Something in the Rain

Too long

The first few episodes were so good. The chemistry...swoon, the slow burn of them liking each other....swoon, the flirting and silliness; it was lovely. Even when they first got together, it was still nice and exciting and heartfluttering.

Then people found out.

The brother over reacted, the sister overreacted. Their dads were the only normal people. And that mother....oh my god, I have never hated a character more in my life. As a mother I found her behaviour towards her daughter from the very beginning - even before she found out - absolutely abhorrent. I assume it shows the relationship in that culture as they are, but come on....the manipulation, the hitting and screaming at everyone, saying it was for her daughter but really she was a groundlessly elitist snob . I really hoped she'd fall off a cliff like a Disney villain, I haven't been so annoyed by a non violent non murderous character since Delores Umbridge in Harry Potter. And her insistance that she go back to that ridiculous ex who should have been put in jail but instead just seemed to cease to exist...absurd.

Sadly the leads' chemistry seemed to disappate after everyone found out too. The fact he hugged her like a child was consistency off putting.

On top of the vile woman was the needless involment of JunHui and GyeongSeong's father...added nothing.
The sexual harrasment at work side storyline...added nothing.

The amout of time that could have been saved by cutting down the 'walking around looking thoughful' scenes would have halved this series running time...no need...added nothing.

And the music....dear lord....anyone who has watched this show in its entirety will have heard those 3 songs more than anyone involved in the production, writng and singing of those songs. It was awful, repetitve and distracting. If I never hear a rendition of Stand by Your Man for the rest of my life, I'll be okay with that.

IMO JunHui, once they got together was a little too into her, and treated her like a delicate flower. I'm not one that is against protective men, I like that trope, but considering she was supposed to be 15 years older than him, he treated her like a child at times. And it took way too long for anyone to stand up to her bloody mother, not that it made a difference.

And how she just let him go despite an awful controlling mother and a shitty masogonist filled job was absolutely beyond me. 'I'm more mature now, I've grown up...' WHAT?!?! So act like a grown up and leave with the man you supposedly love!

I was also super confused and frustrated how she made out he was the one in the wrong for leaving. How was any of that his fault. He did everything he possibly could for her. She didn't even want to move in together, if I ever watched it again - which I really can't imagine I will - I'd watch it with an eye to see if she actually really did ever have feelings for him because her behaviour would imply she didn't. Certainly not as much as him.

And finally....how could she tell that mother of hers that none of it was her fault!!!

Jung Haein was the saving grace of this show and Junhui deserved better. She wasn't worth it.

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The only thing that keeps me going is the acting of Jung Hae In. But otherwise this is a slow-cooking drama made worse by alternating cringe-worthy sound tracks playing at inappropriate moments. I was rooting for the couple in the beginning but towards the end, I feel frustrated for the Main Female Lead that I wanted to push her off a cliff because the self-sacrificing male lead deserved better. The decisions made by the female martyr seemed so self-serving even when she thought she had good intentions, as if she WANTS to play the role of the suffering victim that needs to be saved by the young prince. The drama wants to come across as an art film but becomes more fartsy than artsy. Saving this film from pure destruction is the chemistry between the leads, but otherwise this drama can go to hell along with the obnoxious, social-climbing mother.

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Do you like watching people walk?

Walking in the rain? On a sunny day? At night? To the store? To work? Home from work? Down hallways between apartments?

Or maybe you prefer people standing... On rooftops, contemplating. At elevators, waiting. At curbsides, flagging taxis.

THEN THIS IS THE SHOW FOR YOU!

And none of that walking is marred by any dialogue! You simply have lots of time to embrace the visual of walking and standing, often with uninterrupted camera shots void of any close-ups to capture facial expressions.

I saw an interview where HB and SYJ were asked what they did to prepare for CLOY. He had to bulk up at the gym, work with a dialect coach, and learn piano. She said she had to learn to be funny so she watched a lot of comedies. At the time, I thought she had it easier, but now I can see that might not have been the case. There are maybe 2 amusing scenes in all 16 episodes. This is truly a MELODRAMA.

