Justbetween lovers is the type of drama that you should never suggest to someone that you love dearly. Unless if you love seeing the people that you love breaking down because of the many scenes of tragic drama land. They'll cry. They'll contemplate their life choices. They will perish. Slightly dramatic, but Just between lovers is a tragic drama. JustBetween Lovers begins its emotional picture through empathetic characters saddled with a traumatic experience.. JTBC's answer to the crime drama trend is a resonating drama which draws in Reviews& Comments Synopsis A building collapse ties the fates of three young people years later. Ten years ago, the S Mall collapsed due to shoddy construction, killing 48 people inside. Ha Moon Soo (Won Jin Ah) was there with her younger sister, who perished in the accident. Reviewby William Schwartz "Just Between Lovers" is directed by Kim Jin-won-I, written by Yoo Bo-ra, and features Lee Junho, Won Jin-ah, Lee Ki-woo, and Kang Han-na. Watch on Viki. Note : due to licensing, videos may not be available in your country Airingdates: 2017/12/11~2018/01/30. Link. 16 episodes - Mon, Tues 23:00. Also known as "Rain or Shine" and "Just Lovers". Synopsis. "Just Between Lovers" is about the people who are great because they suffer fantastically through life. They live lives that full of obstacles and still deliver a message of hope and love. Vay Tiền TráșŁ GĂłp 24 ThĂĄng. ï»żQuando minha filha me apresentou ao mundo dos doramas, fiquei completamente apaixonada. Assisto muitos desde entĂŁo, e mesmo os que eu nĂŁo gosto, acabo vendo atĂ© o final
. Ă© realmente um vĂ­cio. Desde que fui convidada para escrever um review, venho travando uma batalha pessoal sobre qual drama escrever. Pensei em escrever sobre vĂĄrios, e atĂ© cheguei a desistir, mas essa semana, quando terminei de assistir “Just Between Lovers” ou Rain or Shine, dirigido por Kim Jin Won The Package e Wonderful Days, decidi, na hora, escrever sobre ele, pois realmente mexeu com meus sentimentos de uma forma bem profunda. A histĂłria começa com o desabamento de um shopping, causando uma grande tragĂ©dia e consequentemente, matando vĂĄrias pessoas. Dez anos depois, trĂȘs jovens que foram vĂ­timas do acidente acabam se encontrando casualmente e se envolvem em um projeto de reestruturação na ĂĄrea do desabamento. Os trĂȘs sĂŁo sobreviventes que tambĂ©m perderam pessoas queridas e vivem, cada um da sua forma, tentando superar seus traumas, culpas e frustraçÔes, muitas vezes, ultrapassando o limite do aceitĂĄvel para a vida. AlĂ©m de toda a questĂŁo do acidente, temos tambĂ©m o romance muito fofo sempre que envolve os dois personagens principais Lee Joonho Junho do 2pm – LINDO – atuando perfeitamente no papel de Lee Gang Doo, que Ă© o contrĂĄrio do esteriĂłtipo daquele cara perfeito que costumamos ver nos doramas. Um cara pobre, com jeitĂŁo de “bad-boy”, bronco, cheio de traumas e problemas, o que o torna totalmente “real”, e a Won Jina – que tambĂ©m foi perfeita como Ha Moon Soo, uma mulher esforçada e com sĂ©rios problemas familiares que tenta superar suas culpas. Eles vĂŁo se identificando com as dores e perdas do passado e, aos poucos, se descobrem apaixonados. Nada Ă© fĂĄcil para esses dois, mas eles conseguem, atravĂ©s da dor, encontrar o amor, e eu achei isso sensacional. A quĂ­mica entre o casal foi bem legal, pois prevaleceu o carinho, o companheirismo mĂștuo e o amor construĂ­do. O dorama tem todo um aspecto de histĂłria real, com uma fotografia linda, em locais simples do dia-a-dia de cada um. O diretor teve todo cuidado de fazer uma histĂłria interessante, aprofundando tambĂ©m na histĂłria de cada personagem, atĂ© mesmo os coadjuvantes. Todos tiveram o “seu lugar ao sol”, todos brilharam de alguma forma, o que faz com que a histĂłria seja ainda mais interessante. No entanto, em minha opiniĂŁo, alguns se destacaram mais, como o ator Kim Ganghyun, que interpretou Sang Man, o amigo inseparĂĄvel de Gang Doo. Eu jĂĄ tinha visto alguns trabalhos com o ator, mas esse em especial, me impressionou de uma forma muito positiva. É um melodrama, sim, Ă© uma histĂłria triste, mas tĂŁo linda e tĂŁo cheia de ensinamentos, representatividade e de superação que Ă© impossĂ­vel nĂŁo se envolver e se apaixonar. Chorei, me emocionei, fiquei triste e feliz
 muitos sentimentos conflitantes, mas que valeram cada minuto. Super recomendo e jĂĄ virou um dos meus queridinhos ???? Espero que tenham gostado do review, e comentem a opiniĂŁo de vocĂȘs tambĂ©m! AtĂ© a prĂłxima! ✹ Texto Alessandra Borges RevisĂŁo Hope I watched two K-dramas in the span of two weeks honestly less and I can safely say that I need to stop watching tragic dramas. For my health. I just wanted to talk about the difference between these dramas that were similar in genre but different in the way that they left me feeling. Just between lovers is the type of drama that you should never suggest to someone that you love dearly. Unless if you love seeing the people that you love breaking down because of the many scenes of tragic drama land. They’ll cry. They’ll contemplate their life choices. They will perish. Slightly dramatic, but Just between lovers is a tragic drama. Rated 9 out of 10 for tragedy and 3 for its comedy scenes. As you can see, this drama is very intense. There are times when it gets cute and you want to cry, for once, because you are happy, but then there are those times where you can feel your heart slowly ascending into deep fiery pits never to be seen again. You cry, more than necessary for a K-drama. The actors were so good that in every scene that they were happy or sad their emotions would be easily portrayed. You could feel every smile, every tear and all heart stopping moments. This was one of the best dramas that I have ever watched. The whole plotline evolved around a building that collapsed 13 years ago. They tell us about how the survivors are doing and how the victim’s families are holding on. They also tell us the story about the company that was responsible for the main collapse and how they are a decade later. They all have their own scars for having lost a loved one and having experienced something as terrible as the darkness of a fallen building. They