Dinner Mate (2020)

Worth the Watch if You Can Tolerate the Exes

This is basically a drama about first loves vs. new loves so be prepared for far too much time spent on ML/FL’s exes. I would have enjoyed this drama more if we’d had more time watching the sweet and emotionally mature romance between ML/FL rather than watching their annoying (ML’s ex) and psychotic (FL’s ex) exes trying to win these two back. The audacity of these two exes is breathtaking, especially the female ex. So, let’s start with the bad first.

The bad – the exes. ML’s ex is No-uel. I call her the Christmas cupcake since her name looks like ‘Noel’ and she’s got the personality of a cupcake – nauseating sweet and fluffy, a typical ‘damsel in distress’ who thinks men have to roll over and do her bidding because she’s pretty. What ML (Hae-Kyong) ever saw in this woman in beyond me other than the script told his character that he had to love her in the past. She has absolutely no personality or uniqueness that warrants this man’s devotion. She a selfish, spoiled, narcissistic, immature, entitled brat of a woman. All she’s got going for her is her body and her looks. I wouldn’t expect a man of ML’s depth to be in love with such a shallow, superficial character. Her character is totally useless to this whole drama other than ML had to have a ‘first love’ to correspond with FL having a ‘first love’ who comes back out of the blue. It makes absolutely no sense why ML would still be confused about his feelings for this woman because she doesn’t deserve his love. I never once believed that No-uel ever truly loved ML. It was always all about her, and it's still all about her. Now, FL’s ex. Jae-Hyuk is a first-class psycho, but at least, his character is interesting, and I did feel some sympathy for him because of his emotional torment and mental illness. I didn’t doubt his love for FL although it was an obsessive, unhealthy love. The actor, Lee Ji Hoon, does a terrific job portraying this character. Unlike No-uel, Jae-Hyuk was an actual danger to this couple & himself. But around episode 10, I had had enough of these two exes and simply wanted them to GO AWAY, especially No-uel. I didn’t mind Jae-Hyuk sticking around a bit longer since I wanted to know the real reason he left FL and his background with Keanu. Jae-Hyuk mattered to the plot; No-uel didn’t. Way too much time was spent on the exes and the leads’ continuing relationship with them. Honestly, ML shouldn’t have had as much trouble as he did turning the cupcake down flat, considering how she treated him during their relationship (she admits cheating on him). However, I could understand FL’s struggle since Jae-Hyuk treated her well before their break-up.

Now, the good. ML was WONDERFUL! This man is a saint! A true gem! How any woman could treat him like No-uel or even FL (she was always pushing him away; I wanted to shake some sense into her several times) is beyond me. He was perfect…other than being a tad too cautious and reserved. And he was just too nice. He needed to be firmer with No-uel and tell the woman ‘there’s no way in hell I’m getting back together with you so keep your tears and your hands to yourself, especially in front of my new woman.’ Don’t just look uncomfortable – take action and push her hands away, buddy. In this instance, he needed to be more like a Chinese ML who is flat-out rude to the female love rival. Other than his lingering feelings for that cupcake – which was completely illogical in my opinion - he was everything a woman would want – handsome, successful, gentle, understanding, etc. Why FL took so long to see that is purely a contrivance of the script to drag out the drama – a real woman would have pounced on this man and never let go! I do like how his character does become bolder, more willing to display emotion and take risks - the very things cupcake wanted, Do-Hee, without any conscious effort on her part, manages to pull out of him.

I liked FL (Do-Hee) a lot. She had spunk but she was mature, especially in her relationship with ML. They both trusted and respected each other so there wasn’t a lot of jumping to conclusions or misunderstandings. They felt like one of those couples that are just ‘meant to be’ since they managed to stick together despite the clingy exes that circled them like flies. At about episode 10, if I were either of the two leads, I would have gone off on my ex since they were starting to behave like dog poop you can’t get off your shoe. Stop harassing me already! I don’t love you anymore! It was frustrating how it took Do-Hee so long to commit to Hae-Kyong, but I suppose it's reasonable for her to hold back after the two ex-boyfriends she'd had, but it made so sense to me how she felt her past was an obstacle to her relationship with ML. He knew all the ugly bits and still loved her so what's the problem? She played the noble idiot 1-2 times, but at least, it was brief! But, boy, it was heart-breaking for the viewer to watch Hae-Kyong's confusion and misery.

