Reviews

Bleh

I only watched this for PMY but it was absolutely ridiculous! Her acting was so stiffed and there wasn’t any kinda romance at all. Only 2nd lead was okay to watch. Story wasn’t strong, ugghhh! Not recommended at all! The plot was all over the places. My main problem is their acting. PMY should try out some diverse roles too, come on! Her acting was pretty forced. And the 2nd half was pointless. Actually whole drama was pointless.

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WHY? Why is this not popular? I mean I know it is not a school drama which most people watch, but this drama is so satisfying to watch. First of all, the cinematography is extraordinary. I'm not even sugarcoating this or anything but this is one of the best cinematography in a drama (the other which is SKY Castle). This drama is set in Jeju Island which means we really get to see a peaceful and serene view of the ocean and landforms there. There were a lot of shots that were just the scenery of Jeju and it made me want to visit and do the same things they did!

Story-wise, it was a cute drama about friendship and misunderstandings. I enjoyed this drama for the main reason that I will never be able to do this in my own country. Meeting friends unexpectedly and hanging out together? Way impossible lmao! Throughout the whole drama, I was just smiling at how cute the relationships developed. Also the few easter eggs of Love Playlist were so cute HEHEHE

Cast and Acting was on point. I especially found Jae-young's acting so good when it came to his backstory.

The music was so heavenly! I really love boramiyu's Like or Love so much!!! BOL4 also sang an OST for them which was really nice!

Overall this drama deserves a 10 from me. Sweet, short, and simple.

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Sigh

Who tf keeps letting mame make dogshit? First of all, i was debating whether to watch this or not bc i despised fiat in tharntype (and the show as a whole) but i ultimately decided i would give it a try. From the trailer i thought this was going to be about the struggles of being in a relationship with someone you've been friend with your whole like..NOPE..they struggled with that for .2 seconds and then they got into some other bs.
Ja and first's acting is not that great for having the main roles, i was much more satisfied with smart and james' acting, especially the more emotional scenes between the two.
LeoFiat's sex scenes were awful, at times it was so strangely aggressive and stiff that i skipped them entirely.
The story is very lazy and basically a copy and paste of mame's other works...she is just not a good writer.
One thing i will give mame credit for, which is the bare minimum, was confirming that Leon was pansexual, ive honestly never seen pansexual representation in a bl before so it made me smile.
I really liked LeonPobphan, they had a really healthy relationship which is something we dont often see in mame's stuff.

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A Dream Within a Dream: Not Confusing—Just Smarter Than Average

Some viewers struggle with A Dream Within a Dream because it doesn’t follow the usual formula. But that’s not a flaw, it’s intentional. This drama asks you to engage with nuance, not just react to surface-level tropes. A Dream Within a Dream isn’t trying to fit into a neat box. If you go in expecting a straightforward love story, you’ll be confused. But if you’re open to something layered, emotionally complex, and structurally bold, you’ll find a drama that rewards attention and rewatching.

💫 Let’s Talk About the Heroine

Too many viewers get stuck feeling sorry for Nan Heng and overlook the true emotional core of the story, Song Yi Meng. She’s one of the most realistically strong females leads in Chinese drama, not because she’s cunning or hyper-competent, but because she’s deeply human. She’s smart, but not infallible. kind, but not self-sacrificing. Her strength lies in how she adapts, how she processes each new revelation, and how she makes decisions that balance survival with integrity.

From the start, Song Yi Meng is shown only the side of Nan Heng that reinforces her fear and distrust. She doesn’t get the luxury of seeing his inner turmoil the way the audience does. What she sees is threat, manipulation, and the looming shadow of a fate she’s trying to escape. And yet, she never sells out her family, friends, or even Nan Heng to protect herself. She navigates a world designed to test her, and still chooses compassion over cruelty, discernment over desperation, and love over fear.

🎭Exceptional Acting That Elevates Every Scene

Liu Yu Ning

Liu Yu Ning’s performance is powerful; he begins as a divine threat and gradually unravels into someone heartbreakingly human. His micro expressions are razor-sharp, a flicker of pain, a restrained smile, a glance that carries centuries of grief. He doesn’t overplay emotion, he lets it simmer beneath the surface, and that restraint makes every breakdown hit harder.