The show takes itself very seriously. It addresses age-difference dating, sexual harassment in the workplace, infidelity, stalking, and persisting discrimination between families of different social status. I wish it were compressed to 8 or 12 episodes. Or if some of the subplots were dropped, it could have been an enjoyable movie.

The first half is slightly better paced, and the chemistry between the leads is strong. Jung Have In is adorable. The acting from the entire cast is really superb. Jang So Yeon (who you may recognize as the wire tapper's wife from CLOY) won Best Supporting for her role at a number of award ceremonies. If you want to skip the second half, I've provided spoilers below.

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The ex-boyfriend never returns after they successfully do the cell phone exchange. FL goes on blind date to appease her mother without telling ML. Her BFF sees her on the blind date and they fight. ML pretty upset about it too when he learns but not as much as his sister. Meanwhile, mom kicks FL out of the family house. She is trying to find a place but they are all scuzzy (unclear how ML and the BFF can have such nice apartments but FL, whose home gave her back all the rent she's paid over the last decade cannot). ML decides it is best for them to move in together; FL rejects that. Then, given the sexual harassment lawsuit, he decides they should up and leave and go to USA -- and gets his boss to reassign him. She's pissed at that, plus she just finally signed for an apartment, and they break up.
Meanwhile, at work, FL gets threatened by corporate lawyer that they will drag her through the mud if she persists with sexual harassment claim. She blackmails her boss with telling him she will go to his family with the video and an audio recording of him admitting he did wrong. He agrees to post a letter of apology on the company bulletin board. The more senior boss gets away with it all. When the promotion list comes out, the other women get real promotions and she gets a lateral assignment to a new position outside of the corporate office at the logistics warehouse.
Skip ahead a few years... FL still working at the warehouse and living solo in her apartment. Her closest friend from work has quit CoffeeBAY and has opened a restaurant on Jeju island. The FL's younger brother is getting married and ML returns from USA for the wedding. FL has new boyfriend that mom approves of but he leaves wedding to attend business deal and she sees ML and gets all flustered. He is still pining for her.
FL tries talking with her old BFF but she will not forgive her. FL decides to break it off with new boyfriend and to quit job and move to JeJu island to help with her colleague's restaurant there. ML is packing to return to USA and hears the recording he made on his phone. He tracks her down to JeJu island and they hug in the rain. Presumably she will go to USA with him this time but really the future is left wide open.

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Turn Down the sound

I'm never a reviewer. I cant take this apart piece by piece. But i will try to make my recommendation as to how to watch this.
The story unfolds beautifully and kept my attention immediately.
You will see people that seem to genuinely interact with each other. you will see long pauses and long hesitations in the dialogue. It is stretched almost to a breaking point. you will hang on their every word.

Do not be afraid. Luckily the subtitles can keep up - very easily. If you are listening for their dialogue, you will not be able to hear it because of the poorly inserted music. I believe it is all in English and I know it is loud. The music drowns out the voices. I hated the monotonal singer Rachael Yamagata covers and really bad Bruce Willis singing Save the Last Dance For Me. If I never hear Stand By Your Man again, it will be too soon. This show ruined some songs for me.
After learning to turn down the music and letting the sound just quietly go on in the background, I read and watched this drama.
The style and wardrobe are minimal and drab. They practically sleep in their coats. And sleep in their clothes. It never improves until the absolute last scene.
The end two episodes were disappointing. I rewatched them hoping that i was missing something. I wasn't. But I would rewatch the drama again.

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The OST ??

