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When I first started watching this drama it was interesting because it was something different, but over time it seemed a little repetitive with its past plot. I think it was because of the same situation with Yu Beom, that it kinda got boring and made me roll my eyes as it was the same thing each time, because of this repetitiveness sometimes you could tell what was gonna happen, but what would you expect from a drama that had to do with the law. However other than that I think the story line was great. I would’ve liked more of a background on Woo Tak because I really liked his character and I would’ve liked to see more development, but I also would’ve liked more scenes with Jae Chan and Investigator Choi. Also more scenes with Myung Dae-gu would’ve been nice since the last case was about his father. The ending for me seemed unfinished, just the way it ended didn’t seem like it was the last episode, Woo Tak is gonna be an attorney, we see their wedding picture hanging on the wall, and then Jae Chan says his memory he doesn’t regret doing and it ends. For me personally it just seemed very unfinished and didn’t give me much closer. Besides all those there were points that had me shook and parts I really liked. Would I rewatch it? Probably not, but it’s definitely worth to be watched at least once.
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The main casts are amazing. Lee Jong Suk and Bae Suzy together is like putting 2 final best ingredients into a recipe so it will taste good. Their chemistry is okay, I have no complain at all.
The OST is on another level! I'm happy when I heard Davichi's I Miss You being played on the drama. It fits the story so much!
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"While You Were Sleeping" may be somewhat of an "oldie" but It still has shazammm~~
If you love romance, comedy, crime, suspense, and fantasy... I totally recommend it. It has everything and more! I was so amazed and hope you all add it to your next watching~ It may be a bit old but that doesn't mean it lacks in any way.When I watched the first episode I knew I would love it. Each episode my mind was always blown away by the connections of the past, present and future. The connections between characters. I love when there's a meaning, a connection - when a story creates a perfect puzzle. "While You Were Sleeping" creates a beautiful puzzle. Each story of each character has a meaning. I became really attached to the characters. They were so unique and had their own special bling.
I believe this drama is very interesting, It was like a book, where I felt the urge to read every single page. "While You Were Sleeping" was beyond my expectations and definitely is now one of my favourite dramas. The Actors did their roles amazingly and really helped their characters have life. Personally, I haven't been much of a fan of Lee Jong Suk but woah I was really amazed by him from this drama and now I admit... I am a fan :3
Anyways, to conclude my review, I really loved this drama and can't wait for others to find enjoyment in this drama! "While You Were Sleeping" made me feel SOOO much emotion. I'm so happy I decided to watch this UwU I will miss the characters so much ;-; they'll always hold a special place in my heart. I also loved seeing a lot of familiar faces hehe :3
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Almost Perfect (In My Opinion)
This is the best kdrama I've watched. Usually I wouldn't give a show a 10 unless it's completely flawless and really hits the feels too. But even though I have a few minor critiques when it comes to this drama, they're so minor that I decided to give this a 10 anyway.Story: I gave this a 10. Almost gave it a 9.5 but ultimately, if you read between the lines, I think the story itself deserves a 10. All the plotlines tied up perfectly by the end, they took their time with the ending too and everything was plausible. I wasn't frustrated with the way anything turned out and honestly, even Investigator Choi's death made sense and added the right amount of angst and drama for the climax. It didn't feel like they decided to randomly kill him off to drive the ending climax either, it genuinely felt natural to the story. The characters were all really well developed and lovable, each having their distinctive personalities that really added to the depth of the story. This kdrama, by far, has the best second male lead storyline ever. Woo Tak was so kind-hearted, never once made a move on Hong Joo out of respect for both her and his close friend, he was happy if she was happy. He was honest and I'm happy that he was such a main character. As someone who HATES love triangles, I'm really really amazed with how they went about the second male lead. It wasn't really a love triangle, despite Woo Tak clearly being in love with Hong Joo. She wasn't in love with him, he didn't try to interfere or confess, and our bb Jae Chan knew about his feelings but still cared for him. The trio's friendship was beautiful and I'm glad no one was treated unfairly. All of the juxtaposition, cinematography, writing and subplots were superb. This kdrama has the perfect mix of love, friendship, family, crime, and drama. The only question that wasn't outright answered was about Hong Joo and how her premonitions started. But I'm okay with that being more or less a mystery since sometimes, you don't always get the answers you want in life. Like, how is she supposed to just magically find out how they started? If we follow Woo Tak's theory then maybe she had a near death experience when she was younger and that's how the premonitions started. And maybe she wasn't saved specifically by one person, hence why her premonitions aren't just about one person. Then she saved Jae Chan so he started having them again once they were re-acquainted. Then he saved Woo Tak, so he started having them. Either that or it's all related back to Hong Joo and that's why they started getting premonitions; because of her. They were supposed to die but ultimately didn't either, because of Hong Joo or in relation to her - since Jae Chan actually saved Woo Tak because he wanted to save Hong Joo and her mum. Therefore, since she originally had the ability to dream of future events, when the future she saw was changed (because of or in relation to her) to the point where lives were saved that were supposed to die, that's why they also gained that ability. That's just my theory though. And it's also the reason I don't mind that we never got a clear answer. Everything else was wrapped so nicely that I don't think it was due to laziness.
