They started so well! Anyway...i cheered for the characters till the end. Good effort everyone, i still enjoyed watching it :)
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An extremely poorly told story
This drama was the most frustrating and disappointing that I have ever seen. A good story destroyed by poorly written script and even worse direction and editing. It is an example of how good actors can have their performances overturned by a very weak script and direction. Even so, I watched until the last episode with the expectation that I could be wrong and even it get better due to the promising opening scene of their reecounter reunion in Greece, and I was punished with a very weak ending beyond what was the obvious ending that protagonists would be together. Still, I wish I would watch a remake, which could be with the same actors, but with a completely redesigned script and new direction. Best set designer and costume designer would also be welcome.Was this review helpful to you?
Loved it a LOT!
Hello Friends,I am very new to this site. Also, this is my first ever review I am writing as a viewer.
I have just started to watch KDrama. I had heard my friends raving about them. I thought to give it a try. I am glad that I got to see Chocolate as one of my very first KDrama series I started to watch.
The lead characters were perfect for the role of childhood lovers who grew apart to find each other once again, The story is a mature love story told perfectly. The actors do justice to their roles. There are some moments which tend to stir something inside you emotionally and you shed a tear. There are plenty of heart warming moments as well. It is not often that you experience such myriad emotions in a series.
This gem deserves a perfect 10 from my side. As I write this, am wondering if there are any similar series as Chocolate? If not, am watching this again in the near future.
Enjoy!
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I cannot put into words how intense and unique this drama is, but I’ll try!
To start off this review, if you’re looking for a typical cliche romance k-drama, this isn’t it; although I’m sure you’ll still love it. Yes, there’s some really good chemistry and cute romantic scenes, but the story consists of many other characters and stories that will keep you engaged. Seeing the characters develop throughout the plot as they learn from the past, teaches you many valuable life lessons, which is surprisingly rare in a lot of dramas.
My opinion:
The plot:
I kept putting this drama off thinking that I wouldn’t enjoy it for a while now, but I’m so glad that I finally decided to watch it. I haven’t been this addicted to a drama in a long time. The plot never got boring and truly emerged me into it making me feel so attached to the characters. I didn’t just feel like I was watching it, but I felt like I was their friend rooting for them and sobbing with them like a baby quite often. The entire story is filled with emotion and will leave you crying quite often. Many great people die and will make you sad as if you’re their friend. The happy moments will make you so happy you might also cry. I cried almost every episode, but in my opinion, that’s one of the main reasons this show is so good!
They truly mixed in family, romance, friendship, medicine, death, a but of humour, tragedy, cooking, and that delicious Godiva chocolate ;) so well! I’ve never seen a drama so successful with mixing so many genres. Especially chocolate. I’m a chocolate lover and I know this sounds cheesy, but this made me appreciate chocolate even more. I wouldn’t have been able to pick a better name for this show. I’m still craving that chocolate Lol. I also love it when a bit of humour is mixed in to relieve the tension; especially with a drama like this (it’s very intense and emotional). I found myself crying and laughing at the same time in a few scenes, which made me love it even more. Now, with all that being said, the end felt a bit rushed and I was left hanging on a few characters. I don’t want to spoil it, but there were a couple characters that I wished we got a better look at what their future may be like. I’m not sure if there will be a season 2, but I highly doubt it. Other than that, the whole drama is amazing and you should definitely watch it. I think anyone will enjoy it.
Acting/characters:
The acting and chemistry was so amazing! Everyone did a great job. Especially the patients suffering! I was truly shocked by how incredible the acting was and I believe they chose the perfect cast for this drama. The character development and learning from the past truly did inspire even myself as a person that relates to a lot of the characters situations and feelings to go out and enjoy life.
Music:
The music was perfect and very well done for the most part. There was one song that I kinda felt didn’t sound great, but that may just be me. Other than that, the music was great!
Rewatch Value:
I’m not the type that usually rewatches dramas, but maybe only a few scenes or episodes. I personally wouldn’t rewatch most things, but I feel like that depends on the person. I’ll probably watch it again in a few years when I forget a lot of it.
Regardless of the little things that may have lowered my rating a bit, this is definitely one of my top dramas. It’s full of valuable lessons about life, family, relationships, trauma, a person’s past, learning from your own and others mistakes, appropriating living life and making the most of it, and many more. I feel like each person will see this drama differently depending on your own past and situations, but I have no double that almost anyone will enjoy it. So if you have any doubts, put them aside and get watching!
Thanks for reading!!
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1-if your looking for your beautiful romance in this drama then you in the wrong place, it dose not have any romance what so ever.
2-the story flows in a very slow rhythm creating useless filing scenes that are not relevant to the story.
3-The story time line skips alot with nothing being solved.
