Who wouldn’t be mad if someone bought them food? And who wouldn’t fall in love with the said buyer of food? That appears to be the premise of JTBC’s upcoming Kdrama “Pretty Noona Who Buys Me Food.” Its English title is “Something in the Rain.”
Why is the leading female called “Noona” instead of her first name? In South Korean culture it is common for guys who are younger to call an older female friend “Noona,” which roughly translates to “older sister.” While it may sound strange to English ears to hear a guy call a girl he likes “older sister," “Noona” is a sign of respect in South Korea regardless of whether or not the two people are actually related.
The inspiration for the title
During the press conference for "Pretty Noona Who Buys Me Food," producing director Ahn Pan-Seok revealed the show’s unusual title was inspired by a famous South Korean celebrity couple. This couple is none other than recently married Song Joong-Ki and Song Hye-Kyo, affectionately called the Song-Song couple by fans.
According to soompi.com, Ahn said he once saw online that Song Hye-Kyo had said she was a good Noona who bought food for Song Joong-Ki, and then the two got married. Ahn said he found the phrase very witty. He also said he wanted the show to have a memorable title, and thus the title "Pretty Noona Who Buys Me Food" was born.
Asianwiki.com (a website similar to IMDB.com, but solely devoted to covering Asian television shows), describes "Pretty Noona Who Buys Me Food" as being about Yoon Jin-Ah (played by Son Ye-Jin), a single woman who is in her thirties.
She has a pretty good life, but something still feels like its missing. Enter the younger brother of her best friend. He had been out of the country for the past couple of years for work and recently returned home. Before he left, Yoon Jin-Ah thought he was childish, but now he’s catching her attention in a whole new way.
A sneak peek
JTBC also released a 4-minute clip of the upcoming show on their youtube channel and website. In it the two leads Jung Hae-In and Son Ye-Jin find themselves caught out in the rain. Jung Hae-In volunteers to go buy get an umbrella and runs off before Son Ye-Jin can protest. At a convenience store, Jung Hae-In picks out two umbrellas, changes his mind, and buys only one.
(Can you say smooth?)
When he rejoins Son Ye-Jin, she asks why he only got one. He shrugs it off with a, “just ‘cause.” Arm in arm, they walk towards the main road. They consider hailing a taxi, make excuses and turn around and walk back the way they came so they can spend more time with one another.
In the one clip, the chemistry between the actors lit up the screen and filled the room. Full of precious, small moments, the short yet memorable scene promises an endearing and enjoyable Kdrama for this spring. Son Ye-Jin is returning to television after spending the last 5 years making films, and while Jung Hae-In recently saw success in the 2017 Kdrama "While You Were Sleeping."
JTBC announced the show will air on Friday and Saturday nights, at 11 pm Korea Standard Time, beginning on March 30, 2018.
However, as xportsnews.com, reported, the first episode will air at 10:45 pm with an 80-minute episode. As for me, I will be sitting down in front of my computer this weekend, with some popcorn, ready to enjoy all the promising (and possibly sappy) cuteness that will be “Pretty Noona Who Buys Me Food.”
