One Spring Night

Would I recommend this? If you're a sucker for romance, want some eye-candy (Jung Hae-in), a realistic storyline and don't mind slow paced dramas, Yes.

One spring night starts off really well. Episode 1 is everything you would want a drama to be and more. As it progresses though, watching it sadly becomes somewhat tiresome. It just drags on and on and on and nothing really interesting happens. Of course there are some tension filled scenes but for the most part, its not all that gripping. But towards the end it picks up again thankfully.

At certain points it was also like 50% dialogue and 50% staring at each other, or the main characters would just be shown looking super sad by themselves. It makes sense though because the slow pace of the drama kinda makes it more realistic but then it's not exactly entertaining. As a result, the rewatch value for this drama is close 0. It took me about 2 months to watch the whole thing, that's how uninterested I was.

The acting was superb though. Everyone did phenomenally well so I don't think any of the actors/actresses could have done that much better to make it a bit less boring.

The music was really good but there were certain episodes where it felt like it was 50% drama and 50% music, that just makes you get sick of the music at times.

Overall I am satisfied with the way things panned out but I kinda wish the time spent showing Yoo Ji-ho and Lee Jeong-in being sad was used to explore other aspects e.g. the complicated and toxic relationship between Lee Seo-in and Nam Si-hoon and/or the fun loving dynamics between Lee Jae-in and Park Young-jae.

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The fact I didn't like it shouldn't detract from the great story and acting...

... As per my headline, the ratings suggest that I should have given this an 8, but I didn't like this drama so I couldn't bring myself to do it. I would however draw your attention to why I might be biased or why my review might not be as objective as others.

I live in the UK and although I've watched a fair, few asian dramas, there are lots of societal and cultural norms synonymous with countries such as South Korea and China that I've just never been exposed to. The main subject of this drama is just one of those things I couldn't quite grasp as a big issue and I think, besides the story and the acting - it just meant that I was just at odds with the main subject matter.

The story is about a guy and a girl who fall in love, albeit they know they probably shouldn't because of their current situations. The girl is unhappy because she is unsuccessfully trying to break her 4 year relationship with a selfish and aggressive man (he is antagonist 1) after she realises that she's bored, doesn't love him and doesn't want to marry him. Admittedly, she realises this before she meets our male lead but ending the relationship becomes more urgent when she starts to interact with him.

Our male lead is a father of a young boy (probably 4 or 5). He is not with the boys mother anymore and he has custody of the child. He works hard to provide and care for his son and whilst he works, his parents are the primary care givers but he sees the boy on an almost daily basis. People, namely his male friends, gossip about the fact that he'll likely be single forever because no one would want to date a single father, unless she has something wrong with her - and it appears that this is common opinion, especially amongst the older generation.

This is the primary reason why, even if our female lead was single - it would not be deemed acceptable for her to date our male lead. Why this is discussed excessively is a big part of why I don't like the drama... Because I think it's a non-issue, but I recognise that korean cultural and societal measures are different, especially when you factor in what the older generation expects of the younger.

What further bothered me though is that to some extent, the actions and behaviour of our 3 main antagonists (and you could argue there were more than 3) were deemed to be acceptable and expected.

And this is where, I have to hand it to the actors because they played their parts beautifully and never have I felt such ire against our villains as I have here. I'm not sure if I would have hated them more or less if they were not all male but I guess we'll never know. Regardless, I couldn't fault the story line nor the acting in this regard as I think the script was well paced, the dialogue and especially the conveying of emotions in what was a very 'heavy' production, was on point. But back to the issues I had...

Antagonist 1 was the ex-boyfriend. The girl was honest and clear with him as to why she didn't want to pursue their relationship (even before she met someone else), but he wouldn't accept it and he plotted to simultaneously maintain a relationship with her as well as disgracing her for trying to enter a relationship with a single father. He was selfish and became aggressive... But was a loathsome individual.

Antagonist 2 was our female leads' brother-in-law. He was a devious, gold-digger who was hanging on to the coat tails of his beautiful and famous wife; spending her money and beating her black and blue when she attempted to stand up to him. When she tried to divorce him, he refused and continued to manipulate deeds to their properties and their finances to ensure he could continue to profit from their relationship even though she was doing everything possible to distance herself from him and his abuse. This got worse when she found she was pregnant with his child.

