Lee Mi-Sook and Kang Sukwoo firmly anchor the center of In Your Radiant Season, delivering a deep presence.
On the 6th, episode 5 of the MBC Friday-Saturday drama In Your Radiant Season (planned by Namgung Seong-woo, written by Jo Seong-hee, directed by Jeong Sang-hee and Kim Young-jae) aired, and the adult narratives centered on Kim Nana (played by Lee Mi-Sook) and Park Man-jae (played by Kang Sukwoo) delivered a quiet resonance that further enriched the show's emotional line.
In the drama, Kim Nana is a character who, with a past dream of becoming a designer, left for France on a whim and established herself as a first-generation fashion designer in Korea. With strong charisma and innate sense, she grew ''Nana atelier'' and rode a path of success, but she experienced the tragedy of losing her child and daughter-in-law in an accident that unfolded before her eyes.
Since then she has raised her three granddaughters Song Ha-ran (played by Lee Sung-kyoung), Song Ha-young (played by Han Ji-hyun), and Song Ha-dam (played by Oh Yeju) alone, becoming the family's protector. In particular, the person who watched over Ha-ran most closely after she locked herself in "winter" following the loss of her boyfriend Kang Hyuk-chan in an accident seven years ago was also Kim Nana. Hoping Ha-ran would smile again, she quietly arranged a meal with Seon Woo-chan (played by Chae Jong Hyeop) and sent them on a Gyeongju visit, playing the role of linking the two behind the scenes.
Recently Kim Nana realized on her own that symptoms of dementia had begun, and she has been quietly sorting out her surroundings while hiding this from her granddaughters. From her cool side that told the youngest, who announced her marriage, Song Ha-dam to bring Cha Yu-gyeom (played by Kim Tae-young) herself, to the scenes in which she cautiously confides only to Cha Yu-gyeom—the only person who knows about her dementia symptoms—her deep love for her family made viewers' hearts ache.
Lee Mi-Sook adds depth to the drama by delicately portraying, with restrained acting, the charisma of a designer, the warm tenderness of a grandmother, and the complex emotions after realizing dementia. At times she adds witty, upbeat responses, completing the character's three-dimensionality and drawing deep empathy not only from viewers in their 20s and 30s but also from those in their 40s and 60s.
Kang Sukwoo also displays a warm presence as Park Man-jae, a barista who runs the cafe "Shim." "Shim" is the only place where Song Ha-ran, who lost her loved one seven years ago, could catch her breath, and it is also Seon Woo-chan's regular cafe. In particular, when Man-jae ends up living with Chan at his house, he naturally becomes a life senior and adviser who watches over the two.
A line he delivers, likening the withering geranium in Man-jae's care taking root again and blooming, maximized the warm sensibility unique to In Your Radiant Season and left a deep aftertaste. Each of his words, offered as an adult who has lived life longer, gives warm consolation to the living room audience.
Above all, Park Man-jae and Kim Nana, having grown up together in Chuncheon 55 years ago as hometown friends and first loves, create another love line. The twilight romance of the two, who meet again at life's edge, paints a sober emotional line shown by two people reunited after a long season rather than a sensational thrill, adding a comfortable warmth to the drama.
In particular, In Your Radiant Season adds meaning by placing middle-aged characters as an important axis of the narrative, strengthening the story. Kim Nana and Park Man-jae quietly watch over the romance of the younger generation and show the image of a "good adult" who lights the way, becoming another driving force of the drama.
[Photo] MBC In Your Radiant Season broadcast capture
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