While You Were Sleeping

Amazing cinematic start that downgrades to fun then forgettable.

This is such a generically beige KDrama that's it's no surprise to me that it's so popular: there's absolutely nothing that stands out in the story or relationships for anyone to feel strongly about, so it's universally appealing as an easy watch. Add to that some very pretty faces with glossy blockbuster production to rival JJ "Lens Flare" Abrams (and some equally annoying quirks) and you've got yourself a milquetoast mass market hit.

Basically: Quirky journalist FL has a power she doesn't understand and can't control (despite dealing with it most of her life). Hapless prosecutor ML crashes in on the scene, gets powers of his own and then teaches FL how to use hers for good! They both go from zeros to heroes practically overnight without any meaningful stumbling blocks or character development! Together - with bland do-gooder police sidekick SML - they solve legal cases that all blend into each other because they're equally generic crime mysteries! The dreams (the most interesting part of the drama) end up ruining the thrill factor because there's a clear cheat sheet for the characters to follow to get the best solution. And that's what they do over and over again.

FL, ML and SML should have used their powers to find and save the main plot first because it's suspiciously missing for 3/4s of the drama. Which might have been okay if it were at least chugging along somewhere in the background, but nope. Maybe it finally picks up in the end, but after 12 episodes of formulaic nothingness I've completely lost interest. Main baddie TML is a corrupt defense lawyer who scuttles the heroes hard work on numerous occasions for... personal grudge? Ego? Boredom? Profit? Who knows, because he has no backstory! He's bad, he's there and he tries to ruin things for the heroes over and over because he clearly has nothing better to do, just like the villains of the week.

Rarely do I find a romance as dull as this one. The leads were cute, I guess? Which is all they had going for them because just like the motiveless villains there was no reason for them to get together or stay together. They do it because they're the leads in a romance drama and they need to earn that paycheck. Sure, there's a fated childhood connection or whatever but I need more than that to find a relationship believable and the story gave me nothing to work with beyond some cheesy romantic asides and cringe comedy.

There's nothing I really hate about this drama but there's nothing I love either. Decent entertainment but I can't imagine ever watching this again or even thinking about it beyond writing this review. Strong characters and inspiring stories are why I started watching Kdramas to begin with, but I didn't find either of those here.

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I liked this drama even though I never really got passionate about it. It had some gaping issues that prevented me from really being in love with it, but I did enjoy it.

Story:
The plot premise is very interesting and unique but was not very well executed. My biggest issue with the dreams is that how they work was never really fully explained. This is one of my biggest gripes with this and all Sci-fi/fantasy dramas- we need to know the rules so we can know the stakes. Without this, anything can happen for any reason and as a viewer you can't get as invested in the story. The dreams felt a bit contrived at times. There also wasn't really a solid plotline running throughout the entire show, and there was rarely any sense of urgency.

Acting:
I love them both to pieces but I feel like neither Lee Jong Suk or Suzy are strong enough actors to carry a drama on their own. Aside from their acting not being the strongest, they have very little romantic chemistry. Other than that, their characters are very well written and are fun and believable as friends. As well, the supporting cast have great chemistry with the leads and are very strong actors.

Music
The music was outstanding and very well utilized. This show, like the writers' other work, "I Hear Your Voice," also makes amazing use of an instrumental OST, which really adds to emotional moments.

Overall
Overall, I had my gripes with this drama but I enjoyed it. It had a stellar first few episodes, and kind of slowed down in the middle and sort of sputtered out at the end, but as a whole it was pretty good. As a viewer I feel like I put more effort into thinking about directions that both the plot and characters could have gone in than the writer did at times. Even though there were things I thought could have been done better, there was nothing I hated, and I don't regret watching it.

