As clouds disperse, love emerges.
Japanese BL writers undoubtedly know how to use literary devices, predominantly symbolism and pathetic fallacy, and I'm just zooming in on this particular drama, combined with the directors 加藤綾佳 (Kato Ayaka) and 安村栄美 (Yasumura Emi)'s many cinematic choices to highlight those techniques. Speaking more generally, I really think it works.
And that's exactly what I want to highlight in this review, because I think it was executed most successfully.
Disclaimer: I have not read the original source material manga.
There's nothing like an opening episode that knows how to throw you into the thick of it, setting up a compelling premise of mystery, desire, and possession between one very unlikely pairing, coupled with alluring imagery to keep you going into the next. 『体感予報』 (My Personal Weatherman, 2023) continues to hold its ground with audiences even three years later because of its blend of dynamic storytelling and beautiful cinematography, and that just hit the right spot for me.
From start to finish, I enjoyed the complexities of each character, from their introductions to their development later in the drama, and watching the relationship between them grow into something that they both eventually come to realize they needed most: to be understood, and to be loved for it. Our two rival protagonists 瀬ヶ崎 瑞貴 (Segasaki Mizuki) and 棚田 葉 (Tanada Yoh) have quite the history together that does get room to breathe as we watch them mature into their present selves, and that history becomes the central, and often misunderstood, conflict of the story. However, I will disclose that I generally don't enjoy most misunderstanding tropes and arcs of the like, but viewers should note that this is essential for driving these characters toward understanding themselves and each other, as well as the reason this theme appears so frequently in Japanese media.
Segasaki's love language reflects Japan's culture of indirectness and how easily it can misrepresent one's intentions. On the other hand, Tanada's more direct love language contrasts as words of affirmation. And here is where the "opposites attract" dynamic truly blossoms. While the push-and-pull and constant misinterpretations can be exhausting, I couldn't help but root for them (and kick my feet while doing so) to make it work and continue putting in the effort for each other. Slowly but surely, they did, and I didn't expect this to be the kind of drama that would leave you on a sour note; it does have its mellow (but tender) moments though.
Don't think I've gotten so lost in the appealing characterization that I've forgotten the whole point of this review, so let me digress for a moment. My Personal Weatherman does this enchanting thing with weather and color by correlating them with the characters' emotional states and desires, using different weather conditions to represent each of them. I will be honest, after watching this drama, I will never be able to think of sunny days the same way ever again. Each weather condition is given a beat before the next and with that, so do we with the characters themselves, watching as they discover something new about themselves or each other, confess, or act upon a new emotion. You can trust that the story guides both the viewer's emotions and their interpretation of each moment through every hiccup by what the condition of the weather is, so I think it was such a fantastic choice in the storytelling to make one of the characters a weatherman and use that occupation to drive the story. I know this sounds like such a minuscule, unimportant decision, but it shone the brightest (no pun intended.)
As always, among the strongest points that kept me watching were also some of its weaker ones. I must admit, I don't have much "bad" commentary to provide for this drama, while I also don't take much pleasure in dwelling on that, there is just one thing that kept this drama from being a home run to my own standards. There is no denying that I felt there was a slight lack of depth in some of the story's arcs and characterization, even though I emphasized how much I loved it. Probably much to no one's surprise, if you've read a few reviews already, the characters do begin to fall a bit flat and one-dimensional as the episodes progress. I often observed that the story led a couple of steps ahead of the characters themselves, but they caught up quickly enough that it never took me out of the story. Structurally, though, it wasn't particularly stable.
If I can provide any unsolicited constructive criticism, it would be to allow the characters to grow actively together rather than passively through one another, so that the pacing and development of the story support the characters, not the other way around. There were too many instances where the characters would come to an understanding under one of three circumstances: in bed, from the sidelines, or through another character. This altered how I viewed their chemistry and the foundation of their relationship, often stopping to ask myself, "What was it that brought them together like this again? Why do they like each other?" And honestly, the answer to that question appears way too late by the time a viewer would choose to keep watching or walk away.
I want to end this on a high by saying this is a drama I would, and already have, recommended a few times. I find myself thinking about these characters and appreciating what makes them who they are, the cute and spicy moments they shared together, and overall the idea that a more shy, soft-spoken person can really come to terms with who they are, their emotions, learn more about the person they adore, and express themselves through the art that they create. That is such a warm message that deeply resonates with me as a writer. So, if you're thinking about giving this drama a try, I'd encourage you to.
