K-drama Review: While You Were Sleeping

This flawless legal suspense drama had me so absorbed that (for once) my writer brain switched off and I was simply able to enjoy the story.

English Title: While You Were Sleeping (2017)

Writer: Park Hye-ryun

Director: Oh Chung-hwan 

Length: 16 Episodes

Tropes: Suspense with paranormal elements, neighbours, love triangle, supernatural / magical connection, childhood connection, found family

My Score: 5/5

Description: Nam Hong-joo (Bae Suzy) is a journalist on hiatus who sees the future in her dreams. She teams up with her new neighbour, rookie prosecutor Jung Jae-chan (Lee Jong-suk) and with local police officer Han Woo-tak (Jung Hae-in) who also suddenly gain this ability. Together, the three dream-seers work to prevent tragic events from happening and fight for justice while unraveling the mystery behind their strange shared powers.

If you enjoyed this show, then watch: My Love From The Star (same director), Romance is a Bonus Book (same male lead), Genie, Make a Wish (same female lead), and Suspicious Partner for those who enjoy legal suspense dramas. I also highly, highly recommend Pinocchio and I can hear your voice (both by the same writer - and Pinocchio also has the same lead actor.)

[Not to be confused with the American Sandra Bullock / Bill Pullman movie from 1995.]

I had a hard time deciding between 4 stars and 5 stars for this one. It didn't make me as obsessive as Crash Landing on You, When the Phone Rings, or The King: Eternal Monarch, but, like Romance is a Bonus Book (which features the same lead actor) I couldn't find any flaws in this show. It's a great story, well filmed, and has an amazing soundtrack (So many songs I already listen to and love!) Even the editing is incredibly well done - the way that the dreams and reality are interwoven creates tension, drama, and emotion without ever getting confusing. I was so absorbed in binge-watching the story that I made very few notes as I was watching - and that was why, in the end, I opted for five stars.

What I loved about this K-drama:

• While there's a strong love story anchoring this show, it also has crime/mystery/legal drama elements. Even if romance isn't your jam, watch this one, as it's guaranteed to appeal to a wide range of tastes.
• I love shows where the main characters are surrounded by strong, supportive family and friends, and this show has a lot of that. I especially loved the close bonds that formed between the three main protagonists which lifted this out of cliched love triangle territory into really believable, heartfelt territory.
• As with many other K-dramas, this one contained several Easter eggs from the actors' previous shows. I caught a few references to Lee Jong-Suk's W: Two Worlds, but there may have been others that I missed.
• I also really liked the creative openings to each episode. The episodes start with 10-15 minutes of story before the title cards come up, and these title cards use very clever scene transitions. My favourite was in episode 10, where the title card, which looks like a van Gogh painting, becomes a window distorted by rain drops. Once I noticed these different episode openings, I started to look out for them and they were like a bonus treat.
• But the best thing about this drama is its stellar cast. The two male leads, Lee Jong-suk and Jung Hae-in, have been fabulous in everything I've seen them in (the latter was about the only thing that made Something in the Rain and One Spring Night watchable for me!) I initially thought that the lead actress was the same female lead as Love Next Door, until I googled and realised she's not - but wow they do look a lot alike! I also had fun spotting all the familiar faces in the supporting cast.

I'll admit, the opening episode had me wondering what the hell I was watching. Were the writers really doing that to the main characters? The twists just kept coming, making me question if this was the same show I'd expected to watch. And then the BIG twist arrived and I was hooked. You need to watch the first episode to appreciate what I mean!

What writers can learn from While You Were Sleeping:

• The twists just keep coming. There's never a dull moment in this story. Some are foreshadowed and you can see them coming, but these are balanced out with unexpected twists that really keep the viewer awake, engaged, and binge-watching.
• Look at WHEN the backstory is revealed. It's revealed in small chunks that create maximum emotion because they reveal just enough, happen at just the right time, and every bit of back story reveals a new twist. The back story doesn't simply reveal information, it changes the story or completely changes our understanding of the story and characters - which is exactly what back story should do!

Have you watched While You Were Sleeping? What did you think: 4 or 5 stars? Or did it not hold the same appeal for you that it did for me?

If you haven't yet watched it, check out this trailer: