Bajo la lluvia (2018)

Many Korean dramas that have been popular or not with audiences over the past few years share the same trait, but not this one. Still, jTBC's latest series is making it on top of all the charts. Why? Because that trait is: They're all TV shows, but "Something in the rain" is not.

If you look at the list of hundreds of Korean dramas that have surfaced over the past few years, you will find that most shows had at least one of these three main characters: wealthy people; characters have superpowers; character has no superpower, but has the morality, the idea of life at a higher level than normal people. This stimulates the curiosity of the audience about the rare classes in society, which makes the story becomes new, more attractive. And along with that, we've had all these Hollywood's blockbuster level of production qualities in order to match the stories, landslide battles, beautiful cinematography, harmonious music, those that I personally thought were imperative to make a good show.

But "Something in the Rain" has none of that. Not a single thing.
Characters: Yoon Jin Ah, main female character, is a 35 years old supervisor. Seo Joon Hee, main male character, is just a 31 years old game designer. They're just another 2 people you can meet everywhere on the street that are struggling with their life.
Story: They fall in love with each other. Yes, that's literally it. Nothing more.
Cinematography: Mostly still shots. Not even that good.
Music: Sometimes a soft pop song will come up during romantic scenes. But nothing during normal ones.

At this point, you probably think my post would be a criticism but surprisingly, for all that, I am ADDICTED to this show – it brings a smile to my face and I actually find myself thinking about it even after the episode ends.

First off, the couple is really natural and relatable. Their chemistry is on fire and their physical interactions are exactly how you would expect a normal couple to be. Sometimes I think Korean dramas try to ‘normalise’ their shows and show that Koreans are exactly the same as everyone else, but end up overdoing and spoiling the momentum. Here, their acting doesn't look like acting at all. It's like you're watching videos of a couple filmed by a multi-thousand dollar camera. What they say and what the do, I can't even tell a difference from the "Behind the scene" and the final product. Search for them and you'll see what I mean.
For example, the first time they slept together, the focus was on the TV and you only see them taking off clothes (Joon Hee to be exact) and fidgeting under the blankets. The next time, it’s them with their clothes on but taking turns to be on top, smiling lovingly and then kissing the partner. We know what’s going to come, but it’s these moments that matter more to me – those quiet moments where you don’t say anything but simply look at your other half, which is why some dramas lose me when they start having bed scenes. In a sense, I think this drama has no less kissing scenes than any other dramas I’ve watched, and yet this is more intimate and at the same time, conservative, and I admire this balance. Other dramas are mostly passionate making-out, but here, we are seeing really small kisses most of the time. I read comments noting that the actors must have had a serious relationship before to act this out, and I agree – they seem to bring some part of themselves into the show, which is why I think I feel so attracted to this couple. Watching them reminds me of something, whether in the past or now.

This show doesn’t have a villain but I see it in the mother every time she talks. The script really feels so natural! I don’t need superpower mums who throw money at female leads to keep them away from their sons; I didn’t know until this show that a naggy mom who simply focuses on the background and pities Joon Hee and his sister behind closed doors could be just as infuriating. I know she also comes from a place of love, but I truly wish that by the end of the drama, she will be changed as well – her words are really oppressing the entire family in different ways and it’s no wonder that every time she speaks, I feel so grumpy.

I’m just a bit afraid of what the title Something In The Rain entails – is it going to be fleeting? I have this fear that the couple will separate and it’s because this relationship makes them a better person but they are not meant to be together (something like 500 days of Summer). It’s a tragic concept which I’m not against per se, but I hope it doesn’t happen here because the only thing that’s stopping them really isn’t the age but family and I’d think that it’s pretty uninspiring if they broke up just because of that. On being inspiring, I like the portrayal of gender issues in the workplace and I really hope they develop it well.

