I dropped it but picked it back up and finished
I don't know if I would have disliked this drama if I had binged it all the way through. I got through the first 8 episodes months ago, and then paused and didn't think I would finish. I don't know what made me decide to go ahead and finish it up.This is a very slow story and has a twist to it that wasn't wholly unexpected but not completely how I though it would play out either. I don't want to give it away, but this show ended up being pretty raw and ended up making me cry in the end. I don't think it's for everyone, so I can't say that I'd recommend it for everyone. I feel like some people will hate it, and some people may appreciate it for personal reasons like I did.
Kim Hye Ja is a great actress and really carried this drama. Nam Joo Hyuk seems sort of awkward, and for Han Ji Min, I don't think she got enough of the spotlight but did a good job with her role.
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This drama wrecked me
In a good way. A really beautiful story that takes you on a journey and hits you with truth and a little pain when you least expect it. Definitely one of my ten, need to update that list...The acting is superb, which is no surprise and I loved seeing a drama featuring an older woman as the star that wasn’t written solely about or for an older audience. This show will open up your mind and help you see the world and others in it in a new way, a more honest and complete way. Helps us remember there’s good and bad about every stage in life, and never dismiss others based on age, young or old.
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good acting but confusing story
Every so often, I would try to pick a good Korean drama to watch. It will not be fair to say that this drama was not good, but I definitely did not feel good after watching.Is it just me, I wonder? Korean dramas, many a time, though try to convey thought-provoking and inspiring messages to audiences at the end of the show, tend to have stories with lots of angst and make them sensational, but sometimes ended up making the stories more complicated and confusing than they should have been.
This 12-episode drama gave a glimpse of how in order to save and have something back, one has to give up in return another thing of the same value or at least that was what I thought it was trying to convey.
Kim Hye Ja (Han Ji Min), though wasn’t sure about her direction in life, was an optimistic and bubbly 25-year-old girl. She found a watch on a beach when she was young and this mysterious watch when winded, allowed her to turn back time. When her father met with an accident, she desperately winded the watch, hoping to prevent the accident from happening. Despite trying many times, she failed again and again. Eventually, at the very last attempt, she managed to save her father’s life, but as a result turned into a 70-year-old woman herself.
The initial 10 episodes of this drama were interesting. They showed in detail Kim Hye Ja’s initial shock and her gradual acceptance from a 25-year-old girl to a 70-year-old woman who was acted by another actress also by the name of Kim Hye Ja. The problems she faced all of a sudden as a 70-year-old woman were realistic, such as not being able to run like before, knees cracking after climbing up a few steps, feeling tired and wanting to rest after walking just a short while, not being able to see as well as before, feeling sleepy early in the night and waking up very early in the morning, etc. I felt intrigued watching all of these. They were portrayed so well in the older Kim Hye Ja. Although I did wonder why they didn’t use the same actress, the older Kim Hye Ja looked convincing enough with similar face features, build and mannerisms as the younger one.
This drama also highlighted some of the issues faced by less well-off families in Korea and problems faced by the elderly in the Korean society – abandonment by their own children, loneliness and suicide.
I had wanted to give this drama a high score when I was watching the first 10 episodes, in fact I binge-watched the 10 episodes in less than 2 days because I was really curious to know what would happen to Hye Ja at the end, whether she would remain as an old lady or return to her original state and how, and what would become of her romance with Lee Joon Ha (Nam Joo Hyuk), the cute-looking male lead.
However, I changed my mind entirely after watching the last 2 episodes. I do not know how to describe my feelings towards these 2 final episodes. It felt like a different team of scriptwriters took over the script-writing or the scriptwriters couldn’t decide how to continue the story, or simply they just changed their minds and decided that they did not wish to continue with the original script, but all in all it was a total letdown for me…It was incoherent and I was watching with bewilderment the whole time. I did not quite understand why things were happening the way they were because what I saw in the first 10 episodes seemed no longer valid. The characters were the same, but the setting was no longer the same. It felt like what happened in the first 10 episodes was just a dream, imagination or illusion of Kim Hye Ja or was it not? I wasn’t sure.
