That Winter, The Wind Blows is about a conman (Jo In Sung) who impersonates the late brother of a blind heiress in order to work his way into the family and make some much needed money.
I had been craving a good melodrama, and That Winter, The Wind Blows perfectly fit the bill. Everything about it looks and feels like a classic romance melodrama. An angsty love story, secrets galore, dramatic music, and beautiful cinematography. What more could I ask for?
Jo In Sung plays our conman Oh Soo. He’s had a difficult life that gets him mixed up with some shady people and deep in debt. And when a golden opportunity to make some money arises, he jumps at the chance. But he soon finds himself deeply conflicted as he falls in love with his target.
Would you believe that despite having watched kdramas for years that this was my first Jo In Sung drama? I know, pretty crazy. I’ve long heard about his charms and was definitely curious to see what all the excitement was about. And I have to say, I completely understand!
He has such a charm about him with this permanent smoldering look on his face. And his acting talents are impressive. He was able to portray Soo as such a multidimensional character. He’s confident and brash yet at the same time very lonely and vulnerable. He communicated so much emotion through his face, and I easily felt every bit of his pain and confliction.
This is a character that could have been difficult to bond with initially because of his manipulation, but a combination of the writing and Jo In Sung made Soo a very likable character. We were always able to see that he truly loved Young despite his deception. And eventually even that deception becomes a way to help her. Wonderful performance!
We then have Song Hye Kyo as Oh Young. Having been blind for years, she’s very dependent on those around her. But she doesn’t trust them and is incredibly lonely. Song Hye Kyo was great at depicting both Young’s coldness and and her vulnerability. She was a character that needed to grow, but in order to do that she needed to trust and love. It was a nice journey to watch.
Secretary Wang (Bae Jong Ok) is Young’s main caregiver and handles most of the company matters. She is an intimidating and no nonsense kind of woman. She’s really the main villain of the drama because of her very complicated and disturbing relationship with Young. There’s definitely more to her than meets the eye.
Kim Bum! I have a definite soft spot for him, and I completely loved him as Jin Sung. Of course, he looks as cool as can be! I mean, look at that awesome hair! Jin Sung is a loyal friend of Soo’s and is right there with him to help with his big con. Jin Sung is impulsive and quick tempered, but he is also cheerful with an infectious smile. Another great job by Kim Bum!
Moon Hee Sung (Jung Eun Ji) is also close with Soo and Jin Sung. She’s tough and in your face, but she has a good heart. While she does harbor some feelings for Soo, her connection with Jin Sung is undeniable.
I enjoyed the pairing of Jin Sung and Hee Sung. They had a comfortable rapport with each other right from the beginning. They add some levity to the drama, and I loved their bickering as well as their sweet moments. They are a very feisty couple that was both refreshing and fun.
I ended up thoroughly enjoying That Winter, The Wind Blows. It’s beautiful and dramatic in the best kind of way. There’s also nothing like a little fake brother and sister love to bring on the angst! Soo and Young have quite a few swoony and adorable couple moments throughout the drama as well as a very wonderful rapport.
Of course, you have to keep in mind that for the most part Soo is the one experiencing romantic love while Young is experiencing familial love for who she believes to be her brother. So all of those lovely romantic moments may or may not give you feels depending on which angle you look at if from. It’s a strange mix of being exciting yet disturbing.
I mostly enjoyed the bond that grew between the two. They were both lonely and needed someone. For him, he grew to love her and wanted to protect her. She was lonely and didn’t trust anyone and finally had the brother she longed for back in her life. So while they were each experiencing a different kind of love, their feelings were still very genuine.
I’m also a sucker for stories where the conman falls for his target. At first he plans to simply use her and move on, but once feelings develop, he finds himself conflicted and riddled with guilt as he becomes trapped between his wants and needs.
This also frequently lands him a very dangerous position as he begins to put her needs above his own. And of course, as the secrets begin to come out, the now very much loved target sees betrayal. What a terrible situation!
