Sporadic Reviews
First and foremost, let me just get this out off the way; I am a sucker for romance and I have seen Something in the Rain (multiple times). This will be a lot to read, so kudos to those who get through it.
Many of you will know that SitR ties closely with One Spring Night, whether it be the casting, music or directing styles. This doesn't mean that OSN is simply a carbon copy. No, it's much more than that. This show is a picturesque amalgamation of modern romance, societal pressures and conservative values without the unnecessary plot devices employed by other Korean dramas. But that's just Ahn Pan-seok's (director) style, and it's why I am a huge fan.
Lets go through this methodically so I don't lose track of my objective here. OSN is a story of two people with their own complicated situations, falling madly in love despite the inevitable backlash that will result from the stigma imposed by their cultural values. This is also something that should be kept in mind. This is a story based within Korean culture and society so there may be huge differences in values to what you are used to. Nonetheless, there may be decisions and moments where the character's rationale is incomprehensible. I understand that, but try not to let it detract from your experience. All that aside, this is a drama that provides an important social commentary on modern day Korea's outdated values, something that Ahn Pan-seok (director) and Kim Eun (writer) have successfully conveyed in their earlier work, SitR. Akin to SitR, OSN provides a realistic take on the romance in question. While it is a gradual progression burdened by eventual complications, it is an authentic romance between two people that can't help but tug at your heartstrings and make you feel all giddy inside. There are one or two unresolved story points, but I feel that is largely appropriate and shouldn't be taken as a gripe. This is a realistic story and not everything can be resolved at once. The essence is that things have fallen in place and the rest will be resolved in due course.
Acting/Cast? Perfect. Jung Hae-In and Han Ji Min were both superb in their roles as the couple deeply in love despite their 'flaws'. Their chemistry was electrifying, similar to Jung Hae-In's performance with Son Ye-Jin in SitR. I truly do not believe that anyone else could pull of Han Ji Min's role as well as she could. That's not to say that the side characters weren't also quintessential to the story. Unlike many of the other dramas, the side characters in OSN are seamlessly natural in their performance and appropriately impactful on the main characters. They aren't caricatures or plot devices used to fuel the story, but rather, they have their own lives and accompanying struggles. Side note, it's a bit jarring seeing Kil Hae Yeon as an endearing and accepting mother in OSN, given that her character in SitR is quite the antithesis (and one of my most hated characters).
I feel like it's also appropriate now to talk about directing styles. As you can probably tell, I revere Ahn Pan-seok's modern-romance directing style. He has a way with capturing a scene that encompasses all the quiet nuances and raw emotional value in a colourful, minimalist fashion without any unnecessary distractions. These scenes convey a beautiful and somber melody that truly captivate viewers like myself. It's a style hard to perfect, and something that a lot of directors and producers should aim to achieve nowadays especially when grappling with romance.
The music in OSN was also flawless and appropriate to the story. It boasts the ensemble of Rachael Yamagata, who produced many of the OSTs in SitR, as well as a song from Oscar Dunbar and Carla Bruni. These songs aren't just great for their addictive repetitions on your phone, but they seamlessly blend into the settings of OSN. One song in particular, Spring Waltz by Carla Bruni. My lord, that song was perfect for OSN and an absolute delight to listen to. Even if you don't watch this drama, which I highly doubt by now given how much you must've read of this review by now, you should google that song and play it on repeat. These songs are limited, just like in SitR, but it shouldn't really be an issue.
Rewatch value is ambiguous. Personally, I'll be going through this again very soon (maybe in 2 or so days), but for others, it depends on your enjoyment for romance. I highly believe that this is a drama worth at least one rewatch. For the sceptics, give it a couple of weeks after you've finished the last episode to play it all again. I do concede, however, that I have seen SitR about 4 times by now, so there may be some slight bias but I know OSN will give it a run for its money.
Overall, OSN has ranked definitively in my favourite Korean dramas of all time. It's needless to say at this point in the review, but the casting choices, music and directing styles were all impeccable. OSN showcases a captivating love from one to another with endearing characters from varying social backgrounds. It's truly a romance that will keep you engaged in the show from all their ups and down. I will definitely miss seeing this on my 'Continue watching' list on Netflix, but all good things must come to an end. There is this faith between the main characters that persists throughout the show, and it's a faith I have for the romantic dramas to come from director Ahn Pan-seok and writer Kim Eun.
