When the Weather Is Fine (2020)

I just finished rewatching this amazing drama. I loved it the first time and I even loved it more the second time. Maybe because I watched it in winter now, last time I watched it in early spring and my mood was also different compared to now.
It‘s my second drama with Park Min Young, I really love her acting, she is becoming one of my favorite korean actresses.
Seo Kang Joon I saw for the first time and I feel a bit in love with him. I adored him in this role and can't wait to see him in many other dramas.
The chemistry was also great.
I espcially loved the book club scenes and all the side characters were likable and had enough depth so you care for them and want to know how there stories goes.

If you like slow healing dramas this one is the perfect one!

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The Perfect Winter's Day Healing Drama

If there's one thing you should know about me going into this drama review, it's that:
a) one of my most listened to songs of 2021 was from Chung Joon Han's score for this drama (Good Night Irene)
b) I have a 'Bookstore Journal' google doc where I typed up all of Eun Seob's blog posts from the show, to look at when ever I need a pick-me-up.

Now that my clear adoration for this little show is established, I have to say: unfortunately, this is not a perfect drama. Eun Seob's trauma plot line seemingly comes out of nowhere and is neatly resolved in a handful of episodes (seriously, what happened to that uncle?). Don't get me started on the ep 16 separation (which I will go into in more depth in a sec). Mok Hae Won's tragedy obviously takes up a larger portion of the plot, and I think the writers did a good job of letting the story unfold naturally without dragging it out for too long or condensing it too much. The main performances are great; Seo Kang Joon is adorable as the quietly-lovestruck Eun Seob, but his more emotional scenes really pack a punch. I thought the complex relationship between the three Mok/Shim women was very interesting to watch, carried by great performances.

I adore the little sequences of life in the town, the book club meetings, the shots of the landscape. The romance is lovely to watch, and as I mentioned before I really do love Eun Seob's little blog posts included at the end of each episode - so much so that I actually wish they'd included it more within the runtime itself, allow us to see a bit more of ES's innermost thoughts.

Now to the big booboo in my view: the eleventh-hour separation. We all know Kdramas love a good episode 16 separation when they've run out of plot; unfortunately, WTWIF is no difference. It is beyond frustrating to see this relationship you've been earnestly following for 15 episodes nearly implode because 1) MHW couldn't have like... given him a call or two from Seoul? And 2) Eun Seob, whose entire character arc relied on him being a traumatised guy slowly learning to open up to people and take ownership over his own voice, didn't even try to fight for the relationship when MHW left, or when she came back. The scenes of her being back in town without contacting him, and him virtually ignoring her were painful beyond belief, and made me feel like the entire development of the relationship over the series was for nought. Argh.

Ok. Breathe. Rant over. Despite its flaws, this show is a gorgeous breath of fresh, winter air. Watch it with a blanket and a cup of tea, let the pure ~vibes~ wash over you. And maybe skip most of the final episode.

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Like a warm hug

Add this to the list of dramas that make me want to move to the countryside and run a little bookstore.

I loved almost everything about this drama. The yearning of the main couple is impeccable, the warmth of the bookstore and the town was so comforting, and I grew to love all the side characters as well, from the family members to the book club. The show handles darker and heavier topics of domestic violence and familial issues relatively well.

With that being said, this drama still fell victim to the episode 15 curse. The last minute separation trope is one of my least favorite plot devices of all time and this drama is an example of why. The plot started falling apart with the characters' (particularly the female lead's) decision-making around those heavier topics, and the time jump felt underdeveloped and unnecessary.

Still, this was an amazing watch; I know some people complained that it was too slow but it was perfect for me. It's one of the dramas you watch wrapped up in a blanket with a cup of hot tea, and you just let it warm you up.

