WARNING: Some spoiler of ep 8 may apply in this article. If you do not want to see, please do not click the link “Read rest of this entry”. We welcome all the comments and please share your thoughts too about Love Rain. Thanks.
Author: Reb Doddrell
————————————————– Thoughts by Reb Doddrell ———————————————–
Immediately I am pulled into the story, the rain is a beautiful backdrop again and those fantastic umbrellas come out to play once more. In Ha is replaying the scene in the first episode where he fell in love, only this time he is realising his long lost love is still alive.
As he walks past Yoon Hee I wonder if everyone like me can’t help but breathe out the words, hana, tul, set, (1,2,3), of course who cannot think of our beautiful young In Ha in that moment, and as he reaches the other side of the road and the man that In Ha has grown into has lost none of his charm as we see all the emotions he is feeling flicker perfectly across his face until finally realisation hits and just on cue music starts.
PD Yoon has once again picked the perfect accompaniment here, the whole time In Ha is running to catch up with Yoon Hee we are taken back in time with the song that he wrote for her after their first time in the rain together. This is the song where he told her that he loved her and the song where he perfectly describes their rainy encounter with the yellow umbrella, a perfect link back to where we are now with the yellow umbrella he is now chasing. Stopping with the most perfect timing as she walks forward to shelter him under the umbrella in the same way she did once before.
I love the symbolism here. To me this is a perfect beginning to this episode, it starts in the present then pulls you to the past and then back to the present again, and this is how I see the whole episode. It is wonderful I felt like a piece of thread as ultimately the two eras where sewn together gently but firmly. I came to the end of this episode feeling that finally I could see the younger versions of the 70’s characters and older versions as singular characters and their children as separate characters altogether. Until now I had struggled with the concept not in my mind but in my perception, I am glad to say that is no longer the case.
So from the beginning I would say that this episode is about Connections and Contrast, it is about drawing lines between the present and the past, seeing the symmetry and creating a blending of characters by filling in the blanks, but also by showing, I think, that some things that should change don’t, and some things that shouldn’t change, do. I think that this episode is a perfect example of how we should learn from history, but rarely do.
Of course I can’t let this episode pass without talking about the umbrellas, either, ah they are so wonderful, I think I shall never look at an umbrella in the same way again. In this case I think they were used to tell a story, of course this is only my opinion but these are my thoughts on the matter:
To begin with Yoon Hee is holding a bright Yellow umbrella, a clear sign that in her heart she is still back at her their first meeting in the rain, (when they declared their love for each other and set their first date, well before everyone else interfered that is)
and then of course they meet in 2012. I have to say at this point that the sight of a grown man shaking with emotion broke my heart, he is truly the soft spoken In Ha of the 70’s and of course he proves this later when he doesn’t mention that he is unhappy during their meeting because he thinks she is happy. However, I do love the symmetry here as she holds the umbrella out and over the poor dripping In Ha, can this man ever catch a break, dripping with emotion and rain I always feel the urge to pick him up and take him home, he just always gives off that little lost puppy vibe, or is that just me?
So once again In Ha is trying to do what is right for everyone else and the next time we see the umbrellas there are two of them, a clear sign that they are not together once again.
It felt like such a contrast from their initial walk in the rain where you could look down on them squeezed closely under the one umbrella:
to the present where they didn’t even walk at the same pace anymore:
I felt so saddened for the loss of something that started out so beautifully leaving only memories behind, and here faced with a second chance were they going to do the same thing again?
So left with the thought, ‘will these two ever learn?’ My thoughts drifted to In Ha and I was amused to find myself looking at the transparent blue umbrella. My next thought was, in his heart, he is stuck emotionally at the beach, (funnily enough, this was a thought I wrote down before I had any subtitles)
I think my musings were further confirmed when he later confessed that it was as if time stopped at the beach they walked together, what do you think?
So there you have it, a story of love and memories, separation, loss and heartache all told by an umbrella, how will you feel about yours from now on?
But this wasn’t the only umbrella story told in this episode, there was a second one not quite as long as it didn’t have the history but I believe this one was put there as a comparison to In Ha and Yoon Hee, remember I talked about sewing together the two eras, well this is one of the stiches.
Ok so we start this time with Seo Jun and Ha Na. They got caught in the rain and for once we see Seo Jun acting openly gentlemanlike towards Ha Na as he grabs her hand and runs with her to shelter.
Does anyone else think this is slightly reminiscent of the scene in which Dong Wook manages to sway her mother to agree to go out with him?
Clearly it’s a good move, but then we are already aware Seo Jun has the moves, or does he? I guess we shall carry on with our story to find out.
Actually I think it’s kinda funny, most little boys are always mean to the girls they like when they are small, and if this is Seo Jun’s first love it’s no wonder he doesn’t know any other way to handle it, most boys have already gone through that stage in school and then grown out of it through experience, so all things considered, I think he’s doing rather well.
So our lovely photographer, as seems to be his thing, takes one step forward and three steps back. First he asks Ha Na “let’s end it all here and start again”, and we all cheer, and then, when asked “why?” he just ties himself in knots again because he is too proud to come out with the simple truth. Something that he has been denying to himself more than anyone else, the fact that he likes her, subsequently upsetting Ha Na to the point that she decides she is just going to leave, and we discover that she has had an umbrella all along.
At first it seems that Seo Jun asks her not to leave because he doesn’t want to get wet but in the end he tells her he will be nice and hints that there is a much deeper reason.
