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Showcases how emotionally manipulative parents can be quite well.
They explored not just romance but also workplace harassment, emotional manipulations by parents, a man's reactions to rejection, and so much more.I did enjoy watching Yun Jin A and Seo Jun Hui's together but i thought Seo Jun Hui was bit of hothead at times. I just wish they communicated more. Things would have probably worked out better for them, had they both not just made decisions on their own, especially ones that affected both of them. I'm just glad it worked out.
I read the comments before watching and someone said that Yun Jin A let her mother control her actions and she did. This is what happens when you live in a family who for all intents and purposes seem to have treated you well, of course as long as they are controlling things. So even when you speak up for yourself, you are bound to feel guilty for disrespecting your parents. Yes, even though the child is never respected. The parents expectations become a cage that many get trapped in. In Yun Jin A's mom's case, she cared more about society and what people would thing completely overlooking her daughter's struggle. Her mother saying that if I can't even make this decision for my daughter then i might as well be a stranger. But strangers who had no blood relation to your daughter treated her better than you did ma'am. So maybe you should act more like that stranger, that'll make you a little kinder.
The drama again sheds light on how workplace harassment is handled, and many time bullying is also handled this way. The offender usually gets together with the company to silence the victims voices or just try sweep everything under the rug so that their company's reputation remains pristine. The execution of this theme was also poorly handled. It turned out to be too confusing.
The ex who turned a stalker and harassed Yun Jin A also got off easy. I don't understand why victims are supposed to show compassion to offenders so that offenders should be able to live a guilt free life. Maybe they should live with the consequences of their actions, learn from them and hold on to those memories to remind them to never do these things again.
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Slow but beautiful and I would rather say it's the king of slow burn....
Review: Something in the Rain"Something in the Rain" (2018), also known as "Pretty Noona Who Buys Me Food", is a romantic melodrama directed by Ahn Pan-seok and written by Kim Eun. It stars Son Ye-jin and Jung Hae-in in a tender story of love, societal judgment, and self-discovery. Praised for its realistic portrayal of relationships, the drama takes viewers on a nuanced journey through modern romance, breaking away from the clichés often found in similar narratives.
Plot Summary
The story revolves around Yoon Jin-ah (Son Ye-jin), a successful yet unfulfilled woman in her mid-30s, who works as a supervisor in a coffee franchise company. She reconnects with Seo Joon-hee (Jung Hae-in), her best friend's younger brother, after he returns to Korea from working abroad. Their casual friendship blossoms into a romantic relationship, one that forces them to confront societal judgments, familial disapproval, and personal insecurities.
The drama explores a myriad of themes, including age-gap romance, gender inequality in the workplace, familial obligations, and the challenges of societal expectations, all woven into a deeply emotional narrative.
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Strengths
1. Authentic Romance and Chemistry
The heart of Something in the Rain lies in its portrayal of love. Yoon Jin-ah and Seo Joon-hee's relationship feels refreshingly authentic, marked by tender moments, playful banter, and emotional vulnerability. Son Ye-jin and Jung Hae-in deliver standout performances, capturing the nuances of falling in love—the hesitations, excitement, and fears. Their chemistry is palpable, elevating the narrative into a heartfelt experience.
2. Realistic and Relatable Themes
The drama excels in exploring issues beyond romance. Jin-ah’s workplace challenges, including sexual harassment and gender inequality, are portrayed with raw honesty. The cultural pressures on women to conform to traditional roles—such as marrying by a certain age—resonate strongly. Joon-hee's perspective on love, individuality, and defying norms adds depth to his character, making their struggles feel universal yet deeply personal.
3. Cinematography and Aesthetic Appeal
Director Ahn Pan-seok's attention to detail shines through in the drama's subdued yet visually stunning cinematography. The frequent use of natural lighting, muted color tones, and minimalist settings enhances the emotional undertones of the story. Quiet moments, such as the couple walking in the rain or sharing meals, feel poetic and intimate.
