My Deepest Dream (2022)

A Romance Lover's Fantasy/Mystery Drama

First half - 9.0
Second half - 8.0

If you are a romance lover 1st, and a mystery/fantasy drama lover 2nd, then you would enjoy this drama. But if you are looking for a serious, well-written mystery/fantasy drama, you might be disappointed. Since I am a romance lover, I really like “My Deepest Dream”. It has a surprisingly very well-written, well-acted romance main plot. Most mystery dramas would probably have the romance as a subplot, but in this drama, romance is front and center and integrates well with the mystery plot. I am also very happy with the pacing of the drama. It holds my attention very well and I was able to binge this pretty quickly.

What I Like:

1. Main Romance - The romance between Tan Jiao (FL) and Wu Yu (ML) is mature, sweet, memorable and beautiful. Their love is strong and honest, and endures challenges and craziness. Tian Jio and Wu Yu are fun and sweet together, and there’s plenty of skinship and great kisses. The development and progression of the romance feel natural. The chemistry between the leads is great and they are very supportive and understanding of each other. There are many romantic scenes, because Wu Yu is just so thoughtful and romantic: 1) Tan Jiao said she likes rainbows, and he creates a rainbow scene, 2) Tan Jiao sat on the cold floor and needed time alone, Wu Yu took his jacket off and let her sit on it, and also sat around the corner to give her space but keep her accompany, 3) buying breakfast, holding her hands, cooking for her, etc., 4) a very romantic scene in ep 29 to create a memory that may or may not last forever. You can probably tell I am in love with Wu Yu myself. ?

2. Secondary Romance - Time and time again, Zhou Xiao Yu (2fL0 and Shen Shi Yan (2ML) fall in love at first sight when opposites attract. Their first encounter is always interesting and fun, and something to do with the law. It’s like the movie “50 First Dates”. And because of these accumulated short encounters, when we move towards the last ⅓ of the drama, their relationship is more memorable and heartbreaking. It’s a very interesting way to write about the development of a relationship due to the time traveling, but I quite like it.

3. Acting - I have always been a fan of Li Yi Tong and she never disappoints. She’s cute as a button, so acting as a sweet and cute FL is nothing new or challenging for her. But her emotional, crying and heartbreaking scenes are great and made me cry. After seeing Jin Han in “Jun Jiu Ling” I became a fan of his (I did forget all about him in “Princess Wei Young”). But he made such a good impression in “Jun Jiu Ling” that I want to see him again and he’s the perfect guy for this role. He has such great subtle expressions on his face that conveys his emotions so well without saying any words. I can tell from his face how he feels - pensive, shy, thoughtful, worried or jealous. The secondary leads and the rest of the supporting cast are also great, with a mix of veterans and the younger generation.

4. Timelines/Main Plot - This is quite an interesting way of executing time traveling and parallel universes. There are multiple timelines in this drama, so viewers have to pay close attention. Without spoiling too much, the timeline feels like you go one step forward, but two steps backwards. You start from the cruise, then head to the future, and then back to cruise, and head to the future again, but this time your future is actually going backwards. I am not explaining this well, but you gotta pay attention and watch it for yourself. This is not your usual time traveling and it’s quite fresh and interesting. I also like how each individual subplot and the supporting characters are also integrated back to the main plot. It makes the mini-mysteries less episodic but more like mini climaxes building up toward the big finish.

5. Friendship - Where can you find a BFF who believes you whenever you tell her your crazy story about time traveling EVERY SINGLE TIME? How about a cop friend who helps you with your investigation EVERY SINGLE TIME when you are giving him weird but real evidence that even the cops don’t know? That’s true friendship. Those who believe and stick by you and just because you are their friend.

6. OST - There are a few very lovely songs in this drama. My favorite is “Dark Clouds Meet the Bright Moon/乌云遇皎月” by Hu Xia/胡夏. It sounds so romantic yet mysterious. The rest of the songs complement the drama and certain scenes very well.

What I have Mixed Feelings or Don’t Like:

1. Inconsistencies/Illogical incidents - The first half of the drama is a lot more well-written than the second half. I hardly noticed any illogical things and was going to give this a rare 9.0 rating if it continues to trend upward. Unfortunately, I start to notice more inconsistencies in the second half. The writing is not as tight. A few things I noticed:
If you are being attacked by birds in a warehouse, shouldn’t you want to get out as soon as possible, and not surround yourself with fire in order to scare the birds away?
♦︎ Hard to get concert tickets don’t seem to be a concern anymore when we need everyone to go spontaneously.
♦︎ Civilians participating in official police work/investigation/staking out is no big deal.
♦︎ I don’t think you can dissolve a pill in a bowl of hot soup without smashing it first.
♦︎ All of a sudden everyone seems to understand and believe time traveling in the last couple episodes. No one questions during the villain showdown?
♦︎ Seeing the future is one thing, understanding the power to control is a whole other story (trying to be vague and not spoil anything here).