Antagonist 3 was our female leads' father and I think he was the worst of the 3. This man had 3 daughters. His eldest, a successful broadcaster, married to antagonist 2. His middle child was our female lead and his youngest was a headstrong student who loved her sisters dearly, but didn't like being told what to do. She had spent time abroad to essentially get away from her parents. His wife was loyal and loving, with her own hobbies and he was a high school administrator, nearing the latter years of his career and looking forward to a prominent position within the school system that would see him working less up until his retirement. The problem was that he wouldn't accept that his eldest daughter wanted to end her marriage even though he knew she was being beaten by her husband because he couldn't stand the disgrace of having a divorced daughter. (Genuinely, if my father even thought my husband was laying a hand on me, my other half would be dead by now). He tried to arrange the marriage of his second daughter to a man (the ex-boyfriend) he knew she didn't love and wanted to leave because, the ex-boyfriend was the son of his employer whom he didn't want to annoy, fearing his new job would be compromised. He tried to dictate what the youngest would do with her life (even though she was an adult) and she often went month's without speaking to him and finally, he berated and spoke down to his wife regarding her life choices, her relationship with their daughters and her hobbies. I'm glad to say that towards the end of the series, his wife had moved out of the family home and was considering her next steps but this man was the epitome of despicable.

I was sad that the things these 3 men did could even be brought up in a drama produced within the last 5 years, let alone the fact that our female lead had to tolerate being associated and affected by any of them.. And that's the reason, I didn't like this drama.

But as mentioned above, it was a fine story, script and production in general and the fact it affected me as much as to incite me to write a review, says it was certainly good enough to leave an impression on me... But I wouldn't watch it again just because of the uneasy feeling it left with me. I would still recommend that it should be watched, if nothing else to see what the director and the actors are capable of as that element cannot be praised enough.

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A Harsh Look at SKorean Society: Struggling with Love and Tradition

Story 10/10

Beautiful

Two people find themselves falling in love on a spring day, drawn to each other like magnets despite the obstacles in their way. One is in an unhealthy relationship, and the guy is a single father. It turns out that this is a kind of stigma in SKorea.SK is a very conservative and patriarchal country that upholds family values, while in the background, it struggles to Westernize, to become more free and feminist.

Although I knew this and appreciated it, there is also a very negative aspect to it. When you live it up close, it makes you despise it to some extent. It's very hard to balance between normative family values and liberal freedom values. I was surprised that even couples who aren't married have the same status as married couples. The resistance from the family, the environment, the annoying and intrusive interference, are very frustrating issues that are hard for a Westerner to understand. On the other hand, this is why the conservative and religious world loves Asian series and expects this.

If it were a funny romantic series, I suppose it would go down more easily. But when you're shown the realism and the ugly sides of Korean society, it's hard to digest. I suppose through the series, one can understand more about Korean women who suffer a lot, as well as single parents.

The disdain shown towards the single father was unbearable.
They treated him like garbage, as if he had no value, and he also saw himself that way until he couldn't take it anymore. I guess it's supposed to serve as some sort of re-education series for Korean viewers. Look at yourselves up close. That's why you see all the seemingly boring conversations between the couple's friends and between the couple and their families, and even at work with colleagues and managers. Every conversation has the significance of the weight of separation, the desire to feel valuable in a very closed and conservative society. Even though I knew this, I didn't imagine how hard it could be for these people who choose to deviate from the path.


Music 1/10

The music is horrible, unbearable, and ruined a lot of the viewing experience for me. I skipped many scenes just because of it, especially romantic scenes that I would have loved to watch if not for that dreadful music. They remind me of Chinese songs in their nature—uninspired and repetitive. Usually, indie films use folk music as if it were some elite and unique style, but the opposite is true. If it were Korean folk music, it might be forgivable. Here, you are watching a hardcore Korean movie and expecting to hear Korean music in the background, and then they bring you uninspired American music.


Actors 10/10

The two actors are beautiful and talented, and there was great chemistry between them. The lead actor has a baby face. He's not the manly type, but he's definitely charming, romantic, and cute. You can see the process of them growing closer to a relationship, and it's very heartwarming. They are convincing. All the other actors are excellent.


