This review may contain spoilers
One of the best in 2025 so far!
ADWAD doesn’t disappoint! It’s sooooo much fun!Starting with the actors/actresses themselves: Liu Yu Ning and Li Yi Tong should get awards for this. They gave top performances and the characters feel like real people (well…as real as can be). Also, The fact that they acted several versions of the same scene but were able to convey their different characters , just deserves applause.👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼 Li Yi Tong being able to change her voice and expressions as naive Song Yi Meng from the OG script vs Song Xiao Yu trapped playing Song Yi Meng is amazing. Liu Yu Ning is very authentic displaying his sorrow, anger, hurt, and his love as protagonist, Nan Heng. The man is a beautiful crier and really shines in the drama’s saddest scenes.
As for the characters:
ML, Nan Heng, is one of the best ML in a Cdrama! He doesn’t start off that way but he steals the show and wins over everyone’s heart before the drama is halfway through. If you like tortured heroes, he’s THE ONE! A 10/10 character for me.
FL, Song Yi Meng, started off very promising but kinda fell off during the middle of the story. Her character development became stagnant and, as a viewer, it was frustrating…..but she finds her way again in the last 2/3 of the drama and becomes the strong, heroic FL we knew all along was inside her. 8/10 character for me
The Support characters were very good. Most had backstories or were going through things independent from the main couple to make them feel real. The villains were villaining…if their only purpose is to incite hate in the audience, then they get 10/10. Character Chu Guihong definitely takes the cake, played wonderfully by
Wang You Shao.
Ending:
There are some loose threads but overall, the ending is a TRUE and one of the better happy endings. The drama took its time to wrap up everyone’s storyline in a satisfactory way and your heart will be happy. Definitely worth watching at least once if anyone is one the fence.
I’ll likely be watching it several times.
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Great romantic comedy but a little too long
My high rating is mostly for half of the characters and the comedy parts of the drama.The show was hilarious in the first half and I was hooked immediately. Then it became tedious after ep 20-22 because the FL just couldn't see past her prejudice against the ML and kept hurting him repeatedly. In an attempt to make rational and unemotional decisions she basically stunted her character growth. I understood her mindset in the beginning and not trusting Nan Heng given her initial knowledge of the script. It took forever for Song Xiao Yu/Yimeng to show any mental flexibility despite multiple things happening that should ultimately change her way of thinking. When the main CP still isn't together or at least confessing by ep 30, it makes the romance a little hard to believe in and root for. If it wasn't the beautiful and naturally funny Li Yitong in this role I'd have way less patience with her.
The ML however has grown into a lovely character. I'll admit I enjoyed the Li Shi Liu identity more in the beginning and missed him once he was gone. But once LSL was dissolved, Nan Heng just started to behave like his true self and quickly won me over. He's highly intelligent and has a very forgiving nature. His father and brother treated him like garbage his whole life but he never holds a grudge ( I did the whole drama though lol). He is also very attentive and caring towards Song Yimeng. Even after they get together, it's clear he's still more head over heels for her than she is for him. Liu Yuning is very talented. I'm never disappointed watching him do anything whether it's acting, singing or just being himself on a variety show.
My other favorite characters were the Nightwalkers of course. I liked Yun Long the most, but Shanhu and Shangguan He were still great. I did not care for SH's romance with Song Yiting. Song Yiting was a great sister to Song Yimeng and gave her great advice, which is the only reason I didn't completely dislike her. But when it came to romance she was very toxic. First she tried to force a relationship when she thought SH was LSL, and then she tried to force herself on him physically. That left a bad taste in my mouth. Then she just bullied SH their whole relationship which was funny at times, but ultimately not endearing.
My final favorite is Song Yude, the Song's father. He was just as hilarious as he was wise. Every scene he was in was just gold.
