A Dream within a Dream

his was hilarious, satirical in its own way!!!!

I mean the drama made fun of " some nonsense common plot" from other dramas in such a funny way. The music was terrific although at times it would be a bit louder.

Now, here comes the division: there were some comments that clearly revealed that some people had missed the 1st episode, which laid the right foundation for the rest of the series. That is why I am not surprised that the overall rating of this drama is only 8.5.

This drama depicts that people love to blame others for all the unfortunate things that happened to them. It is much easier to have an escape goat for anything that does not work out right so that one will feel better and never take responsibility for his own actions.

Also, the self-righteousness nature of humans will be their downfall. Literally, cause when you believe that you can only be right and should never take the blame for any bad thing than it is easy to blame "your neighbor"

Now, the female lead role depicts the world of today!!!! We are blinded by what we have heard more than what we see. No matter how much the evidence in front of our eyes claims the opposite, we prefer to believe whatever nonsense we've heard cause it is just easier.

The male lead represents "the injustice of this world". Those who had been mistreated for no reason. Even if there there could have been a reason, no one has ever taken the time to listen to what might have been their reasoning.

Overall, great casting!!!! Love the plot twist and yes the end lives you with that "qu'est-ce-que" but it was a great watch!!! So it is a 10 for me cause they went above and beyond showing all those different aspects that plague our world of today

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A Dream within a Dream is basically a story about love. The story begins with a girl who is reading about her role from a novel in which she is going to act. Suddenly, something happens, and she finds herself inside the story of the novel. She believes that everything that will happen is already written in the novel. In order to prevent her tragic end, she tries to avoid all the mistakes her character makes in the book. However, things don’t go the way she expects, and a new storyline unfolds.

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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Not a single dull moment

It has it all from acting , visuals , great character development and a great story line

loved the characters awakening and how the didn't only focus on the main leads .

when the emperor belived has Nan heng and they started acting like father and son was great .

Nan Rui development through out the story was great .

hated chu guihong , like the truth is infront of him and he won't believe the nan heng has nothing to do with pingrong battle , even in the end he never tried to make ends and when he took has own life he felt he was wronged , even though he brought it upon himself .

shangguan he and yiting as a couple were cute 😍, not to forget Nan Rui little romantic moment in the end .

what I loved more was when they met in the modern era .

this one isn't a 10 for me because of some loopholes like how we are talking about two different scripts yet the FL never read the script of ADWAD and it was same as dream of qinying and how did screenwriter wrote he entered the world of a dream of qinying and still ended up in ADWAD script and where did he go in the end ??

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Was the Best drama of 2025 up until Episode 37

This is only my second review on My Drama List. I've been an avid Chinese and Korean Drama watcher for about 8-9 years. This drama captivated me within the first 10 minutes! It's one of the first dramas I've watched that didn't make me use my remote to fast forward through half of every episode! I've loved every minute of every episode so far although I've only watched 4! I'm a recent fan of the ML.

Spoiler Alert* This drama was absolutely wonderful up until the 37th episode when it fell apart. I tried my hardest to finish the series to no avail. I don't understand Chinese authors, screenwriters, directors or producers who are constantly churning out this terrible emotional drivel of hyping us up only to play with our emotions in the last few episodes like we're not humans with feelings by ruining the story! Is the Chinese government against romance!?! Is it due to the episode limit restrictions so things get lost in the editing room!?!

What is the point of watching "ROMANCE DRAMAS"!?! ROMANCE WITH AN EMPHASIS ON ROMANCE BETWEEN THE LEADS NOT EMOTIONAL TURMOIL BETWEEN ME AND MY REMOTE!!! I've given up on so many Chinese dramas in the past year and a half alone that I'm seriously considering strictly watching Korean dramas. Bad enough the Chinese government restrictions on drama budget wardrobe makes it so embarrassing watching the characters wearing LESS OUTFITS than I own but only 40 episodes for a rich complex story is ruining so many dramas it's a tragedy of epic proportions in my book!

