A rom-com telling the love story between employees working in the Korea Meteorological Agency is a breath of fresh air compared to other typical office romance stories. Supplemented with intriguing details about weather forecasting, Forecasting Love and Weather is a drama for rom-com lovers seeking an unique narrative.
Forecasting Love and Weather revolves around two leads, Jin Ha-kyung and Lee Si-woo, who work at the Korea Meteorological Agency.
Jin Ha-kyung is a forecaster who plays by the book and is stern about procedures. Lee Si-woo, who works at a metropolitan branch office, is free-spirited and passionate about anything related to weather.
Their paths cross when they begin working together, and their lives intersect in many ways. As the drama title suggests, the protagonists’ relationship parallels the unpredictable weather.
Unless you actively check your weather app or habitually follow weather forecasts, things like rain and shine may not be at the forefront of your mind at all times.
Image adapted from: Netflix
However, Ha-kyung’s division fails to report a hailstorm, and it adversely affects the livelihoods of citizens. The incident is a sneak peek at the importance of weather forecasting and forecasters, who are unsung heroes.
A car almost swerves into an incoming truck due to its windshield being pummelled by hailstones, nearly causing a traffic accident.
Image adapted from: Netflix
Harvest is ruined as farmers were not prepared for the storm, and rescue efforts are postponed as rescue vehicles are unable to operate.
Image adapted from: Netflix
Later on in the episode, we also see how a simple rainfall forecast affects the day-to-day lives of people.
Image adapted from: Netflix
Image adapted from: Netflix
Many sectors of the society, such as the military, agriculture, and even ordinary citizens, have to adjust their daily activities to accommodate the weather forecast.
These scenes not only shed light on the intricate process of weather forecasting, but also set a necessary backdrop to the lives of our main characters.
Ha-kyung and Si-woo’s first encounter is far from perfect – in fact, it is downright unpleasant.
After defying Ha-kyung’s decision and issuing a heavy rain advisory on his own accord, Si-woo is confronted by Ha-kyung, who personally travels to the Metropolitan Office to berate him.
Image adapted from: Netflix
Image adapted from: Netflix
Due to the sudden collapse of her superior, Ha-kyung is laden with responsibility as the acting director of Chief Team Two.
She explains that she accounts for multiple factors in every decision she makes – mistakes could potentially cause backlash and monetary consequences.
Image adapted from: Netflix
However, Si-woo is insistent on his perspective that weather that is foretold must be reported. He believes that broadcasting weather predictions should take priority, even if there is a slight possibility that the prognosis may be inaccurate.
Image adapted from: Netflix
Si-woo disagrees with Ha-kyung’s uptight work attitude, and Ha-kyung is taken aback by Si-woo’s baseless confidence about his predictions.
Image adapted from: Netflix
Throughout the heated conversation, our leads share several intense stares, as if they’re trying to figure out the other’s character and motives.
True to Si-woo’s prediction, it starts to pour.
Ha-kyung is in disbelief at how this impudent young man managed to prove her wrong, even with insufficient evidence.
Image adapted from: Netflix
Throughout the episode, hints of Si-woo’s unstable relationship with his girlfriend, Yoo-jin, were dropped.
Image adapted from: Netflix
Similarly, Ha-kyung’s rapport with her fiance, Ki-jun, doesn’t appear to be as strong as a 10-year relationship should be.
Despite being engaged to marry in a month’s time, Ki-jun keeps acting suspiciously.
For Ha-kyung, the situation reaches a climax when she discovers that her fiance has not been following up with their wedding plans, and nothing is ready for their ceremony next month.
Image adapted from: Netflix
As she connects the dots in her own head, she realises with horror that Ki-jun has been cheating on her.
Image adapted from: Netflix
Ha-kyung’s inner monologue in this scene parallels the starting soliloquy of the episode, and the premise of the show.
The correlation foreshadows the downfall of her relationship, and compares her unsettling romance to the turbulent weather.
Image adapted from: Netflix
Image adapted from: Netflix
As viewers may have already guessed, Yoo-jin is the third-party in Ha-kyung and Ki-jun’s relationship.
After Ha-kyung discovers her fiance’s affair, Yoo-jin returns to her shared apartment with Si-woo and asks to break up.
Si-woo is surprised at her demand, but Yoo-jin detachedly tells him that she has been planning their separation for some time.
Near the end of the episode, both leads face a painful closure to each of their relationships, their anguish paralleling the heavy downpour in the background.
K-dramas regularly employ the office romance trope, but the uncommon careers of our leads adds an extra spice, leaving us wanting for more.
The first episode focused on the denouement of the two leads’ relationship, but the overload of information about weather forecasting was rather dreary.
Having the queen of rom-coms and Netflix’s darling in one show was bound to garner much anticipation, which was fulfilled in just the first episode.
We’re excited to see further chemistry between the characters and how their day-to-day life working in a weather forecasting agency unfolds in further episodes.
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