Rewatch Value 9/10

If not for the music, I suppose I would watch it again. I skipped episodes 14 and 15 because people wrote that these episodes are depressing. Maybe I'll watch them later.

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this drama doesn't suck

I will try as much as I can refrain from talking about how their relationship at first was called cheating in my language and how romantasicing cheating is just a no no even if the relationship was the worst one in the whole universe. it's so easy end your relationship then be with whoever you want.

it was both selfish to her boyfriend and to ji ho who probably if he was a real character would have lost enough brain cells from her.

the chemistry was there but wasn't anything out of the ordinary it was kinda mid at best. the whole story just seemed lacking for me and the sequence and pace of events is kinda boring and too slow for my liking. I had to wait 9 episodes to see them proberly date when she didn't even tolerate her ex bf like please what's this?

overall it was watchable and not so cringey gut I wouldn't recommend this to someone tbh seems like a kinda waste of time

one of the things I liked was that jiho is a pharmacist cause representation ✋✨

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I liked it, but

It was a culture shock on many levels for ME, so I can't say it was a terrible show. I liked it, but I was getting heartburn while watching it. First, I don't know how much of this could be right with relationships in Korean/China/Japan. I understand that storylines can be fabricated to bring on the dramatics, but so many people would have been placed in jail or had a restraining order placed on them for their unruly conduct in the US. So, I tried to digest it all instead of arguing with the television. I told myself: "HEY, these are fictional characters living in a different country. Chill out. Why is it that damn song, again. Why didn't they pay for at least five songs?"

Well, don't let me be the judge. Please watch it yourself.

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A more mellow but more polished product from the director of Something in the Rain

Don't mistake the slow pace of the series as boring since the writer and director duo intentionally slow the series down to focus on the raw emotion and interaction between the characters. In that sense, this kind of series might to be everyone's cup of tea.
The series presents the story in a very organic and natural manner, without too many lazy writing (as in forcing stuff happens that conveniently benefit the story in the name of fate). The acting of the main cast is good.
However, there is one big blunt that might annoy you quite a bit. Somehow, all the romantic scene is accompanied by 1,2 songs. The repetition is quite annoying after a few first time and greatly diminishes the wathching experience

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The Perfect Everyday Kdrama.

I watched this after trying to watch Something In The Rain without knowing that it was the same director and I can definitively tell you that One Spring Night is much better. There are not as many scenes that drag on uselessly (walking down the street, eating, things like that) and useless conversation. The flow of the show, the character development, the acting was all wonderful. All of the actors were terrific in this drama. Eun-u was so adorable. Every scene with him in it made me melt. Definitely worth a watch if you're looking for something with not a whole lot going on and easier to relate with but also something that doesn't drag on. I probably won't go seeking clips of it online or rewatch it right away like I did with many of the other dramas that I watched, but maybe in the future if I'm watching a really heavy drama like Itaewon Class or Goblin I'll turn this one on as a palate cleanser.

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✒ ⚖ Jung Hae-In VS Good-Girl-Disease ↔ (Again) From, Kim Eun & An Pan-Seok °7.6° °VG°

OSN was brought to us by the same team that gave us Something in the Rain-8.6: Director An Pan-Seok & writer Kim Eun. The two series have so many similarities that it's impossible to review OSN w/o looking back at SITR. OSN is SITR-lite, like a stamp that has been used a 2nd time so the imprint is more faded. They have the same ML and the same actress plays the mother of both FLs. Both are slow paced and build methodology while slow, sultry 🇺🇲music strums in the background. Slow doesn't mean boring. Both are great watches (though SITR started breezy and then ripped my heart out w/o fully putting it back together). As a stand-alone, OSN doesn't have much worth. Its rating and its value are inseparably part and parcel of SITR.

Ji has been dating Gi-seok/Gi (her father's boss's son) for years. Everyone else is used to Gi. Dad is getting close to retirement and his boss has mentioned getting him a job at the foundation (gasp!). Dad is absolutely salivating over the idea. The moment Ji meets Jo she realizes she can't take Gi for another moment. Their relationship had turned stale and moldy when no one was tending to it. The "bad” thing about Jo is that he has a son. The mom took off. Jo seems like a bad bet & Ji falling for Jo threatens to turn the family upside down.

