This review may contain spoilers
This was the drama I was most excited about and I had high expectations and I can tell you that I wasn't disappointed. The story is original and the first episode starts pretty well. I really liked the opening and the structure of the episodes. I really love Lee Jong Suk and I knew that he's going to give everything in this role, and he did play amazing. I did like the other characters as well. It's true that there were few that I didn't really like, but the storyline and the way things were explained made me forget about the hate.
I really enjoyed watching every single episode, and the last ones were incredible. They kept me in suspense and I couldn't really tell what was going to happen. I did like the fact that they didn't give a big attention to the love triangle, the producer decided to focus on the friendship of the three 'dreamers'.
I can't really say bad things about this series, I mean, the things I didn't really like were essential and they made everything more interesting. If I would have to choose one thing that I hated about this drama, I would choose one of the suspects/criminals. *I am not going to tell the name of the one I hated the most, just because I don't want to give any spoilers.*
I seriously recommend watching this drama, not only because this is somehow a goodbye from Lee Jong Suk because he's enrolling in the army, but because the story and the characters are built up in a beautiful way that makes this drama stand out from the others.
Was this review helpful to you?
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!
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
This isn't really a review but just my thoughts after finished watching this. Contains major spoilers so if you want read this with discretion please.First problem, the biggest plot came pretty late, after 27 out of 32 episodes, and it wasn’t even that momentous, it was basically 3 people recognizing each other, and it had no impact to the show’s crux.
Second, they focused too much on the romance. The main couple was a bit all over the place. Romance scenes popped up every 5 minutes, even inappropriate sometimes, and often really cheesy. And what makes me mad the most is, they literally killed my second favorite character to fortify the main couple’s relationship.
Like, the death just didn’t make any sense and absolutely wasn’t necessary and other than that it was to prevent something that could’ve been avoided easily long ago. Feels like they used that in order to cover up a massive amount of plot holes and most of all it was their last solution to save the show which is viewers tears.
Third, acting is not that good. All they did good were smirk and squint, and cry. LJS still can’t act panicking right. I love him from Doctor Stranger but somehow he got worse in this one. Especially when the show was climaxing. That kinda makes romance scenes feel cheesy to me.
On the other hand, the show looks nice, good cinematography and good soundtracks. Humor was alright. TBH the biggest plot twist for me is who was the bride at that last episode. Jesus it still giving me shiver while writing this.
I think the show could have done much more. Because the 'can tell the future, messing with the time' theme has been used in so many other works that been considered Masterpiece in different forms such as anime, games, movies,... I was super hyped when I found out this show contains that material. If you’ve came across an anime called ‘Steins Gate’ or a game called ‘Life is Strange’ you’ll know what I mean. You save this person, 10 more people die because of that. The more time you save that person the more you create a butterfly effect. You save this girl 4 times to prevent her inevitable death and somehow a typhoon with a size of the moon appears and wipes away the whole town clean. So you gotta choose between stuff, stuff that as same important to you and that person, you gotta sacrifice either one of them, but if you do it good you can still get a happy ending. Now I’m not comparing these to the show, but the way they handled it, and the way they built it up was so clever and engaging and immersing. You have these first 10 episodes full of sunflowers and silky roads, and after episode 10 it feel worse than standing on Normandy in WW2. That’s how you do a plot twist. That’s how you make a show good. I was preparing all my body and my mind for something like that. I was ready to give this show a 11/10. Now I can’t tell that I’m not a bit disappointed. I personally thought they would inherit and learn from those successful factors and develop them into a new story but no, they just didn't do it. They chose to remain a formal KDrama and insisted too much on the romance aspect. They made the name of the show less meaningful.
Well maybe it’s just me who set the bar too high. I’m totally new to this KDrama thing and after all, there are things you can draw and code but simply just can’t film it out.
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
After reading reviews and comments on this drama, I have arrived at this conclusion: While You Were Sleeping is that popular drama you either hate or love. It all depends on your preference and/or drama watching experience. Examples of dramas like that are Goblin, Descendants of the Sun, and Scarlet Heart: Goryeo. I am the kind of person that dislikes most of these for several reasons.One word I would use to describe this drama: average. This drama is really no different from every other drama. It really let me down and failed to live up to expectations (for me).
