[DRAMA | SERIES]: One Spring Night (2019) Han Ji Min & Jung Hae In drama dir. Ahn Pan Seok

(photo source from One Spring Night MBC official site)

It was early this year that Jung Hae In is confirmed for a new drama from Ahn Pan Seok called One Spring Night. The actor already worked with the director for Something in the Rain as the main lead too. Then a few months later, Han Ji Min confirmed her casting as the female lead for One Spring Night. It was that day when I started anticipating the whole drama when Han Ji Min confirmed her casting. From the start, I already see the potential of the pairing, I am also aware that One Spring Night is a mellow-romance drama and I thought those days that it's going to be good.

(photo source from One Spring Night MBC official site)

One Spring Night is about the life and romance of two individuals in their 30s. Lee Jung In who works as librarian meets Yoo Ji Ho, who works as a pharmacist. Lee Jung In who has a hangover from a drinking night out with her friend visited a pharmacy then there, she meets a clean cut in a white gown pharmacist Yoo Ji Ho who helps her to find remedy but upon their first meeting, one of them spark interest.  

Reflecting the genre of the drama, a romance that might spark actually have a hole because of both Lee Jung In and Yoo Ji Ho carries their own concerns towards themselves as they both talked it out, Lee Jung In has a long time boyfriend who she might consider marrying while Yoo Ji Ho is left by his ex-lover and now a single parent to a young son. How can they maintain their friendship when both sparks interest with each other?

(photo source from One Spring Night MBC official site)

I remember when the first to two weeks where this series started. I've seen a lot of people dropping this because of how things turned for the main characters; The topic of cheating was there, I always see debates about it and I thought at that time that I should see how this drama goes than judge it because of that one topic that ruins for others

The series goes by weeks after weeks of new episodes; One Spring Night airs 2 episodes in one night in MBC but consider to be just one episode meaning to say it has 32 episodes but also equates to 16 episodes because they cut the 30 mins run time then proceeds to a new episode but the whole episode has at least 1 hour run time. 

(photo source from One Spring Night MBC official site)

When this still airing, I also gave my opinions with people asking why do they have to watch this? or should they drop this? or even a rant. I shared my opinions calmly with others and I think I considered that a good distribution that I made people re-watch this again honestly it feels good knowing they listen to your opinion & they decided to re-watch this again. 

(photo source from One Spring Night official site)

The subject of 'cheating', I've talked with fellow k-drama viewers; I understand their sides & their opinions while sharing mine. They shared that it may not be cheating physically but cheating emotionally, I think there was cheating but not to the extent that it's explicit. We often see dramas or films about cheating that involves explicit contents & for OSN, I think it's more than just a subject of cheating. For me, I think it's more of the character's emotional depth and it's layered on how they deal with their conflicts.
Even the characters knew to themselves about their flaws & their not so perfect situations. I don't know how to explain it but they've done this topic that fits the melo-romance and it sure does its magic because each episode didn't lose its momentum. 

(photo source from One Spring Night MBC official site)

Lee Jung In, works as a librarian, she is in her 30s and the middle child of the three Lee sisters. Jung In has a long time boyfriend who she's been dating for 4 years that her father wants her to get married already but for Jung In marriage is not the answer. At the start of the episode, it tries to show how their relationship might already be over based on their conversation with her friend and she just didn't know it or acknowledge it that's why when she started this friendship with Ji Ho it's turning into a cheating situation when in honesty she's been over with Gi-Seok. As episodes go by and as she realizes & concluded her feelings, she eventually broke up with her longtime boyfriend. You may not like Lee Jung In as a character because she's selfish, she's brutally honest, she makes decisions impulsively, she's mean and she knows it well but that's what I like about her character, she's not the typical lead female character because somehow you take a glimpse of reality that there are people like her but as I watched her character feel hurt, feel happy & make decisions while she develops, I saw the progressed.
Han Ji Min did a great job with portraying Lee Jung In, I think she didn't get credited more in here but during emotional scenes Han Ji Min knows how to contain her tears; you can feel the emotion through her eyes but she also knows where to pour out that emotions and I am happy that she confirmed her casting because I truly believe she's the only actress who can pull this character off. 