The villains are pretty hard to stomach when they're on screen all for different reasons. Chu Guihong is what I've been calling a plot robot. He's unintelligent and only regresses mentally throughout the show. Chancellor Gao was just painful to watch. The actions of this character were definitely more impressionable than the actor himself. The show also tried to redeem the Emperor, but he's still a villain to me. Believing that his son caused his late wife's death to begin with makes him a braindead and cruel person in my eyes. He can act like he feels bad all he wants. He's still a crappy dad and person. That fact that he ever picked Nan Rui as crown prince over Nan Heng just showed he made decisions out of spite, not out of what's good for the country. And finally, they brought the actual scriptwriter in the last 5 eps or so but put him in the body of CGH's father. I didn't care for this at the end. I think it would've been more interesting to have brought him in earlier as a key player and that would've made for a richer/more interesting villain.
OST & Cinematography: The OST is still stuck in my head. We already knew it was going to be fabulous with LYN on board. The cinematography was good but it was meant to be silly/exaggerated for the parody so there's no fair rating there.
Overall: If they had kept the comedy more prominent throughout the entire drama, I think this could've been a 9 or 10. But the story started to feel stressful once it got serious and then the last 5 episodes were just a hot mess of resets and chaos. The ending was cute though, both the actual and the alternate one. LYT and LYN had great chemistry and were hilarious together. I would definitely watch them as a CP again.
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When Romance and Comedy Get Lost in the Plot Twists
A Dream Within a Dream is hilarious from the very start and will have you laughing out loud for many episodes. It’s filled with genuinely funny moments that will keep you giggling nonstop. The early episodes stay lighthearted and playful, with the characters growing closer through sweet interactions, skinship, and kisses. The plot flows smoothly, without much filler or slow pacing. I found myself rewinding the same moments because I couldn't stop laughing which I haven't felt since lbfad aired.But then, like many C-dramas, the story takes a sharp turn. What could have wrapped up beautifully by episode 20 gets dragged out unnecessarily. Suddenly, the show forgets it began as a romantic comedy and shifts into a more serious tone, where the subplots take center stage. As the mystery unfolds, the relationship between the two leads begins to fall apart, and not by their own choice but by those who forgot that two characters need more interaction for their love to be believable.
The warm, comforting moments I loved were replaced with constant misunderstandings and arguments, creating emotional distance between the leads—and between them and the audience. Their connection fades, and the once-charming romance feels almost completely erased.
Towards the end, the show becomes more focused on explaining villain motivations than allowing the leads time to heal, reconnect, or even share meaningful moments together. While there’s a small attempt to revive the romance near the finale, it comes too late. By then, the spark is gone. The man desperately seeks her forgiveness, love and trust but our female lead refuses to have any kind of self awareness and emotional growth and easily loses her charm. Repetitive scenes where she continues to repeat the same words to the male lead where he doesn't get a single second to share his opinion or even open his mouth drove me crazy and I wish I could forget it happened. I could say the same thing about second lead couple which also had a lot of potential with its funny moments, but any attachment to them evaporated by a man's refusal to show his feelings until the very end. Someone needs to be taught that dragging romance until the last episode for a couple to decide to be together isn't romantic at all! On the contrary, you lost every butterfly in our stomach by the time they get together.
Overall, it’s definitely worth watching for its original concept and the hilarious performances by every character. But hopefully, one day, Chinese dramas will learn to let go of the obsession with endless backstories and excessive subplots. We watch these dramas first and foremost because they’re marketed as romances—not as convoluted mystery thrillers. If the story had stayed true to its heart, it could’ve easily been a 10/10. Unfortunately, the unnecessary dragging took away what could’ve made it one of the best shows out there. Maybe one day someone will figure it out.
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Definite 10+
This is one of the rare series where its comedic moments results in belly roars of laugh-out-louds. The episodes gets better by the episodes. It's good to see some of the casts from Prisoner of Beauty recasts in this drama similar to the roles they had previously. The plot of the story, I admit, can move a bit quicker but nonetheless you;ll enjoy every episodes this series.Was this review helpful to you?
