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2025 the year of original script
I’ve been putting off my review until now. from what I see from all those who watched the show and primarily has issues with the FL, I could say this show is really not for everyone.if one not used to cdramas use of tropes, or this is first time into cdrama, the understanding and relatedness to the scenes showed in this drama might be much lower.
this year is really the year of original script, showcase talent of scriptwriters. being other one that enjoyed was filter, ADWAD is definitely up there.
during the course of the drama, I had no issue with the FL, whilst I thought reducing few episodes does make it better, but FL stays rational is understandable. guess those who were frustrated wanted her to see NH for who he is and then fall in love, and then what? the turning point of their relationship is when SYM finally believes in him. and they working together to change their fates. and that’s the end of their relationship, there’s no growth anymore. HEA. imagine them being together in the middle, their chemistry and story will suffer.
why NH keeps suffering when many forgot his manager requested 900 scenes of just him. the real scriptwriter fulfilled that wish. the emperor perhaps represent those people with high position job that doesn’t treat their people like humans and when they did something worth praising, they just switch their tune.
I felt this story is trying to show such people and such does exist irl, relatable in that sense.
it ended with a bang, the last few episodes were the best I’ve seen since MLC.
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White Head, Same Heart
Okay so this drama had literally EVERYTHING I love: time travel, reincarnation, time loop chaos, a modern girl yeeted into a fantasy world and enemies to lovers?! Hello?? All my favorite tropes dumped into one glorious 40-episode soup. I was seated.And what a breath of fresh air it was, from start to finish! The plot kept twisting and turning so much I almost got whiplash lol. Sure, some things were predictable (as all dramas are), but the constant absurdity of it all? Weirdly part of its charm. They told us from the very beginning that this girl was trapped in a ridiculous script and had to rewrite her own fate no matter how bizarre, and that’s exactly what she did, with full chaos energy. And I love that she was hellbent on staying within the world and not return.
The music was great and also, those scenes where they had to play out the “actual script” while flashing between timelines was absolutely awesome and super cool! That was one of the most creative parts of the show, hands down.
AND… it had a happy ending!!! Like a real happy ending. YAYYYYY!!! ◝(ᵔᗜᵔ)◜🎉
Now for my nitpicks:
Like a few other plotlines, they just kind of abandoned the “secret recipe to the unbreakable sword” subplot. FL literally went “meh, idk” and moved on to the next problem lol.
ML’s dad was a certified monster and then suddenly he’s a loving father again? Nah. I still hated him to the very end. One beef I have with Chinese dramas is that parents can never be wrong (especially the emperor). *sigh* but do I still watch? Yes. Yes, I do.
ML himself had the classic drama disease: from ruthless and calculating to golden retriever. Though to be fair, that could be blamed on the “script rewrite” by the FL.
And FL… girl. You do so well sometimes. And other times you go and make the exact same dumb mistake that already ruined things once. Like?? WHY. (⩌_⩌) You literally know what happens! But anyway, I had long since turned off my brain and just enjoyed the ride for this one 😩
Overall, this is just a super fun watch. Not too serious, not too deep, just pure entertainment wrapped in fantasy time-loop ridiculousness. Everyone wins in the end with the power of friendship and love and sparkles and whatever else. Yeyyyyy!! LMAO 💀✨
Emz recommends!
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This review may contain spoilers
Recommended
Currently finished watching 6 eps. It was really funny. Ost lyrics was so hilarious and 2x -3x dying scene got me laughing so hard. There is also a lot of meta jokes and hidden references to some dramas. I really enjoyed it. I am loving fml's acting so much. For me supporting characters actings are really important. They tend to irritate me a lot. But here supporting characters acting are also good and they are also really funny. So far fml's character is consistent. I hope they don't change it. Drama is very novel coded. Like how I imagine novels transmigrated fml's to act. Overall I am enjoying everything. Looking forward to upcoming episodes.Was this review helpful to you?
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One of the Most Entertaining Watch in 2025!
