Reviews

A Nation of Banchan was an interesting look at Korea’s culture of rice and side dishes. Just like the greetings and farewells, “Did you eat?” and “Don’t skip meals” this special begins and ends with delicious meals. Heo Young Man, Ryu Soo Young, and Mimi travel across Korea eating at world class restaurants, restaurants run by ajummas, and places in between. Rice, fermented food, and seasonal ingredients are all explored.

Banchan begins with the heart of the Korean meal---rice. The oldest rice seed was found on the Korean peninsula dating back between 13,000 and 17,000 years and the cultivation of it is still going strong. Approximately 3000 different rice brands are sold and instant rice has risen in popularity as well. They dine at a restaurant that specializes in serving rice in a variety of forms-chestnut porridge, alcohol, steamed, and noodles to name a few.

Side dishes are said to reflect the affection and generosity of the people. The cast travels to a restaurant run by women who have worked there for 20 years. The women bring in a sagging table that contains 24 side dishes. Then they brought in several more! The team barely made a dent in discovering different side dishes as Korea boasts more than 1500 types.

Next, they tackle wraps where anything edible is placed inside a leaf and eaten. Ssam dates back to Goryeo times. The leaf “embraces all ingredients.” They also tour where soy sauce is created and show a variety of jangs used to flavor foods.

The trio visits a Bibimbap restaurant next. Bibimbap is the food that shows “sharing and uniting the culture.” Whether using raw veggies or steamed, cooked meat or raw, it appears a practiced stir is needed.

Fermentation is investigated, the third style of food preparation---waiting. A food researcher is schooled by an old guru in how to make Jeotgal. At the fishing village the older woman demonstrates how fish and other seafood are salted and stored.

Episode 2-Seasonal Ingredients
“We can’t eat what’s grown in spring in summer…We can’t miss the time.”

Winter: Oysters are a winter staple and were cultivated in Korea going back 600 years. The trio goes to an oyster bar where they don protective gear to cook oysters on a grill at their table. They are also served oyster salad and pancakes.

Spring: In a country that is 70% mountainous, there is a long history of foraging for wild greens. They have lunch cooked by an older woman with nearly all of the ingredients either grown or found by her. Fried Acacia flowers, acorn jelly, and numerous wild green dishes are served with rice.

Summer: In a Bamboo forest, the three are treated to a feast cooked in a long bamboo tree called a “Steaming Dragon.”

Autumn: Rare pine mushrooms only found in the Fall for around 2 weeks are featured in an assortment of dishes at an upscale restaurant that Ryu goes to. Mimi is treated to seasonal raw fish at another high-end restaurant. Heo goes in the other direction to a small place that serves aged kimchi chicken stew. “Food that’s been aged a long time, like me, tastes better.”

I can’t say that all the dishes and styles of preparation made my mouth water, but I did enjoy how the meals were “built” and the history behind them. With the exception of a couple of places, it helps to be an omnivore as there were numerous meat dishes fermented or served. The three hosts were engaging and the two older ones informative. Mimi provided the wide-eyed wonder at discovering new flavors as a stand-in for the audience. Banchan means that a surprise guest isn’t a burden as there is always room for another at a table with plenty of side dishes. Korean meals are interpreted as a mother’s love, I think most mothers would approve of the love and dedication required to film this show about how seasonal ingredients and age-old methods are combined to nourish and strengthen those lucky enough to share a meal lovingly prepared.

11/1/23

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Best C-drama I've seen in a long ,long time

I've watched a LOT of this genre and rarely do you find a drama that does well at all the important stuff.

--The story progressed smoothly and introduced characters and kingdoms gradually so that it all made sense.
--The storyline kept me hooked and going back for episode after episode, never losing momentum as so often happens in C-dramas.
--The characters all had clear motivations and unique personalities and became more likeable as the story progressed.
--The romance factor was thoroughly enjoyable, with each love interest captivating in his own way.
--All the actors were perfect in their roles, and the FL did a good job creating chemistry with each ML, even when she was in male persona.
--And the ending--unlike so many Cdramas--was not rushed and disjointed and contrived; it arrived with perfect pacing, a logical progression, and provided a satisfactory end for what is only the first season. I usually don't watch a 1st season until there is actually a 2nd season underway, but other reviewers gave me hope and I agree with them that this was enough closure to be satisfied (but still excited for Season 2 which supposedly will come out in 2024).

I thoroughly enjoyed the time I spent with this drama.