My biggest complaint: the scriptwriter/director really needed to give us more sweet romance between the leads – they were so darn cute together. It was so adorable when they both were imagining romantic scenes with each other. And boy, it was a long wait for their first kiss! Fortunately, as we near the end and the problem of Jae-Hyuk is resolved, we get more cuteness as they settle into their relationship. The final episode is like a sigh of relief after the tension/angst of the proceeding 2-3 episodes.

The supporting cast was good as they are with nearly all K-Dramas. I don’t know how the Koreans do it, but they have a wonderful knack for creating interesting side characters. The side romance between Ah-Yeong and Keanu was cute as well and was well balanced so it didn’t distract from MC’s romance. It was a little odd how Geun knew everybody in the love square individually – what’s the probability of that in real life? He was like a spoke that they all revolved around. I absolutely loved how he finally scolded No-uel for her selfish behavior. My advice to her - look, honey, there are consequences to the decisions you make so now you have to live with them. You can't have back the toy you threw away.

Overall, I enjoyed this drama, although I fast forwarded through most of No-uel because she was just an irritant (although her character does improve once she stops harassing Hae-Kyong). If you can put up with exes that just won’t go away and a slow burn romance that makes you want to shake the leads at times, then watch this drama. The sweet moments between ML/FL are worth it…not to mention Song Seung-heon’s (ML) smile. If they ever made the webtoon/comic ‘The Office Blind Date’ into a drama, I think Song Seung-Heon just might be handsome enough to play the lead role of Kang Tae-Mu. The only reason I marked the re-watch value low is because there's too many scenes with the exes and not enough of the leads being romantic.

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Letting Go of What Was and Accepting What Is

This show is not perfect, and at times, it can be a little slow but regardless, it is an enjoyable watch. It did a good job showcasing the romance between two people who have become jaded about love after suffering painful heartbreaks while delivering on good character development for all involved. The series balanced light and fun moments with witty and sophisticated dialogue. It also showed depth in dealing with heavier themes like mental illness and the pain of loss, and the struggles of moving on. Another plus point was the OST, and the show almost always hit the right dramatic notes during heartbreaking scenes while transitioning smoothly to more light-hearted scenes. I liked the tracks, all of them, including the instrumental pieces.

I loved the references to 'Crash Landing On You", and I had a faint hope that maybe Seo Ji Hye and Kim Jung Hyun may reunite in 'Dinner Mate' with a happier ending for them. Of course, that was not to be. Instead, we have Seo Ji Hye paired with Song Seung Heon resulting in a lovely, heart-warming story of a man and a woman who found love and comfort in each other's company as they share their lives through having meals together. I love that the our lead couple's story started with them crossing paths on Jeju Island, and through a string of coincidences led to them choosing to be dinner mates with certain ground rules like not sharing personal information about each other. That kicked off a comfortable relationship that allowed them glimpses of each other's brokenness, and eventually to them letting go of their past and starting anew with their own sweet romance.

Seo Ji Hye shined as the unpredictable, cool, and energetic Woo Doo Hee. She played such a different character in CLOY, and I did not expect to like her so much as PD Woo. She was charming, natural, funny, and the role of a strong, sassy FL who held her ground fitted her perfectly. In my book, Seo Ji He has proven to be a note-worthy leading lady. Song Seung Hoon's chemistry with her was magnetic, and as the charismatic psychiatrist Dr. Kim Hae Kyung, his acting was on point. I find it refreshing to have a leading man who is a true dramaland Oppa; mature, good-looking, suave, sexy, and most importantly, caring. From the very beginning, he was kind and considerate to Doo Hee, looking after her and keeping her company on the day of her breakup despite them being practically strangers. Throughout the show, we can see the dashing doctor going out of his way to help others. Honestly, Song Seung Hoon made my heart fluttered so much that I am on a mission to watch more of his shows.