If you need to understand what “A Dream within a Dream” means then you need to refer to the finale episode, because this drama is a complicated mesh of fatale screenwriting!In a complicated world where the female lead is destined to be killed by her lover, it would be obscure to be with the same guy. So, Song Xiao Yu’s logic is sound; she is a lesser known actress in the modern era who inevitably gets transported into the very fictional world where she plays the tragic female lead. Only her character is destined to be tortured by the male lead who is unforgivable and ruthless. Xiao Yu decides to escape the destined fate and thus begins a cat & mouse game. Since she knows the “Script”, she tries hundreds of methods to stay away from the villainous male lead, Nan Heng. Unfortunately, she keeps getting pulled into situations where she is pitted against Nan Heng, she can’t escape him or her fate. The main leads are hilarious and have a charm of their own. Song Xiao Yu is chaotic & eccentric; Nan Heng is perceived as a ruthless character but is majorly misunderstood. You slowly fall for both these characters, especially Nan Heng and there is no way out!
Read the complete article here-
https://kcdramamusings.wordpress.com/2025/07/14/a-dream-within-a-dream-series-review/#more-1968
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Prepare tissues for the tears
This drama was just mwaah!! It was such an emotional roller coaster, at some point I think I cried through 4 consecutive episodes T-T.What I liked:
- An exemplary execution of the storyline. I liked that the comedy kept going until the end. Most dramas leave the comedy when things start to get serious and try to leave it to the final episodes. But in this drama, it broke through even when you're in the middle of crying. There's also the execution of the transmigration trope. I especially liked that repeated scenes were fast forwarded such that we didn't have to sit through every single detail again. It developed organically, in terms of being branded as witchcraft at the start, to prophecy somewhere in the middle (when the screenwriter joins) and everyone accepting that it truly is a scripted world. I also loved the butterfly cookie left for the audience that showed up when the charcters tried to deviate from the iconic scenes. This meant that they didn't just happen magically but as a sequence of actions taken, masterfully covering that plot hole. I also liked the palace drama, which I thought I would skip through, but I actually enjoyed every minute of it.
- The ML. This is the first drama I am encountering Liu Yu Ning, and he was just perfect for this role. Carrying three characters was not easy but he managed to execute them beautifully. The ruthlessness, cuteness overload, heartbreak, beinged wronged were just so on point. When his tears come, you also feel like crying with him. I also liked that his character was smart, not just taking everything at face value, especially when faced with his stereotype in the 'script'.
- The side characters development. Given that we only knew of the FL's POV from the start, since she only read about her scenes, it was amazing to see the side characters being developed. The liveliness of the FL's sister, the redemption of the emperor and 18th prince, and the Nightwalkers. Their antics made the drama so much more wholesome and made it so that driving the plot forward did not entirely rely on the ML and FL.
- The BGM and OST were perfect. Sometimes I focused on the BGM since the lyrics were so hilarious, that I had to rewind to catch what the characters had said in between.
What I did't like:
- The FL's character development. Because she was a self-proclaimed salted fish, I expected her to act like one, but she was too proactive. It would have been interesting to see what would happen if she took all measures to be locked in the house until the iconic scene setting passed. She was too stuck on the script to notice the changes around her, like her sister doing her own independent things, or Nan Heng not actively seeking her out as much as before. Even when confronted by the ML she still refuses to admit that things have changed. I was even screaming at my screen that she doesn't deserve the ML 😆. In a way, she was reduced to being the support character, where she brought change in others but not herself, kind of like a guide.
- Failing to redeem the SML. It felt so unfair that the emperor, the chancellor, the 18th prince (where were all the other princes BTW?), and even the shady screenwriter were redeemed yet everyone gave up on CGH. He aired his grievance of being pushed to fit in a small box of his preset character, but unlike the ML who had an alternate identity to explore change, nothing is really given to the SML to explore change as well. I feel like that there should have been even tiny thing to slightly change his mind, even at death, since not everyone can be perfect.
100% recommend to anyone looking for a cdrama to dive into.
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The Good:
— The Male Lead: Liu Yu Ning (who also had an impressive starring role in this year’s “The Prisoner of Beauty”), plays a misunderstood prince who’s hated by most of his family and caught between conflicting loyalties. He’s always interesting to watch as an actor and gives a layered performance here. Don’t miss his microexpressions — they reveal a lot about his character, who’s supposedly stoic, but really has a lot of emotions and inner turmoil simmering beneath the surface.
— The Second Male Lead: To describe his character arc would spoil important plot points, but Wang You Shuo delivers an impressive and wide-ranging performance. You’ll have a lot of feelings about his character, and it’s almost like you can see the workings of his mind playing out through his expressions.
— The Costumes: Many of the costumes are gorgeous and unique compared to other historical dramas. Whoever designed the tasseled hat and mask combination deserves a raise — it’s such a badass and mysterious look that makes the character who wears it instantly recognizable. In fact, all the martial artists’ makeup and styling stand out.