Finally, we see them under the umbrella together and we are all taking a deep breath in anticipation, waiting to see what will happen, and in so many ways I am not disappointed. The first thing I notice is the colours, PD Yoon’s attention to detail never fails to amaze me and here is no exception. If you wanted to shout out that the 2012 couple were going to be in complete contrast to the 1970’s version how better to do it than with colour. Notice that it is now Ha Na wearing the bright yellow, and the blue shirt In Ha was wearing is now reflected in the colour of the umbrella. I also love that the yellow umbrella was chosen by a man and the blue one was provided by a woman, unusual choices and yet I think that the colours themselves reflect aspects of each of the characters personalities. I personally think that certain colours can mean different things on a man than they do on a woman, and I think PD Yoon is using that to highlight differences in his characters, for instance, Ha Na’s strength, vitality and brightness with the yellow and the light blue contrasted with In Ha’s gentleness, shyness and passiveness with the same two colours. I could play around dissecting the imagery of this beautiful drama all day but you understand my meaning now so I will move on, besides, interpretation is an individual thing and that’s what makes this drama so appealing. There is so much art beneath the surface that the viewer can be a part of, that you can’t help but be swept away with the imagery of it all, each person having their own unique and wonderful experience, if it was meant to be the same for everyone it wouldn’t be art.
So after the colours fade and we are left with the two scenes they are indeed quite different, the cosy scene of the 70’s occurs after she tells him to come closer but initially there is the gentlemanly space left as he holds the umbrella out over the girl to keep her dry.
In the modern version there is no such stigma from standing to close to the girl and Seo Joon is half doing the gentlemanly thing by holding the umbrella, but despite the lack of space between them he is still calmly allowing Ha Na to get soaked, unlike his father who was more than willing to get soaked to keep his lady love dry. I think this is one of those scenes that leave the women wishing for times gone by and the men thanking God that they’re gone, well some of them anyway.
The difference is brutal but it’s not just the guys that have changed, the women have too, we can see that Yoon Hee, was not remotely happy that In Ha was getting drenched and tried to push the umbrella over to him,
whilst Ha Na in the same situation was demanding that Seo Joon cover her and not let her get wet.
Gone are the days of gentle love, and sweet loving gestures it seems. However it appears some things will never change. In the end both boys arrange a date, of sorts, and then make an excuse to run away, either to do a little victory dance, or have a heart attack that they managed to achieve that much, leaving the girl standing alone with the umbrella.
So it seems that walking in the rain under an umbrella however wet you get is the perfect way to get a confession and a date, or at the very least a date disguised as a job, which I guess would be a bonus because then you would get paid to spend time with your dream guy and well, it just doesn’t get better than that. Just don’t let anyone else catch you under the umbrella after the one you love has departed, or you may just end up in the sticky situation of having two dates, like Yoon Hee did, well I guess that’s one good reason to go out and get soaking wet in the rain.
So that’s my little deviation into umbrellas finished, I shall go back to drawing lines now, of course the obvious ones are the join the dots. I love these; this episode has been great with the little titbits of information filling in the blanks which show just how much the lost relationship between In Ha and Yoon Hee has unknowingly affected not only the characters in the 70’s but those right up until the present day.
I shall start with the rain; I love the little mentions that keep getting added about rainy days. Clearly, neither In Ha nor Yoon Hee ever forgot their walks in the rain, I imagine that may have had something to do with the beautiful song in which In Ha confessed his love, but still I find myself hoping for that one romantic moment in the rain that can make you remember it forever. Ha Na spills the beans on how her mum loves the rainy days the most and how she would take her out walking on those days, so we know Yoon Hee is still holding them in a special place in her heart and she even mentions to In Ha when she meets him again in 2012, it always rains when I see you, so we know that she is once again thinking on the rain, despite the fact that she is once again covering up her illness and her feelings because she thinks it is the right thing to do to save In Ha pain. You would think that she would have learnt from all those years apart that she should grab happiness with both hands whilst she still could, however she remains the same character she was in the 70’s and she quietly pretends she is happy without him.
Dong Wook is the one that spills the beans about In Ha, making the comment that they always used to drink on rainy days, showing just how much In Ha was affected that he felt the need to drink away his sorrows. An interesting concept considering the fact that it is his unhappiness that led him to create such and unhappy marriage with Hye Jung, leading her onto the obvious drink problem that she now displays.
Well the rain stops and we get the semi confession where Seo Joon tells Ha Na that he is going to stay with her until he knows what it is he likes about her. Of course that is until Ha Na stomps all over that Idea by telling Seo Joon, ‘You want me to forget I heard that? Don’t worry about it I wasn’t worried about it either. Don’t worry I forgot it all’. So here I see Seo Joon clearly telling Ha Na how he feels and she just dismisses it completely causing him to take it all back
it makes me think of the scene where Yoon Hee finds her portrait and in In Ha’s locker, a clear a confession that he is in love with her, one they were both ready to hear until In Ha sees Dong Wook and backs out of a confession that has essentially already been given, and says it was nothing.
I think at least in the past Yoon Hee knew that In Ha liked her despite him denying it quite vehemently and yet in the present poor Seo Joon is doing his upmost to confess and keeps on getting met with utter disbelief however many times he blurts it out to the unsuspecting HaNa. I almost screamed when she jumped to the wrong conclusion after all the guts he took to get it out and she just casually says she will forget it all. In comparing both these confessions that were made and then taken back I don’t know which is worse, taking it back over wounded pride or taking it back to save the feelings of a friend who you know is going to get hurt in the end anyway when you can no longer be part of his life, especially when you know he won’t even get the girl as she is clearly hung up on you. What I do know is that this father and son, desperately need lessons in communication, but couldn’t you just hug them both for their bumbling attempts at love anyhow.