Many of you will know that SitR ties closely with One Spring Night, whether it be the casting, music or directing styles. This doesn't mean that OSN is simply a carbon copy. No, it's much more than that. This show is a picturesque amalgamation of modern romance, societal pressures and conservative values without the unnecessary plot devices employed by other Korean dramas. But that's just Ahn Pan-seok's (director) style, and it's why I am a huge fan.
Lets go through this methodically so I don't lose track of my objective here. OSN is a story of two people with their own complicated situations, falling madly in love despite the inevitable backlash that will result from the stigma imposed by their cultural values. This is also something that should be kept in mind. This is a story based within Korean culture and society so there may be huge differences in values to what you are used to. Nonetheless, there may be decisions and moments where the character's rationale is incomprehensible. I understand that, but try not to let it detract from your experience. All that aside, this is a drama that provides an important social commentary on modern day Korea's outdated values, something that Ahn Pan-seok (director) and Kim Eun (writer) have successfully conveyed in their earlier work, SitR. Akin to SitR, OSN provides a realistic take on the romance in question. While it is a gradual progression burdened by eventual complications, it is an authentic romance between two people that can't help but tug at your heartstrings and make you feel all giddy inside. There are one or two unresolved story points, but I feel that is largely appropriate and shouldn't be taken as a gripe. This is a realistic story and not everything can be resolved at once. The essence is that things have fallen in place and the rest will be resolved in due course.
Acting/Cast? Perfect. Jung Hae-In and Han Ji Min were both superb in their roles as the couple deeply in love despite their 'flaws'. Their chemistry was electrifying, similar to Jung Hae-In's performance with Son Ye-Jin in SitR. I truly do not believe that anyone else could pull of Han Ji Min's role as well as she could. That's not to say that the side characters weren't also quintessential to the story. Unlike many of the other dramas, the side characters in OSN are seamlessly natural in their performance and appropriately impactful on the main characters. They aren't caricatures or plot devices used to fuel the story, but rather, they have their own lives and accompanying struggles. Side note, it's a bit jarring seeing Kil Hae Yeon as an endearing and accepting mother in OSN, given that her character in SitR is quite the antithesis (and one of my most hated characters).
I feel like it's also appropriate now to talk about directing styles. As you can probably tell, I revere Ahn Pan-seok's modern-romance directing style. He has a way with capturing a scene that encompasses all the quiet nuances and raw emotional value in a colourful, minimalist fashion without any unnecessary distractions. These scenes convey a beautiful and somber melody that truly captivate viewers like myself. It's a style hard to perfect, and something that a lot of directors and producers should aim to achieve nowadays especially when grappling with romance.
The music in OSN was also flawless and appropriate to the story. It boasts the ensemble of Rachael Yamagata, who produced many of the OSTs in SitR, as well as a song from Oscar Dunbar and Carla Bruni. These songs aren't just great for their addictive repetitions on your phone, but they seamlessly blend into the settings of OSN. One song in particular, Spring Waltz by Carla Bruni. My lord, that song was perfect for OSN and an absolute delight to listen to. Even if you don't watch this drama, which I highly doubt by now given how much you must've read of this review by now, you should google that song and play it on repeat. These songs are limited, just like in SitR, but it shouldn't really be an issue.
Rewatch value is ambiguous. Personally, I'll be going through this again very soon (maybe in 2 or so days), but for others, it depends on your enjoyment for romance. I highly believe that this is a drama worth at least one rewatch. For the sceptics, give it a couple of weeks after you've finished the last episode to play it all again. I do concede, however, that I have seen SitR about 4 times by now, so there may be some slight bias but I know OSN will give it a run for its money.
Overall, OSN has ranked definitively in my favourite Korean dramas of all time. It's needless to say at this point in the review, but the casting choices, music and directing styles were all impeccable. OSN showcases a captivating love from one to another with endearing characters from varying social backgrounds. It's truly a romance that will keep you engaged in the show from all their ups and down. I will definitely miss seeing this on my 'Continue watching' list on Netflix, but all good things must come to an end. There is this faith between the main characters that persists throughout the show, and it's a faith I have for the romantic dramas to come from director Ahn Pan-seok and writer Kim Eun.
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