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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 the Weather Is Whine

I liked the stories involving the female lead, her mother and her aunt, they kept you anticipating for more. However, the other side plots were really not that interesting to follow and ended up being just a white noise. From reading the synopsis and watching its earlier parts, we got to know what the female was going through and why she moved away from the city. Clearly, she had issues she needed to work on, however, despite her issues with trusting people and being hurt by others, her romance went against her character. She had a very easy and quick romance with minimum communication for a drama that meant to be driven by dialogue. She started a relationship in a short period of time before scratching the surface of her issues. It would've been much better to replace the romance with the people of her town, it would have had created a much better environment to work on her issues. In fact, the resolution and progress on her issues ended up being half-hearted, not much was accomplished by the end. On another note, I didn't like that the characters past stories were based in high-school, there was a gap that couldn't be translated to their adulthood life. If they were to switch the past events and have it be based in university for example, I think that would create a better connection, relatability and meaning to their adulthood issues.

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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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Books and emotions

This is a labor of love! I advise to watch it during the winter months. Poor yourself some red wine, warm sake or tea and crawl under a blamket. Don't be surprised if you binge it in a few days.
It's not an easy story but a series of stories about regret, jealousy, loneliness and yes alo love.
Set around a book shop in a small village with a loveble cast of extras. It watches like a Murakami novel. It sort of passes you by and at the end of it you are left alone having had the privilage of being part of their lives for a short while.
Park min Young is cute (as always) but I had the most fun watching Kim Hwan Hee. She plays a bright, funny character.
Watch it on Viki Rakuten.

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A Simple Poem From ☕Where It Is Always Warm

[Spoilers are contained in a separate section at the end]

Though it mainly takes place in winter, WTWIF is like a caressing summer breeze. Be still; let it flow over & around you. It's about loneliness & togetherness, as well as pain & healing. One could say that a theme of the show is to 'Come In From The Cold.' Tied into that is what is required to come in from figurative cold: Expressing our feelings. Family & loved ones should know about us, about me, about you. Those that take their feelings to the grave remain in frigid, gloomy isolation.

The words "warm" & "cold," along w/ their variations, are ubiquitous in this series. The concept of temperature is visually represented over & over again, via the weather, beverage choices, characters, blankets, coats, or shoes. They weren't stingy w/ it.

The director wasn't stingy w/ quality craft or scattered embers radiating like beautiful glowing gems. For example, ep3 lays out an allegory for the show during book club. In 'The Legend Of The Silver Fox's Eyebrow,' the fox lends his eyebrow to a person who cannot find a real human. Looking thru the eyebrow reveals the true nature of a person. There were pigs, weasels, & rats, but no genuine humans were found. Imagine the fear & isolation that must follow such a non-discovery. In ep15, Mok Hae-won (“Hwon” played by Park Min Young from Her Private Life-8) expresses her version of this tale.

WTWIF has a unique vibe, like the feel of an indie film (except for Hui's scenes). The soundtrack is extended silence w/ a drizzle of subdued chords. The cadence is slow for 14 eps, & eps15-16 aren't necessarily fast paced, but they are jammed packed. The series seems to be moving at the pace of Eun-seob (ES - the fabulous Seo Kang Joon from Cheese in the Trap-7.7): Plodding, but steady. Around ep7 we're given reason to wonder what the rest of the show could be? By ep15, what came to mind was: Is it almost over already?!😥 What's even happened since ep7?? Charming small town life has happened, along w/ the subdued every day conflicts that don't seem like high drama but for the one living them out.

Speaking of small town life, Jang-woo (Lee Jae Wook from Search: WWW), is special. He understands himself & what he wants, which keeps him #content. Contentment is the #1 ingredient for happiness. He chose his hometown over the glamor of Seoul, as he understands the value of simplicity. We know he's smart, but he is also the /wisest/ of them all & the #1 pillar in the show.

Another delight is Hui, ES's sister (played by Kim Hwan Hee from The Wailing-8.8) who is full of life & J😁Y. She's simply happiness on a bicycle. Her energy is boundless. Her exuberance cannot be squelched. She also can't be stopped, the targets of her affection are learning. While we can't rely on Hui's logic… {If everyone at school hates me, he should be the one that likes me. Hwon: Is that how it works? Hui: of course it is!}... but, perhaps we could benefit from one of Hui's mantras: "That hurts my pride. It really hurts my pride. It hurts my pride SO MUCH!!" Get it out. Expel it! Then move on.

