Suzy and Jong-Suk as lovers, why not watch?!
The story centers on Hong-Ju, whose dreams always come true, and Jae-Chan, a grumpy prosecutor. After their initial encounter where they develop a bit of distaste for each other, a dream of the ML is shown in which he sees the FL dying. Flustered by the realism of the dream, Jae-Chan decides to intervene and tries to prevent the miserable future that awaits Hong-Ju. Then, as the show has romance as one of its elements, the relationship between them develops as the ML adapts to his workplace and coworkers and strives to investigate complex cases trying to uncover the real culprits behind from them... But he counts with Hong-Ju assistance, since she can see the future in her dreams!I really loved the acting, although it's no surprise since the cast is replete with amazing professionals, especially the lead roles. As a big fan of Suzy I have to say that "While You Were Sleeping" is a must-watch, notably because Hong-Ju is an spontaneous and authentic character. Plus she looks so cute with short hair <3 <3
Jung-suk is one of, if not the best, actors on the scene and therefore he needs no comments.
About the OST: it isn't the most beautiful and heart touching out there, but it's still pretty good and well used. I'm no direction expert, but it didn't disappoint me in any aspect either.
Additionally, as a law student, it was pretty interesting to see the legal aspects covered in this k-drama. I also flirted with the idea of being a prosecutor thanks to it xD
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One of the best dramas out there but is sadly not recognised much
I just stumbled upon this drama earlier this year while i was still a newbie in watching Kdramas. After i finished watching it, I absolutely loved the drama. It was classic mix of many genres. There was romance but it was a sweet kind of romance, not the cheesy kind. There was some thrill too while watching the drama, as you most probably can't have an idea about who will win or who the main culprit is or how they committed the crimes. A little bit of murder and crime too. The plot was amazing and unique, in which the female lead played by Bae Suzy sees accidents happening to people in the future. The male lead played by Lee Jong Suk also got that power after saving the male lead. The second male lead played by Jung Hae In was also incredibly executed. I also became a fan of Lee Jong Suk's acting after watching this drama. And the chemistry was impeccable between the leads. Also, the side characters play a very big role in making the drama even better, adding humour and drama. It was a very good mix of all the genres, not too cheesy or not too cliche. I will say this again that i absolutely loved the drama and the plot. And the court scenes were nerve wrecking because you can't predict which side will win. But they were very hilarious too. The villain was also very well played. If you are looking for a drama that has a little bit of everything, murder, suspense, romance, humour, and fiction, then this is the perfect drama for you. I recommend it to literally everyone i know that is intered in kdramas.Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
while u were sleeping
Overall I enjoyed this story. I enjoyed how the characters were intertwined and how their stories unfolded all the way up till the end. I love how the story had colorblind representation and the struggles of having the career you want with a disability like it. I have many colorblind friends and so I was happy they were being represented. I like how the story was about being able to change your fate and the consequences of it. I thoroughly enjoyed every moment and I love the two main actors! I recommend this one to my friends!Was this review helpful to you?
Each and every actor in this drama really gave justice to their character. I would like to praise Lee Sang Yeob in particular. He really gave the drama the antagonist that it deserves. Normally, we could pinpoint easily who the antagonists and protagonists are but this drama did it a little differently. Yes, you could easily recognize who the 'bad guy' is however have you ever tried to put yourself in your antagonist's shoes? This drama reflects the inner conflict that the antagonist, Lee Yu Beom is facing. You could see that he despises the cruel things he did but he thinks that he does not have the choice. Sadly, the drama did not go entirely on this route, so I think that it was a wasted opportunity. But even though they did not go through that route, they still did a good job with the plot and ending.
The soundtracks are also good especially the timing when it is played. It really helps connect the viewers to the scene. But not all the songs are memorable and I think that is the problem. Don't get me wrong, they are great songs but they are just not that memorable.