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I would reccomend not watching.

Okay, so you may want me to mark this a spoiler related review but I need an opening warning to anyone who will watch this show: the main character is a minor until the last 3-4 episodes. The story has him engaging in a romantic and sexual relationship with an adult. Do not argue with me that “he’s 17, he’s almost an adult” when your frontal lobe doesn’t finish developing until you are 25. I could not like either of them beyond the fact that the actors get along well and you can obviously tell that.

I was severely uncomfortable with the fact it was romanticizing that relationship even if initially they had the adult realize it was wrong. I think it’s disgusting and will fuck over a lot of kids who don’t understand that it’s not hot or cool to have sex with an adult when you are a kid. It’s setting up younger fans who find this show to be exploited. He could’ve been a university student and it wouldn’t’ve been less creepy bc he wouldn’t be a LITERAL child.

I think whoever likes this and looks beyond the fact that it’s an illegal age gap should reasses what they actually like about this show beyond “ooo it’s taboo” and the actors having good chemistry. An adult preying on a child that obviously has no support system or parent around is fucking disgusting, and if you say it’s not you don’t get how much that fucks up someone.

The only redeeming part of the show for me was Ai Di since his age gap with Chen Yi was THREE years instead of 5+. He was the only character that actually felt compelling to me especially with how Louis played him. He was the one who didn’t have his whole personality revolve around his romantic interest, he had other things going on at the same time as everything. You can say I’m biased but he didn’t get start his relationship with Chen Yi until he was in his 20s after he and Zongyi get out of prison (but was still an ADULT when they had sex before he left).

Like no hate to the actors, they’re just doing their job, but genuinely whoever wrote this is gross. Literally as a gay man, especially one who’s been the older person in the room for some of younger peers, I can’t suspend any disbelief for this storyline. I can’t think an adult having a sexual relationship with a child is hot or sexy or whatever you fucking call it. It’s literally what us queer men have been trying to fight, because the impression made by conservative media of gay and trans people is that we’re predators, and then you make a gay romance out of an incredibly predatory relationship? You don’t fight for us. You only care about your fetishes.

I don’t recomend watching this show. (I’m not saying boycott the actors though, they didn’t write the story. They just did a job.)

If this review offended you, if it make you angry because I said the truth of what this show really is and you don’t like that, reassess yourself. Liking queer romance isn’t a crime but when it’s including shit like this, it’s doing the opposite of what mainstream queer media is supposed to do. It’s not advocating, it’s showing an adult and child having sex. It’s setting up impressionable minds to getting hurt. I can’t accept that, especially when there are more well written actual queer stories to come out of Asia.

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Great for a short drama

It was good for a short drama, I ama. Fan of s Chinese short dramas ( generally way better than korean ones) they tend to tell the story better , like a very long good quality movie.

The story was interesting, a bit cliché and simple revenge plot . Quite straightforward.

The episodes are very short and the pace is fast so you will be able to finish it in one sitting/afternoon.

Quite sexy and provoking. The chemistry is awesome and there’s a lot of good kisses and unexpected skinship between the main couple.

If you are looking for something interesting and simple with a bit of fluff and passionate romance, this will be for you.

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It wasn’t what you expected and I’m sad for the romance

I really enjoyed watching this series and the first time I’m writing a review! I waited every day to see every episodes that comes!
I wanted her to make a corrections of the mistakes she did in the her past life so I believe for her reincarnation!
As her wishes, I wanted to keep her family alive too but unfortunately it’s all a dream ? and she’s been in a coma for over 2 years which made me disappointed ? from what the writer did ! She didn’t want to wake up from her happy dreams but when she finally accepted that the only one alive that really love her was Song Wie , she wakes up ! It’s not really romantic for me but I was hoping for a happy ending! I hope ? so ? if his mother will finally accept her ?

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This show is hated for absolutely no reason

So, The Hidden Character. What a show.

The hate it received in here and on social media was too much and very unfair, so I decided to offer my own opinion about it in the form of a brief review.

From the get go, let me just say this: I like BOC. I like what they're doing for the industry, I like their ideas and ways of expressing them and I like their aesthetic when it comes to their productions. I can't wait to see what they have in store for us in the future.

If you come into this show determined to hate it, because you hate Pond or BOC or whatever, then that's what will end up happening. If, however, you keep an open mind, you'll really enjoy yourself.