In addition if we want to add another similarity to these two scenarios, we only have to look as far as seconds after Seo Joon takes back his confession for Ha Na’s love rival to literally come flying into the picture. Now of course due to the cosy conversation these two had it’s no wonder Ha Na leaves feeling somewhat less than enthusiastic for reasons she just can’t put her finger on. I’m so excited I’ve been waiting for Ha Na’s love rival and she seems like she will be much more entertaining than Hye Jung but I guess we will have to see.
The next connection we have is Seo Joon and Sun Ho sitting and talking in a very familiar way. It is not a great surprise to find these two such close friends as their fathers have been best friends since school and I love the symmetry here despite the fact that Seo Joon clearly has issues with his Father.
We move on in the story to another stich while Yoon Hee is making her connection to the past, via the medium of her old diaries. I can’t let this pass without saying how much this amuses me that this woman continues to write diaries, I mean it’s not like she has the best hiding skills in the world and everyone knows what they look like because she has this random obsession with sitting outside on a bench when she is writing in them, and is there a single person left who hasn’t secretly read them? Ok I’m joking, I love the diaries, but she could be a little less obvious with then.
I feel quite sorry for Yoon Hee here, she is connecting with the only thing she thinks that she has left for her which is her memories, once again we find ourselves watching many of our favourite characters making bad decisions because they mistakenly think that is what’s best for everyone else. Enter Ha Na who sees that her mother has been reading her diary and squashes all her own feelings to comfort her.
Of course that gives us a little insight when the following day In Ha finally gets the courage to do what he perceives as the selfish thing, and go and tell her that he’s not happy with his life, and that he can’t live without her. So knowing as we do that she is once again sick, when he tells her that he can’t lose her like that again, and he asks her to help him, all I can do is cringe and think, what should have been exactly what any woman would have wanted to hear, was nothing but the worst thing he could have said. And so the smallest part of me almost understands when she tells him that she loves her husband and daughter, and will only make him unhappy. Then to further push the point home she tells him, I’m sorry. This, unlike in the apology earlier in the coffee shop where she apologises for not telling him she was alive, finally hits a nerve, and he responds curtly, I really don’t want to hear that from you.
I can’t help but feel for In Ha as he too goes to connect with the past, now thinking that for a second time, this is all that is left for him. His walk down memory lane is through the trees that they walked together and then to sit on the beautiful beach that they sat on side by side. I feel like I am another stitch as I watch this beautiful scene. You find yourself longing along with In Ha for that day long ago on the beach, happier days. I think the scene was set perfectly to pull feelings of nostalgia from even the youngest of viewers.
From such a pure scene we switch straight to the scene with Chang Mo and Hye Jung in the bar, highlighting all the more how nasty the deception is when we hear Hye Jung asking Chang Mo to keep it quiet about Yoon Hee being alive and the fact that she is a widow.
But don’t judge her too harshly, in complete contrast to the scene we have just watched, we have Chang Mo in his younger self doing the exact same thing to Hye Jung when he asks her to not tell Dong Wook about Yoon Hee going to see In Ha.
And the 70’s version uses the same concept where the layout of the scenes is concerned. PD Yoon’s attention to detail is truly a thing to be admired. The pure innocence of the two on the beach, switching to the scenes of anger, lies and betrayal amongst their friends. The baser emotions magnified because they were placed directly between the scenes of love and romance at the beach, stunning!
More stitches and we are taken to the photo shoot which was fantastic, Seo Joon is finally on his own turf here and he knows how to act, however nervous, this is something he’s good at. Ok you might laugh that I used the word nervous to describe Seo Joon but let’s face it, it’s true. Ha Na put’s him on new ground, where he has no experience, add that to his pride and he is forever messing up even the simplest of things. I actually find it cute, though I think Seo Joon would be offended at being cute rather than sexy. Ok so the photo-shoot, I actually think this is almost a play on the painting that In-Ha made of Yoon Hee.
I think whereas In Ha would only ever paint the one person he loved, Seo Joon had no such inhibitions and would take photos indiscriminately. However the one thing Seo Joon makes clear is that he would never scrimp quality; there are a number of references that he only photographs models but even without that that you get the feel he is making an exception for Ha Na, just with all the extra effort he is putting in.
So this makes me think of In Ha and his painting proving that actually the apple doesn’t indeed fall far from the tree, but it also makes me think of the first time Seo Joon photographed Ha Na. We all realise that Seo Joon only really sees the world through the lens of his camera and there was that initial moment during the diamond snow escapade where he saw how beautiful Ha Na was. Of course that was until she turned toward Seo Joon and he realised that her feelings toward him were less than pleasant.
So after the shoot I love that they have him making fun of her clothes again despite his vow to be kind, and you have to wonder what is going through his mind; is he looking for a way to give her free clothes? Is he just looking for a way to tease her? or is he just trying compliment her on her choices during the shoot without being too obvious? Regardless he can’t help himself when his friend says he likes her clothes as they are determined to prove him wrong he picks up the camera, his weapon of choice, or at least it was that is, until he sees something he wasn’t expecting to through the lens.
Ha Na’s feelings have changed, clearly it’s only us and the camera that have really cottoned on, because we all know what happens in the next scene, but it’s a cool development nonetheless.