2. Villain - Guessing the identity of the villain isn’t that difficult especially after you watch ⅔ of the drama. However, I find it hard to believe the reason why the villain did what they did. I was hoping for something more exciting? It seems somewhat weak to me.

3. Poor CGI and production value - It’s pretty clear that this is not a big budget production. The CGI is not well done here, so don’t expect much. The scenes when the leads are traveling through time are especially laughable. I also find all the scenes on the cruise to be very fake. I guess it really gives off a different dimension feel due to its fakeness. LOL. I don’t think they need to hire foreigners to be cruise members. It’s way too pretentious. They are dubbed in Chinese anyway.

4. How it all happened - It might be just me not understanding the science behind the time traveling. The drama tries to give a scientific explanation towards the end, but I might have to re-watch the last couple episodes with English subtitles to understand better the English terminology instead of Chinese. It might not be the drama’s fault but it’s just me, or not (?). I understand the ending and am satisfied how it ends, especially when it comes to the two romantic pairs.


Other Random Observations:
1. I wish more people would appreciate Jin Han’s rugged, mature handsomeness. He’s a great actor as well but is not getting much attention due to his unconventional and non-idol look.
2. Some people might find some romance scenes and lines cringey - but I love them!
3. But I do wish they have minimized the number of slow mo romance scenes, esp. Since this is not a rom-com.
4. Smart female leads - both are brave, intelligent and go-getters.
5. Love FL’s mother especially when she’s trying to teach FL how to court ML.


Completed: 10/22/2022

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an intriguing journey

If you are looking for a perfect mix of mystery, suspense and romance, this is for you!

After finding out this drama was adapted from Ding Mo's novel, I knew I was going to enjoy this and it did not disappoint.

The story had many twists and turns which kept me guessing and for me that on edge uncertainty held me until the very end as I wondered how things would wrap up.

Besides the mystery component, the romance was really nice. I love how the main leads relationship was depicted in a mature way, both had a great understanding of each other when facing through difficult situations. In addition to that, the music is well fitted especially with scenes of the leads finding their way back to each other from the time travel. The lyrics of "find you" and "try to remember the kind of september" still lingers on my mind.

The acting of this drama was good and the characters portrayed from the actors was brilliant. I was especially impressed by the main leads amazing chemistry.

My Deepest Dream kept me engaged the whole way throughout with the intriguing plot and it is worth a watch!

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Despite many things not explained properly and the ending being a little disappointing, the script holds your attention throughout, as with each chapter the desire to know what happened and what will happen is greater. The writers created captivating characters and an intriguing plot.
The direction is good, the drama is energetic from start to finish, there's not that twisted phase where nothing happens in the middle of the drama. The scenes are well recorded, the editing was zealous and even the use of memory scenes is well dosed. The effects used are adequate and visually pleasing.
The soundtrack is harmonious and very well used in the scenes.
The cast is very good and the performances do not disappoint. Li Yi Tong performs lightly and interacts convincingly with the entire cast. Jin Han played his character very well and showed that he is consistent in his performances, whether as a villain or hero he manages to carry the character.
One scene caught my attention, I think, like me, one of the two directors, was a fan of Hitchcock, because the scene with the birds in the tunnel caused me as much despair as the scenes in the movie 'The birds'.

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Unforgettable love across timelines

My deepest dream is a drama that makes you not forget it, it's really unique, the cinematography captures the emotions portrayed by the characters beautifully, and the plot is intriguingly developed in a way that each episode is fulfilling.
I never got bored while watching but instead wanted to watch the next episode right after.

I loved the amazing chemistry between both the main and second leads.
As well they explained things with quantum physics as the intro of each episode to give you the science behind what was happening with time travel and other things.

The OST for me was really good and fitting to the drama, it added gold to the viewing experience.

Some people mentioned that they didn't like the CGI in this drama. However, it is a fantasy drama and in my opinion, it adds to the genre, it makes it feel more dreamlike instead of just a modern drama.

I believe the ending is interpretable to each is own. You can choose to believe what you want. The overall experience of watching the drama for me is amazing despite the so-so ending.

I believe this drama deserves all the good credit it can get. Its something I would definitely watch again.

If you like romance and mystery genres combined, and if you like when you keep guessing who the bad guy is, then this is for you.

