I don't watch many full on romance dramas let alone finish all the 16 episodes, but When The Weather Is Fine managed to keep me invested in it's story line and characters from start to finish. The pacing of the love story felt very natural, never making me feel annoyed like many others do. The main story line often surprised me with its turns and never giving away too much about which direction its going.

But I would argue that half of the power of this drama actually lies in the side characters and their relationship with each other and the main characters. Instead of being there just for for comic relief or to create a love triangle, they felt real and important. Many of them having their own story and character arc. Their opinions, secrets and actions having serious influence on the lives of the main characters and the main story line.

I partially started this drama because I was curious to see how Seo Kang Joon would deliver in a more serious drama and I was not left disappointed. He manages to take his character, who on the outside seems like a happy perfect son, and hints at us through his subtle acting that there is much more to him. He creates little cracks in this carefully crafted mask and shows us the loneliness and trauma that hides beneath. In many ways Seo Kang Joon's character reminded me of Kim Soo Hyun's character in It's Okay Not To Be Okay. Both hiding away their pain and true self in fear of causing pain to their loved ones. After finishing this drama a few days ago I caught myself thinking about his character from time to time. I feel like he delivered a solid performance leaving me at the end with the feeling that I truly got to know his characters and all his weaknesses.

Its been years since I've seen Park Min Young in a drama and was surprised to realize she was the FL. Similarity to Seo Kang Joon, her character was a bit of a mystery to me in the start, never giving much away about her thoughts or feelings. It's only through the flashbacks to her youth that you start to understand the pain and betrayal she's has endured and that have created this emotionless mask she puts up. It was honestly hearth warming to see both characters shed their past and come back alive the more they developed their relationship. I felt Park Min Young was well cast for this role as she was able to play the emotionally distant version of the character convincingly but without feeling too cold or dead. And as the story progressed she also managed to pull at your heartstrings in the emotional or happy scenes with her convincing acting. The more I watched the more I cared for her and loved her.

In conclusion I found the drama very engaging through its realistic and captivating characters, convincing acting and good pacing. I think this is a perfect drama for people who are interested in slow moving realistic romance dramas that really focus on character development and acting.