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美强惨 HST (Handsome, Strong, and Tragic) and LOLs

ADWAD is the type of parody drama that I've been waiting for and want to see more of in CDramaland. It balances laugh-out absurdity with a clever enough script that still elicits HST. The end result is something that can still appeal to enough romance viewers, without killing other viewers through diabetic overdose. For those who are who are tired of tropes, this show definitely breaks the mold while poking fun at the cliches.

‒Review‒
Given my general distaste of idol dramas, I had been begging for just a few parodies to change things up. After all, there's such an abundance of mockery-worthy material and who doesn't like to laugh. So I was delighted that the show teed off with the ridiculousness in the first scene. With a Mexican Stand-off set in ancient China as 3 leads formed a sword-stabbing triangle that eventually spun into a tornado. What?!? Fuck Yeah!!!

So it turns out that it's a transmigration drama where the FL Song Yimeng (played by Li Yitong) is migrated into the world of an awful script, where the ML Nan Heng is a psycho prince who will torture and kill her‒good times. So of course, SYM desperately tries to disrupt the terrible outcome by altering the events, only to be met with death. The good news is that she seems to have infinite resurrections, the bad/better news is that it allows her to die hilariously many more times. Eventually, she gets revived further back in the timeline, giving her more direct contact with NH, who proceeds to try to kill her, only to realize that he's compelled to protect her from death. The good news is that NH is persistent in his homicide attempts, the bad/better news is that he keeps maiming himself in the process. Then the show introduces NH's alt character, side characters, and other conspiracies.

Here I want to make an important note that many people who have major complaints about the FL may be overlooking‒the plot-immutability of the 'original script' and FL's motivation and vantage point. From her perspective, all the early episodes have only confirmed the destiny of the 'highlight scenes', as outlined on her blackboard, and the questionable nature of the ML. Her mistrust and avoidance of the ML is fundamentally derived from that. And even when she begin falling for him, she is still conflicted and tries to push him away as she is haunted by the plot points that would happen. "But just give us lovey-dovey sugar factory, it's been 20 episodes!!!" But they are giving you HS(Tragic)!!! "Oh handsome, strong LYN gege, how tragically you have been wronged and misunderstood by the world and FL, oh gimme the angst, oh I hate seeing gege suffer, but I will keep watching because I'm not a bitch like the FL." Sure you can debate the methods, and some viewers no doubt dropped out, but at least there's a solid reason behind the misunderstanding.

And the drama will reward the patient viewers, or the HST crackheads. Eventually misunderstandings are resolved. The stupidass bitch!! FL grows into a strong, smart woman who finds the courage to loveydovey her man, solves problems, and gets a happy, sensible ending just like you would.

And just like you, I will commend LYN for the steadfast improvement of his acting. He grinded away from a nobody singing streamer to where he is today, kept working on his craft, ignored all the haters, and remains a funny, approachable celebrity. That is certainly worthy of respect. He was good in his role, nothing out of place, and even sings an OST to boot.

But perhaps not like you, I will also highly commend LYT as the FL. This seems to be the first exposure for many Intl viewers to LYT when she has been around for many years with solid works produced. Some have even mixed her up with Bai Lu in voice (understandable) and looks (huh?). Nonetheless, LYT delivered serious acting chops throughout with a fluid display of expressive range and nuance. She nailed the comedy. And she nailed the emotional scenes when the script (not you) called for it. Given this is an idol drama with very religious age and aesthetic requirements, there are few actresses you could have slotted into her place who would have pulled it off. She is definitely top tier acting wise in idol land. And I wish her interesting roles and success in both idol and proper dramas.

Now for the shortcomings. I enjoyed the comedy, but I would have liked it more if they were delivered with even more punch, surprise, and zaniness. Compared to another funny show 'To Get Her', ADWAD often prepped the jokes a little much. Also there was some unevenness to the pacing, especially in the early-middle episodes. The gravity of the bigger plot arc wasn't always evident throughout. And certain elements, like the whole sword alchemy thing, perhaps garnered unwarranted attention. Some of the ML abuse by the Emperor felt rash and petty. And of course many will point to the gege abuse by the FL SYM. And while the drama got a sensible, happy ending unlike 99.44% of costume dramas, it was not one of climatic majesty. The transmigration and script-bending nature of the drama kept me on my toes, but also anticipating whether a bigger climax was ahead. So, this was enjoyable, but not something with lasting impact. Also, while i appreciated LYN's acting, I did not appreciate the excessive eyelining. It's hard for me to make out the microexpressions if I can't figure out whether he's trying to commemorate Ozzy Osborne or become the next JD Vance. I know your gege is perfect, but believe me he would be more perfect and HST if he donated his makeup set to a NK Pop orphanage. Because he told me, because the moral message of this drama is about choosing your own destiny, and choosing your own makeup style as a Dongbei yemen'er.