Acting/Cast: I really enjoyed everyone in the cast and their acting. However, I gave this a 9/10 because of two reasons. I want to first say that when I started this kdrama, I was unfamiliar with almost all of the actors in it. Now I bet everyone is appalled that I haven't seen anything Lee Jong Suk has been in, I know, but I'll get around to watching them. Anyway, the only actors I know are Kim So Hyun (guest role), the fried chicken serial killer guy, and Jung Hae In (Woo Tak). I know I'm going to get hated on for saying this but Bae Suzy's acting wasn't as phenomenal as I was expecting. Majority of the tears she spilled were fake and not genuine and her acting was a little one note. It wasn't bad by any means, but I struggled to really connect to her. Also, I really loved Hong Joo and Jae Chan as a couple. They were cute, non-toxic, and their kisses were great. However, I'm sad to admit they were lacking a little in the chemistry department. I don't know why exactly, but yeah.
Music: I LOVED the soundtrack for WYWS. Every song was perfect, memorable, and were used perfectly throughout the show.
Rewatch Value: A solid show that doesn't make me endlessly frustrated with enough angst, cuteness, and comedy to keep me entertained.
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This is seriously close to one of my favorites, and it could have been, with a few tweaks. Other than that, the premise is seriously intriguing, the cinematography is gorgeous, the romance was natural, and the plot twists were gut-wrenching.I think I just wanted a bit more mystery with the criminals. There were some, but the show used a lot of dramatic irony — telling the audience who was at fault before the characters knew. It's a powerful tool for sure and I loved the frustration it caused me, but at the same time it got very formulaic, especially when it came down to The Big One at the end. I think my favorite subplots were the earliest ones — the car accident which was one of the best first episodes I've ever scene, and the domestic abuse one when cop and reporter's dreams clashed.
Going off of that, I think the show did a really good job with the mini-mysteries style. I'm usually not a fan of these because it reminds me of kids' shows where trouble pops up and is resolved in an episode. But WYWS tied them into the lives of our main characters really well and that's why I felt so emotionally involved in every case. Still, I kind of wish that the characters hadn't won pretty much every case they had, because I felt like a loss at some point would've made the antagonist (already a very powerful character) seem more competent.
With that being said, I thought the antagonist lawyer was a really good character but could've used more backstory that was unrelated to the main characters. He did a lot of evil things but at the same time seemed to have a conscience and some disgust towards his clients. He seemed to be really powerful and good at being bad, but because the main characters always seemed to defeat him, I never felt like he was on the same playing field.
I also wish the dreams were utilized more in different ways; I loved it when the question of knowing and changing the future became unclear, and the drama discussed how changing the future doesn't always mean "better." There's a lot of potential in what "the future" entails but the future mostly used it only as a tool for the main characters to get ahead in their reporter/prosecutor adventures.
With all those things being said, however, I still really loved a lot of things about this drama, especially the Investigator plot twist that totally BLEW MY MIND.
The ending mostly wrapped things up with a nice bow, though I have to say I have an aversion to the Vehicle-of-Doom trope despite how they reasoned it. The main characters were really good together and I loved both their personalities (humor was an added bonus), and I think the OST and the aesthetic of this entire drama really completed it.
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I love how this drama has been written and wished the drama had been received better when it first released. Because really, the storytelling and writing had been quite masterful and it's a shame that the drama received so much hate by some just because of the fact they did not like Suzy in this drama. Still, considering the drama still won quite a number of awards despite that, I guess things still turned out well.And it's a shame really, that some people could not see beyond their bias of her and view this drama's great writing with fairness. While some may argue that some of the cute acting from Suzy to be unbearable, I personally feel that all the cuteness were justified. I mean, considering how Hongjoo's character had the ability to see glimpses of future events in her dreams it made sense how she ended up being trying too hard to get him to like him or having too much imaginations regarding her relationship with Jaechan. Like she already saw much of the things that will happen in the future, how else can she pretend to be clueless about it? Regardless, I love how the relationship of the two naturally progress throughout the drama.
Through Pinocchio and I can Hear Your Voice, I grew to be really fond of the writer's writing. As usual of her writing style, I love how the relationship between Hongjoo, Jaechan and Wootak was quite healthy and normal and not overly dramatic for the sake of appealing to cliche triangle romance tropes and how even for the minor characters their story was written well. And I love how the story was quite balanced between the main trio and the way they ended up having precognitive dreams on each other was explained well.
I like how the flashback scenes were timed and paced really well in the drama. While initially the flashbacks may seem to be random but as the story goes on, all the pieces started to come together like a piece of a big puzzle. I quite like the way the backstories were positioned in a way it directly connects to the corrent plot. I have to sat that the writing of this drama and connections were really done well to the point you'd want to keep rewatching to see how all the hints connects to make up into a bigger picture. I really love the drama and loving the choice of the casting. It was perfect!