I finished the last 4 episode in less than 10 min by jumping trying to find any important scenes bit had no luck. Over all I will never recommend this drama to anyone its just a waste of time.
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This review may contain spoilers
Love Is Patience Love is Kind Love is Honest
Have a box of tissue by your side...I tried to be brave to watch this drama. However my sucker for sympathy hearts fails me everytime. And that is saying, it is such a relief to be able to shed tears when moved.
The Cooking part in this drama is such a delight to watch. Meals are comfort. Preparing for it is keen business. And serving them is the warmest form of affection.
Drama about incurable sickness helps you to cherished seconds of life in a modest way with a grand hopes. And here you have a taste of that. Be brave. It will make you inspire to become a better version of human. It will helps understand that life is not perfect. It will gets better.
Conflicted part in this drama is intense. The actors and actresses is very genuine with their dialogue, I can’t help to wonder if we could use those words in actual life. Perhaps we could change a stigma. Defense bullies. Give hopes. Second chances. Settled disputes.
There was a scene, when Lee Joon and Lee Kang spent in the pottery furnace. When all the angst has died down and they are able to have conversation in civil. And Lee Joon has always been true, despite his anger and struggles for his share unfairness. Lee Joon’s character heals in ways he is able to save people.
The way of romancing He forgot She remembers, very well patiently done. The way Lee Kang find his closure is with the same weight as Cha Young accept her condition. It can be more beautiful than that.
The music score is very nice and soothing. Chocolate is a drama where you can be brave with acceptance.
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This review may contain spoilers
this drama is mediocre at best. with so much focus in the synopsis on the main couple, you'd assume we'd be presented with some development by the main leads that would make you feel warmth when they eventually ended up together; the side stories became a focal point, so much so that i had lost interest in the main couple by the time they were together, and found myself bored by their constant teetering, and moon cha young's apparent inability to speak.starting off strong in the first episode, i was intrigued and saw potential in the story. by episode two, i was confused and questioning whether i should even continue. with kang nearly dying in libya to min sung and cha young becoming a couple, only for her to leave and for min sung to becoming ill, i didn't know what to focus on when it came to the plot. too much happened, with unnoticeable time skips that made me wonder what exactly was going on.
i continued on...
the drama was filled with heartwarming and heartbreaking stories about lives within a hospice and i could appreciate the characters and tales of each patient, and we saw some sweet moments between main and side characters that caused my eyes to well up (though i found that i probably only cried twice, to my surprise considering how much others had been mentioning a box of tissues should be ready before watching this drama). eventually, this became tiresome and i found myself skipping through the scenes of other characters, hoping for some development with the main characters. the stories took away from my focus on the leads which eventually caused me to lose interest in them completely and led me to become more interested in lee joon's character as a whole (which fell short, as we can only assume he goes back to the hospital, but no satisfactory finale).
by the end of it, the relationship between kang and cha young felt unnatural, and what could have been sweet romance felt awkward, as they had lost the spark they had at the beginning. i found myself just waiting for it to end, i had watched so much of it, i couldn't just drop it at the last few episodes. the ultimate episode ended with them once again meeting in greece after she had run away but left me with no satisfaction nor a warm feeling inside.
a positive is that i paid much more attention to the OST of this drama than any other drama i've watched, i'd say, and found myself enjoying the sweet melodies of the show.
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Slow burn romance, beautiful stories about death
The drama took time to tell the stories of each of the patients which I loved. Though we only met them for a few episodes, each character was precious and memorable.Likes:
1. For a melo drama that talks about death in every episode, this drama is still addicting to watch.
2. It must be the beautiful writing, the rich characters (Jun, Kang, CY and all the patients), the wonderful setting and OST.
3. I hate that each of the patients are slowly dying just when we have gotten attached to them but i love how their deaths are written. Like they have this grand gesture or final wish fulfilled or they give a beautiful speech about life and living and death. It makes you reflect on your own life.
4. All the food that Cha Young makes look so delicious and i love how she honors the patients by cooking their fave food or baking a beautiful cake.
5. Especially love Jiyong and episode 8 was fantastic. As well as the bday episode.
6. Nice to see my fave supporting actor Kim Won Hae in a different and serious character. He is so good.
Dislikes:
1. The harsh grandma and Jun's annoying parents. I actually dont like this part of the story. I'd rather they focus more on the hospice and the patients.
2. Taking so slow for the romance between Kang and Cha Young (im so impatient -- i want them to fall in love and kiss already!) But okay I will wait until Kang falls so hard for Cha Young.
3. It's obvious the cousins care for each other a bit I hope they finally make up, put their heads together and take down their own family so they can live the life that they want.
