Like Faery, I never had "dreamies" before New Leaf. But with New Leaf came the dangers of new plots popping up right on pathways or flower meadows, which really irritated me after a few weeks of playing. So I got into plot resetting and suddenly got very interested in the possibility of influencing which villager I would get, so of course I would try to optimize.
Also with New Leaf came the possibility of seeing other player's towns through multiplayer (new to me) and the dream suite, and this is how I met and fell in love with certain villagers. I don't have a definite set of "dreamies", but I do invest time to find certain villagers I really like because I think they complement the theme and atmosphere I imagine for my town. I also care about how the villagers look and fit together because I just like certain color combinations.
Lastly I'd like to add that a villager is not only their physical design, but also their personality (I try to have at least one of each), their house exteriors and interiors, and with all of that, some villagers remind me of certain things or even people in my life, so this is another personal aspect which makes me prefer them and want them for my town.
Good thing Animal Crossing lets players do whatever they please, so everyone can play the game the way they like <3
