While You Were Sleeping (2017)

Unique/interesting plot with a great supporting cast, addicting suspense, and a good OST.

OVERVIEW: While this drama didn't fully meet my expectations, I still recommend it to anyone who's looking for a good suspense/thriller/legal/rom-com-ish drama with a great supporting cast to watch. Though I did have some issues with the main characters/casting, and therefore felt like the drama didn't live up to its full potential as a result; all in all, it's a refreshingly unique and well-thought out drama with a good mix of suspense, romance, and comedy, and an interesting plot that will immediately hook you and make you want to binge-watch the whole thing as quickly as possible so that you can see how everything turns out in the end. For anyone who is on the fence as to whether or not they should watch it, I think this drama definitely deserves a chance.

STORY: I feel like the story is very clever and well-written. The plot is really unique and creative: a woman has dreams about bad things that happen to other people, and then other people magically develop the same ability and work together with her to help save each other and other people, and solve crimes. I initially thought the plot would be really dark and depressing and scary before I watched it, but it does a good job of keeping viewers on the edge of their seats while also having plenty of funny/heartwarming/light moments to balance out the dark and suspenseful moments in it.

I also love how everything in the story seems to come full circle by the end, which shows how clever the writing is. Almost nothing happens unnecessarily in this drama, everything has a purpose and happens for a reason, which is how story plots should be, but oftentimes aren't. Also, unlike a lot of other K-dramas, the writer for this drama did a good job of tying up most of the loose ends by the end of the show and giving viewers an ending that makes sense and that they can be satisfied with. While there were a few changes I wish the writer had made/minor things I wish had been clarified more by the end that could have improved the ending of the story, overall I feel like the story and dialogue were very smartly written.

ACTING/CAST: One of the main reasons I wanted to watch this drama was because of the cast and, sadly but ironically, one major drawbacks of this drama for me ended up being some of the characters/cast. Unlike some people, I actually think Suzy is a really great actress--her performances as Go Hye Mi in "Dream High" and No Eul in "Uncontrollably Fond" were incredibly strong and moving and are the reasons why she's my favorite idol-actress. And, it's because of her that I decided to watch this drama. However, for some reason, I found her performance in this drama to be somewhat lacking. It's hard to say how much of it's her fault or the writer's fault, but her acting just didn't engage me or convince me as much as her previous acting performances have, which detracted from the drama somewhat.

Not only that, but (and this is on the writer, not Suzy), I also hated how her character went from seeming like a strong, relatable, goofy, average woman to suddenly being seen as a sexy goddess once she decided to stop wearing glasses (that old cliche) and started wearing makeup and more feminine clothes. This is just such a old, tired, and annoying female character trope, and it was disappointing to see Suzy acting out such a character since I feel like she does strong-but-flawed/relatable female characters really well usually. I really liked the way her character (Hong Joo) started out in the drama: tomboyish, goofy, candid, (somewhat delusional), and not caring what other people think of her. That was the beauty of her character, and I felt like Suzy was able to portray a more realistic, relatable, and nuanced character in the beginning of the series when her character was like that.

However, once her character suddenly decides to care what society/the guy she likes thinks and becomes all girly/feminine and everyone magically goes from thinking she's ugly to thinking she's beautiful overnight, I felt like her character became less realistic/interesting/likable, and Suzy's performance also seemed less convincing/relatable as a result. Maybe the sudden change in Hong Joo's character made the character hard for Suzy to relate to, or maybe the fantasy aspect of the drama threw her off--who knows. Either way, though, it kind of ruined the drama a little bit for me, especially since I was expecting a much better performance from Suzy.

