One Spring Night (2019)

Feelings change

8/10 iis my rating. This is a 2019 South Korean romantic drama with 26, 70 minute, episodes.

After four years with Kwon Gi-seok (Kim Jun-han), Lee Jeong-in (Han Ji-Min) is wondering why her feelings toward her boyfriend have become lukewarm. Still, with family pressuring marriage, that would have been the likely result if a surprise romantic interest did not unexpectedly come into Jeong-in's life. Jeon-in is a librarian and Gi-seol is a banker who has family wealth and would be considered a "catch" by most. One spring night Jeong-in has a drinking party with her close friend and stops by the pharmacy where Yoo Ji-ho (Jung Hae-in) works to get a hangover remedy. What could have been a inconsequential meeting develops into sparks of interest when Jeon-in discovers she forgot her wallet and Ji-ho, immediately attracted to the vivacious Jeong-in, offers to let her pay later. After a series of missed texts, Ji-ho finally revisits the pharmacy to pay back Ji-ho and he expresses interest in her but she firmly tells him she is in a relationship so they can only be friends. Admitting interest in someone is not a frequent or easy thing for Ji-ho as he is a single parent who went through many years after heart break after his girlfriend left him and his son. In South Korea a long term relationship is a form of commitment and with both families in agreement for Jeon-in and Gi-seol to marry, it is taboo to break up, particularly to immediately enter another relationship with none other than a single dad. Single parenthood in South Korea still carries a lot of social stigma and Ji-ho has suffered derogatory comments since his son was born. So, while their situation makes it nearly impossible to be together, they find they actually run in the same social circles and repeat encounters lead to undeniable feelings developing between the two.
Jeon-in finally decides to end her relationship with Gi-seol and follow her heart with Ji-ho. However, not only has Gi-seol, who had been slow to propose marriage, suddenly decided he can't live without her, he also does not want to lose her to Ji-ho who he considers beneath him. With all the obstacles in their way, Ji-ho and Jeong-in have to constantly evaluate if their relationship is worthy and their feelings strong enough for each other to sustain their love for the long term.

*spoiler alert. I liked the overall theme of this which is which was love can conquer just about anything. Jeong-in did not feel the fact that Ji-ho was a single dad to be a detriment to having a relationship with him. It wasn't that she did not realize it made things hard for them, because she did, she just did not personally care that he was a single dad. In fact, as someone that loved kids, she grew to like Ji-ho's young son almost immediately. The ex-boyfriend became extremely obsessed with getting Jeong-in back and it felt irritating at times because it seemed that he was fairly lukewarm about their relationship until he realized he had competition. Jeon-in's dad was very frustrating because he seemed to be more concerned about social status and appearances than the welfare of his daughters. It was very satisfying when Jeon-in stood up to him about not wanting to marry Gi-seol to help advance her father's career, and later when she stood up to him about her right to love Ji-ho. The music in this one was very antnoying. They played the main song loud and so frequently hat it became irritating. I understand the cultural stigma on single parenthood as we like to think in the United States that there is no stigma but, having been a single parent myself for awhile, I can tell you there is. Many people do not want to take on a ready made family and, for the single parent, you have to be very selective about who you would be willing to interact with your children. It did not suprise me that the main character was so accepting of Jeong-in's son as she mentioned she loved children and, since that is the way I feel about children, I understand it. I lreally like children so I know if I were in the position the fact that the person I loved had a child or even children would not deter. It also explored domestic violence and the feelings of shame and denial. It ended and wrapped up well. Recommend for those that like mature themes.

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Kinda frustrating, still an enjoyable watch?

Oh my God.
I tried watching this drama a while back but I couldn't really progress as the pace is really slow so I dropped it after the first two episodes. As a fan of SITR and as a huge fan of Jung Hae In (I just finished watching D.P. 2), I decided to give it another try. And I have to say that this time I really enjoyed the slow pace, the mellow atmosphere of the drama. I even liked the soundtrack, which can become a bit repetitive, and that was one of the biggest problems usually being pointed out about OSN.

