A Dream within a Dream Episode 32
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I'm temporarily without access to this drama, stuck at episode 32 (there would have been far worse points to stop!) and where some dramas I pause in the middle of fade quickly from memory, I can't stop thinking about this one. I'm usually leery of the whole "pulled into the story/game" genre--the added layer can be distancing and rob emotional weight. But so far this one has struck and excellent balance. On the one hand, there's hilarious parody of the serious historical drama genre (esp the kind with the cold cruel ML and the nice supportive SML, also with shout-outs to the jump-back-in-time subgenre and some other specific niches). Some of the tropes are combined in hilarious ways.But it also soon got under my skin. The FL is just as wary, just as holding herself back from getting too emotionally attached as I was as the watcher of this genre. She knows she's stuck in a story so she's determined not to fall for it...and it made me fall instead. The ML is brilliant. The casting was brilliant--especially using someone who'd so recently had a serious version of the ruthless and cold ML role!--but mostly because he does complicated and soulful looks so well. Various secondary characters are also very well done and themes of questioning what you think you know about people and about life are pervading the whole middle section.I really really hope they stick the landing and don't undercut everything they've built because in between the laugh out loud parody, there's something really moving and heartfelt here and I want to see that through for all these characters that are getting more depth as they go.
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