I will not be able to describe my thoughts of the last 2 episodes without some spoilers, but as I do not want to write spoilers in this review, I will just touch a little. Simply put, there was a twist in the last 2 episodes, totally unexpected, everything just changed all of a sudden and we were thrown to the year 1970 when Hye Ja and Joon Ha (whose wig was hilarious – the typical long straight and thick hair of the 1970s) met before their parents’ times. There were neither explanations nor hints, maybe there were, but I didn’t see nor understand them. And then we were brought back to the so-called present where we saw Hye Ja, an old lady in a nursing hospital with slight dementia and her father and mother in the past 10 episodes were now her son and daughter-in-law. We were then shown frequent flashbacks on her life with Joon Ha in the 1970s from their dating, marriage, birth of their son, death of Joon Ha to just Hye Ja and her son eventually.
All the while, until the very end, I was hoping for an explanation or at least clearer hints as to which was actually the present time, which was the past, what exactly happened, how were the last 2 episodes related to the past 10 episodes, was the watch responsible for all these, but I never got the answers from what I saw, at least not from watching it once. Maybe I have to re-watch twice or even thrice to better understand.
As for the cast and their acting, I have no negative comments – from the first episode to the end. I think their acting was believable, everyone of them from the main leads to the supporting leads did a good job. When they were jubilant, sad, helpless, desperate, or even silently devastated, whatever emotions, I could feel and empathize with them and I cried or laughed with them. The BGM also helped. Such were the emotions I had when I watched the first 10 episodes, but the last 2 episodes had me in disbelief that this was the show I had binge-watched the day before. The acting was still just as convincing, but the turn of the story gave me so much confusion that I couldn’t wait for the show to end. The incoherence made everything, whether it was the movements or the conversations, suddenly just became meaningless, exasperatingly slow and draggy.
Overall, I would still recommend this drama to anyone, because I did enjoy the first 10 episodes, but enjoy the first 10 episodes and be prepared for some confusion in the 10th and a half episode mark onwards till the end.
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beautiful
" Others might not think much of me, but for me, i mean a lot to myself."I am so in love with this show! It takes those subtle, little, tiny moments, and emotions of one's life, the struggles, trivial or otherwise, and makes you see them, really see them, and appreciate their place in your life.
Show teaches you not to take anything in life for granted, and be aware and thankful for what you have. :)
The storytelling is top-notch.. and so was the acting.
There were times when i considered dropping this due to:
1. It got really really depressing in the middle.. felt like the story was just dragging on without leading anywhere
2. Acting by Hye-Ja's parents and Nam Joo Hyuk.. compared to the old Hye Ja, it felt like they were not upto the mark.. felt lackluster..
3. I felt they would get no real romance..
BUT... as i finished the drama i realised I WAS SO WRONG!!! There was a reason the above (1,2) was portrayed as such. You'll know when you finish exactly what I'm trying to say.
As for #3, there wasn't a whole lot of screentime for it, but we do get to see the romance ;)
And that plot twist.. it was placed and executed PERFECTLY. :)
(This is my first review ever. I tried to express how much i liked this drama without spoiling anything. If there's an edit option available, I'll use it in future to better what I've written later on)
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In Which Time Traveling gets Fairly Angsty about the Passage of Time
"The Light In Your Eyes" is a fairly deceptive take on a woman suffering from Alzheimer's disease that fits pretty well into the how the disease robs people of their memories and sense of self by exploring the idea of an imagined life. Before that, the series masquerades a time travel rom-com about an aspiring announcer who uses a watch that can manipulate time, but accelerates her aging as a price.While not comparable to the likes of Sarah Polley's "Away From Her", the show - toward the end - does get pretty heavy once it reveals it hand and deals with the subject on more than a passing level. If the aim was always to tell a story about aging and how the elderly are treated by their community (on a whole), then hiding it behind a fluffy rom-com was certainly one way to see it through.
However, it gets to a point where that I think the constant barrage of melodrama honestly detracts from the message, and borders on comical (unintentionally) at times.
