Dreaming of a Freaking Fairytale

Camp romance galore!

You might think this is your typical Cinderella love story but you would be wrong. As a matter of fact, nothing about this fairy tale turns out to be like our heroine (and us) expect it.

I freaking loved this drama and I really enjoyed spending time with these characters, which I find to be some of the most likable this year with their camp attitude and sizzling chemistry that puts other romances to shame. It was also refreshing to see a drama couple that truly felt like equals. They actually talk to each other and at the same level all the time, but they also know how to have fun with each other, openly flirting in a way that that feels candid and sexy.

Pyo Yejin and Lee Jun Young are going to be tough act to follow.

Most of it is thanks to the writing, which is solid, coherent, smart and fun. The writer, Yoo Ja, knew exactly what they were doing. BRAVO!

Dreaming of a Freaking Fairy Tale is more than a drama about a Candy heroine meeting Chaebol. This story is a love letter to self-love. In a very simple and fresh way, we are thrown into the world of these characters and see them grow into becoming even more amazing people.

Our heroine, insecurities are really well rooted and subsequently developed. We see how growing up in poverty has affected her self-worth but also how her mother's abandonment affected her dynamics with the new family his father formed. This is another point that I loved about this show: Step-mom and the two step-sisters are actually kind and cool people and the entire problem the family faces is a lack of proper communication. There's plenty of love between them.

Our hero's personal story is also rooted on a family conflict but in many ways it hasn't cripple him emotionally. Sure, he has his ups and downs but most of the time I personally believe he is thriving because he's open to new people and experiences. This is a man that it's not afraid to "follow his joy". He is a really good listener, doesn't talk down to people as someone with more money than them, and he’s also not patronizing as a man. Prince Charming? I THINK SO!!

So far, I am yet to see better than this drama when it comes to the romance/comedy genre and it's definitely one of favourites I have seen this year. Likely to make it to my TOP 10 list.

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Made Me Smile But Ultimately a Flash In The Pan

My 4 categories are Acting/Cast, Writing, Direction/SFX/Music, Entertainment Value.

I love fairytale retellings. I don’t know what it is about them (as I dislike the Disney versions) but I’ll watch anything that’s an obvious fairytale retelling. Maybe it’s the comfort in something familiar or maybe it’s the nostalgia. It was also really nice to see Lee Jun Young (이준영) again. I hadn’t seen him since his debut in 2017 with Avenger’s Social Club (a favorite of mine – I highly recommend).

Acting/Cast: A good cast with good acting. Some characters feel pretty insignificant though, such as the male lead’s dad, the villains, and even the second male lead. I felt the leads had good chemistry romantically and comedically. The leads also had very distinct personalities, although they lost steam as the drama progressed. I think the male lead in particular is a decently written character with his iconic umbrella and quirkiness. 6.5/10

Writing: This drama had a strong start. Extremely cartoonish, over-the-top, and surprisingly risqué. I typically dislike dramas like this. However, this one was hitting. I was surprised that I was actually laughing at the comedy and embracing the craziness. The enemies to lovers relationship progression was also starting off really well with a charming quality. I watched this drama while watching My Sweet Gangster and both dramas have a similar zany vibe. When the second male lead walked in, I thought I was experiencing a severe case of déjà vu. Then, I realized that Kim Hyun Jin (김현진) is in both dramas playing a nearly identical character (although, I prefer his character in My Sweet Gangster). Dreaming of a Freaking Fairytale was grabbing my attention a lot more than My Sweet Gangster (I even felt that dropping My Sweet Gangster was a possibility at the time). However, this drama started losing steam (probably around when the leads kiss) – the leads began to lose their strong personalities (especially the female lead) as well as losing the drama’s craziness expressed through ridiculous CGI, and even losing its sexually provocative overtones. What a tease… Well, at least its decline wasn’t as bad as Destined With You or My Roommate is a Gumiho. There were a couple issues that I had with the plot. First, the female’s motivation for wanting to “escape” the family was weak. They treated her well, so I don’t know where the angsty teen girl attitude was coming from. Second, the first kiss scene between the leads was a miss for me. The female lead was right when she said that he should have faked the kiss. Actually, even that still would have been weird. In the USA, there’s often policies at workplaces that prohibit boss/employee relationships because of the issues that they cause. So, for me being American, it was just not a good look. 4/10