This series was expertly crafted.

Metaphors abound, like the cabin, which represents a locked away heart. ES goes there to be alone w/ his feelings as he's never expressed them to anyone. There's continuous comparing & contrasting, eg, Hwon and ES are contrasted. They each had a childhood w/ an intact family. They later lost their parents to abandonment, death & prison. The /difference/ is temperature. ES's family IS 🔥warmth. IES is quiet 🔥. Hui is expansive 🔥, Mom is protective 🔥, & Dad is the fuel that keeps everyone going. Hwon's family is cold. Crybaby, the word-smith, encapsulates the situation when he remarks: "This family is not clingy at all." It's a great, understated laugh line in the context. It isn't that they don't love, it's that their emotional capacity runs so deeply that they've been dragged down into solitary depths.

There’s mirroring, especially between Hwon, Mom, & Aunt. Hwon mirrors both of them & they mirror e/o. Metaphors blanket WTWIF. When ES takes Hwon to her childhood home, she acknowledges that she heard it had fallen into ruin - a metaphor for the family. It continues through Mom, who informs that she fixed the house up "well," & sold it "well." That fix-up process has begun for their family too. Images link characters. Hwon is connected to mom & aunt via lollipops & sunglasses. They don the sunglasses to hide hurt. Lollipops are most likely self-comfort - having something sweet when life turns bitter.

Genetics & the concept of family are touched on - mostly implied, but at times overtly. ES's uncle talks about what's in the family blood. He states it can't be denied, & pushes hard for ES to go away w/ him. This sets up the direct comparison of ES's family to Hwon’s family.

Several of the townspeople take delight in belittling ES, b/c they've passed judgment, calling his parents hobos. His adopted mother (Nam Ki Ae from Confession) is having none of that. She protests when they dispatch ES to rescue people lost in the mountain, claiming they care nothing about him or whether he's in danger. Another time, she declares that she's decided to love ES /more/ to avoid any perception of playing favorites. Her motherly love for ES is absolute, & she never hesitates to express it. She's pillar #2.

Hwon is drawn to ES like a weary traveler to a cozy seat by the hot coals. ES is always wrapping a coat, blanket, or his arms around her & she can't get enough of it. After the miserable truth about her family history is exposed to Hwon, she runs away to be alone w/ her thoughts. ES finds her on a bench & wraps his coat around her as the camera pans down to a small heater. He holds her. ♨Warmth. Such comforting warmth🔥. She can't get enough of it. She's been an ice sculpture for so long, that once she experiences his comfort, she (literally) latches on to him. It's quite sweet. If one thinks about it, warmth is simple. Coldness is complicated. “Simplifying” is another theme of the show. Think: Jang-woo.

The Maze Of Sisterfield… The topic of domestic violence is addressed. We witness a woman, days away from death on a hospital bed, who has bruises from a recent beating. In typical fashion, she lies about it. These women exist in a harsh climate that yields no space for compassion or pity; only cold condescension. It's a commentary on the collective, not on the women as individuals.

Severe, or continuous pain can change a person. Like forgetting how a person looked when young, a soul in chronic pain can forget what it's like to be well. After awhile, many that suffer long-standing pain struggle w/ even desiring to be healed: They can no longer visualize it. I've witnessed this. One cannot have a goal that s/he cannot comprehend, perceive, or are too frozen solid to carry out. The ones that love Hwon are unable to communicate it. They genuinely don't think they deserve it. They are icicles lined up next to e/o that never come together. When the weather is fine, they must melt to combine as water; then they can flow together.

Mom was trying to protect everyone, but she ended up isolating them all for a very long time. Her motivation was love, but she failed to express it. Hwon rightly told her: "If we're family, we should share the pain together." Bo-yeong muses that no relationship is flawless, but we can eat on a table that has a crack. Over time, stress cracks are bound to form in relationships (as long as they aren't forming /overtime/!). We hurt, apologize, forgive & move on. That's how we need to live. Everyone needs to find their space in which to thaw & breathe.