--Category Ratings--

- Overall - 7.5 (+.5 ⇒ 8 MDL)
- Plot - 7
- Theme / Concept / Impact - 7.5
- Acting - 8
- Visuals - 8
- Audio / Music - 8
- Rewatch - 7
- Cultural/Topical Accessibility - 7.5
- Subtitle quality - 8

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Too Much Mystery, Too Little Logic

A Dream Within A Dream, starring Liu Yuning and Li Yitong, was a drama I initially had high expectations for. I genuinely thought it would be intense and gripping, it leaned slightly toward comedy. That said, it still managed to ease my disappointment a little. The storyline falls under the identity genre which honestly, isn’t really my favorite and that made the watching experience a bit exhausting for me.

Li Yitong’s character, in particular, frustrated me. Not because I dislike her, but her character felt… a bit dumb. There were so many moments where it should’ve been obvious to her that the two people she was interacting with were actually the same person. Yet somehow, she remained oblivious. It was mentally draining at times, especially because both the male and female leads were actually fighting for the same goal revenge and protection but the lack of clarity made everything feel more complicated than necessary.

Despite all that, I still watched it until the end mainly because I’m a huge fan of Liu Yuning. But I’ll admit, it took a lot of emotional energy. The pacing and the constant identity confusion got under my skin. However, if you’re someone who enjoys dramas centered around secret identities, this might still be a decent watch for you. Just be prepared for some headshaking moments along the way.

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This work mocks, but at the same time it makes you cry and sympathize.

The first drama of the year that I give a 10/10.

The story is well-structured, logical, and multi-layered. It's full of jokes that only native Chinese people understand, so it's worth checking the comments on the internet.)
The only problem is that Prisoner of Beauty was released during its promotion and before its distribution.
Unfortunately, LJ N's ships collided. Many people can't differentiate between the two drama genres (satire or romantic drama) and are quite petty. (This is a fairly common human trait here on MDL, the site itself is extremely biased.)
The main characters did a great job in this drama. It's worth watching several times, the message is deep and relevant, and multi-layered.
I don't recommend it to those who are still sailing on TPOB or those who quickly skim through it to know what's going to happen.
The journey is the essence of this drama, The characters develop slowly and you can only love them 100% after episode 26.

Anyone who has seen a lot of C-dramas will recognize many of the plots (that are made fun of) in this drama. It is accompanied by a lot of giggles.

This work mocks, but at the same time makes you cry and sympathize with it.

If you don't like it, just move on... as LJN asked.

I really liked it.

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Stayed for Liu Yu Ning, Endured the Politics

Finally finished watching A Dream Within a Dream, and I’m glad I stuck with it until the end. Honestly, I almost dropped this drama midway because of the heavy political plot... it’s just not my cup of tea. I tend to lose interest when the storyline gets too tangled with court politics and power plays.

What made me stay? Liu Yu Ning. I’ve been a fan since The Prisoner of Beauty, which was actually the first drama in this genre that I both finished and absolutely loved. After that, I couldn’t find anything that came close to curing my sepanx. So when A Dream Within a Dream dropped with LYN in the cast, I gave it a try... hoping it could live up to my PoB standards.

I did enjoy watching it. The acting was great, the cinematography beautiful, and LYN did not disappoint. But the political messiness made it hard to feel fully immersed at times. While I gave the show a high rating for its strengths, I don’t think it’s something I’d rewatch... unlike PoB, which I could rewatch endlessly.

In short, A Dream Within a Dream was a good ride, just not the kind of journey I’d take again. Worth watching once... especially if you're here for Liu Yu Ning.

