While You Were Sleeping (2017)

I really enjoyed this drama.  Lee Jong Suk is wonderful as Jung Jae Chan.  Suzy does an admirable job as Nam Hong Ju - a lot of people like to bag on Suzy, which is unfortunate.  She's not the strongest actress out there, but I think she shows steady improvement and this show was no exception.  I especially loved hers quip with Jung Hae In's Han Woo Tak - their chemistry was delightful and that it was much more a "friendship" chemistry really keeps it from being Another Second Lead Syndrome kind of show.  And Jung Hae In... man, I just want to shrink him down and carry him in my pocket for sad, rainy days. He stole every scene he was in. There were a host of actors in this show who often play supporting characters or guest characters and whom I always enjoy.  The strength of the supporting and guesting players really rounded out this show for me.  I freely admit that when I first heard the title, I was sort of expecting a remake of the Sandra Bullock movie (which, hey, is one of my favorite rom-coms, so that wouldn't have sucked), but I'm actually really glad that it was not.  This premise could easily have gotten bogged down in what-ifs and paralyzed inability to act because of "destined outcomes," but the script deftly avoids those pitfalls.  I loved how intricate all the connections were.  The last episode was all the feels all the time. All in all, this was a really sweet show.  It had just enough suspense and set-backs to keep me guessing sometimes, but was never so bogged down in complications that it felt oppressive.

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This has to be one of my favorite dramas of 2017.

When I first heard about this drama, I thought this was already great. The plot and the cast were promising. Yes, this is a law drama but the fantasy element mixed with this just lifted the overall mood of the drama.
From the first up to the last episode, I felt the emotions well and I didn't feel that the story dragged. There was enough room for character development.
The music and the ambience was really great as well as the cinematography. 
It's not perfect, but it's definitely a must watch.

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Wow.
Just... WOW.

I haven't been on the Korean-dramas train for long.
The first Korean drama I seriously sat down to watch was a few weeks ago and it was W.

I honestly thought nothing could compare. I was so sure W ruined me for every other drama out there.
Because nothing worked for me as I tried watching other dramas after it. Nothing hit me in the feels like W had.

At first, while I loved While You Were Sleeping, I couldn't help but think it wasn't as great as W.
I was mistaken.
The more I watched it, the more I realized its greatness.
In all honesty, I can't compare the two because they were each *as* amazing in different ways.

W probably beat While You Were Sleeping for me in terms of plot and pace.
While While You Were Sleeping probably beat W for me in terms of character development and emotional turmoil.

I cried actual tears more than once in While You Were Sleeping because the acting was just... SO... good. I laughed, I smiled, I loved those characters to pieces.

How do you know a show is great? If it makes you feel those strong, those intense feelings. If it makes you laugh, if it makes you cry. If it makes you feel excited just to watch each new episode. Like how I cried when a character broke out in tears. Or how I laughed at the silliness and the jokes.

How do I know if a romance is a great one? If they make me want to root for them.
And boy, did I root for them. I rooted for them from beginning to end, and they never let me down. Their romance developed in the best way possible. Not too fast, not too slow, while still remaining funny, sweet and passionate.
It felt natural, while not feeling dragged out. It had just the right amount of everything, and I loved them to pieces.
They made *holding hands* seem better than a kiss.
And when they hugged? *fanning myself*.
Let's just say the chemistry was sky high.

That, and the OST.
Because I'm telling you... I have yet to hear an OST as beautiful as this one in a show.
It was made to perfection. Each song fit the scene *perfectly*. It only made the romance, the suspense, the scenes, feel more alive.
My favorite of the songs: When Night Falls, It's you, I love you boy, Your world, Lucid Dream, Maze, Come to me.

Final thoughts: do watch this show. Please do. Whether it's because you're like me and you love a good fantasy-romance show with action and suspense, or simply because you love Korean dramas... just watch it. You will not regret it. It's one hell of a journey, and I'm so happy I took it.
And for those of you, like me, hoping for a happy ending... you don't have to worry when it comes to While You Were Sleeping (:

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I wanna address 3 things

1.) Plot/Story
2.) Suzy's acting
3.) Cast


Plot/Story
The plot of this show was really good. It was very unique, adding a punch of fantasy to a really good 'supposed' legal drama. It sounded stupid at first, but it blended really well, and the outcome was outstanding. It didn't fail to deliver in terms of being real enough for a legal drama, and not normal enough for a fantasy genre. Credits to the writers of the show and the director. And for whoever was in charge of casting that really cute corgi. I'm giving it a 9.5 to the story just because they failed to further discuss how they had their powers in the first place.

