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Should you watch it? — yes
I just love Park Min Young acting skills. So I wanted to watch this drama just for that reason. She played a very different character as compared to “what is wrong with secretary kim”. I just think she is an amazing actor.I gave this drama lowrating because watching this drama seem like “watching the grass grow”. The storyline itself was OK and really didn’t have an emotional component to it.That may seemLike a contradictory statement since this drama dealt with physical abuse mental abuse and self torture as reflected by the aunt and the mother.
What I didn’t get about the storytelling was why would the main female lead fall for a guy who seemed to be totally disconnected and didn’t seem to show any interest in her. I am surprised that mok hae won(MKH) continued to talk to ML after confessing.
A good and powerful story is when the FL and ML transform with the support and love for each other. In this story, I did not see much of transform in IM Eun Sub. It seemed to me that if mkh never came back, he would have been just fine.
So in retrospect, I think the whole story is not about love, but something else. Is it about finding happiness by living simply and enjoying book clubs, and no television? It didn’t seem like the script writers dealt with physical abuse. It was in the background and our main characters simply learnt to live with it. In fact I was very much surprised that MKH, even chastised her aunt when she discovered the truth.
It is funny.. the more I write this review, the angrier I get. The more I think about it, I would hate to be in a relationship with MKH... she can’t forgive easily, isolates those who love her. Only thing she has going for her is her beauty. It was telling when she made a statement “I always have been pretty”.
I am glad I watched this drama. There were lessons for me as to how NOT to be in life to find happiness.
Conclusion:
Watching this drama was like watching the grass grow.
Infuriating due to lack of main characters depth.
Positives: community spirit
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Learning about accepting warmth in a cold, quiet winter.
This drama feels like standing in the middle of winter where everything is still, muted, and a little lonely, but warmth slowly builds in small places. It allows the leads to move at a gentle pace and never rush their emotions. I liked simply being a witness to it. The winter atmosphere, the bookstore, the book club, the familiar countryside neighbors, and the quiet routines all created a space that felt comforting even when the leads themselves were not. It is framed as a healing drama, and that softness does come through, especially in the way people show up for each other in one way or another.At the center are two emotionally distant people shaped by different kinds of pain and loneliness. The ML is capable of giving warmth to everyone around him through actions, yet he retreats the moment that warmth is returned. He has a loving family, but he keeps them at arm’s length, creating quite a distance. Similarly, the FL returns to the countryside carrying something heavy and unresolved. And this distance extends her, almost seemingly inherited, when we are introduced to her mother and aunt, who seem just as colorless. The drama holds onto these emotional gaps like a mystery. I kept wondering why they were both so withdrawn, and why their lives felt paused. The hints only begin to surface in the second half, when their romantic relationship has already taken root.
The first half feels like a healing romance built on familiarity. The ML who had been yearning for the FL and is his innate nature to care for her, and the FL, who had been the recipient of his warmth, opening up to him. With their unspoken sense of loneliness, it was like a story of two people slowly finding comfort in simply not being alone.
Then, the second half shifts into confronting the past. Their relationship gives them the courage to finally face what they have been carrying for years, though it does not make the pain any lighter. The ML’s backstory explains his detachment and loneliness, but the FL’s past turned out heavier than expected. At some point, however, the narrative leans heavily into the aunt’s story, and it almost feels like the FL gets pulled into something larger than her own arc. I am unsure on how I feel about this focus, but still, it does answer many of the questions surrounding their family dynamics and gives context to the FL's emotional distance that defined the first half.
Some more parts did not fully convince me. The drama occasionally felt like it was trying too hard to be poetic. The slow pacing worked, but combined with the layered mystery, it sometimes became more confusing than meaningful. The emotions were present, but the motivations were not immediately clear, and it took so much time for everything to settle. I also questioned FL's reconciliation with a former friend and how she processed the truth about her family, and it was difficult to understand how the narrative tried to frame her mother’s pity toward the very person who caused their suffering. No DNA needed for the mother and daughter; they pitied the people who harmed them. These decisions did not take away from the overall experience, but they did leave me a little unconvinced.