Direction/SFX/Music: CGI was used quite a bit in the beginning of the drama. It was very over-the-top, but it gave the drama a strongly unique identity. I wish they had maintained the same energy throughout the entire drama. There’s one song on the OST that I like (Intersection by Charlie Bean Works). The rest aren’t my style. 4.5/10

Entertainment Value: Highly entertaining in the first half. I smiled while watching. It did start to lose some steam for me though. I think they kissed way too soon, and I also think there should have been more of a romantic pay-off, since the beginning was so sexual. The beginning gave me the impression that it was going to be a more adult drama, but don’t get your hopes up. I mean, by the end of the drama, you’d think that there’d now been more of a reason for the lustiness since they become more emotionally connected with each other as well as also being physically attracted…but no. What’s so disappointing about it, is that it could have been done really well – it was headed in the right direction – but it suddenly changed course and didn’t quite follow through. I think Secret Garden is the only drama I’ve seen that had made the romantic build up and pay-off extremely satisfying. The villains/antagonists in this drama are not serious threats and even some just seem underdeveloped (such as the male lead’s dad and the female lead’s family who she thinks is bad for some reason but isn’t). Because of this, the drama is a light watch, not to be taken seriously at all and just very goofy. Although, I enjoyed this drama while I was watching it, I have found that it’s forgettable. I’m already forgetting it. Surprisingly, so far, I like My Sweet Gangster so much more than this drama (it’s doing impressively well with its character and relationship establishment). Oh how the tables have turned... 6/10

Overall, I gave this drama a 5.5/10. Although fun, this drama is just not memorable for me (probably due to the change in tone from how it was in the first half and underdeveloped side characters). The most memorable thing about this drama is the male lead, the umbrella, and some of the crazy scenes in the beginning - the tornado, having to pee, and maybe the catch on the stairs when they first meet.

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A modern twisted fairytale with great humour.

For me this was, unexpectedly, a laugh out loud Rom Com. The absurdist humour was very good at poking fun of fairy tale romances. The setting is modern day Cinderella with the FL living with her step mom and step sisters with the twist that they are not bullying our cinders.
FL has realised, through a hint from her deceased father, that instead of trying to succeed in business she may as well nab herself a wealthy prince charming. this naive worldview is the basis for the drama. In reality it proves to be much harder to execute.
The ML is very quirky and also has a naive worldview "follow your Joy" is his catch phrase, however, as the plot unfolds we realise he has hidden emotional scars and is really hiding behind his wealthy lifestyle, including a fake fiance to keep husband hunters at bay.
Despite the light hearted frivolity and steamy kisses, real and imagined, the two leads do have good chemistry together.
I liked the twist where our FL decides to not wait to be rescued by prince charming but embraces her earlier memories of boldness and uses this to help heal the ML and win him over.

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A love story which fits the taste of modern time

Introduction

A modern fairy tale where Prince Charming is obnoxious and only focuses on protecting his money. Cinderella is not hard-working but is focusing on finding his Prince Charming to leave her sad and pathetic life.
Jae Rim is suffocating in her poverty-stricken life. She lives with her stepmother who is expecting a child with her late father and two step sisters who are not vicious. She joins as a manager of the social club run by Cha Min to meet a prospective groom. But she ends up finding herself falling for the confused and irrational Cha Min who has been shelved due to his own demon.

Review

Helmed by Kim Min Kyung, the modern-day take on the fairy tale is the perfect sauce to serve with a main dish. Jae Rim is not a no-nonsense heroine but is realistic. She admits to being not good at anything and looking for a shortcut to change her life. Her outlook towards her grief-stricken life justifies her action when she goes beyond the limit for the director who enters through the door. But she is not a poor judge of characters. Cha Min who was scarred at a very early age of his life is dragged down by his grief-stricken father who demotivates him every time he looks for love. His confusion builds up his hesitation which forbids him from feeling truly happy.