But, as I've continued watching, I have to say that I've grown extremely tired of the same dynamics that keep going on since the 6th episode. Gi Seok is a literal parasite and a stalker on top of that, I can't stand him, I hate him with a burning passion. And I can't really tolerate him on the second-last episode STILL trying to marry the FL behind her back, hiding behind his father and his father-in-law's backs, like try and have some dignity man.

So, I'd say that if you are a fan of slow paced stories and of the two leads, you should definitely give this a try, the acting is absolutely on point and I've loved some of the supporting characters.
But the show can get really frustrating at times, so if you are not fond of family drama/love triangles/miserable second leads, you can skip this one.

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Boring and repetitive

I think this is the worst kdrama I’ve watched.

Cómo empiezo? Son 16 capítulos en donde se repite lo mismo. Primero la protagonista saliendo con su novio y ambos discutiendo como por 5 capítulos mientras buscaba al protagonista. Luego ella terminando con su novio y él sin aceptar que lo terminaron, como por 10 capítulos. Luego los protagonistas por fin saliendo, pero escondiéndose porque no está bien visto que ellos salgan, como por toda la serie.

En serio qué serie tan aburrida, repetitiva y con falta de comunicación y comprensión. Había leído que los protagonistas se comunicaban y así arreglaban sus problemas, pero yo solo veía cómo hablaban y no llegaban a nadaaaa y seguían desconfiando de ellos mismos.

Me decepcionó mucho que no me gustara y que fuera taaaaaan malo, porque Jung Hae In es uno de mis actores favoritos y odie esta serie.

Sin duda alguna, si tuviera que elegir entre esta y SITR, me quedo con la segunda, porque por lo menos ahí cambiaba un poquito la cosa y no tardaron en aceptar sus sentimientos y dar el siguiente paso.

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I found the premise interesting and the discourse insightful. I didn't realize that such a strong stigma existed against single parents in Korea. I also enjoyed seeing that contention play out within the female lead - what to do in a situation where you will face personal backlash and also negatively impact your family. Those aspects were good, but it was very slow overall.

The second male lead was relentless to the point where it didn't make sense. The female lead was insufferable at the beginning, and despite understanding the turmoil she must've experienced, she was acting unfairly and playing with both leads' feelings. The wishy-washy attitude, which persisted throughout the drama, was underwhelming to watch. The female lead's dad constantly trying to use his daughter to advance his career was infuriating. I'm so tired of the narrative where parents' views are the end all be all (as was also the case in Something in the Rain) for women who are in their 30s (albeit it was substantially toned down in this drama). It's getting old.

I can't give this drama higher than a 7 because there isn't anything special about it. The story isn't that great: it's essentially a mirror of Something in the Rain, except instead of age being a factor along with a dad who remarried, throw in a single dad instead. One Spring Night has a repetitive OST, frequent lack of chemistry between the leads, and uninspiring storytelling during many episodes. I am glad I finished it but I am not too sure I would recommend it to anyone else unless it is for a specific reason.

I may be in the minority, but I much prefer Something in the Rain. While SitR may have been more frustrating, the passion and romance at the beginning made it exciting to watch.

TLDR: an indecisive and frequently selfish female lead who isn't afraid to hurt others' feelings (I did like her character a bit more as the story progressed but not significantly); a second male lead whose actions rarely make sense and an obsession that doesn't seem to be rooted in anything. Watch it if you want to learn more about single parents in Korea (or at the very least how they may be viewed by society and the hardships they face). Don't watch if you want an exciting drama. Although it is thought-provoking at times, I don't think that is redeeming in itself.

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Its all about the small things

The only thing i felt the entire time watching this show is Heart warming and butterflies. This show really opened my eyes alot more about love and the pressure on single parents in korea

This drama is one of the best so far. The plot is well written. The flow and the directing its all perfect. Ok im gonna break down my insights

First the flow and directing. It is not overbearing and draggy it has the element of content. Meaning it gives you enough to understand the situation and the little things between jiho and jeong in is soo precise it is enough to take my breath away. The directing is so good the way the scenes is taken the aesthetic the angles even the entrancthe ost is on point not too much but enough.

