I really liked the main couple, Lee Jong Suk and Suzy looked really cute together and their character were so adorable. They indeed delivered an outstanding performance. As for those who criticize Suzy, I have to tell you that I loved her character the most, her actions felt natural which makes her character more real and believable. I would love to see them working together again.
Keep up the good work!
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This review may contain spoilers
Near Perfection
Nothing in this world is perfect. However, some things are nearly perfect, and While You Were Sleeping is one of them. From a great storyline and plot to a great cast and amazing characters along with one of the best OSTs ever, While You Were Sleeping is a must-watch.Story:
The story of this drama revolves around the special ability of a group of friends to be able to see into the future through their dreams. Throughout this drama, this group of friends and the people around get to see the ways their dreams affect the world of law, their love lives, and their day-to-day lives as well.
These characters realize that knowing the future, seeing it in their dreams, doesn't mean that it can't be changed. They face decisions at every stop, just like we do, except for them their decisions carry much more weight and can deal heavy consequences, good and bad.
All these key components are intricately woven together to create a plot that is not only interesting but also logical. The plot also shows how much each decision, no matter how small, affects everyone and everything around them. All this works together to create one of the best plots in kdrama history.
Acting/Cast (Spoilers Below!!!):
The characters and the cast that played them were spectacular. Unlike many kdramas where the characters are unlogical and do things for no apparent reason, the characters in WYWS make their decisions logically.
Yoon Moon Sun (Hong Joo's mom) has only one condition when she makes her decisions, her daughter, and that makes sense. She is a mother devoted to making her daughter happy especially after all the hard things Hong Joo is going through. All she strives for is to keep her daughter happy and safe. Her decisions and actions portray that mindset perfectly.
Lee Yoo Beom is the main antagonist of WYWS. He is driven by his greed for power to the point that he does many things morally wrong, and he knows it. Throughout the drama he is wracked with guilt and tries to make excuses for himself, driving himself deeper and deeper into the hole he has dug until he goes as far to murder someone.
Han Woo Tak is a fan-favorite. Loyal, kind, and even through many hardships maintains outstanding morals while always thinking of others first. Even though his unrequited love for Hong Joo was never returned with even a glance. Woo Tak valued his friendships with Jae Chan and Hong Joo so much more that instead of being jealous of Jae Chan and trying to hurt him, Woo Tak helped their relationship to move forward. Through Woo Tak, I saw what a real friend was. Someone who can sacrifice everything, even his love, for his friends.
Jung Jae Chan is far from your perfect protagonist. Instead, he is full of resentment, hate, and regret from his past. He struggles to keep his morals intact as he faces hard decision after hard decision in the world of law. However, Jae Chan is also a kind person and a great friend. Although he is aware that Woo Tak likes Hong Joo, he doesn't attack him or try to break their relationship apart. Instead he hides the fact that he knows it and shows the amount of trust and faith he puts in his friends.
Finally, Nam Hong Joo is a quirky girl, to say the least. She is always smiling and laughing, hiding the insecurites and fears she has. Hong Joo showed just how much fear can control a life. From her short hair to quitting her job, she lives in fear all the while trying to hide it. However, as the story progresses, she retakes control over he life, returning to her job, actively trying to change the futures she sees in her dreams, and facing her fears.
Music:
The OST of While You Were Sleeping perfectly fit the drama and also produced some amazing songs, including "It's You" by Henry (My favorite song), along with great songs: "When Night Falls" by Eddy Kim, "You Belong to My World" by Roy Kim, and "I Love You Boy" by Suzy and many more. Overall, one of my favorite OSTs ever.
Rewatch Value:
I don't really ever rewatch dramas, but if I were to choose one drama to rewatch While You Were Sleeping would be one of my top choices. Even though watching it a second time might reduce the thrill, it would allow me to catch some smaller details I missed the first time around.
Overall:
My favorite drama I have watched thus far. An amazing plot, logical and beautiful characters, and a magical OST makes While You Were Sleeping a must-watch drama.