— The Action: Another highlight is the stylish action sequences. Many of the 1-on-1 fights in particular are like beautifully choreographed dances.
The Not-So-Good:
— The Beginning: I wasn’t feeling the first several episodes, which are a bit bizarre and almost seem like a different show than the rest of the series. I found the female lead’s antics irritating and the male lead cruel. Although that’s intentional; he’s supposed to be a stereotypical ruthless warlord type of character.
The story doesn’t really find its footing until episode 6, when it gets into more normal drama territory. The workings of the script and the FL’s desperate attempts to avoid (or kill) the ML become less of a focus as the requisite drama plot points play out, including love triangles, palace power struggles, and secrets and misunderstandings.
— The Female Lead’s Character Development: Li Yi Tong plays a modern woman who ends up inside the script of the costume drama she’s about to film. She has a lovely, expressive face and shows a lot of emotional range, but I never found her character very likable — partly due to how the role is written and partly due to the actress’s portrayal, which often comes across as affected and childish. The fake crying and pretend coyness aren’t cute or funny. Plus, her refusal to see that both the characters and plot are different than the original script makes it difficult to sympathize with or feel invested in her or her choices as a main character. While the characters around her change and grow, she's stuck in the same stubborn thinking and behavior through two-thirds of the drama.
— The Hit-and-Miss Humor: The parody of drama cliches and common tropes can be quite funny. The early episodes in particular are pretty over-the-top with character behavior and crazy events that viewers may or may not find humorous. (Side note: if you don’t find repeated accidental deaths and violence played for laughs to be amusing, maybe skip parts of episode 1; you won’t miss much.)
To sum up, it’s a flawed but entertaining story. The rocky start, a frustrating relationship between the leads (the friendships and rivalries are more interesting than the romance), and distracting music and sound effects that sometimes drown out the dialogue take some of the enjoyment out of the experience. But an intricate plot that sometimes feels like solving a puzzle and some unexpected twists keeps things interesting throughout the 40 episodes. I won’t comment on the ending except to say make sure to watch the post-credits scene closely!
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Very philosophical take on a story
First impressions: The transitions are fire. Also, I feel like there's going to be a lot of 4th wall breaking. Comedy is strong. The sound design is genius ngl. Seems very promising.TLDR; This show is extremely funny, whether it's from the comedic timing to the meta four-wall breaking. It's the result of if the characters from a fictional setting suddenly had awareness and started become sentient, which sounds scifi, but I promise it's not. Even though they basically tell you what happens in the story, it's not boring to watch the character interactions and story leading up to the main events. Acting is amazing, even with the side characters. Music is quite unique and fun to listen to. Rewatch value is a one-and-done for me.
Story: They really pulled all the stops of the historical romance tropes lool. What makes it funny is the way the track stops right when it swells to its climax, and the fl's dripping sarcasm of the fl, and the melodramatics of the 18th prince (yes, you read that right). The mood can change so fast and not clash with each other it's kinda insane. There's also character development. I will say, it seems really abrupt though, esp when it comes to the emperor. I also feel like there are some plot loopholes like the rule that the ml can’t physically harm fl even though it’s stated in the script that he kills her in the end.
Acting/Cast: I love the cadence of the 18th prince's acting it's so over-the-top. His laugh and mannerisms are so comical I can't.
Music: The music is so unserious and probably has the most variety of genres. There's like rap w/ traditional instruments in the same song and then also covers of classical pieces but w/ traditional instruments. Not to mention opera as well.
Rewatch value: It’s not particularly special enough for a rewatch imo, but I could rewatch for the comedy.
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What truly sets this drama apart for me is the balance between laughter and depth. One moment I’m laughing like a maniac (some scenes are just THAT hilarious), and the next, I’m clutching my chest from emotional whiplash. The cast deserves serious applause — especially Liu Yuning. His performance is magnetic. He switches between vulnerable, powerful, and completely chaotic so effortlessly that I sometimes forgot he was acting.
The cinematography and music also need a shout-out. Every scene looks like a moving painting, and the soundtrack (that Scarlet Heart BGM?? 😭) hits hard during all the right moments.
If you’re looking for something fresh, unpredictable, and full of heart, A Dream Within a Dream is a must-watch. It’s not just a drama — it’s an experience. And believe me, once you start, there’s no going back.