“What if I was about to do something that would turn everyone against me?” Ji asks her friend. Lee Jeong-in/Ji is played by Han Ji-Min. Ms Han can be so cute. She's great in Our Blues-8.5 and she really shines in The Familiar Wife-8.5, which was surprisingly excellent. Ji's stubborn and she will see things through to the end. Yu Ji-Ho/Jo is played by Jung Hae-In. W/o a doubt, he's a nice lookin guy. His appeal goes beyond mere looks. He's not likely to be picked as a top-10 from a lineup of the many exceptional Korean MLs based on looks alone, but he is a top-10. Probably a top-5 for many. He has a manner, and he has liquid-like eyes that just melt the viewer. His parents watch his son while Jo lives near his job. He's been living lonely while alone, Ji's been living lonely while amidst others. Jo finally opens up a wee bit: “I had to endure to survive. If I didn't suppress this anger and emotion, who knows what I would have done?”

OSN is a 2019 release that is rated 83 on AWiki. It is 1 season consisting of 16 60-minute episodes. It didn't tear my heart out and stomp on it like SITR did. I like the characters, but my blood pressure didn't spike when they met adversity. Each series looks at oppressive, controlling parents and restrictive society from different angles and involves FLs who are under pressure to date a certain way. While I loved SITR, it was painful - very painful - I wanted to slap the FL more than once. OSN is so similar - I wasn't sure I was up for the pain.

Both FLs have a touch of good-girl disease and go through a fair amount of dithering. It can be unnerving. In SITR, the FL is expected to date only in the upper social strata, while in OSN, our FL is pressured on all sides to maintain a long term relationship so that everyone /else/ will feel at ease. It's the same issues but OSN has a different FL - a stronger one who is more impervious to coercion, yet still bogged down by a society that sucks at the feet, fighting every step forward. SITR features a toxic mother and OSN bring us imperious males. (The mom in OSN is lovely, and the same woman (Gil Hae-Yeon) plays mom in both shows. That's what /acting/ looks like). If one looks at the two shows as volumes of the same book, they fit together perfectly. Both of them feature quiet, everyday drama. Around ep7, I started to get nervous that this would be 9 more episodes of dithering over pressure asserted by friends, family, and society. The vacillation finally dies out and gives way to decision.

Poor losers. That's theme #1. “It's why I can't let this go. I don't want to look like a pathetic loser,” Gi moans. Gi's enormous ego led him to treat Ji as less - he took advantage of her - and when she leaves him, his ego can't take the “L. Gi refuses to break up with her because he doesn't want to lose - and he /really/ doesn't want to lose to Jo. I've known people who remain bitter for years - decades, even - after a divorce (the hurt may never go away, but this discussion is about allowing hurt to turn into bitterness, which is something different). The sense is that the bitterness is more about anger over losing more than anything else. Everyone must lose at some point. The fact that a person can't get beyond a loss, but rather opts for bitterness, means s/he is even more of a loser. Keep moving forward; work on yourself. Anything else is loser mentality. Every decision Gi makes, makes him more of a loser. Pride is a sneaky destroyer, yet we house it and nurture it until it infests every part of our lives. Pride is also Gi”s biggest motivator. It's what motivated him to work all the time to the neglect of his girlfriend. More than love, pleasing his difficult father (being validated) motivates Gi. That is why he never even introduced Ji to dad. He was worried she wasn't good enough. He took her for granted and thought he could make anything & everything up to her later - she would put up with it all. He had just heard from Jo: “You looked down on me.” Now Ji turns around and says the same thing; “You looked down on me,“ and “I was stupid to put up with it,” she adds. Yep, Gi is over the top, but I know a few Gi’s, and worse. Dad is worse. He only sees his daughters as pawns to bolster his image. Compare him to the ML, whose son is the world to him.

The fact that Jo has a son is a huge (YUGE!) obstacle, culturally. This goes against deeply ingrained traditions. Traditions usually start as something good, but people twist and corrupt everything. After awhile we get to the place where parents say: ‘You: Stay with the abusive husband,’ and, ‘You: Marry the cold guy who uses you because the man who loves you has a child.’ After awhile, traditions make no sense and do more harm than good as they morph into the opposite of what was originally intended. We need to examine our presuppositions every now & then.