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It’s nice to have you, in every timeline

I think this show is a lot better than people give credit for. It’s one of a kind in the cdrama realm, or at least I’ve yet to watch anything like this. I enjoyed the different layers of mystery, unfolding layer by layer through time travel. If you look past some illogical bits and just focus on the story and mystery around it all, you’ll be in for a ride! Each ep is succinct so it’s very easy to binge watch. I hardly skipped any scenes hence I didn’t find the time travel confusing, in fact if you just watch, it’s very clear which point of time they’re in. While their time travel may seem repetitive going back and forth, the plot always thickens in every timeline and there are always new developments.

I loved the side characters, especially the unwavering loyalty of the bestie and cop. Isn’t it comforting to know that in every time and space, there are people that remain constant? And it’s even more comforting to know that there’s one person with you in this time loop experiencing the same thing - so you’re never alone. It’s also less frustrating from a viewer’s POV (imagine if their memories are wiped each time they time traveled…). Plus points for the leads establishing their relationship sooner than later.

Of course, it’s the casting that made this work. Great performance from the leads and the side characters, never a dull moment. The plot and idea behind this drama is fresh and not cliche so you’ll find yourself trying to guess what happens next instead of predicting what happens. If you enjoy mysteries and romance, this is it!

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Wow

This is both a gorgeous pair of love stories and a crime mystery that's so intense it's difficult to watch at times. It goes deep on all the emotions, but it's worth trusting in it and giving it time, attention and patience.
The writers, film editors and cast made a complicated plot line harmonize beautifully. I keep trying to talk myself out of writing that it's the best thing I've ever seen, but honestly, I can't think of another. Can't recommend it highly enough.

The site wants 500 words and I have many to go :) So things I really liked about it: great use of the theme music to underscore key emotional moments; that I could feel both Wu Yu's love for Tan Jiao and how she felt being in that love; the secondary characters who had their own growth and change; that as uncomfortable as the lowest lows were I've forgotten about them for the happiness and love; the gentle emotional sensitivity of many scenes.

I've not rewatched it yet but I gave it a high rating because there's plenty of complexity and things to watch out for through all the twists and because I really liked spending time with the four main characters and the music <3

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The dark cloud meets the bright moon

I wanted to watch this drama because of Jin Han. Overall it was good. Until episode 21, if I'm not mistaken, (the episode where the friend from FL is murdered), I watch non stop it, the plot is very interesting and keeps you hooked, the romance is also very good. But from that scene of her death, even though I knew that she would revive in the next timelines, I was kind of trapped in this sad atmosphere. I think it was only then that I realized that this was a mystery drama involving deaths. I confess that I don't like police dramas, with deaths and that kind of thing. Of course it's not heavy at all, but of course there are also other lighter Chinese dramas, and that's what I thought about in this episode. But that's not a criticism, it's just a personal observation because that's not my type of favorite drama, but I already knew from the beginning.

OK, after that I watched one episode a day until I finished. Both couples have a relationship very beautiful, even leave you with a light feeling. The ending could have been better too, but overall it's a good drama, it's worth watching.

I think the title of this drama in Chinese is more beautiful than what they gave in English: The dark cloud meets the bright moon, which is related to their names.

I also find the OST interesting.

Really once again I fell in love with Jin Han in this drama, his character is romantic in a sweet and simple way.

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It's somewhat flawed, but at the same time incredibly dreamy, magical & thrilling.

Let me start with what's bad. Starting around episode 20 the plot & the pseudo science become rather silly. The science thing is maybe 20 times worse than in the Stargate SG1, if that helps and it takes the main stage in the later episodes. I often say that it's nigh impossible to reasonably explain time travel in a drama, so it's better to leave things to the imagination, unfortunately they tried to explain a lot & not only used terms like quantum cracks, Klein bottles, but walked into these things on their two legs. That's not all, many times in the dialog instead of timelines they use the term alternate realities, which does not fit logically & would lead to rather grizzly conclusions. (I don't think the thought process of "It's okay if people died left & right, there is nothing to feel sad about since we are not in their reality anymore" makes much sense) Though I'm increasingly confident time travel cdramas have an absolute limit on how many times the term "time travel" can be used before a show wouldn't pass censorship, so if the narrative demands more they just go with alternate realities or dimensions, even if that makes no logical sense.
The dubbed voices sound too much like studio recordings, there is no believable ambiance.
Finally the main villain's motivations are somewhat ridiculous, but censorship might have something to do with this as well, more reasonable serial killers probably cannot be shown on Chinese television. I've seen far worse than this, it's bad, but at least the writer truly tried to make his character work and it almost does.

That was the all the bad I can think of right now, moving on..


Everything is else is from good to incredible. End of review.. just kidding of course.

The romance is fantastic. Both the main couple & second couple's romances are incredibly magical, I certainly got the feels & the chills many times during the romantic & sentimental scenes that this drama had. In fact I don't think I have ever seen a cdrama with a side couple this memorable, a secondary romantic plot this touching.

