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Korean drama ‘Thundercloud Rainstorm’ starts with a dramatic scene of protagonist Lee Il-jo (played by Ji-Sung Yoon) getting thrashed by his step-brother because their recently deceased father left the family house for Il-jo and not the ‘legitimate’ son. Just when it looks like poor Il-jo might be beaten to death, his cousin, the handsome but harsh Seo Jeong-han (Riu Jeong) saves him from further violence and temporarily provides him shelter at his swanky flat starts off as an act of pity, evolves into an abusive bond, eventually leading to a stormy romantic relationship between the two.
Well, yeah, that’s pretty much the entire plot of ‘Thundercloud Rainstorm’. Directed by Min Chae Yeon (‘Business As Usual’, ‘Happy Merry Ending’), this eight episode series is laden with familiar romantic tropes: kissing someone when they’re asleep, getting close while looking after someone sick, and flying into fits of jealousy just because one’s love interest is talking nicely to someone else.
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The first few episodes of ‘Thundercloud Rainstorm’ are entertaining, with thing getting steamy quickly between the leaf couple. So, it’s the instant chemistry between lead actors Ji-Sung Yoon and Riu Jeong that drives the show as the later episodes begin to drag the plot with formulaic, lazy twists.
The leads have a little bit of ’50 Shades of Grey’ kind of thing going on, without all the kinky BDSM sex dungeon stuff. Jeong-han is the rich, handsome, dominant partner, while Il-jo is the naive, cute, submissive one, seemingly fine with being treated like an object.
What begins as a casual “flatmates with benefits” setup, with Il-jo crashing rent-free at Jeong-han’s apartment, things soon spiral into something messier. Il-jo’s new job as a barista at an office café just happens to place him in the same corporate ecosystem as Jeong-han. His instant rapport with café manager Hwang Seong-yun (Jang Su-hyo) needles Jeong-han’s insecurities, making it increasingly difficult for him to pretend his feelings are merely physical.
Much of the conflict in ‘Thundercloud Rainstorm’ arises from Il-jo’s unresolved insecurities and fractured family ties, which cast a long shadow over his relationship with Jeong-han. While Jeong-han initially treats Il-jo as someone in need of shelter rather than an equal partner, he ultimately becomes a classic case of falling later, but far harder.
Riu Jeong charts Jeong-han’s emotional evolution with striking control in ‘Thundercloud Rainstorm’, transforming a distant, self-contained figure into someone consumed by love and insecurity. He cuts an intimidating ‘bad-boy’ figure, while opposite him, Ji-Sung Yoon is a quiet revelation as Il-jo, effortlessly blending seduction with softness, and imbuing the character with an affectionate charm that feels both inviting and fragile.
While the weak writing lets them down, the actors rise above the material often enough to make you hope they’ll be given a better script and another chance to work together. If you enjoyed the dark romance ‘Secret Relationships’, this might be right up your alley.
Watch ‘Thundercloud Rainstorm’ on Wavve or iQIYI.
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