So, would I rewatch this? Of course. This is one of the few series that I would like to rewatch if given the chance. I would also recommend this to the people I know. This is such a good k-drama. So, if you ever have hesitations please throw them out. You won't regret watching this.
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To not miss.
It's the story of a young woman with bad premonition dreams who meets two people who suddenly develop the same ability, they realize that their lives are now somehow entwined.It was really a pleasure to discover this series. It's a relatively simple story overall. Three people who dream of each other, more particularly of their future/events.
I saw this series because I decided to see the work where Lee Jong Suk starred, and to be honest I'm not a fan of romance but I find myself enjoying his series and roles, be it the action and thriller to romance and melodrama. Up to this point, I believe I haven't seen any series where Lee Jong Suk would be bad. So, I picked up this series hoping to enjoy it but I really liked this one.
Already, I must say that overall although there is drama, it is relatively light-hearted. Lee Jong Suk plays Jung Jae Chan, a young prosecutor who starts his career and who, thanks to circumstances, finds himself dreaming and involved with Suzy, who plays Nam Hong Ju, a fearless young reporter who has premonitory dreams herself. The drama plays relatively well on humor and comedy, with romance and intense moments of suspense. Knowing the future, they find themselves trying to change it when it turns out bad, but the consequences can be worse.
I don't want to say more, but the script is really well written. Each character introduced is intimately linked to others, and especially the story of our three protagonists turns out to be more complicated than one might have thought. They each have their trauma and secrets.
The fact that this drama is light hearted also means that yes, "good" people always win. I'm not going to blame the lack of realism because I know the show wasn't filmed that way, but overall message was more of "do the right thing" to the audience.
It was nice, I also liked to follow the relationship between the characters even if I would have liked even more interactions between Lee Jong Suk and Jung Hae In (who plays Han Woo Tak). I believe it would have been a good opportunity to embellish a male friendship.
To continue on the series, the flow is really good, we go from one event and cases to another. The past, present and future intertwine and give us an intriguing web of mystery surrounding our characters.
Honestly, this series was really a pleasure to discover, not once did I get bored, the series made me feel joy but also sadness, it made my heart beat with fear and anguish for our protagonists. It's was really a good K-drama and I don't say this often in my reviews, specially when romance is involved. The series was human and relatable.
So, I recommend without hesitation.
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Great Use of Star Power Blended Together with a Unique Premise
Because I am late to the game in watching older, beloved Kdramas, I am always a little skeptical when considering watching a so-called "Idol drama," where two mega-popular celebrities are cast in the starring roles. In my opinion, some of these dramas are a little overrated because of how beloved the real life actors/actresses are, so that their ratings are always just a little inflated. However, my experience with this show is that it deserves all the hype that it received: take Suzy and Lee Jong Suk, two of the most popular, contemporary Kdrama performers, mesh them together with a skilled production crew, including the screenwriter of the popular Dream High and Pinocchio, as well as the director from Hotel Del Luna, add a pretty unique story and backdrop, and you've got an intensely enjoyable Kdrama.Don't let the title fool you: the plotline has little to do with the similarly named American movie, other than the fact that at some point, the characters do fall asleep. The show explores the fantasy of people involved with the justice system who happen to have the power of precognition. The series blends together the feeling of a thriller, a comedy, and a romance in a coherent way. I found myself enjoying the often-silly humor, invested in hoping that the bad guys get caught and punished, while rooting for the sweet romance between the characters. For me, these contrasting feelings never really felt out of place and the transitions between these moods were well done. My one gripe is that this show suffers from the often-seen, rushed Kdrama ending phenomenon, where I felt some plot contrivances, due solely to the fact that they had to wrap everything up. Still, it wasn't the worst ending I've seen, and everything did make sense.
