To start with, this drama sounds either amazing or
dull. I was sucked in by it immediately after I read the synopsis and
saw the promotional pictures. However, when I started watching it, I
kind of got bored after the second episode itself and put it aside for
some time. Now I am glad I came back to watching it because it was so
awesome!
This is not a light drama. It requires a deep level of understanding to
appreciate it or you have to be a hardcore romantic. Since I am not that
much of a romantic, I had to put in effort to understand it. But
once I got the
hang of it, it just flowed smoothly. There is so much more to the show
than just its romance. To put into words- this show has probably one of
the best romances I have ever seen. The lead pair- Jun and Ha Na have an
incredibly strong romance throughout the show. Plus, Jang Geun Seok
being one of my favorite actors, it was a treat to watch him in it. He
looked so different in 70s look and I think that it suited him well. Im
Yoon Ah also looked very pretty in the 70s part. Their chemistry was
probably better in that era than the present one. But since it had fewer
scenes, I'd choose the present day one.
This show is mostly about love. The biggest issue raised in this show
regarding love is- how far are you willing to go for your love? Is true
love really worth fighting for, or not? Also, one of the biggest
contrasts between the relationships of the parents and their children is
the level of selfishness or selflessness. It was not a question of who
loved for a longer time- it was about whose love was greater.
Definitely, it was the children's. I really loved how Jun and Ha Na put
their parents' happiness over everything else. And I simply hated the
character of In Ha. He was one of the most selfish ones in this drama. I
was only happy when he did that one thing for his son. But I would say
even that wouldn't count for much if you consider the way he left his
child abandoned. However, Yoon Hee is the perfect mother- kind, caring
and selfless. I really don't think In Ha deserved her at all. But I
didn't like how she seemed like a pushover whenever In Ha's ex-wife
bullied her. I failed to comprehend why she couldn't stand up for
herself.
Out of all the characters- Jun's was the best. He had the best traits of
all. He has real issues with his mother and father. His mother is an
alcoholic who has always been trouble for him and everyone around her.
He has to put up with her constantly embarrassing and frustrating
situations that she creates. If I met that lady on the street, I would
probably strangle her. Not just that, she is selfish to the core and
there is no good quality in her. Other than that, since Jun was
abandoned by In Ha at a young age he really doesn't believe in love or
family, because those never gave him happiness. He is a complete player
in the beginning until he meets Ha Na. He comes off as arrogant and
insensitive. At first, he judges her based on her looks and keeps
harassing her. However, she is not the one to back down. She is very
stubborn and succeeds in breaking the wall he has built around himself.
He grows to love her simple ways and falls for her. She transforms him
from a person who never said 'Sorry', to someone who would do anything
for her. She also gets attracted to his bad boy ways and together they
begin their relationship.
One of the biggest issues I had with Ha Na's character was that she
hardly ever changes. I am not saying being simple and nice is bad, but
really being that naive till the end was sort of unbelievable. I also
didn't like the fact that she tries too hard to be noble and sacrificial
even if that is not in her nature. Also, she is the one with the upper
hand in their relationship. Everything goes according to what she says.
When she wants to be with Jun- he stays and when she wants to break up,
they break up. Even though I was worried that Yoon Ah wouldn't be able
to pull the emotional scenes, she did those very well. Her expressions
seemed bland and lacking in the beginning but she improved as the
episodes progressed. Geun Seok is of course- a fantastic actor so I had
no doubts at his potential. Though his hairstyle was a disaster in the
beginning, they thankfully changed it a bit after the 11th or 12th
episode. Of course, he looked very handsome. I really liked his
personality in this. The tough guy exterior suits him very well.
And... I really loved the relationship of Ha Na and Jun. The show is
called 'Love Rain' and the love in this is simply great. I give an A+
for the romantic and emotional scenes. Some of them were quite moving.
Although, I got a bit tired of them during the last few episodes, it
doesn't affect my love for them in any way.
As for the flaws in the show- there are plenty. There were problems with
the sub-plots, characterizations, execution and ending. However, it
still turns out to be one of the best dramas I have seen because the
"good" parts are simply mind blowing. The cinematography was the best
out of all shows that I have seen till date. It simply takes your breath
away in almost all the episodes. The direction and editing were both
brilliant. The screenplay is lazy and slow, but again- amazing direction
and a great cast make a terrible show into the very best.
There were times that I wanted to stop watching it or skip it
altogether. But once I got so invested in it, it was impossible for me
to back out. I just had to get through it and finish it, so I did. The
show has so many downsides to it, but those don't really come to my mind
because the best parts made
such a good impact on me.