In action scenes, he’s magnetic. His physicality is fluid and commanding, never stiff or ornamental. Whether he’s wielding a sword or simply standing still, he looks like someone who belongs in a myth. And when he speaks? Every line is delivered with intention. He doesn’t just recite, he inhabits. His voice carries weight, his pauses are deliberate, and his emotional control makes even the quietest scenes feel charged.

Li Yi Tong

Li Yi Tong portrayal of Song Yi Meng is exceptional. The character is unpredictable, emotionally layered, and sharply funny. She had the difficult task of playing two versions of herself, one who naively falls for Nan Heng without knowing the full consequences, and another who is self-aware, burdened by knowledge of the original script, such as what happens to her, her family, and the cost of loving him. As her real feelings for Nan Heng deepen, she’s caught between foreknowledge and vulnerability, and Li Yi Tong navigates that tension with remarkable finesse.

What makes her performance even more compelling is her comedic timing. She brings a brand of humor that feels distinctly 80's 90's Hong Kong, quick, clever, and emotionally agile. Humor is notoriously hard to play, especially in a drama this emotionally charged, but she nails it. Her tonal shifts, her misdirection, her ability to pivot from satire to sincerity in a single breath, they’re masterful.

💞 A Love Story That Feels Earned

One of the most refreshing aspects of A Dream Within a Dream is how it builds its central romance, not through forced tropes or exaggerated tension, but through quiet, intentional intimacy. The love story between Nan Heng and the Song Yi Meng unfolds organically, shaped by trust, vulnerability, and emotional growth. It’s not rushed. It’s not manufactured. It’s earned.

Their chemistry is undeniable, but it’s not the kind that screams physical attraction every time they share a scene. Instead, it’s the kind of closeness that feels like two best friends slowly realizing they’ve become each other’s home. There’s a tenderness to their connection, a shared language of glances, silences, and emotional weight that makes every moment between them feel grounded and real.

And when the Song Yi Meng finally chooses to love Nan Heng, it’s a quiet resolution. Her trust in him is unwavering. No back-and-forth mistrust, no last-minute misunderstandings just to stretch the plot. Their connection doesn't lean on dramatic declarations or surface level chemistry, it grows from shared pain, mutual respect, and the quiet realization that, despite everything, they choose each other. Theirs is a relationship that feels lived-in, like two people who’ve been through the worst and still find comfort in each other. It’s subtle, satisfying, and deeply human, the kind of storytelling that respects both the characters and the audience.

🧠 Writing That Asks You to Think

Some viewers say the writing lacks emotional logic, but that’s only true if you’re expecting conventional payoffs. A Dream Within a Dream isn’t built for easy consumption. It’s a drama that questions its own structure, and in doing so, asks the audience to think more deeply about character, consequence, and emotional truth.

The dialogue is masterfully constructed. Every scene unfolds with intention, layering emotional tension, character insight, and thematic callbacks in ways that feel organic. You don’t just follow the plot, you start caring about every character, even the ones with limited screen time.

And the humor? It’s woven seamlessly into dramatic situations, never feeling out of place or forced. It’s clever, culturally resonant, and often used to highlight emotional absurdity rather than undercut it. Near the end, the writing revisit earlier themes, especially the concept of scene reset, with such precision that it brings the entire narrative full circle. It’s not just a callback; it’s a culmination. The story doesn’t just end, it resolves, emotionally and structurally, in a way that rewards viewers who’ve been paying attention.

🎬 A Finale That Actually Delivers

Unlike many dramas that leave secondary characters dangling in ambiguity, A Dream Within a Dream gives every major character a proper send-off. We see where they end up, what choices they make, and whether they find peace. It’s rare to get that kind of narrative closure, and ADWAD does it with elegance and intention.

🎶 Sound That Speaks

One of the most underrated strengths of A Dream Within a Dream is its music. The soundtrack isn’t just beautiful, it’s narratively precise. Every lyric is paired with its scene like it was written for that exact emotional beat. Whether it’s heartbreak, revelation, or quiet defiance, the music amplifies the moment without overwhelming it. It’s rare to see a drama where the OST feels like part of the script, but here, it absolutely does.

🔁 Rewatch Value That Keeps Giving

This is a show that rewards multiple viewings. On your first watch, you’re caught in the emotional whirlwind. On your second, you start noticing the patterns. By the third, you begin to understand each character’s position in the loop, what they know, what they fear, what they’re trying to change. Every rewatch offers a new perspective, a deeper understanding, and a fresh emotional angle. It’s storytelling that evolves with you.