Moreover, I also had issues with the lack of chemistry between the main leads. I liked Lee Jong Suk's character and Suzy's character better when they weren't together than when they were together. Like, not just as a couple, but in general. In the beginning of the series, before they had feelings for one other, I enjoyed their interactions a lot. I enjoyed the witty/goofy dialogue and funny misunderstandings between them and how they sincerely wanted to help one another despite not really knowing each other. However, as soon as they started to develop serious feelings for one another, I felt like their characters became kind of annoying to watch whenever they were together and I didn't enjoy any of the "romantic" scenes between them. I just feel like they completely lacked chemistry and it was hard to relate to their feelings at all, which made watching the romantic scenes feel awkward/forced, rather than heartwarming and enjoyable. I feel like if a different actor had been chosen to play the role of Jung Jae Chan rather than LJS, the chemistry between the main leads may have been better and the drama overall may have been more convincing/realistic seeing as LJS wasn't a very good fit for the role of JJC in my opinion.

Lastly, maybe I'm the only one who felt this way, but I thought the two stand-out acting performances in this drama came from Jung Hae In (as Han Woo Tak) and Kim Won Hae (as Choi Dam Dong). Both of them did a PHENOMENAL job in this drama and by the end I was really wishing that THEY had been the main characters/actors because their performances/characters were just so heartwarming and moving. In general, I felt like I enjoyed the supporting characters and watching their performances more than I did watching the main characters/actors. I feel like too many dramas suffer from having poorly written supporting characters/an inadequate supporting cast, but this is a drama that has plenty of likeable, well-written, nuanced, funny, and relatable supporting characters that you may end up liking more than the main cast by the end.

MUSIC: I thought the music was pretty good in this drama. It definitely had some of the better K-drama OSTs out there.

REWATCH VALUE: I haven't rewatched this K-drama so far, but there are definitely parts--especially ones from the first few episodes--that I would like to rewatch again. Since the plot for this drama is really good, though, I feel like it's a drama that a lot of people would most likely rewatch at some point.

OVERALL: Despite my issues with the main cast/characters, I still enjoyed this drama overall, especially the plot. I think that this is still one of the better dramas out there and that it deserves a chance. If anything, just being able to watch Jung Hae In and Kim Won Hae's performances in this drama is more than enough reason to watch it.

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Supporting Characters > Leads (minor spoilers)

Story: The drama was executed spectacularly in this series, with great choice of cases. Sometimes, the transitions between cases were smooth and other times, there were bumps in the road so to speak. The comedic elements most of the time were a complete flop (except for maybe Prosecutor Jeong practicing his interrogation; I almost LOLed really hard!). For the amount of themes covered in the series, I felt that it was not terribly confusing (maybe a little bit though or perhaps just some loose ends).

Acting: The ML chemistry was ok... was certainly not the worst, but definitely wasn't the best either. Personally, I liked the chemistry between Hong Joo and Officer Han, so I got a little SLS. But the supporting cast was superb and really carried the story!

Music: The dramatic music was spot on, but some of the romantic music was overplayed in the series, especially Suzy's "I Love You, Boy" (I like the song. It was just overused).

Overall, I would recommend this series to anyone that likes law/detective-like drama that can withstand awkward comedic scenes.

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This drama showed professionalism not only in the outstanding story line but the screenplay and the amazing cast, this drama is a perfect blend of both supernatural and legal genre of dramas. the soundtrack was filled with talent. each scene had its own originality for its song with each scene re-telling the story of each moment. i do not know what this drama is doing in 40th place cause it deserves so much more and this is not meant to be taken as an opinion, it is pure and sincere facts. One thing i loved about his drama was how they had to encounter a different case and obstacles which not only shaped their values and personality but their relationship with one another but romantically and platonically, so much detail and attention was giving to this drama, have to say this is lee jung suk’s best performance and I’ve seen romance is a bonus book.

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I know a lot of people have hate towards this drama and i can honestly say i really don't understand why??
because for me, it's one of Bae Susy's best dramas. I think she did a really good job and had improved her acting skills quite a lot. And the drama itself is on my top 10 easily compared to other dramas i have watched recently. It holds a very good place and memory in my heart.

