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dreamlovewrite

New Zealand

dreamlovewrite

New Zealand
While You Were Sleeping korean drama review
Completed
While You Were Sleeping
1 people found this review helpful
by dreamlovewrite
Jan 11, 2018
32 of 32 episodes seen
Completed
Overall 7.5
Story 7.5
Acting/Cast 9.0
Music 7.0
Rewatch Value 6.0
This is going to be one that you either love or hate. With the majority of 2017 being dedicated to dramas involving the prosecution/legal/detective genre, it's hard to find a gem in among all the others. And at the beginning, I thought I had found one. I liked the way we are brought into this intertwined world where our mains are connected through dreams, past and present time, and continue to have others align with them. I liked the dynamic of family between the main cast, both within the neighbourhood, and through their work lives... it was a show where a lot of characters grew together, and shared parts of themselves as the story progressed. However, once established, it felt as though the focus on what was proceeding in the courtroom or their jobs took precedence over the continuation of character development. I swear I must have blinked and suddenly Lee Jong Suk and Suzy's characters are completely lovey dovey and skipped some vital steps in their dating.  Dreams or not, their chemistry was missing despite their relationship progressing.  I felt no true connection between them, and this was vastly obvious to me during the ending where I found their confessions to each other a bore. Normally a Lee Jong Suk kiss scene or confession would have my full interest.

The dreams in itself is what propelled me to delve into yet another prosecution/reporter drama in the beginning. I enjoyed the contrasting scenes that the three would have and how they would resolve. I liked how there was always more than one variable for how things would go, and the consequences that followed. But somewhere along the way, although the dreams mostly did relate to Jung Jae Chan, Nam Hong Joo and Han Woo Tak, they seemed to become solely focused on benefiting their lives (mostly Jae Chan's), and less focused on how they were in the beginning, saving others. This was a shame as there was some amazing storylines that came from those dreams, and not focused on the pure outcome of a court case.

As it continued and drove through a heavy course of judicial, and frankly not of my interest, roads, I found my love for minor characters to be far more intriguing. Whilst my love for Woo Tak (and we'll get to that in a moment), was still remaining strong throughout, the characters Choi Dam Dong, Lee Ji Gwang and  Son Woo Joo helped me continue through this drama. Choi in particular is a strong character who evoked a lot of thought and interest throughout.  And speaking of Han Woo Tak, if any reason is needed to sit through all 32 episodes, it's this character here. He is a breath of fresh air as the "second guy" and I have to hand it to writer Park Hye Ryun for not botching his ending at all, and giving him his own identity throughout. He is a formidable friend, who captures the heart of many within this world and mine as well. Jung Hae In is an actor that should be on more drama watchers' radars, his acting has never failed to captivate me yet.

The ending is always a key point for me, most amazing dramas usually have a less than stellar closing point, but since my expectations and interest had dropped by episodes 18-21, I don't feel as though it failed to meet what I was expecting. Those who needed to face their crimes did, those who needed to learn lessons experienced those, and were closed off with everyone in the world having somewhat of a happy ending.  

I would recommend this to others to watch if they enjoy this currently everywhere genre, or enjoy watching the minor characters take over the story like I did. If you're only coming in for romance between Jong Suk and Suzy, you will be poorly let down.

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