Rhea
Malaysia
Psychological Cases
Basically, Dream Garden is like a collection of psychological cases that are string together to create a drama with romance as the icing on the cake. The protagonists will encounter people that are afflicted with various psychological problems which they will need to resolve. These include delusional, gaslighting, and controlling behaviors. Each case could take about 2 episodes for a resolution. Therefore, characters related to each of the cases will come and go. Only a small number of core characters will remain throughout the drama.
One major issue about this kind of drama that revolves around a profession would be its accuracy or the lack of it. I’m not a psychologist and hence, I can’t comment whether the patients’ treatment and the characters’ actions in Dream Garden would fit reality. But you know it would be farfetched for someone who has not studied psychology to be hired as an assistant to the partner. This is how it is in the drama. So, I suppose you just have to treat it as pure entertainment and not nitpick on the details and accuracy from a professional angle. Otherwise, it would be very hard to get into the story.
Fairly Interesting Cases
As Dream Garden relies on psychological cases to move the story along, its success would depend on how interesting and convincing these cases may be. Personally, I find the cases to be fairly interesting. I think the brevity of each case helps to minimize the boredom as they do get resolved within 2 episodes or so. It also provides some insights into how people could be psychologically affected by the behavior of those closest to them.
However, I also think you must have some level of interest in the subject to find this drama worthwhile. This is because it is not a thriller or a suspenseful drama like Stealth Walker. The protagonists are mainly trying to help people with their psychological issues and hypnosis are constantly used as a solution. Hence, some may find it repetitive. With each episode being an hour long, it can certainly feel drawn out for those who prefer more excitement.
On top of that, there is also a revenge factor as part of the plot. This is the last case which is used to prep the viewers for a climatic ending. But it falls short and it is the least convincing case of the lot to me. The perpetrator obviously needed psychological help but the drama must have a villain. So, he seems like a convenient choice as a way to end the story.
Slow Burn Romance
Would I watch Dream Garden for the romance? My answer would be no. In fact, the whole drama could stand on its own without any romance being included. But I guess viewers always like some sweetness in a drama and a matching pair of on screen lovers does sell. Just like in The Lion’s Secret, the couple in Dream Garden officially get together rather late in the drama. However, they do spend a lot of time together from the very beginning which should satisfy that craving for some fluff and sweetness in their interactions.
Nevertheless, if you are looking for your sugary fix, I would still say that this is not the drama to watch. For that, you are better off watching You Are My Glory or Forever And Ever. In Dream Garden, the cases is the meat of the story while the romance simply offers a sweet distraction to make the drama less heavy throughout. Yes, there are also kisses towards the end of the drama when the couple started dating to spice things up. But it doesn’t automatically transform it into a great love story as the drama is not meant to be one.
Acting And Chemistry
Simon Gong is as good-looking as always and he does have the necessary acting skills to give viewers a satisfactory portrayal of his characters in all his project thus far. So, there is nothing much to complain about either with his portrayal of Lin Shen in Dream Garden. He depicts Lin Shen as a capable professional and does that convincingly.
Bridgette Qiao plays Xiao Xiao who is more impulsive and expressive compared to Lin Shen. Xiao Xiao is not an instantly likable or adorable character but the actress still managed to make her grow on you as the drama progresses. I think Bridgette Qiao did well with what she was given. Xiao Xiao is supposed to be smart but she ends up being rather dumb when it comes to the second male lead. So, I can’t blame the actress because that is how her character was written.
The chemistry of these 2 leads is great for a drama that is not entirely romance-focused. They are sweet when it needs to be and they look good as lovers. At the very least, I think Bridgette Qiao has much better chemistry with her co-star here than with Hu Yi Tian in You Complete Me. Perhaps the easy banter between them and Lin Shen’s cheekiness at times help with the couple vibes in Dream Garden.
My Verdict – Neither The Best Nor The Worst
I would say Dream Garden is neither the best nor the worst of the lot where Chinese dramas are concerned. Whether you would enjoy it would depend on how much you want it to mirror reality in the psychology field. If you think the cases presented and the leads’ actions as psychologists are unreal, then the drama’s watch value will go down the drain. To me, the cases are pretty interesting. While I do get the feeling that the leads’ behavior doesn’t seem professional at times, I also didn’t have the urge to question and nitpick over the details. So, I guess if you can just treat this as a drama and not expect the story to strictly adhere to the standards of the profession, then this would be more enjoyable.
Having said that, the sore point for me is the way the villain’s story is told. The female lead completely lets down her guard with him when she has been very astute in sniffing out the psychological problems of others around her. You might also roll your eyes over all the “coincidental” meetings each time he shows up in front of her. In other words, the execution of the revenge plot falls short to me. Since they have also identified a villain, his case could have been a suspenseful and thrilling end to a psychological drama. Unfortunately, this aspect is totally missing from Dream Garden.