Second the characters and their individuals stories. The way the characters are slowly introduced is soo good the flow is wah amazing and kudos to the actors of jiho and jeong in their acting is so on point Jiho's character is a single dad with so much pressure from society he gave up the thought of falling inlove. But here comes a jeong in coming into his sight. Jeong in is a librarian whose in a long term relationship that has lost its spark. The romance between them is soo realistic and raw. And i feel so sad for jiho the way he is soo sincere and innocent. Like you guys be the judge and give me a head ups after you watch it i mean you guys need to get it haha


Third the side characters. The side characters did so well on the upbringing of the drama if you can say they are the main roles becausw without them the drama is incomplete. It feels if you are there present giving third person advice yeah thats how its so realistic. And the turns of events these characters gives us more flavour.

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was good, at first.

i watched 9/16 eps or 18/32 eps of this drama and decided to quit.

I'll divide this drama (the main couple relationship) to 3 phases:

1. attracted/flirting side while also denial stage
2. accepting the feelings stage and in the effort of trying to be together
3. together stage

i dropped this drama on the second stage. i feel like the desperation that i felt strongly from both of them in the first stage slowly started to disappear. but realistically, it should be. bcos at the the first stage, they were falling in love, but at the second stage, they need to face the reality. how to say it to the people related to them. so, while they are still fighting with each other (in a nice way) they also need to face other people which is realistic but i'm particularly not really entertained, or simply bored (being bored while watching drama has always been my biggest thing, but yeah, i feel it when i feel it).

as they need to face more and more people in the second stage, despite them being sweeter bcos at that stage they already confess to each other, but their scenes were lesser in quantity so i can't see them as frequent as i want to, and maybe just maybe their scenes will be more in the 3rd stage but i can't wait that long. after the very entertaining eps 1-4 where i sacrificed my sleep just to watch them flirt and denying their feelings, ep 5&6 were fine, but ep 7&8? kinda snoozefest. i kept looking at the watch bar (or how do u call this), and thought "y is this so long?", which i've never felt before while watching this drama. after that i continue to watch until ep 9, but after that, i just realized i feel extremely sluggish to continue ep 10. that was when i knew, i had to drop this bcos i don't want to force myself anymore.

a person questioned me for my decision since i gave this drama 6.5/10 for a dropped title (maybe he/she considers it as a decent score), but i think this drama really deserves that score despite me being unable to finish it. i hate nothing about this drama, except the pacing after ep 6. i think the storyline is decent, the social issues brought up was eye-opening, and the chemistry? undeniable. my only problem was that i was bored, and sometimes annoyed with some of the characters, but that's it. is it STILL watchable? YES.

i think that's it. definitely not a bad, dumb, insulting audience intelligence type of drama, and also not a cliche drama. might be not for me, but i won't not recommend this to people, bcos maybe, others will enjoy it.

that's it!!!

ps: jung hae in is so handsomeeeee!!!!!!!

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I’m slightly disappointed in this drama. The style and acting in this series is very similar to ‘Something In The Rain’ but lacks a bit on maybe the editing. I solely went for it because I became a fan of Jung Hae In. So far I like the story (SPOILER A young single dad finding love with an unmarried young woman which would be going against traditional views, the main woman also being completely headstrong and against marrying, her sister going through divorce (end SPOILER) but they spend so much time running in and out of their houses/ office or sitting quietly contemplating the difficult love for longer than necessary. Maybe I am getting old and so losing a bit of my patience but the episodes could have been reduced the amount of time spent doing nothing to help progress the story at a faster pace. 8 episodes in and there hasn’t been much change. The side characters are all interesting but again slow progress on their story too.

I hope the story picks up.