What kept the story continuously appealing was the community. The side characters, except for a very few, were easy to love. Everyone had their own quirks and presence, allowing them to shine in their own little stories without overshadowing the leads. The neighbors, the townspeople, and especially the book club gave the drama its warmth. They simply existed together, and their presence reminded us that sometimes, we can receive comfort from being quietly surrounded by people who care and understand.
By the end, it felt like watching two people learn warmth in the middle of a long winter, but not everything landed. I wish we understood the leads earlier, and I wish the ending felt a little clearer. If I had to point out a takeaway I got from this drama, it's that, the ML, his uncle, FL, her mom, and her aunt all need to go to therapy lol.
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Most of all, it's calm
I'm writing a review exclusively because I can't get over the fact that a partner (or any other person) reading a private diary is framed as cute. It's not cute, it's a violation of privacy. Being someone's partner doesn't give you the right to their privacy.Other than that it was a drama that transmitted a lot of calm despite all the traumatic events it dealt with.
The supporting cast was excellent and without them, this drama would be reduced to almost nothing since I don't find the main characters remarkable or important enough to the action. To me, it would make more sense if the drama was set from the aunt's point of view.
There are some things in life that can never be amended. Not even time can do that. Time can't amend treason or violence. I don't understand the love for a physically abusive parent and it doesn't make a difference who stepped on the gas pedal. It was self-defence from someone who was threatening their lives and had already made their lives miserable for so many years. I do see a reason for the aunt's actions, she was hit too and her sister's and her life were in danger. It's very logical to me. Even if the lead's father had never hit the aunt, she had every right to protect her sister. Her sister's bruises hurt her as well, it's surprising to see that the mother's bruises didn't hurt the daughter. Her loving father is the same person that tried to kill her mother and her aunt and that's not something you can separate from that person, it's the same father.
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When winter is cold and warmth is needed
If you are into action and flaming hearts, this drama is definitely not for you. The stories told here draw you in slowly. They keep you interested and make you feel the unspoken pain, the solitude, the loneliness the main characters live with. But the pain is bearable, because in all this bitter coldness and icy numbness of winter you can already sense that spring will come, and the ice will thaw.I was fascinated by how beautifully the contrasts were shown. The cold and stillness outside, the frozen atmosphere in the FL’s home — and then the warm bookstore with its tea, colors, and the gentle togetherness of the book club. Winter becomes the screen on which past pain wants to be seen, spoken of, and healed.
A lot of opening up and healing has to be done in When the Weather Is Fine, and the thawing is slow. But it happens — just like nature does it every year.
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LIfe Is Choice
This is a wonderful character-study series that demonstrates one of Life’s great truths: Life is choice and you determine how you react to what goes on around your and the experiences that you have. We are given two characters with very polarizing ways of living. One embraces what happens, no matter what it is, and learns how to let go. The other plays the role of the victim and is constantly running away from life and the problems that inevitably come. By the end of the series, the viewer should be left with one question to answer: which path do you prefer?Mok Hae Won is a very lonely woman who flees her job and life in Seoul for the small town in the countryside. Her upbringing is filled with unhappiness, from a father who abused her mother, a mother who is so cold and distant that she rarely sees her. And when she does, her mom barely says anything at all. There are no loving words or even the hint of a smile. The same is true of Hae Won’s aunt, who is just as cold as Hae Won and her mother. In short, we find very quickly that this is not a pleasant family to be a part of. They keep their distance from others, mostly because they are so content in their own bitterness and unhappiness, that they don’t even want to take a chance on something better. These are three very miserable women who hardly have anything appealing about them at all.
Im Eun Seob is a young man who is quiet but steadfast in how he lives his life. He’s loving and never hesitates to help someone who is in trouble. He gives no thought to his own safety, nor does he ever ask for anything in return. His own family abandoned him, and he was left with a family who took him in and raised him as their own. This family is warm and good-hearted, and they aren’t afraid of trials and tribulations. In fact, they face things head-on.
