While watching Rain or Shine (alternate title), I wanted to try my best to write a professionally written review after a long time, but here I am holding back myself from an expression-rant of how much feels I am getting, so this will be a kinda fusion review.

I have come to realize what Just Between Lovers is about. It is not just about a romantic story between two people who have been scarred and brought together by an unfortunate mall collapse incident (that is I think also based from a real-life incident) which costs the lives of many people, (well actually yeah it is), but also a graceful interpretation of life and the humans in it, the wonders of living, the struggles and fortunes, and a tribute and memorial itself for victims, survivors, and for the family of the bereaved. It wasn’t just a plot that revolved on bringing up a new building after a tragedy and the few people involved in it, but an overall depth into all those affected. It is a process of recovery, healing, and remembering. This drama alone has given me so much emotions, feels, reflection time, and thought processes in the span of 16 episodes. I love it.

I would like to introduce everyone to my new comfort character, Lee Kangdu. I’m not even sure if he’s considered as a comfort character. I don’t exactly relate entirely with him, though, I have a very very very big soft spot for him and I just love him, I don’t care what he does I will always love and support him. He was given the character that was strayed far away from the cliched cold, unspoken, rich, stuck up arrogant rude bad boys. Instead, he was given a new meaning to the bad boy term (idk what im saying). Truth is, I’d usually dislike mannerless characters like him. Kangdu grew up with harsh poor circumstances, but still preserved, worked his hardest to get by each day, and still was morally righteous and was really a kind caring soul. Tbh, now that I ponder over it, he’s a good boy brought up well. Hard to explain, but you’ll understand when you watch too.

Now let's talk about romance. Oh my god. What in the world. I have never once thought that this kind of drama which looked gloomy in glance would give me so much butterflies and heart-fluttering jitters, me watching this drama is basically just a try not to scream and cry at the same time challenge everytime I see the couple interact on screen. They are sososososo cute, like sooooo cute. I didn’t think I’d crave this much skinship for them. I’m not even talking about what, but simply just holding hands. That alone, was to me, the most romantic thing ever. I literally died.

It’s slow burn, but watching them together is just so comforting and happy. It’s a fresh type of feeling I get despite the traumas that the characters went through. Their actions, dialogues, and every moment are always so pure, sincere, so personal, and simply just feels so intimate, warm, realistic, and full of love. Watching this, there is an odd specific description I am unable to give them, but I just have to say, there is just something so special about the relationship they have.

None, I mean none, of the characters are written in 2d, everyone is so complex in their own ways. There is a central focus on the two main leads, but the supporting characters have the sufficient glaze of their own specific personalities, character, and depth that makes them the more sympathetic and realistic. If it even makes sense to say, they’re all portrayed very subtly, not in the direct type but it takes a slow buildup for one to gradually observe how they are with time. Relations between every character are also explored and delivered in different forms of development, which makes the overall experience and telling very heartwarming. We have the two leads, but we also have the second leads and more of the side characters in which any kind of connection can be drawn from one another and it’ll all be a different but beautiful form. Everyone seems to have their own reasons for their actions, and by the end of the drama I didn’t fully hate anyone despite disliking or misjudging some of them at some point. I want to list out some that I really love but that’ll be almost everyone. Though the one who gave me the strongest emotions is Kangdu’s “Granny”, I genuinely truly cared about everyone.

I'd like to highlight this quote--
"Granny once said, "Living is a repetition of regrets and failures." I sarcastically asked, "Then what's the point of living?" Granny spoke again saying, "It's to make even better regrets and mistakes," and advised me not to be intimidated.”
Idk but this quote really hits home, and was enough to settle this drama for the "well-made" stamp.

I love everyone’s performance, especially the freshness of Jinah and Junho (considering at that time they’re new). I can't imagine anyone else as their respective roles because they fitted so well. Their chemistry is too good, and the way they look at each other is too romantic. But damnnn I am so impressed by Lee Junho. He’s not only way too charming and handsome to be true, but his emotions are so raw I can’t believe it. I have negative prejudices against idol-actors but he proved me wrong. I’m so crazy in love with him now.

Can’t let this review go without mentioning the sound. It’s a very sided detail, but I want to commend for how great the incorporation in music could set the mood and tone of the drama. Not just speaking about the OSTs, I mean they were great too, but I’m talking about the BGMs and musical instrumentals from Nam Hyeseung. I always admired them while watching.

To be honest, I’m resisting the urge to give this drama a 10. Maybe because I’m having post kdrama syndrome as I write this review since I just finished it 2 hours ago, but subjectively, the overall impression on me could last me for a good month of non-stop thinking. But I’ll be objective, the quality was not really the best. While there were scenes where the cinematography and settings were bomb, some driving scenes had obvious green-screen, and the building collapsing CGI still fall very shortly, as well as some old-school tinted settings and production (but we can understand, it probably lacks the budget). And also, well maybe the events of the story went a bit for the cliched sad route somewhere in the middle. It stopped by the sappyfest bus stop for too long in some episodes, but at the same time that can be considered a good thing, depending on how you see it. Well while I was a tad bothered by the prolonged events, surely for me it didn’t stop my love for the drama.

**Other quotes I feel deeply for--
“Knowing that ignorance is bliss is a strength”
"There's no such thing as being relieved because things could have been worse. Being unfortunate is just...feeling miserable."
"People say this as a word of comfort, “this, too, shall pass”. They are right. No matter how terrible the situation, they do pass. Except, the problem can always come back."
“What you can't force, just let it be. Don't try too hard. Being sad and painful. Those things are always with us. But instead, you can meet someone better and live a fun life.”
“I really like right now, when today is becoming tomorrow and not much is going on.”
"Saving a person so they can remain as a shell of who they were is us being greedy."
“When a person dies, I heard they go back to the time when they were prettiest.”
“The phrase, “a prison of one’s own making,” isn’t it strange? No one's locked us in. Then why can't we get out?"
“It's been said that life is about getting used to parting. No. There is no one who gets used to parting.”

Overall, Just Between Lovers may not be the most mind-blowing dramas out there, but definitely will be one of the most memorable and loved dramas to me, and yes I will rewatch it again someday, and yes I really do recommend it greatly to potential viewers.