were in there for days, others even losing hope, others dying. But mostly, they all had regrets about that day and wished that they would change the outcome. This drama just showed me how different people react to traumatic situations than others. It showed me that it is never empathy unless if the person has actually experience the situation themselves. I realised that others will easily hide their scars, while others will get to a point where they can no longer bear the burden of remembering. Just thinking about it now I can feel my heart constricting as I remember all of the feelings I went through during the whole drama. I was sad. I was happy. But mostly, it was an eye-opening experience. That was deep for a K-drama review. Stay tuned for two more blog posts that will be a continuation to this one. The first one a review for another tragic drama and the other will be comparing the two. Leave comments below about what you thought about Just between lovers if you watched it. If you haven’t please do. It is an experience that will be hard to duplicate from any other drama. Post navigation Before I started this show, I had the impression that viewers basically fell into one of two camps with this one they either really really love it, or really hate it. Well, guess what, you guys.. I fall kinda in-between. What can I say, maybe I’m a little bit special? Or maybe I’m weird; take your pick, heh. Essentially, watching this one felt to me like I was eating my spinach – at a time when I was learning to like it, but wasn’t quite there yet. Like, I’d have to tell myself to eat it, coz it had good vitamins and minerals. Kinda the same thing with this show. I often had to decide to start on an episode, because I found that this show often wasn’t easy to watch. But I also knew this one had good things going for it, and that’s why I kept going. WHAT MADE THIS HARD TO WATCH The thing that made me cringe and avert my eyes the most during my watch, was Show’s regular flashbacks to our story’s Big Event, the S Mall building collapse, in all of its excruciating detail. From start to finish, we get shown scenes of the accident on an uncomfortably regular basis. Different angles; different perspectives; new fragments of information; new memories rising to the surface; there always seemed to be a reason Show wanted or needed to take us to that dark place again. Show doesn’t flinch at all, from showing us all the blood, broken bones, missing limbs, pierced flesh, and contorted faces, but I flinched, and quite often. Eep. WHY I KEPT WATCHING Importantly, it didn’t feel like Show was serving up all the pain in a gratuitous manner; it felt like Show had a point. And because I felt that Show had a point, I stuck out all the painful flashbacks, even though I am mostly a wuss, I think. The context of our story is that our main characters Gang Doo Lee Joon Ho and Moon Soo Won Jin Ah are both survivors of the building collapse. They – and the people around them – continue to suffer daily, years later, because of the incident. Show effectively makes the point that even though the rest of the world has moved on, for these characters, the accident is not something in their past, but something that is affecting them very much in the present as well. Watching each flashback to the various scenes surrounding the accident made me feel like I was experiencing the trauma that still resonated with our characters, alongside them. Like I mentioned earlier, I found myself looking away from my screen, and flinching, and I could only imagine how our characters were trying hard to look away from their own lingering nightmares too – but couldn’t ever seem to get away. There is a lot of pain in our characters, both emotional and physical. Guilt; loneliness; rejection; brokenness; these are things that our characters wrestle with constantly. As Show points out in episode 15 with reference to a broken boiler, you need to rip it all out if you want to fix it. You can’t just put a temporary fix on it, because it’s just going to burst again. It’s the same thing with all of the trauma-related pain that our characters have. They need to dig in and rip it all out, and figure out a way to fix it, because putting on a bandaid isn’t going to fix anything, and they’d just be forever broken. Yes, our characters go through a lot of pain and suffering, and sometimes it feels like a neverending stream of difficulty and struggle. But, there is a poetry to the choice that they learn to make, to be happy where they can, when they can, while they can, even when an unknown darkness looms ahead. This central theme, of broken people searching for meaning amid the pain, not sure if they dare to hope for a measure of healing in their future, moved me. And that’s why I kept on watching. STUFF I LIKED Generally speaking, Show’s got a quiet, introspective feel to it, which I find appealing. On top of that, the music in this show generally has an ethereal sort of vibe to it, which adds a nice touch to our otherwise very down-to-earth drama world. Yes, I sometimes couldn’t make sense of the English lyrics, but I quickly learned to look beyond the lyrics, to appreciate the lilting, delicate vibe that the music added to my watch experience. The relationships take centerstage in our narrative, and here’s the quickish spotlight on the ones that I found most engaging and affecting. 