Note: When I am referring to an ‘episode’, I am talking about a 30 minute episode :)
Story: 5/10
The show starts off with a huge bang. Just in the first four episodes, a ton of stuff was going on and I was not sure what to think because my brain was very confused. It was cleared up in the next few episodes, and I genuinely enjoyed the beginning. But after that point, things got repetitive. From episode 9-24, the show was basically a repeating itself over and over. I could easily predict what was going to happen, and the supposed “cliffhangers” were terribly predictable. Even the last cliffhanger in the finale did not get my attention since I knew that everything was going to be the same. But the show does conclude really well. The last few episodes were the most exciting and I really liked how this drama ended. But... that's kind of late, don't ya think?
Acting/Cast: 8/10
I do have to say, Suzy’s acting seemed to have improved. She played Hong Joo pretty well, but I didn’t like this character at all because she was one-dimensional and had zero development. Lee Jong Suk, playing Prosecutor Jung Jae Chan is same as always (he always chooses the same types of roles, which leads me to believe that he can’t act and is only popular because of his looks… please don’t fight me on that xD). Also lately I noticed (after listening to his OSTs for this drama which are mehh imo) that Lee Jong Suk speaks with the most boring voice ever. This also leads me to believe that he only has one tone of voice: a flat, monotonous voice. But Jung Hae In’s character, Han Woo Tak, completely stole the show for me. He had a way more more interesting character than the other two leads combined, and he was one of the reasons I stuck through to the end of this drama.
Characters: 5/10
There was barely any character development in Hong Joo or Jae Chan. But I did really enjoy the side characters and their storylines way more than the two main characters.
Music: 10/10
I can probably say this without getting attacked: WYWS is the drama with the best OST of 2017. A few were mehh but the majority of them were beautiful. I like “It’s You” by Henry soooo much. I may be biased since I love Henry and English OSTs…
Enjoyment level: 6/10
I did like the beginning, but it got boring in the middle. WYWS only got better in the last four episodes in my opinion (but that is too late to save). There was true suspense; suspense that kept me on the edge of my seat in the last episodes. I thought that I would not be surprised by the ending one week before the finale, but I did end up getting surprised xD. I think that WYWS ended really strongly, which is pretty hard to do since all the viewers want to be satisfied. I also really loved the comedy in this drama. Some parts had me rofl xD
Rewatch value: 1/10
This drama was average and boring most of the time so I will never touch it ever again.
If you are looking for a good law drama, go check out Witch’s Court. Witch’s Court is literally the polar opposite of While You Were Sleeping (can’t explain or I will be giving out spoilers xD) and is a lot better in every aspect.
Was this review helpful to you?
Story - the story was great at first. It kept you on the edge of your seat while making you crazy waiting for the next episode. Soon after around ep 16/8 the drama lost its thrilling spark. The dreams became repetitive, and usually had the same outcomes. If you think of this drama as mainly romcom, I think you would enjoy it though. :)
Acting/cast - I liked the cast. Suzy was great, she improved quite a bit and her character was pretty funny sometimes. Lee Jong suk was the same as always. His performance was enjoyable, although I think he should try to play a different type of character next time. As it feels that his character is always the same character in a different world. The rest of the cast was great!
Music - I really enjoyed the Music, especially Come To Me by Lee Jong Suk, and Lucid Dream by Monogram.
Rewatch Value - I feel like you could rewatch this drama after a long time but if you rewatch it right away you will get bored by the repetitiveness.
Overall - This drama was a good watch. I watched around one episode a day so I didn't get bored by it, and enjoyed it quite a bit. I recommend this if you are looking for a cute romcom.
(Sorry for any spelling errors, I wrote this on a phone and in a hurry)
Was this review helpful to you?
Story - 8
Acting - 10
Cast - 10
Enjoyment - 9
Ending - 9
RRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY
Was this review helpful to you?
Was this review helpful to you?
1. The Plot - What I loved about Park Hye Run's writing (particularly in Pinocchio and I Hear Your Voice) was that she knew what to say and when to say it. With Korean dramas, things can get messy and all over the place, particularly when dealing with themes of past and present. She did a fab job tying lose ends before, but in WYWS the story was all over the place. The back-and-forth of the story was really messy and the "past" didn't have the impact it intended. It reminded me of Kill Me Heal Me (another amazing drama with painful back-flashes). I loved how original her idea was but it wasn't articulated properly.
2. Suzy - I have always felt Suzy has potential to be a decent actress but so far, everything she has done has been problematic to me. I don't know if anyone else feels this way but I have spent some time thinking why I don't feel affected by her. It's not bad acting but it's the "cutesy" act. For some reason, Suzy's acting comes off as a half-hearted cutesy attempt. Instead of improving her acting, she focuses more on being pretty and sounding cute. When she acts, it feels like we're supposed to bow down to her beauty or something. And it hinders my experience because, instead of empathizing with her character, I end up feeling envious or annoyed. She has a hard time evoking that feeling of human-connection and understanding in me.
