felt like too convenient a trope to serve the purpose of the leads dying. I think I might have preferred if the drama took a different route instead. Again, I'm not saying Moo Young should have lived (although that could have also worked given a different circumstance, since Moo Young was such a poor, troubled soul and he deserves a second chance). That being said, how about going along Moo Young's initial plan of taking his own life but letting Jin Kang live, for example? You know, something like letting her live and relive the memories of Moo Young for the rest of her life? I think that'd be painful yet beautiful at the same time. Plus, I think it'd strengthen the show's message regarding the effects of trauma and psychological pain, being judged, or being lied to, for the record.
2) Pushed-aside Plotlines. Sometimes, the show has this tendency to create a plotline and then hastily drop it off in favor of another plotline, such as this:
I get that Jin Kang was inexplicably drawn to Moo Young, but her attraction and their love line initially didn't feel organic because of Seung Ah's pushed-aside plotline. I mean, Jin Kang and Seung Ah were supposed to be friends, right? But what's up with her and Moo Young jumping into a relationship not long after Seung Ah's death? I might have understood Moo Young doing this (although him not being the least bit remorseful about Seung Ah's death when he was somehow involved in it was just meh), but Jin Kang? Don't get me wrong, I have no issues with her and Moo Young dating, they were amazing together and of course, they were this drama's OTP. It just felt a little bit rushed, given Jin Kang's character. Like... instead of dating right away, Jin Kang should have at least mourned for her friend first, especially since Moo Young was her friend's ex-boyfriend. That aching sobs she let out during her friend's funeral didn't seem enough of a mourning for me, mostly because she seemed to have moved on quite fast not long after that.
Here's another one:
There was this scene in Episode 9 where Moo Young got cross-examined for the murder of the female college student Song Mi Yeon. With a lot of evidences found in his possession pointing against him plus a previous confession coming from him, I'm not entirely sure how he could walk away as easy as that even if Yoo Ri already confessed that she did the murder. What about the time he spent sitting there at the convenience store while waiting for Yoo Ri to murder Mi Yeon? What about all those snow balls and the cleaning and arranging done at the victim's apartment? Shouldn't Moo Young be thoroughly investigated as an accomplice, like, for tampering evidence or misleading the investigation? It felt as if this plotline had been swept under the rug so that we could all quickly move on to Moo Young and Jin Kang's love line in the succeeding episodes.
3) Inconsistent Reasonings. There were also a few instances in the drama that didn't add up, mostly about Jin Gook. Here's one for example.
You throw us a Jin Gook that's soooo eager to pull Moo Young and Jin Kang apart, only to tell us in the end that they weren't real siblings after all? And that Jin Gook knew all of this somehow? Like... WTF? Of course I was glad that our leads didn't end up as real siblings because that's incest and would be too taboo especially in South Korea. However, if Moo Young and Jin Kang weren't actually real siblings and Jin Gook knew this all too well, what's his reason for trying so hard to tear them apart, then? Is Moo Young's sociopathic tendencies enough reason to drive him as strong as that, going as far as stabbing Moo Young which was so wrong and so cliche by the way? I don't know where to put Jin Gook at that, given how he's treated Yoo Ri differently when she's a real murderer. Was he really doing all of this in order to protect Jin Kang? Or was he actually doing this in order to protect himself?
And Tak... Don't even get me started with Tak.
I know Tak was infatuated with Jin Gook, but I just don't get how she could blindly follow and cheer him on like that just because she's infatuated. I mean, in Episode 14, there was this instance where Moo Young broke out of Jin Kang's house (with a gun in tow) so that he could confront her brother regarding the stabbing, his father's death, and all of this mess. Tak's visit that night halted this confrontation from blowing into unimaginable proportions, and even though Moo Young was able to safely sneak out of the house, the smell of gunpowder didn't leave Tak unnoticed. This prompted her to bark at Jin Gook to stop allowing Moo Young to control him like that. Ha. Really now, Tak? How was Moo Young's breaking out a lot worse than Jin Gook's stabbing? I'm not saying what Moo Young did was right, of course it was wrong in all of its sense. However, Jin Gook was also wrong for stabbing someone, especially since he easily got away with it. Justifying Jin Gook's actions by telling Jin Kang that her brother wouldn't really be stabbing people if she only did as told was already wrong in so many levels, and now this?
❀ RULING ❀»•»
The Smile Has Left Your Eyes is a masterpiece in every sense of the word. It wasn't flawless, and wasn't as thorough as Moo Young's craft beer was either. Nevertheless, it was beautiful. It was a tragic and jarringly beautiful tale of love, something I know will haunt me for the rest of my viewing life. Yep, more than Scarlet Heart Ryeo ever did.
I was so happy When you smiled at me With a smile that melts away everything Spring is yet far away And the earth is still cold Was waiting for the first sprout to come Although today is hard to bear Even when yesterday's scars remain If I work it out with a heart that wants to trust I can't be born again But I can change as I go on Let's stay together... Always.
