This drama didn’t get all the hype it deserved. It premiered and ended peacefully just like how winter ends when spring begins. It really upsets me that this drama was so underrated because it helped me calm myself amidst the anxiety of our community quarantine days. But I guess this was what it was aiming for – a quiet yet memorable run.
When The Weather is Fine revolved around the lives of two broken souls, Lim Eun-seob (Seo Kang-joon) and Mok Hae-won (Park Min-young). I know the drama’s premise seemed typical and overused in dramaland. Characters with traumatic childhoods find love and comfort with each other and heal their wounds together. Some people thought this drama wasn’t for them. It’s slow burn, too quiet, and boring. I wouldn’t dwell on that because I admit it’s not for everyone. But honestly, you should all give it a try and let the quaint scenery entice you into the world of Eun-seob and Hae-won.
Of Bluebirds and Miracles
What I liked most in the drama was the dynamics in that little town. No pollution, no capitalism, or whatever modernity that we are so used to in the current airing dramas. The people used bicycles more than they used cars. They read books more than they wasted energy on their phones. They wrote during their free time, and spent quality time with their families. The atmosphere was just so homey that I felt a sense of belonging while watching the entire drama.
Not to mention the amazing cinematography which complemented the serenity that enveloped the entire town.
āDo I have to live a miserable and sad life as they want me to? I thought about it long and hard, and the answer was no. I realized there’s no reason to be miserable when I feel so grateful to so many people.ā
– Lim Eun-seob
But just like in any other stories, we had to face the struggles of the main leads in order for the plot to progress, no matter how much we liked to dwell on just the slice-of-life scenarios in this winter-y backdrop. Lim Eun-seob was a scarred child growing up. I wouldn’t elaborate more as I would like to prevent myself from giving away too many spoilers. But I loved his character development so much. From being that cynical kid from the mountains to the loving young man he became, I owed it all to his family. They didn’t give up on him even when he left them for a while. They embraced him and his painful background. They waited until he was ready to open up without hesitations. Lim Eun-seob had been through a lot, but they were his bluebirds – they were his miracle.
āEveryone was busy tending their own wounds and abandoned me. Leaving me all alone.ā
– Mok Hae-won
Mok Hae-won’s character arc revolved around trust – from giving her heart to Eun-seob to learning the truth about her father’s death to rebuilding her stained friendship with Kim Bo-young (Im Se-mi). It’s not an easy path for Hae-won, and I think the drama still had more to tell when it came to her character, but I’d like to think that she decided to stay there for good and settled down with the love of her life.
I knew her chaotic family background did not sit well with the audience. I don’t disagree with them. I just didn’t like how Hae-won’s mom Myeong-ju (Jin Hee-kyung) still chose to to stay with her husband despite the domestic violence. She used Hae-won as an excuse because the poor child loved her dad? Come on, your husband didn’t even blink an eye when he hit you. How could you not worry for your child’s safety? Was there ever a rule that domestic violence only affected the couple? And because of this, even Myeong-yeo (Moon Jeong-hee) also suffered from the consequences of her poor decisions. I’m not pinning the blame to the mother because Hae-won’s father was the ultimate trash in the story, but I’m just saying all of these could have been avoided had they left him rot in that house before it got worse.
GRUMPY ALLEY
- Aside from the eye candy couple, another strength of the drama was Lim Hwi (Kim Hwan-hee)! I liked how she moved on so swiftly with sunbae crush and even told him that she’s not into him anymore (but admitted that he still looked cute cos that’s a fact anyway). Can we get a spin-off where she’s the main lead, please?
- My baby, Lee Jang-woo (Lee Jae-wook) was such an adorable dork but he made the most sense in the drama for me. That little dialogue about living a boring life despite being a top graduate? Jang-woo proved to the world that not everyone had the same standard of happiness. His dream was to live a mundane life. We live in a society where people are quick to judge others’ personal achievements, thinking that they’re wasting their life just because they don’t live up to the world’s expectations of being the “best.” But then again, everyone is different. Some people don’t want to excel in something, they just want to do what they like every day. Working hard and living an ordinary life makes them happy.
- The only part that annoyed me for real in this drama was Bo-young’s insistence on Eun-seob. Girl, even if you liked someone first, that didn’t mean you own him! Just because we like a person doesn’t guarantee that they’ll like us back. Also, I hate delusional people the most! They irk me so much. She spilled Hae-won’s secret because of a misunderstanding. She asked Eun-seob to pick her up because she deliberately lost her way in the mountains. Good thing Eun-seob and Hae-won wouldn’t have any of her immature shenanigans.
- I’ll miss the very wholesome book club for sure!
- Can we get another drama from this couple? I wouldn’t mind a Season Two!
ahjummamshies.com 
I’m so happy to read your insights. The drama leaves me in deep thoughts for many days, and of course I find it unfair as they do not get attention more than this. Look around and we might find Lim Eun-Seob and Mok Hae-Won in our lives, or might as well we are the Lim Eun-Seob or Mok Hae-Won! We might share similar scars or traits from these two, or from other characters in this drama. That made me see people beyond the surface. As much as Hae-Won had a rough early adulthood, I think Eun-Seob had deeper scars as he endured emotional pain way before Hae-Won did. I believed his mom left him since toddler, and his dad left him when he was about 10 years-old. As he grows older, people in town still take him very lightly and refer him as son of a vagrant. How hard it is to change people’s perception? Had he not meet Hae-Won, he probably is still navigating life with his former mindset that is nothing is valuable in his life, there is no point of putting effort in whatever, and that he chooses to live and die alone. That is such a shame for a kind gentleman, therefore I’m so glad to see the transition and his character development throughout the show! All thanks to Hae-Won and his loving family, and that we can call a genuine love.
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Thank you for sharing your insights as well! š I love how you perfectly described Eun-seob’s struggles as a child and his beautiful transition into a fine gentleman. Yes, all thanks to his loving family and Hae-won. If not for them, he would still have trust issues towards anything and everything. The fact that he always spent time alone in their old house in the mountains meant that he still longed for his old life – not that he wanted to go back to that kind of life, but it’s the child in him that misses his real family. Although I loved their little hometown because everyone seemed nice and genuine, we couldn’t deny that there were still others who gossip about Eun-seob every now and then, as depicted in some scenes. š¦ It’s sad, but I think it’s also reality. It happens even in real life.
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Talking about child, I noticed that Eun-Seob has this playful childish side of him that we don’t see much prior to Hae-Won’s present in his life. Eun-Seob is suppressing his inner self, refuses to experience ‘normal’ childhood and life as a teen like others, but with Hae-Won around we see him let loose. I found it funny with Lim-Whi’s remarks as why Eun-Seon of all people that Hae-Won confesses, and that Hae-Won should be happy with the rejection. I guess that’s how siblings view each other. I’m glad he finally found his love and happiness. Had he not embrace Hae-Won, Eun-Seob might end up just like the bookstore owner in town Park Hin-dol, a nice quiet gentleman who enjoys books and poems, but there’s nothing wrong with that! Some people found happiness earlier and some took a lifetime, in the end we all deserve love and happiness. I’ve never watched Seo Kang-Joon’s acting before, and now he gained a new fan.
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“Some people found happiness earlier and some took a lifetime, in the end we all deserve love and happiness.” I really love this!!! ā¤
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Seo Kang-joon’s character here is really well-written, not to mention his acting was A+. He breathed life to Eun-seob. We were able to understand his pain and feel his happiness.
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