This is especially true of Eun Seob’s little sister, Im Hwi, who is a young high school girl full of life and zest! She may be a bit conceited, but she also never fears expressing herself, no matter how it may offend others around her. Despite not being popular, Im Hwi never allows that to affect her. She’s a very strong, young woman who’s already mastered one of Life’s great lessons: it doesn’t matter what other people think of you. One might wonder how Hae Won might have grown if she’d had a friend like Im Hwi when she was in high school.
It's easy to blame our parents for our shortcomings and even problems and failings. But the truth is that we never need to look further than ourselves when things don’t work out. Hae Won is a weak woman who enjoys playing the role of the victim. And people who play the role of the victim are always cowards because they are intent on blaming everyone else for their problems. What is even worse about Hae Won is that she has no forgiveness or tolerance for the imperfections of others. She fails to realize that nobody is perfect, not even our parents, but we must learn to forgive and look past the flaws and imperfections that everyone has.
Hae Won holds a grudge against her high school friend, Kim Bo Young because of a mistake that Bo Young made. Yes, it was a mistake, and even Bo Young acknowledges it, but toward the end of the series Bo Young points out to Hae Won that most people have cracks and problems that make them imperfect. Still, Hae Won cannot see past her own pain.
Of course, a romance brews between Eun Seob and Hae Won—who Eun Seob has loved since high school, unbeknownst to her. He runs a small bookstore in the small town, and it’s clear that he loves his life, despite living a life that seems boring and ordinary. Eun Seob loves Hae Won completely, despite her flaws and imperfections, and he also realizes that as soon as winter is over, she will leave. Some people are fair-weathered people. They only stay until real problems arise, and then they flee. Hae Won is such a person, which is why the viewer already knows the inevitable.
The romance is sweet and touching, and the chemistry between Hae Won (Park Min Young) and Eun Seob (Seo Kang Joon) is real. But the romance runs together with the mystery of who killed Hae Won’s father, and how she will deal with the truth of the past. We already know that Eun Seob is a man who can deal with pretty much anything. He has a mountain cabin where he can go to collect himself and be with his feelings. He’s also quick to forgive as well as express himself to others without fear or reservation. He knows that Hae Won is not built like that. While both characters endure much suffering, especially in their childhood, we see how each character has chosen to deal with their adversity. One deals with it, and the other finds a way to run away from it. Eun Seob already realizes one of life’s truths: the quickest way out is always through.
Eun Seob also knows that true love is not about holding on, but about letting go, which is why –despite how painful it is—he lets Hae Won go because he also knows that she has to learn to deal with the past as well as find herself.
The world is full of Eun Seobs and Hae Wons, and it’s up to us to decide which one we want to be. We can embrace and endure what comes, or we can play the role of the victim and wallow in pain and misery like Hae Won, her mother, and her aunt.
I loved the simplicity and beauty of the piano music that went with this series. I felt it really added to the atmosphere and enhanced the story.
Performances were first-rate all around. I have to say that one of the standout performances for me was Kim Hwan Hee (Im Hwi) as Eun Seob’s sister. She had such a command of the role as the tenacious and loving Im Hwi. The best scene of the series for me is when Im Hwi tearfully begs Eun Seob not to leave when she believes he’s going to leave with his uncle, and never return. It was such a touching scene, especially as Eun Seob—being the loving man that he is—buys and replaces Im Hwi’s bike seat with the one she’s been wanting. She also pretty much stole every scene she was in. I hope to see more of this talented young lady!
Some people hate winter (analogous to difficult times) and can’t wait until spring arrives. Others embrace the cold and find a way to navigate it. Such is the path of human lives in dealing with life. This series was one of the best character studies that I have seen when it comes to how to deal with life. Remember, life is choice. So, which do you choose?