Men treating women like property is another theme. “You should be ashamed that you're a shallow minded father who's more concerned with what other people think,” says mom to dad. The father sees his daughters as collateral. There's two relationships in which the man will not agree to a break-up, Ji with Gi, and her oldest sister with her abusive husband. In each case, the motivation is love - love of themselves, or pride. Neither cares much about the woman. “Do you think this is about love?” Ji's friend asks. When two men fight over a woman, it's usually about their pride, not the woman. The women know it isn't love, but they are trapped.

The way Ji has such a hard time making a clean break is one of the themes: Duty vs heart. There are duties that are infinitely more important than what we want, but some “duties” aren't duties at all: They are just a form of useless, meaningless control. Wisdom is knowing the difference. Ji is told that she shouldn't break-up with Gi as feelings come and go. She's treated with disrespect merely because she realizes she doesn't love her bf; she doesn't even /like/ him. He's just a /bf/ that she let hang around for too long, not a husband or even a fiance. Everyone acts like Ji's love life is their business. They keep asking if /Gi/ has /agreed/ to break it off (like that matters). Her sister is pushed to stay in a mistake-marriage with the claim that feelings come and go. This is true. Feelings come and go. However, most of the people (dad, especially) making this statement have a pride agenda. They don't want to look bad. There's a collection of things that dad is getting from his daughters’ relationships. He never gives a thought to what they are getting back, though. He has no inkling of how much he has distanced himself from them because dad has one great love affair in his life, and that's with himself.

It's not just Dad, mom, and Gi that Ji's trying to balance. Her co-workers’ curiosity is inflamed and she wants to win over her sisters to her side as well. Her sisters are navigating similar gauntlets (though in typical birth-order fashion, the youngest sister isn't struggling over pleasing any parent). Ji's friend may not agree with her decisions, but it's always good to listen to a contrary view, especially since her friend has no agenda other than wanting the best for a friend. Before long, though, Ji feels at home nowhere but in Jo's arms. Everything has been turned inside out.

We, in the West, can point fingers at 🇰🇷 and deride them for this awful behavior all we want, but we have the opposite problem. We've become slaves to our capricious, untrustworthy feelings. We throw out our duty, loyalty, and obligations all too easily. We indulge every whim yet are not satisfied, and our culture is increasingly enraged. The truth is often in the middle & the right answer is always a tailored fit; it cannot be found on the rack. Some marriages cannot be salvaged (Sister's marriage looks hopeless), but there's plenty of people who have worked on their failing marriages in earnest and have come out happier. One of life's secrets is that always indulging one's feelings and giving in to anger will never produce a happy life. Gratitude and contentment will. Anger is too frequently used as a veil to cover up our own deficiencies and inadequacies. If we are focused on another person's misdeeds, we never need pay mind to our own. Not only will this not work in the long-term, but it will also canker every relationship we have. Anger and hate eat our souls. So, while feelings are important, they aren't the most important thing. Treat them like a child: Nurse them, care for them, train them, but don't overindulge and spoil them or they will become ravenous monsters.

The first kiss should have been better. Perhaps they wanted it to be matter-of-fact, but waiting 9 episodes for that was a letdown. The first time I teared up wasn't for them, it was when two women sat on a bench together w/o saying a word. It's one of the best scenes in the show.

As the relationship with Gi falls apart he starts to see Ji with new eyes. The more she slips away, the more he falls in love. He's devastated when his own father, who had previously disapproved of Ji, actually compliments her. He had dismissively felt he owned her, and now that he's losing her, his own father seems to have more respect for /her/ than /him/! He could have gained points with his father by marrying Ji! Instead, dad looks down on him even more for blowing it. He makes a final play based on friendship - after a while the ardor may fade, but their friendship remains, surely? At the same time, Jo rejects the idea of friendship. He says he could never look at Ji in that way; she means too much to him. A self-absorbed person is incapable of being a good mate. Gi offers loveless, passionless “friendship.” Jo offers passion, devotion, adoration… Jo offers commitment - for every spring, summer, fall & winter's eve. Every good girl deserves to be loved like that!