Suzy's acting
I'll be honest, Suzy isn't my favorite actresses. She is pretty, but she isn't that good in terms of delivery. For scale, my favorite actresses in order are
Han Hyo Joo
Shin Min Ah
Park Shin Hye

The acting of those 3 are far and beyond Suzy's current acting now, but she is in no way near of being classified as a bad actress by a lot of people. I would give her a rating of 7.5-8/10. If you want an example of a person who is really bad at acting, but is just overly hyped because he/she looks hot, look at Nam Jo Hyuk. I would rate that guy 3/10. Monotone as fuck. Suzy delivers during emotional scenes, and she makes us smile when she tries being quirky and cute during feel good scenes, but what I don't like about her acting is the regular flow. In scenes where there is no clear emotion, neither happy, sad, thrilling, or funny. Just the plain old, 'boring stuff' as some call it; the normal scenes that are explaining the plot of the show, she fails. She feels a bit awkward in those scenes for me because she doesn't look to convincing of a character. Her acting was far better as compared to Uncontrollably fond, but she still has work to do as an actress.

Cast
The cast was really good in this drama, particularly the main 3 characters + kim won hae. Lee Jong suk, is a shoo-in (we all know he's one of the best actors of Kdrama), Suzy has been discussed already. Jung Hae In, the adorable second lead who was so phenomenal a lot of people had Second Lead Syndrome once again. Would honestly watch another show where these 3 are in it. To further summarize my choice of Kdramas to watch is actually pretty simple: I see Kim Won Hae, I click. I get that his name isn't hyped enough to be cast as lead in a drama, but he sure does good whenever he's a supporting character, never failing to make us laugh, and on this particular role, cry.

Overall, I would watch this show again, even with one of the best plot twists i have ever watched.

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I enjoyed this. I thought the show did a good job blending the thriller/supernatural plot with cute romance and comic moments. The actors did a good job and they made for a really cute trio. Woo Tak was especially cute to me. The characters in general were really likable and the romance was sweet. But actually I was more into the trio of friends working together to solve crimes rather than the main romance. Everything was  tied up very neatly and satisfactorily.  I really don't have any complaints about it. It was entertaining, but for some reason it wasn't one of those dramas that had me on the edge of my seat waiting for the next episode. Overall, it's pretty, cute, and fluffy but interspersed with the crime/thriller violence.

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This is the first Kdrama I have watched in my life. This show is worth to see.  Lee Jong Suk and Suzy Bae made a really good couple. The story is very much breathtaking and will create intense thoughts in the audiences mind. The song lyrics are relatable with the real life. This show let the audiences put themselves on the characters shoes and let the audiences feel the experiences that each character goes through. Every single episode are heart touching.  It is hard to believe that it is really over, and I miss it already! From the nightmares to the laugh-out-loud moments, the nail-biting court trials to the feel-good scenes, this drama delivered several wonderful contents. This show is entirely without faults. There should be a second season for this show. <3

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This was one of the best dramas of 2017. Include the perfect cast, perfect couple, a great amount of comedy, a great amount of romance, and the perfect amount of mystery. I like that their was a second lead and he did like the main actress but didn't ruin/try to ruin other relationships. The problem of many law/police dramas is that it gets boring after a few episode as they are mainly solving cases. This wasn't a problem in this show as they focused on many aspects and this show had both a continuous and per episode story. The main couple were perfect, they were realistic (they didn't hide their flaws) and the chemistry was amazing.  I was excited to watch each episode and I knew i couldn't skip any scene as it came out once a week.  request: while watching don't skip, it's wort every moment!. I also like how the younger brother had a story (not gonna ruin it for you). This would be the top drama of 2017. I love bae suzy, lee jong suk and jung hae in ! also watch a few episodes before stopping , but i think the first episode should be enough to get you hooked. There was just one thing I didn't get, how dream could be so specific that they would never give the answer but if you just ignore the realism of the dreams, this drama is great.

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Overall I found this to be Beautiful drama from beginning to end; best one I have seen this year. Great casting, good music, story was intriguing and well written. Once you started watching this drama, it's hard to stop. It is very interesting and each episode leaves you wanting more and more until the very end. There is no need to skip any episode because is not dragged or bored like most Korean dramas. I highly recommend everyone to watch it.
 I really liked the main couple, Lee Jong Suk and Suzy looked really cute together and their character were so adorable. They indeed delivered an outstanding performance. As for those who criticize Suzy, I have to tell you that I loved her character the most, her actions felt natural which makes her character more real and believable. I would love to see them working together again.  
Keep up the good work!

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Near Perfection

Nothing in this world is perfect. However, some things are nearly perfect, and While You Were Sleeping is one of them. From a great storyline and plot to a great cast and amazing characters along with one of the best OSTs ever, While You Were Sleeping is a must-watch.