There aren't a lot of dramas I'd recommend, but if I had to choose a show for someone to watch, I'd choose this one (on the pretense that I'd spoil the twist, because I think knowing beforehand will simply make the story better).
Now if y'all excuse me, I'm gonna watch a salary man fight zombies. I'm sure that won't break my heart.
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The first is a common reminder that we should live our lives to the fullest and to live every day like it is our last. The other is perhaps the more important reminder. That is the dignity of human life and how far too often, senior citizens are robbed of that dignity in their twilight years.
The Light in Your Eyes begins with a supernatural bent. As a child, Kim Hye Ja finds a watch that allows her to rewind time. She uses this power for little things like learning to avoid her brother’s teasing or maneuvering a better score on school exams. The catch, however, is she ages faster with every turn back of time.
Now as 25-year-old woman (played by Han Ji Min), she uses the watch to repeatedly go back in time in order to prevent a tragedy. But after she is finally successful, she wakes up as a 70-year-old woman (now played by veteran and acclaimed actress Kim Hye Ja).
Hye Ja must now navigate this peculiar situation. She is now older than her parents. She can pass as grandmother to her older brother and two best friends.
There are many fun and amusing moments as Hye Ja struggles to adjust. But there are also many sad and poignant moments that reveal truths about our everyday lives and today’s harsh world.
The still-25-year-old Hye Ja meets and falls for the handsome Lee Joon Ha (Nam Joo Hyuk) who aspires to be a reporter. In addition to the extraordinary circumstance that befalls Hye Ja and Joon Ha’s relationship, Joon Ha’s relationship with his grandmother in the first third of the series gives a taste of the kind of emotional and heartbreaking stories we will see over the course of the series.
Things are not as they seem, however. And saying much more will ruin the experience.
But things take a breathtaking turn in Episode 10.
Everything leads up to this incredible episode that is equal parts fun, thrilling, action-packed, shocking, emotional and heartbreaking. It is arguably one of the most stunning episodes of television I’ve ever seen.
Everything converges in this episode and The Light in Your Eyes finishes up its last two episodes with several immense emotional punches that have everything coming together and falling into place.
The Light in Your Eyes focuses on many issues that the elderly face in today’s world. It also touches upon the effect those issues have on the elderly themselves as well as their loved ones. But the series also discusses life in general in interesting and unexpected ways.
The story is absolutely engaging and it rewards you with some stunning twists and performances as it reaches its climax.
The amazing ensemble cast brings this multi-layered and emotional story to vivid life
Han Ji Min is able to balance the young Hye Ja with moments when she must be the older Hye Ja appearing as the younger version from time to time. Nam Joo Hyuk shows off his versatility as Joon Ha. There are heavy moments where he truly shines in the series. Ahn Nae Sang as Hye Ja’s father shares a nuanced portrayal of the character that pays off in the end.
Son Ho Joon as Hye Ja’s brother Yong Soo is absolutely hilarious, especially as he is often tasked with the most absurd and funny situations. But he too proves his versatility when he must shift to quieter, more dramatic moments. Still, his riotous performance helps lighten the mood when other parts of the series get much heavier.
Lee Jung Eun delivers an excellent, award winning performance as Hye Ja’s mother. Another nuanced portrayal has her navigating the conflicting emotions of her daughter now being older than her, but also the struggles of her own life and family.
But most certainly, the star of the series is veteran and acclaimed actress Kim Hye Ja as the older Hye Ja. Her fun and cute display at first turns into an absolutely commanding and tour de force performance later on, especially in the final arc. She leads the series and is the heart and soul of the story. An unforgettable performance by one of the best. And her 2019 Daesang for this role proves it.
The Light in Your Eyes is almost an essential viewing experience. The series presents some profound and thought-provoking reminders in a fun, but breathtaking and incredibly emotional way. The series’ depth and sincerity have you easily caring about these characters while keeping you guessing and fully engrossed in the twists and turns of the story.
A truly unforgettable and enlightening experience, The Light in Your Eyes is a must-see.
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