Veteran actress Son Ye-jin is exceptionally strong when it comes to the romance genre. She recently wrapped the hit series “Something in the Rain” on JTBC, with the last episode airing on May 19.

The romance series marked the actress’ comeback to the TV screen after a five-year break, during which she focused on her filmography, trying out various roles and genres.

“Through the series, I learned that I am much appreciated in the romance genre. The reaction from the people is the best when I do romance,” she said at a press interview in Samcheong-dong, Seoul last week.

Son Ye-jin (MSTeam Entertainment)

“TV series are very different from films. Unlike films, where we show the finished work to the public, we have to breathe with viewers during the period, 3 1/2 months for this one,” she recounted.

Though “Something in the Rain” is a romantic melodrama, the plot discussed the ongoing #MeToo movement in Korea, by depicting Son’s character as a person who stands up to a high?ranking executive’s repeated sexual harassments.

“We didn’t show everything about the #MeToo, nor fully describe the pain that the character had to go through. She is not just a victim, but a whistleblower as well. That is another aspect, much more painful,” Son said.

Though the drama got off to a great start, its luster somewhat paled as the main couple experienced various hardships. Many wanted the story to be a fantastical romance tale, but it remained grounded in the reality.

“It wasn’t an unrealistic story between just us. We shot at realistic places, such as in front of an apartment, at a rooftop of an office building and in an elevator. That’s why people could empathize with the story,” Son said.

“I personally understood all the characters, even the bad guys. As staff members work mechanically, it is usually hard for them to empathize with the story. But for this work, even the staff loved the drama.”

By Im Eun-byel (silverstar@heraldcorp.com)