So Ha Na goes on her own merry way and is looking once again for somewhere to live when we come across the next connection. Sun Ho is out on his doctor’s rounds and Ha Na helps him with a frightened patient who she stopped to help in the street. Sun Ho buys her a beer for her trouble and discovers her need for a job and a room, as well as her talent in gardening and her ideas for the café garden. Of course the offer of the room and a job are inevitable at this point and sure enough Sun Ho plays his part perfectly to Ha Na’s obvious delight.
Meanwhile Seo Joon is busy having Ha Na hallucinations, coincidently doing all the things she would be doing if she did live and work there.
I love this; it’s like an open statement that he actually knows her well enough to know what she would be doing. Let’s leave him to do his connecting all by himself.
Let’s go and check back on In Ha who is just arriving back from his sojourn to the beach. He is tired and we all know that his emotions are stretched to their limit but Hye Jung is determined and creates a forced situation in the form of a late night dinner. Now we all know that Hye Jung is trying to get In Ha back before he finds out that Yoon Hee is alive, and this dinner is her ultimate play. She asks In Ha to explain to Seo Joon that they are getting back together so that she won’t look pitiful and tells him that Seo Joon has moved out to hammer the point home. All I can say in this situation is that I was finally proud of In Ha’s reaction, after years of bad choices he finally did the right thing, maybe the trip to the beach had fortified him, or maybe it was just the knowledge that Yoon Hee was still alive, either way I felt I was seeing him say something he should have said to Hye Jung years ago. Once again I feel the past is being sewn in here, I think of Hye Jung here, she was never given a chance to find someone who would love her because In Ha married her without love. So my thoughts trail back to the cheery young girl she was and compare that with the sad, lonely, bitter woman she has become and it should break my heart. It saddened me that Hye Jung was resorting to emotional blackmail but I was unsurprised, her character had always seemed a bit that way inclined to me, but I could have cheered when she started venting her anger, which was not remotely undeserved I might add, and that crucial bit of information was brought to light, Yoon Hee is also alone.
An additional piece of information we gather from this dinner is that Hye Jung is planning on arranging a marriage between Seo Joon and Mi Ho, I love In Ha’s response here, that his son’s opinion is important, it seems he truly has learnt his lesson, but we know Hye Jung will not give in so easily. Personally I can’t wait to see how Mi Ho interacts with Seo Joon but I guess that’s just me.
Speaking of Seo Joon, this is just about the time he is arriving to see Ha Na. Flip back a little while and Sun Ho is bringing him the copy of the contract that he and Ha Na set up, one that she stopped just short of signing because of Seo Joon. What I love here is that in complete contrast to his dad when he was young he goes rushing straight to Ha Na to sort it out. He asks her outright “why do you think I wouldn’t like it?” and finally confesses as much as he himself has figured out, in a way that says, don’t throw this back at me this time. “Listen! I will only say this once. I think I like you.” I just died at this; I would be over the moon if I were Ha Na but bless her she just looks a little scared.
Before Ha Na can respond however she is interrupted by her mother, who we are led to believe also at this moment has someone rushing to her, last I saw of In Ha he was in a car. Maybe the older version of In Ha is more like his son?
So has In Ha finally learnt to go and sort things out straight away?
Does Ha Na really decide to go and move in with Seo Joon?
Will Hye Jung get her way and sort out an arranged marriage with the more than willing Mi Ho and her son, leaving Ha Na in the same position she was in with Tae Sung?
Will Tae Sung finally get Ha Na to speak to him and convince her that he is sincere despite the arranged marriage?
Will Ha Na and Seo Joon find out about their parents first love and what will that do to their relationship?
Will Yoon Hee finally let herself be loved despite her illness?
All these questions and a million more and I am on the edge of my seat, I absolutely cannot wait until the next episode. As for this one, well I loved it, can you tell? My theme as you know was connections and contrasts, with a little detour into umbrellas because it had to be done, and I didn’t cover even half of what was in there, but I hope you enjoyed my thoughts and I’m sorry if this went on forever but in my defence there was just far too much to say. So I hope you enjoyed the episode as much as I did and I hope you enjoyed my musings on the matter too, save me a seat for the next episode and I’ll see you there.
hi Reb,
– really, the middle-aged In Ha is really well acted. The emotions on his face when he meets Yoon Hee again are really so touching, n from his emotions, I can finally connect that this is (our beautiful) In Ha of the 1970s, his emotions run so deep and the feelings in his eyes. To be able to portray In Ha of the 1970s despite the age and a different face, credits to the actor (he’s wonderful)
– “First he asks Ha Na “let’s end it all here and start again”, and we all cheer, and then, when asked “why?” he just ties himself in knots again because he is too proud to come out with the simple truth”
LOL, truly, i wish Seo Jun will untie himself from all his knots. I think it’s his mouth that gets him into trouble. The moment he opens his mouth, no good words come out.. haha
– I must say, I do judge Hye Jung harshly. Not to the point of hating her … yet.
Back in the 1970s, I can forgive her for revealing the truth about the diary, cos the truth will be out one way or another. I can forgive her for feeling hurt by Yoon Hee’s supposed betrayal when HJ confided her love target to Yoon Hee, but really, what could Yoon Hee do, say I also like In Ha?
what I cannot forgive, was her intention to break up In Ha and Yoon Hee, then and now. It’s not that Hye Jung was not given a chance to love other men; she did not give herself a chance to love other men. She knew that In Ha loves Yoon Hee, yet she married In Ha.