First things first; THC is a reality show. This means that it does indeed have some annoying reality show things in it (for example making the contestants call their moms to make them say "I love you", thus making them all emotional for obvious reasons) but during the majority of it, you spend time getting to know these guys, who they are, their past mistakes, their personalities and how they'll connect with BOC and the rest of the seniors, so it's worth it.

The games they get to play in the beginning are fun, if not a bit convoluted, and as the episodes pass, you realize that every person is distinct from one another. I started this show not knowing any of them and ended it with having a fully formed image about all of them. They were delightful and fun to watch and their chemistry was natural and refreshing. The episodes in which the KP guys were also a part of were very enjoyable too. They bounce off of each other well and I hope we'll get to see them all in a show soon.

The decision for the show to start with those games and then make them reenact scenes from KinnPorsche was brilliant in my opinion, because it gave us the time to get to know these actors as people, before they showed them as performers. It humanizes them and gives us the chance to connect with them and it makes them memorable.

All in all, if you're curious about watching something a bit unconventional and fun, I would suggest THC. I had a blast watching it and I'm going to miss it. If not, do the cool thing and skip it, instead of trash talk about it or hate watch it. You'll save yourself some precious time and you'll spare us of your whining.

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Pretentious !

Not one of the best for me . Fortunately it only has 9 episodes so it made it easier to watch .
It is a bit of a cliché , young bright student leaves his town to come to Seoul to study and falls for a type of " femme fatale " girl who happens to live in the same house .
She has problems and issues , she smokes a lot . He thinks he can help and so they fall for each other . He discovers "love " or rather " sexual attraction " , She distracts him a lot and I wonder when he ever found the time to study ! There was little chemistry between the lead actors . He is sullen , she is exhausted most of the time !
His ex-girlfriend is a nice friendly girl who has feelings for him but he rejects her .
The story goes back and forth , not all the issues are resolved , and whether they are still together at the end or not does not bother me . I am glad not to have to see any of them again .

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A Love Triangle Between Two People

FALL IN LOVE was a short and cute romantic Cdrama with an interesting premise and likeable characters. Joey Chua playing Jing Zhi Xia, as Aizhe Hotel Director, was especially cute and memorable and in my opinion easily outshines her romantic love interest, the cold CEO of Fu Group, Fu Ze Yi, played by Kaizhong Xiao, who at times felt a bit (intentionally) bland, especially when in character of Fu Ze Yi, as opposed to Fu Zu Lin "Lin", his sweet musical alter ego. Of course, this was purposeful and I understand the reasoning behind it given the story. However, he eventually grew on me by the end and he did a good job of portraying dual character personalities, I must say.

The underlying story itself, however, was interesting. A love triangle between two people, is not something commonly thought of, but is what makes this series intriguing. While covering some underlining darker themes, (i.e. Trauma, repressed guilt, mental health etc.) the story is fairly light, comical and too often veers into predictable trope territory, which made the show less enjoyable for me. The darker elements were only rarely touched upon, not until the ending segment, while the cheesier trope scenes consist of much overused dramatic moments such as the male lead catching the female mid fall, right before she hits the ground or accidentally falling into a kiss, which to me felt outdated and corny. This series could have easily done without those overwrought scenes. The story concept, however, was brilliant and compelling, even if the handling of it wasn't always done perfectly, though the series definitely got better and more exciting as it progresses. So I recommend patience.

Otherwise, this was a fun little show. Something light hearted to watch between more stressful serious shows. Worth a chance, but nothing overly groundbreaking. The buildup and ending was very satisfying and there definitely were some scenes that were really clever and well imagined.

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Love & Obsession

Actually, there are two different dramas in one here. And they do no mix well! I wanted so much to drop this but I kept watching since it had turned into a hate watch after 3 episode only to become more interesting in last two episodes.

The first story is a usual student/teacher forbidden romance. It was bad! Don't get me wrong, I have nothing against this theme in a drama if it is done correctly. Unfortunately everything was wrong about it here starting with the cast of the main roles: both actors are too old and it is very much obvious so the story is not convincing. They are supposed to be 17 & 27 but the actors are both 10 years older and it is jarring. The only credible moment these two had were the very last couple of minutes of the drama! Another jarring point in this love story was the teacher's behaviour. Why is it that when women fall in love in dramas they completely lose every brain function and become lovelorn idiots making one wrong decision after another until the hell breaks loose? The student was behaving his age; a hormones raging teen who first jumps and then looks! I was really annoyed with the love story more so since the couple had no chemistry to speak of! For a long time I was convinced that the teacher was fooling with the kid to take revenge on his mother who ruined the teacher's family long ago! No such luck! I kept wishing they would not end up together. No such luck!