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A dream full of misunderstandings
I started watching this 40-episode drama mostly because I really like the male lead actor. The premise - a modern actress suddenly living inside the script of a historical drama - had so much potential, but honestly, it didn’t grab me right away and sometimes left me confused. The male lead’s story was the best part for me. His two very different sides - the cold, misunderstood public persona and the kind, hidden one - were really well done. It made me feel for him a lot. But the romance? That was tough to get behind. The female lead kept pushing him away and misjudging him, and while he clearly cared deeply, it sometimes felt like she didn’t deserve it. I wish we saw more of him truly hurting or standing up for himself.One thing that really bugged me was that I never fully understood the female lead’s end goal. Was she trying to survive in that world? Change the story? Escape back to her real life? The show didn’t make it clear, and it left me feeling a bit lost.
The antagonist was another disappointment. He just got worse and worse, with no real depth or chance for redemption, which made him frustrating rather than interesting. Some parts of the drama also felt like they were trying too hard to be modern and “progressive,” and it didn’t always fit well with the story’s setting.
One part that really confused me was when the screenwriter put himself into the drama world. Honestly, at first, it didn’t even feel like an interesting twist. It just made everything messier and harder to follow. I’m still not sure if the script was already written or not, and if it was, then what was the point of trying to fulfill those iconic tragic scenes? That part didn’t make much sense to me.
On the bright side, this drama was absolutely stunning to look at. The costumes, the sets, the cinematography, they were all beautiful and helped keep me watching through the slower parts.
In the end, I had mixed feelings. There were moments and characters I cared about, but also times when the plot and emotions didn’t quite work for me. It wasn’t a drama I’d rush to rewatch, but I’m glad I gave it a shot.
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Thanks for the hearty 'meal', real Ms. Screenwriter~✨
*phew* (*´▽｀*) . . . . .Alright, so, I don't even know where to start cuz my heart's still pounding! I'll just go straight to the point. People, this drama [A DREAM WITHIN A DREAM] is a must-watch! You will find every element needed to create a perfect transmigration, historical Chinese drama in this one. Comedy? Drama? Romance? Classic C-drama cliches😏? You name it! The drama started with a BANG and held its momentum until the end. From everyone's costumes (literally ALL) to make-up and hairdos, I'll give it the highest marks possible. How can I not!? All the actors and actresses are dazzling and charismatic, and the aesthetics match them well. The OSTs, bgms, and sound effects are like no other - JUST AMAZING! MAGICAL!
Here: https://youtu.be/5T8ccfqmX6I?si=cpHpeMH0KjWKxL3C
All the actors and actresses nailed their roles! I instantly fell in love with the main leads, and I guarantee that their chemistry is top-tier. Not only them, but every single supporting cast member is memorable and unique. They all have distinctive traits. I suppose everyone who's watched already knew the brilliance of the drama's important cast members. Hence, I won't say much about them anymore. OH, but there's one. Our dear Fugui! I love him so much! He gives off this 'huge grumpy yet adorable puppy' vibe😆🤎, if you understand what I mean. Secondly, I give ALL the recognition to the Wanning River Crescent minions! 👏👏👏 They deserve full praise, truly. Don't they remind us of the pink soldiers from Squid Game? The main contrast between them is that the pink soldiers look CUTE but are DEADLY, while WRC-minions look DEADLY but are CUTE (つ≧▽≦)つ... Although we don't know how they look because they always have their masks on, we can see that they do act differently from each other, which makes them look humane, not just some one or two-dimensional beings drafted on paper. Last is Nan Rui, the goofy, happy-go-lucky 18th prince. I was annoyed by his actions and idiocracy in the earlier episodes, but he became one of my favourites later on; one of the most relatable characters, I'd say. I'll remember his iconic 'GYA-HA-HAH' laughs! ( ≧▽≦ )
Now, onto the villains. First, Chu Gui Hong. Boy, he rocked, and he acted exceptionally well in his first villain role! The emperor was unreasonably bad, but he changed later on. Realistically speaking, he should go through as much pain as Nan Heng did to be able to fully understand his son. Nan Heng was such a sweet son for him to be forgiven this easily, but I'll accept it cuz it's Nan Heng's choice. He was so elated to finally be accepted as family, poor guy🥺. Another villain I'd like to give credit to is Nan Heng's uncle. Despite his cruel nature and the distorted path he chose, he did care for his nephew in his own way. This may be an unpopular opinion, but in my POV, I do think Nan Heng (& NH's mom) holds a certain place in his heart.
