Title : When the weather is nice, I’ll come to you when the weather is nice, When the weather is fine, If the weather is good, I’ll find you, I’ll visit you if the weather is good
Episodes : 16
Genre : Adapted from a novel, Slice of life, Family, Drama, Romance, School, Mystery, Melodrama, Tragedy
Story : out of 10
Characters : 7 out of 10
Cinematography : 9 out of 10
“When the weather is nice” is a Korean drama that feels like reading a book, with atmospheric cinematography and a slow pace.
Story
Hae Won worked as a cello teacher in Seoul, but, due to a misunderstanding, she leaves everything behind and moves back to her old home in the countryside. There, she meets an old schoolmate, Eun Sob. Eun Sob runs a bookshop down the road from Hae Won’s house, and he writes a blog about people with insomnia, like him. He is a friendly and warm person and starts helping Hae Won heal. However, secrets from both their pasts start resurfacing.
“When the weather is nice” takes mostly place during wintertime, in a rural area with a forest, a small town, and a river. The scenery was amazing, and just right for the mood of the drama. The empty fields, the farmhouses, the house in the woods, the train, and the little bookshop were just perfect.
That wintery mood was accompanied by a slow pace, as the drama took its time to develop the mystery, the romance and the family drama. Now, for the romance, the story seemed to go back and forth with it, as the two characters met obstacles along the way, mainly connected to their families and past. Nevertheless, the two leads had chemistry and the love story seemed realistic and less over the top.
Still, the family drama and mystery were those who were the key factor of this drama’s enjoyment. The domestic violence case was well presented, raw and shocking, between scenes of blissfulness and simple life. That said, the drama had many secondary characters that added some sweet moments here and there. Especially the aunt’s case, was pretty tragic and interesting.
However, there were some episodes that seemed to drag on and on, without something solid happening. That ended up being tiring to watch at some point. But, the overall atmosphere, with the books, the slice of life vibes and the back and forth in time, were just brilliant.
Characters
Hae Won has been studying cello her whole life, and she has started working as a teacher in a private accademy, where, however, she finds it hard to fit in. Due to her family situation, and some events in the past, Hae Won has closed up to herself and doesn’t trust anyone. She believes that going back to live with her aunt will be a temporary escape from reality, but, she finds herself falling in love with her neighbor, Eun Sub, for whom she works part time at his bookstore. Park Min Young takes a break from the classic rom coms and dives into a dramatic melodrama. She was pretty great, as expected, and she didn’t overdo it with the dramatic scenes. Rather, her character was realistic, with reactions that weren’t the flawless, altruistic ones that usually korean drama characters follow.
Eun Sub lives a quiet life by running a small bookshop, where people can come and borrow books, even have book discussions about them. He is suffering from insomnia and he keeps a blog where he writes during the sleepless nights. He is a quiet character, who is friendly and warm. He has been in love with Hae Won since high school, but he seems to not muster the courage to talk to her. Seo Kang Joon, another superstar of korean dramas, gave a spot on performance, though his character tended to be a bit bleak.
Myung Seo is Hae Won’s aunt. She has a difficult personality, and likes to be alone. She is a famous writer and now she is running a small inn, which she inherited from her mother. However, she seems to be hiding something behind her sunglasses, that she never takes off. Moon Jung Hee was brilliant, with an emotional performance and an interesting attitude.
Cinematography
The drama had a nice, relaxing pace and beautiful atmosphere along with a nice setting, that felt like reading a slice of life book.
Overall
My overall rating for “When the weather is nice” korean drama is 7.5 out of 10. This drama isn’t for everyone, despite the stellar cast (especially with the Extraordinary You cast cameos). The slow burn romance and the themes that it presents can put some off, but it was a nice treat to explore.
K&J Reviews 
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