This review may contain spoilers
Someone needs to grow up and it isn't the younger ML
I created an account to write this review because this show was so triggering. As someone who is close to the FL's age and has experienced a "forbidden" romance that was sabotaged by her batshit Asian mother, I feel qualified to comment on the failings of this drama.If you are looking for drama with similar themes, I recommend the cdrama The Rational Life. It's a noona romance that deals with a female executive who regularly encounters misogyny and politics in the workplace and societal/familial pressure to get married. Her mom also has anger issues, lmao. It doesn't have the indie aesthetic, but the FL actually has a spine, ambition, and social/communication skills.
I find Something in the Rain to be extremely defeatist and socially irresponsible. The show dances up to calling the mother abusive and calling her ex out for sexual assault, stalking, and harassment. And yet... The mother is forgiven, her ex gets off scot-free even after attempting a FREAKING MURDER-SUICIDE, and nothing really changes at work. In fact, she ultimately decides to leave the workplace from the emotional trauma of the situation. These are very common sentiments from women of older generations, but to normalize them is to enable abuse from elders, rape culture, and toxic work culture. And ATTEMPTED MURDER-SUICIDE!!!! I cannot stress enough that this is not a healthy mindset regardless of culture or age.
As someone her age, the FL has a societal responsibility to improve things for her juniors (this is how you know I'm Asian lol), not let herself get lost in the shuffle and have no sense of up or down. There's so much victim blaming that is easily debunked, but the writer clearly doesn't have the feminist theory to do so. To the writer and the other women whom think this is good societal commentary, I beg you to read Audre Lorde, bell hooks, or other feminist literature. You're only scratching the surface of societal observations even if you have lived experience. I also recommend the Taiwanese drama Wave Makers which showcases how the interplay between different generations of women can actually be empowering, to the point of kicking off the Taiwan #metoo movement in real life!
Age gap relationships are complex ethically, and this relationship falls short. I'm so glad they don't end up together. It's very clear she is dating a man so much younger because she herself is emotionally immature. One comment mentions that the apple doesn't fall from the tree, and I'd have to agree. She regularly meddles and disrespects boundaries just as much as her mother, she just takes a covert self-victimizing approach instead of throwing temper tantrums and assaulting her juniors.
The FL is used to dealing with abusers and she hasn't come into her own yet, despite being a grown woman in her mid-30s. It's embarrassing to watch herself repeatedly cram herself into a wardrobe to hide from her best friend she's known her entire life. No wonder men her age don't want to deal with her. Her boyfriend is too young to understand that this is a woman with deeply unhealthy boundaries and communication skills. Son Ye-jin's trademark expression of smiling with a pained look in her eyes is put to good use in this drama.
I know it is common for kdramas to only have one or two songs on repeat, but this one was particularly frustrating because this lady does not stand by her man!!! She straight up lets her mother slap her boyfriend in the face and then acts like she's somehow helpless. She forces him to reconcile with his deadbeat father, even after he's made it clear he doesn't want him in his life. There's a huge difference between filial piety and being an enabler. There isn't a single thing she does that actually improves this boy's life. As someone who's been on the other side of an age gap relationship, he's in for an awakening as he gets older and realizes just how stunted she is and how much this relationship affected his formative years.
I don't mind slow-paced indie features, but I agree with another reviewer that this could have easily been a movie. The actors are very well cast and have good chemistry, but the plot simply is incapable of progressing past a certain point, reflecting the writer's emotional and social ceiling. No matter how good their chemistry is and the build up is, there's only so much ~heartfelt hugging~ a person can take. I also felt like they didn't really know how to flesh out a young male character like the ML. A lot of his emotional motivations felt underdeveloped and aimless.
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This review may contain spoilers
If you don't want to read all of that, here's the key takeaway. It gets disappointing after like episodes 9.....so prepared yourself to find finishing this drama a chore
If you've ever watched the notebook, or any Nicolas Sparks book turn into movie adaptations, this drama does the same.
This drama starts promissing, even with the jump from them meeting again after ML has been in the state for 3 years, maybe more, I gloss over that confusing jump that had no establishment of their past relationship and if they ever liked each other in the past, so romance started off strong, it was bittersweet and so freaking cute to the front it became cringe and I wanted to barf. It was like I was eavesdropping on a married couple.
But honestly you can clearly see a decline in the drama. Them, mostly the female lead hiding their relationships from everyone was a flag to begin with. But I shrug it off because I was lured by the chemistry.