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1When good acting can’t save a bad Plot
After watching TPOB, my expectations were high - especially because of Liu Yu Ning’s amazing acting. But I realized that no matter how good the actors are, if the storyline is weak, the drama will still fall short. Honestly, it’s such a waste for this drama, though it somehow managed to get an overall rating of 8.5.While watching, there were some unexpected scenes that made me laugh a little, but as the story went on, I couldn’t figure out where it was headed. For me, the direction just felt lame and messy, which eventually led me to drop it. The story was also fast-paced with so many flashbacks that it sometimes felt confusing—or even boring.
It’s a shame, really, because the actors delivered great performances, the cinematography was beautiful, and the costumes were well done. Unfortunately, the storyline dragged everything down, making A Dream Within A Dream a missed opportunity.
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Tried to watch but it's just
It's comedy - Satire/parody type of movie, the gist is the female lead enters in the world of script and she's trying to change the story because she hates the main lead in the script, both of them are struggling to control themselvesbecause the sciptwriter is the one controlling the story of the script something like that maybe it's a good drama for laughs but not that kind of rewatchable or hard to move on.
Personally, i think this is a cringe mess.. good production n the ML story was intriguing, but the whole "comedy" thing ruined it for me.. definitely not my kind of comedy, I don't find it funny at all, just irritating.. n the annoying airhead FL character just makes it even worse..
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and i love the aesthetics
but certain eps are just mindless talking, as a kdrama watcher, 16eps are a drag, only a few deserve real 20eps, and lately 12eps are also pushing it
it's a sad reality, a good writing can fix anything, but these days people sell a plot which sounds great, they get the ep count, but they don't know how to fill it so usually flat side characters and mindless talks/actions to waste time
but they're too cute and i think this is the only time I can watch and stay through a cdrama xD
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FL is an acquired taste
So, I’ve loved the premise. A parody with characters that are controlled to do stuff according to a shitty script? Seems fun!It started off ok… but I dropped it around ep 4 because I hated ML. I decided to come back just after I’ve watched the worst drama ever, so in my mind I had nothing else to lose.
I began enjoying it, but FL here is difficult… I get her motives(surviving the awful iconic moments that HAD to happen), but they don’t make up for cruelty. She was CRUEL multiple times. It’s ok if you hate someone, it’s ok if you don’t want anything with them. It’s not ok to be deliberately hurtful and cruel, like poke and kick a dying dog.
Even when ML changed she was extremely stupid and unnecessarily cruel. She started getting on my nerves for real around episode 23-25. It was very difficult to watch up until she finally stops harassing him on 31(or was it 32). And it was sudden, and not emotional at all. You know those beautiful slow burn dramas where the character makes a heartfelt apology and say they love etc?? Nope. Nothing. She just accepts him and that’s it. Before that I wonder why he kept coming back to her like a wounded dog, and it made me annoyed with him also. At least he wasn’t suffering due to her anymore. Again, I’m not saying she should’ve accepted he was great and love him or whatever, cuz I get her reasons of not wanting to be with him. My issue with her is the cruelty, the way she made him suffer even more, everytime he tried getting closer to her.
ML was too much of a martyr for my taste. He accepted everything without explaining himself, no defenses, nothing. Max he’d say was “trust me!” and nothing more. Sure, sometimes his actions would speak louder (should, but FL as I’ve mentioned was difficult to say the least, always misunderstanding and wanting to hurt him until he bled), but even so it was very hard for me to watch him do nothing. He reminded me of Audrey(the girl not the plant) from Little Shop of Horrors with her “yes doctor, sorry doctor!!” personality. Sure he was probably broken due to his difficult childhood. But something still felt off about it, specially with FL that did nothing to make him like her (quite the contrary) and he’d still go after her to beg attention.
All the other characters grew on me really fast (except the Emperor and 2ML). Love ML brother, he was super sweet. FL sister was great too.
Side romances didn’t catch me but it’s a me problem as I never care much about them. Alas, I had a difficult time trying to care about the main romance on this one!
BG music here is awesome! Every moment had music that fit it really well.
Costumes were beautiful too!
All in all, if the developments of the characters were more linear, instead of mostly sudden (apart from ML and 2ML), and if FL wasn’t such a villainess for the most part, I’d have enjoyed this a lot more.
Final episode was a fun one, but the ending was disappointing. I’ve watched the scene post credit, and it was just ok. I probably won’t rewatch but I don’t quite regret watching this.
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