Yoon Hee and In Ha’s love is about wanting the other person to be happy. Hye Jung’s love is not about wanting her beloved to be happy; it’s about possession so that HJ can be happy, and she doesn’t care that In Ha is not happy.
The current In Ha said something I completely agree with: Love is not something that can be tried. Love between 2 people either exists, or doesn’t. If one party doesn’t love another, no matter how hard the two try, there is still no love. Of course, there’s the adage that love grows with time, but obviously in this case, it doesn’t work.
And after so many years, Hye Jung has not learnt her lesson. She still wants to hold on to In Ha with teeth and nails. She doesn’t mind resorting to sneak methods to get what she wants, and Seo Joon is right in saying that his mother is using him as a tool to get In Ha back. By withholding news that Yoon Hee is alive, Hye Jung tries to get In Ha to reconciliate with her, but what’s the point? Even if it succeeds, once In Ha knows the truth, they will separate anyway.
Hye Jung’s failed love and all her wasted years are brought on by herself. I don’t have any sympathy for her. I may be wrong, but I suspect that she’s going to be the biggest antagonist in the drama. She’s going to continue to interfere in the love between In Ha and Yoon Hee, and she’s going to object to Seo Joon’s love interest Ha Na. She cannot stand the thought of In Ha being in love with Yoon Hee, and she will not give up her son to Yoon Hee’s daughter.
Hey honey,
Ha ha I love it “The moment he opens his mouth, no good words come out” what a fantastic way to put it, well that has definitely been true 90% of the time he’s known her, but give him a chance I have high hopes for Seo Joon.
As for his mother, actually my comment “don’t judge her to harshly” relates only to her asking Chang Mo to do something for her that he wouldn’t have asked her to do for him. In a lot of other senses I judge her quite harshly too.
Unlike you I actually wouldn’t forgive her in the 70’s for telling Yoon Hee about the diary, it wasn’t her secret to tell and she told it out of vindictiveness because she didn’t want them to be together and she was determind to drive a wedge between them.
But yes I totally agree with you, she had every reason to be hurt about Yoon Hee’s betrayal but at the same time it was not like she really left Yoon Hee with any option but to do exactly what she did, so it is hard to feel fully for Hye Jung.
I still do feel for her in some way though because either way you look at it she was fooled. We don’t really know how it was when she married, was she aware that In Ha still had feelings for Yoon Hee? And even if she was by the same argument that she had to move on because he would never forget Yoon Hee you are also saying that she would never forget him, and if you say it is possible that she could forget her love for him you are also saying that he could forget his love for Yoon Hee. I can see how she could have convinced herself or been convinced with these arguments, it was clear that In Ha had allowed her to keep on thinking they had a future however twisted. In actual fact I pitied her that she had stooped so low and it was sad to see that sweet kind In Ha had become so casually cruel.
As for her scheming, I can more forgive it now as it is clearly the last stand of a broken woman who is not thinking rationally. Yes you are right she was using Seo Joon as a tool and her love is about taking because it is one sided, only a two side love can be about giving. But I do feel sorry for her, the man she loved has never loved her, she even won him but he never came around and after all this time even the small contact she has with him is going to be taken away by the woman who is the reason she could never have him in the first place.
They have been apart for 10 years and she still hasn’t gotten over him and you are right when you pointed out what In Ha said, love cannot be done with effort and this goes for her too, he mentions in the last episode that she is seeing someone but clearly she cannot get past her heartbreak to actually love again, to me this is a woman I can only feel sorry for. I don’t condone her actions by any means, but I can certainly understand her motivation.
Will JKS and the Love rain crew be able to read Reb’s opinion toward the drama? If yes, they would be happy to hear this. So they won’t be worry much about the rating.
I can’t see why they wouldn’t be able to read it if they came to the site but they would have to come here and find this specific review first. Ah but the idea of JKS reading my review, I’ve gone all shy just thinking about it lol
I absolutely agree with your comment about the actor playing older In Ha – and compliments also to JKS as well, Since between them they have created a consistent character who is so believably the same person though so many years apart
I think we will see their separate characters getting more and more defined as time goes on. The way I see it is that between the actors and the way the script is written and set out, they have created a perfect combination, if one of those things hadn’t been just right it wouldn’t have worked. What great team work! It’s really good that they support each other. This is one of the things I love about JKS, he works so well on his own, but throw him into a group situation and he integrates perfectly, often helping those around him whilst he is at it. He truly can adapt to all situations, he must be a joy to work with. If only we could sis, :0) Hugs xx
This is the most thought provoking piece of reflection on LR. Thank you so much, Reb. Your language skills is fanastic and you are able to lead us to compare and contrast the emotions of the 2 generations. Well done.
Wow,
excellent review on ep 8-I had some similar feelings too when I was watching it! this is really a great episode. And I think Jung Jin Yong (hope I got the name right) really portrayed the old In Ha well-Suk started and left a deep impression as In Ha and seriously it’s almost as if the young in ha really grew up and became the In Ha now. I liked watching suk and Jjy since their happy life stint. 🙂
And I Thot the scene when In Ha went to find Yoon Hee and embraced her-OMG, it was really emotional and at that instant I imagined young In-Ha hugging Yoon Hee. It was a hug that he took 20years to give her….T.T
Of coz I simply LOVED all the interactions between seo jun and Hana.