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I have to confirm my theory about why I have this problem with Lee Jong Suk. I'm sure now that the problem is his beauty, haha. I don't know how to explain, but when I look at his face I thought impossible that a normal person can look so perfect. For me, this compromises my perception of his performance, even if that could be a terrible judgment (and it is!). This justified why I love "W" so much because Jong Suk really looks like a character of webtoon. Even with this conception (again, I'm not saying that this is a right thing to think, I'm just sharing my conclusion because Jong Suk always was an open question to me), I thought that I could see more of his acting on this drama, and the last episode show this cleary. And what episode! I'm already in tears with the ending of "Flower of evil" and now I just can't stop crying with this. I could see the "human" part of Lee Jong Suk in many parts of this episode, LOL. About Bae Suzy I haven't any complaints... The character of Nam Hong Ju was made for her. The sincerity, boldness, everything makes me love this character. We don't see just two men trying to save a girl, but three friends that support each other equally. This is amazing! And speaking of the last friend... I love Jung Hae In. Just that, haha. His character was very fun and strong, I just missed a deeper connection with the main couple (as a past connection) and a more detailed story. They focused on the main couple and kinda left Han Woo Tak besides sometimes. I get that, but still... I just wanted to see more of him! It was just me or sometimes looks like they could show Woo Tak as gay? I really thought that the big secret was this, haha.
So my conclusion is that this drama is amazing! If you are looking for something fun a cute but also surprising and electrifying, this is an excellent choice!
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story: While the story was interesting and unique, I felt like it was ultimately directionless. I loved the supernatural theme, and I believe that is what initially piqued everyone's interest in the beginning. Well, that and Lee Jong Suk of course ;) However, the more the story drug on, the more I felt like the supernatural unique aspects of the drama began to disappear and lose it's "magic" and appeal. It just became redundant and somewhat lackluster. In the end, the story tied up nice enough but I'm still left a little deflated with a lingering feeling that it could have potentially been more.
characters: In the end, the characters and character development, or lack of I should say, was what disappointed me the most. Lee Jong Suk did a marvelous job with his character. I could see his growth from an immature troubled youth still struggling with deciding between right and wrong and later watched him grow into a young man who stood firm in his beliefs. It was a seamless transition and I enjoyed the progress. In comparison, Suzy's character barely had any character growth. Her character was one dimensional at most. It was flat and a little boring to be honest. I don't know why, but something about her acting never communicated to me or pulled me into the story. I had the same problem with our second male lead in question, Han Woo Tak. While a handsome specimen and a potentially intriguing character, I felt like he was even more tasteless and boring than even Suzy. Even worse, I was left hanging till the very end wondering what dirty little secrets he was hiding or quietly pondering the possibility that Woo Tak might be more sinister then he let on as some of the directing of this series seemed to insinuate. I was sorely disappointed however when his character and role in general just fell flat resulting in a character I strongly felt was ultimately pointless and boring with no real character development either. I sometimes felt the side characters at the law firm had more interesting interactions and character growth to be honest.
music: The music in this was superb. It fit the scenes perfectly and was able to pull the perfect emotion for every scene. It was as beautiful as the cinematography which I also happened to find beautiful and breathtaking.
Chemistry: The couple chemistry was only so-so. I didn't really feel much of a connection between the two actors and I continue to feel like their relationship bordered on closer to friendship then it ever did to an actual intimate relationship.
Antagonist: And finally, the biggest problem I had with this entire drama was the antagonist. It was almost comical how the painted a big red villain sign on Lee Yu Beom. Sure the dude was crooked and manipulative but as the series drew on, I expected a little bit of insight into his sinister mask. What made him tick? What was his backstory? Why was he so twisted inside? They had so many opportunities to draw forth various complicated emotions from the viewers with a more complicated and complex antagonist so I was sorely disappointed when they decided to paint everything black and white and simply made Lee Yu Beom into the typical "Born to be the bad guy" lead in which every action he has ever taken was meant to cause distress to our main heros. The struggle between the antagonist and the protagonist was much too disney version for my liking. Character depth is more realistic and has the potential to leave a more lasting impression on the audience.
With that in mind, I over all rather enjoyed this series. I'm not dissuading anyone from watching this, if you are considering watching it then by all means go ahead. It was an enjoyable ride and I don't regret watching it. I would say it was worth the watch. If you are looking for something rich in supernatural mystery or character depth then I would advise against it. This drama was more focused on things like standing firm in your beliefs, distinguishing between right and wrong, human connections, and how we are all ultimately tied together somehow in an intricate and dynamic web of fate.