I almost dropped it but the second story was much more compelling...

The second story is a crime story. The couple is being talked and bullied on the internet with growing violence. One of the suspects is the student's mother. Her character is very interesting. As the story progresses and we find out more about her life, she becomes more and more human and likable. At the start of the show she's just that tiger mom, controlling and fierce. We find out the reasons for her behaviour and suddenly our appreciation of her changes completely. Really, she is the best character in this drama and actually makes it worth the watch.

The rest of the characters are not worth the mention. They are there just to be a soundboard for the three main ones.

This drama does nor know if it wants to ba a romance or a crime drama and that is bad. The romance part is extremely badly written: the kid is a brat playing cruel pranks on the teacher who falls in love with him instead of punishing him? What?!?!? The stalking crime part was much better structured and the final search was suspenseful as they managed to keep the mystery until the very end!

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A relatively well-disguised story that is actually about self-romance (in a kind of loser way)

For the most part this was well-written story, with good themes and a strong logical basis. It was essentially a redemption arc where the protagonist learns from her mistakes and was able to repeat 2 years of her past with wiser decisions to lead to a happier result. However, arcing over the entire plot was a bizarre mechanic that for me ruins the credibility of the entire plot. Without going into too much detail, the story was similar to a time-travel story where the protagonist met a bad end but was able, through some mysterious means, to return to the past and make different decisions that led to different outcomes in terms of love interest and her family's fate. She was originally a villainess that everyone hated, but because of her new choices, became well-respected and even adored, to the point where the original "heroine" of the story turned into a villain in response. This was actually all done very well, but sprinkled throughout the episodes were these hints that something was not quite right with this reality. The FL kept smelling this scent that no one else around her smelled. Spoiler alert, it was all a dream. Everything up to the end of that first timeline was real, but the entire repeat of the past 2 years was completely in her head.

What I really don't like about this kind of mechanic is that everything that occurs within a dream instantly loses its credibility. While realistically as an audience we can believe that good deeds lead to good returns, for example, the fact is that within the dream, every single character is actually a figment of the dreamer's imagination, even if they were based on actual people that the dreamer knew. It doesn't matter how familiar the dreamer might be with the real life counterparts; everything within the dream is still made up. Their reactions and responses, their thoughts and feelings, all of these are actually constructed by the dreamer and part of the dreamer's own self. This drama even doubles up on this insult by adding a third love interest who's completely fictional; he didn't exist in real life and was basically conjured by FL's brain while she was asleep. It's actually kind of hilarious how completely devoted he was to FL once you realize that this was essentially her being in love with herself. Then, at the very last episode, she wakes up briefly from this universe she's created where the entire world was in love with her and realizes the real world isn't like this. I'm also sitting here kind of in disbelief that I watched 29 episodes of a woman essentially romancing herself. At the very end, the series tries to salvage things by indicating that in real life, there are people who actually love FL, so she's not really THAT pathetic, but this is essentially a story about a protagonist with narcissism so severe that their delusion literally wiped out their ability to remain conscious for 2 years. Well, their injuries contributed, but let's face it; physical wounds are physical wounds, but this kind of catatonia is generally mentally-induced. If I had known that THIS was the direction the script was going, honestly, I would not have watched it, but I give it an 8.5/10 because the drama was still constructed well despite this small but somewhat fatal detail. This thing really had me rooting for it until the end of episode 29, when I realized I was NOT watching the kind of story I thought I was. So maybe watch until episode 29 and stop when you see numerous cut scenes of incense. It's such a shame when writers compromise the integrity of their stories by embellishing on such crucial weak points. Maybe the author was trying to do something new, but…this isn't even new, and made the story worse.