BUT ENOUGH IS ENOUGH
Reactions of their relationship was so toxic and unacceptable that I got angry, especially the mother who needs serious therapy. Like I understand the age gap, but they are two consensual adult in a relationships. She was judgemental and had such high standard that even if her own kids weren't perfect. When she slapped the ML in the face, I seriously almost threw my phone at the wall. How dare she. I understand different culture have different ways of working things. But even my overprotective hatian parents have a limit.
Everyone is acting as if they killed someone and not just dating.
But honestly what frustrated me even more was the FL wishy washy behaviour towards the ML.
1. Going on a blind date, even if it's to have something to hold agaisnt your mother or to even please your mother, was so so wrong and to expect the ML and sister to be okay with that was so insulting.
2. This girl really needed to grow up and have a thought for herself.
3. The constant lie and meddling and expect him to be okay with it. And she gets to validate her anger, like huh why did she get to be angry when she force the father on the ML when he wasn't ready. She again and again proves to be a serial liar. Lying to him easily like that.
4. their so much plot hole and weird way they went about to concluding storylines that it annoyed me. The sexual harrassment plotline resolution was so disappointing and shouldn't have been mentioned if that was the result.
The ending, nahhhh. I would much rather for the ML to end up single and her in that loveless mother's ideal type relationship. Bc even till the end she never stood up for herself and was held accountable just like everyone in this show.
Were we suppose to aww at their laugh, lift up girl in arm and rain ending, cause that wasn't it. How come he's always the one fighting and showing initiative. I would have much rather that the FL would have chased after him instead. Or let them go their separate ways.
Sorry for errors. I was angry and tired to read it over
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The cast was really good (minus the mom, i will talk about this later) and the chemistry between the leads was really (really!) good. They did a great job of portraying their love and making it seem real and nerve-wracking. However this was SO stretched out. Someone else said this could have easily been a 2 hour movie. I 100% agree. They wasted so many minutes with just non moving shots of characters walking or sitting or looking sad. Every time a character got angry and would go to a bar I knew that there would be at least 5 minutes of them angrily opening ad drinking multiple bottles of alcohol. With ZERO talking in between. It got to be that every time I would see a character get mad and go to a restaurant I would just start skipping forward because I knew there were multiple minutes of useless footage in between the next dialogue.
NEXT:
The music. So so bad. The songs themselves aren't horrible.(They aren't good either). But the sheer amount of times I had to hear that dumb "sometimes it's hard to be a woman". I wanted to strangle someone. This was probably my LEAST favorite part of the drama. Their music choices were so poor, I can't even explain.
NEXT (possible spoliers):
They created a few good characters. However, the mother is INSANE. Clinically. No person would ever act like that, especially if they love their kids. It is nonsensical that Jin-ah would forgive her mother after everything that she did. If my mom acted even half as horribly rude and psychotic as her mother I would seriously consider not speaking to her again. That is how horrible her mother is.
Another, less important point: Jin-ah's ex-boyfriend's characterization also makes no sense. He cheats on her, but then can't stop stalking her and following her? He truly makes no sense and was not needed in the show.
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After episode eight this drama falls apart because of its lack of growth. The plot stagnates. Conflicts that could have been resolved quickly or easily are instead left to fester and come to unsatisfying conclusions. For me, the worst illustration of this was JinA's indecision surrounding her mother's disapproval. JinA disregarded JunHui's feelings regularly. The sheer amount of times he was made to apologize when it should have been her apologizing to him were too numerous to count. It was so disheartening to see how she was treating him in the later episodes after the care she showed him in the first half of the show. JinA's mother is undoubtedly the antagonist of the show but in a much more real way, JinA is just as bad. By the final episode, I was no longer rooting for our main couple. They lacked basic communication skills and the disparity between JunHui's depth of feeling for JinA and her relatively shallow feelings for him were hurdles I felt they couldn't overcome. I thought JunHui deserved better.
Overall Something in the Rain is a classic case of failed potential. The writer and director use unique camera work and emotional storytelling to mask the relative lack of plot development. By the second half of the show, this becomes obvious and the show's stagnation gets boring. There was so much more this drama could have accomplished. If you're thinking of giving it a try I suggest watching My Mister first as they have very similar moods but My Mister succeeds where Something in the Rain fails.
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This review may contain spoilers
Between East and West: A Deep Dive into Cultural and Personal Struggles of women
The story is about the difficult life of a women in Korea (East) and their attempt to break free and become independent (West).The struggles FL trap her and other women in an endless cycle of helplessness and suffering, with the ending highlighting just how miserable she remains. What began as a romantic fantasy (Western) explodes into a patriarchal, chauvinistic, and restrictive reality. The treatment of women in Korean society evokes revulsion throughout the series.
