The Light in Your Eyes ~ I Look 80 But I’m Only 25

“The Light in Your Eyes” (aka “Radiant”) is a 2019 Korean drama series, with 12 episodes, categorized as Romance, Fantasy, Supernatural, and Comedy; streaming on Netflix, Viki, and KOCOWA+. This one is a gem.

SUMMARY: A magical gold watch that shines in the sunlight and can turn back time. BEWARE! All that glitters is not gold. Should humans tamper with time?

♦ Turning Back Time is a Blessing or a Curse?

In “The Light in Your Eyes”, Kim Hye-Ja was a little girl enjoying a walk on a sandy beach. She looked down and saw something glittering and shining in the sand. When she picked it up, she saw that it was a gold watch. But just then her big brother came and, like all big brothers who pick on their little sisters, he did something annoying to her.

He left, and she still had the watch, so she rewound it and … ??? … the same thing happened again. Her brother ran up to her and did the exact same annoying thing. Kim Hye-Ja rewound the watch over and over until she finally figured out that … she could go back in time. Ahah! The next time her brother ran up to her, and since she knew what would happen, she avoided him. Cool, huh? Or is it?

Fast forward.  Kim Hye-Ja is now 25 years old and has not yet achieved her ambitious goal of becoming a news anchor. Actually, she’s given up, but she doesn’t want her parents to know. It’s their dream too. She was invited to a social gathering, and her first love was going to be there. But there was no chance of them getting together because he was already married. He did bring a friend with him and introduced him to her. Lee Joon-Ha instantly liked Kim Hye-Ja, but she did not immediately warm up to him. As time passed, she did begin to like him. But then, tragedy struck her family.

Her father worked as a taxi driver, and there was a horrible accident. A truck’s brakes failed and struck his car. He was rushed to the hospital but died on the operating table. Kim Hye-Ja could not accept her father’s death. Why should she? She had a gold watch that could turn back time. All she had to do was rewind it and prevent the accident from happening. It took several attempts, but she finally succeeded. Kim Hye-Ja prevented the accident. On the morning when the accident would have happened, she woke up to the sound of familiar voices. She could hear her mother, brother, and father talking. HE WAS ALIVE!!

She was ecstatic! THE WATCH REWIND HAD WORKED! Kim Hye-Ja jumped out of bed and ran into the living room, gleefully exclaiming how she had tried and tried and it finally worked! She was so happy! But as far as her family could tell, there was “someone” in their house who had just run out of their daughter’s bedroom. This unrecognizable person was babbling about “something” (???). Kim Hye-Ja paused and wondered about their strange reaction until she saw her reflection in the glass.

Oh no!! It was shocking! Overnight, Kim Hye-Ja had aged! She was even older than her parents. But she convinced her family that she really was their daughter. As unbelievable as it seemed, how could they not believe her? What was the alternative? Some old lady made their daughter disappear, took her place, and knew every little thing about her? (O.o) There may be no scientific or medical explanation they could understand, but they accepted that the old lady was their young daughter.

Kim Hye-Ja convinced her parents and her brother, but how could she explain herself to others? Especially to Lee Joon-Ha, who had also experienced a very heartbreaking tragedy around the same time. One time, he had talked to her about his sad childhood and said that if he could go back in time, he would never have come to live with his grandmother. He said he would not want to cause her pain.

During that conversation, Kim Hye-Ja was a little bit inebriated and boldly promised to turn back the clock for him so he could make his life better. Lee Joon-Ha didn’t believe her, dismissed her wild promise, but told her he was thankful that she wanted to do something nice for him.

Kim Hye-Ja had hoped that she could further develop her relationship with Lee Joon-Ha. But now? How?? He is in his twenties, she’s an octogenarian, and he doesn’t even recognize her. (O.o)

Main Characters:

• (young) Kim Hye-Ja (played by Han Ji-Min, “Miss Baek”, “Behind Your Touch”, “Rooftop Prince”, “Detective K: Secret Of Virtuous Widow”, “Cadaver”, “The Fatal Encounter”, “Love Scout”, “Yonder”, “Lee San, Wind of the Palace”, “A Jewel in the Palace”)
• (old) Kim Hye-Ja (played by Kim Hye-Ja, “Heavenly Ever After”)
• Lee Joon-Ha (played by Nam Joo-Hyuk, “Remember”, “The Bride of Habaek”, “Vigilante”, “Who Are You: School 2015 “, “Start-Up”, “Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo”)

Where to Watch: Viki AND Netflix

Viewership and Rating:

• IMDb: 7.8 out of 10 stars
• My Drama List: 8.1 out of 10 stars
• Letterboxd: 3.8 out of 5 stars
• Viki viewers rated this series 9.1 out of 10 stars

My personal rating is the same as the Viki viewing audience.

No surprise “The Light in Your Eyes (aka “Radiant”)” won awards. The storyline was very unique and the acting was excellent, i.e., very believable.

• Per Wikipedia: “The drama was critically acclaimed for intimately portraying the hardships everyday people face. It is also one of the highest-rated Korean dramas in cable television history.”

It can be considered a Koreanovela and should be added to this list: Five (5) Koreanovela TV Dramas Reviewed on PopGeeks.

LINKS OF INTEREST:

Doesn’t everyone who goes to the beach find the {time turner watch}? | Drama, JTBC Drama [Video]. YouTube.

The Light In Your Eyes, A Heartbreakingly Beautiful Kdrama | Born Again

Flash Review: The Light In Your Eyes [Dazzling] | The Fangirl Verdict (“Truly a show of the highest calibre, the cast is excellent and the writing and directing are tight and well paced.”)

Good Ol’ Review: Thought-provoking Drama The Light in Your Eyes a Stunning and Profound Experience | DryedMangoez.com (“The story is absolutely engaging and it rewards you with some stunning twists and performances as it reaches its climax.”)

[Drama Review] The Light in Your Eyes | The Korean Lass

The Light in Your Eyes: A Review | The Scorching Heaven

K-Drama Review: “The Light In Your Eyes” Is A Dazzlingly Beautiful Invitation To Enjoy Ordinary Days | kdramadiary

TRAILERS/TEASERS:

rourou. (2020). [TRAILER 예고편] The Light in Your Eyes 눈이부시게 Still Images (2020) [Video]. In YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fvJzbbSFn18.

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