All the Things the Finale Got Right!
I was VERY nervous as time approached for the finale of When It Rains, It Pours. I don't like finales in general, and I had lived and breathed this show for weeks. I try to keep my expectations VERY LOW for finales. Most shows I might make one wish. Maybe two. Mainly, I just hope there's fewer than 2-3 narrative crimes.
But with this show - my wish list WAS LONG. I had three narrative wishes and NINE wishes related to symbol/parallels. That's a lot.
And the show delivered most of my wishes and MORE.
Unexpected Delights
The show actually brought a good number of unexpected delights to the finale. These were things I had nowhere on my wishlist and that I hadn't even thought to request.
#1 - The SUNSHOWER
Sunshowers are an EXCELLENT symbol for this show. They show rain still occurring even though there is a break in the clouds. This works as a metaphor on so many different levels. The clouds are gone. The light is shining. The rain (passion/desire) is still there.
In my culture, sunshowers do not have a positive meaning ("the devil beating his wife"). However, in MOST cultures, they do have a positive meaning. In fact, many cultures associate sunshowers with marriages and weddings of some type. In Japan, this is "the kitsune's wedding". It's considered a good omen.
#2 - The Water Droplet Sound
When Sei approaches Hagiwara with the umbrella, there's a water drop sound. These were used in earlier episodes when affection was being given, but there hadn't ever been a droplet when Sei GAVE affection previously (unless I missed it).
#3 - The "I want" Sequence
I absolutely LOVED the sequence where they went through everything they wanted to do together. To me, that sequence was the best part of the entire finale. It emphasized the "little luxuries of everyday life" that was referenced earlier in the show.
This sequence told you SO much about our characters and what they want to do after they get together. It was a clever way of indicating how much they missed each other, and it depicted that they really needed intimacy with each other (not JUST sex). It's "time together" before they actually got back together.
Since a theme of the show has been about expressing what you want and taking steps to achieve it, them verbalizing directly "I want..." was a big deal. Combine it with their voices alternating (and Hagiwara's tone in part of it). 😍 I melted. In particular, I loved the shot where Sei was watching Hagiwara.
This was inserted purposely to convey that Sei's feelings matched Hagiwara's. He's not as expressive. The show tells us he's a man of few words and that people may misunderstand him. So all of his words in this scene and the confession scene are PRECIOUS. He doesn't make a lot of eye contact (with anyone) so anytime he watches Hagiwara is a big deal.
#4 - Hagiwara Gets a Friend
There were numerous great things about the arc with Hiraiwa. Some were callbacks like Sei not thinking about the perfume after grilling meat. This was meant to show you the progress Sei is making.
Others were unexpected like the fact that Hagiwara purposely went out of his way to get Hiraiwa's contact information to Sei. It shows that while Hagiwara was respecting Sei's directive, he still cared about Sei. It shows that unlike Fujisawa, he's not isolating Sei. He's helping him connect. It's a great way of contrasting the two Kazuakis.
I also hadn't expected the parallel where Hiraiwa and Hagiwara grill the meat the same.
It actually reminded me of the discussion in episode 4. Sei said Hiraiwa was a nice guy and compared him (jokingly) to Hagiwara.
So to have them be LITERALLY similar in some ways was a nice touch. I also thought it was great that they took it one step further. Hiraiwa decided to befriend Hagiwara.
We haven't actually seen Hagiwara with any friends of his own (besides talking to his coworkers). His friends were all Kaori's friends. So it's nice to see that he's developing some new relationships as well. I had wished for Sei/Hagiwara to eat together (preferably rice); however, this worked better. It showed both men developing connections with Hiraiwa and stepping forward in life. I'm sure they'll eat rice together eventually.
#5 - The Female Coworker's Role
I enjoyed the female coworker being brought back in organically. She brings back up cheating (she was the first one to do it in the show), and she brings in the only reference to coffee this episode. 😭.
She even spills the tea. When I worked in an office, I loved these coworkers. I was Sei. If you hung around them often enough, you could find out all the good office gossip. She seemed like a realistic connecting point between our two leads. It was a great narrative purpose for one of our main people on the periphery. It's always a great thing when supporting characters can provide depth to the story's "world" to make it seem "lived in".
Narrative Delights
I have criticisms of the finale, but it did pull off quite a bit narratively in its short time. We saw Hagiwara moving into his new apartment and grapple with his potential job offer.
We know Sei had to take some type of transportation to reach Fujisawa's studio. They reached a type of closure where both of them could move on, and Sei is working through his trauma (it seems). Hiraiwa point blank says "he's better", "he's smiling". We see that in how he is using color in his wardrobe and moving out.
We got our happy ending with the leads kissing in the rain. More importantly, Sei was the one to approach Hagiwara with the umbrella (coming full circle).
In episode 2, Hagiwara held the umbrella over only Sei.
But now, they are sharing the umbrella together. It's also important that Sei is the first one to say he likes Hagiwara. Since Hagiwara has largely been the one initiating, it's important that Sei shows initiative as well. It helps depict them as equals in the relationship.
I mentioned that I had three narrative wishes. They were to show Sei dealing with his trauma, to show closure between Sei/Fujisawa, and to get our happy ending. Technically, I got all three.
The Symbols & Parallels Wishlist
As for my symbolism/callbacks wishlist, I had nine wishes based on items the show had brought up. I knew I wouldn't get them all. These were just things I thought would be cool if they happened.
Meet at the museum
SHARE an umbrella
Kiss in the rain
Sei hosting a party
Sei getting LINE
Drinking fresh coffee TOGETHER
Eating rice TOGETHER
Come up the stairs/from the underground TOGETHER
Exposed Feet TOGETHER
In the end - I got 4 of the 9. They were the most important four. It's possible that Sei not having LINE is a personal preference.
The other four symbols they can show us if they ever make a special episode. They really are things that would happen AFTER where the finale ended anyways. (Side note - I ONLY want a special episode if it serves narratively. Miseinen type of special episode? Absolutely on board. DON'T give me one that's poorly done.)
Bonus Notes:
Sei is eating pasta (again). I never dug into pasta, but Sei eats it at least in the intro & episode 3. This isn't instant ramen this episode even though he's eating by himself. Make of that what you will.
Additionally, there were numerous other dialogue or callbacks to previous episodes. For example, Hagiwara ripping off the bandaid or calling Sei a "liar" in the closing sequence.
Conclusion:
This show had a chokehold on me, and the experience watching it and sharing with everyone is beyond description. 💖
There's a ton more I could say. A lot of the dialogue could be examined in depth. As we've all discovered, this show is layers upon layer upon layers. The music/soundscape is also top-notch and worthy of deep dive, but I don't think I'm the best person for that task. For now, I'm done. I'll just bask right here in their happiness.