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First of all, I love this drama and gave it a 8.5/10 ratings.
I refused to give it a perfect 10 because there were a few plotholes here and there, and also, the chemistry between Lee Jong Suk and Suzy was not up to my expectations, especially when they were kissing, it just doesn't feel right, I can't seem to feel their love and passion, almost to the extent where I feel like they're robots kissing on command.

Moving on to the pros, the casts were all significant in their own ways.  From the lead characters to the side characters, all of them played a part in making this drama memorable. Now, I do understand people have their own opinions and preferences, but to me, Suzy's acting has never been a problem for me, my first drama of her was Gu Family Book, and that was the drama that made me fall in love with her character, and she has never disappoint since then. Her acting in this drama was pretty flawless imo. Also, kudos to the villain, he did a great job in portraying his character, there were a lot of depths on his character, and it's worth it to keep an eye on him.

Some of the plots and scenes did exceed my expectations, but there are also some character developments which failed to meet my standards, one character in particular, Han Woo-tak. His character had so much potential and buildup, but sadly, it wasn't done well.

All in all, I love the storyline and the suspense. This drama is not perfect, but it's definitely worth watching, especially the comedy segments.

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The story had a nice flow (couldn't detect any plot-holes, did not have any draggy moments), the actors were all good, loved the music. But somehow wasn't invested in the couple at all... I like LJS and don't mind Suzy as well, so i have no idea what happened there with me... Buuut the plot and the characters were interessting enough to make this watch and enjoyable experience, which flew by fast. It did get way better on the second part, in my opinion, so I'm glad I didn't go searching for any other dramas, while this was airing, and didn't keep it on-hold for too long.

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A loving, twisting drama.

I will always enjoy a drama, that has it all. This drama was THE drama of all time. The cases we meet throughout the episode put this drama on a whole new level and make the drama more interesting. The Main characters interact with each other and how their past intertwined with each other. This is the second time I am watching this drama. I thought why not make an honest review? To be honest, the main couple was not the couple I was looking forward to, but rather one of the support roles. This became my addiction after the 5th or 4th episode. It was really good, with the suspense and somewhat of romance.

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I really enjoyed this drama but most of the time because of Wootak. I loved this character. I'm a big fan of Jongsuk's work but I have to confess that even though I like his character here, he didn't caught me as much attention as Wootak. He really caught everyone's attention, obviously because of his character, and especially because of Jung Hae In's perfomance.
Speaking of acting, I think everyone was apprehensive when saw Suzy in the cast, but she proved that she could be a good actress. Suzy played her character very well, she did a good.
Well, let's talk about this drama.

Story: (8.5/10)
It's  very interesting. I was intrigued by what was going to happen and why Suzy had those dreams.
I found the story quite different and interesting but, yeah,  had some holes. That's why i didn't give a very high score.

Acting / Cast: (9.0/10)
All of the cast did a good job. Jongsuk, well, we couldn't expect less from him, he nailed it as usual. Jung Hae In was very good to and so  Suzy. The special characters that were appearing in the drama were very well interpreted by their actors and actresses.

Music: (8.5/10)
I loved the music! I'm so addicted to Suzy's song.

Rewatch Value: (7.5/10)
The drama is good but I think it's because it's interesting and intriguing in the first time you watch. I don't think it would be THAT interesting and cool if you watched it more often, so I gave this score.

Overall: (8.5/10)
The story is interesting, the characters are cool and well played. The drama contains several different characters, each one with their own story, some more interesting than others. He loses a bit of rhythm in the middle of the drama but overall, While You Were Sleeping manages to hold you to the end. I recommend :) :)

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Sadly, this drama was full of wasted potential. I liked it overall but I wouldn’t rate it anything above my current score.

Positives:
1- The OST: This drama has one of the most outstanding pieces of music I’ve ever heard. It also helps that the music was properly used, enhancing the tone of each scene incredibly. Enchanting is the word I’d use to describe it.

2- The Cinematography: The camera angles, the filters and the flow between scenes really stood out. The visuals were coherent with the mood of the screenplay.

