When the Weather Is Fine is definitely a well crafted piece of cinematic art, but it’s not made for everyone. I don’t mean it in a snobbish, elitist way, it’s just really clear in what it wants to be, and it does not try to cater to all the viewers - you either take it or leave it, both decisions being equally valid.

It’s an extremely slow paced character driven drama that is much darker than it might initially seem. Hardly any of the characters presented does not face serious problems and issues they have to overcome. It does present a few side stories tho, that can brighten the mood, making sure we won’t get depressed after finishing each episode.

The journey we take while the stories unfold might be sad and frustrating, since many of the characters are rather shielded, slowly learning how to open themselves to the possibility of happiness. It’s not a drama to watch for escapism.

Being perfectly honest, till the last episode, I did not find Hae Won to be a likeable person. She points out everyone's flaws, while not taking a step back to see things from other people's perspective herself. The fact she was so flawed, was exactly why I enjoyed the show so much. Each character presented a completely different perspective on life and relationships - each being right and wrong at the same time, depending on the perspective taken by the viewer.

When the Weather Is Fine is an aesthetic feast. All the shots capture that melancholic and slightly removed from reality feeling - making Bookhyun Village feel like its own world, separate from the fast paced reality we live in. The soundtrack added to that sentimental feeling, making a truly cohesive picture.

That said, it’s not a perfect show. The number of flashbacks was surprising, especially since the majority of them were copy-pasted the same, not presenting alternative perspectives or adding to previously presented events. Another aspect that bothered me was the sharp change of mood between scenes - we went from tragedy to teen slice of life comedy in a matter of seconds. In the end, for some scenes, I was neither able to explore the sadness, nor enjoy the silly happiness of what’s presented - it just clashed too much.

Acting wise, almost flawless. I am not sure if I completely bought Park Min Young’s portrayal of Hae Won. Logically speaking her story was full of sadness, yet I could not feel it on many occasions. I knew it was tragic, but I did not feel it.

Overall, I would recommend it to people who like slow paced, character driven shows. If you prefer fast paced plot driven dramas with many unexpected plot twists and thrilling feeling, you will most likely not enjoy it that much. It’s a bittersweet story that allows us to peek into the lives of the characters, without presenting a sharp beginning nor the end.