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One of liu yuning’s best dramas

this was seriously one of liu yunings best dramas and i am knew to li yitongs drams but she just gained a new fan there wasnt a single ep where i was bored. tho many viewers hated on the fl and called her annoying for not accepting his feelings at first i think they really were not thinking from her POV as the nan heng she knew was a man who was ruthless brutal and killed her but i will say my heart really hurt for nan heng ive never felt so much sadness for a ml like this before, but the reason this isnt a 10/10 is for one reason they dragged the misunderstanding for too long it couldve ended way before it did. To talk about the second lead chu guihong ive never seen such a drastic change in personality in my life he had so mucb hatred towards nan heng it was astonishing the way he would always try and bring everything back to nan heng even when it was investigated and nan heng was proved innocent he still had this weird thing against nan heng all because he couldnt take the fsct that he did something wrong and he was also the cause of many peoples death. The emotional scenes were amazing all of the cast conveyed the emotions perfectly that it really made the viewers feel their despair and helplessness and dont even get me started on the romance the chemistry was absolutely amazing i need liu yuning and li yitong in a modern drama now we cant let this chemistry go to waste this drama had an amazing ending too im glad the 18th prince got his happy ending after everything he went through overall i highly recommend this drama!!

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This is the first historical chinese drama I've watched and I'm just saur glad that IT was my first historical drama because it didn't disappoint me as I'm not a big fan of ancient period dramas, I've always preferred modern ones thoughnow im going to watch more historical chinese dramas.

One of the best drama I've ever watched so far like bro- the quality better than my eyesight, the set screams luxurious, the beautiful scenarios, the bustling street at nights and don't get me started about the costumes? Man, at some point i wanted to go into the screen and dress up like the female lead.

Hats off to the director and screenwriter for creating this outstanding drama perfectly, it has such good amount of thrilling fighting scenes, perfect balance of romance, mysteries and silly moments. Did i forgot to mention they even have such emotional parts too?, made cry like a waterfall

The cast girl, all the actors truly did their best and put all the efforts making it more entertaining. Every actors had their own way of acting skills, the VISUALS?, the visuals are no joke!!!. I got know about new actors through this drama thats a good thing for me because i like discovering new stuffs.

Everyday I'd finish off my work and watch this masterpiece, those few days I've been very happy because of this drama, sometimes I'd excited for what's coming next and sometimes I'm crying 'cause of the sad scenes. To be honest, I watched this drama because of Riley Wang, he's my top fav actor in the chinese industry and the moment i got to know, he's in the drama i signed up immediately and am really happy not to miss out such piece of art. After finishing the drama I'm feeling really empty, at some point i had imagined myself as one of 'em , really missing them very bad. Hoping to get a season 2 of A Dream Within A Dream <3

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a drama is a healthy, fun, and well-balanced entertainment option with a dose of cliché.

The Chinese drama "A Dream within a Dream," also known internationally by the title Shu Juan Yi Meng, was released for release in 2025.

It features an original blend of comedy and romance, and is produced with image editing that highlights the excellent performances of the leads, Liu Yuning and Li Yitong. Both delivered a wealth of charisma and chemistry between their characters.

The drama's narrative transformed the plot into a fun story to watch until the end, following the journey of the characters, making this choice a magical and unforgettable experience.

The script is exceptionally original and unexpected. It's not at all predictable and doesn't underestimate the intellectual capacity of viewers while playing with the clichés of period romances.

This detail of respecting the viewer's intellect truly intrigues us and motivates us to follow the plot to the end.

The use of comedy and satire without exaggeration are elements that entertain the audience without underestimating us.

The script, which gradually develops feelings between a female protagonist, is entertaining and clever, along with a charismatic male lead who has unconditional love for her.

The performances of the actors who took on the lead roles, Li Yitong and Liu Yuning, deliver a production that manages to convey strong chemistry between the characters.

The drama conveys the producers' commitment to delivering a high-quality production, as the costumes and sets reflect the value that must have been invested in this work.

The action scenes are fluid and well-executed.

The OST matches the drama's high quality with melodies that fit perfectly with the narrative.

I recommend the drama "A Dream within a Dream" as a healthy, fun, and well-balanced entertainment option with a dose of cliché.

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