🎬 Subtitles and Bad Decisions Presents:
Behind Your Smile 浮士德的微笑
📅 Taiwan • 2016
Format: Standard Series
Episodes: 19
Duration: ~1 hr 15 min each (yes, they expect commitment)
📺 Available on: Viki (Free w/ Subs), SET TV
✨ Synopsis
Consumed by revenge and emotional constipation, Zhao Yi Ting lives his life like a beautifully dressed villain with unresolved issues. Enter Lei Xin Yu—a kind-hearted, sheltered woman whose wealthy family has fallen hard, and whose optimism refuses to die quietly. Lies, deception, revenge plots, and an enemies-to-lovers setup unfold… minus the spicy banter you expect and desperately want.
👥 Cast
💫 Marcus Chang — Zhao Yi Ting
“Cold, brooding, emotionally unavailable, and unfairly attractive. The human embodiment of ‘I can fix him’.”
🔥 Eugenie Liu — Lei Xin Yu
“Sweet. Naive. Emotionally sincere. Says ‘Mommy’ like it’s her full-time job. Not the problem—the character choices are.”
💎 Lee Shiau Shiang — Zhong Qian Ren
“Low-key more interesting than the main romance. Should’ve had more screen time, honestly.”
💎 Hong Shi — Tang Qian Ni
“Competent, grounded, and somehow trapped in the wrong character alignment.”
💎 Esther Yang — Jian Xiao Yue
“The best friend who quietly proves that casting is destiny—and sometimes destiny fumbles.”
(Supporting cast did their jobs. No notes. No crimes committed.)
💬 Ratings
🎭 Story: 💖 — 7.5/10
“Messy revenge plot, emotional manipulation, and lies layered like a mille-feuille.”
💫 Acting/Cast: 🌟 — 5/10
“Marcus Chang carried this on his back. The rest showed up. One character choice hurt feelings.”
🎧 Music: 🎵 — 10/10
“The soundtrack said, ‘I’ll do the emotional labor for everyone.’ And it DID.”
🔁 Rewatch Value: 💖 — 7/10
“I’d rewatch… selectively. With snacks. And emotional boundaries.”
🏆 Overall: 💖 — 7.5/10
“Flawed, frustrating, but saved by vibes, visuals, and an OST that understood the assignment.”
📝 Review
(WARNING: Potential Spoilers — I’m Not Saving You from Any Emotional Damage)
Let’s be honest: I started Behind Your Smile because of Marcus Chang. That man could stare at drywall and I’d tune in. What kept me watching was him—and most of the cast—except for the character of Lei Xin Yu.
Important distinction: Eugenie Liu did her job well. This is not an acting issue. This is a character construction crime.
Lei Xin Yu is written as overly sheltered, painfully naive, and aggressively childish. And listen—innocence is fine. Sweetness is fine. But the constant “Mommy” this and “Mommy” that? Jail. Immediate jail. Not many adults talk like that, and the way it was written grated on my nerves like a mosquito that knows your social security number.
If you can get past that (and some people will), the show itself is decent. Lies. Deception. Revenge. An enemies-to-lovers trope that somehow forgot the banter. Which is tragic. Criminal, even. If they’d given the female lead an ounce of attitude—just a crumb—we could’ve had sparks instead of polite emotional drizzle.
I once saw a comment that said the casting should’ve been shuffled:
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The actress playing the FL should’ve been the vet
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The best friend should’ve been the FL
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The vet should’ve been the best friend
And honestly? I agree. Wholeheartedly. No notes.
Now—THE MUSIC.
Oh my god. The theme song? Killer. Absolute banger. Emotionally devastating in the best way. The entire soundtrack came in, fixed the mood, and carried the show like a responsible eldest sibling.
This drama survives on vibes, music, and Marcus Chang’s face. And sometimes… that’s enough.
💭 Final Mood
“Annoyed but humming the OST against my will.”
🏷️
#SubtitlesandBadDecisions #EmotionalDamageApproved #BehindYourSmile #SoundtrackDidTheHeavyLifting #WhyAreYouSayingMommy
🎶 Binge-Worthy Beats: My Favorite Tracks from Behind Your Smile
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孫盛希 Shi Shi —《是他不配 (He Isn’t Worth It)》
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八三夭 831 —《不關你的事》