Story:
The story of this drama revolves around the special ability of a group of friends to be able to see into the future through their dreams. Throughout this drama, this group of friends and the people around get to see the ways their dreams affect the world of law, their love lives, and their day-to-day lives as well.

These characters realize that knowing the future, seeing it in their dreams, doesn't mean that it can't be changed. They face decisions at every stop, just like we do, except for them their decisions carry much more weight and can deal heavy consequences, good and bad.

All these key components are intricately woven together to create a plot that is not only interesting but also logical. The plot also shows how much each decision, no matter how small, affects everyone and everything around them. All this works together to create one of the best plots in kdrama history.

Acting/Cast (Spoilers Below!!!):
The characters and the cast that played them were spectacular. Unlike many kdramas where the characters are unlogical and do things for no apparent reason, the characters in WYWS make their decisions logically.

Yoon Moon Sun (Hong Joo's mom) has only one condition when she makes her decisions, her daughter, and that makes sense. She is a mother devoted to making her daughter happy especially after all the hard things Hong Joo is going through. All she strives for is to keep her daughter happy and safe. Her decisions and actions portray that mindset perfectly.

Lee Yoo Beom is the main antagonist of WYWS. He is driven by his greed for power to the point that he does many things morally wrong, and he knows it. Throughout the drama he is wracked with guilt and tries to make excuses for himself, driving himself deeper and deeper into the hole he has dug until he goes as far to murder someone.

Han Woo Tak is a fan-favorite. Loyal, kind, and even through many hardships maintains outstanding morals while always thinking of others first. Even though his unrequited love for Hong Joo was never returned with even a glance. Woo Tak valued his friendships with Jae Chan and Hong Joo so much more that instead of being jealous of Jae Chan and trying to hurt him, Woo Tak helped their relationship to move forward. Through Woo Tak, I saw what a real friend was. Someone who can sacrifice everything, even his love, for his friends.

Jung Jae Chan is far from your perfect protagonist. Instead, he is full of resentment, hate, and regret from his past. He struggles to keep his morals intact as he faces hard decision after hard decision in the world of law. However, Jae Chan is also a kind person and a great friend. Although he is aware that Woo Tak likes Hong Joo, he doesn't attack him or try to break their relationship apart. Instead he hides the fact that he knows it and shows the amount of trust and faith he puts in his friends.

Finally, Nam Hong Joo is a quirky girl, to say the least. She is always smiling and laughing, hiding the insecurites and fears she has. Hong Joo showed just how much fear can control a life. From her short hair to quitting her job, she lives in fear all the while trying to hide it. However, as the story progresses, she retakes control over he life, returning to her job, actively trying to change the futures she sees in her dreams, and facing her fears.

Music:
The OST of While You Were Sleeping perfectly fit the drama and also produced some amazing songs, including "It's You" by Henry (My favorite song), along with great songs: "When Night Falls" by Eddy Kim, "You Belong to My World" by Roy Kim, and "I Love You Boy" by Suzy and many more. Overall, one of my favorite OSTs ever.

Rewatch Value:
I don't really ever rewatch dramas, but if I were to choose one drama to rewatch While You Were Sleeping would be one of my top choices. Even though watching it a second time might reduce the thrill, it would allow me to catch some smaller details I missed the first time around.

Overall:
My favorite drama I have watched thus far. An amazing plot, logical and beautiful characters, and a magical OST makes While You Were Sleeping a must-watch drama.

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I already had listened to many things about this drama, but finally I could finish it and I'm just amazed! I love different plots with the same tacky romance and this was just like that. The plot of dreams coming true maybe can seem too easy when we look at the first time. I thought that I would lose interest in many cases being solved in the process, but it isn't like that. In each case, we are through into a different solution and a new revelation of the main plot, and this was very exciting! I didn't get tired of the stories and my curiosity just grows in the process.

I have to confirm my theory about why I have this problem with Lee Jong Suk. I'm sure now that the problem is his beauty, haha. I don't know how to explain, but when I look at his face I thought impossible that a normal person can look so perfect. For me, this compromises my perception of his performance, even if that could be a terrible judgment (and it is!). This justified why I love "W" so much because Jong Suk really looks like a character of webtoon. Even with this conception (again, I'm not saying that this is a right thing to think, I'm just sharing my conclusion because Jong Suk always was an open question to me), I thought that I could see more of his acting on this drama, and the last episode show this cleary. And what episode! I'm already in tears with the ending of "Flower of evil" and now I just can't stop crying with this. I could see the "human" part of Lee Jong Suk in many parts of this episode, LOL. About Bae Suzy I haven't any complaints... The character of Nam Hong Ju was made for her. The sincerity, boldness, everything makes me love this character. We don't see just two men trying to save a girl, but three friends that support each other equally. This is amazing! And speaking of the last friend... I love Jung Hae In. Just that, haha. His character was very fun and strong, I just missed a deeper connection with the main couple (as a past connection) and a more detailed story. They focused on the main couple and kinda left Han Woo Tak besides sometimes. I get that, but still... I just wanted to see more of him! It was just me or sometimes looks like they could show Woo Tak as gay? I really thought that the big secret was this, haha.