1. Gang Doo & Moon Soo The characters Pretty much straightaway, I found our lead pair of characters interesting. Right away in episode 1, we learn that both Gang Doo and Moon Soo are in pain, and they’re both trying to deal with it, and live with it, in whichever way they know how. Moon Soo tries her best to forget, and to be the strength that her mother Yoon Yoo Sun doesn’t have, while doing what she can, in her line of work, to prevent similar disasters from happening. Kang Doo can’t forget, and looks like he’s ready to destroy himself, while doing what he can to help his sister Jae Young Kim Hye Joon live a normal life. By episode 3, we’ve learned that Moon Soo is independent and smart, and she works hard to be strong, but underneath it all, there is vulnerability and fear, which she keeps bottled away. We also learn that while Gang Doo appears reckless and suspicious of just about anyone, underneath all the ruff n scruff, he cares deeply for people. [SPOILER ALERT] Like the way he bashes into Gran’s Na Moon Hee house to make sure she’s ok, and then promptly lies down to sleep beside her. And the way he steps in to help Moon Soo and Wan Jin Park Hee Bon with the taxi. And most of all, the way he extends himself, to help Moon Soo when she falls into the water. Not only does he help her to get out, he loans her a hoodie to wear, and even berates her colleague So Mi Park Gyu Young for leaving her alone despite knowing the area is a restricted one. And then there’s how he buys those donut twists for Sang Man Kim Kang Hyun and is good to him. [END SPOILER] On the surface, Moon Soo and Gang Doo are so different, and they both deal with their pain in completely opposite ways. But beneath the surface, they are more alike that one might initially think. I enjoyed getting to know this pair of characters better and better, over the course of our story, and I liked that Show takes its time to unveil those various layers to them. The actors I liked Won Jin Ah, right away, as Moon Soo. I found her delivery natural, and I thought her screen presence was solid. I enjoyed her restrained delivery of Moon Soo’s pain and vulnerability, which felt faceted and believable, in her hands. For the record, this was my introduction to Lee Joon Ho, and I thought he did well in the role; he doesn’t strike me as an idol actor at all. I think it probably helps that I had no prior idol image to overcome in my head, about him. Although I came across some comments that said Joon Ho’s performance was too green, I personally found him very solid in the role. I asked myself if Gang Doo would have been a more nuanced and layered character in a more experienced and skilled actor’s hands, and the answer is yes. However, I can also believe that this is Gang Doo; a guy who’s kinda dead on the inside, and that’s why his gaze is lifeless and barren. Whatever touches of stiffness there were to Gang Doo, I felt that they could be attributed to the character’s tendency to clam up and bottle things up, rather than to an actor limitation. The bottom line is, Gang Doo didn’t feel flat to me. I could believe he was a real person, and that was the most important thing. What binds Gang Doo & Moon Soo together This OTP loveline felt different to most other OTP lovelines in dramaland, to me. Rather than heart-fluttery cuteness, this OTP loveline was built with a very different foundation. It’s poignant yet heartwarming – comforting, even – to see Moon Soo and Gang Doo being drawn to each other’s pain. They each see the pain in the other, and they recognize it, because they are in the same pain. She sees his pain, and he sees hers, and they start to watch over each other, in their own little ways. [SPOILER ALERT] Like the way she runs out into the rain in episode 4, because she remembered that he’d be alone at the construction site that night. She instinctively knows that this is a dangerous zone for him because of the trauma of the accident, and wants to make sure he’s ok. [END SPOILER] I found it quite lovely to watch Moon Soo and Gang Doo becoming friends, and bringing comfort to each other. The way Gang Doo and Moon Soo acknowledge the scariness and difficulties of the other struggling alone, is, I think, the key to what draws them together. [SPOILER ALERT] In episode 6, Moon Soo goes out of her way to apologize to Gang Doo, that she let him see the grandma’s dead body alone, and she acknowledges how scary that must’ve been. Gang Doo, moved by her gesture, grabs her hand and makes sure she gets on the bus. And then, he texts her to acknowledge that she worked hard too, by herself, that day. When Moon Soo texts to say that in the future, they should do everything together because they are on the same team, it feels like such a significant moment for both of them; not in a romantic way, but in a more fundamental humanistic demonstration of solidarity. I am here with you; you are not alone. It feels like this sentiment means the world to both of them. In terms of significant couple moments, one that stands out to me is the moment they share on the bus, in episode 7. It feels like this moment is the closest one they’ve shared, even though just the night before, Moon Soo had drunk-kissed him. This morning, though, she tells him about losing her sister in the collapse, and he tells her about losing his dad. It’s matter-of-fact and nothing dramatic, but these are things that they’ve never talked about with other people, and they are volunteering that information to each other, simply and plainly, and that feels truly momentous. [END SPOILER] 2. Gang Doo & Gran I loved Gang Doo’s deep bond with Gran. On the surface, they are all gruff and tough with each other, often grumping at each other with raised voices, but it’s crystal clear that they mean the world to each other. [SPOILER ALERT] I love what an unlikely odd couple they are. The fact that they met as debtor and debtee, and then formed such a familial sort of connection, is endearingly bizarre. The way they look after each other is also endearingly bizarre. A great example is how Gran gives Gang Doo scary strong drugs to help with the pain that he suffers, but only gives him what she thinks his body can handle, and continually nags him not to rely on the pills. Beneath the odd, somewhat dysfunctional surface, though, runs a deep care and affection. When Gran closes shop and stays in bed, Gang Doo practically bangs the door down, out of worry. And when Gran knows that she has limited time to live, she nags at Gang Doo about his health, and does everything she can, to make sure he will be ok. From leaving him land, to giving him instructions to sell the land and clear his debt, to reminding him to clean the shop every few days because it will clear his mind, she does everything in her power, to ensure his physical and mental well-being. I loved these two together, and it broke my heart that their time together had to come to an end. A Joon Ho sidenote There’s a scene in episode 10 which struck me as difficult, and where I