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First of all, i love han ji min and jung hae in. I think they perfectly fit well as a couple. If only for the acting, i have rated it 10 but the storyline was a bit too cliche already. Although the story is quite okay but not very good. In my opinion, as a reviewer, they could've done a bit more twist to it. Plus the middle part of the episodes became too draggy. But as expected, jung hae in can really make you fall in love by just looking in his eyes. You can feel the emotions with his body and facial expressions. I just wish that there were more to it in the story. Neverthless, the drama is still okay to watch one time. But nothing new for me.

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Very slow story

I haven't watched Something in the Rain yet and decided to give OSN a go. It's different to other kdramas as the pace of the story is extremely slow and some scenes are added without being necessary. There are moments of daily live - like showing them doing many things that we don't really need to watch/aren't interesting - there are lots and lots of dialogues and not many action-focused elements. This drama is therefore focused on small details and conversation and directed to an audience who appreciates that and won't get bored by the lack of actual things happening.

I usually never skip any scenes but here I was jumping a lot because I didn't care to hear the same, repetivive dialogue over and over. Lots of the side characters were simply uninteresting to me and I didn't care about them.
The female lead was very difficult to like. In the beginning I struggled to understand her motives, her reasonings and her decisions. She was very harsh and had a mean and somewhat bullying attitude at times, but then she kept being indecisive and not acting as tough as she pretended to be. It honestly didn't make much sense and I couldn't relate to her at all. In the middle of the story she became more likeable and I started to connect more with her, then later on she started to act up again. She seemed very much the center of attention, as if the world revolved around her - her friends/colleagues, her sisters, her mother, everyone seemed to run after her and pay so much attention to her personal dramas (even though her big sister had much more pressing issues tbh). It was that typical "lead character" thing - but I prefer kdramas where even the side characters have their own lives and don't just exist to support the male leads.
The same goes for the male lead - his friends, his colleagues and his parents all focused their whole attention and support on him. It seemed like neither of them had their own lives. That was very lazy from the writer.

The beginning was dragged for such a long time while the ending left many things in an unsatisfying way....I definitely feel like the writing was very lacking and I don't know if I will watch Something in the Rain, even though it seems to be very popular/well known.

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i was hesitant to watch this drama after reading some of the reviews, but if you're in the same boat as i was, i would recommend watching it. the first few episodes were a little slow for my liking, but as the drama went on, i fell in love with many of the characters. i rooted for the main couple, i wanted to kill the ex and the fathers, i loved the sisters and overall rooted for a happy ending to all the storylines. i guess that's all you can want from a drama... interest in a resolution. the acting was also pretty good, with a few blips (the main actor wasn't so amazing at showing sadness and the fake cries were quite cringe-inducing). i also LOVED the inclusion of the son... i find this lacking in many other dramas including single parents. it's usually overshadowed by the romance, but it was pretty well incorporated in this one.

now onto the negatives. i can't talk about this drama without mentioning its never-ending looped soundtrack. seriously. the same few songs play over and over and over again - to the point of them losing all meaning when used over a dramatic scene to convey meaning. the songs themselves aren't bad... but you may just want to bang your head against a wall after hearing "No Direction" for the 5 millionth time. moreover, the constant repetition of the scenes with the ex and the main characters' fathers sitting down and plotting ways for them to be married despite her having already broken up with him and moved on with someone else is tiring to say the least. i think they could've come up with a more interesting conflict to cover the latter half of the drama. it was just ridiculous after a certain point, as you knew it was never going to work and was just a waste of screen time.

despite my little rant, i would still say this drama is well-worth the watch. perhaps not the best one out there, but still filled with many sweet and heart warming moments that i would like to think outweigh the bad.

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LOVED IT!

It hasn't been too long that I started to watch K-dramas. I am sure glad that I discovered how entertaining they are. Every time I watch a new one I discover another great actor and do binge watching on his/her dramas/movies. I am now binge watching Jung Hae In dramas and I just adore him. Besides his great looks, his gorgeous smile I really love the portrayal of the characters in the dramas I have watched so far. I just completed One Spring Night and I really enjoyed it. Thank you for your hard work in doing such a great job on entertaining us. Keep up the great job and smiling for your fans. This new fan will be following your future work.

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