A Dream like the True Love

A Refreshing, No-Nonsense Mini Cdrama Gem

I’ve watched up to Episode 20 (waiting for the rest to drop), and this is one of the best mini cdramas I’ve seen. Someone compared it to The Double, and after watching, I get it.

What I Loved:
The FL’s independence – She chooses to do everything on her own, and I respect that.
Lead chemistry – Their dynamic is lovely, with calm, wordless scenes that speak volumes. You just know they’re in love.
No unnecessary misunderstandings (from what I remember). A rare gem in a sea of cdramas filled with filler episodes and miscommunication tropes.
The costumes were great for the budget—no complaints there.
The oldest princess – Her backstory about being limited by her gender ("a woman’s role is to birth children") added depth, even if it doesn’t excuse her actions. Also, the actress is gorgeous!

What I Had Issues With:
The 2ML – I feel bad for him if he actually has feelings because the FL clearly doesn’t see him that way. His care for the child and offering her money showed his kindness, but I almost wish he’d been written as a female character instead.
The father & brother – I wish them worse. Did they die?(i don't remember) Probably not.
The FL’s decision in Ep 16 – Why did she go to the ML while he was tied up? The only reason he survived was plot armor. If he had died, it would’ve been entirely her fault. The princess seemed hurt, but… she caused it, so?
The white makeup – I couldn’t stop noticing how much paler the actors’ faces were compared to their necks. I know they’re supposed to be "pale," but the contrast was too obvious, especially on the oldest princess and FL. (It made me laugh, but still.)
Who was the princess referring to when she said the ML resembled "him"? Did we ever find out?(did i miss this?")

Final Thoughts:
The FL’s choice to leave the ML (because everyone acted like they were doing her a favor) made sense, but… five years? That’s a long time. I expected the ML to at least try to change her mind. Now, with only four episodes left, I guess she’ll finally reconsider?
The communication between the leads is chef’s kiss—no stupid misunderstandings, just two people who actually talk. What more could I ask for?
The FL’s acting was impressive, especially since this is her first main role. She’s only been in about four dramas so far, but she did a great job.
One of the rare cdramas I’d actually rewatch. Highly recommended!
After watching ep 21, I feel bad for the ML! His sister revealing he’s been depressed all these years? Oof. That final scene was so cute though—give me more of these soft moments!
Okay, I forgot about the series for a bit, but I'm back! Just watched episode 22.

What really stood out to me was the female lead's realization: the male lead doesn't need anyone else's connections or status to succeed in court. He can do it entirely on his own strength.

SPOILER FROM EP.22 (fl's Monologue):
"Did I make a wrong choice five years ago?
I thought he could marry someone of equal standing, someone who could help him gain a foothold in court.
But I never expected he would be so stubborn.
I should have known this is how he is.
He doesn't need to rely on anyone to break through and establish himself.
Perhaps the true coward here is me..."

That last line? Absolutely loved it. It's such a powerful moment of self-awareness for her.

Final Thoughts on the ending and overall:
Heading into the last episode, I appreciate that the core message seems to be: love isn't just about passion; it's built on trust, loyalty... (and so on).

While I loved it, I do understand the 7.4/10 rating a bit more now. The low budget showed, especially in the ML's hair in the final episode, it just looked unnatural and weird to me.
(what i mean is don't trust ratings)
Love the messages!
I genuinely wish both lead actors the best of luck and hope to see them in bigger projects! More than anything, I wish we could get more dramas like this with mature communication instead of annoying miscommunication plots but with bigger budgets!

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A Simple but Beautifully Well-Done Drama

My worst habit is watching/binging c-drama half way through & dropping it cold turkey (whether if I loved it, if it dragged, long drama, or short drama). This drama kept me through the very end without skipping or 2x (another habit I do). Honestly, the 2 main lead’s chemistry was what made me came back to the drama despite the storyline being predictable at times.

Cast: The 2 leads did great for their roles (They were a total eye-candy/pleasant visual with no overdone makeup). The male lead had me screaming through the screen (literal green flag). There are a lot of close up shots & the way their facial expressions & gestures just makes your heart flutter. They don’t say much but their facial expressions says it all. If I really had to nag much, the female lead’s facial expressions on some scenes were a bit stiff BUT she did great for her 1st lead role & a BETTER job than some top-tier actresses in the industry. The elder princess pulled off her role well (You could feel her bitterness). Same goes with the 2nd male lead and the male
lead’s family.


Storyline: Some plots were predictable (like you knew none of the main lead would die) but the story as a whole is straight to the point. You don’t feel like it wastes your time (no misunderstandings, no running in circles). This drama is limited to it being a short drama & pretty tight budget but they managed to pull it off. It wants to tell their love story, a political power struggle, gender roles/hardships, female empowerment, a fallen rising family, top/rich male lead & poor/servant female lead. Its touches base on the surface level with some topics but I am glad it mainly stuck with the main lead’s dedication, love, & hardship.