The WHOLE premise is to be taken example for future transmigration dramas. I've had enough of those open endings (no need to mention the sad endings 🙄). Some dramas I want to compare with are [ROMANCE ON THE FARM] and [LOVE GAME IN EASTERN FANTASY]. Both of them are extremely entertaining, and I also love them. What only disappointed me was the ending scenes. Both dramas left the final moments to our imaginations, which doesn't sit right with me, and feels like there's still a lump (or hole, whatever ಠ‿ಠ) left in my heart; it doesn't feel satisfied enough. I mean, we wanna SEE WITH OUR EYES!!! We want to WITNESS the main leads' touching reunions BY OURSELVES! (ノಥ,_｣ಥ)ノ彡┻━┻
Therefore, to me, [A DREAM WITHIN A DREAM] sits at the top of the list. It lives up to its name and delivers the message they want to give to the audience with A SUPER, ULTRA HAPPY ENDING! -period-
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My Soul is sold to Yu Ning and the humour in this drama ❤️?
We’ve already seen this premise 999 times : leads/lead actor enters a game/movie/book/bore life ➡️ lives as someone else,➡️ knows all the plot twists but still doesn’t use common sense, ➡️ tries to escape fate… ➡️blah blah, ➡️rinse and repeat. It’s basically the starter pack for half the dramas on the internet. 😏BUT… when people still vouch for a story like this? That’s when you know it’s not the concept—it’s the execution that's creating the magic 🪄 ✨
The writing — This is probably the best I’ve seen in a while. Classic setup with hints of humour and refreshing layers thanks to the dual identities ML is living . And comedy ??oh boy From the first episode, I was ROFL-ing—like genuinely laughing out loud when FL died in all those ridiculous ways. It was insane 😂😂😂, The comedy writing is elite. It was chaotic, unhinged, and absolutely hilarious.No boring second, pinky promise..🤙
Characters? A riot. :
🔸 Female Lead:
Smart, sassy, sarcastic~ 🤫 good but ...
So far 3/4 of series have finished yet I don't see much of her significance in the story.. she is messing around using her wits as an overthinker but not helping at all. I wish they had given more modern touch to her planning and problem solving.
🔸 Male Lead:
living two lives/dual existence, On one hand, we have the dark, abandoned prince 🖤— cold, broody, misunderstood. On the other hand , he’s a sunshine-y martial arts hero that makes you want to hand over your heart on a silver platter ❤️. He’s the reason I’m glued to the screen💕💕.
Rest of the characters:~
🔸 FL’s Dad: Hilarious. Absolute scene-stealer
🔸 ML’s Father: Needs a timeout and maybe a parenting podcast.😒
🔸 Side characters (FL’s maids & ML’s team): Funny, fresh, and definitely not filler. Everyone adds flavour.Lovable chaos. Support squad goals.🤘
Cast:
✨ Li Yitong — I’ve had mixed feelings about her script selection , but FINALLY, a role that does justice to her talent. She’s funny, fierce, and flawless in this one ... completely in her element.
✨ YuNing 🫶🫰— My forever crush 🥹😘 Sir ! how dare you be this talented? Acting ✔️ Singing ✔️ Dancing ✔️ basically making all of us question our life choices. He can make you cry, he can make you laugh, he can make the Butterfly in your stomach perform waltz within the same episode ✔️✔️✔️ 💚🩵💘💋
And their chemistry is outstanding.. 🫰✨🪄
✨ Riley: As always, glowing with that positive charm. He’s the sparkle every show needs.