thought Joon Ho did very well. Gran’s in hospital, sitting up and smiling, surrounded by warmth and care; Gang Doo looks on, smiling, but has to surreptitiously wipe tears away as they leak from his eyes; first the right, then the left. That’s hard to do, and he did it well. That scene convinced me that Joon Ho’s not unskilled at the acting. [END SPOILER] 3. Gang Doo & Sang Man Guh. I adored Gang Doo and Sang Man together. Gang Doo is unfailingly kind to Sang Man, who has some degree of intellectual disability. And Sang Man unwaveringly lavishes devotion, admiration, and loyalty on Gang Doo, all the time. Whatever state Gang Doo is in, whatever mood Gang Doo is in, Sang Man trails after him, and takes care of him, and looks up to him, and I love it. [SPOILER ALERT] It was very cute to see them trying on suits together in episode 12. The loan sharks completely change the way they treat Gang Doo when they realize he has money, but Sang Man doesn’t care a whit. Wearing the same innocently angelic expression as ever, he merely chirps at Gang Doo, “Hyung. I’m hungry. What are we going to eat?” Cuteness! Also, the fact that this indifference is because Sang Man already thinks the world of Gang Doo, just makes it even better. <3 [END SPOILER] Special shout-out Gang Doo & Yoo Jin I really enjoyed the muted connection that grows between Gang Doo and Yoo Jin Kang Han Na. [SPOILER ALERT] They don’t necessarily like each other, but they understand each other because they find themselves in similar situations. I was amused that Gang Doo would dispense love advice to a very princessy Yoo Jin as early as episode 4, and I was even more amused that she listened, in spite of herself. Over the course of our show, these two seek each other out when they need to, and I liked watching their relationship evolve. From being rather wary of each other, these two come to trust each other, and I liked that a lot. I loved that they can say things to each other in such a matter-of-fact manner, and advise each other in sensitive matters of the heart, without actually being close. [END SPOILER] STUFF I LIKED LESS The pining second leads Because Gang Doo and Moon Soo are the main focus of our story, the love triangle between Joo Won Lee Ki Woo, Yoo Jin and Moon Soo often felt redundant, to me. And, I also found this love triangle rather unconvincing, to be honest. For one thing, it seemed a little odd to me, that Joo Won would be paying so much attention to Moon Soo, since he’s a CEO and she’s his part-time employee, and they’d just met. For another thing, I found it hard to believe that Joo Won and Yoo Jin had ever been in love. Not only is there no chemistry between Lee Ki Woo and Kang Han Na, the two characters are so different in worldview and sensibility, that I found it hard to imagine them being drawn to each other. Because of these things, I found that I felt distinctly less interested, whenever the focus shifted to the love triangle. However, what I did find quite interesting, is the way my perception of these two characters evolved over the course of the show. I started out liking Joo Won and disliking Yoo Jin, but by the time I reached Show’s later episodes, that had flipped around quite thoroughly, and I found myself liking Yoo Jin a lot more, while not liking Joo Won very much. Interesting move, Show. [SPOILER ALERT] In the beginning fo the show, I found the sadness in Joo Won’s eyes appealing, and he seemed like a good guy just trying to do things right. I also liked that he was so appreciative of Moon Soo’s work and her observations. He struck me as someone who was down-to-earth and who didn’t care about rank and titles; he just cared about the work being done responsibly and well, and I thought that was cool. On the other hand, Yoo Jin came across as manipulative and sly. A great example is the way she made sure that Moon Soo saw Joo Won get in her car in episode 3, and the way she artfully positioned herself as thoroughly superior thereafter, after she realized that Joo Won was nice to Moon Soo. My first impressions shifted a whole lot over the course of my watch, and that began in episode 6, when Joo Won started displaying pretty possessive behavior with regard to Moon Soo. There’s nothing official between them; he simply likes her, and yet, he’d call Gang Doo to check if Gang Doo is with Moon Soo. That certainly didn’t bode well. By Show’s later episodes, Joo Won looked a lot less honorable to me, as a character. In episode 14, he gets all shifty-eyed and avoids the issue when Gang Doo tells him about the on-site discovery of remains. Plus, he decides to sleep with Yoo Jin, even though he has no more feelings for her, and he knows that she’s just clinging to him in a moment of desperate loneliness. He lost pretty much all of his brownie points with me, with those 2 things alone. Interestingly, Yoo Jin evolves into one of the most reasonable and neutral parties in the corporate tussle, and I found myself growing to respect her work ethic and her ability to look at things in an objective manner. Also a big plus, is the way she stops clinging onto the hope of rekindling her romantic relationship with Joo Won. That definitely made her appear as more of a dignified, strong character, and I liked that. I guess one should never judge a character too soon, eh? [END SPOILER] All the architecture/corporate politics stuff I know that this is part of the premise of the show, and therefore counts as valid context, but I was truly bored every time Show shifted its focus to all the architecture / corporate politics stuff. I mentally filed this as a necessary evil, and soldiered on through it all, but I do wonder if there was a better, more engaging way to go about this. Wan Jin’s loveline The loveline between Wan Jin Park Hee Bon and Jin Young Kim Min Kyu is something that I felt ambivalent towards, from beginning to end. [SPOILER ALERT] In the first place, the set-up of this arc is pretty strange, with Jin Young being an online hater who then shoves himself into Wan Jin’s living space to help her. Who does that? [END SPOILER] This arc and its set-up just didn’t feel real or organic to me; it felt like it shouldn’t belong in Moon Soo and Gang