What I Love About the Drama: (as an avid C-drama viewer)
- Not making a love-triangle with the 2nd male lead. (He was a lovable person & a green flag. You could tell he likes the female lead but wasn’t pushy/knowing his boundaries. In an alternate world, anyone would have chose him as the one).
- The chemistry between the leads sold this drama. The mutual understanding despite being apart & having their own struggles. The glances they had at each other. Their chemistry was the selling point for me.
- The creative direction/production quality. THIS I APPLAUD TO THE TEAM WORKING BEHIND THE CAMERA. Whoever the director was brought out the best of the 2 main leads for their roles. The camera language & editing/cuts was a chef’s kiss. Their budget was well spent & the outcome was better than S-tier dramas. (I guess this came at a cost of having a fresh face cast).
- Having very memorable moments/objects & using it as references. The red bracelets, the red ribbons on the tree, the dumplings, the pearls, his handkerchief, etc.) It is symbolic of their love story & adds meaning to their subtle attraction to each other.
- The drama makes logical sense and characters have logical/reasonable feelings & decisions. You understand why each character made there choices & they had a valid reason to do so. As a viewer, the drama didn’t make me feel dumb.

What Could Have Been Better:
(NOTE: This a short drama)
- explaining the backstory to the Elder Princess’s character (She was a pivotal role more than 50% of the drama & had a lot of screen time. Had there been a backstory, viewers could empathize what lead to her tragic state. The drama already tries its best to hint at it but there just isn’t enough time/length to have its spotlight).
- The 5 years gap. 5 years just sounds like a long time & you’re telling me they just didn’t cross path till then. (I guess you can say it makes logical sense as the younger sister is getting married. Therefore she needs to be at a marriageable age.)
- Having a more complex female family setup. Yes she is poor & that is fine but you could tell the female lead’s father/brother role was written to be a hinderance for the plot.
- Same could be said for the political struggle/fight. It was the most surface level fight I have ever seen in a drama but somehow it got the job done. However, I’m glad they kept it that way. (We ain’t spending 3 episodes on a coup for the damn throne.)

However, with that being said, I still wouldn’t change much of what was presented in the drama. It is a short drama with its limitations but beautifully done. If it was a full length drama, I feel that I would have dropped it in the middle. I don’t feel cheated for my time watching this drama. Though it is predictable that the lead would end up together & neither would not have died. I watched it to the end to know/see how the production team play out the ending for the lead. This is the first drama in years that I finished start to end. I highly recommend to check the drama out.

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Fantastic story, butchered ending.

TL;DR: Extremely well-executed and heartfelt minidrama that's ruined by an unnecessary time skip and butchered finale.

Whump meter: ▲▲◭△△

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SHORT VERSION:

┊┊The Good:
► Great characters that feel like actual people.
► Strong leads that remain strong despite great adversity.
► A story that's not about royalty but rather about common people and their struggle to survive.
► Amazing cinematography and visuals.
► Great attention to detail, showing what most dramas don't.
► Heartfelt and melancholic story.
► Healthy relationship with mature leads.
► Compelling and endearing side characters with depth.
► Few cliches or very well executed cliches.
► Feminist themes.
► Prominent child supporting character AND parents!
► Good acting across the board (SFL and the child were a highlight).
► Compelling villain with depth.
► Role reversal themes (check out my RR list for more details).
► Good music.

┊┊The Bad:
► Skipped scenes throughout.
► An overall slightly rushed pacing with too much story crammed in.
► A 7-episode early climax and finale.
► A time skip that ruins all the characters, changes everyone's personality, fills the episodes with cringeworthy cliches, and crams a lot of aimless filler.

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LONG VERSION:

┊┊CHARACTERS:
‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ The point of view *main* main character is clearly FL with ML being more of a secondary protagonist, a refreshing change of pace from the usual reverse. FL is an unfortunate but strong-willed young woman who won't let anything stand in her way and will carry on no matter the hardship. ML is a nobleman whose family falls from grace, and he ends up in a terrible position, enduring hardship every day. Two kind souls beaten down by the world around them come together and blossom into a mature, heartfelt, and melancholic romance. Neither is particularly the freshest character ever written, but they have enough complexity to make it entertaining and rewarding to follow their story.

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ As for the romance itself, it's the mellow and mature kind. There's minimal toxicity between the leads, and most of their romance is founded on mutual understanding and acceptance. Because of that, though, it's not very skinship-heavy, but their moments together are very rewarding. The chemistry was also very good; they felt effortless around each other.

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ The supporting characters are also all endearing or, at the very least, compelling. Sure, they don't get a whole lot of development, but they do feel like they could actually be living people. Even the villain is interesting, making a formidable foe for our main characters to deal with (or rather, put up with).