Everyone else? Spot on. Zero weak links. It’s giving cast goals.✨✨
Production & Visuals:
Set Design:
Gorgeous doesn’t even begin to describe it. The dripping details.....the aesthetic especially The Waning Crescent River Palace? Please — take me there lock me and lose me forever. I'm begging. 🤭
Styling & Makeup:
The red robes? Instantly reminded me of Zhou Lusi’s iconic looks in Love Like the Galaxy. The accessories, the textures, the makeup — it’s visually stunning. On point ..slayed !! 😍😍
BGM & Title Tracks:
10/10.
All songs especially the Waning Crescent River theme rap/song simply brilliant, Every song compliments the scene so perfectly it’s like music and emotion in sync. 🤩🤩😘
RECOMMENDED.
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1This review may contain spoilers
The Drama That Finally Fed My Starved Rom-Com Soul
You know how every year there’s that one hyped drama that ends up flopping harder than my diet resolutions? Yeah… NOT THIS TIME. *A Dream Within a Dream* actually delivered — like the last slice of pizza when you thought there was none left.I was already simping for the leads from the first few random clips that floated onto my feed ages ago, so my obsession was basically predestined. But oh boy, they gave me so much more than I expected.
This drama is exactly what my rom-com-loving heart ordered: the comedy is comedy-ing, and the romance? Oh, it’s romancing, baby. We’re talking magic formula levels — the kind that makes you giggle, kick your feet, and immediately rewatch their scenes on 0.5x speed to catch every micro-expression.
Plot-wise, it’s that "transmigration into a story/script" trope we all know but still secretly adore, with our fearless FL jumping in and trying to rewrite her destiny like she’s rewriting a plot twist she regrets in her own life story. The execution? *Chef’s kiss.* The humor? Top tier.
The FL was born for this role, and the ML? No one else could be him. NO ONE. They fit together like puzzle pieces you didn’t even know were missing. Every time they appeared on screen together, my soul basically packed its bags and went on a honeymoon.
The OSTs? Certified bangers. They’re out here experimenting with sounds like they’re brewing a potion for eternal swooning — and it works.
And don’t even get me started on the side characters. I fell for the whole gang. I’d gladly join their group chat and get roasted every day if it meant hanging out with them.
Special shout-out to LYN, now permanently on my forever bias list. I simply cannot imagine anyone else playing Nan Heng — my sweet, misunderstood, perpetually heartbroken baby. (He deserves all the therapy and hugs in the world after this.) And LSL? Straight-up fire. Swoon!!!
Given this is 40 episodes I expected there will be repetitive plotlines ( like my baby Nan Heng being misunderstood and heartbroken SO MANY TIMES omggggg) but I was prepared for this and it did not take away from the experience.
If you want a rom-com that’s equal parts hilarious and gut-punching, with leads who have soul-melting chemistry, plus a genuinely satisfying ending that might heal your trust issues in dramaland — THIS IS IT.
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Absolutely FANTASTIC
Dream Within a Dream is one of those rare dramas that fully committed to its tone, and actually pulled it off. It had a story-within-a-story setup (which is a very difficult concept to pull off without confusing the audience) it blended comedy with well paced drama and plot, and somehow managed to make that balance work all the way through. Gorgeous work, pure quality.First of all, the comedy absolutely slaps. I don’t think I’ve laughed this much watching a cdrama before. What I really appreciated is that the show doesn’t abandon its humor as the plot gets more intense, it keeps that comedic aspect right up until the very end, which makes the whole experience feel cohesive rather than tonally confused. I have to emphasize this because I've watched a lot of dramas where it starts off as something fun and charming but ends with a totally different identity. This drama? Wonderful from start to finish.