📚 Let’s Talk Comparisons

So many reviewers on this site throw shade at and rate down A Dream Within a Dream, while praising The Prisoner of Beauty with a kind of disingenuous enthusiasm.

Let's be clear, there is obviously a bias at play, one that colors their entire viewing experience. They watch ADWAD through a lens of skepticism, picking apart characters and storylines that are simply too complex for them to understand or appreciate.

TPOB is fine. It’s an average romance story with familiar emotional beats. But it doesn’t take risks. It doesn’t challenge genre. It doesn’t ask you to think about storytelling itself. A Dream Within a Dream does all of that and more. If you rate TPOB higher, that’s a matter of taste. But let’s not pretend it’s because the writing is stronger. ADWAD is simply operating on a different level.

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Dull Symphony

As a remake of one of the greatest musical dramas, i.e. Nodame Cantabile, this show was dismal. Instead of becoming the strongest point, music was the biggest downfall in this symphony. They changed the music into the lousy ones and there's practically no spark during music performances. These were actually very odd because both should become the highlight in this drama instead.

Basically this drama ONLY followed main plot points from the original source. Characters and focus were totally different. Say goodbye to quirky yet amusing traits we saw in Nodame Cantabile. Here, even main leads portrayal were lack of depth :(. The writer excessively toned down their unique personalities. Moreover, it often seemed like they were not main leads because too much time dedicated for developing side character's love stories. Some episodes even heavily focused on them.

Integrating wholly different characters into the original main plotlines evidently was a total disaster. Every turning point became flat while character's actions and decisions made no sense. Comedic parts were mostly removed, but there's no adequate plot to cover that. Neither serious nor comedic, just plain. So boring.

The way they shot scenes was weird. Cameras were shaking, zooming in and out rather randomly and sometimes shooting from odd angles. It's uncomfortable to watch. Transition from one scene to another was kinda rough. Same footages were always shown everytime location was changed.

Generally, the acting was rather tolerable, but during music performances was poor. The lead actress, unfortunately, had the least acting quality. Whether the writer really made a dull character for her or she just couldn't portray the character well, her performance was below standard. Acted as a dull character while looked appealing to viewers definitely was not easy, especially for rookie actors/actress without rich face expression or gesture.

All in all, if you have spare time, it's better to invest in other activities than watch this drama :)

Don't you think people should really consider to not remake any drama, especially the great ones, if they just have a half-baked idea?

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Story: This is a story about a man who is so good looking, women just drop like flies at the sight of him. What a blessing! What a curse! The drama has a very cliche title and synopsis, you'd think that this is just another idol drama featuring the crazy styles of Jang Guen Suk. To a certain degree, there is self-glorification of JGS happening in the drama but they were done in such a way that they provide comedic relief. When I started this drama, I had expected to dump it after a few episodes because of my bias against any pretty boy idol drama. Theya re usually catered for the young female fan market. It was the end of the year and I was bored; so I took it up. To my pleasant surprise, this drama did not disappoint at all! There is more to the drama than the cover it promotes. It has a deeper storyline than the staple love triangles we see in idol dramas. It deals with successes in the business world, family and the meaning of relationships. Expect to shed some tears and to hate someone. It has all the qualities of a good Korean drama. It somehow revived some of my faith in KDramas.. a little, not much. I am still waiting for the next big thing! But trust me when I say that your hours of watching this drama will not go to waste. The only reason why I gave the story 9/10 and not 10/10 is because of the slight discrepancy between how the drama was promoted versus how it actualy turned out. It was promoted as a test of 10 women - the first few episodes, it certainly felt like it but somewhere in the middle, things got serious and the story moved away from the "test of 10 women" to more of a melo feel. I do not mind the change in direction given that it gives the drama more depth. So, my advice is - do not base your expectation of this drama on the "test of 10 women" premise.

Acting/Cast: All veteran actors and actresses. No complains in this department. Despite all his wacky styles, JGS is definitely a more solid actor that many idol actors in the industry. He just need to select his script more carefully and really test his strength in acting by moving away from the cliche type idol dramas. In Pretty Boy/Bel Ami, he somewhat redeemed himself after so many not so high ranking idol dramas since You're Beautiful. This is again, thanks to the change in drama direction halfway through towards a more melo type drama.