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First of all, the story isn't that all unique, but I definitely enjoyed how the plot was nice, clear and straightforward from the first episodes. Episode 1-2-3 and *poof* - you're hooked. The series looses it's fast pace when everything seems clear, however, the pace is quickly swept up again after an episode or two. Also, it's so satisfying when the little plot holes in the drama start to fill up little by little as the show progresses. As I always like to focus on romance and the relationships between characters in every Korean drama, the love story between the main characters was like a breeze of fresh air. Jung Chae Chan's and Nam Hong Ju's affection for each other and how natural it was made the drama so enjoyable to watch. Speaking about enjoyable, I'll talk about my new oppa. Oh yeah, it's Jung Hae In. I fell in love with Han Woo Tak's character right away. He is my new perfection of what any man in Kdrama world should be. Also, he's very lovable. Beware!
Hence, the multi-talented actors made this show worth watching. The star-studded cast put a smile on my face. However, I get that many people are fed up with Lee Jong Suk's acting - he tends to play the same type of character most of the time, but he has done a spectacular job in this once again. Not to mention that him and Suzy even recorded songs for the OST of the drama. An emotional and moving soundtrack is one of the most important elements of a successful drama. Personally, I'm very impressed with all of the songs, hence, now I have many songs to rewind over and over again while getting ready in the morning!
So, as I've finished the drama 30 minutes ago, I can proudly say that I'll miss it. I remember not expecting much from the synopsis and the trailer, but now I'm very happy with my decision. If you love an intense, romance filled and fresh crime-solving dramas, you'll probably enjoy this one as much as I did!
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Story: [8.0/10] While you were sleeping is basically your typical prosecutor/lawyer/law drama with a slight little twist. The character played by Suzy can dream of events that happens in the future. Meanwhile Lee Jong Suk plays the role of a prosecutor. Throughout the drama he goes through solving many different cases through this ability that pops up to help him solve the case. There's is also a prosecutor turned lawyer played by Lee Sang Yeob who is the main antagonist of this story. He mostly spends his time defending the criminals opposite of main character prosecutor. I felt like the story started out pretty strong, but near the end it really started to waver. The story gets a little less interesting in my opinion when the viewers see the end result because Suzy's character can dream of the future. Instead we are left with trying to understand how we reach an end through viewing the stuff that happens in the middle. I'm just a little disappointed because it flt like the plot could be summed up as saying a prosecutor who solves cases through dreaming of the future. It basically makes for a deus ex machina. Other than my disdain for the simple plot, I really enjoyed the comedy. I also sort of liked the romance, but I felt like there wasn't too much spark or chemistry. Although I feel like that may also be a result of the plot and how the dreams played a role in how the two main characters ended up falling in love/getting together. It sort of makes it superficial. In the end, I thought that the story lacked a climax. I went to watch the episode today on 11/16 to find that it was the last one! I was like OMG WHAT? The show definitely didn't lead me to think it was nearing the end because it was sort of anti-climatic as well.
Acting/Cast; [9.5/10] This was one of my favorite parts of the drama. I'm a big fan of the two main characters. Often times I feel like a show has better production value if you have big name actors and actresses. This drama was one of them. Lee Jong Suk and Suzy has been in many big named dramas that ended up doing very well. I also enjoyed the villain that was played by Lee Sang Yeob as well. It really made me annoyed when I saw him enter the screen. I know that a show has a decent villain whenever I hate to see them. It means that the show made a good attempt at trying to make him a treacherous character.
Music: [8.0/10] I generally don't really have much about to say about music in dramas unless the genre of a drama is specifically musically-related. The music was okay. I give it around an 8.0/10.
In conclusion, I give this drama an 8.5/10. Generally I usually view dramas that score at least an 8.5 on MDL. I find that these shows are very much so above average. A 9.0 is a must watch and anything higher than that is what I assume to be a top notch drama. This show currently has a 9.0 at the time of me writing this. I slightly disagree. This isn't really a must watch drama on MDL for me, but I definitely think it's above average. I definitely felt like they could have done more with the dream concept as well as the plot. Although I'm sure that they were a little constrained based on the fact that this was a prosecutor type drama. TL;DR I liked the characters, the ending, and the comedy. I wasn't a big fan of the plot.