3- The Supporting Cast: Mr. Choi and Wook Tak carried this drama for me. Interestingly enough, they stood out more than the leads.

Negatives:
1- The Plot: Although the concept was very interesting and you can tell effort was put into it, the story wasn’t articulated properly. It was all over the place. The writing was in desperate need of focus, direction and impact. The flow of the plot was jarring and didn’t connect well at some points. It also didn’t help that the drama became episodic in the middle, with a villain of the week kind of concept.  

On the other hand, It felt like we were subjected to more filler than actual meat. The fact that the leads got to know each other as a couple through their dreams and not through actual interactions didn’t really help their relationship.

Sadly, Mr. Choi’s and Wook Tak’s pasts were dismissed too quickly. Proper focus on them was needed but the producers prioritized filler scenes over them. I wanted more.

2- The Leads:
-I’m a huge LJS fan. In fact, I watched this drama because he was in it. It saddens me to say that this was not his best performance. Did he feel…bored?, he clearly wasn’t putting much effort into it. I’ve seen what a great actor he is and this really felt flat. It could really boil down to the director not knowing how to exploit his potential.

On the other hand, it doesn’t help that this is like the millionth time we’ve seen him in the same stereotype of character. He really needs to get out of his comfort zone acting wise.

-Suzy’s acting is simply not my cup of tea. She doesn’t know how to connect with the audience nor with her character. She’s stoic, monotone, distant to the character she's trying to portray, unnatural and emotionally armored.

3- The Chemistry:
This is a character driven story so choosing the correct cast was crucial. The story relies on the romance aspect but the chemistry between Suzy and LJS was nonexistent. Both of them are responsible for that. To explain my point further, after watching so many LJS dramas, I’ve come to realize that his romantic scenes are carried by his counterparts, not by him. His peak in chemistry was with Han Hyo Joo and it was because she was the one openly and naturally expressing herself, and as the receptive one, LJS responded accordingly. With Suzy, they seemed awkward and distant. Neither of them looked interested. At some point, I even thought LJS was not the main romantic interest and Wook Tak was going to get the girl in the end. They both need work in that aspect.

Overall, I think the story has entertainment value but it didn’t come close to previous works such as Pinocchio and I Hear Your Voice.

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This story has so many twists and turns, it'll make your head spin; but if you keep steady, you'll get a fantastic tale. The idea of "pay it forward" is subtle but constant throughout. Karma and life lessons are also important ideas for both the characters and the varying subplots. The primary plot doesn't involve only the main characters though. Every named character seems to have some influence over the entire storyline.
I drew a chart to show how each character introduced was associated to another character either more or less significant. The chart has lines and arrows all over the place. :)
The OST used fits each scene well. The scene editing is slightly confusing, but is often explained later on. There are many "Ohhh, that's what that was about" moments. The acting is good. You can see which actors are more seasoned, but the younger actors hold up well also.

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A bit the heavy on the drama, but satisfying romance with Happy ending

I liked that although there were tropes in this series, they were really done well. I'm not a fan of flashbacks, but the way they were done & used here won me over. Poor Lee Jong-suk did SO much crying, which was a bit much for me but I was impressed that he had the acting ability to pull it off well. I liked that the suspense and the heavy drama parts were quickly resolved for the most part. I liked that the resolution for the love triangle was so amicable and that the guy who didn't win the girl's heart was just as good a guy as the other guy, but there was not conflict of interests for the viewer. Leads were good but did not have over the top chemistry (blame it on the way the female lead was written I think) satisfying romance with Happy ending.The premise of the dreams being central & not just limited to one person & the specifics behind that plot devise was really well done. The lack of irritating parents in this series was a relief ! I will definitely rewatch. I prefer romantic dramas & even though there was plenty of satisfying romance so I gave this 1/2 star less for being a bit heavier :so some days I took a break from it as I needed something fluffier at the end of a long day

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