Kolorful Palette: Stargazer [Angel Eyes]

88 April 13, 2014April 8, 2017

by Fanderay

I’m feeling very self-congratulatory this week because I actually watched a weekend drama for once. I’m glad I did because Angel Eyes certainly doesn’t feel like typical weekend fare, and I think it’s going to be more akin to what we’re used to seeing on weeknights (it’s even rumored to only be 20 episodes, which is a huge relief as far as I’m concerned).

Angel Eyes follows a pretty typical formula: boy and girl meet when they’re young, fall in love, are unavoidably separated, then reunite years later. When they first meet Yoon Soo-wan (Nam Ji-Hyun) is blind and fiercely trying to prove her independence, but cutie-pie Park Dong-Joo (Kang Ha-neul) manages to win her over and they proceed to be adorable. They’re actually 20 and 18 years old at this point, which is a lot older than the typical backstory childhood romance, and makes it feel a little more meaningful. When they jump forward 12 years to the present in Episode 3, the leads will be played by Gu Hye-sun and Lee Sang-yoon, although it seems like a crime that their younger counterparts don’t get more screen time. Of course there’s more to the story than I’ve just described (various deaths, drama, and intrigue) but you’ll have to watch it if you want to know more!

In the first two episodes there is some pretty unrealistic character writing, not to mention plot contrivances, but I forgave all that since the overall vibe was so charming. This drama is filled with soft moments and soft colors, and generally just feels cozy, like it should be watched on a rainy day. I have no hopes that this drama is going to hold many surprises, or be particularly memorable, but so far it’s been pretty and sweet, and that works for me.

I’m not really sure why I chose this particular image to draw since I actually had a decent selection to choose from (which is not something that happens with most shows) but I think I just like the idea of a girl without sight gazing at the stars. It evokes a very pure sense of imagination, and proves that the mind’s eye is just as powerful as the ones in our eye sockets. Sometimes cheesy stuff like this makes me cringe, but in this case the cheese works well, and it just seems like a beautiful moment.

I don’t really know what to expect when the two leads reunite in future episodes since I currently don’t see any significant obstacles to their relationship. I imagine that Soo-wan won’t recognize Dong-joo immediately, and that when she does she’ll primarily be resentful since he “abandoned” her, but I can’t see that lasting 18 episodes. I seriously hope he didn’t just leave her one letter and then not even attempt to contact her for 12 years. That would be a little too ridiculous. I’m hoping that her dad has been blocking communication instead, and that there’s an interesting story behind why he’s doing so.

Is anyone else watching this show? I hope so, since I’ll probably end up drawing it again if only because of the nice aesthetic. I experimented this week with a more painterly style (click for full size) and I don’t know how successful it was, but here are some bonus screenshots to enjoy.