QUOTES📢

Why do relationships always have such $h!++y endings?

Instead of holding back to protect someone, wouldn't you regret it less if you showed how far you're willing to go for that someone?


〰🖍 IMHO

📣7.7 📝7.6 🎭8 💓7.8 🦋5.5 🌞5.3 🎨6 ⚡2 🎵/🔊7.4 😅3 😭3.8 😱2 😯4.8 😖0 🤔7 💤2.5 🔚7.6

Age 15+
Language: $h!+, b!+ch, pr!ck


Re-📺? This one's in the good-to-pass-the-time category, but I may never pass this way again….

In order of ~lite&trite~ to ~heavy&serious~ you may also like:

Modern Day:
Mad For Each Other 7.8 ~silly fun;
My Secret Romance 7 (if you ff thru overdone flashbacks);
A Witch's Love 7.8;
Love to Hate You 8.9;
Her Private Life 8;
Touch your heart 8.2;
Romance is a bonus book 7.9;
Boys Over Flowers 8 ~ melodrama to the max;
Crash Landing On You 9.1;
Oh My Ghost 10;
It's Okay Not To Be Okay 9;
Love Struck in the City 7.3;
Hospital Playlist 9;
My Mister 9.5;
More Than Friends 8;
I'll See You When the Weather is Fine 9;
Something in the Rain 9

Historical/Period:
My Only Love Song 8.7 ~ excellent comedy;
Live Up To Your Name 7.6;
Mr. Queen 8.5;
My Sassy Girl / Yeopgijeogin Geunyeo 8.5;
Saimdang 8.5;
The King's Affection 8.3;
Mr. Sunshine 9

Try a Chinese historical fantasy romcom: The Romance of Tiger and Rose 9.8

Action/Sci-fi/fantasy:
K2 8;
Private Lives 8.1;
Sisyphus 8;
Tunnel 8.1;
Signal 8.6;
Black 9;
Squid Game 8.4;
Kingdom 8.3;
Sweet Home 8.4

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NOT YOUR AVERAGE DRAMA

Do you know when I knew that I was going to like this drama?

When I saw Kim Chang Wan. Just kidding, but it`s becoming a habit to like everything this man picks, I don`t think I saw one bad project of his. On a serious note, it was when I skipped over to the last shot of the last episode, hearing Carla Bruni sing "Spring Waltz" and seeing a couple go in and out of the frame, laughing and kissing.

In a pharmacy of all places. If I had to use one word to describe this drama, it would be `natural`. Just most things about it feel natural. The music choices(even though I adore all the songs they used and have them on my phone as I type this, they do get repetitive), the acting, the way almost every shot is composed, even down to the actual locations, which are set up perfectly and when you see dramas with such fake sets, you come to appreciate this attention to detail a lot more. I went into this drama not knowing nor expecting a whole lot, since I haven`t seen "Something in the Rain". I also couldn`t draw any conclusion from the poster alone. The title sounds unassuming. In fact, I didn`t even read the synopsis. And in hindsight, I think that`s the best way to approach this drama. Let me warn you first though, it`s SLOW. Locations rarely change, there`s no exciting actions nor dramatic revelations. Which can turn off some, but it was such a welcomed change of pace for me. After a slew of dramas incorporating memory loss, childhood friends finding each other again, stupid, easily solvable misunderstandings and more, seeing actors portray characters that act like PEOPLE, like you and I and many others off the street, was borderline exhilarating.