4. Exceptional Soundtrack
The OST plays a significant role in heightening the drama's emotional impact. Tracks like “Stand By Your Man” by Carla Bruni and “Save the Last Dance for Me” evoke nostalgia and complement the mood of the narrative. The music not only sets the tone but also becomes a character in itself, accentuating key moments of the couple’s journey.
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Weaknesses
1. Pacing Issues
The drama’s slow pacing, especially in the latter half, detracts from its otherwise compelling narrative. The repetition of conflicts—particularly the resistance from Jin-ah’s family and societal disapproval—feels dragged out and could have been resolved more succinctly. This stagnation somewhat diminishes the emotional engagement toward the end.
2. Underwhelming Secondary Plotlines
While the main love story is deeply engaging, some of the side plots—like Jin-ah’s struggles at work or her complex relationship with her mother—feel underdeveloped. These storylines initially promise significant commentary on societal issues but fail to deliver meaningful resolutions, leaving viewers wanting more depth.
3. Cultural and Generational Gaps
For international viewers unfamiliar with Korean societal norms, certain conflicts may seem exaggerated, such as the emphasis on age differences and familial approval. While these elements are crucial in Korean culture, they may not resonate as strongly with global audiences.
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Themes and Symbolism
1. Rain as a Metaphor
Rain appears frequently throughout the drama, symbolizing both cleansing and renewal. It often coincides with moments of emotional revelation or growth, serving as a subtle metaphor for the couple's journey through challenges and eventual healing.
2. Societal Expectations vs. Personal Happiness
The central conflict revolves around the characters’ struggle to prioritize their love over societal norms. Jin-ah, in particular, faces immense pressure from her family to marry someone of a similar age and social standing. This theme resonates deeply in cultures where societal expectations weigh heavily on personal choices.
3. Feminism and Workplace Dynamics
Through Jin-ah’s workplace experiences, the drama critiques the prevalence of harassment and sexism in corporate environments. Her journey toward standing up for herself is both empowering and heartbreaking, highlighting the importance of systemic change.
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Performances
Son Ye-jin as Yoon Jin-ah: Son Ye-jin delivers a masterclass in subtlety, portraying Jin-ah with grace and vulnerability. Her internal conflicts—balancing her love for Joon-hee with her fear of societal judgment—are palpable and relatable.
Jung Hae-in as Seo Joon-hee: Jung Hae-in’s portrayal of Joon-hee is equally compelling. He brings warmth, charm, and quiet strength to his character, making him an ideal counterpart to Jin-ah’s emotional turmoil. His ability to convey profound emotions with minimal dialogue is particularly noteworthy.
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Final Thoughts
"Something in the Rain" is more than just a romance drama; it is a poignant exploration of love in the face of societal constraints. It succeeds in capturing the beauty and challenges of relationships with sincerity, bolstered by outstanding performances and thoughtful direction. While its pacing issues and underdeveloped subplots may detract slightly from the experience, the drama’s emotional resonance and relatable themes make it a standout entry in the genre.
Rating: 9.5/10
Fans of slow-burn romances and introspective storytelling will find Something in the Rain a deeply moving and worthwhile watch.
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The most atmospheric drama
This drama has its flaws mostly because of the story that really drags in the middle part and may even make you want to fast forward so me parts. But somehow it still remain one of my favorite romance dramas ever, mostly because of the leads Son Ye-jin and Jung Hae-in. Despite their age difference, the chemistry between taken is almost palpable, which I think is one of the most important things for a romance drama. I love the overall atmosphere of the drama, sometimes it’s happy and romantic, something it’s sad and almost depressing, but nonetheless magical. The OST is also very good, I save all the songs to my playlist. Definitely recommend to all romance drama lovers!Was this review helpful to you?
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A SHOW WHICH COULD HAVE BEEN GREAT
The show started out in a very promising way, and had many aspects which made me root for the show. There were a few unique traits which makes the show stand out compared to other dramas of the similar genre, but sadly it doesn't come to fruition.The show attracted me with its realism, and the whole vibe that it created. The age gap, the workplace harassment, the societal bias and pressures, the hectic and unforgiving reality of adult life, and amongst all of this, an unconventional romance. These are the things which made the show extremely promising, but these points were not executed properly even though the show was slowly paced(which I didn't mind at all).