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Desabafo sobre a sobra

Bom, não levem muito em em consideração minha opinião para decidir, assistir ou não a obra, no final, isso é mais um desabafo meu.
A obra começa bem, eé bem fofo, e continua num ritmo agradável, a principio, o único ponto negativo dela, seria as longas pausas silenciosas dos personagens pensando ou quando algo acontece, no fundo, isso pode não ser u mdefeito para muitas pessoas, mas para mim é.
A parti daqui, contem alguns spoilers.
O problema começa lá pelo ep 11 ou 12, o casal começa a se autodestruir com suas escolhas, em vez de tentarem se entender, eles ficam se retraindo, e tomando decisões meio idiotas, o que me deixava cada vez mais frustrado, o ponto alto foi o termino , eles não se comunicavam de verdade, um tentando não magoar o outro e se magoando no processo, isso na verdade era irritante e chegou ao ponto deles terminarem , eu me forcei a ver o ultimo ep, e mesmo com o final dele aquilo não me agradou, o decorrer do dorama foi bem melhor que o final.

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The SLOWEST , MOST FRUSTRATING and PAINSTAKING drama I've ever watched. Total waste of time.

I wish somebody had warned me before I wasted more than 16 hours to that drama. THERE ARE SO MANY FLAWS THAT I DON'T REAALY KNOW WHERE TO GET STARTED. There is NO EVOLUTION whatsoever IN ANY OF THE CHARACTERS. THE END IS PATHETIC, just going back to the situation in episoe 5 or 6. NO CONFLICT RESOLUTION. No reward for good guys' suffering and punishment for the bad ones. NO MORAL VICTORY of the good ones. On the contrary, it seems like all the persistence and struggling to fight their battles was in vain. I am ESPECIALLY DISAPPOINTED ON HOW such a serious issue as SEXUAL HARASSMENT IS TREATED. You can't treat sth so delicate so lightly on screen! I knew that South Korean society is a bit male chauvinist, but this goes beyond my imagination! And what example does it set!? Just keep quiet and accept inappropriate attitude from your superiors, cause if you stand up for yourself, you will get the blame for the situation, people will treat you as if you were contagious, you will ruin your career, but the ones who actually wronged you would keep on as if nothing happened! So morally wrong! And what's with the fast outcome? It's been going soo slowly, only to get fast forward in the end and ignore resolving conflicts. It's almost like you overhear that she actually won the sexual harassment case and her boss says she should be happy with her victory, but then why does it feel like punishment!? She was forced to change her job within the company and eventually quit because she is burnt out by the whole situation. Even if I find this part of the story so unfair towards the main female character, I still can't help but hate her so much. She is a compulsive liar, her compliance goes beyond stupidity. And the only person who treats her right, respects and appreciates her, she treats as a douchebag. He must be a total saint to put up with all this and even ask her forgiveness (once again) in the end when he did nothing wrong. Both their characters are not credible. I can forgive him only because he is so cute. And don't get me started with the mother! Once again, absolutely surreal character. One usually has good and bad features, they are not blackand white. But this mother is only hateful. She is selfish, superficial and even mean to her kids. Conclusion, the worst story ever.

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Asian cultures have this strong parental control exerting over their adult children. The adult children have to juggle the balance to lead their lives while making sure they make their parents proud and saving face. Once you understand the Asian cultures then you will understand the pain and the dilemna the female lead character must endure. I applaud the acting and the chemistry between the actors. It is cute but not annoying or over the top as other K-drama. The characters throughly adapt and become stronger as the episodes continue on. It also raised awareness 'Me, Too' movement in addressing sexual harassment at work. A must watch for us women in the quest of finding true love and be courageous.

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Goddammit this show was frustrating. After episode 10 I wanted to smack everyone upside the head and quit.
In episode 15 I wanted to burn the whole place to the fucking ground.
After the whole storyline of fighting against injustice, the main couple separates for five fucking years because the FL can't grow a pair and stand up to her parents, and on top of that she starts dating someone else that her parents chose for her. And you expect me to be on board with a happy ending with the male lead, when all I want is for the guy to meet someone with a backbone who'll stand by him?! I want 18 hours of my life back. Don't waste your life/nerves/energy on this.

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Started with a bang then fizzled out...