The supporting lead stars were equally and effectively great in portraying their roles. Lee Ji Hoon left a lasting impression on me as Jung Jae Hyuk, Woo Do Hee's ex-boyfriend, who had to deal with his own family troubles and the resulting trauma. He was so good at emoting, switching easily to tearful, heartbreaking scenes that made me cry along with him. We can understand why Jae Hyuk left Doo Hee so suddenly, and I think one can also relate to his desperation to winning her back. For a while, I was rooting for him; that's how good Lee Ji Hoon played his role. On the other hand, I felt more hate than love towards Jin No Eul, Hae Kyung's ex-girlfriend, who wanted him back after realizing that he was still the best catch for her. Son Na Eun did a good job as the possessive, self-absorbed social influencer who eventually came to accept her past mistakes that led her to lose Hae Kyung. Additionally, Ye Ji Won and Park Ho San as Nam Ah Young and Keanu, respectively, provided lots of hilarity during their quirky romance.

I thought this show was under-rated on MDL, and I noticed quite a few negative comments were about how the show focused too much on the exes. I disagree - I found that the exes provide the right amount of tension, and it's the kind of conflict that I have come to appreciate about K-Dramas.

Overall, I recommend this heart-warming show about second chances and acceptance, accepting that some things are not meant to be and that it is never too late to look for happiness.

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A good story spoiled by dragging it for longer episodes than it needed

Yes, like the title says the story was impressive. Especially the way our couple meet and get to know each other through their anonymous dinner dates is a breath of fresh air. Acting, casting, music all looked spot on except the decision to take it for 16 episodes.

I mean the story is cute and awesome but it isn’t a very long one which requires 16 episodes. I think they should have made it only as 12 episodes drama and removed many scenes which were spent on focusing the violent love of ex lovers. Even if they really needed a 16 episode drama, they should have at least created another capable side plot or office romance with the available characters.

Another complaint is that there were not many sweet moments of our main couple once they got together. It was very annoying when the story’s main pillar is romance. Instead they kept on dragging by the ex lovers to irritate us.

Overall I enjoyed with help of forward button. But this drama will go into my list of capable heart fluttering awesome dramas ruined by writers. I am sad that the drama which started very promising got dragged on and bored me enough to never pay a revisit. Seriously I would have rewatched it a few times if only things were done right since I really loved the story and leads.

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I want a dinner mate too!

Likes
1. Amazing chemistry between the two leads. I love Hae Kyung and Dohee's relationship from being strangers, to dinner mates and to lovers. Of course we should still be careful befriending a random stranger in a foreign place, no matter how handsome they are!
2. I love the thought of food as therapy and providing comfort to people. It is true. We often use food to help us when we are stressed, sad or happy.
3. The food, the beautiful visuals, Seo ji hye's dresses, Song seung hun's biceps.
4. I loved the ost a lot! I thought they weren't the usual songs because they were more rnb /hiphop than ballads and pop. And it fit the show. Yum yum!

Dislikes
1. One crazy ex was enough. Bringing in both toxic exes for the entire run of the drama was too much. Noeul was not very helpful in building the plot. She could have shown up in the first few episodes and left on a good note.
2. Honestly wasn't that interested in Jaehyuk's story. I thought he took away a lot of the bonding times HK and DH could have shared on screen.

Rating: 8.5/10

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I can't speak words, gor how feel good this show is.

This show won't be the deepest or most intricate you have ever seen or will ever see, it's just a feel good show for when you are down. The cast have great chemistry, a little lacking in that there are some plot holes, but feel good enough to watch more than once.
A major aspect of the romance between Do hee and Ha Kyung is the dinners they share and how simple yet fulfilling a meal can be when you are with a person you can speak your mind to, and this facete of the show makes it unique. The supporting cast were also a pleasure to watch although the end scene between Young Dong and No-eul was expected yet still weird to watch.

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It kept me smiling almost all the time!

Not sure why people disliked this drama. This drama was so heartwarming. I always find myself smiling while watching. I like the OST too. The reference to Crash Landing on You was also funny. Sandara Park as guest was a surprise. I like to eat when I am feeling down so I can definitely relate to this. I believe in food therapy and I recommend it to anyone who is needing to lift the spirits up. I have read the webtoon and the story is so different. However, I didn't mind because the webtoon itself is short. In order to make this short webtoon into a drama, the storyline was changed. Overall, I love this drama! Highly recommend to watch!

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A chill storyline

I unexpectedly loved the story as i waited every week, waiting for every week’s episode was fun because the story line was really chill though it involves the couples past relationships. Every episode gives me butterflies in the stomach because of their great chemistry! Their chemistry was really good. The drama also have cameo of some stars which makes it fun to watch. Got to be one of the best drama in 2020. Really recommended if you love chill storylines. I watched this because of Seo Dan and Gu Seong Joon of Crash landing on you but ended up liking Song Seung Heon!