Doo’s world, which felt so much more raw and broken, in comparison. I mean, I liked the idea of Wan Jin finding love, but the execution just didn’t ring true, for me. Not only did the introduction of the assistant feel random and odd, the growing affection between them didn’t get enough screen time to feel real to me either. So I didn’t hate this loveline, but I didn’t really buy it either. THOUGHTS ON THE ENDING [SPOILERS] We ultimately get a happy, hopeful ending yay, and, phew, but this last hour is, for the most part, still not an easy watch. We spend a big chunk of the episode with Gang Doo perilously ill, where he wasn’t far from collapsing on his feet, and going into a coma, right then and there. As I progressed through the episode, and as the minutes ticked by with no viable solution for Gang Doo in sight, I honestly wondered how Show was going to resolve this. Even in the thick of that uncertainty, though, I appreciated the large amounts of love poured out on my screen. Jae Young’s disappointment at not being a suitable donor for Gang Doo, and her subsequent desperation to find him one; Moon Soo wanting to marry Gang Doo immediately, so that she might be considered a potential donor; Ma Ri Noona Yoon Se Ah going to the hospital to demand that she be tested as a potential donor for Gang Doo. And the one that tugged at my heartstrings most of all, Sang Man insisting that he be allowed to be Gang Doo’s donor, because he literally can’t live without his Hyung – and Mom Park Myung Shin throwing a fit because she couldn’t bear the thought of her son being cut open.. and then giving in anyway. I just love that moment when Mom tells Gang Doo that he better live a long time and fulfill his filial duties, since he’s now her new son. On top of all this, I also could help but be moved by how intensely Moon Soo and Gang Doo work, to savor their every moment, even while Gang Doo’s future was completely murky. That idea – of living each moment to the fullest, of relishing forever, even if forever only lasts for a day – is a haunting, soul-stirring one. Even when they didn’t know if they would have a tomorrow together, they loved each other to the maximum, today. What an overwhelming, compelling, moving notion. Watching them together, my heart felt full and broken, all at the same time. Even though it can be argued that the way Show saved Gang Doo’s life was more an example of deux ex machina than clever writing, I appreciated the idea that writer-nim presented; that we should dare to hope, even in the darkest and bleakest of times. In the end, we leave our characters in various stages of closure and happiness, which makes me happy, because much of this show was hard on the nerves. Moon Soo’s parents finally divorce and begin new lives; Dad Ahn Nae Sang becomes a bus driver, while Mom gets help for her alcoholism. Moon Soo rebuilds the bathhouse as she had always envisioned, and Gang Doo returns to work and begins to study Architecture. Ma Ri Noona gets hints of a happy ending, when a divorced Yoo Taek Tae In Ho looks her up. Without the burden of his position, he even looks like he might be an alright kinda guy. Gang Doo and Sang Man still live together, except now Gang Doo cedes everything to Sang Man, ha. Gang Doo and Jae Young keep Gran’s clinic running with the money she left behind, which is possibly the most meaningful thing, ever. And Gang Doo and Moon Soo finally get to live happily ever after, with a fresh beginning and a new future, theirs for the taking. THE FINAL VERDICT A story of pain, hope, and healing. Not an easy watch, but a worthwhile one. FINAL GRADE B+ TRAILER MV Rain or Shine—also known as Just Between Lovers—was a random watch for me. I was browsing titles on Netflix and was intrigued by its poster as it looked grim next to all the cute posters. Right after reading the two-line synopsis, I started watching it. I ended up watching the entire Korean drama in one day. Whenever I had a free minute, I watched this. Table of Contentswhat is Rain or Shine about?my thoughts on the Rain or Shinethe plotthe charactersthe relationshipsthe romancethe love trianglethe main charactersHa Moon-sooLee Gang-dooSeo Joo-wonJung Yoo-jindiscussions INCLUDES SPOILERSoverall what is Rain or Shine about? The drama mainly follows two characters who are survivors of the same building collapse. The Space S mall collapsed 10 years back, killing 48 people who were inside, and injuring several others. Lee Gang-doo lost his father and suffered a serious leg injury that crushed his dreams of becoming a football player. 10 years after the collapse, he is still not coping well. When he hears of a new construction project in the area of the collapse, he nabs a night guard job there out of curiosity. Ha Moon-soo lost her younger sister in the collapse and lost her memories of the tragedy. She has terrible survivor's guilt and tries to take care of her mother, who is still deep in grief, as much as possible. She ends up getting a full-time position in the new construction project as a model maker for the architects. Gang-doo and Moon-soo cross paths often and slowly begin to fall in love. They work together to ensure that the project is done well and also help each other move on. The drama has two other main characters as well. Seo Joo-won, the lead architect of the new project and son of the architect of Space S mall, wants to do better than his father and hires Moon-soo after seeing her accurate insights on blueprint design mistakes. He starts liking her which forms a love triangle in the drama. In order to have someone on his side to help him do this project properly, Joo-won asks Jung Yoo-jin to jump onto the project. Yoo-jin is a tenacious and clever leader in the construction firm. She is also his ex and is still in love with him. Rain or Shine is a raw and haunting portrayal of grief and survivor's guilt. It shows how the tragedy affected so many people despite seeming "small" in numbers to unaffected parties. Several lives were interconnected and completely changed due to that one incident. my thoughts on the Rain or Shine Considering that I watched the drama in one stretch with no breaks, you can say that drama is gripping. It