Acting-wise, I got the sense that the characters were tailor-made for Suzy and Lee Jong Suk - for better or worse, each of them tends to play characters with a certain persona, and I thought they matched really well in this story. Suzy is often the prototypical, quirky but competent, strong-willed, attractive girl-next-door character and I feel that is Nam Hong Ju to a capital T. Lee Jong Suk is often the suave, kinda-seems-arrogant-but-actually-kind-hearted, attractive, and earnest lead and I also feel that that perfectly describes Jung Jae Chan. The rest of the cast is equally excellent in playing the roles they need to: Jung Hae In is very earnest in being the third peg of the precognitive trio. Lee Sang Yeob did his job well as the laughably evil, maniacal bad lawyer. Solid performances for all.
The OST is what I would expect from a Kdrama: well-produced, full of recognizable songs.
Overall, this has sort of become my go-to "background drama": I can turn it on for a casual rewatch and feel good about it. Every element of it just falls into place so effectively that I find it to be a great watch: it's got enough levity that you can laugh. It's got enough romance to live vicariously through the butterfly and warm feelings. It's got enough thriller elements to make you feel indignant, as well as having a sense of justice. Give this drama a shot: I don't think you'll regret it.
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40-Wink Links ⛓ Real Or Illusion ⛓ Slumber&Wonder ⛓ Hibernate2Prognosticate °7.3° °VG°
And 💭 A Little Nightmare For Me...WYWS is a snoozie Krom w/ some fantasy, some bad guys that need some taking down + some good stuff going down (food) & a director that's wonderful w/ some comedy. Want some?
Out-of-work reporter, Nam Hong-joo, helps her mom run a small eatery. The intro reveals that her dreams are REAL. Not every dream, just the ones like visions. They /feel/ real. Viewers get to experience one: Thru a car window a man holds a 🚬. She only gets glimpses. His face barely visible, he flicks a lighter which unveils a bandaid on his hand. The car explodes. Snow falls softly.
She rouses & races to 〰🖊 all she can recall & re-stations it to her BR window. Copious 📝 predate this recent one - It's HJ's routine - since she's been a kid. She memorizes the details & looks for these victims. But she's never saved anyone, not even her dad. Even the few times the date, time & place, were revealed, she wasn't able to save 1 soul. One day, Band-aid-man stops his car right in front of her! She rushes to him, pleading: 'Don't smoke, you're in danger!' Gruffly barking at her to leave him alone, he drives off ~> to his death. ❄ falls.
Devastated. She's devastated. A 'target' stopped right in front of her & the outcome was the same. It's a tenet of her life: She can't alter fate. She's Cassandra.
Her father was killed b/c he chose duty over duration. He chose to show a warm 💛 to a troubled stranger rather than to keep his own 💓 beating. ~>He chose work over family<~ It's a good reminder for us. He KNEW HJ's dreams come true. Yet, he still went to work & didn't leave the 🚌 when a disturbed looking soldier boarded. Duty, muscle memory & routine can be a problem if we institutionalize ourselves. 🛑 & 👁
Current day is yrs later. HJ has a horrible vision of an accident that leads to her imprisonment & her mom's death. Not seeing when or where, she changes trivial things, like her hair, hoping it will buffet fate. Otherwise, she can only ⏳. Fate is fate, but HJ will restlessly work to change it. In order to rest easy, she's compelled to do /something/.
Jung Jae-chan's police chief father was shot & murdered. JC 😶 it all. One of their last discussions was abt JC's future: Dad wants JC to achieve a higher station than his own (9th-level civil servant). JC promises he will. Promises. At the time, JC was being tutored. It wasn't going well, & his tutor's the one to blame. In suggesting they cheat, so they'll look good, teach reveals his lousy character. JC said he wouldn't 💭 of cheating, to which the response is: "If you don't, I will & if discovered, I'll accuse /you/ of doing it," which all came to pass. JC hates tutor, Lee Yoo-beom. He hated him then, & he hates him now.