Just end... were my feelings after episode 8. The beginning was nice, very nice actually. The stages of attraction from like to love was beautifully done. Wow my kind of romance... loved it!!! Unfortunately at the halfway point of the series the drama went to the left for me. It became a torture to watch. I was begging for it to end quickly. I'm sad because it ended with me not really liking the main character Jin Ah (this doesn't happen often but when it does its disappointing). I hated that Joon Hee loved Jin Ah wished he would find someone who deserved his love... she was older but immature and a liar. Augh her constant lies drove me insane then her excuses were baffling irritating and frustrating... but then I tried to reason what do you expect with a cray cray meddling mental and emotional abusive eomma. I understand eomma wanted the best for her children but jeez she was over the top; however, it was nice to finally see her loving eomma side in the end. I also didn't care for Joon Hee appa but loved his noona, Kyung Sun. All credit for Joon Hee warmhearted love goes to Kyung Sun. Great job noona!!! Oh and lets not forget the twisted office sexual harassment. I have all kinds of thoughts and comments on that but for fear of spoilers I will keep it to myself but OMG really SMH. Overall this dramas love chemistry was soft sweet pretty amazing until it wasn't.

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This drama was both a delight to watch and an utter pain in the butt. I get where the director was going with the long drawn-out scenes but while those work aesthetically in a movie, they are just plain awful in a drama. I felt like for a majority of the screen time, absolutely nothing was happening. In fact, it was almost like the production company realized they had about 5 episodes worth of material so they had a pow-wow for ideas on how to stretch that into 16 looooong episodes. I also was not a fan of the 3 songs that continually played on repeat.

That aside (and getting to the “delight” part) Jin Ah and Joon Hee were adorable and I loved every scene of them together. I especially loved how their romance bloomed and the moments playing up to them actually becoming a couple. Man, it made my heart race at times. I even enjoyed the different conflicts they shared in their relationship and how their various mistakes and misunderstandings were portrayed because it felt really real. I did, however, absolutely hate Jin Ah’s mother and felt like we never got justice for how terrible of a human she was, no matter all her excuses of wanting the best for Jin Ah (it just went too far and I couldn't get behind her reasoning).

Which brings me to the ending itself. Not the worst last episode in the history of finale’s but damn close. I could understand most of the conflict in Jin Ah and Joon Hee’s relationship because it seemed relatable and natural to me, however I could not understand most of what occurred in the last episode. It made me not really care about what happened to either of them by the time it was over. In the end, I don’t regret watching the drama as a whole but this is definitely getting filed with the ‘what could have been’s’ and ultimately, forgotten.

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Wish I had stopped watching halfway through. By the end I hated every character. The love story for the first 4-6 episodes was sweet and unhurried. It felt like a warm cup of tea. Then it took a turn into Crazytown. I felt emotionally abused by the end.

The one-note conflict dragged on so long, and the main couple was so frustrating by the end. None of the conflicts with family or friends were solved. The workplace conflicts were not tied up in a satisfactory way. Everything about this show was half-baked. Except for the chemistry of the leads. The acting was great.

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Summary - The first 2/3 of this are wonderful, heart warming and wrenching at the same time. As this pair work against just about everyone in their lives to be able to love each other, overcoming hurdle after hurdle. It's not just the "honeymoon" phase of love, it goes longer, which was great. Then it all goes a bit wrong. The wheels massively come off this one. I lost track of what was happening and why. Ending is ok but unsatisfying on the whole.

Longer...

The FL is 10 years older than the ML. They've known each other for many years and the ML and his sister have practically been raised as siblings to the FL following their own mothers passing and their father abandoning them... so there's some taboo's to overcome when the FL and ML realise their feelings for each other have grown significantly.

This story is one of love, romance and hardship. Fairly early on the couple are getting together and the way in which they overcome that first hurdle of - who makes the first move - was really nicely done. As the relationship grows, the FL's character visibly brightens and changes, she gains confidence and literally becomes more bouncy. There are the silly childish games that couples play in the honeymoon phase along the lines of "no, you hang up first" with some cute scenes involving him dropping her off at home and them taking a long time to actually separate.

There's the FL's brother, the ML's sister, the FL's parents (who by some extension are also somewhat the ML's fake-parents), all of which are probably going to have a problem with this relationship. These are tackled one by one and I thought handled well.