And I didn`t even start talking about the actual show yet. First off, the acting. What acting?These actors ARE their characters. The things they talk about, the way they make small gestures, it all counts for something. If you can`t find anything else to enjoy in this drama, be assured that you`ll at least love the acting, because it`s that good. I`ve skimmed through some of the reviews for this drama, and while some are more than valid and helped me understand why it`s(in my opinion) underrated, some were downright confusing, citing lack of chemistry and acting. Let me elaborate. With a script and pace like this, you have no other alternative but to depend almost exclusively on the chemistry and banter between your actors. To put it bluntly, had that really been the truth, this drama, with all its potential, would have gone down the drain. In fact, someone used this as a negative but I would wholeheartedly use it as a positive. They wrote:"This whole thing feels like an improvisation."And I agree. It feels real, not clumsy. Even when some questionable plot points are brought up, the way characters react to them is not good or bad, it`s just real. And they all have flaws that can sometimes even be glaring, making you forget that hey, they do have some merits as well. Jeong-in is smart and cunning, but she`s also overbearing and rash. I heard that this role was first offered to Son Ye-jin, and boy, am I ever so glad that she turned it down because this is Han Ji-min`s character through and through. She plays the jaded, at time lifeless, drudging along life Jeong-in like a pro. Same goes for Jung Hae-in, whose Ji-ho unanimously reminds me of "It`s Okay to Not be Okay"`s Gang-tae. He suppresses his thoughts and feelings for both his child and to not be hurt emotionally again. It`s believable, frustrating and, at times heartbreaking. Their relationship isn`t perfect either, like they usually are in dramaland, until some big twist occurs.They don`t agree on things and argue, but they do it in such a way where you almost want to be like: "Hey guys, it`s fine." And they`ll reconcile. I`m a big fan of such portrayal. I really connected with them and am so glad that they got their happy ending. It almost felt like bidding goodbye to good, old friends, knowing that they`ll be happy for sure. Don`t be mistaken however, the rest of the cast does its job exceptionally well. Especially Lee Moo-saeng, whose role of an manipulative and abusive husband of Seo-in, Jeong-in`s older sister, is so convincing that I felt creeped out. The way he changes his tone and facial expressions from pleading, affectionate to pure, white rage, is beautiful, in a twisted sense. It`s disgustingly realistic. Same goes for the character of Gi-seok, who started off as someone worthy of some sympathy and ended up being someone so calculating and pathetic, that you just wanted to squash him. Bottom line is, all of these characters feel alive and like someone you know.

To be honest, I really couldn`t shake the feeling of being a voyeur almost, spying on these people and their conversations in secret, feeling the spring air envelop my body in a comfortable cocoon. The shots breathe, they are handled with care and are sometimes impressive. The writing is rather average, but there are some notable moments, like the "Don`t cross the street" scene and such. Also, and I didn`t see anyone else mention this yet, but the humor in this drama is spot on. I would by no means call it a comedy, but the lines of dialogue that should be perceived as funny, are, in a realistic, dry sense that I find amusing. Again, this is my review after all. And the jokes that land, do so on the back of relatability. We`ve all gotten drunk when we shouldn`t have and we`ve all been teased by our friends for our dating choices. And it still comes off as funny, that`s what I like to see. Now for the drawbacks.

I have to thread lightly here, as many people have so many cons when talking about this drama, but I only have two. Characters won`t get as much character development as you think they would, and the things you want them to solve, probably won`t be solved conclusively. What I mean by this is that we love to project our hero complexes and like to expect positive results from drama characters, stemming from expectations we imprinted upon them. It`s inevitable and we all do it. So don`t be disappointed when things don`t go your way, even though they should. I won`t spoil anything, but you`ll know what I`m talking about when you experience Seo-in`s storyline. Also, and I can`t stress this enough, be prepared for a lot of lingering shots of people doing everyday things. Be prepared to see a lot of mundane activities displayed and, even though you may think that they are showing you something pointless, this is also how you can let your audience in the minds of your characters.

In the end, "One Spring Night" is definitely not for everyone and you do have to be in a certain mood to enjoy it, but at the same time, I feel like this is one of those dramas which will get more recognition as time passes by. I eagerly await that spring day when I can recommend this drama to someone and to hear a reply like "Oh yes, I watched it. It`s a classic."Because I think it just might deserve it.

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Great drama for grown ups

I read the other reviews with high scores and now understand better why I like this drama. It is probably the first and only K drama where Korean stories are told with sincerity, no silly fun, with grown ups. I guess that the drama shows today’s dating culture, family life and social issues realistically. I have the impression that this is with grown ups for grown ups. Therefore, very educating and interesting. It is also very entertaining as it is well written and produced. I agree with the other reviews that the acting was great. For unknown reasons, the FL is quite annoying thus the lower rate. Actually she is a phantastic actor but here her role could be a bit toned down. Overall a lovely drama to watch multiple times

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