It's just JC & his little brother, Seung-won, whom JC has cared for while working+working×working hard - all the time. He's kept his schooling up, kept his grades up, kept his sleep up, & attained his #1goal of law school admission. Once graduated, he marches to the DA's 🏛. Locking criminals away is his pipedream (+ DA's are over 9th levels). He is determined to save other fathers from dying & making more orphans like him & Seung-won.
"Newbie" is his rank & name at the DA's. There's plenty of razzing, as well as subtle pressure to fit in. Most of the others are, in part, like mirages. All that they think & like is fake in order to cozen the boss. Newbie wouldn't 💭 of that, either. He doesn't play well w/ others. 🔜 Sickle in hand, he hits the turf hacking out his own path. Ipso facto, his job is never done. The 🗂 start 🗃 piling up, b/c he's going to bring them ALL to justice. JC ALSO has dreams that seem like visions. They feel real. He sees a woman getting into an accident & knows it will ruin her life. His vision reveals the when-&-where: He /knows/ #when, #where, & #how this woman's life will be /ruined/. But it's none of his business… He just got a new job… Besides, he has to care for Seung-won...
Han Woo-tak is a rookie police officer. He's crossing the street when he sees a 🚘 coming right at him. It's going to hit him - why now?, after all the hard work, finally he's living his dream of being a policeman. He realizes: "I am going to die now..."
These 3 will team up as 3 parts of a whole. They'll save lives.
That's the set-up. The protags & side characters are well written, directed & portrayed. The 'good' ones are likable; the "bad" ones are sufficiently diabolical. WYWS is absent of complexities or deep sleep inspirations, with mostly ⬜/⬛ players; only a couple side characters get a true arc. It's a wind-down & catnap kind of show.
Evidence of the gorgeous filming in WYWS is in an aerial shot of them in perfectly smooth damp sand, but for 👣 leading to the center, where they're embracing so tightly, from above they look like one person. Two halves of a whole. It's a metaphor, & it's hypnotic. A few scenes take place in the 🏨. Some feature a little boy who patrols the halls doing spot legal consultations. This hospital-bound lawyer's son 💭 of being well again. There's not many scenes this adorably written & acted out. That kid is spectacular.
Lee Sang-yeob is perfect as the refined, yet sleezey under-bellied Lee Yoo-beom. Kang Ki-young so often plays a buffoon (To me he'll always be Min-Soo from Oh My Ghost-10). He transforms in this role to ruthless killer. Lee Jong-Suk (JC) is no other word but: Pretty. Slap a wig on him & you get Helena Bonham-Carter - from her "Room With A View" days. He's masculine in the role, despite the beauteousness. Jung Hae-in, as Han Woo-tak, definitely has a dreamy quality. Watching him eat & w/ the others, he seems yummy himself. He'd likely look delicious just sleepwalking. Bae Suzy's always adding to her dreamland resume. Here's another Kdrama that features food as fuel for comraderie. As HJ's mother runs a restaurant, folks gravitate to her home & business, as both are equally 🔥.
Director, Oh Choong-hwan, evinces his brilliance w/ comedy. He's good. I 😅 spontaneously a few times. A sample is whilst this pair i's awakening to their mutual attraction. They haven't yet confessed it to ea/other, nor admitted it to themselves. After a sedate 🏖 day, they stroll thru a meadow. It's idyllic... BUT FOR an all-cozied-up couple stopping a scant 11ft away. They're completely & nauseatingly lovey-dovey. (Ohh. Whaa? Uh-oh👀). JC & HJ grow steadily more uncomfortable. Situational pressure curls them up around attempts to emulate the other duo (awkwardly) until the other couple asks if they'll take their picture? JC clomps away w/ a brisk: "I /don't want/ to." The women's look of shock & waking outrage is sublime. Whoever that actress is, she can act. Altogether, it's a ✨ comedic scene.