Because at the end of the day, after a season of rainfall, love always finds a way to bloom.
And it's waiting for you too.
And that's exactly what I want to highlight in this review, because I think it was executed most successfully.
Disclaimer: I have not read the original source material manga.
There's nothing like an opening episode that knows how to throw you into the thick of it, setting up a compelling premise of mystery, desire, and possession between one very unlikely pairing, coupled with alluring imagery to keep you going into the next. 『体感予報』 (My Personal Weatherman, 2023) continues to hold its ground with audiences even three years later because of its blend of dynamic storytelling and beautiful cinematography, and that just hit the right spot for me.
From start to finish, I enjoyed the complexities of each character, from their introductions to their development later in the drama, and watching the relationship between them grow into something that they both eventually come to realize they needed most: to be understood, and to be loved for it. Our two rival protagonists 瀬ヶ崎 瑞貴 (Segasaki Mizuki) and 棚田 葉 (Tanada Yoh) have quite the history together that does get room to breathe as we watch them mature into their present selves, and that history becomes the central, and often misunderstood, conflict of the story. However, I will disclose that I generally don't enjoy most misunderstanding tropes and arcs of the like, but viewers should note that this is essential for driving these characters toward understanding themselves and each other, as well as the reason this theme appears so frequently in Japanese media.
Segasaki's love language reflects Japan's culture of indirectness and how easily it can misrepresent one's intentions. On the other hand, Tanada's more direct love language contrasts as words of affirmation. And here is where the "opposites attract" dynamic truly blossoms. While the push-and-pull and constant misinterpretations can be exhausting, I couldn't help but root for them (and kick my feet while doing so) to make it work and continue putting in the effort for each other. Slowly but surely, they did, and I didn't expect this to be the kind of drama that would leave you on a sour note; it does have its mellow (but tender) moments though.
Don't think I've gotten so lost in the appealing characterization that I've forgotten the whole point of this review, so let me digress for a moment. My Personal Weatherman does this enchanting thing with weather and color by correlating them with the characters' emotional states and desires, using different weather conditions to represent each of them. I will be honest, after watching this drama, I will never be able to think of sunny days the same way ever again. Each weather condition is given a beat before the next and with that, so do we with the characters themselves, watching as they discover something new about themselves or each other, confess, or act upon a new emotion. You can trust that the story guides both the viewer's emotions and their interpretation of each moment through every hiccup by what the condition of the weather is, so I think it was such a fantastic choice in the storytelling to make one of the characters a weatherman and use that occupation to drive the story. I know this sounds like such a minuscule, unimportant decision, but it shone the brightest (no pun intended.)
As always, among the strongest points that kept me watching were also some of its weaker ones. I must admit, I don't have much "bad" commentary to provide for this drama, while I also don't take much pleasure in dwelling on that, there is just one thing that kept this drama from being a home run to my own standards. There is no denying that I felt there was a slight lack of depth in some of the story's arcs and characterization, even though I emphasized how much I loved it. Probably much to no one's surprise, if you've read a few reviews already, the characters do begin to fall a bit flat and one-dimensional as the episodes progress. I often observed that the story led a couple of steps ahead of the characters themselves, but they caught up quickly enough that it never took me out of the story. Structurally, though, it wasn't particularly stable.
If I can provide any unsolicited constructive criticism, it would be to allow the characters to grow actively together rather than passively through one another, so that the pacing and development of the story support the characters, not the other way around. There were too many instances where the characters would come to an understanding under one of three circumstances: in bed, from the sidelines, or through another character. This altered how I viewed their chemistry and the foundation of their relationship, often stopping to ask myself, "What was it that brought them together like this again? Why do they like each other?" And honestly, the answer to that question appears way too late by the time a viewer would choose to keep watching or walk away.
I want to end this on a high by saying this is a drama I would, and already have, recommended a few times. I find myself thinking about these characters and appreciating what makes them who they are, the cute and spicy moments they shared together, and overall the idea that a more shy, soft-spoken person can really come to terms with who they are, their emotions, learn more about the person they adore, and express themselves through the art that they create. That is such a warm message that deeply resonates with me as a writer. So, if you're thinking about giving this drama a try, I'd encourage you to.
Because at the end of the day, after a season of rainfall, love always finds a way to bloom.
And it's waiting for you too.
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