(photo source from One Spring Night MBC official site)

Yoo Ji Ho, is in his 30s that works as a pharmacist. He is a single parent to a young son that his parents taking care of. Ji Ho used to be in pain because his ex-lover left him with their son but those times made him mature. Ji Ho is a responsible man who is level-headed but also competitive. Ji Ho meets Jung In at the pharmacy when she visited to find a remedy to her hangover but then Ji Ho seems sparks interest on her that he makes chances to see & meet her. What I noticed about his character is that he is emotional & he has fears, anxieties but he doesn't show it and what I like about Ji Ho he knows his limitations but he knows how to grab an opportunity at the right moment.
Ji Ho has two friends that are realistically & relatably portrayed. I like that whenever Ji Ho is in a tight situation the words they uttered is either realistically make sense or they are trying to be level headed. Ji Ho's parents are involved with him as they take care of Eun Woo while Ji Ho is working hard. Ji Ho's parents have their worries for their son especially Ji Ho's love life, his mother worries a lot because she wants to see her son be happy again and she wishes her son to have someone he can rely on while Ji Ho's father is neutral but supports his son's decision and I thought that Ji Ho got his warm, kind qualities to his father and the competitiveness to his mother.  Eun Woo is Ji Ho's young son, he's still a kid but he's wise and adorable.
I appreciate that Jung Hae In works together again with dir. Ahn Pan Seok and though most of his fans would want to see him in another genre of drama but I do like to consider that the reason why he accepted this because of the director & how they have already the bond & I would like to assume that he likes the script and would like to act a new character as a single parent; I'm so glad that he accepted this because he truly improves and I do believe that his character Yoo Ji Ho is different from his past character in Something in the Rain. 

(photo source from One Spring Night MBC official site)

Aside from the romance, this drama also tackles issues that are thought-provoking. Issues with relationship, marriage, family, work, and abuse. I like reading other people's insights & opinion about those topics in this drama and I appreciate every one of them except for the trolls. I guess those topics are a bit heavy & serious but trust me this drama didn't fail to deliver the warmness & genuineness of the story. I like how it's kind and you can see hope on it. I most like the sisterhood between the three Lee sisters (Seo In, Jung In & Jae In) the three of them have different personalities & approach but when they gather they are a force not to be reckoned with. It reminds me of that film from Kore-eda called 'Our Little Sister' it reminds me of that sisterhood. What I get from this drama is that there's a sense of female empowerment here since the female characters are dealing with the patriarchal males (for example Seo-In and her issue with her trash husband and Jung In with Gi Seok who dictates her feelings  and that dad who keeps on pursuing his daughter to get married for the sake of promotions).

(photo source from One Spring Night MBC official site)

Aside from our main leads plot, One Spring Night shows the subplot of the supporting characters like for Seo In, Jung In's elder sister. Seo In is an elegant news anchor despite the status, Seo In is experiencing abuse to her husband. Jae In, the younger sister of Jung In & Seo In, her story is about giving up high expectations to find her true calling. There is also Ji Ho's friend who is an examinee/reviewer who has been studying for civil service exam even though most of his friends already have work. The sub-plots of the supporting characters are also interesting though the drama hasn't dive too much with their own conflicts except for Seo In's because her story is one of the highlights in the drama but each one's story is relatable.

(photo source from One Spring Night official site)

I could go on talking about this drama and how much I appreciate the story. I love that this drama shows how characters deal with their conflicts & situations maturely and realistically. dir. Ahn Pan Seok is known for capturing moments in a realistic way and you can also see that from his past works.

Lee Jung In and Yoo Ji Ho's love story shows that it flows continuously with the people they love and trust. They went through a lot of hurdles, people mocked them for their relationship, they even have misunderstandings when they got together but that's just how a relationship works.

(photo source from One Spring Night MBC official site)

I think the reason why Jung In and Gi Seok didn't work was because both of them knew there's no love anymore that they just went along because they are aware that they've been dating for so long that it's such a waste but as the episodes rolled you can notice their personalities with each other. Gi Seok tends to dictate Jung In's feelings without even respecting her emotionally, he likes to blame others & look down people's situations whereas Jung In also admittedly that she is mean and she cheated that she hurt Gi Seok's feelings. I could assume that their relationship got ruined not because of Ji Ho but because they just don't admit that it's over & they pretend to love each other when there's none already. I felt bad because Gi Seok is looking like a fool when he continues to pursue Jung In knowing Jung In already broke things off from him for many times & Jung In is already with Ji Ho, he just can't let his pride hurt and it's ridiculous. Breakups are not an easy phase but as much as I would like to empathize with him, I can't deny that he has a big ego that the way he pursues Jung In is not out of love but an obsession to fix his pride. In the last episode, he gave up because his dad told him & he apologized to Jung In for what he did through a message though Jung In implied that whenever she sees Gi Seok she doesn't feel anything anymore with him that kind of ease her because she truly loves Ji Ho. For Yoo Ji Ho, he can take hates about him and he doesn't mind but the man can step up if it involves his son.