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i have complicated feelings towards this drama
for me the only good thing about this drama is eunsil and jangho and the beautiful place where they shot the drama.trigger warning : domestic abuse
i hated two things about this drama.
one is the ml's behaviour at the very first few episodes. like why cant he just say something?? its not like i wanted him to pour his heart out all at once because i understand that he had a rough life and everybody processes their trauma differently but he can atleast give a simple reason for his actions or i dont know complete one freaking sentence. he was extremely frustrating to watch at the start of the story.
the second one is way more infuriating. as someone who has an abusive father like haewon, i cannot understand how could she get seriously mad with her mom and aunt but not with her criminal of a father. i would be very happy for my mom if she can get her freedom, not that i want her to commit murder or something but the point is i will never blame her if she does something to protect herself and i would never side and pity an abusive man.
and as if those werent stressful enough, kim boyeong gave me head-splitting headaches. she was extremely annoying and arrogant. she completely disregards haewon's feelings. she's the perfect example of a character who wants to be a victim so bad up until the very end she was very prideful and even tried to gaslight haewon into thinking that she hurt her more and that she deserved a second chance. kim boyeong made haewon's highschool life miserable but she still thinks she doesnt deserve how haewon treated her after.
also, they didnt explain why eunseop was calling haewon "irene" until the very end??! what the hell was that all about??
it took me 3 or probably 4 times until i was finally able to finish watching this drama. i did consider completely dropping it after haewon started getting mad at her mom and aunt for protecting themselves against her abusive father. it was a very slow and quiet drama at first. it was like reading a book. there werent a lot of rousing dialogues. most of the time the characters just convey their feelings through their eyes or through the books they read and/or share to each other. i needed to be in a particular mood to watch this drama. for some reason i only craved to watch this when it was raining outside or when the day feels very gloomy and cold. another thing i found entertaining besides eunsil and jangho's story is haewon's mom and aunt. the casting director knew what they were doing, like the actresses can actually pass as sisters even in real life. this drama also made me realize that you shouldnt really judge someone based on their looks especially when it comes to romantic relationships. like i was so confused when the flashbacks of haewon's mom and dad started because i cannot believe that kid would end up abusing haewon's mom. it was very disturbing to me.
surprisingly, i also liked oh yeong woo. normally when there is already an established love interest for the fl i dont really like when they bring out an ex or just someone from the past who has/had feelings for the fl/ml but oh yeongwoo kind of made it work for me.
anyways, the drama was fine but if i can go back to the past i think i wouldnt try this much just to finish watching it.
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Slow Means Slooooooooow
A bookshop owner reunites with his former classmate (& crush) when she returns to their hometown after growing tired of the city & numb in her career as a cellist. Will his calm personality help soothe her past hurts or will she refuse to allow her heart to heal?Okay, look - I wanted to like this so bad! I love the lead actors & I truly enjoy so many of the supporting cast as well. They’re all extremely talented individuals who deserve applause for their hard work. My rating of this drama isn’t at all meant as a bash against any of them! I simply could not get into the story.
I think it all just moved too slow for me. I’m not opposed to a slow burn romance, so that’s not what I mean. I’m talking about the way the whole plot unraveled, their walking that was more meandering, & how even the way they spoke felt more drawn out than usual. And I know it was all intentional, the story unfolded this way at this specific pace for a reason. But I kept getting confused because of the timeline jumps - like we’d be in the “present” one moment, but then seeing a scene from earlier in the day that lead to that “present” moment. It was all just very jumbled to me so that lessened my ability to enjoy it too. And I take responsibility for that because I’m sure the problem lies with me, not the drama, haha.
So though it took me a really long time to finish it because I just couldn’t connect with any of it, I don’t want to discourage you from giving it a shot because it could be one of your new favs! Like I said, the cast are all talented & I think they did their roles justice in this drama as well. And the Leads have really good chemistry. Again, I’m sure the problem is with me, so don’t skip this drama just because I couldn’t get into it! 🤪 Not every drama is for each of us. Some are a hit & others are a miss. That’s why I’ll forever be grateful to all the writers, directors, actors, & everyone else who works so hard to continue making new dramas for us fans to devour & enjoy!
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-⬇️ S P O I L E R S 🚫 B E L O W ⬇️-
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The things I always want to know 😏😉…
- First(real)Kiss : ep.8 💋
- Together : ep.9 👩🏻❤️👨🏻
- BreakUp : ep.15 💔
- BackTogether : ep.16 ❤️🩹
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I was really, really loving this show...