The story is nothing out of the woods, its good and refreshing in some aspects and i enjoyed it very much. The lead couple worked very good on the chemistry, i loved them, they looked very good together and they did tell the story in a very plausible and emotional way.
The chemistry between all the actors was natural and i personally didn't felt any strange vibes or awkward moments, at least nothing serious that would ruin the fun of watching the drama until the end.

Kudos to the actor who played the vilain because i never wanted to virtually slap someone so hard and so bad as i did when i watched this drama XD (sorry but it's true). I cringed so much every time i saw him come on the screen hahaha But that only shows that he did a terrific job at his part and made the show even better!

For me this drama is a must watch, it's a beautiful story and every actor played their part really well and made the whole thing a very good piece of art.
Good cinematography too, those scenes and shots were carefully planned and made such a huge difference.

Oh and can i just say that the OST in this drama is just FABULOUS!!! I LOVED IT!
I mean, i got chills of how good it was, it gave this drama a mood you can't get rid of!

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I personally had a good time watching this drama. The idea is interesting itself to see future in the dreams and the main characters gang up to change the inevitable future. The plot may seem repetitive but I was invested in how they are going to avoid the future on each scenario. The cast did a good job. Lee Jung sok is good and I liked the fact that he's not this rich, good-looking arrogant smart lawyer that everyone drools over but he had to gain his colleagues appreciation and love over the episodes. Bae Suzy is okay I guess. The guy who portrayed the police officer is the best for me in the entire series, he's sweet, lovable and his protrayal of woo tak is true and good. I might check this actor's other work as this is the first time I'm seeing him. The chemistry between the leads is okay not too awesome or anything it's just a part of the show. Overall this drama is quite watchable and at times makes you sit at the edge of your seats. Just go through 5-6 episodes and you'll know if you like it or not!!

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I'm not a fan of law and crime but I was waiting for this because of Lee Jong Suk, I love his work, he never disappoints. Ok, about the drama: 7/10
Story: 8/10It's kind of unique. It's something different and interesting that combine fantasy (which is essentially seeing the future through dreams) and justice very well together. But it starts to be very repetitive. I need to say that the drama has a beutiful cinematography and scenery.
Cast: 8/10Yeah Suzy can be a good actress, but why do I feel that I see more Suzy than the character herself? I don't know if anyone else feels the same, but I can't understand very well why I don't feel affected by her.It's not bad acting, but I can't really like her. I think Suzy doesn't improve her acting that much,but yes, she focuses more on being pretty and sounding cute. Lee Jong Suk did a good job (like always) and his character was well writtenThe chemistry was very cute, but I wasn't really feeling it...>.

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From the very first episode, I was hooked on the intriguing cases that prosecutor Jung Jae Chan had to tackle. The relationships between the characters were so heartwarming and genuine, making it easy to root for them throughout the series. And let's not forget about the villain - they were so fascinating and kept me on the edge of my seat. The writing was top-notch, with only a few minor plot holes that didn't detract from the overall story. What really stood out to me was how realistic and rational the characters were, which is a refreshing change from many other k dramas.

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I recommend this drama to those who'd like to watch something different from RomCom.Such an amazing thrilling suspense emotional drama. This one is really great.10⭐ from me.????????

Story • One of a kind Storyline. Fantasy, Suspense, Thriller , Comedy & little bit romance. You can't predict what's going to happen in next episode. I always appreciate how they create such an amazing story until the end.From the1st episode they create excitement about what's going to happen next.& Also got goosebumps when it comes to end of those cases happenings.

Music • Music of this drama was classy. Especially in suspense & thrilling scenes.It will take you in different world.just Wow.


Acting •
JongSuk & Suzy Both are amazing specially JongSuk I appreciate his acting whether it was comedy or serious or emotional he was just perfect. Also Beum , he irritates me till the end. All supporting cast was good.

At last, Must Watch.Loveable drama.And if you're searching for first K Drama then this one is great choice. Start with this one & you'll never regret it.????

