Firstly, I think that the opinions people have about this drama were highly influenced by how much the show was anticipated. My impression is that everybody expected While You Were Sleeping to be this masterpiece drama based on the cast and even more so after the strong opening episodes, and because of those high expectations, many were left unsatisfied. However, if we put all that aside, I think we can say that this drama did exceptionally good. Was it a masterpiece? Wouldn`t say so. Could it have been better? Probably yes. But most importantly, is it worth the watch? Most definitely.

Let`s start with the plot. Being able to predict the future through dreams is a topic that has been widely explored in a number of other shows, and movies (not necessarily Korean dramas and movies), so if you have seen those you can have a gist of what you should expect. That being said, WYWS had a messy, but acceptable plot. What was important for me was that it keeps me interested through the whole show, and it did. It kept surprising, linking parts of the story from the beginning until the end. There were moments that could be predicted, however there were many that could not. As it constantly skips from the present to the past and to the future as well, some parts were bound to get a bit messed up, but I think we can live with that. The show held me tightly throughout the 32 episodes, which is not something that many K-dramas have done.

Now to the cast. I`ve seen Lee Jong Suk in Pinocchio and W, and I loved his acting there. Here, he did good throughout the most part, but I believe he only started to shine in the last few episodes. On his account though, it was not an easy role. None of the roles in this drama were, while we are at it. The characters had to constantly display various kinds of emotions, some which were supposed to be hidden, but still visible enough so we can notice them. Nevertheless, I think Lee Jong Suk was a good fit for the role. As for Suzy, I haven’t seen any other dramas that she has been in, but I’ve read that she is regarded as just a “pretty actress”. For me, she did just fine. It wasn’t anything spectacular, but it was okay, and more importantly, the character suits her. And the fact that I mentioned that the characters were hard to act applies to her the most. She is supposed to be the girl that can see the future, but be smart enough to see that she can’t change it, yet also strong enough to move on with life knowing that people around her are dying while she could theoretically do something about it. Overall, I don`t have any major objections towards any of our 2 leads. And if we talk about the second leads, I have only praise about them. Jung Hae In and Lee Sang Yeob did perfectly what they were supposed to do. One should be loved, the other one should be hated. And that was the way it was. The side cast did a great job as well, especially Kim Won Hae, I have honestly not seen a bad drama with him.

The music was very nice, beautiful at some points, there are some memorable soundtracks, and it matched the atmosphere perfectly. Slow, melancholy, yet hope inducing songs that suit both the heart breaking and the heart fluttering moments. Even though the story takes place in a city, the drama had some nice scenery, which made it even more pleasant to watch.

Overall, for me, this drama was amazing. For some it could have been just okay, and I completely understand why. The prevailing romance fit well with the storyline and made it even more striking at some points. There were moments of happiness, moments of grief, and moments of anger, which could easily take you on an emotional ride. I suggest that you watch this drama, even if you have doubts about it, since I am quite certain it won`t disappoint you.