Liu Yuning was a standout here. This is genuinely the best I’ve seen him, he looked great, but more importantly, his comedic timing was ON POINT. I really hope he leans into this kind of “hopelessly in love but slightly ridiculous” character again in the future because he clearly has a knack for it.
And I have to mention Fugui, FUGUI!!! His comedic timing was incredible. If you’ve seen The Prisoner of Beauty, his character there had a similar energy but a much more tragic trajectory, so seeing him here alive, well, and consistently hilarious was deeply satisfying. The actor did a fantastic job.
The script itself is strong, though it can get a bit overwhelming at times. I actually had to take breaks between episodes because there’s so much going on, but interestingly, every time I came back to it, I was completely hooked again. That says a lot about how engaging it is overall. I think if I watched it as it was airing it would have been the perfect experience for me.
That said, it’s not without flaws. The romantic chemistry felt a bit uneven, while Liu Yuning fully sold it, I didn’t quite feel the same level of emotional investment from Li Yitong. It created a slight imbalance that made parts of their relationship less compelling than they could have been. However, I still think they looked great together and both gave such strong performances as their characters that I could overlook this in the long run.
Also, the second male lead? I genuinely could not stand him. Just relentless, frustratingly one-dimensional, and so single-minded that it became more irritating than interesting. While I do think that this might have been because he IS in theory a tropey tv show character, I still disliked it. Mainly, because the whole point of the show is Li Yitong's character realizing that the "characters" around are real and multi faceted. And don’t even get me started on the in-universe scriptwriter's questionable choices all around.
On the production side, though, this drama really shines. The editing is sharp, the color grading is beautiful, the costumes and sets were genuinely impressive, and the supporting cast added a lot of depth. There’s a strong sense of overall synergy that made the world feel fully realized.
The ending was also surprisingly well done, I’m honestly still a bit shocked they managed to get that past censorship rules around this kind of plot. And true to form, the show kept delivering on the humor until the very last moment. Even the post-credits and extras were hilarious.
Overall, this was a genuinely delightful watch. It’s chaotic, funny, occasionally overwhelming, but ultimately very well put together. Definitely one of the most fun dramas I’ve seen in a while and probably will keep this title for a bit.
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Insanely good quality but wonky storyline
This drama has an insane production quality. I knew I was in for some serious quality when I first saw the intro and it kept sucking me in. The stabbing scene was so good and the second time I ever looked up a drama's OST because I really liked the music. It has comedy, it has romance, is it transmigration and is enemies-to-lovers. So everything I love. And it was a really good ride. The actors were all insanely good and didn't let me down.So.. while production, music and acting is all very good, I do have a bone to pick with the story. It starts very, very strong and I love the way they handled the concept of transmigration and how vary FL is of ML. It made sense and I loved that she didn't just blindly start trusting ML although she has serious reason not. However, around the 30th episode, you can tell that the story starts to get wonky. The "first" villain is out of the picture and suddenly, the viewer doesn't know what the actual story/goal is. What is left that warrants 10 more episodes? And the answer is: not much, really. You can tell that they stalled until about the 34th episodes until it started rolling again. But that shouldn't happen. I think 35 or 36 episodes would've been sufficient for the story.
Another point that it really bothered me, was how the rules/the fact they're in a script started not to matter anymore. No matter how much they insist they're "real" people, it's still a script and nothing should break that fact. Additionally, what happened to the method of weapon forging? It was such a big deal but was completely irrelevant in the end. It feels like a loose plot device that was just abandoned somewhere.
And finally, and it may be just me, I started rooting for the SML in the end. Not to get with her, but to win. Maybe it's the underdog-syndrome but I started to dislike FL and her pretentious act. Yes, SML was obsessed but from his point of view, I kind of get it. I think what really frustrated me (and probably him too lol) is that although FL and ML can apparently break all the script rules and change the story, he can't break out of being SML and losing/being inferior to ML. It's just very sad and that's why I was rooting for him. He literally had no way to win. When he did, everything would reverse. To me, a very tragic character.