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not the best drama i've ever watched, but i really enjoyed watching every episode. while you were sleeping is the first drama i've watched with the theme of knowing the future from dreams, especially not just one person, but three people whose futures are related to each other. the acting from the good actors (although I believe suzy can hone her skills even more in future projects.) combined perfectly with the ost that matches the vibe of this drama makes us enjoy watching this drama. but looking at the reviews about this drama, I think this drama is either you love it or hate it.

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Forgetting the fact that Lee Jong Suk is incredibly cute, I'm gonna be brutally honest with the review.?

This show is one of those phenomenal shows that serve you romance, thriller, mystery, comedy, all on one plate! I loved it so much that it was very difficult for me to hold myself until the very end to write a review.

Both the main leads aced their roles. While Suzy was a treat for eyes as the intellectual, bubbly and smart reporter Nam, Lee Jong Suk's character Jae Chan saved all the stressful moments with his comic relief. Professionally a prosecutor and personally a lovable, carefree, innocent, cowardly cute little boy. Jong Suk is clearly a talented and passionate actor that his scenes could actually make me cry with him.
A special mention for Jung Hae-In here, as he was so damn perfect in policeman Han Woo Tak's role that it nearly gave me a second lead syndrome. I loved how an unfortunate incident lead to the creation of an unbreakable bond between these three! Supporting each other through thick and thin, they overcame all the obstacles that came through their way.

Coming to the plot, a new kind of story it presents with beautifully done cinematography. I don't know why it is called a rom-com as to me, it seemed more of a suspense murder drama with spine chilling cliffhangers! Lee Sang Yeob is really scary at times, which truly means he did full justice to his villainous character Yoo Bum. I was bewildered and left awestruck with each episode that it made me want for more. The opening and closure episodes were cleverly curated, it makes you laugh and cry at the same time as everything falls into the right place, the right way. Although the storyline felt a bit dragged mid way through the show since same kind of things were happening again and again but Oh My!! What did just get into the makers towards the end!? The last 4 episodes were incredible. I repeat, incredible! This is actually what made me star this drama 10/10.

I would also like to take a moment and praise the film score. Everytime we watch a Kdrama, it's OST is something that stays with us for a much longer time. Lyrical songs are liked by everyone, but this is the first time I was amazed by instrumental background score more than the lyrical ones. I personally LOVED 'when the night started instrumental' by Kim Min Ji. It felt like this one score bound the whole plot, whole story, character building and what not! I literally had goosebumps everytime it played!

Finally coming to what you can take back with you? A lot of great learnings for sure! It is a show that gives you hope on darkest of your days and tells you that no matter how pathetic your life may seem at a point, there WILL come a day when you'll get over all of that and everything will be alright once again. So believe in that day and stick through it. Ah! how much I wish that this drama never ended. Can we get a season 2 please?

You still here? What are you waiting for? Go watch it NOW. Laugh, dream and heal with it. A little bit magic never hurts anyone anyway ;)

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A real romance

While you were sleeping is probably my favorite work from both celebrities here. And it is not about something specific, because to be honest W from LJS was even more terrific than this one. But after I watched all of his filmography it is this one that I remember. The soundtrack, the beautiful cinematography, the characters, the intrigue… I am fascinated by old drama like this cause’ (like always till today) they build suspens before the next episode but on this series I remember the revelations to never be disappointed. It is like you really see evolvement of the characters and constant new information about the story and it is not like (let’s make an intrigue to have one..) It is a beautiful work that is highly rewatchable. Now about Bae Suzy, I still believe it is her best role in the sense that this role fits her, she sounded natural. While on her other works, sometimes more challenging, you can see the actress behind it. Briefly, amazing romantic drama!

That being said, it might not fit the taste of everyone. It is extremely romantic. I hardly watched another drama that romantic. I mean, even today, in romantic dramas, characters have their own individuality and so personality, to the degree that you want people to ba able to identify to oneself (male/female/side character) for things they defend, like, background they come from etc. Here there is almost (and actually toward the end there is none) individuality of the characters. It’s two in one, that sort of romance. There isn’t much dramas which work that way.

Tho this is my subjective opinion on which you can disagree :)

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