Son Ye-jin and Jung Hae-in are a pairing that feels like a gift to K-drama enthusiasts. Their undeniable chemistry, a blend of tender vulnerability and simmering intensity, is the undeniable heart of "Something in the Rain," and it is primarily for them that this drama remains a compelling, if sometimes frustrating, watch. As a devotee of the genre, I found myself thoroughly engrossed in the delicate, often painful, portrayal of their noona romance, set against the stifling backdrop of societal and workplace pressures. The show excels in its quiet, intimate moments, where a simple glance or a hesitant touch speaks volumes, thanks to the masterful performances of its leads. However, this experience is persistently undermined by one of the most baffling and detrimental soundtrack choices I have ever encountered.

Let’s address the elephant in the room: the OST. It is not merely forgettable or slightly annoying; it is so profoundly misjudged that it actively detracts from the show's emotional core. The primary offender, "Stand By Your Man," is used with a frequency that borders on comical. This classic pop song, with its distinct 60s sound, feels completely anachronistic and tonally dissonant with the modern, nuanced Seoul setting. Instead of enhancing a scene's emotion, it often yanks the viewer out of it, its upbeat and dated melody clashing violently with moments of tender romance or deep-seated angst. There were numerous instances where a powerful, emotionally charged scene between Jin-ah (Son Ye-jin) and Joon-hee (Jung Hae-in) was abruptly undercut by the jarring opening notes of this song, dissolving the carefully built tension and replacing it with sheer auditory bewilderment.

My enjoyment of the narrative became so hampered by this single track that I developed a Pavlovian response, reaching for the mute button the instant I sensed its arrival. It’s a testament to the strength of the subtitles and the lead actors' expressive abilities that I could continue to follow and feel the story even in silence. A drama’s soundtrack should be an invisible guide, pulling the audience deeper into the world. Here, it functions as a constant, grating interruption.

Despite this significant flaw, "Something in the Rain" is not without its merits. The first half is a beautiful, slow-burn exploration of love rediscovered between two people who have known each other for years. Jung Hae-in embodies the idealistic and devoted Joon-hee with a sincerity that is utterly captivating, while Son Ye-jin delivers a masterclass in portraying a woman caught between societal expectations and her own yearning for happiness. The depiction of workplace harassment and the suffocating nature of Korean familial expectations, particularly from Jin-ah’s mother, is brutally realistic and adds a layer of poignant social commentary.

In conclusion, this drama presents a fascinating paradox. It is a must-watch for fans of its stellar leads, who carry the entire production on their capable shoulders. Their performances craft a romance that is raw, real, and deeply moving. Yet, it is simultaneously a cautionary tale in how a poorly conceived soundtrack can sabotage an otherwise quality production. "Something in the Rain" is a beautiful painting, but one that is relentlessly framed in a garish, clashing color you can't ignore. You watch it for the art, but you spend the whole time wishing someone would change the frame.

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Beautiful yet bewildering

This show was always on my list of things to watch but continuously shelved in favour of something else. But then, having watched One Spring Night, I decided to finally give this a go.

The show is divided into three parts: a very good beginning, an excellent middle but then a lacklustre ending that collapses in its own contradictions and frustrating character decisions. I enjoyed the budding romance between Jun-Hai and Jina-a and really liked the social commentary on why certain people are looked down upon. The growing conflict between Jina-a and her family regarding her personal life boils once they find out. On that front, the show does really well.

But it's problems are namely two things: lack of attention to different subplots that have little interaction with each other, and basically character stupidity. I'm going to focus on the latter first. I don't understand the hell Jina-a gets from everyone, especially her best friend who, only few episodes earlier witnessed Jina-a being sexually assaulted. There's a bewildering lack of empathy amongst the support characters for what Jina-a is enduring. But both Jun-hai and Jina-a are frustrating for acting like martys, paragons of suffering who just silently endure all abuse yet reprimand each other for these very same things. Jina-a's ex-boyfriend was a serial creep, yet Jina-a's method was to keep ignoring and enduring as his behaviour got worse. Her habit of keeping things a secret from Jun-hai, knowing he'd be annoyed, only to then apologise later sheepishly knowing he'd be too seduced to stay angry, these things didn't sit well. She has a tendency to allow conflicts to fester through her passivity, be it with her family, her best friend or even in the workplace.