When she tries to "escape" (To escape the pressures of society and family, to escape the harassment of employers, to escape her partner) she encounters resistance and feels guilty (. There is a selfishness that is not accepted in Korean society, and we witness the injustice within the systems (Although she complains about the employers' assaults, they become the victims.)
The "Western" woman of the fantasies is independent, wants to do everything alone, and refuses to flee with her lover to the USA to maintain her independence. However, by doing so, she remains miserable within the family and societal systems.
Her partner tries to help her, but without success, making him feel miserable and useless, creating an irreconcilable dissonance between East and West. He wants to take charge and be the man, but she refuses to accept the help and be the nurturing woman.
The subplot at work takes a central place and adds depth to the main story. It's hard to side with the woman throughout the series because she acts foolishly and puts herself in no-win situations, but it's understandable that society created her immaturity and confusion. The frustration follows viewers to the end. Why doesn't she choose to escape with the man who offers her happiness and freedom? She prefers to confront forces she has no chance of defeating (work harassment, family pressures, etc.).
The series reflects the spirit of the times and the changes in Korean society with depth and daring. It raises questions about maintaining family and group values while striving to be free and happy.
Music:
99% of the music is truly awful. It's unclear what goes through this director's mind, but this is already the second series where he chooses unbearable American music. This time it's old country music, which is really bad and annoying, overshadowing the viewing experience.
Actors:
All the actors, without exception, are truly excellent. The main couple is wonderful and very talented. I loved both of them and fell in love with the ML actor after this series, even though I've seen him in other series before. He has a baby face, which isn't the typical masculine type, but he is captivating and talented.
Rewatchability:
You can watch this at least twice. at least for the first half. The love between the couple is very moving and feels real.
Overall
A beautiful, critical, and courageous series, different from all other SKorean dramas. However, it leaves you with questions and complete confusion in a very miserable and detached ending, without a real resolution or sense of fulfillment. As SKorea searches for its new identity, between East and West, the screenwriter is also ultimately confused.
You could write an entire research book about this series. This happens because humanity still hasn't found its identity in the world, identities are blurring, and it's unclear who is the man and who is the woman, and what each one wants to be.
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Disappointing. So so disappointing.
Ah. God I really wanted to give this 10/10 with watching just the first couple of episodes. But the ending and last episodes were so disappointing. It should have ended in episode 9 or 10. It had no plot so the rest of the episodes were dragging.First of all let me just say, the cast did a really good job. I felt their emotions very well. For me it's 10/10.
Best friends would never do that to each other. I hated how kyung sun handled the situation with her best friend dating her younger brother. The family drama was too extended. I am an Asian too and believe me Asian parents do behave like that but it was still too much. The way Jin-A's mom acted was despicable. And the way they handled sexual harassment was very very wrong too. The drama should have encouraged people to speak up against sexual harrasment but in reality it did the opposite.
So many people were complaining about Joon Hee's possessiveness but I did not mind it. And actually kind of understood. He was younger than her so the insecurity was justified. But hated how controlling he was sometimes and how Jin-A always lied about things. The characters did not have a good impression when the drama ended.
After watching a couple of episodes I think my expectations were too high. I was severely disappointed by this drama. At first I couldn't figure out why this amazing drama would have such low ranking. Now I get it. I learned it the hard way.
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I'd give this show a 5 or 6 if I had the guts, but you don't even know how excited I was for this drama and I'm still trying to convince myself that I love it more than in reality. The hype was real: the stunning trailer and the cinematography were unbelievable, I saw some of my favorite actors as the leads, the plot summary was something that I'd adore to binge-watch. With much anticipation, I started watching the drama and believe me when I say, the first couple of episodes were spectacular! The chemistry, the colors and the camera skills, the beautiful English soundtrack which was like magic to my ears. Like so many other people, I'd be tired waiting for the subtitles and I'd go on a search to look for some fan subs. At that moment I knew that Something in the Rain would definitely be one of my all time favorite Korean dramas. However, as the series progressed, I was afraid that the love story was moving on too fast. The directors basically compiled the majority of the main plot details into the first half of the drama. Hence, the show got draggy all of the sudden. Some side characters didn't show any development and made me really frustrated. The main couple, however, kept their charm and chemistry right till the very end. This couple is probably the one of the main reasons that I want to love this show so much. In addition, I loved that the problem of sexual assault was brought up as one of the main topics of this drama. Hopefully, it will bring more awareness as it is a huge problem in Korea especially. Some of the other things that made this drama the most enjoyable experience was the music soundtrack and the cinematography. I never even imagined that an English OST would suit this beautifully shot drama so well.