So, for this Dream Garden review, I would only give it a score of 7/10. Without sufficient excitement, the romance is a sweet distraction and helps to make up for the shortfall. Overall, it is an average drama for me with little rewatch value. Give it a try and you should know within the first few episodes if this is up your alley.
One major issue about this kind of drama that revolves around a profession would be its accuracy or the lack of it. I’m not a psychologist and hence, I can’t comment whether the patients’ treatment and the characters’ actions in Dream Garden would fit reality. But you know it would be farfetched for someone who has not studied psychology to be hired as an assistant to the partner. This is how it is in the drama. So, I suppose you just have to treat it as pure entertainment and not nitpick on the details and accuracy from a professional angle. Otherwise, it would be very hard to get into the story.
Fairly Interesting Cases
As Dream Garden relies on psychological cases to move the story along, its success would depend on how interesting and convincing these cases may be. Personally, I find the cases to be fairly interesting. I think the brevity of each case helps to minimize the boredom as they do get resolved within 2 episodes or so. It also provides some insights into how people could be psychologically affected by the behavior of those closest to them.
However, I also think you must have some level of interest in the subject to find this drama worthwhile. This is because it is not a thriller or a suspenseful drama like Stealth Walker. The protagonists are mainly trying to help people with their psychological issues and hypnosis are constantly used as a solution. Hence, some may find it repetitive. With each episode being an hour long, it can certainly feel drawn out for those who prefer more excitement.
On top of that, there is also a revenge factor as part of the plot. This is the last case which is used to prep the viewers for a climatic ending. But it falls short and it is the least convincing case of the lot to me. The perpetrator obviously needed psychological help but the drama must have a villain. So, he seems like a convenient choice as a way to end the story.
Slow Burn Romance
Would I watch Dream Garden for the romance? My answer would be no. In fact, the whole drama could stand on its own without any romance being included. But I guess viewers always like some sweetness in a drama and a matching pair of on screen lovers does sell. Just like in The Lion’s Secret, the couple in Dream Garden officially get together rather late in the drama. However, they do spend a lot of time together from the very beginning which should satisfy that craving for some fluff and sweetness in their interactions.
Nevertheless, if you are looking for your sugary fix, I would still say that this is not the drama to watch. For that, you are better off watching You Are My Glory or Forever And Ever. In Dream Garden, the cases is the meat of the story while the romance simply offers a sweet distraction to make the drama less heavy throughout. Yes, there are also kisses towards the end of the drama when the couple started dating to spice things up. But it doesn’t automatically transform it into a great love story as the drama is not meant to be one.
Acting And Chemistry
Simon Gong is as good-looking as always and he does have the necessary acting skills to give viewers a satisfactory portrayal of his characters in all his project thus far. So, there is nothing much to complain about either with his portrayal of Lin Shen in Dream Garden. He depicts Lin Shen as a capable professional and does that convincingly.
Bridgette Qiao plays Xiao Xiao who is more impulsive and expressive compared to Lin Shen. Xiao Xiao is not an instantly likable or adorable character but the actress still managed to make her grow on you as the drama progresses. I think Bridgette Qiao did well with what she was given. Xiao Xiao is supposed to be smart but she ends up being rather dumb when it comes to the second male lead. So, I can’t blame the actress because that is how her character was written.
The chemistry of these 2 leads is great for a drama that is not entirely romance-focused. They are sweet when it needs to be and they look good as lovers. At the very least, I think Bridgette Qiao has much better chemistry with her co-star here than with Hu Yi Tian in You Complete Me. Perhaps the easy banter between them and Lin Shen’s cheekiness at times help with the couple vibes in Dream Garden.
My Verdict – Neither The Best Nor The Worst
I would say Dream Garden is neither the best nor the worst of the lot where Chinese dramas are concerned. Whether you would enjoy it would depend on how much you want it to mirror reality in the psychology field. If you think the cases presented and the leads’ actions as psychologists are unreal, then the drama’s watch value will go down the drain. To me, the cases are pretty interesting. While I do get the feeling that the leads’ behavior doesn’t seem professional at times, I also didn’t have the urge to question and nitpick over the details. So, I guess if you can just treat this as a drama and not expect the story to strictly adhere to the standards of the profession, then this would be more enjoyable.
Having said that, the sore point for me is the way the villain’s story is told. The female lead completely lets down her guard with him when she has been very astute in sniffing out the psychological problems of others around her. You might also roll your eyes over all the “coincidental” meetings each time he shows up in front of her. In other words, the execution of the revenge plot falls short to me. Since they have also identified a villain, his case could have been a suspenseful and thrilling end to a psychological drama. Unfortunately, this aspect is totally missing from Dream Garden.
So, for this Dream Garden review, I would only give it a score of 7/10. Without sufficient excitement, the romance is a sweet distraction and helps to make up for the shortfall. Overall, it is an average drama for me with little rewatch value. Give it a try and you should know within the first few episodes if this is up your alley.
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