This show didn't have a 2nd pair of leads, which meant that, the whole show is dependent on the character development of the leads. The performance of the actors were phenomenal(probably the best thing about the show), but their character development was sub par. The obstacles towards the romance is extremely repetitive. The issues with the judgmental mother were dragged on for way too long. The female lead kept on making the same mistakes, to the point where I really started to get annoyed at the character who is supposed to be older and more mature. Then there was a pseudo breakup, which was then followed by an actual breakup which made absolutely zero sense. The whole moving to the US thing was extremely uncharacteristic of the male lead, and the circumstance just does not fit into the whole character development of the male lead. Even after the breakup, I still would have vouched for the show (even though it was unrealistic), but what ruined the show for me was the ending.
The ending really left a bitter taste, and made me feel like the time I spent wasn't worthwhile. The final episode started out quite promising, and it was very emotional, which again got my hopes up, but at the end the reconciliation and closure was so short(nearly non existent), that you don't even get time to get over the sadness and the emotions. The ending could have easily been more lengthy and the viewers could have at least finished the show on a happy and satisfied note.
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promising premise... poor execution;.. hated the repetitive OST .
this is my frank opinion only, others may disagree, but I really disliked this drama. Had my hopes high with Son ye jin in the lead role, and she didn't disappoint, but her character wasn't well written at all. She had no spine in the beginning, then falls in love, learns to stand up for herself, only to do everything opposite in the end. what was the whole point? All the actors did a good job with their parts. the sub -plot in the office was a distraction to the main story more than than anything else. I mean the basic premise of the drama was an older woman falling for a young guy ; that too her friend's younger sibling. But it barely had any impact on story. Everyone (almost) was just fine after initial shock. There was hardly any discussion on the social stigma /taboo related with this. As in all the reviews , first few episodes were enjoyable, but then lost traction midway through the series. The female lead does questionable things devoid of any logic. The male lead also decides suddenly he wants to move out of the country , without discussing with her. The mother was against their relationship, not because of their age gap/ what society would think of that , but instead because of parentage of the guy . Makes no sense why the whole plot focussed so much on their age gap at all. This could have happened with any-age couple. Seems like they wanted to fill out the 16 episodes with some content.Seriously...towards last few episodes, all the characters did was stare/walk.. there were long cuts of the characters doing absolutely nothing with some bgm (dont get me started on that..) ..you could fast forward the episodes and there would hardly be 20-30 mins of actual development in story. The male lead spends half his dialogues telling the female, how beautiful she is.
Actually nothing much happens story wise in the drama at all. You could tell the story in 7-8 episodes .. there were so many filler non-relevant scenes.
The Background Score....uff...... same bloody 2-3 songs repeated every 5 minutes. after the first few times, it got irritating. Whatever the context the same song would play. and the lyrics did not suite the show at all. + these were all in English. But man, so many times the same shitty song kept playing on and on..... it was the worst part of the show.
Wont recommend this drama to anyone. I am repenting having watched it.
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Patience is a virtue
Around episode 5 I was liking this series a lot, but I sensed that things would end badly. I read some spoiler reviews and I was dismayed to find ppl saying we should stop at ep 9; the rest went downhil badly. I begrudgingly continued with the series. It starred Son Ye-Jin from Crash landing on you and the 2nd male lead from While you were sleeping. They even mentioned that series when Jin-ah and Jun-hui 1st reunited. I think the series was supposed to give us the varying emotions of love; the butterflies in your tummy, the joy and laughter. The fear that it will end and the heartache when it does.Most reviewers blamed Jin-ah for ruining the relationship and I was angry at her selfishness around episode 13. Then I realized all she'd been through.
Her family and that atrocious mother; her job and back-stabbing co-workers. Even Jun-hui's sister was horrible for a time. Still, she loved Jun-hui enough to stay with him. He wanted her to run away to America and then HE decided to leave by himself, when she would'nt go. This was his fault, because although she wanted her independence, she always was happy to be with him. Jun-hui showed his younger age, by being insecure and running. She let him go because she thought it was best for him. That's why she wept in her apt and refused to see him the night he left.