Hopefully, Aunt & Crybaby will find their space. How STUBBORN can a person be, especially when it's to h/h detriment? The show tells us that some people never let go of the white-knuckled grip they have on their emotions. Aunt is self censured, w/ ice cold resolve to carry out the sentence she's required of herself: Denied love & marriage, denied medical treatment & pain relief, shaded from the world & most human interactions. She treats Crybaby like she treats herself. If she is going to deny herself & live in misery, then Crybaby will just have to accept it. He is more special to her than she will acknowledge. If she lets him go for good, she'll regret it. Aunt hasn't fully blinded herself yet, thankfully. At the end of the show we see a developing fissure in the tundra via the hint of a smile. Aunt shows additional evidence of defrost when she implores Mom to write a letter to Hwon. Aunt warns that Mom's motivations will remain a secret forever if not explained. Communication must begin. Then healing is sure to follow.

The director, Han Ji Seung of Mistress, dedicates extended screen time to celebrate the arrival of spring. Hwon can tell it's getting warmer, she says, b/c her breath is fogging up only half the distance as before. The rain starts. Thunder rumbles. Vivid green buds cover the trees. Everybody is talking about the beautiful weather. Spring will welcome hope & simple triumphs.

Oh Dear, I've called this series a poem. We learned the difference between poetry & prose from #2🦄. Did I already forget?

Okay, review:

In the simplest terms, prose is everyday writing. It covers all the different types of writing one reads daily, from blogs, to articles, to novels.

Poetry adds artistic style to writing. It's all about vivid imagery & rhythm. It works to make you feel something, or to drive a point home. Poetry writers select their structure, rhyme scheme, pattern, & words w/ the purpose of arousing emotion.

Nope, it's a poem.

Quotes:

Warmth🔥: It's when my cold hand touches your cold hand and we both become warm. It's when loneliness meets loneliness and becomes cozy. It's when sadness meets sadness and becomes happiness. It's when cold breeze meets cold breeze and becomes soft snow. That is Warmth.

Make a choice☑◻: If you cannot just love, you cannot just give your heart, you can just give up on the happiness you would gain from loving.

Happiness and unhappiness are like the sides of a coin. If you don't become happy, there is no reason to become unhappy. If you don't possess you cannot lose, you can just disappear from that certain person's sight forever.


⛔️SPOILER SECTION⛔️

The following contains additional insights that might be considered spoilers.

ES grew up on the mountain. He was young when his parents abandoned him. Mr. Im found him & took him home to Mrs. Im's open arms. His early life experiences had left him emotionally untethered. Once Hwon came into his life he was able to start expressing himself. The townspeople call the "hobo boy" to help find people lost on the mountain, and mom fights it, saying they care nothing about putting him in danger.

ES's uncle talks about what's in the family blood & how it can't be denied. When he pushes hard for Eun-seob to leave w/ him, his biggest mistake was to declare that no one in the family can live w/ anybody else, as ES's birth parents already demonstrated. Uncle doesn't realize that ES has learned something better. Despite his (new) family's fears, there was no way ES was going back.

What's in MHW, Mom, & Aunt's blood? Isolation, shutting down, shutting out others, & retreat are family failings. In a later episode Hwon tells Mom: “You were all taking care of your own pain, so you threw me away.” Those are brutal words for a mother to hear.

There is more mirroring. Hwon is drawn in by ES like a weary traveler to a cozy seat by the embers. Long before she realizes her feelings, she mirrors ES's mother in being protective of him. We particularly see mirroring between Hwon, Mom, & Aunt. Hwon, believing she was rejected, started wearing sunglasses. The scenes play out between Hwon's confession & ES finally grabbing hold of her, and the pain expressed on her face & body are evidence of exceptional acting. When watching, what came to mind was: I've felt the same way she's feeling.