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I also had a lot of trouble backing the lead couple in While You Were Sleeping. Even though Lee Jong Suk and Suzy did very well in their roles. I didn’t sense a whole lot of chemistry or any for that matter. Thinking back on the drama, I don’t even know when feelings started to form and the romance began.
Yet there are some points in this drama that just blew me away. The pilot for instance was a work of art. If only they were able to keep that going week over week. A handful of these episodes where so beautiful and breathtaking. The effects used to bridge reality and dream whisk you away to another world. The visual effects that this drama uses make a good argument to watch it.
Overall, I think While You Were Sleeping is an interesting enough drama to watch. Unfortunately, I don’t think it was able to deliver on the ultra-hype that proceeded it. If you are interested in the premise, watch this drama! Get swept away in this beautiful striking drama!
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Despite that Suzy and Lee Jong Suk play the same character types every drama they're in, the cast was pretty solid. I really loved the characters Woo Taek and Choi Dam Dong, but by far the antagonist, Yu Beom played by Lee Sang Yeol was phenomenal. This was the first time I watched a drama (and I have watched many) with such an impressive and persuading character/actor. The most impressive antagonists are the ones with manipulative wit. He was so convincing that I went from hating the antagonist to indulging in his interesting character. Yu Beom really makes you ponder about morals and about his motives. He's not necessarily hungry for money or fame since he already has that. He doesn't particularly enjoy being a lawyer for the worst of criminals either--you can see that he despises himself for it as well. It's almost as if he's just following through with his actions just to be consistent with his previous actions. In general, it's such a ride to see how lawyers are able to crawl through the slimmest of loopholes.
This drama also raises a lot of questions about morality, ethics and the justice system. Is it better to let 7 people die to catch the culprit or let the culprit go? Is it considered immoral to defend the dirtiest of criminals even though it's the role a lawyer must take?
Comparing this to another law drama with LJS, I Hear Your Voice, they're both pretty solid. They both have a romance and a supernatural aspect, except LJS's role is switched. I feel like I Hear Your Voice was a much darker and psychologically/emotionally tolling than WYWS. There was always a kind of nagging fear about the events that happened at the back of my head while watching IHYV, even though it was one of the drama's strengths. Plot wise, I liked WYWS more because it was easier to watch, lighter and balanced. There's a great friendship and bond among the three main characters and some cute moments too between Suzy and LJS!
OSTs are the best I've heard so far. I've had the OSTs on repeat on my Spotify up till now, weeks after I've finished the drama. It's so easy to listen to for a long time and I was so surprised with a track sung by LJS himself! He has such a nice singing voice and is so talented.
Overall, this is a very solid drama! I really think it is THE drama of 2017. I highly recommend it!
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This review may contain spoilers
‚While you were Sleeping‘ was my 5th drama written by Park Hyeryun. The only drama I didn‘t like was Dream High. the other dramas I watched were very good. Even though I was very excited to watch the drama I was sceptical, too, because of Suzy. I watched her in Dream High and she was...bad. And I watched her in Uncontrollably Fond and she was...definitly not good. But I love Lee Jongsuk, Lee Sangyeob and Jung Haein and the story sounded very interesting, so I decided to watch the drama during the airtime.Story: Like I said before, I was excited because the story sounded very interesting and it didn‘t disappoint me. A young woman dreams about real incidents, who happens after she dreamed about them. It sounded different from most of the other fantasy dramas I watched until now. The story was ecxiting and honestly there were many surprises.
Cast: The Cast was very good, even though Suzy was a little bit off. Especially I want to name two Actors who surprised me the most. But I want to begin with the two Main Actors.
Bae Suzy. To be honest, I think that she should just stay singing, because unfortunately she is not one of the idols who can act as well. I was very skeptical about her role, but she was improving. In the first episodes I found her really bad. It was somehow ... stiff in my opinion. But after a few episodes, I realized that she has improved in comparison to her last drama. She will never be one of my favorites, but if she keeps practicing, she may at least be bearable. But I still do not like one thing about her. If she cries, that looks kind of artificial. Maybe that's up to me, but I do not think every actor can cry well and sadly, Suzy is one of them.