When he was packing and heard her message again, expressing her love, he realized that her love was displayed for him throughout the series. That is why he asked for forgiveness. In love and life our rash decisions usually get us in trouble. It is patience that Jun-jui needed to use for Jin-ah.
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Oh what a wonderful drama! It got a little tiring in the end, but overall it was worth it!
Story:
Joon Hee is the brother of Jin Ah's best friend. They know each other since childhood and now, as Joon Hee returrns from the US, where he lived and studied for three years, he finally decides to follow his emotions and try to get Jin Ah as his girlfriend. The drama depicts the struggles they have to overcome to be accepted by society, but also - and most importantly - their beautiful, fluffy and sometimes very sexy love. I enjoyed the drama very much up to the 12th episode, after that the story line got a little out of hand. Some characters (including the main female lead) became very annoying in some aspects. Also Jin Ah's mother acted like an annoying little child who didn't get her will. I know that she was supposed to resemble the Korean society and their view on marriage, but still, her character was too much. The ending was also not to my taste, but you gotta see it yourself to make a judgement (no sad ending, don't worry).
However, up until the 12 episode we got one of the most beautiful love stories I have ever witnessed in a kdrama!
Acting/Cast:
They all did a wonderful job. A huge praise goes especially to Jung Hae In. After watching him in While You Were Sleeping I was really excited for his main role here, and I wasn't disappointed. Also, Joon Hee is a character I would fall for in real life! The supporting roles were also birlliant and gave the drama an authentic feeling.
Music:
OH THIS MUSIC!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I LOVE LOVE LOVE the music in this drama. Someone said somehwere that it gives the whole drama a French feeling, and it's true! The soundtrack and the total lack of music and sounds in some scenes makes this drama so wonderfully intense! I am really in love with this soundtrack.
Rewatch Value:
If I would be a rewatcher, this drama would have a high chance of me rewatching it.
Overall:
Feel-Good, fluffy and sexy noona-romance with some (small) deductions in the last few episodes.
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Also like the OST. It gives a 90s music vibe.
After all these good sides, I find it boring. It was slow for me. I find Yun Jin A falling in love with Seo Jun Hui very quickly. I hated Yun Jin A mother to the core. I wanted to beat her so much. But on the other hand, I liked her father. He was so supporting of her. And took her relationship so well.
I didn't like the ending . It was rush ending. Their separation was unnecessary in the end. Also Yun Jin A case against her employer conclusion wasn't properly shown.
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I loved this but for a minute, I thought it was a little too rocky! I felt the writers made the female character weak, complacent, and controllable by her ex and her mother. Seeing the historical Korean Dramas you see the mother or grandmother choose the husband to bring two regions together, I thought I would never see that happening in a modern-day story. This was kind of disappointing to me for a present-day story. I love the two main leads Son Ye Jin who played Yoon Jin Ah and Jung Hae In who played Seo Joon Hee. This is one of those dramas I wished I could've put my fist through the TV and slapped a couple of folks to their senses. Thank Goodness for Jin-A's brother. If it wasn't for the two main leads this drama would've failed and it would doubly fail if the ending didn't end up in disaster. Was this review helpful to you?
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This Is a drama I feel like I really wish I could scream but I have to tuck all my feelings in because there's nothing to do about it. Plus I was watching the end at like 12 am with another person in my room so I couldn't.SITR was my FIRST Drama.. ever!!! And I LOVED LOVED LOVED the beginning. The love Jun Hui was showing was great, her reaction was great and I just loved it so much.
Until I saw some COMMON repeats with this one. If you didn't know, Jin a makes a lot of mistakes.. not even mistakes after a while it's like she knows what she's doing and feels so obligated to it and acts like she doesn't care about the consequences anymore she keeps going -_-. I'm not even the only one who thinks this because Jun Hui himself stated he hated when she would keep doing things that would stress him, get her in trouble or get him in trouble and then say "Sorry" she'll do better next time... and do it again.