I love watching the character go through all of these stages, and Jo In Sung was fantastic at portraying Soo’s conflicted feelings and growing love. It really is a beautiful relationship that is full of complexity and growth.
I also really liked the wintery feel of the drama. It’s one of those dramas set right in the middle of the cold winter with everyone sporting cozy sweaters and long coats. There is snow everywhere throughout the drama, and many scenes utilize the beautiful winter scenery.
The drama is very lovely to look at throughout. This particular director really knows how to shoot beautiful scenes. But his one big negative is his fondness for lots of extreme close ups of the actors. There are so many of them! All of his dramas are like this (see Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Goryeo). At least everything else he does is wonderful so it mostly makes up for it. And the actors themselves are pretty nice to look at even in extreme close ups. So it’s not like it’s all that bad.
That Winter, The Wind Blows gave me such a beautiful and heart wrenching story. It’s exactly the kind of melo romance that I enjoy, and it delivered so many feels. With complex characters and incredibly difficult situations, we go on a journey of growth, tears, and joy. It’s a romance that I will definitely remember.
My Rating: 8/10
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Kdrama Kisses 
Hi Kay,
Wow what a coincidence. Just literally the other day I checked on your blog to see if you had a review for this because this show was available in Viki in my region. I also love myself a good romance and I wanted to check it out due to the cast but wasn’t sure. This is perfect timing. Will go and watch it now.
P.S. I also have never seen Jo In Sung either and I’m curious. 😊
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That is a coincidence! Or fate telling you to watch it, lol. As long as you can get over the whole fake brother/sister aspect of it, it’s a very wonderful melo romance. They just don’t make a lot of dramas like this anymore. And I hope you like Jo In Sung. I was also very curious and ended up thoroughly enjoying him. I will definitely be seeking out more of his projects 🙂
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Haha yeah it must be fate. 😃 yeh I will have to wait and see about the whole fake sibling thing. That’s the only thing I’m a bit iffy on. I will go watch it anyway. Thanks Kay.
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Well, a lot of us found the relationship to be a mix of exciting and slightly disturbing, lol. I just tried to focus on the relationship itself rather than trying to define it. But best of luck with it! Would love to know what you think 🙂
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Hi Kay,
I just wanted to let you know that I ended up watching this and finished watching it too. I have to agree with your review and I thoroughly enjoyed the show. The visuals were my favourites. Such beautiful scenes and people. 🙂
And Jo In Sung – WOW is all I can say. I am now looking for another one of his projects to watch. haha
Thanks for the review once again.
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Oh yay! I’m so glad that ended up liking it 🙂 It really was such a pleasant surprise and definitely has me in the mood for some more good romance melos. And yes, wow is the perfect way to describe Jo In Sung in this drama!
I too wanted to see more of him and ended up choosing It’s Okay, That’s Love which I finished just a few days ago. I’ll be doing a review in the next week or so, but I really enjoyed the drama. I did like That Winter, The Wind Blows more, but It’s Okay, That’s Love was also really good and incredibly moving. I really enjoyed Jo In Sung’s performance in it too, especially in the latter half. So maybe one to consider 🙂
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Ok I’m looking forward to that review of its ok that’s love. I started watching it anyway. Have only seen one episode so far and I didn’t like the first episode that much but I will keep watching and see how I go. Still was a delight to watch Jo In Sung though. 😀
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Haha, I actually didn’t really care for the first episode either. I have a bit of a story about my experience watching it, but it’s a bit long for a comment so I’ll save it for the review 😉 But I will say that it greatly improved along the way for me, especially in the second half. Hopefully, it will for you too.