is not one with twists at the end of every episode, but the story burrows into your heart. the plot It is an emotional and poignant drama that solely focuses on one tragedy. It explores everything around it—the corruption and tiny misses that resulted in the collapse, the innocent lives affected, the way it was dealt with afterwards, and the lasting effects on people. Instead of keeping things simple and focusing on only the main characters, the drama makes the effort to show various kinds of grief and coping mechanisms through supporting characters as well. Through Ha Moon-soo, the story goes into survivor's guilt, the guilt of forgetting those crucial memories which allows her to move on a little better, and watching a family be angry and rip apart in grief instead of holding each other up. Lee Gang-doo remembers every single thing from the collapse. He was the last survivor to be rescued. He went through some very hard things during those days. Memories and voices haunt him to this day. His coping mechanisms are not pretty. He is a grump and rash on the outside but he is actually a very sweet person who takes care of everybody and helps wherever he can. Moon-soo's mother gets drunk every single day in order to cope with grief. She barely takes care of herself and often forgets that she has a daughter whom she can take care of. Moon-soo has to keep herself together because if she doesn't keep things running, no one will. Seo Joo-won's father was the main architect for the Space S mall. After the collapse, his father killed himself, leaving behind another grief-stricken family. On taking up the new project, Joo-won copes with grief by going through everything twice and digging into his father's designs. His grief was less visible on the outside but it shows when we see the drama as a whole, especially through some things towards the end. Watching the characters cope, learn, and try to do better every single day was hard-hitting. Gang-doo, Moon-soo, and Joo-won had to grow up too fast and live almost normal lives. But they are dragged back to the tragedy through the smallest triggers which are normal for others. Rain or Shine does not shy away from showing the gruesome and painful things. As Gang-doo and Moon-soo remember the past, we see what happened clearly. There is no suggestion or plain references. The drama shows destruction, blood, pain, death, and severed limbs. It is firmly NOT a light-hearted show. It is really emotional at times too. I teared up multiple times. It showed emotion—especially sad emotions—very well. A couple of times, I teared up because the characters were trying so hard to savour joy amidst struggle. While individual character struggles were hard to watch, the relationships and interactions are what pinched my heart. Sometimes, the drama also hits with beautiful dialogues. They talk profoundly about grief, survivor's guilt, and moving on in plain sentences. It is as if they're telling the viewer "you're not alone, here's how you can cope". I couldn't relate because I haven't been through anything similar, but I imagine it would mean a lot to viewers who can relate. The drama shows how corruption is evident in almost every level of a business which can lead to disaster. We see how people cut costs and make deals that seem like nothing to them in the beginning. But when done enough, it leads to a building collapse years later, impacting several lives. The characters talk about materials, costs, and even how the architect should consider extreme weather for design. We also see the characters fighting against authority and doing what they can to do things right. Being meticulous, going over things four times, and verifying can take more time and effort. But it pays off in the long run. It can literally save lives. The drama puts that responsibility on every member of the team, especially if they have any power. the characters The characters had depth. The drama showed them brilliantly. When we first get to know them, they seem pretty straightforward. But as the drama goes on, we uncover layers in people. There is a focus on even the supporting characters, not just the main ones. Rain or Shine had a really good supporting cast. Each of them had backstories, flaws, strengths, and contributed to the story. They weren't simply accessories around the main characters. Every character had a character arc. Even some characters like Ma-ri and Jung Yoo-taek whom I didn't think much of in the beginning had arcs. We see each character growing and changing, slowly but surely. By the end, we can see how much each of them have changed. The character development for each member was done well. The drama tried to add a few elements which aren't directly connected to the building collapse like Moon-soo's best friend's story. Wan-jin was an avid motorcycle rider who got into an accident that left her wheelchair-bound for the rest of her life. We saw just a little bit from her perspective about her personal tragedy which others can't relate to. But since the bulk of the attention was given to collapse related things, Wan-jin's arc wasn't given much importance. It could have been explored further but it could have also been cut out since it clearly wasn't fitting in with the rest of the story. Besides Gang-doo, my favourite character development has to be that of his sister Lee Jae-young. I thought nothing of her for a long time but she subtly became a big part of the show and had her own important role. In the epilogue, I cherished her position because of how she reached that point. It also showed how similar she and her brother are despite being very different on the outside. the relationships Rain or Shine has a wonderful found family trope. Characters from very different walks of life are connected to each other in different ways and form a weird chaotic loving "family". I didn't even notice the building of the group until a part towards the end which brought everyone at one place. That scene warmed my heart. Each relationship between individual people was great too. We see several types of relationships, each of them special in its own way. Some of them don't naturally click like the one between