WYWS has its 'nightmares'. It could be improved upon. Yet again, a cat is killed. Violence against cats is a chronic problem in filmed media. Dogs fare much better. Columnist Anne Billson, addressing this problem, wrote the article: "Why does Hollywood have it in for cats?" Also, ‘hard-hitting reporter’ doesn't fit HJ at all. She displays her lauded high level logic once only. Her career & behavior are in conflict, dragging down her ill-defined persona. The worst mistake of WYWS, is a failure to establish rules for this dreamworld & sticking to them. They then shoveled that 🕳 deeper by being wildly inconsistent w/ it. Rules stated in the 2nd part of WYWS violate what had already occurred. Such sloppiness is a major flaw. Really, how /could/ they? Were they in REM💤 when they did that? Mistakes like this are undecipherable. Also note that WYWS is a mystical thriller 1st & romdram 2nd, by far.
WYWS sounds alarms on critical issues, esp domestic violence & respect in the workplace. The condescending gossip we listen to about women on the judge panel is straight 1960's. The tradition of absolute respect for seniors gives leave for a sadistic professor to physically abuse his students & to use them as slave laborers. While the idea of respect has largely been dropped in the West, {actually, it's the idea of showing respect that's rapidly being forgotten. Everybody out there certainly wants to be respected - to the extent they have /specifics/ in mind when they envision proper treatment of themselves} the maxim that a person deserves respect based on DOB is other-end-of-the-spectrum-bad. While 🌐 foundational manners & baseline respect for every human life serve as WD-40 on society's moving parts, the upward levels of respect are not born to, but earned.
SK was actually a military dictatorship from '61 until Pres Park's assassination in '79. That era saw women routinely, physically & otherwise, abused at home, school & work. Police routinely sexually assaulted detainees & women were enslaved in prostitution - a nightmare that is still worsening, 🌎wide. No recourse afforded, women had few rights. That + the multi-millenia embedding of patrial hierarchy red-lighted SK's progress w/ regards to uniform rights until the 80's.
The ultimate morality test is in Ep11. They must make a choice between obtaining an autopsy on a brain-dead victim to prove a difficult, but 💔 murder case, or allowing his organs to save the lives of 7 patients. Only 2 people in the office know how tragic this dilemma is. We see one character make an agonizing decision. That person's take on the situation is inspiring. It's the moral height of the series.
Are you woke to the fact that, as its rating shows, this is a VG view? Don't dream your life away, but a catnap w/ WYWS will refresh & It won't put you to 😴.
QUOTES🗣
The law is always distant & fists are always close.
When I bet, I don't look at the pot, I look at the probability.
I know in my head I shouldn't, but a person's heart is always so sly.
IMHO〰🖍
🎬7.5 🎭7.8 💓6.5 🦋6⚡7 😅8 🤔7.5 🎨8 🔚7
Age 14+
Originally 〰️🖊 March 2022
Originally 〰🖋 3/2022
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Actors Lee Jong Suk & Suzy actually have great chemistry together. It's the first time I really enjoyed Suzy's acting, she seems so natural and emotes well here. And I can now understand why Lee Jong Suk is so popular, he's great in this role.
Lee Sang Yeob is so good as our main antagonist too. His character is such a sleaze bucket.
The first few episodes are thrilling and a great start to the storytelling. It's a unique premise: to be able to see the future and then try to stop the crime from happening. Each individual case was intriguing. My only complaint is I wish we learned the rules of Hong Ju's gifts/powers more clearly. I really didn't understand it's origin or how it worked until much later on in the drama. And of coarse they had the usual trope of our main leads having met as kids, but in this instance I can forgive it, as it really does propel the story forward with their connection and the shared dreams.
The other great thing about this drama is the amazing OST. So many wonderful songs & ballads starting off with Eddy Kim to Henry. They all kind of have a dreamy quality that fits the drama! I could listen to it all day! Highly recommended!
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Story - 6/10:
The story is not really that unique it has its charms and its flaws, but its charm is its love story.