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At first, I felt a little bored because the initial episodes reminded me of other dramas with a similar setup. But as the story progressed, I became intrigued by both the storyline and the performances of the actors, especially the love story of the protagonists. I particularly liked the pairing of Nan Heng and his loyal soldier, Fu Gui, which also appeared in the drama The Prison of Beauty. Wang You Shuo is one of my favorite actors, so I felt a bit sad to see him play a negative role. Still, his performance was amazing.
My only issue was with the ending. I think they could have given it a better conclusion.
Overall, I enjoyed watching it.
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I've only watched five idol Cdramas but I still laughed my ass off
I didn't know any of the actors and I'd watched maybe five period idol dramas when I started this, also I don't speak Mandarin or know anything about Chinese internet meme culture so I probably missed 2/3 of the jokes. But I still laughed out loud every episode over things like the BGM including the Sex and the City theme and music from Sergio Leone westerns, the Night Walkers writing fanfic for their boss, "It's fish abuse! Fish abuse!" and so much more. It's like they threw everything at the wall without worrying whether it was too dumb, in fact too dumb is probably what they were going for.Liu Yuning is legit fantastic in this. He has to be villainous, commanding, taken aback, confused, lovesick, noble, vulnerable, pained and he's good at all of it. He's also funny as hell. After learning more about his personal story and watching his livestreams I rewatched episode 1 and caught so many more jokes about Nan Feng that are directly taken from LYN's career.
I liked the FL but I think that the negative reactions some people have to her are because of structural problems with the script. The biggest problem is that Song Yi Meng's pain and suffering are front loaded at the start of the drama and mostly played for laughs. She's killed an uncountable number of times and wakes up in pain every time she's reincarnated but we don't see the deaths come at the hand of Nan Heng but rather an impersonal fate machine that requires her not to marry her the 2ML.
We do see her mentally go through the script and envision all of the ways Nan Heng mistreats her and eventually turns her into a human pig (cuts off all her limbs and puts her in a jar to die) but again a lot of it is turned into comedy and so it's hard to take her fears seriously, especially because she's a "salted fish" who isn't the sharpest knife in the drawer and often misinterprets what's going on around her.
Also, the audience knows much more than SYM and can see how Nan Heng feels about her and how much he's done on her behalf. But she doesn't know, esp because most of the nice things he does in the first half are when he's Li Shiliu. A lot of Nan Heng's actions look threatening to her given her lack of knowledge. Also, she tried many times to fight the script and it forced her and NH to do things against their will. So she's assuming all of the iconic scenes will take place as she read them and she's terrified.
Meanwhile, they had Nan Heng crying while Song Yi Meng was extremely mean to him and when I saw that I knew she was doomed with the audience because a crying man will always win over an angry woman, no matter how justified her anger (and it was justified, he lied to her about his identity for so long!).
Another thing the writers did that frustrated me was Yi Ting had to tell Song Yi Meng hey idiot, what do you think Nan Heng and Li Shiliu have in common instead of her figuring it out on her own. I think that was a big mistake. It made her seem too stupid and it lost her audience sympathy points.
I think a few things would've helped, like exploring SYM's backstory with losing her parents in a fire in the modern storyline. It's obviously a traumatizing event and would explain a lot of her fear. Another thing is if NH & SYM had worked together sooner to change fate, I think it would have reduced the frustrations of the audience a lot and made us root harder for them as a couple.
I also have to say that while Li Yitong was fantastic at the comedy, her performance lacked nuance in the middle of the drama. There were scenes where she should've looked more conflicted about saying harsh things to Nan Heng. It would've been good to see her struggle more to keep her distance from him.
Of course, inherent audience biases against flawed FLs and in favor of tragic suffering MLs (as the drama itself parodies) made it inevitable that many people would hate her.
Even with those writing flaws, I loved ADWAD and it's in my top five list of dramas for the year.
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