Rewatch value: I am not in a hurry to rewatch this. The story and acting is good but the drama has so many twists and revelation that watching it the second time will take away some of the impact of why it is good.

Overall: A solid 8/10. Definitely worth watching but if you are expecting something that will take your breath away and stick to you mind for years after that will turn you into a rewatch maniac, this is not it. Nevertheless, it stands out as a worthy entertainment amongst all the mediocre KDrama offerings from 2013.

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pleasantly surprised

I started watching the drama solely for Jin Ki Joo and the time travel aspect of the plot. But sci-fi dramas, especially when it's around time travel, tend to fall apart pretty quicky so I decided not to get my hopes up. Which might be why I'm left with this warm feeling while finishing up with the last episode.
The relationships between the characters' past versions and the leads were really interesting to see develop, and the murder mystery was entertaining enough to stay engaged in the story.
I loved the fact that the romance wasn't at the front, but rather developed in the background, although I didn't really feel the chemistry between the two. I felt the same way Find Me In Your Memory, and I think I'm just having a hard time getting used to Kim Dong Wook's acting.
There were a few things left out at the end that I would've liked to have an answer to, but overall I was surprised with how solid the story was compared to what I thought at first.

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Coming of Age

This is a great series exploring coming of age. Who am I? And what is my goal in life? If you look at this as a stricktly romance series I can understand that you miss a lot of the interesting underlying plot lines. I personally love how strings and crumbs were given in episode 1 and with a red thread throughout the episodes became clear how each character had multiple hidden agendas with their actions and experiences.

The series explore self-awareness into adulthood, how ties to family changes from childhood into young adulthood and romantical connections. How past experiences are carried with us and impact our future decisions and reactions in various situations.

Personally I loved how Dunk’s acting showed parrallels in scenes from the beginning of the series to the same scenes happening at the end of the series and you can clearly see his character growth. (Zo is supposed to be an awkward character in the beginning before he grows into himself over the couse of the series. We see Joke grow and learn more about himself as a person and how to approach his friends, family and situations.

The side couple wasnt showed much, but Aou and Boom did amazing in the few scenes they were present. And gave the perfect counter-balance to Dunk and Joongs characters.

Also, we cannot deny that Joong and Dunks chemistry carried in the low plot parts of the series.

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Fun, warm, enjoyable drama with lovely characters and scenery

This is my first time writing a review on MDL but this drama deserves that I make this effort (I say that because english is not my first language, so please excuse the mistakes I’ll make writing this review).

You might see the ratings and think : « Hmm, I’ll pass ». And you’ll miss an opportunity to watch a great drama.

Why ? It’s a charming, enjoyable and fun light rom-com. It was shot somewhere in a place located near the Laos and Thailand’s border, where the Dai people live (from what someone told me). So visually, the drama is stunning : the scenery is very green, luxuriant, the landscapes are beautiful, and so are the houses, streets, buildings. It’s really a beautiful architecture.

The characters, after a rough (and in my opinion, funny) beginning, shine. We have less than ordinary main leads for a rom-com : instead of having a cold CEO and an innocent young FL who freeze every time they touch each other’s hands, we have an ex-CEO who was a playboy who decides to go back to his mother’s village to plant tea and to live a more monk like life.

We have a FL who is a young entrepreneur struggling to get her company off the ground. She ends up being brave, adorable and kind. The kind of lovely FL who is joyful without ending up being a childish Pollyanna. She will end up living the village life to the fullest.

Both ML and FL are affectionate and tactile with each other, which I loved seeing. There are misunderstandings and problems standing in their way but they manage to do something rare : they talk about their problems and solve them quickly.

There are antagonists, down to earth twists (without being a slice of life, too realistic and dreary drama to watch) SML and SFL on the way (but they are more on the funny side, although sometimes annoying) a bit of mystery and most of all, the villagers who are definitely an important part of the drama.

So in the end, it might be on the cheap side, and with less dramatic twists than people are used to but the end result is a charming, warm, lovely drama that certainly doesn’t deserve the 7.8 ratings it has as I’m writing this review.

But then, I started watching this drama before the ratings came in and I’m sad thinking that had I waited a few weeks to watch it, the ratings would have definitely prevented me from watching it. And now I’m wondering how many great dramas I skipped because I trusted the below 8 ratings on MDL.