Acting/Cast - 8/10:
The acting was good, it was convincing that the main characters are in love. The chemistry between the main characters and also with their supporting characters was really there.
Music - 6/10:
The soundtrack for this show is alright. I liked at least three tracks from it, especially Bae Suzy's I Love You Boy, and shout out to Roy Rim, HENRY, Edward Kim too.
Rewatch Value - 8/10:
I watched this twice already, and I can say that I enjoyed the second viewing like it was the first.
As plain and predictable it was I did actually enjoy this. Although cheesy (like rom com of western countries) at times Koreans know how to make their viewers fell in love in its simple and straightforward plot. Yes, I did feel the love.
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Hot main couple and cool, fresh premise
I really loved the premise of the show! Very interesting and extremely well executed. No threads were left loose. In the end, everything came full circle and it was so incredible satisfying.The main couple was adorable and had great chemistry. This was my first time being exposed to all the beauty that is Lee Jong Suk, and honestly, it's unfair to the rest of human kind how good looking that man is.
The balance between light and funny, and serious and emotional was achieved pretty well. All the secondary characters from the mom, to the cop, to the coworkers were also pretty good. An all around very enjoyable drama that I think has seriously high re-watch value.
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This review may contain spoilers
the best part: the ost and the cast. the story reveals a great supernatural link between the 2 leads, while they grow from strangers to friends and lovers in such a smooth path that it just keeps your heart glued to the screen; and to make those special moments even more worth your while they added the beautiful songs to level up the sentiment. this is one of my favorites because of it's dreamy title and dreamy cast and ...well, you get my point.
could it have been better? sure, the story is rough on the edges in some parts, and it gets a bit slow paced in a some of the parts, but all in all, the mix came out nicely toned and felt, so i give it a full 10/10 also for it's re-watch material.
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This review may contain spoilers
My Episodes Summary's
I watch 16 Episodes version each length of 2 episodes.Ep01: Drama starts with cool and thriller scenes. Two people's life gets connected through dreams. They can believe and comfort each other because of who they are.
Ep02: Alone person can't change the flow of time. Changing time flow kind of works like water flow it good or bad. People don't like sharing their family embarrassment 😕. A good, a bad, and a weird person makes a weird triangle 🔻🤔 . Dream stoker ⁉️ What kind of apology is this? All rumors are bad. He doesn't have a religion.
Ep03: Do right choices always take us in the right direction? Nature call always comes fast 🤢. It's not my poop 💩. Bikes are best for gangsters. When you get a lottery 🤪. It's 45, 15, 35, 43, 27, 33. "Hey, you! are a hero".
Ep04: Trivial change can make big difference. It's a dream virus. Don't have each other numbers! That's mine 💩. Do and deal at dream!!
Ep05: My end? She is a femme fatale. Don't trust women? One step of courage 💪. Power wake through a near-death experience. Everyone is scared of death 💀. I like to believe.
Ep06: Money overcome law? What's so unfair? Every case must have multiple judges. She's a human cc camera.
Ep07: Everything is my fault thanks to you. I am really disappointed. So much waste of tissue paper 🤧. Never break down because of guilt 😔.
Ep08: Public opinion can be changed easily. Crazy basted hits girl.
Ep09: I am not him. Garbage king. News is a publicity stunt. I need someone to blame so can't die. "It's you" song.
Ep10: It's nice to meet you at the right moment.
Ep11: There is a 3rd choice between yes & no. Autopsy and organ transplants can be done together.
Ep12: Don't smile forcefully 🙃.
Ep13: Dreams are connected like the web.
Ep14: Love makes you blind. Alone together? Crime partner.
Ep15: Where is the serial killer? Cool-headed revenge is best.
Ep16: Are you colorblind? Never forget your guilt 😔. Some people never learn. Bad is not bad luck. We have a car 😆. Dream virus already spread. How's the water pressure of your bathroom 🚻? Bus encounter.
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