Dazzling: The Tale of A Woman Who Was Once Radiant
I have watched clips of the kdrama Dazzling years ago. Thanks to that, I knew the ultimate catch of the drama. When I finally got myself to watch that drama, my experience was different than the other first time watchers and it was more like a re-watcher's. A lot of scenes and situations made me sadder now that I knew the context behind them.
According to the synopsis, Hyeja, the protagonist, had a watch that allowed her to turn back time - at a cost. Every time she turned back that watch, she would age faster. In her repeated time-turning in order to save her ‘dad’ from an accident, she found herself turned into an old woman overnight. Her life turned upside down - family life, friendships, love life…everything.
If you, like many first-time watcher, go into the drama thinking this is about the 25-years old version of Hyeja - be warned. This is more about her old version holding onto the past. Also, let me tell you another thing: Nothing is as it seems. A lot of things won't make sense. Go into it with an open mind and bear with it for ten episodes. The story is an emotional rollercoaster. It’s packed with emotions and comedy - though the comedy aspect slowly leaves as we go deeper into the story. It’s a lot heavier than you might expect it to be. Sometimes it will make you think. It made me think about my grandparents I grew up with. The last two episodes are especially emotionally heavy - I felt rage and sadness as I watched their story. I felt for the characters, not only Hyeja but also Joonha and Hyeja's family. Also, the depiction of generational trauma hit close to home.
Dazzling is an exceptional drama, one that left its mark on my heart. If you have twelve free hours and adequate patience to sit through even when you cannot seem to figure things out, then go for it. In the end you will be left with emotions and some insight about life.