So if you’re in for a fun, charming, light rom-com with main leads who act their age and solve their problems by talking, then this is the drama for you.

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I felt seen...

I felt like I could belong. This series not only help me realize what kind of F*d up world we live in, It also helped see understand myself and Love myself.

I just read a comment saying how the male lead is effeminate and creepy and they just dropped the series because of it. I'd like to say to that person, good riddance. Because how people react watching this series is literally shows how society also treats these characters that are based on real people that exist.

This world makes us think that we need to fit in somewhere and do things how they want us to do. But in reality, this world is made for the entitled, elite that made all these society rules and those of us who recognize it and never succumb to fitting in know how difficult it is to be ones self but at the same time, how empowering it is to say "This is Me, I was born this way and if no-one comes into my life loving me for myself, then I dont want it". This series was exactly that.

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Honestly just read the Novel.

Its honestly disappointing. It disrespected the original source material to the very point where it's completely unrecognizable and different from its source, from even the overall messages and symbolism that ORV tried to convey, everything had been completely butchered. But by peeling and stripping away everything to adhere to the general audience's expectations, there won't be anything left to love. for all I could say it's quite disappointing and unimpressive to say the least. This is setting a supremacy for future and prospective Live action adaptations to completely mess up a beloved story by extracting all the aspects that make it great in the first place. You can't even call it an adaptation, it fails in every aspect. the cinematography is incompetent, Additionally some actors with major supporting roles are just completely sidelined for no appropriate reason. This exactly isn't a matter of an "accurate adaptation and depiction" anymore.

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No matter what is to come I ENJOYED this movie.
Lets face it its not great but its not bad either. ( lots of flims out there that are not great but perfectly fine to watch)
I was reading the other reviews...i question the scores....either they are being bais or i just have compelety diffrent view.
I'm scoring this based what i saw ...

Comedy: It was enjoyable, It was fuuny. i laughed :D

STORY: It seems simple..but quite the twsit you face at the end. The story was meant to be one of those that you laugh through the goffiness then bam! you realise what was really happening . HOWEVER .....I think it wasn't told in the best way. the end i thought was rushed. i was left totally confused with everything being revealed at once with not enough time to comprehend. I suggest rewatching the end.

ACTING: JJ i would say did a great job. i'm impresssed.lol maybe his got personal experience...SJH however...did not do a good job with her character . can't say i understood her very well.(acting aside..she was super cute)

MUSIC:(IN THE MOVIE) the songs themselves are fine. However the way that they are pesented was just...chessy(?)..it felt forced.

Would i rewatch?
No. not really maybe cuts from it..there were some funny bits i would rewatch.

Overall-
Not the best MADE film. The actors were fine nothing horrible. it was more of a for the fansmovies... so if you love JJ or SJH or both..GO FOR IT....all others hmm if you have time.

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I really liked this drama, I recently re-watched this drama this past year (2013) and I enjoyed it just about as much as I did when I watched it the first time.
Obviously there is a switch of birth at the hospital by a nurse filled with revenge against the villain.

Cast: I loved most of the characters, and hated a few too. My favorite was not the main lead (but he was the reason I watched this drama the first time lol) I fell in love with Park Hae Jin's character (this is actually the drama where I became a fan of Park Hae Jin) - he plays the good guys son raised by the villain - he has a lot of pain in his heart b/c he is good-natured but get's forced to do things at times that go against his conscience. He does what his "father" orders him to do and puts a seal on his heart in order to act it out. He will commit one MAJOR sin in this drama - but as the drama progresses you feel for him again and he wiggles his way into your heart. (I personally found him more attractive than the lead guy) and I liked his "love story" more than the lead guys too lol. Don't get me wrong though I still loved the lead guy ALOT and I loved his "love story" too (but his is more tragic - his pulls ALOT of tears out of your eyes *sniff *sniff)
The villains son - to be honest I liked him a bit at the beginning and then really started to detest him somewhere in the middle (believe me you probably will too - if you get emotionally attached to characters as I do).

Music: was AMAZING!!! I loved how the producers kind of gave each character their OWN song (if you read the lyrics you'll understand what I mean - reading the lyrics as you watch the drama is a true tear jerker)

Re-watch Value: Is a definite (since I have already re-watched this drama :D )

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