The FL's mother - probably one of my most disliked characters in a story. On the one hand, she's obviously a caring mother, she goes out of her way to help and OUGHT to be a fantastic mother, but she's so controlling and interfering she becomes the clear "bad guy" in this story (that's not a spoiler, it's fairly clear early on who the problem is going to be!). She's acted well though I have to say.

In addition to what's happening in her personal life, the FL has problems at work with sexual harassment from a couple of the male senior staff. I found this whole aspect of the story really hard to watch, but more because it was portrayed well and therefore all the more shameful - not so much about the actual act of harassing but all the scheming and tactics to try and dodge it, cover it up, pass over the blame etc. Ultimately the story kinda builds to a conclusion on this and then SKIPS it however so you actually only find out what ultimately happened via a reminiscence later on, a huge shame.

None of the sound track really stood out for me, it does all seem to be English lyrics which was interesting. One of the songs is a remake of Stand By Your Man - which plays sooo many times - but I found it appropriate if only because this story is clearly - Stand By Your Woman. The FL is going through so many challenges at home and at work, she's a flawed character who makes mistakes on top, and what she needs most (and, for the most part, what she gets from the ML) is support.

So, was it worth watching?

I'd recommend watching this one because of the first 2/3 being SO good, it goes beyond the ridiculously cute honeymoon phase to further in where things become more normal, to where they upset each other, decisions are made and things happen, there's the happenings with the family and with the ML's sister. There's really only two threads (their relationship and the harassment story line) but they are both quite involved.

This is not a story where good people make only good decisions, be prepared to throw popcorn at the screen and shout "just be honest!" "argh no don't do that you fool!" - but that's ok because in the real world, people are flawed too.

The wheels do come off later, the time skip is unannounced and utterly confusing and contributes a lot to the problems in following the story in the last few episodes. The harassment story line is done a huge disservice by not having its conclusion covered properly too.

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Perfect Male Lead, Undeserving Female Lead

I don't like the categories for rating on here. My 4 categories are Acting/Cast, Writing, Direction/SFX/Music, Entertainment Value.

I held off writing this review because this drama disappointed me so much. I probably would have ranted a lot about the female lead. Now that I've calmed down, I'll try to keep this short.

Acting/Cast: The cast and acting were great. No complaints here. Watching the male lead (정해인) in particular made me think that he really is a top tier actor, as I compare him to some male leads I've seen in other dramas. 10/10

Writing: The first half of the drama was amazing. The way that the relationship was built and how it evolved. It was so cute. I usually stay away from age gap romances, but this one made me feel like it could actually work. I was becoming a believer. Their chemistry and the writing was making me believe in them and root for them when society would find their relationship weird and taboo. That is until about midway through, the female lead begins making a series of stupid decisions with no end in sight. Seriously, everything she did made things worse. It would have been better if she went into a coma for 5 years instead. It was almost as though she was intentionally trying to ruin everything (her life, her career, her relationships) and cause drama. I'll give an example (it's one of the early bad decisions & I'll try to be vague): She gets into a clearly dangerous situation with her ex, where she could have pressed charges against him. But instead, she continues to communicate with him like she's a naïve 14 year old girl and even GETS INTO HIS CAR (keep in mind this is a 35 year old woman with a boyfriend getting into her ex's car who has a recent history of emotional instability and violence). Then, after surviving an even scarier and more traumatizing situation that she had gotten herself into, she still acts like her ex is her friend and tries to shake his hand. It was so strange...I was bewildered by her behavior. This is why I think she may have been intentionally causing drama, because it just doesn't make sense. Maybe the writers were trying to emphasize how much of a doormat she is? But, it just gets worse from there. Her mental age continues to regress, all while trying to convince the audience that she's growing and becoming a better person. Meanwhile, the 25 year old male lead continues to be perfect. He's definitely the more mature person in the relationship to the point where the mental maturity of the two are greatly contrasted. The way she treats her boyfriend and her best friend...I couldn't believe it. She had become incredibly selfish and ended up completely thro- Ok I need to stop before I spoil anything. Let's just say, by the end, I wasn't rooting for her anymore. She didn't deserve such a perfect relationship with the male lead. 4/10