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A dream from start to finish

It was a good series. I watched it with pleasure. Of course, even if there were minor mistakes or things that were far from reality, they were forgivable. It didn't stand out. To me, it was Zhou Ye's performance show. It was really successful. It was as if he wasn't playing, he was living. Such realistic fluency. Acting that never reveals anything. It suits me too. It suits the role too. It's nice too. Everything was perfect. He's now one of my favorite players. Wang Xing Yue is a very young actor. The role was a heavy one for him. In other words, it was a personality role that had to look heavy, that appeared above everyone else. He looked older than he really was. I felt it. Is this kid 19 years old? made me say. In my opinion, they were a bit inexperienced. Or the players he played with were dominant. You would definitely be crushed in the face of a perfectionist like Zhou Ye. I felt so. Because he is a rookie lead among so many valuable actors. It's too much for this player. My opinion. But there is no grin in the overall game. As I said, he is older than he is, and the director handled the situation well. I also liked Zhang Yi Jie. Well done. He was also very good in the activation scenes. I also watched Ai Mi in many dramas. I don't know if it's a coincidence, but they're always in maid roles. Let her know that being a servant will stick to her. A very good leading role can be achieved with slightly different roles. He is very young. The child comes from acting. He is considered experienced. Her face is very beautiful and clear. Clean. I found it suitable for the lead role. Cevval can play characters. Can be tried in dominant character roles. It is announced to the directors and screenwriters. The veteran players were very, very good. Princesshood suits Xu Fan very well. We also witnessed the beauty and good acting of our famous leading actors who were included in the last episodes, albeit for a short time. It was a good show. Our series was just a dream. When we came to the end, we understood. At first I experienced confusion in my mind. Then, I was as surprised as our dreaming daughter by what was said. Finally I faced the truth. I understand It seemed interesting. So are the explanations. What a scent does. However, I didn't like the ending. It looked like there would be a sequel. Or it surprised us. It was said, "Imagine what happens next." Such an ending. The truth is very sad. His parents and siblings were all executed. Their servants were beaten to death. He created a non-existent character that he can only trust, and he messed around with him, even if it was a dream, and ultimately he accepts the truth. He is together with his savior who saved him. I guess this is the ending I understand.

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Your standard high school/university drama... yet something more

Let's be real, My gear your gown is the standard teen drama. Yet, something made me fell in love with it in a way I cannot even justify.
There's some sort of deepness to the story: there are many touchy topics, from the loss of a parent, to sexual transmitted disease - but it describes the typical struggles of life as teenagers. I wish they'd explore more Itt's feelings when he lost his mother and the way he got over the loss felt rushed. Also, there are some dynamics between the leads that get on my nerves, but it's not a BL drama without some silent treatment and incapability to express feelings.

Pure and Folk have my whole heart. Pure is the character with the deepest growth, while Folk is just SO innocent yet strong that I just want to hug him and assure him everything is gonna be fine. Also, their kiss was perfect, given it's a 2020 BL drama (sadly, you can't tell the same about the main leads, their kiss feels rushed and also it's so awkward).

It's not the best drama you'll watch this year, but if you enjoy high school/university drama, then you might enjoy this one as well.

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The best dating variety show i have watced

I am a regular watcher of asian dating shows, my watchlist being korean- heart signal all seasons, i am solo, singls inferno, exchange, first love again , chain days, love catcher edge of friendship, skip dating, pink lie, between love and friendship, eden and even His man.
I can surely tell that this season of HS is the best of all the dating shows i have seen so far. After watching the first few episodes i instantly knew this was different of them all. It felt like i was watching a drama and kinda felt like it was all scripted but nevermind kept going and it was worth the time spent.

The contestants are lovely and even the panelists are so damn good at reacting to the scenes. Especially Rainie and Jerry they were literally like my avatars , squeeling , cringing, crying, teasing, enjoying - all of this we did together, me behind the screen and them on screen.
This season panelists truely analysed the personalities which intrigued me more and had me going through out
And our love seekers i meant out participants were outstanding,

They showed us romance, bromance, friendship, selfgrowth and most of all moving on. They spoke about how their relations are gonna br outside the show , their past experiences, what they expect of their partner and muh more which showed how genuine they were (atleast i believe they were) Ofcourse the reason why i am super satisfied with this is because the couple for whom i was rooting for ended up together and are all lovey dovey now.

I learnt few things while watching it and ya i gave away my heart to brother Hou, he is cute, handsome, talented, brave and silly - full package

Tip- what i learnt from watching a hell lot of dating variety shows is -
1. Forget about thr participants once the last episode airs but remember the heart fluterring momengs they left behind.
2. Never ever try to know what happened to them after the show, are they still together? Were they real or fake? Are they still in touch? Did the final couple breakup? Did the non-couple make up?
The point is -Who cares ? You have your own life they have their own.
3. Move on and start searching for another show that can give you drama and heart flutters

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