3. Lee Jong Suk - My two points are self-contradictory here. Firstly, I feel Lee Jong Suk is being typecast as this perfect character. In every drama, he practically plays the same guy in different professional fields and having different life stories. Secondly, he did try to do something new in this drama by pulling a Jang Hye Jung. He's literally the male version of Lee Bo Young's iconic character in I Hear Your Voice here. But sadly, he does not pull it off convincingly. So basically, he did try something new but it didn't work out well. But he really needs to keep experimenting more. I know he can pull it off and show more variety!
The chemistry was sadly lacking between the main couple. I don't know whose fault it is, but my disappointment was palpable while watching the whole drama. I was waiting for that "click" moment but they never seemed to click. At least not for me.
The rest of the cast was relatively better. I loved Woo Tak and the people in Jae Chan's office. The cases were interesting but not enough. The last case was the best out of the lot and the saving grace for me! Overall, I loved the idea but I wish they had built upon it some more and the lead pair had more chemistry.
Was this review helpful to you?
This storyline is so unlike any other and that's the main reason why I loved it so much. I'm a true sucker for historical dramas and although I do enjoy a happy ending, I find myself appreciating a drama more when it doesn't always give me what I want. Life happens, you know?
With idol turned actors, I usually have my opinions about them. There are only a few that I have positive opinions about and Im Shi Wan is one of those people. He did such an amazing job delivering those raw emotions, it gave me chills.
And no words can describe how much I was affected by their soundtracks. Even after finishing the drama, I wasn't ready to let go. I had to listen to their OST's every second of every day for almost an entire month because I was clearly possessed. But no matter how much it hurt whenever I listened to it, it didn't hurt as much as when the final episode aired.
Overall, I think this drama did a sensational job at making me feel some type of way. This has got to be one of the best dramas I've ever had the pleasures of watching. I would highly recommend this to anyone who's looking for a good romance. But keep a box of tissues next to you, just in case. This drama is too good not to come back for. There is no doubt in my mind that I won't be returning for a second run.
With that said,
Llama out.
Was this review helpful to you?
In the beginning, I was very intrigued. I was curious to see how this storyline would progress and ultimately how it would go down. However, at times, the progression felt a little slow. But I think it was by the middle that I started to feel a little uncomfortable watching this. You see, here's the thing. I've never been a religious person, but I figured when the time was right I would gladly explore that realm. However, this drama completely knocked that ball out of the park for me. I don't think I've ever been so traumatized by a drama in my life. Of course, that isn't to say that this drama wasn't good. It did a compelling job of storytelling. But is it my cup of tea? No.
All of the actors and actresses did a tremendous job with maintaining the suspense. But really, I think the antagonists were the rising stars of this drama because it's never easy to be a convincing bad guy. I mean, not just anybody can make a smile look so evil.
As for the soundtracks, it was dark and rough around the edges. I think the main reason why my overall ratings for this drama is so much lower than what others might've given is because of the music. Again, not saying that the soundtracks were bad. My opinions are irrelevant. But is it my cup of tea? No.
Overall, I think the cast members were great and did an excellent job at bringing this story to its full potential. I would recommend this drama, but only to those with a brave soul. And I hate to say this, but I just can't bring myself to rewatch it again. I probably should've known from the start that this wasn't going to be the drama for me, but I truly thought I could handle it then. I just didn't know how much of a wimp I really was. But now I know.
With that said,
Llama out.
Was this review helpful to you?
Actually, I love the overall idea of the drama. However, I feel like 12 episodes might be too long. I could not see any big problem(s) in the drama and the main problem itself could actually be solved within 5 eps max? In fact, from ep 1 - 9, I could not see any emotion development between the main leads. And to be honest, I am much more interested in the side characters (including the professors) instead of the main characters.
If u are looking for a meaningful and a drama that will leave an impression on you after you finish watching, I do not really recommend this drama. But nevertheless, this may only be my personal opinion hehe
PS: I love the shy guy and the insomnia guy. Hope to see them in more dramas in the future! >.<
Was this review helpful to you?
The storyline will definitely give you a fresh black eye. I was not prepared for all the feels, even though I should've been because I also watched the first season... and I know what you're all thinking: shame on me. *inserting a cutout of my face plastered on top of Cersei's nude self as she does the walk of shame here* But I also loved how they each had their own trials to face, yet were brought together by this sense of comradery.