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All is well that ends well
I have a saying "if a drama doesn't manage to pull you in within the first episode, don't bother watching anymore" and this applied beautifully to this drama. Sometimes I was put off by the actors portrayal of the characters or by the story even though I like the actors, but all is won in this drama.The first episode is like a movie in its own and gives you a feeling of contentment at the end. The love triangle is handled with ease without the casualty feeling you get from a typical one.
The cinematography is bright and well lit, some mystery dramas use a dark color palette to convey suspense, which is a preference of mine. The good guys are verging on the adorable dorky persona with a bright aura, so you get a giddy feeling whenever they pop up on the screen.
The ending is such a good feel one, that you feel cleansed from all bad things in life.
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This is the first drama I've seen Lee Jong Suk in (well, I watched Secret Garden but I have no memory of his role in it) and I really liked his performance. His character was not what I expected - he was so goofy with his selfies! It was very endearing. As for Suzy, her character initially made me cringe a little but she grew on me. What I really enjoyed were all the supporting characters, Woo Tak, Jae Chan's brother, and especially Jae Chan's colleagues and their own storylines. There were so many beautiful moments there. Jae Chan and his brother had a lot of hilarious moments. There was a solid villainous character, and no love triangle.
I'm not sure that I'd rewatch (but then again, I RARELY rewatch anything, there's so many new shows to watch) but this is definitely be on my list of dramas I recommend. And I will be looking for another Lee Jong Suk drama to watch, sorry I've overlooked him for so long...
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EVERYONE'S TOP 5 KDRAMA OF ALL TIME
ITS PERFECT!!!. This kdrama has possibly the BEST FIRST EPISODE out of hundreds of kdrama i've seen. It has everything you ever want, romance, comedy, mystery, suspense, fantasy and a handsome 2nd lead. COUNT ME IN!!! The acting is suprisingly good and realistic but i guess people love to hate on idol turned actors cough* Suzy cough* Also It is LEE fuc**ng JONG SUK like cmon why are you even contemplating whether or not to watch it?The OST + the romance chemistry between the leads is enough reason to watch this drama, add on a bit of psycho evil serial killers and manipulative corrupted lawyers and you get yourself the best drama of the year. Also the CAST IS SUPER FUNNY and under rated.
p.s. A funny intelligent competent prosecutor + cute smart well-spoken reporter is a suprisingly unique pairing.
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While You Were Sleeping (2017)
A creative premise that's contrasted by relatively simple point A to point B episodic content. The performances from the main leads and the secondary characters made the story flow pretty smoothly. Though I can see how the simplistic nature of the show presented in individual stories could turn some people off.One thing that really bugged me early on was when one of the main antagonists was pointed out by his own client to have falsified evidence. Why wasn't he investigated, suspended, or disbarred? I mean yeah, this is TV and all but this is like a HUGE thing in the world of law. Keeping him around for the sake of plot and/or stuff like that in general made the show feel a bit cheap at times. To add to that, I think the amount of "filler" in the show kind of ruined the mystique of the concept. The more (quantity) they leaned into the supernatural aspects the less (quality) it was memorable. Don't get me wrong, the writing was still good to watch as details and stories were fleshed out reasonably well but I think condensing things would've been more impactful.
The show has just enough drama and suspense to sustain itself and yet manages to keep a relatively lighthearted side of things. It has its fair share of emotional bits as well as parts where it falls flat without anything particularly memorable. So while enjoyable, it won't linger around in your thoughts or have you think about it in the shower or in bed, while you were sleeping.
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Lackluster Legal Drama and Thrill-less Thriller with a Lukewarm Love Story
Good Things:* The cinematography. Unlike a lot of older network dramas, it had a large enough budget to be entirely pre-produced. This allowed for the use of upper-end camera work, editing and effects that make WYWS feel much more recent than it is.
* The hook. Contagious precognition with a butterfly effect factor is an riveting twist to a legal thriller. The first few episodes do an excellent job presenting its premise, and are overall the strongest part of the series.
So-So Things:
* The romance. Fate tells us the leads are Meant To Be and they just shrug and roll with it. There's some cute domestic/daily life moments in between the legal cases and a few pretty cinematic tableaus, but little meaningful relationship building.
* The tone. Despite the murders, dire dreams and tragic backstories everything is light and breezy. It's understandable that people see it as a comfort watch because the entire drama - even moments that should be high conflict - is mostly one note.
Bad Things:
* The 2D characters. The Good Guys are Just Good; they always win and always make the right moral choices. The Bad Guys are Just Bad; they're there to move the plot along and nothing else. The lack of narrative nuance makes them all seem more like archetypes than individuals.
* The MIA main plot. The legal cases don't share any themes or common threads, and they're unrealistically neatly tied up with any loose ends/consequences either ignored or swept away by time skips. They add nothing to the central story, which ends up endlessly sidelined until all the conflict and resolution is crammed into the final few episodes.
Interesting Things:
* Park Hye Ryun also wrote Dream High (2011), I Hear Your Voice (2013), Pinocchio (2014-2015) and Start-Up (2020).
Recommended if you enjoy straightforward, easy-watch dramas and don't mind some rote characters and storytelling. But compared to PHR's earlier thrillers, WYWS is a pretty pastiche of everything that made them compelling without the same heart and complexity in the narrative and characters.
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