Gang-doo and Jeong Sook-hee but turn out to be the sweetest. Their relationship seems weird because they're debtor and debtee, and also illegal medicine seller and buyer. They throw barbs at each other and aren't outwardly affectionate. But they have so much love for each other and the general population too. Then there's the relationship between Gang-doo and Sang-man. These two bros were the cutest! Their relationship stayed constant throughout the drama and was strong like steel. They're the best of friends. I wish we got to know more about how they grew close. Another great relationship was that between Gang-doo and Yoo-jin. If I had to pick the unlikeliest couple to end up as friends, I would have picked these two. They're from different worlds, have different lives, different priorities and world-views, and simply don't fit. But they worked! Randomly and subtly, they developed a nice friendship. They became drinking buddies who share life and love advice. There was one relationship I couldn't like, though. Moon-soo's best friend Kim Wan-jin's relationship with her beau. The drama tried to do something there. They tried making another unlikely relationship work but this one didn't work for me. I couldn't see the chemistry. Compared to the other great relationships, this one was dull. source HanCinema the romance Gang-doo and Moon-soo's relationship was on the front stage of the drama and it was done well. Their relationship development is one of the best that I've seen. Both of them are flawed characters coping with pain in their own way. But they share trauma and pain in a way no one else will understand. They meet after Gang-goo gets beaten up in another random fight that he got himself into and Moon-soo, finding him lying bleeding in an alley during rain, takes him to her father's place out of kindness. After that, their paths continue to cross and they grudgingly become friends. When they notice each other's coping mechanisms and triggers, they say nothing and just support each other. They recognize the pain in each others' eyes which makes their relationship special from the start. In the second half of the show, I liked the persistence with which they held on to each other. Especially Moon-soo. MINOR SPOILER ALERT When her father and mother disapprove of Gang-doo early on because he clearly has baggage, Moon-soo responding with "do I not have as well?" touched me. Instead of shoving it under a carpet and doing what she wants, she argues with them and defends him. I really liked that. SPOILER END A lot of the tension in the romance was due to internal factors and not external. The drama dealt with it head-on and deep-dived into the reasons and vulnerabilities. This also felt like a consoling message to the viewers. "You may also feel the same, but here is how you're holding yourself back. It is not wrong to want and hope for something." The romance in this drama is not one with obvious sparks, good banter, or cuteness. It was about finding the one person to hold hands with during bad times and supporting each other. Gang-doo and Moon-soo have a solid relationship. It was wonderful to see a romance like this compared to the romances we see otherwise. the love triangle I generally don't like love triangles. It is generally because we know that the second lead will not get the girl and we feel bad for them. The second lead syndrome is a big thing for Kdrama viewers. But in Rain or Shine, the love triangle didn't make sense. The drama's plot is so heavy on Gang-doo and Moon-soo's relationship that any other possibility doesn't even close to it. We can't even consider it. Seo Joo-won liking Moon-soo was weird. It actually took personality away from his character. There was clearly no chemistry or even possibility of a romance between Joo-won and Moon-soo. But it was a slightly big part of the plot. In my opinion, the story would have been just fine without this link. It was not required for the plot or any character's development. Even if it was just a crush that went away in episode 3, it would have been fine. Instead, it was dragged on for longer than necessary. the main characters Ha Moon-soo I'm not surprised that Won Jin-ah won an award for this role. Ha Moon-soo is smart, independent, dependable, and responsible. She takes care of things and her mother. She is determined to do her job right and point out mistakes. She is also kind and friendly. When she is rattled, she can be mean but she smoothes things over with people. Moon-soo's flaws are less visible. She keeps things bottled up. When she gets rattled, doesn't tell anyone or ask for help. When something triggers her PTSD, she gets through it alone. She makes it her mission to not burden her mother anymore. She has survivor's guilt because she survived whereas her younger and "more talented" sister didn't. Her growth in the drama is slower and less apparent because she seems "well adjusted" on the outside. But there is a quiet strength that builds in her as she loves and receives love. It was wonderful to see that. Lee Gang-doo source HanCinema Played by Lee Jun-ho, Gang-doo is a rough and scruffy guy who doesn't have a great life. He is rebellious, outspoken, and quick to fight. But underneath it all, he's is a grump is a very soft heart. He just uses the more outwardly painful ways to deal with his PTSD. While Moon-soo's personality shines individually, Gang-doo's personality shines through his interactions with people. He pretends to not care about anything but he helps everybody. He is dependable in a very different way. No matter what, he will be there for his loved ones. Each of his relationships with Moon-soo, Sang-man, Yoo-jin, grandma Seok-hee, his sister, and even Joo-won show something about Gang-doo. There is a point later in the drama where we get background on his relationship with Ma-ri that cements his personality. Until then, their relationship was the only one I didn't understand but it clicked right then. It was the last piece required to declare that Gang-doo is a great character. I would say that Gang-doo could have been played better. There were areas where the acting wasn't great. There may be other actors better suited for the