MY RATING: 4.5/5
This is officially the longest drama I have watched
till now. And probably had the most fun watching too. I tend to shy away
from dramas having 20+ episodes, but took a great risk and watched this
one. I tried watching the Korean version months back and ended up
dropping it after 2 episodes. But after finishing this, I want to try
that one out too. Anyway, let's move on to the important parts.
This drama is silly and full of nonsense. But it's breezy and very light
to watch. It's one of those dramas that you can watch without thinking
much and enjoy it. I laughed hard at something every other episode. The
first few episodes were absolutely hilarious. I think this drama did a
fantastic job of
not boring me till the last 4-5 episodes (parts of which you can easily
skip). But I found the story and its characters very colourful. Members
of both the family and even its secondary characters are all likable. I
wasn't annoyed by a single person in it! The main guy- Zhi Shu is a
genius with more brains than actual emotions. But we realize as the
story goes on that he isn't that bad anyway. I have to say I liked him
better than Xiang Qin's character. I tried my hardest to not criticize
her actions and thoughts and that was the only way I could end up liking
this drama.
As for the cast- I have become a fan of Joe Cheng and Jiro Wang. I was
familiar with Ariel Lin but here she is the true star of the show. She
made all the cutesy expressions and pouts in the world and still shined.
She was way too cute and managed to win me over in the first episode
itself. This drama has loads of cuteness in it. And the main leads have
amazing chemistry. I was sort of disappointed with lots of times because
whenever they were together, I found myself wanting for them to kiss.
The last 2 episodes more or less made up for this part. Oh and should I
mention one scene which stood out among the rest? This show has one of
the best confession-in-the-rain scenes I have ever seen! I can't believe
how well it was shot and with great dialogues. And the wait that builds
up in the viewer till then makes it all worth it.
And I want to address this particular issue on people complaining that
Zhi Shu was too "cold". I say no- he wasn't cold. The way he acted was
to show the contrast between his and Xiang Qin's personalities. Where
she is impulsive, he is smart and carefully thinks before acting. But I
loved how he keeps smiling to himself whenever Xiang Qin's stalking him
or trying to please him. I probably only didn't like his need to be
constantly chased. There were times he didn't take enough pity on her
but then I understand why he didn't. That's all I can say without
spoiling it. Anyway, both characters are too flawed and yet likable.
This drama was a thorough entertainer. It doesn't have melodrama which
is probably one of the strongest points. It's more of a family cum
romance genre. And I loved the ending even if it was a bit silly. It
left me wanting for more so I'd definitely watch the second season. Its
rewatch value is decent. I think it's a drama that can be seen again
just to remember the good parts.
MY RATING: 3.5/5
I think ever since I have known that there are such
things called 'dramas', this particular one called '1 Litre of Tears'
exists. Wherever I looked for drama recommendations this one was always
included. Now I know why. 1 Litre of Tears falls nothing short of a
masterpiece. While I sincerely thought it was not flawed, there are a couple of annoying characters in it.
The story is absolutely brilliant. The fact that this happened in
reality and that there are still thousands of people suffering from this
disease is truly saddening and heartbreaking. I can the portrayal of a
person's disability in it was 100% accurate. It was so realistic that I
felt like it was actually happening in
front of me. The
main cast gave outstanding performances- especially Sawajiri Erika. She
was so convincing that I felt her pain.
Apt to its title, this drama could make you cry a lot- depending on you.
I am going to confess that there were a few times I absolutely teared
up. In fact, I think not tearing up while watching this would be
inhumane. Anybody who is capable of feeling sorry for the physically
disabled or people suffering from painful diseases will be able to feel
it here too. Aya (both the fictional and real one) is a very inspiring
person. The things she recorded in her diary is deep and moving.
The way they showed the transformation of an ordinary girl's life after
she encounters Spinocerebellar Atrophy was the main focus of the drama.
More than her struggle, it was also focused on how it affects those
around her- be it friends, parents, siblings, teachers or regular people
you meet on the street. It makes me think of all the physically
disabled people I have seen in public. I think I can understand their
feelings more clearly now.
This drama is almost like a documentary made on Aya's life. Neither is
it happy to begin with nor does it end happily. But the sadness and
tears aren't the only things in it. Most of all- it will remind you to
treasure life and be thankful for what you have. There's a deeper
underlying meaning to it too. It also showcases the kindness and cruelty
of humans and their attitude towards such people. In a lot of
countries, people are still not aware of hardships such people have to
go through and treat them badly. Just like Aya said, "Why did it choose
me?" The matter of falling ill was not by choice but only cruel fate.
This drama is one of the rare gems that you should definitely not miss
out on.
My Rating: 4.5/5