Loved his awkwardness when he tried to express his real feelings towards her. And when he went to say sorry to her-OMG, seo jun, the guy who never says sorry-apologized? you can see how hana is really causing him to change…I mean, considering his family background (I think his mum really caused him to be the way he is)…
And when he is doing the photo shoot w hana, what a brilliant way to get Hana to act natural!
Ah, loving this episode very much!
LAST NOTE-URI SUK IS SO GREAT AS SEO JUN! I loved to see him in blue and he really acts like a professional photographer! Ah…he never fails to amaze me! Our Actor Jang!!!
Sorry for the unorganized thots-typing from phone, kekeke…
i haven’t seen a colour that JKS doesn’t look good in! 🙂
Thanks anjellsmiles, I could have gone on forever but I had to curtail myself, I think I still got a bit carried away but I couldn’t help it it was such a great episode and I wanted to take you all on the journey with me. bibian I couldn’t agree more about the hug it was like you saw the entire 20 years pass behind his eyes and she just knew and instinctively comforted him, it was beautiful. And I love your statement “the guy who never says sorry apologized”, I didn’t touch that because it was in an earlier episode and as you can see I already has way to much to say, lol, but if we wanted to add that into this one I think that would contrast perfectly with In Ha’s painting, both of them doing something they would never normally do because they fell in love, I really like that, such a fantastic statement.
dear eel sister, your review is just so smart and thorough that really make me watch this episode once again to get all the connections and contrasts. good job, sis. though seo jun is sexy and cute, but young in ha has two scenes as his weapon to make me can’t get over him: 1. the umbrella scene, 2. the beach scene. despite his passiveness and cowardliness, in ha is perfect for me. The beautiful, talented, warm and soft spoken in ha is just too sexy for me, plus, he is from an insanely rich family. where else can you find such a perfect guy? but it’s so sad that he has wasted half of his life in sorrow. And i really wonder, do koreans really dislike JKS that much which reflected in the low rating? are they all blind? they have this gem who makes all girls in Asia to be crazy over him, but they just ignore his masterpiece? I really worry that the low rating will force the production team to shorten the whole drama. let’s pray the rating will reach 2 digits soon.
and the fave seo jun scene in this episode is how he responded when this assistant told hana that seo jun is so handsome. LOL. in ha would just smile shyly or hid his face or look at other direction i think, but seo jun really showed hana how handsome and cool he was literally. this seo jun is really one of a kind, as what he told hana when they’re sheltering from the rain: where else can you find a guy like me? it’s true, seo jun is just so unique, just like JKS.
lol, me too I loved his posturing like a male bird trying to attract a mate but after that scene it always makes me laugh because all his assistants start wolf whistling and calling out wow and always I think it’s for Seo Joon and then we realise it is for Ha Na, it’s very funny. I think that Seo Joon is a bit in love with himself, I don’t think sukkie is really like this, I think he is more positive than proud. Maybe that is just my opinion :0) xx
I think darling that it is a small area that the ratings are counted from and I think that it is unlikely that it is a deliberate act to sabotage the drama either. I think there are a few things that we have to look at here, the first is that the people in the area where the ratings are collated may just be interested in other shows, second the area may not have many eels, just because someone doesn’t watch something doesn’t necesarly mean that they are doing it with bad intentions they just may not want to and thirdly the eels that are in that area could be watching via other methods like the internet or on their phones, you have to remember this is a digital era. I am quite certain that PD Yoon and all the production crew are aware that the ratings are not a true reflection on the dramas popularity, especially when it comes to other countries where they will be certain to sell out the DVD’s in no time. If you look at these conclusions I think it is fairly safe to say that they wouldn’t want to shorten the drama. So don’t worry sis and just enjoy our beautiful prince both as In Ha and as Soe Joon. Hugs xxx
@rebikita: thanks for your explanation. Feel quite relieved now 🙂 Can’t wait for monday. there’s one more mystery from LR: can seo jun sing? In ha is a great composer and singer. How will this talent connect with seo jun? can’t wait to find it our soon. ahhh…. how come weekend feel so long after LR aired? i love mondays now 🙂
Me to….. I really like monday now!
No monday blues since LR aired,hahaha
Dara, wishing you and all my fellow Eels a Happy Monday :0) Hugs xxx
Wow, this post is great. i will have to take my time to read it carefully. I would say i really like Seo Joon in this episode. He is very cute and i am a bit surprise he confess this early. He really is the little boy who likes to bully the girl he likes.
I will also suggest people to start posting at soompi Love Rain thread. I cannot write so well so i cannot contribute much but i think people who can write and analyze should post their comments and reactions at soompi. So far there are a lot of people in that thread. I hope that with more people posting there, it will attract more people to watch Love Rain.
Thanks Mindy, glad you liked it. :0) xxx
Dom, I think you are not the only one, bosses all over the world must be wondering why they have offices full of bright and bushy tailed people on Mondays and Tuesdays for no apparent reason, and only we know the secret, the world is full of eels :0) xxx
you’re truly a poetic person.. love the connection and contrast you point out in this episode.. as i watched this episode i felt the word that sis vita told us in ECI that its like a roller coaster.. when In Ha and Yoon Hee showed on the screen my heart was squeeze too much that brought me into tears and then in the moment here’s Joon and Ha Na bickering that makes me laugh.. this drama makes me like a crazy woman.. and at the same time giddy to our handsome-cute prince.. 🙂
i can’t say more but this drama is getting better and better each episode.. Can’t wait for Monday.. thanks for sharing your thought..