So my conclusion is that this drama is amazing! If you are looking for something fun a cute but also surprising and electrifying, this is an excellent choice!

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Historia perfectamente enlazada

Amo esta serie, la volví a ver hace unos días. La historia esta muy bien armada, los personajes me encantaron, hasta el malo es muy buen actor, realmente lo odie, jajaja. No quiero contar nada, ya que la historia es muy bien armada. Hay cosas que me acordaba diferente y ahora que la volví a ver entendí mejor. Hay miles de flashbacks, Todos muy bien puestos, necesarios para entender la historia. Si yo la contara ahora, no seria ni justo porque mi memoria es lineal y no esta contada tan lineal, y cada recuerdo se cuenta en el momento justo para entender otras cosas. Los tres personajes principales, los ame, son geniales, su amistad, su conexión, por ellos la volvía ver, y seguro en un tiempo mas la veo de nuevo. 100% recomendada.

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I know alot of people probably won't agree with my rating  but despite this, I decided to justify my rating choice. I normally don't because who even cares, but the more I thought about this drama after I had finished it, the more disappointed in it I got. While I liked it, here's my rationale behind why it's not the best out there or the greatest.

story: While the story was interesting and unique, I felt like it was ultimately directionless.  I loved the supernatural theme, and I believe that is what initially piqued everyone's interest in the beginning. Well, that and Lee Jong Suk of course ;) However, the more the story drug on, the more I felt like the supernatural unique aspects of the drama began to disappear and lose it's "magic" and appeal. It just became redundant and somewhat lackluster. In the end, the story tied up nice enough but I'm still left a little deflated with a lingering feeling that it could have potentially been more.

characters:  In the end, the characters and character development, or lack of I should say, was what disappointed me the most. Lee Jong Suk did a marvelous job with his character. I could see his growth from an immature troubled youth still struggling with deciding between right and wrong and later watched him grow into a young man who stood firm in his beliefs. It was a seamless transition and I enjoyed the progress. In comparison, Suzy's character barely had any character growth. Her character was one dimensional at most. It was flat and a little boring to be honest. I don't know why, but something about her acting never communicated to me or pulled me into the story. I had the same problem with our second male lead in question, Han Woo Tak. While a handsome specimen and a potentially intriguing character, I felt like he was even more tasteless and boring than even Suzy. Even worse, I was left hanging till the very end wondering what dirty little secrets he was hiding or quietly pondering the possibility that Woo Tak might be more sinister then he let on as some of the directing of this series seemed to insinuate. I was sorely disappointed however when his character and role in general just fell flat resulting in a character I strongly felt was ultimately pointless and boring with no real character development either. I sometimes felt the side characters at the law firm had more interesting interactions and character growth to be honest.

music: The music in this was superb. It fit the scenes perfectly and was able to pull the perfect emotion for every scene. It was as beautiful as the cinematography which I also happened to find beautiful and breathtaking.

Chemistry: The couple chemistry was only so-so. I didn't really feel much of a connection between the two actors and I continue to feel like their relationship bordered on closer to friendship then it ever did to an actual intimate relationship.

Antagonist: And finally, the biggest problem I had with this entire drama was the antagonist. It was almost comical how the painted a big red villain sign on Lee Yu Beom. Sure the dude was crooked and manipulative but as the series drew on, I expected a little bit of insight into his sinister mask. What made him tick? What was his backstory? Why was he so twisted inside? They had so many opportunities to draw forth various complicated emotions from the viewers with a more complicated and complex antagonist so I was sorely disappointed when they decided to paint everything black and white and simply made Lee Yu Beom into the typical "Born to be the bad guy" lead in which every action he has ever taken was meant to cause distress to our main heros. The struggle between the antagonist and the protagonist was much too disney version for my liking. Character depth is more realistic and has the potential to leave a more lasting impression on the audience.

With that in mind, I over all rather enjoyed this series. I'm not dissuading anyone from watching this, if you are considering watching it then by all means go ahead. It was an enjoyable ride and I don't regret watching it. I would say it was worth the watch. If you are looking for something rich in supernatural mystery or character depth then I would advise against it. This drama was more focused on things like standing firm in your beliefs, distinguishing between right and wrong, human connections, and how we are all ultimately tied together somehow in an intricate and dynamic web of fate.

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