I have every reason to put this drama in my favorites because it's very much fits my liking. I do admit that this series made it into my favorites list, however, it could've been so much better and likeable, I blame the directors for the lack of ideas and poor story planning.
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Firstly, the acting was amazing! Something about the acting made me truly believe the pain and feelings each character felt. With the acting paired with the beautiful soundtrack, it is DEFINITELY a drama I will come back to. In fact, this is actually my third time watching it and each time I discover something new.The story is amazing. It's about a woman in her mid 30's who is working at a tiring 9-5 (most nights ending the workday around 9 or 10) stuck without much, if any, joy and love in life. Her boyfriend/ex-boyfriend is no good (manipulative, cowardly and so much more), her relationship with her family could be better and her career is tiresome and often dreadful. When her best friend's little brother re-enters her life she stumbles upon that joy and passion she's been missing. With her family being the ones who cared for her best friend and her younger brother since they were in their teens, the family's reaction to the quickly budding relationship is more than what you'd expect. Eventually, this takes a toll on the two and their relationship, resulting in them thinking they can each fulfill a better life without the other- but in the end, they reunite once again discovering that fulfillment can only be reached when they are together.
As a frequent K-Drama watcher, this is a must-watch. Many people see the description and run for the hills, others have given it a try and find it long-winded due to the episode lengths (and I admit it might not be for everyone) but this is a drama you have to watch for YOURSELF!
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Stopped with episode 15
I picked this up because for a while I was consuming anything and everything labelled 'Noona Romance' (older woman pursued by younger man). I really liked it. I was even a little fixated on one of the supporting actresses, Joo Min-kyung, because I really liked her voice. I remember this one scene where the main couple hold hands under the table. The show was full of great angst from the siblings, but what pushed me over the edge was the treatment from the parents.I suspect I might feel differently now, but at the time I was too disappointed that they actually break up in the second-to-last episode and there's a longer time skip before they reunite and come together again. This is a common trope, I realize now, but in my early drama watching days I wasn't ready for it.
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Criminally underrated
This drama is in all honesty criminally underrated! The chemistry of the leads is amazing, the acting overall more than just great and I absolutely loved the slow scenes which brought out all the emotions perfectly! I cannot understand how this drama is not better rated!I love the character development of the FL though she nearly breaks with all the pressure that she is put under. Her mother, who is never satisfied, her workplace where SA is a daily common happening and let‘s not forget the general expectations people have towards women her age. She is an amazingly strong character who learns to stand up for herself and fight for her own life.
Seo Jun Hui though younger than her shows his matureness in guiding her through quite some of this process and does it beautifully. He is not to blame that even for him the pressure has become too much towards the end. It was wonderful to see how he gave in to his heart in the end.
The OST is the only issue here… the three songs were beautiful but clearly overused and not always fitting the scenes. I think it would have been better using a wider selection and I wouldn‘t mind if the songs were in Korean instead of English… but that is really the only issue I have with this drama.
I will definitely rewatch it, for all the beautifully shot emotional scenes, the chemistry of the leads (their intimite scenes left me speechless) and the story of a struggeling woman who starts to stand up for herself and fights for her rights as a human being who is capable of making her own decisions instead of listening to her mother, her boyfriend or society.
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Total bullshit
I haven’t seen such trashy male and female lead characters. All characters are too annoying especially the FL is a trash and ML is hyper trash.Most trashy things of this drama
1. Because ML love FL he always put FL first and his one and only sister in second(never respected her feelings) even though she sacrificed for him so much(she look after him without parents)
2. FL always hide everything from ML and always says sorry to him and he always forgive her without hesitation even though she went for a blind date behind his back, yet he forgives her within seconds.
3. She always says she is older and more mature and don’t do any mistakes but always making mistakes and says sorry to him.
4. Yet she was in deep love with ML, but within 3 months she found a new boy friend, when ML come back than she realize that she did evil thing to him and decided to punish herself because of hurting him and his sister.
5. Even after knowing she has a new boy friend, the ML couldn’t forgive her and wants her only.
I couldn’t write the remaining trashy scenes because it will turn out complete drama.
This is the total trashy character,
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To the most Italian people this Drama didn't like It , and neither to me.
In My opinion this Drama has been overall boring the First 2 episodes.
The ones nice episodes are n. 3 to 6; Just a Little bit 11 and 12 and 16.
The best thing in this Drama : They are the songs.
I have seen this Drama only One time, and It is enough for me.
Good Luck for the people that want see this Drama very boring.
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