The writers did a fantastic job of creating each individual character and the actresses did an even more spectacular job at bringing them to life. As I watched each of the girls go through their own trials, I really felt like I was with them every step of the way. It was nice to see how each character faced their own obstacles but did so together. One thing that I was truly disappointed about was that I didn't get to see some of the original cast. That isn't to say the new members didn't do well, because they did. I just missed those familiar faces.
The original soundtrack for this drama was a pleasant surprise. Maybe because it's not as upbeat as most of the other soundtracks but this one definitely gave me chill indie vibes (with the occasional heart-wrenching ones).
Overall, this drama is a must-watch. Even if you're no longer in college, you'll find yourself reminiscing about those days. But if you're not in college yet, it'll still give you a good idea of what to expect. Would I rewatch this? Yeah, I think so. There might come a day where I would, I just don't know if my heart will ever be prepared for it.
And with that said,
Llama out.
Was this review helpful to you?
Secondly, I watched this drama even though I hate teacher/student pairings and I will say that aspect of the drama did not make me cringe as much as the idea usually does... this is most likely due to the separate acting of Kim Rae Won and Park Shin Hye. I don't think there was the astounding chemistry and romance that a lot of other reviewers profess to loving. It wasn't even interesting in my opinion. If I am being honest, I would have preferred Jisoo somehow coming back into the show even though it is cheesy to see some actual tension, awkwardness and conflict. I was actually rooting for literally anyone except for KRW at one point cause everything was so boring. Why place a second male lead that everyone knows has 0 chance? I don't think anyone thought that the PSH and KRW characters would not be the couple.
WARNING, MY PERSONAL PREFERENCE AHEAD: I really hate teacher/student relationships because of their very nature. I am not talking about the age difference which is already a major factor. I mean the principal and mindset and realism to have amorous feelings for someone that is supposed to be your mentor/mentee. It does not make sense and would never happen. Anyone that is reading this, think back on all your teachers... maybe even your aunt or uncle... how many can you say that you would fall in love with? Not lust. Love. I would bet none. Some may argue "that's the beauty because its so rare its meaningful" I would argue that this is a similar situation as falling in love with your step-parent. Not blood-related, but the initial relationship must be something that was inherently wrong to begin with. I would argue that there are many other story lines and characters to create, don't just try to force something that doesn't make sense.
I would never rewatch this drama given the fact that I had to skip past most of the very drawn out "dramatic" and "important" scenes because they really were not. The best part of the drama for me was the music because I really liked all three of the main songs: "No Way," "Sunflower" and "It's Love."
Finally, I think that some people really liked this drama for two reasons... actually two people: Park Shin Hye and Kim Rae Won. I am telling all readers and watchers, please do not rate solely based on one character or actor that you prefer. It makes it so that your comments do not provide insight or describe if you actually watched and understood the drama.
P.S. - Lee Sung Kyung is beautiful and I hope she gets lead parts where she can act as a novel character instead of the "Jealous Bitch" troupe.
Was this review helpful to you?
This drama combines various types of emotions together: happiness, sadness, frustration, and anger. One minute I am laughing and the next minute I am crying.
It successfully portrays how life really is; sometimes things do not go as smoothly as we think they will, sometimes efforts do not lead to a fruitful outcome and sometimes those you think are nice stab you in the back. However, I personally do not enjoy the 'cosplaying' parts of the show and I skipped most of them.
If you want to feel a bunch of emotions all over your heart, I recommend this drama!
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
I just finished watching this drama last night and I am quite impressed by it. This drama is (super) short, light, sweet and cute at the same time. Both of the main leads portray their characters nicely and I could see the chemistry between them. I am looking forward to seeing them in more dramas in the future (PS: the main guy is cute too haha). However, although I love the ending, I do think that it would be better if this drama has a different ending (since I should not give any spoiler, I could not explain it in detail >.<).If you are looking for a drama to kill some time, this is a good choice! You can increase your meme collection too through this drama~!
Oh btw, is this drama an 'advertisement'? Could not help but feel like it is an advertisement hahaha
Was this review helpful to you?
Recent Discussions
-
Last Drama You Completed? #250 minutes ago -
Thai music is underappreciated let's recommend some!51 minutes ago -
Who Do You Prefer? (Kpop Ver.)53 minutes ago -
Kang Hae Jun vs Kim San Ha Family Situation1 hour ago -
What's the Last Anime Episode You Watched? #22 hours ago
