As a guy who normally only watches romantic movies to accompany my wife, I created my account here after watching One Spring Night so I can write my very first review. While cheesy romances are not usually my cup of tea, unless they are really funny, I do like a good character-driven story that is interesting and hopefully believable. Despite being a longtime fan of Korean movies, I only started to watch k-drama several months ago and since then my wife and I are hooked. However, after almost a dozen shows, while the majority are very enjoyable, most of the story lines start to feel over-the-top and formulistic. After searching for a slower-paced drama I watched Something in the Rain. I loved it as much as I was frustrated by the flawed characters' unbelievable actions in the second half and the rushed ending. Despite its short comings however, I was still in the mood for another "serious" love story and was excited to find One Spring Night from the same writer and director.
I was hooked by One Spring Night after the first episode. I loved the slow burn of the leads' relationship after their love at first sight encounter 5 minutes into the show. I liked watching the characters live as they chat, eat, drink, get drunk and talk some more. The actors are fabulous and it's hard not to root for them despite, or because of, their flaws. The male villains are annoying and pathetic, I find their character reasonably three dimensional (for a drama series) except for the elder sister's husband. I was relieved to find the subplots are not too convoluted or overbearing with unsatisfactory ending - though I would have happily paid the director to shorten the scenes between the ex-boyfriend and evil brother-in-law and give more screen time to the couple and the kid towards the end. Also, the lack of a truly psychotic and indestructible villain (like in Rain) meant our couple's up-and-down journey felt more organic and believable, as they don't need external help to create more insurmountable obstacles, a common trait in many dramas.
Despite it's slow pace, Spring is ultimately uplifting in its portrayal of friendship, family, and, of course, the courage to trust the other person and to take risks in the name of love. It's hard not to be emotional when the sisters came together and support each other. While laugh-out comedy is mostly absent, there are many touching moments that would put a smile - and a tear or two - on your face. My favorites include the dinosaur-sticker-on-the-phone and proposal scenes. Priceless.
Lastly, the cinematography sometimes remind me of In the mood for Love. The soundtrack, while repetitive and admittedly overused, are lovely so I am not complaining.
To those tempted by this drama but are concerned by the slow pace, I'd suggest watching the first episode. You should know by then whether this is for you.
To those hesitating between Rain or Spring, I'd say both are wonderful. To me, the first half of Rain is incomparably adorable. Overall though, if I had to rank them based on viewer satisfaction, coherence of the story line and character development, Spring comes out on top mostly thanks to the personality of the heroine. But the good news is, there's no need to choose. Go watch both of them if you haven't yet.