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A good drama, to see especially for the performance of the actors

Series where the talent of the actors more or less compensates for the inconsistencies of the story.

Plot: A dynamic FL leaves for Jeju Island (as a surprise for her fiance) and finds out that he is cheating on her. A visiting psychiatrist helps her. They meet regularly in Seoul as anonymous "dinner mates", which allows them to confide in each other without a mask.

This Dinner Mate series should have been called the oblivious, selfish exes.

I know that the return of the ex years later and who wants to retrieve their lover, is a usual cliche of the dramas, but there, we have 2 exes who return at the same time, that's too much!
Moreover, in real life, it is UNREALISTIC! An ex who comes back to bother me 5 years later, I kick him out and that's it! The screenwriters should show a little more creativity and realism, seriously... Not to mention the boss who encourages the ex in his reconquest of FL when she knows what pain the FL had to overcome during the breakup. Is she really a friend?

The "psychological" side of this drama is not credible, neither coherent. It is a good things to approach this type of subject, but it takes research and a good domain's knowledge to write correctly about mental illnesses and therapies.

That being said, the actors are EXCELLENT, the 2 leads are mature, intelligent, interpreted by brilliant actors who keep us hooked to the screen despite the inconsistencies of the story. The secondary couple brings a note of humor, freshness; they are very cute.

The OSTs are great!!
The realization is dynamic (without length), with neat framing and very beautiful images.
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Série où le talent des acteurs compense à peu près les inconsistances de la story.

Plot : 1 FL dynaique part à Jeju Island et s'aperçoit que son boyfriend la trompe. Un psychiatre de passage l'aide. Ils se retrouvent régulièrement à Séoul comme "dinner mate" anonymes, ce qui leur permet de se confier sans masque.

Cette série Dinner Mate aurait dû s'appeler les exes inconscients et égoïstes.
Je sais que le retour de l'ex des années plus tard et qui veut récupérer sa/son lover, est un cliché habituel des dramas, mais là, on a 2 exes qui reviennent au même moment, ça fait trop !
De plus, dans la vraie vie, c'est IRRÉALISTE ! Un ex qui revient m'ennuyer 5 ans plus tard, je le mets dehors et basta ! Les screenwriters devraient faire preuve d'un peu plus de créativité et de réalisme, sérieusement... Sans compter la boss qui encourage l'ex dès son come-back dans sa reconquête de la FL alors qu'elle sait quelle peine a du surmonter son amie lors de la rupture. C'est vraiment une amie ?
Le côté "mental ou psychique" de ce drama n'est pas crédible, par cohérent. C'est bien de vouloir aborder ce type de sujet, mais il faut des recherches et une bonne connaissance du sujet pour aborder les thérapies.

Ceci dit, les acteurs sont EXCELLENTS, les 2 leads sont matures, intelligents, interprétés par des acteurs géniaux qui nous tiennent accrochés à l'écran malgré les incohérences de l'histoire. Le couple 2aire apporte une note d'humour, de fraicheur, très cute.
Les OST sont super !!
La réalisation est dynamique (sans longueur), avec des cadrages soignés et de très belles images.

=> Un bon drama, à voir surtout pour la performance des acteurs.

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Extremely light and healing

From the time I pushed the play button on this drama, it always kept me interested and laughing like crazy most of the time. It was light, nothing too complicated. And that was the best part!
The characters on this show are easy to love, there are no bad characters. Especially the FL, she's such a relatable person. I feel like I would act like she did in some of the scenes,it was that relatable! She is also so beautiful, I love her acting and her. I had already fallen for her in CLOY, this just increased my love for her! I must say comedy is her genre!
The ML lead is one of the most friendly and most mature characters I have ever seen! He is always so understanding, always ready to hear explanations and literally so supportive. Did I mention he is SO HOT ON GOD.
The relationship of our main couple, is literally so wholesome and cute. Thier chemistry and how they understand each other is uwu. I loved our older couple too! They were too funny and adorable to watch.
All the side characters are also super lovable. Especially our queer boy geon-u! He is literally the most stressed person in this show, he's always put in the middle, its literally so funny. I would like to especially mention lee ji hoon,who I loved in rookie historian for his acting, I was once again impressed by how good of an actor he is, literally goosebumps.The first loves are high key annoying, but that's thier role so I wont complain too much lol. But our main couple pulled through quite comfortably without crazy misunderstandings.