This modern take on fairy tale keeps true to the new arch. Cinderella does not have a vicious stepmother, but instead, someone who is more busy living a peaceful life. Stepsisters do not invest energy in ruining their lives, they are building their own stories in the process. As Prince Charming is not looking around for Cinderella with shoes, a snob yet solace-seeking second hero takes in the scene. The director and scriptwriter make the story logical and sound given it is 2024. People do not fall in love blindly anymore but look out for the person who feels them and makes them feel better as humans. Cha Min and Jae Rim both have been broken by the challenges of life. It is peace and comfort which their heart has been seeking. They are looking for the person before whom they can be real.

Pyo Ye Jin, the Moon in the Day girl is back with another heartbreaking love. She fits in the shoes of modern-day Cinderella who does not wait for the prince to come and take her away. She goes to find him on her own. Like her previous character, Ye Jin adds a nuance in her Jae Rim who does not flinch. She makes the heroine adorable and challenging at the same time. Lee Jun Young got a lightheaded graph after his grey shade in The Impossible Heir. His Cha Min is wronged and he is still harboring that wounded child inside him. He illustrated the strength of Cha Min in the scene of his interaction with his mother who has been seeking forgiveness after all this while. Kim Hyun Jin who donned the second lead again after his successful rendezvous in Cheer Up did a brilliant job in his few minutes of screen space. From a ladder-riding director to love smitten hero, he leaves a charm that makes you want more of him. Supporting casts of Song Young Joo, Kim Chae Eun, and Ryu Seoong Soo did a great job in pulling the story.

Conclusion

This is a time when we do not believe in fairy tales anymore. As our hearts are getting hardened, stories like freaking fairy tales come in as breakthroughs. Meeting Cha Min is not just our secret desire but a fresh wind that reminds us to breathe wholeheartedly once in a while.

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The Most Endearing Watch This Year

What happens when Cinderella shift gears from being a damsel in distress to becoming a knight in shining armor!

Apart from the comic hysterics that are a metaphorical part of this moniker, "Dreaming of a Freaking Fairytale" was a hilarious double take on an age-old classic. The show didn't have any godmother springing a surprise visit on the poor Cinderella, instead we have a daredevil female lead who knows what she wants and she strives to achieve her goals, no matter how foolhardy they seem. Add two handsome men to this mix, and we have a romcom bursting with fun and joyful antics. Starring Pyo Ye Jin & Lee Jun Young in the lead roles, the show gives us a wishful romance full of aching love and yearning. After watching the pilot episodes, I was instantly wooed over by the chemistry between the main leads; they are unusual, chaotic, and totally abnormal, but what is amusing about them is that they match each other's craziness. Shin Jae Rim is the only one who can stand Moon Cha Min's presumptuous attitude and arrogant demeanor, they are a match made in hell or vice versa. My Friday's have been an utter joy for the past five weeks, I couldn't wait to watch the new episodes.

Read the complete article here-

https://kcdramamusings.wordpress.com/2024/06/30/dreaming-of-a-freaking-fairytale-series-review/#more-972

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What the hell.......

Great story......much needed in this day and time, however the comedy was cringey, slapstick and poorly done.

2024 has so far lousy k dramas ( in the romance genre) with poorly written scripts or cold romance, cringey chemistry and just down right disrespect for the audience.

This drama had so much going for it in the silly story, fun characters and feel good ending that creates so much hope.
However it was executed so poorly.
The comedy was not funny, the bad running away mothers was a desperate fall back to sad childhood for both leads, the thugs were cringey, the female villains were like banshees.......ohhhhh h.

Could you have asked the producers and directors of "A Business Proposal" to make this drama into a fun, exciting romcom and created a hit??

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Amazing drama to watch!!

Omg, just finished the last two episodes. I am sad that this drama ended so fast. I am not ready😞. Believe me this is the drama that I enjoyed a lot. Not even a single boring scene. I know it might sound weird and people might be offended, however I liked it more than lovely runner and queen of tears.
This drama has an everything comedy, romance and emotions. The way they portrayed the storyline is just perfect. Nothing much nothing less.
The drama taught me the meaning of true love, loving someone is willingness to change, to change for the better for someone that we love.
I truly wish that they get more viewers and more recognition which they deserves.
Lee Jun young and Po Ye Jin, they have done amazing job 👏🏻. Hope they will work again in another project.

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