Truly they never worked out their problems or fights like ever and just let it going which is how got them at episode 16. They were growing depressed together. Jun Hui ALWAYS forgave jin a but the one time he is seriously mad, she blames him for trying to show his feelings on how he felt on something that hit home for him. Jin A made me so sick and I really wanted to fight her through the movie. She is as annoying as her mom.
At the end I really don't think they truly wanted to get back together. They just felt alone honestly. Their romance was better in the beginning and a little in the middle than it was in the last episode. It was more like "oh well you saw me naked so lets just get back together and be grown ups". The director showed us nothing with the other stories. They never show the resolution with her and her best friend, the harassment at the workplace, the mom, and somehow 3 months or 3 years (I forget) her brother gets married on the last episode and it was just so stupid. I honestly wish they didn't speak the whole last episode of her getting frustrated and pushing her hair back and Jun Hui looking out the window and her crying just to say for the last 4 minutes they'd be back together.
I honestly skipped through 14, 15 and just jumped to 16 to get it over with.. and I have NEVEER done that.
I recommend you watch the beginning to feel the romance but save yourself and just don't watch the rest from like... 11 wish 12ish.
:)
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A Slow Fall from Grace with Every Episode
Something in the Rain begins with promise—subtle cinematography, soft emotional tones, and the setup of a mature romance. But what could have been a thoughtful love story quickly turns into a frustrating and painfully repetitive experience.The biggest issue is the storytelling. The plot drags unnecessarily, with little to no real progression. Scenes repeat the same emotional beats again and again. Conflict is introduced but never meaningfully resolved. By the time the drama reaches the halfway mark, it feels like the story is just going in circles, testing the viewer’s patience rather than building toward anything.
The female lead is one of the most frustrating characters in recent drama history. No matter how much the male lead supports her, she constantly gives in to her overbearing mother. She goes on blind dates just to please her, makes decisions that betray her partner, and in the end, even returns to her ex-boyfriend—all to satisfy her family's expectations. It's exhausting to watch her deny her own happiness episode after episode.
The male lead, on the other hand, is written with depth, patience, and quiet strength. He gives his full support to the FL, only to be pushed away again and again. His loyalty is admirable, but it becomes painful to watch, especially when the story offers him no real growth or closure. After everything he endures, the ending just hands out a rushed reconciliation in the final five minutes, without any explanation or emotional weight. It’s as if none of the tension or heartbreak mattered.
The OST, while soothing at first, becomes a source of irritation. The same track plays again and again—sometimes multiple times within a single episode—making emotional scenes feel forced and overly dramatic. Instead of enhancing the mood, it drains it.
This drama could have explored societal pressure, family expectations, and emotional healing with maturity. Instead, it delivers a confusing, dragged-out relationship where one character does all the giving and the other never truly grows.
If you're looking for real romance development or emotional satisfaction, Something in the Rain is not it. It’s a drama that looks elegant on the outside but is hollow and repetitive within.
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It’s great if you skip a few episodes
I took the advice of one reviewer and skipped episodes 10-15. I am glad I did because of how mad I was when 16 started. But at least I wasn’t depressed! And I really didn’t want to be sad after such a strong start. Man, were those first 7 episodes CAPTIVATING. I was blushing at the screen. Swoon-worthy? Like whoa! I didn’t even hate Stand By Your Man completely. But everyone is right, it heads straight to Dumpsterville after that. Just get through 9 and then fast forward to the last one. None of the minor plot lines are going to be resolved satisfactorily anyway, and you can easily figure out the broad strokes of what happened—why sit through five hours of Sads when life is short! Tune in for the typical kdrama ending: “it’s some number of years later, and it’s possible they will finally get to live happily ever after, if this blurry wide shot of silhouettes on a beach is any indication”. Still worth it to watch the first half, if only to see kdrama’s best boyfriend ever, Jung Hae-in, fall for a girl. And SYJ is great as flustered and cute, if cynical, hot noona. I could see myself rewatching some of the first episodes, because they are artful and make my heart flutter. Though for overall rewatchability, I’d recommend One Spring Night over this one.Was this review helpful to you?