The male protagonist Jung Jaechan was played by Lee Jongsuk. As I said, I'm a big fan of him since I saw him in School 2013, I love him and his way of acting. I must also honestly say that he not only plays the role of the rather childish and naive public prosecutor very well, but he is also pretty good at the role. It's one of the main reasons why I just could not drop this drama, even though I often have a problem with it if I do not like the chemistry of the main couple.
By far the most surprising actor was none other than Jung Haein, who really surprised me a lot. He's a really excellent actor, and I was convinced of that when I saw him in 'Blood', which I stopped for some reason. I hope he gets the first lead role soon. His role was very nice and sometimes I wished he would end up with the female lead, but then I thought the way it was was the best. The Second Actor who was very surprising was Shin Jaeha. I watched him in Page Turner and didn‘t liked his role but his acting. In this drama he played the younger brother of Jung Jaechan who has a crush on a girl who is one of the guest stars in the first few episodes. Like Haein Jaehe is a very prominsing Actor.
I liked the Acting of Lee Sangyeob, too, but his role was...>.< Argh could he get another role like in Innocent Man, please? I can‘t talk more about him and his role because I am afraid I would write any spoilers, but his actoong was amazing. Most of the other Actors were okay.
Music: The OST is very nice, but honestly...Lee Jongsuk doesn‘t need to sing...I am finee with him when he only acts…
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Acting/Cast: This drama really caught my attention of the cast especially the main cast Lee Jong Suk and Suzy. I've watched all their dramas and most of them are my favorites. Lee Jong Suk never fails in his acting and he proves that He still one of best korean actor. I remembered the last part of the episode when his crying it really touches my heart and made my cried also. Suzy really improved in her acting skills in this drama and it made me more interest watching every episodes. Jung Hae In even if I've seen him in other drama, this drama really made him recognized more not just his looks but also as a good actor. I love also Kim So Hyun in this drama even if she's just a guest role. I love her acting so much and also her interaction with suzy. I just love both of them. Also Lee Sang Yeob really portrays his role well, and the prosecutor team made me laugh everytime, Every cast really suits in their character and i love every interaction made in this drama.
Music: All OST were perfect in every seen or episode in this drama. Just Perfect!
I'm not the k-drama fan that will watch the episode or the whole again after I finished watch it. It takes so long or about more than a year after I rewatch it but this drama break my rule. This drama is so good that after I watch an episode I want to rewatch it again and again.
All are opinion are different but all I can say that this drama is DAEBAK! :D
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You don't need anything but this one :P
I personally loved While You Were Sleeping. Others may disagree, but they're all wrong. Sure, WYWS didn't do everything perfect, it's not Goblin for instance, but it came pretty close.
Suzy, who has been critisised in the past for not being able to act, really shows off how much she's grown. Her acting is constantly believable, and even touching at some times. Suzy is still cute and georgous, but she also shows she's capable of portraying real emotions like sadness and anger. I've been completely blown away by her growth in acting.
The one you'll probably find wanting however, is going to be Lee Jong Suk. You might want to point towards his character and the way it's written. And you'd have a point. He's almost two dimensional and doesn't do much for the story nor for the chemistry he's supposed to have with Suzy. Which, admittedly, is lacking. Personally I feel that's mostly due to Lee Jong Suk, which all you fangirls out there will not want to here. I felt his acting was flat and he could've done a lot more with his character, even within the boundaries that the writer put on his dialogues. He has done better, for instance in Pinocchio.
The story is pretty cool though. Who wouldn't want to dream about his/her partner and try to stop whatever is happening so he/she doesn't fail? The way these dreams fit together is pretty nifty too. The only sad part is that the last "dreamer" never really connected with his dreams to the rest. Unfortunately, I can't explain what I mean without divulging too much so you'll just have to take my word for it :).
I really love how this story sets things up from the first episode. Some stuff takes really long before the details are shown, and that keeps you wanting for more.
The lovestory between Suzy and Jong Suk is pretty cool with a confident Suzy at the helm :). Some of the episodes are pretty intense, to downright scary. But it all gets handled pretty well.
Would I rewatch it? Hell yes. The only thing that annoyed me was that I had to wait another week for new episodes :)
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