Hwon picked up another bad habit at home. She retreats. Rather than forgive Bo-yeong, who would have stood by her when things got ugly, she weathers the storm alone in quiet agony. Her silent coldness is her covering to conceal the hurt. Stress cracks allow the chill in to arrest her heart. We will see her thaw beautifully in this series. Both of them thaw & heal.

Hwon's mother makes excuses for her abuser. Eventually she just can't anymore. One day, he's threatening her & aunt while standing in front of the car. She just can't stop her foot from pushing down on the accelerator. While many of us wouldn't have hesitated to hit the gas, upon reflection, it's understandable that taking a life would be devastating for a decent person. Even if "Brother-In-law was "deserving of it," even if it's in self-defense, Mom & Aunt's reactions aren't too extreme. This was a man capable of love & generosity. He was a wonderful father to Hwon. The gravity of the situation is crushing them.

Once the truth of what happened to her father is exposed, Hwon's frozen core was hit by a sledgehammer & shattered. At the height of her pain, Hwon tells ES, in a Silver Fox paraphrase: "I'm so scared. I don't know what people are really like. I keep getting fooled. I can't believe anything of what they say or the things I had believed in." She talks about the hurt of not being told by her family about anything that's going on. In talking-the-cold-logic of right & wrong, she asks ES if that's right. ES's response is warm emotion. He says: "...(your mom) probably lived all those years carrying the burden in your stead." Mom was trying to protect everyone, but only ended up isolating everyone. Her motivation was love, but she failed to express it. Hwon rightly tells her: "If we're family, we should share the pain together."

Just like when she believed she was rejected by ES, the truth is that Hwon is loved more than she's ever imagined: It's just been hidden from her. How /can/ anybody know they are loved if they aren't told in word or deed? The ones that love MHW are unable to communicate it. We hurt e/o, but wise people apologize, forgive & move on. Everyone needs to find their space in which to live, breathe, and thrive.

Spring winds that had carried Hwon to Seoul later deliver her back to Walnut House. She's ready to plant roots & bloom. While she hated teaching music to children at the beginning of WTWIF, she's now content w/ it. Simplifying her life has allowed her to be at peace & to latch on to ES for all seasons to come.

Originally 〰️🖊 9/2021

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My Winter Comfort Watch

I have developed a keen sense for when a drama really is a breath of fresh air, icy cool fresh air in this case. Within the first few minutes of this show, I automatically knew I was going to love it. The whole show felt like cashmere sweaters, old books, chai lattes, and a fireplace filled with peace. I wondered at first what was it about this drama that made me feel this calmness? I shortly found out that it was because of the sound, the silence. They did a really good job of not oversaturating every scene with some repetitive ballad of romance. It was simple and sweet, the natural ambiance of that town. This is such a rare find in dramas for it to be so fuzzy and the couple together they really have great chemistry. For me personally, this drama is very underrated and it is my favorite. I know I can just sit and not worry about there being some crazy car crash or unbelievable situation. The story is too good for that and it really is well written when it comes to relationships and friendships; if anything I feel the friendship plays a bigger role in the title. I definitely recommend this show for when you feel emotionally exhausted from real life, this one will put you at ease. This drama is engraved in my calendar as my yearly winter comfort watch. Can I also get a pair of the cool aunts' sunglasses?

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Watch if you need a break from the typical kdrama formula

I have seen this drama described as a "healing drama." I agree with this in multiple ways. Not only is this drama about healing from past traumas, but it's what I would describe as a "palette cleanser" which I would consider another form of healing. After watching several dramas with crazy plots and twists that causes some anxiety or an entire box of tissues to be gone through, this drama was a nice slice-of-life slow-burn drama. It has its dramatic and rather sad moments but nothing completely utter tragic to the point it's unbelievable. Probably the most realistic kdrama I have seen. Another added bonus, no real second leads so it's not your typical romance drama either. I loved it so much. I would have given it a 10/10 but honestly the end was sort of confusing to me.

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