Overview of Rain or Shine
‘Rain or Shine’ is a South Korean drama series aired from December 11, 2017, to January 30, 2018. Tragedy can cause changes in a person forever. It can be an unexpected death, a war, a crime, or a disaster. In Yoo Bo-ra’s great plotline and Kim Jin-won’s direction, the drama focuses on the tragedy of a building collapse—and those who died as well as those whose lives were left collapsed in debris. The lead protagonists experienced different aftermaths of the tragic accident and each of them was greatly and irrevocably altered by the experience.
The screen presence and performance of the actors, including Lee Jun-ho and Won Jin-ah, were absolutely fabulous and portrayed accurate explorations of post-traumatic stress syndrome in their performances. The slow, relaxed, and steady romance is just gorgeous.
Profile
- Drama: Rain or Shine
- Director: Kim Jin-won
- Writer: Yoo Bo-ra
- Network: JTBC
- Episodes: 16
- Release Date: December 11, 2017 – January 30, 2018
- Language: Korean
- Country: South Korea
Cast
- Lee Jun-ho as Lee Kang-doo
- Nam Da-reum as young Lee Kang-doo
- Won Jin-ah as Ha Moon-soo
- Park Si-eun as young Ha Moon-soo
- Lee Ki-woo as Seo Joo-won
- Kang Han-na as Jung Yoo-jin
Supporting
- Kim Hye-jun as Lee Jae-young
- Yoon Se-ah as Ma-ri
- Kim Kang-hyun as Sang-man
- Na Moon-hee as Jeong Sook-hee
- Han Seo-jin as Ha Yeon-soo, Moon-soo’s younger sister who died in an accident.
- Park Hee-von as Kim Wan-jin, Moon-soo’s friend who is a webtoon writer.
- Kim Min-kyu as Jin-young, Wan-jin’s assistant.
- Choi Hyo-eun as Hwa-sai
- Nam Gi-ae as Joo-won’s mother.
- Tae In-ho as Jung Yoo-taek
- Park Gyu-young as So-mi
- Yoon Yoo-sun as Yoon-ok, Moon-soo’s mother.
- Ahn Nae-sang as Ha Dong-chul, Moon-soo’s father.
Synopsis
Ten years ago, a major accident happened. A shopping mall collapse killed 49 people and severely injured others. A teenage boy is introduced, Lee Kang-doo (Lee Jun-ho), who works at part-time construction jobs at times. Lee Kang-doo is seriously affected by the accident, as a metal bolt sliced through his calf muscle, causing permanent pain and the need for professional rehab to recover. Lee Kang-doo’s father, the lead architect of Space S Mall, committed suicide after the calamity out of guilt. The serious leg injury crushed Kang-doo’s dream of becoming a professional soccer player.
Kang-doo’s entire earnings he managed to make over the years in construction work went sacrificially to help pay for his only sister Lee Jae-young’s (Kim Hye-jun) medical schooling to become a doctor.
One evening, Kang-doo is injured in a fight and knocked unconscious into a street corner. A compassionate young lady, Ha Moon-soo (Won Jin-ah), finds him and drags the injured Kang-doo to a room behind her father Ha Dong-chul’s (Ahn Nae-sang) nearby restaurant apartment so he can recover.
Later, it turns out that Ha Moon-soo is also a survivor of the shopping mall collapse. She lost her younger sister, but she lives a fierce life without giving up for the sake of her mother, Yoon-ok (Yoon Yoo-sun). They have not had a single peaceful day since then. One day, Kang-doo came to know that a new construction project is being developed at the same location where the mall once stood.
He gets a job at that construction site and he has to work with Ha Moon-soo. The tragic incident that happened to her sister inspired Moon-soo to become an architect, and she made architectural models for building companies.
Both Ha Moon-soo and Lee Kang-doo were in charge of the memorial park for the people who lost their lives in the disaster. They both worked together, making sure that no such disaster happened again.
The Connection between Lee Kang-doo and Ha Moon-soo
Though Moon-soo and Kang-doo meet on the construction site, he recognises her to be the girl he saw in the past. On that day at the mall, Kang-doo is enjoying ice cream in a shop, and Moon-soo is applying lipstick while looking at the shop window. After the collapse, they both were stuck under the building’s debris, and while crying for help, they found each other alive. Kang-doo is unable to move, and the rest of the debris falls down and blocks his way.
Ending Explained
Lee Kang-doo lost everything in the tragic accident and lived on debt taken from loan sharks. He is still paying off debt by doing different jobs and his sister has completed her studies and is going to become a doctor.
Though Han Moon-soo does not like Kang-doo at first, she slowly starts to fall for him; however, he cannot reciprocate her feelings as something forces him to stay away. Shocking news is revealed that Kang-doo’s liver is about to fail and he can die anytime if he does not get a suitable donor. Moon-soo is unaware of this until he faints at her doorstep, and fortunately, Kang-doo finds a donor, his neighbour Sang-man (Kim Kang-hyun). Kang-doo accepted to receive part of Sang Man’s liver and survives.
Lee Kang-doo and Ha Moon-soo complete the memorial park project together and let go of all their haunting memories. They find true peace in their lives by finding each other and they move forward to find a new will to live and embrace the future.
Theme
A distressing and traumatic experience can scar someone for life. If it is a childhood trauma, then it can even change the way you look at the world. Losing a loved one can be very hard to cope with, but living with the guilt of being the reason for someone’s death can be extremely painful.
‘Rain or Shine’ gives us a clear insight into how the victim’s families are holding on with the scar of losing their loved ones and having experienced something as terrible as the darkness of a fallen building. ‘Rain or Shine’ is a deep and intense drama that is emotional and talks about trauma and healing.
The actors were so good in every scene that they effortlessly portrayed the emotions, whether happy or sad. You could feel every smile, every tear, and all the heart-stopping moments as your heart slowly ascended into deep, fiery pits never to be seen again.
Awards
- 6th APAN Star Awards – 2018
Best New Actress – Won Jin-ah
Interesting Facts about Rain or Shine
- Won Jin-ah was selected to play the lead female character from 120 other participants who took part in the auditions.
- OST of the drama is magnificent as the soulful music suits the drama’s overall melancholic theme.
- ‘Rain or Shine’ is the first JTBC drama series to air on Mon & Tue at 23:00.
- The first script reading of the drama was held on 22 August 2017.
- The series marks Lee Jun-ho’s first lead role in a TV series.
- ‘Rain or Shine’ marks the rookie actress Won Jin-ah’s first-ever major role.
FAQs
- Who are the writer and director of ‘Rain or Shine’?
The drama is written by Yoo Bo-ra and directed by Kim Jin-won.
- What is the genre of ‘Rain or Shine’?
The drama falls into the romance-comedy and melodrama genres.
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How many episodes are in ‘Rain or Shine’?
‘Rain or Shine’ has concluded a successful 16-episode run. - Is the K-drama ‘Rain or Shine’ worth watching?
A slow-paced painful yet beautiful drama that offers a tremendous amount of hope and positivity to the viewers. The slow, warm and exquisite story holds your heart and revivifies you within. - What is the Instagram ID of Lee Jun-ho?
le2jh is the Instagram ID of Lee Jun-ho. - What is the Instagram ID of Won Jin-ah?
j0i3n2a9 is the Instagram ID of Won Jin-ah.