The story is actually so unique, the concept is something never seen before, its healing and emotional. This show is a burst of happiness! Even though some scenes I questioned the actions and words of the female lead (she did some things that I didn't really understand?!!?).But they didn't drag anything for long. It was perfect timing!
I also loved the psychological aspects on this show.
I also have to mention that the way they shot the scenes are so beautiful, I especially loved the first 5 mins of the show. I loved some of dialogues too.
Even though the female lead said some things that I was extremely confused about and there were some plot holes too but still I really think this drama is worth the watch.
I would reccomend when you want a break from the intense shows.
Bonus: there are too many CLOY references in the whole duration of the show and the starting 10 mins too,surprise!

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Watch if you are a fan of the actors or if you love Ex-es who won't take No for an answer!

Subjective Rating: 7.75

I read the comments and the reviews, and I am prepared for the battle of annoying ex-es. But even with such expectations, I am still amazed at how much “Dinner Mate” focuses on these two second leads. But for the sexy Song Seung Hun (who I was obsessed with in “Obsessed”), I am willing to continue watching this drama. He’s the main reason why I am even giving this drama a shot.

The tone of the drama in the first ⅓ is quite light and fun. When the deeper issues are finally revealed, the drama becomes a lot more melodramatic. The lightness did not return until the last two episodes.

I quite like the general plot of having a dinner mate. Someone you don’t know personally, sharing and enjoying a meal together without any worry or embarrassment. I think the chemistry between the leads is best during their friendly dinner mate relationship. I wanted to see more of their dinners, their conversations and support for each other. I also enjoy the part when their identities are finally revealed and they are in this awkward but attracted-to-each-other phase. But once they are in a relationship, their relationship isn’t as fun. I think mainly because I feel that Kim Hae Kyung (ML) puts in a lot more effort in the relationship than Woo Do Hee (FL). In the beginning, I really liked Do Hee and found her to be a fun female lead. But she seems to have changed to be a different person in the second half. A quieter, gloomier person that’s not giving me the same energy as Hae Kyung. For Hae Kyung, he was the opposite. He was a man of few words, then he became more outgoing and outspoken. The dynamic between them seems to have switched. I also wanted more PDA and skinship from them. Hae Kyung tried but Do Hee wasn’t giving much, and I was a little surprised. She’s been in two long-term relationships before and she doesn’t seem like a shy woman, but why isn’t she kissing as enthusiastically as Hae Kyung? Also, I appreciate them both being true to themselves and never wavered when their exes came back, but they really need to set some boundaries, esp. physical boundaries.

Let’s talk about the exes. The drama really is not giving viewers a chance to even like Jung Jae Hyuk (2ML) and Jin Noh Eul (2FL). They have the audacity to dump someone out of the blue and then come back to DEMAND to get back with their exes? That’s not a good introduction of these characters. Both of them wouldn’t take NO for an answer and continue to be annoying up until the last couple episodes. If you don’t like love triangle/square with this type of irritating exes, it’s best not to watch this drama. In the second half, it seems like Jae Hyuk has more scenes than the main characters. He dominated ¼ of the drama when we find out his backstory, history, and challenges and road to recovery. Props to actor Lee Ji Hoon for making me feel sad, angry, irritated, pitiful and then rooting for him in the end to be healed.

I initially found the little love story of the older couple quite cute. Then, it dragged on for so long and got too cringey for me. I actually would have liked to see them break up sooner, and then give them a little extra more time in the last episode or two.

Oh, we also have a “Crash Landing On You” sighting!. It’s lovely to see Seo Ji Hye had a brief reunion with Goo Seung Jun. Did you see the other CLOY reference during the meditation scene?

I actually quite like the food + psychiatry theme and enjoy those therapy scenes more than the B-class podcasts. I enjoy the few songs in this drama but also feel that they are too overplayed. For a drama named “Dinner Mate”, I don’t think there are enough delicious food scenes!

Overall, I would recommend this drama if you are a fan of the actors/actresses, or enjoy watching ex-boyfriends and ex-girlfriends come back and cause havoc.


Completed: 5/4/2023 - Review #304

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