role. But Jun-hoo did try his best and it comes through in several small ways. The actor has become popular recently due to his apparently great performance in The Red Sleeve. I'm looking forward to see him act in that Korean drama. Seo Joo-won source HanCinema Played by Lee Ki-woo, Joo-won was the only character whom I didn't like. His character was so perfect in the beginning that he didn't feel real. He is so righteous and showed no flaws. At the time, I was neutral to him. After a while, when I fully could not get behind him liking Moon-soo, my opinion became worse. Gang-doo and Moon-soo were going through tons of growth and doing so many things. Meanwhile, Joo-won was not doing much. Towards the end, the drama finally shows his flaws and vulnerabilities. But it still wasn't enough. The acting wasn't great as well, especially with expressions, so that affected my views on the character as well. Jung Yoo-jin source HanCinema I really liked the actress Kang Han-na in Start-Up and was happy to see her again. It was a little disappointing that she had a similar role in this drama as in Start-Up because I couldn't get to see her range. But she did bring her all into this character. Yoo-jin is a competent, smart, and confident team leader in the company sponsoring the project. At Joo-won's request, she comes onto the project and supports him in all the right decisions. She also butts heads with her brother, the CEO, often. What made me really like her was how she defied her status and class for a simple friendship. Her relationship with Gang-doo, where she even accepts romantic advice from him, threw her in an entirely new light. Through Joo-won and Gang-doo she showed herself as a dependable friend. Sure, she has her flaws like still pining over Joo-won but she trumps past them to be the best version of herself. She also had great growth and I was really satisfied with where she was at the end of the drama. In the beginning, she was shown only as Joo-won's ex, but her character was cemented properly by the end. I started off not liking her but liked her way more by the end. discussions INCLUDES SPOILERS If you don’t want to get spoiled, click here to skip to the “overall” concluding section. Some quick spoilery opinions The way Wan-jin's romance started was not impressive. Meeting the guy because she filed a report against him is fine. But the way he barged into her house and suddenly started taking care of her? Yeah, didn't like that. I loved how Moon-soo and Gang-doo didn't suddenly become "cured" of PTSD because they fell in love. Even at the end of the show, when they get back together for good, we see a scene where both of them are triggered by going to a mall. They experience it separately and don't even talk about it. They hold hands and move on. That symobolized a lot. Their pain is still their pain, but they get through it with a loved one now. The drama is definitely one of hope. Gang-doo goes through so much pain and trauma. Right when he was grabbing the good things in life, he was dying. And right at the end, a miracle saved him. That may have been a tad unrealistic and in favour of a happy ending, but I'd like to interpret it as hope. Even when you've lost hope of everything, a miracle can happen. Don't hesitate to grab it. What Gang-doo went through was horrible. The drama doesn't shy away from taking us with him through his trauma. It was painful but the part that I still think about is him holding Moon-soo and crying. He cried and said that he's happy that she forgot. She's able to move on better than him. Watching that scene was like sticking pins into my heart. The timeline of what happened right after the collapse is not clear. This is really bugging me. We saw flashbacks where Gang-doo met Moon-soo, got her out, and then I assume met Sung-jae. And then things get murky for me. We clearly saw flashbacks where Sung-jae holds onto Gang-doo's leg, begging him to save him. It looked like Gang-doo was getting himself out, leaving Sung-jae. For a long time, I thought his guilt was because of leaving Sung-jae behind. But later, we saw a flashback where Gang-doo goes to Sung-jae and gets a rock off him only to find that his leg was severed. That was scary. We also saw flashbacks where Gang-doo and Sung-jae were sitting together and talking right before Sung-jae passed away, sitting next to Gang-doo. Gang-doo, scared, kept talking to Sung-jae as if he was still there. Years later, Gang-doo can still hear Sung-jae's voice in his head. Now, the part that I'm confused about the flashback of Sung-jae holding onto Gang-doo's leg and begging him to save him does not match what I mentioned in the last paragraph. Gang-doo clearly helped Sung-jae when he found him. Gang-doo did not leave him alone to die. So when did that scene of Gang-goo trying to get away from Sung-jae occur? Was it real? Was it not? Were those flashbacks due to PTSD which warped his memories? If you have a clearer perspective of this, please explain in the comments. overall I binged the show so I didn't notice the faults of the drama as much. I didn't give myself time to pick it apart. Still, I can say that the drama is not perfect. The casting wasn't perfect, the plot isn't amazing and the directing could have been better. But the drama had a message to convey and it was done well. It is a sad and comforting show. The feelings coexist because, through the sadness, the characters find comfort and happiness. And that gives hope. I highly recommend this drama if you're looking for one with a lot of emotion and depth. check out more Kdramas While You Were SleepingMy First First LoveThe Heirs let's chat! Have you seen Rain or Shine? What are your thoughts on the drama? Are there any other dramas similar to Rain or Shine that you would recommend? This drama was so emotional in a completely different way. I'd love to watch more dramas like it. Tag Just Between Lovers 207 April 24, 2023April 24, 2023 You can only pick one Drama with the best OST by DB Staff You can only pick one, and boy the pressure is on. The DB team will answer a new prompt in each post, and you're invited to do the same in... 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