Aww thanks sweetpea, hugs xxx
Sis Reb, Wowww…BRAVO!!! This is super great recap. I love your thoughts. Reading your post is like reading your poems, so poetic thoughtful and full of meaning. After reading your thoughts and everyone’s thoughts here, I’m totally speechless. Reading this threat answered some of the things I don’t understand in the drama. I was one of the millions, watching dramas for pure entertainment, only watching on the surface…no deep thoughts behind the scenes.
LOVE RAIN is the first drama I ever watch RAW and while it’s still airing. I like to watch drama when it completed. Love Rain is my first of many things, especially it has taught me to think a lot, in a perspective and objective way. (I bet if I ever go back to watch all the dramas I watched in the past, I will see it differently now…….)
Honestly, I watched LR Ep 8 three times now. 1st, I watched it raw because couldn’t wait, missing Seo Joon too much. 2nd, with English sub, I missed a lot of important points in the drama because I was busy drooling over Seo Joon, I forgot to read the Sub altogether…kekeke. 3rd, I watched it to fully feel and understand the drama. Strangely, every time I watched LOVE RAIN, I felt like is the FIRST time, despite the fact that I watched at least each episode 3 times. I enjoyed every single time I watched LR. This is saying a lot from a person that love to fast forward almost all the dramas I’d watched in the past; I didn’t care if I missed some scenes.
Geeezz…..how come some people missed all the points and poignant themes of this beautiful drama so badly. Literally, some people openly dared to call this drama one of the worst dramas of the year. I understand this drama may not be the type of dramas they like …… but calling this is bad drama is very uncalled and unjustified for.
Please people don’t judge or watch drama by its cover or purely based on some people’s bad comments. Don’t let’s people influence your judgment!! Watch it yourself and find out you like it or not.
Wow thanks sis, and you even plugged my poetry too, thanks lol. I am so glad you are getting so much out of this drama and if i’ve been able to help in that then that just makes me all the more glad. I hope my review will help people to see this episode in a positive light if they aren’t already doing so, but for me, I can’t imagine what’s not to like. :0) Hugs xxx
I have only one thing to say about Love Rain: it is a work of ART! Kudos Reb to further bring it to life and enhance all the different shades of colour that our eyes may have missed in this drama…it not only covers this episode, your contrast encompasses all the past episodes and it was a brilliant display of past and present.
Aww honey, I knew I could count on you to come to the point of what I was saying, lol. Thanks for the compliment babe, if I’ve only partly done it justice I will be satisfied :0) Hugs xxx
Hi Reb, I must say your thought on the episode is truly impressive. U sounds like a professional movie critics or having backgrounds in literature, I guess. Anyway, your writing makes me captures all the beautiful subtext of Love rain and marvelous work of PD Yoon rather than solely mesmerizing on JKS beauty as I usually do. Keunsuk ‘ s never disappoint us in his acting. Not only his acting is perfect, but also the matured In ha and Yoonhee ‘s acting are very good too. Normally I don’t like melodrama much as it’s too cheesy and slow in moving the plot. But I finally got hooked with the dialogues (of course by JKS too).
Toytinglee, no, no background in literature and I’m not a movie critic either, I just love to see the subtext in things I guess, that and I dearly love words. On the whole I think you can find beauty in just about everything if you look at it in the right way ,I think it’s a lot about perception, here try this, did you know vodka and tonic was this beautiful?
http://micro.magnet.fsu.edu/cocktails/pages/vodkatonic.html
And this is coming from someone who doesn’t drink it. I just wanted to show everyone the beauty that I saw in this episode, when I read your comment “Anyway, your writing makes me capture all the beautiful subtext of Love rain and marvellous work of PD Yoon rather than solely mesmerizing on JKS beauty as I usually do.” It made my day, not that I should stop you drooling over our prince of course, kekeke, but that you appreciate his work, I am sure he would love that too :0). Hugs Sis xxx
Reb, I did look at Vodka & Tonic as u suggested. I can’t believe it’s real. I like that u said everything has its own beauty , we have to look at it in the right way. U know what, I quoted this to my hubby to let him know that though I change from skinny girl to chubby matured woman, I still hold my beauty but he has to look at me deeply. 555
Toytinglee, aww you are so sweet, what you said to your husband made me laugh, I too put on weight, a lot actually rather than just a little like you (this was due to illness that stopped me exercising for a long time, i’m loosing it now, I just have to learn to adjust my eating habbits instead.) and the thing is, even when you are overweight there are thing that a man can love, you become curvier for a start and you become soft and by that I mean you are better to cuddle you man will like to lean his head on you, lean up againt you or generally squish you,lol, you retain heat better so that you are like their own personal hot water bottle on romantic walks in the cold, they will never have to sit in a restaurant and be embarassed that you will hardly touch your meal and usually if your a bit chubby you have really cute cheeks and get less wrinkles too, so you get to be cute and get to do it for that bit longer. You see, everything has it’s positive side, but in honesty i’m sure you don’t need to tell your hubby, I bet you he allready has his own list, lol. And I tell you one thing, I have only ever spoken to you via text and I can already see your beauty, maybe I haven’t seen you but there is the biggest thing that people often forget when they talk about beauty, but it is the first criteria I go by, and that’s your personality. If you are beautiful inside, I don’t care what you look like on the outside, but people will see the beauty in you because that kind of beauty can never be hidden. Love you sis, hugs xxx
Hi Reb! You do the BEST, shall I say “episode review, analysis and after thoughts” EVER! I have been searching for a write up like this to truly enjoy the episode indepth and I have found you! Thanks Ivy too for allowing this platform. Do continue to write Reb and I will be looking forward to reading your next write up after Love Rain’s episode airing tommorrow!
