Everyone faces the tribulations of loss and the grief that follows. From losing loved ones to losing passion, everyone grieves the loss of something they hold dear. Life moves through a continuous cycle of seasons, much like the natural seasons. Some seasons are better than others, filled with warmth and happiness like the gentle sunshine of spring, while others are shrouded in a thick blanket of hardships and struggles, like a winter landscape—barren of life and enveloped in biting cold.
‘In Your Radiant Season’ is one such anecdote of loss, grief, love, and healing over time. Following the lives of the protagonists, it showcases the various and dynamic ways in which life presents itself.
Cast: Lee Sung Kyung, Chae Jong Hyeop
Episodes: 12
Network: MBC
Written by: Jo Sung Hee
Directed by: Jung Sang Hee, Park Seon Ho
Where to watch: Disney+, Hulu, Wavve
The Plot
Song Haran (played by Lee Sung Kyung) is a young and cheerful fashion designer in Seoul. She is in a long-distance relationship with her boyfriend, Kang Hyuk Chan (played by Kwon Do Hyung), who lives in Boston. On the day she decides to visit him, she comes face to face with the devastating news of a fatal explosion that took his life.
Unable to come to terms with the loss of her lover, and already burdened by the shadow of her parents’ accidental deaths, she slowly begins to close herself off from the world. Seven years pass as she continues to live in this perpetual winter of her life, surrounded by routine and without any attachments—until the day she crosses paths with Seonu Chan (played by Chae Jong Hyeop).
Seonu Chan is an animator who comes to Seoul to collaborate on a project with Nana Atelier, the design studio run by Haran’s grandmother. Troubled by his painful past and still carrying scars from an accident, Seonu Chan lives by the principle of ‘Memento Mori.’ No stranger to grief and loss, he lost his mother at a young age and was raised under the strict and controlling eye of his father. In many ways, Seonu Chan is the opposite of Haran. Whether by fate or coincidence, the two cross paths in Seoul.
Bound by the physical and emotional scars from the same accident and a shared connection from seven years ago, warm, outgoing, and friendly Seonu Chan and reserved Song Haran work together to find love, healing, and closure to the tangled memories of the past.
The Characters
Song Haran (played by Lee Sung Kyung)
A calm, reserved, and aloof fashion designer from Seoul, she is hurt by the repeated loss of loved ones and is shown as a person unwilling to get attached to anything, thus closing herself off to any and every prospect of ‘something new’. In the series, her demeanor and personality are often likened to the cold, snowy winter season.
Seonu Chan (played by Chae Jong Hyeop)
A cheerful, outgoing, and friendly young animator from the States, he is shown to have a mysterious, hidden past he’s unwilling to share with others. His warm personality in the present is shown to be the complete opposite of his demeanour from seven years ago. The series often likens his present situation to that of a warm spring after a desolate, bitter, and cold winter.
Reasons to watch ‘In Your Radiant Season’
- Multiple Storylines: While the main plot of the story revolves around the protagonists Song Haran and Seonu Chan, the series offers multiple storylines. The subplots involving Haran’s sisters and grandmother make up a good portion of the narrative while also adding variety to the series.
- Romance: The drama does justice to the title, with romance tropes embodying different seasonal flavors. The development of different romance tropes, especially those involving the Song sisters and their grandmother, perfectly embodies different seasonal flavours, doing justice to the title.
- Complexity: The different subplots revolve independently while also being interconnected with each other. The characters, too, show very dynamic and layered personalities, adding depth to the interconnecting and layered story.
- Pacing: The series follows a moderate pace reminiscent of nostalgic K-drama vibes. The series, while short on episodes, doesn’t feel rushed, nor does it drag on, providing ample and balanced screentime for all the storylines.
- Wholesome Characters: Bending away from the usual oversimplified, two-dimensional, and cliché stereotypes used to portray supporting characters, the drama incorporates layered and three-dimensional personas for them. Especially when it comes to the Atelier employees and even the US-based animation team, the drama goes against stereotypes and showcases diversity in a very natural and joyful manner.
‘In Your Radiant Season’ shows how love has no time and no circumstances. While it breaks one, it also heals the wounds back. Time, courage, acceptance, and most of all kindness and empathy play key roles as the cogs turn the mechanics of this series.
The 12-episode drama also encroaches silently on the deeper meaning of life and its adversities. Through subtle portrayals of vulnerability, indecision, and stubbornness, the show goes beyond being just a script, becoming a lived experience.
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