┊┊ACTING:
‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ Honestly, I have no issues here. Everyone in the cast did very well, even characters that only show up briefly. Even extras in the background look like they've actually been on a filming set before. Especially for minidrama standards, the acting was incredible!

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ The leads were very solid, though both had some slight details that felt off. I noticed in FL this was the case in happy/light scenes, as for ML, I'm still wondering. This is mostly a nitpick, though; it doesn't really take away from the experience.

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ Then there's my standouts. SFL as the princess. Deliciously viscous, complex, and carrying herself with the grace of a royal. I have no notes; she absolutely killed it. Another standout would be ML's little sister, who is one of the most natural young actresses I've ever seen! Very well done!

┊┊STORY:
‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ The story follows two atypical protagonists as they navigate their terrible circumstances, growing closer whilst striving for a better life. It's very well-crafted early on, with the only real issue being that certain scenes seem to be missing. Some arcs also move surprisingly fast, but I blame minidrama limitations for that. The story is heartfelt and sincere, depicting a not often seen in cdramas story about people that aren't filthy rich or outright royalty.

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ Unfortunately, the story takes a turn for the worse after the climax in episode 17. Yes, that early on. I can't even begin to understand why this decision was made, but the drama suffered tremendously for it. The two episodes that directly follow it are passable but already tainted by the disaster that's to come. Like the unsettling calm before a storm. After episode 19 is when the drama hits rock bottom, hitting its viewers with a random time skip that came out of nowhere and was completely unnecessary. The arc, if you can even call it that, that plays out during these episodes completely undermines the story previously set up, changing the characters so drastically that it's frankly insulting.

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ Riddled with clichés seen in every mediocre idol drama or minidrama and a disaster of random events happening for seemingly no reason, the finale is not just bad, it's outright infuriating to watch. They add insult to injury by showing flashbacks from earlier in the drama, back when it was actually good, as if that can function as the world's strongest glue and somehow connect the beginning to the end (it does not). ‎To say it's a disappointing turn of events would be a gross understatement. How a drama can go from being one-of-a-kind to an uninspiring cliché mess, I cannot begin to understand.

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ After watching this finale, I now understand the slight issues I had with the story prior to that. In order to leave room for the post-time skip arc, they trimmed and outright omitted certain scenes throughout the drama, leaving it feeling slightly incomplete when it really shouldn't. Especially not with how much attention to detail there was in everything else.

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ Really, the story ends in episode 19, but for me it ended in episode 17. The rest is not worth watching.

┊┊PRODUCTION:
‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ For minisdrama standards... 10/10. For full-length drama standards 9/10. This drama is honestly so well-crafted. A lot is filmed in real locations, and the bustling city feels like it could actually somewhat exist. The cinematography stood out the most to me; not only was it beautiful, but it also helped tell the story. I also really appreciate that the city the story takes place in actually looks different from other cities they go to; this is a rare detail. Though the budget becomes more noticeable in props, it's still passable, even when not good. Clothes were particularly stunning with beautiful embroidery on real fabric.

┊┊MUSIC:
‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ Enjoyable and suitable! The songs used do get a bit repetitive if binged, but they're lovely (though I wasn't a big fan of the female singer, her voice sounded a bit unrefined)! As for background music, it was very fitting and well-used. No complaints from me.

┊┊OTHER:
‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ For those that care there is role reversal present as is implied in the synopsis. There's two "romantic" dynamics ML has, one with FL and one with SFL but only 1 is truly romantic. His dynamic with SFL is very taboo but also very role reversal while his dynamic with FL is more egalitarian but role reversal too by proxy. For more spoiler-y notes, check my custom Role Reversal Recommendation List.

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Ignoring the last 5-7 episodes...
◇ Was it what I was expecting? No, way better than I could've ever expected.
◆ Did it live up to its potential? Pretty much yes.
◇ Would I watch it again? Yes!
◆ Would I recommend it to others? Yes!

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made with care

I simply adore carefully crafted dramas! dramas that bite off exactly the amount they can chew and chew it so thoroughly there are only little gaps. mostly everything was well done, the characters, the productions, the osts, the story...every frame looked like a picture. yea they cooked. even if they used a small pot, they cooked.

story is simple and straightforward but stirring and engaging. they skipped some stuff, like the eldest princess' story and the bulk of the politics, but considering we got more of the leads instead, i'll call that a smart choice. I was also a fan of the 5 yr breakup, they both came back smarter, sharper and just MORE, which is the entire point of long term breaks

you won't have any complaints about both leads, in fact they are inspiring, individually and together. they are like fresh rain in a desert of typical cdrama cps. and also a round of applause for our young, talented and capable lead actors! they have such bright futures ahead of them, I really really pray they have competent handlers bc we've seen mannyyy such talented young ones that ended up nowhere. but I can't wait to see what not just them, but the producers, director, costume, editing, etc, I can't wait to see what they all get up to next. I really wish them all well and I hope they land softly at their next stop!

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