The genre of this is Romance + Thriller & surprisingly enough this is probably the best Chinese Thrilling experience that I've had so far, there was even a touch of horror here and there & even a little Squid game influence in the final episodes perhaps. I tend to rant on and on how Asian drams Chinese & Korean alike almost always suck at this, not here. I saw a book on Amazon described as "utterly gripping crime thriller with edge-of-your-seat suspense " and I think that's an apt description of many of this drama's scenes. Impressive!

The plot up to episode 20 is very nice, even though I had a strong suspicion of the villain's identity from the very beginning, which is not that surprising considering that I recently watched "Meet Me @ 1006", but the plot flows very nicely & it was interesting even in the later sillier episodes. If I make an effort to ignore the horrible fake science, then the ending feels rather nice too, it's far more hopeful then what we've gotten in"Your Name", it's not nearly as open ended, you don't need to use your imagination to know what's going to happen in the future. (though checking the ending in advance without context will lead to a lack of understanding..)

The OST is absolutely incredible, right now of the top of my head I cannot think of a single cdrama where the tracks & mixing are both so great. It's not as good as Goblin's, but it's not too far off, if anything the mixing is better here.

The visuals are in my opinion very nice. I have seen a lot of people bashing the bad CG, this is hugely unfair, making a believable cruise ship in CG would have needed the budget of Avatar & even then it would have been obvious it's CG. I think this is the best CG i've seen in a -relatively speaking- low budget cdrama. The environment on the ship is extremely unrealistic, but that's hardly on the CG, but rather the production team went for a really dreamy, otherworldly vibe. I understand why this is a hit and miss for the audience, but for me it's mostly a hit. In fact I had very distinct Final Fantasy 8 vibes while watching some of the scenes on the ship.

I talked about the great visuals & OST, but the amalgamation of these things truly leads to an incredible audiovisual experience. I think the drama would be worth watching just for that, even if the rest was completely trash, which it is not, not even close.

TLDR: Go watch the drama, it's totally worth it! The 7.8 rating on MDL seems unbelievable to me.

edit: There might be an epilogue with the usual "it was just a book" shebang, fortunately I have not had the chance to watch this. The final episode of the drama I watched did not have this.

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started out so strong

I started this drama because of its poster and wow I’m so glad I did. This has become my favourite drama I watched in a while. The story is amazing, engaging and you just can’t stop watching! I was sitting on the edge of my seat more than once. the leads are amazing, they have great chemistry, you can easily tell how much they love each other, and I love how protective Wu Yu was forwards Tan Jiao. Li Yi Tong was the perfect Tan Jiao, she was charming and likeable from the first Episode until the end. I screamed when she did and laughed when she did. She became one of my favourite FLs I have seen in a long time. I’m sure I will watch more of her dramas soon. Jin Han was amazing too, because he is more manly than other ML in Cdramas I fear some won’t watch this one, but he was amazing!! I got a little crush on him myself. I can’t image any other Chinese actor play Wu Yu other than Jin Han. Side characters were amazing too, I loved the second couple. Every meeting of Zhuang Yu and Shen Shi Yan was so hilarious and sweet. Thankfully we got an interesting side couple again. I was really into the story and wanted to know why everything happened. I tried to guess but it was really confusing and hard to tell. It’s a drama you must watch with full attention and it’s also not a good idea to start skipping scenes. You won’t be able to follow the story if you do. Highly recommend because it’s sad how underrated it is.
Edit: Ending was a bit of a let-down.. Which is a shame because the drama was amazing.

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Super confusing tale of time traveling

umm where do i begin?

After finished watching I still left a little confused..

Female lead Tan Jiao discovers that she mysteriously lost one year's memory, and that is after she boarded a cruise. On the cruise she meets the male lead Wu Yu and the younger sister Wu miao. She gets a mysterious note and is intrigued by the note and decides to meet up. At the same time in their city there has been a serial murder of 5 woman. Wu Yu sister also gets murder. They are basically trying to find who is the culprit.

The story reveals too much./ has a lot things going on...
like.. suddenly in ep 7 they can travel back in time but can only stay 15 days. Through each time's travel they change the course of whats happen

Tan JIao almost dies like twice, same for the male lead

To be honest the store's pacing is not even., kinda dull and finally everything towards the last 5 episode. I had a bunch of questions throughout that werent anwsered. The suspect you suspect isnt actually the culprit...

The lead's chemistry is minimum. I think li yi tong did a great job... but JIn han on the other hand wasnt as convincing to me. I cant really see it his eyes the love her has for the female lead. The female lead expresses it better. I still say that the time travel drama cant beat the taiwanese one ( Some day or one day)

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