I’ve been eyeing some of Jo In Sung’s older dramas. I was thinking about maybe trying the classic What Happened in Bali. Looks like it could be an interesting melo, and I’ve heard it was pretty crazy. It definitely has me intrigued 🙂
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I’m reading this one at work (yeah I know I should be working, but I’m the only one here and I’m early lol😂), but I think that I can see this one. Can’t check it at the moment because of the work thing, but I do believe that I have already clicked on it once and passed on for some rwason. I do love a good melodrama from time to time as well. Because I have been watching a lot of anime the past few weeks as well as some movies I have been neglecting Korean dramas a bit. Hope to finally continue with them again this week. This was a great post, and this one really appeals to me a lot. Thanks for sharing your thoughts for this series 😊
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You gotta have some fun at work too right? I would bet you have a good chance of this one being available too since it’s a few years old and was very popular when it came out. It’s actually on both DF and Viki for me.
It’s definitely perfect for when you’re in the mood for a melodrama and has a little it of everything in it. I had been wanting to watch it for a while and was not disappointed 🙂
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I just checked (I am home now), and it is available for me: woohoo. Immediately added it to my que on Viki. Looking forward to this one. And yeah so true: one has to have a little bit of fun at work as well 😀
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Yay! Our suspicions were right! Now you’re ready to roll when the mood strikes for a melodrama 🙂
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Fast forward, today is year 2023, watched it for the nth time, its still like i watched it for the 1st time. I still cry with Jo in sung and song hye kyo. Crazy feeling. The visuals of the two , amazing! Glorious genes😊best drama for me ever…
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You know a drama is great when you can watch it over and over and it’s still amazing! It’s definitely packed with emotions and feels, and yes the visual of this duo are amazing! 😍
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This was a wonderful melodrama. Jo In-Sung & Song Hye-Kyo both gave phenomenal performances. I also loved Kim Bum & Jung Eun-Ji as the secondary couple. I liked all the supporting characters. Even the villainous characters, Ms. Wang & Moo-Cheul ended up being more complex than they first appeared. I was only confused about the 1 year jump at the end but Young & Oh Soo’s reunion at the end was perfect. Brought all the feels for me. It was a drama that hooked me from the start to the end. A 9/10 for me.
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Completely agree, this is such a wonderful melodrama 🙂 The entire cast was wonderful and so engaging. And I too really enjoyed the villains and how they affected the story. I really miss the classic style of romance melo because they really do deliver so many feels. Such a fantastic drama! 🙂
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I enjoy watching good flowing movies with tenderness and warmth. This was brilliantly done. I cried thru most of the movie. The main actors were sublime together, she always felt he was not her brother but she loved his companionship and the joy he made her feel. He loved the newness of loving someone unconditional. Enjoyed every moment. Thanks for a good ending.
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I so agree! This was such a moving drama filled with emotion. Both actors were great individually and as a couple, and I really enjoyed their complicated yet beautiful romance 🙂
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Good show and story. Different in that the female lead is blind.
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Yes, I really enjoyed this one too. Classic romance melo 🙂
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Hi Kay,
You expressed this so well.
You’ve said everything 😁
Love loved it to bits! Such a memorable drama.
It was also my first time to see Jo In Sung and when i read about him, i realised i had been missing out on a great actor.
I actually got a nickname for this drama, i called ‘Slaps.’ Girl were there so many of ’em!😄😄
It was such a complicated and beloved drama❤️
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Yay! It’s great that you loved this one too. It really is such a wonderful and memorable drama. A true classic. They don’t make them like this anymore. Haha, I think Slaps is fitting 😂
This was my first full Jo In Sung drama. I had seen him in a couple episodes of It’s Okay That’s Love but ended up dropping it. I watched this and loved the drama and thought he was fantastic. Fantastic enough that I gave It’s Okay That’s Love a second chance 3 years later and ended up thoroughly enjoying that drama too!
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🤣🤣🤣🤣 am glad you watched ‘It’s ok that’s love’ again.
I hope to watch Jo In Sung again.
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I was so glad I gave it a second chance 🙂 And I too am looking forward to seeing Jo In Sung again. So much talent!
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