Jun-hai is similarly frustrating in his inability to convey to his sister that he wants freedom to make his own choices, in his persistence in silently tolerating things knowing fully well this upsets Jina-a even more. I really didn't like the pressures he put on her regarding her housing problem. I loathed how he was in many ways crippling her independence.

The other thing the show suffers from is the lack of connectivity between different subplots, although perhaps it's intentional to show that no-one understands what Jina-a goes through. The workplace conflict was extremely interesting but it only ever got 10 or 15 minutes in any given episode and this just was never enough time.

I became really frustrated with the show towards the end. Both the lead characters simply are not likeable enough.

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I can feel coffee's smell thinking about that drama

"Stand by your man and show the world you love him.."
"Sometimes it's hard to be a woman.." - these songs were absolutely catchy that after almost a year I can still hear them well in my head, but honestly they started to be annoying after few episodes.

The acting of her mother was so good that I was close to crush my screen to not hear her yelling and not see her awful face. That actress impressed me the most. The story about those two was very interesting, I really like the development of it and the presence of coffee industry which is personally really interesting for me. That was the first drama I watched and then I started to love korean's history and culture. I will defnitely come back to it. Although the story was a little bit too long and the last few episodes were a bit boring. This is the only disatvantage of that show.

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Felt Lost

I agree with a lot of the reviews on here in that i loved where this shows head was that for the first six to eight episodes. And then... things got murky. It may be because I don't understand all the complexities and nuances of Korean culture, but I felt kind of lost I wasn't sure where this story was going. One minute it was love and butterflies and the next minute it's screaming and I just felt like none of the story lines were really finished. Be it the romance part, the family part, or the sexual harassment in the office part. I felt like all of these parts of the story where only partly covered and never truly finished in the end this kind of left me shaking my head wondering what had actually happened. I'm not sorry i finished this show and overall i enjoyed it.

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Dramas raising the boyfriend requirement standards

Freaking love this drama cuz of the plot and the acting. The main guy literally raises the standard bar for men so high it literally doesn't exist, unless obviously in dramas like these :( The plot was different because of the age gap concept and how people around us see and react to people with such big age gaps get together. The romance was really really cute, I mean they had their clique moments but hey, it was totally worth it.

And I would totally tell you to watch this if you're into cute forbidden kinda romance. The music weren't really my kinda music so I wouldn't really say anything about that

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This drama held my heart and squeezed it. Everything about Jin-ah and Joon-Hee’s relationship was so deep and raw. The sincere and bottomless love for each other is poured into every scene, it felt like I was falling in love along with them. I think it was everything about Joon-Hee’s character and Hae-In’s acting that captured my heart, he was so in love with Jin-ah it made me ache, especially when things weren’t going well for them.

The intimacy of the whole drama just added to the emotion over load. The colours were so warm and cozy. Not only this, but some of the shots were filmed through blinds which made it seem like your watching something you shouldn’t be watching. I loved this aspect of the drama.

I had some problems however, one of them being Jin-ah’s controlling parents. I think this is a culture thing, I know that Asian parents can be a bit more controlling than western parents due to their collectivist culture. This is fine but doesn't make it right. It also felt unnecessary at times, especially her mother with her unrelenting dramatic sighs - wow. Jin-ah not challenging this to the extent that she should have also angered me and frustrated me. Going on that blind date - what was she thinking?! I understand not wanting to lose your family but when it costs you your happiness the solution is clear in my opinion.

Also, another problem was how some characters wanted Jin-ah to take responsibility for things that were out of her control, this happened whenever her ex turned up and caused trouble. Joon-Hee as well as her brother got mad about this and directed their anger towards her, which I think is completely wrong. This is the only fault I can find in Joon-Hee’s character, he is still a bean boy in almost every way.

These problems aside my love and emotions towards this drama are strong. This couple has set my expectations very high, RIP my love life.

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