Direction/SFX/Music: I love the tone, the vibe, the camera work style of the drama. It had that charm that draws me back in and invades my thoughts. The OST is nice on it's own, but it was entirely in English which felt a bit strange. However, what really irked me was how repetitive and obnoxious the music became. The same loud English lyrics would replay over and over. 5.5/10

Entertainment Value: The first half was great. I was excited to watch the next episode. However, the female lead became progressively worse over time. It was frustrating to watch. Notice I haven't mentioned anything about the mom. That's because the female lead is the real problem. The mom was just there to cause a conflict for the leads to overcome. I get it. 3/10

Overall, I gave this drama a 5.5/10. The ultimate ending wasn't terrible. Yes, it was pretty unsatisfying how certain plot points ended, but watching the downward trend from midway through to the end of the drama was worse than the ending itself. What I'm trying to say is that relatively speaking, it ultimately ended on a high note in comparison to the events leading up to it. I know that's not saying much, but at least there's a tiny bit of light at the end of this tunnel.

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How to ruin a great show

The first episodes I really loved this show. The main couple is absolutely adorable and especially the lead Yoon Jin Ah is evolving throughout the story. The supporting characters well defined. Subplots are interesting and relatable: whether it is the dealings with sexual harrasment at work, the problems with the ex-boyfriend or the fear of how friends and family react to the slightly unusual couple. Overall the show is slow but well paced at this point in time.
Until there I would rate this show with a 10, so much did I enjoy it.

But then, the writing goes downhill fast: Suddenly the until that point likable lead character becomes absolutely determined to make borderline-crazy decisions seemingly only to make life hell for the male lead. I have seen this happening in shows before - creating artificial drama where non should be, because some more episodes are needed - but never to this extent. The same happens to some of the supporting characters as well.

The actors seem as confused by this as the viewer, as the acting becomes noticable worse. To stretch the overall slow pace even further, we are presented with minute long scenes of people walking or driving - at this point I was thankful for the "+10 seconds"-button and the newly introduced "x1.5"-speed option of Netflix. And to make things the most annoying song of the very limited soundtrack is played multiple times per episode, often louder than the spoken word.

So, how does the show still rate 8 for me? The beginning is just so very good that I would recommend others to watch it, even if you will be frustrated by the horrible second half.

And now to the spoiler part:
I need to point out how horrible a person the mother is. It is one thing to want a good match for your daughter but the fanatic crusade she wages against the main couple is ridiculous. At some point I was suspecting, that she once had an affair with Seo Joon Hee's father and the main couple are actual siblings by blood.
So as the show itself, I will end on a bad note and say: the only thing that can redeem the mother character is actual incest.

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I have mixed feelings about this drama. It is very mature in its theme, but somehow it converted itself to a very immature ending and it catered to what it believed the viewers wanted in the end. I marathoned the first 14 episodes and truly enjoyed the way the story evolved and how the actors and actresses portrayed their roles. As usual, there is always the "Korean mother" - someone we all want to hate , but if this is a true depiction of life as an unmarried woman living with parents in South Korea then the story is given a higher rating. However, the story failed to really deal with true human emotions, especially when the parties have connected so initimately. Character flaws are really the highlighted themes of this drama. You keep asking yourself - would I do that? How would I respond? If only I had that chance? How far would I go to love someone? Would I sacrifice for the one I love? So for me the drama did merit a higher rating. It was not for the younger or inexperienced viewer. As an older woman you can look back at your own personal life and ask yourself these questions and focus in on mistakes or missed opportunities. The drama was a work of art. The painter drew the lines and colored it according to his/her feelings of what is love so I don't condemn this drama totally. I truly did not feel good at the end -- but was happy at the end. It is a judgment we all have to make after watching - and I do recommend watching. There are some wonderful moments in this drama that should not be dismissed because we disagree with the outcomes. Again, this is a drama about character flaws and I must add - love that is unyielding (even if it is by only one party in a relationship). The music was appropriate, but sometimes annoying.

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