PS. I agree that colours have been used to signify certain events and emotions. Sadly, yellow may be the colour of separation and coupled with the “Love Story” movie theme embedded in In Ha and Yoon Hee’s relationship, I am afraid this may be a forwarning that the two will go to a similar end. Fortunately, HaNa and Seo Joon’s colour is not yellow and they may have a more positive and happy outcome. BTW, I always thought that Hana’s yellow coat was water resistant/ proof (ie some sort of rain coat) which was why Seo Jun allowed her to be wet. Nevertheless, I am sure it was done on purpose to clearly distinguish the difference in attitude/behaviour between the father and son.
Staying Up Late, thank you so much for your glowing endorsement, I don’t really know what to say :0), I’m proud to have been able to have written a review for you guys, but the point, I think, of these bi-weekly articles is to give everyone a chance to share their thoughts on this beautiful drama, I am honoured to have been asked but will be just as glad to pass the torch to another talented eel for the first of this weeks episodes. Though if you want to see more of my writing in general I do have a site that I have only recently opened where I post the odd poem which you can check out if you like http://www.rebikita.tumblr.com and you can follow me on twitter @Rebikita on the site or on my RSS feed so you never miss anything.
As for the colours I think you are correct in regard to the seperation ultimately, but only in the sense that she is sick and that will definitely give a finite time to the relationship, I have hopes that they will have their happy ending in the end before she leaves, I also think that her dying will be the thing that brings the son and him back together, but these are only my guesses :0).
The raincoat Ha Na was wearing was a waterproof one by the way but it still doesn’t mean he should have been allowing her to get wet, waterproof or not she was pointing out to him that it was not proper behaviour. In Ha would have covered her despite it but Seo Joon argued that his clothes cost more, lol, times have truly changed, people are not alltogether wrong when they say that chivalry is dead. I hope to find someone that still believes in it, what do you think? :0) Hugs xxx
You have a gift, Reb. Have not come across anyone who could appreciate so profoundly what the director and writer are trying to achieve with Love Rain. I am still very eager to see another episode or two reflections from you!
There are goodness abound in the world around us. Chivalry is alive and can be found in the gracious environment with the right people posessing openess of mind. You will find one (or many) such persons good in time.:)
Awww, thanks so much sis, you have so much confidence in me I’m truly touched. As for the rest it’s not up to sweetie, and even if it was, I think it’s good to hear lot’s of different points of views, and we can discuss the remaining episodes in the comments just as well. And you never know maybe I’ll end up writting something else for aphrael at some point in the future, so you’ll get to see my writting again at some point i’m sure :0). Hugs xxx
LOVE THIS SIS REB!!!
Thanks honey, your such a cutie, I think I can always count on you to like my writing, love you lots babe, hugs xxx
I wish I could share my thought with you, Reb… but because of my poor English skill, I just can say I love your profound analysis! I really want Sukkie and PD Yoon to read this.
Ha ha, maybe someone will tweet them the link, lol. But I don’t understand what you’re talking about honey, you english is wonderful, and if not (which I think unlikely) we can take a couple of try’s, after all we are all sisters here, what’s a little time and patience between family. But you give me too much credit, thank you so much for the compliment, you make me glow :0). Love and Hugs xxx
Reb, today I tweeted to @LoveRainTV ^^
Your encouragement gives me power to learn English. Honestly I don’t use English in my daily life, at work nor at home. Only here, I use it. I like writing and organizing my thoughts, but it takes time to do it in English. Now dictionaries are my friend 🙂 In a year, I wanna handle my English more naturally and see you someday.
Awww, Tenshi my darling you praise me too highly, I am crying with happyness with the comments from everyone on here today. I am going to start to get big headed, lol, it seems like so many people tell me that I have inspired them to do something, or restart something,or learn something, I feel like I should have a special title kekeke, but but in all seriousness, if I was able to encourage you with your english that makes me really glad, it’s something that you clearly want to do and although it isn’t part of your work now it is something that could help your career in the future. As I said your english is great and I like your bit about the dictionary being your friend, that’s good, I know the feeling, it was the same for me when I learnt spanish. And if you ever need help or have a question you need answering, I am more than willing to help babe. I would love to see you some day, that would be truly wonderful, I shall hope and pray that in a year I would be either well enough for you visit me or well enough for me to visit you.
As for the tweet, gosh my heart is beating, is this the official page? I think it is unlikely they will see it amongst the many though right? And they probably won’t read it now unless there was a special reason because it’s episode 8’s review and we’re already after 10 now. Don’t know if I’m relieved or disappointed, lol, hmmm well I think I am a little sad, keke. Oh well them’s the breaks. Hugs sweetie xxx
Honestly, I don’t need to watch the episode again to feel the different emotions each character portray, because your exceptional talent in writing does it all. I wonder if PD Yoon will ask you to join the team 🙂 Love it Reb!
Thanks honey, i’m stunned by your compliment, I really don’t know what to say except thanks, and I am so glad that you took so much from my review, it really means a lot. Also, I don’t know if you like poetry but if you do, you can find more of my writing here at http://www.rebikita.tumblr.com please feel free to go and leave comments on there too.
As for PD Yoon, oh my, could you imagine?!? I would be in total bliss, I can’t imagine anything more fullfilling than working with such a fantastic director. Maybe in my dreams eh, lol. Though I suppose anything’s possible if you wish for it hard enough, kekeke.