(photo source from One Spring Night MBC official site)

I like how the supporting characters are good foundations to our main characters, they also have interesting sub-plot that coincides with the main plot. My favorite character in this series is Lee Jae-In, she is the younger sister of Seo In and Jung In that came from France to study but she went back home in Korea without noticing it to her parents. What I like about her character, she's level-headed, she knows how to share her opinions, she's smart but she's also kind, she has sarcasm but in a positive way, she's serious but she can also be fun and she's the type of friend who will knock you out to make sense. Jae In somehow feels like she's not the younger one because she always defends her sisters and backs them up but somehow there was a scene that I feel that she really is the younger sibling because the way she cried for her sister, the way she felt frustrated & cried on the ground. I love the character and she's my favorite next to Ji Ho's senior at the pharmacy.

(photo source from One Spring Night official site)

Overall, I'm satisfied with how this series concluded. I always mentioned how each episode didn't lose their momentum but I guess I could point out that there are some topics that got mentioned a bit rush; I think it's the topic of Ji Ho's past, his concern with his ex-lover because in the second to the last episode which btw this is a spoiler (I think I've mentioned a lot of spoilers already so I don't know why I should put this) Jung In and Ji Ho had a misunderstanding because of Ji Ho's drunk sentiments, he asked her if Jung In will leave them just like how his ex-lover left them, I think that it could have been discussed more if it's mention from the past episodes because we never get to see Ji Ho go really emotionally affected until his son got mentioned. I kind of understand why they don't drag long that issue because just like what Ji Ho wants to convey that he doesn't have any more feelings towards his ex-lover but he can't deny that his ex-lover is his son's birth mom, he only got emotional with the thought of his ex-love might take his son but Ji Ho's senior assures him that it won't happen. When Jung In and Ji Ho talked in the cafe about it, I like how they both honest, their fears and their anxieties towards their relationship going forward but they eventually solve that.

(photo source from One Spring Night official site)

Maybe it's just me but I noticed that the main characters often have significant moments during the night, they convey their feelings through conversations whenever they meet at night and somehow it coincides with the title of the drama which is One Spring Night because probably & mostly they fell in love in spring that one night. I guess I'm just reading it a lot but I think that the way the drama shot & the use of dialogues, objects & colors I think it symbolizes with the characters and the metaphor it has for them; like for example in the first episode we see Ji Ho playing basketball there he met Gi Seok who at that time still Jung In's boyfriend and they had this little introduction conversation that they would like to play a match together & in that conversation Ji Ho mentioned that he won't take it easy same goes to Gi Seok and I think that correlates with how their situation in regards to Jung In. they eventually got in a fight not in basketball but for themselves. They used the sport basketball as a starter that Ji Ho and Gi Seok will bound to have a match.

(photo source from One Spring Night official site)

There was also a scene where Jung In and Ji Ho are talking inside the car and that one was emotional since it was a conversation where Ji Ho wants to take a leap because he can't contain his feelings for Jung In and in that scene they were on the road, there was a cherry blossom that reflects on the car window to Jung In's side while Ji Ho has that stop light flickering in to red and green lights, again maybe I'm reading it too much but I think that symbolizes something that Jung In blooms whenever she's with Ji Ho and Ji Ho with the stop light correlates on how will he act around Jung In. Honestly, I love it, I haven't seen much people making theories about it but if the director & writer purposely did that then wow kudos to them because I love it.

(photo source from One Spring Night official site)

What I also love is the conversations and dialogues in the drama. They are not far fetched and overstretched to make things complicated but they are simple and well thought. There was this scene between Jung In and Ji Ho in the park and they just talk about what's a good date in a daylight and they went on sharing what they want to do as an ideal date and I was smiling at that part because probably there are couples in real life who sits on a bench on a day talking about their dates. Yes, I really appreciate the dialogues so much.

(photo source from One Spring Night official site)

I will dearly miss One Spring Night, I've been anticipating it since they first dropped the first-week episodes and stick with throughout the series. They gave me butterflies and feels every Wednesday & Thursday nights. I'm actually upset that this series doesn't get much hype internationally, I can only see a few translated articles about this drama or even the cast interviews that's why during the time of promotions, I tried to translate the gist of the articles & interviews that the cast has. I appreciate this drama so much, I have nothing but positive words with it. I also love Han Ji Min and Jung Hae In as a pair, they really brought out their spring-like chemistry in this and you can see how they work as partners to make their scenes effective, and glad to know that they are getting along in real life as well as the cast are sync with them. Thank you One Spring Night!

(photo source from One Spring Night official site)

I recommend this series if you're looking for a melo-romance with a touch of kindness & genuineness to its plot & dialogue, I think it's a bonus that this also has good cinematography & soundtrack, this series tackles issues in relationship, work life & life as a single parent but doesn't mind being a bit frustrated or cry a little, this series also has that comical side that balances the melo-romance genre. Overall, it's a slice of life romance drama that you will also fall in love just like how both lead characters fell in love in one spring night.