If there is something that I've been loving is slow dramas. Chinese dramas are particularly good at this, but Korean dramas also come up with some masterpieces from time to time. "When the Weather is Fine" is a warm, peaceful and cozy k-drama that makes you comfortable when the rain is pouring outside.I loved the calmness but troubled and anxious male lead. Actions do indeed speak louder than words and I fell in love with his character, so much that it has marked my k-drama path. He is quiet in words but loud in thoughts at the same time. He is simple but also complex, with so much love to give and anxious about receiving said love back.
I was loving this drama until the 14th episode, and admittedly my rating went from a 10 to a 7. Up until the *9th episode*, I was giggling at the main couple, it gave me so much warmth and coziness that is missing in today's dramas, but after the revelation of the true killer of the FL's father, the show went downhill for me. I didn't like how the writer's failed to show that the true villain of the story is her dad and not her aunt (or even mother). Hae-won's reaction was unsympathetic and unjust, and I get that she has been lied by her family but the fact that she still defended her father after knowing her mother suffered from domestic violence is beyond me.
As the user @Ellie commented in their review: "I feel like the show gives the abuser (a sort of) free pass, trying to present him as a ‘good’ father and socially likable. (...) I needed a scene where he was vocally called out and branded as he was – a manipulator and an abuser, that scene never happened.(...) Society plays a crucial role (along with the law system) in situations like these. Women should be able to speak up and be heard, not blamed. Society as a whole needs to open the topic of domestic abuse and not bury its head in the sand".
K-dramas have this habit of starting really well with a strong plot and and a good production, only to later drop in quality immensely. I honestly was really sad that this happened to this show because I was really loving it and it was a strong contender for my all time favorite k-drama.
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The story was not exaggerated. The plot twists were also placed amazingly in the series. Give it a try!
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one word: HEALING
At first, the story might be slow and I admit I felt frustrated when I started it. That was one and only downside of this drama. But it started to gets interesting around episode 3 and since then I am hooked. This drama covers almost every issues out there. Mental health, suicide, violence, abuse, betrayal, disease, bully, isolation, family, friendship, love, relationship, etc. Everytime they had a book club meeting, I really enjoy it and it gives ton of life lessons. I like all the characters here but my personal favorite will be the Sim sisters. Their bond and story is really impactful and it made me cried the most in the drama. Honorable mention to Lim Hwi and Lee Jang Woo for making the drama bright and made me laugh a lot. Overall, this drama gives me warm feeling and it is my all-time favorite healing kdrama.Was this review helpful to you?
Slice of Life
This was a slice of life drama. And it was really lovely. It always filled me with calm when I watched it. The way it was filmed, the music, the slow pace... it was very calming, peaceful, indeed. I also loved how the whole story and background of both Eun Seop and Hae Won were revealed bit by bit throughout the series.Some of the character reactions irked me - both the leads’ in certain moments - and a few of the characters rankled a bit - Eun Seop’s little sister was too much for me, just like Ji Eun Shil - but overall, I fell in love with all the people living in that village. And with Hae Won’s mother and aunt, too, once I got to know them better and found out why they behaved the way they did, how much they both suffered. I think that the one character that I felt truly sorry for at the end was Crybaby because he never stopped loving Hae Won’s aunt.
If you like slow dramas with little action/suspense that focus on character development and relationships more than anything else, then I highly recommend this drama to you. But I need to stress the word ‘slow’ here. Because everything happens slowly in this. And that might not be everyone’s cuppa.
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This took a long time for me to complete.
Not because it was a bad show but because it covered a lot of difficult topics against a backdrop of relaxing mountains and forests.It's deceptive as there is this relaxing classical music and picturesque landscapes. You can get lulled into thinking that this is a sweet romance. However these are characters who are carrying a lot of burdens. Their actions and feelings are understandable but sometimes difficult to watch. There is a lot of awkward silences, and long slow looks. It can be a very sweet story but I would also say it is very bitter.
If I could critique anything I would say because they retell the story from each character's perspective, there are sometimes too many redundant scenes. I think there could have been more trimming of the scenes or flashbacks.
Overall I thought the drama was good. The leads really matured in their acting. The other characters were also really interesting and sometimes gave us a nice humorous break from all of the trauma.
I couldn't binge this show, because the story ran a little too deep for me, but it was worth watching.
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