Episodes 14-16 felt rushed and overwhelming. They introduced 2 more characters to the show for our secondary characters. I also felt the story of Kang and Jun's family wasn't fully closed, though i didnt really care what happened to the grandma and Jun's parents. They can take their beloved hospital and eat it.
I wish Jun had better ending though the cameo of his real life wife was a nice surprise. I just hope he doesnt fall in love with her because she seems sick.
As for Kang and Cha Young, i wasnt sure why they had to part. I was a little confused when i saw Kang back in Greece. I thought it was just a flashback until i realized it was the present time and we are back to the first scene on episode 1. I guess the time apart was what they needed to free themselves of their past and start anew. But i hoped this time it was Cha Young who made the move because it's always Kang running to her.
Rating: 8/10
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You know how we all hold out hope for that last episode? I am there. I have had some very clear realizations while watching the final 16th episode. It starts out terribly in my opinion, with the ML lying, which has been a problem with the FL the entire season. This drama has been full of secrecy in the name of protecting other people or denying their own feelings from the get go. It has also been full of false guilt, followed by apologies for things that were not actually their fault. I know that in some Asian cultures this is considered a virtue, but I despise it. Clearly it is the writer's theme for this drama. I appreciate when a cast gets to be adults and actually discuss their emotions, deal with facts and work things out. No one in this entire drama does that. It has been frustrating for me, but the main story line has been compelling enough to hold my attention. The recently (like 2 episodes ago) paired main couple did not build a truly romantic relationship early enough to support their intimacy in this last episode in my opinion as well. The ML lead feels more like a friend or a pal than a boyfriend honestly. The side stories took up a lot of air time and were well developed, but that actually took away from the core romantic aspect of the drama. The backstory and flashbacks were well done and intriguing leading the viewer to believe that the final result would be emotionally comparable, but the ML has hardly cracked a smile the entire drama, so now that he is relaxed and smiling at the end it seems contrite and unnatural honestly, out of character. In this entire last episode, his denial that his mother was the person who gave the FL chocolate when a mall collapsed trapping them both, loomed over the joy of their relationship in my mind. He surely can not keep that a secret forever and when the FL finds out he lied what then? But, that was not revealed before the drama ended. I haven't mentioned that the drama was set in a hospice and patients do die in every single episode, which was ok emotionally, since that was the theme, and it was never overly dramatized. The ending was understated and sweet, and did get more believable in the last few minutes. I would still recommend this to be watched, but it is not one I personally will re-watch later. I enjoyed Kim Won-Hae's role in this as he is an eternal treat for me anytime he is in a drama, but even his character speaks of death and has false guilt. I give this an 8 which is low for me. I believe the true moral of this story is, do not take life for granted and appreciate what life you do have. A worthy message. Was this review helpful to you?
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I started watching this drama because I was bored and I saw Ha Ji Won as the main actress. I honestly did not expect anything from this drama; however, it was one of the most heart-warming dramas ever! This was a drama that I needed in my life at the moment. It will always have a special place in my heart.I think I cried in every single episode and this is a first. Kudos to the writer, director, the whole production team, the actors and actresses that produced such an amazing, well-written drama. A MASTERPIECE!
Story: This is not your typical medical/food drama, but the writer somehow combined both genres so well. I don't want to spoil too much about the storyline, although it's very obvious that you can predict what is next with the main characters. However, what really had me crying every episode was the stories behind every patient at the hospice. The writer was able to incorporate food with each story and give meanings behind every dish was brilliant.
Character: All the characters had developed throughout the drama, but my favorite gotta be Lee Jun. He changed so much from the beginning until the end. His relationship with Kang had me crying the most. I'm so glad the writer & director did not turn him into a bad character. Although his mother was my least favorite because she ruined Jun, but I guessed the second to last episode explained why she wanted the hospital so bad. Still disliked her though because she used Jun for her own greed. Each character has their own sad story behind it, which is why I also loved this drama so much. It did not focus on the main characters too much, but it also gave the support characters a lot more screen time. I think that was why this drama was so heart-warming.
Acting/Cast: HANDS DOWN EVERYONE ACTED SO WELL!!! Even the children made me cried...
Music: AILEE sang their main OST, ofc it should be good! Overall, the OST did set the mood for the whole drama.
Overall: This is a must-watch if you are looking for something that is super heartwarming and you are in the mood to cry every episode. I'm glad that I watched this drama while it was airing because at least I could take a break from crying lol. Honestly, this will be one of my top dramas and I would rewatch it later on. Do not expect too much romance from this drama, it will teach you valuable lessons though. Every moment in this drama was meaningful. Also, the cinematography is so beautiful!
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A melodrama done right.
The weakest point of Chocolate is the first few episodes which make the show seem like the run-of-the-mill melodrama, with plenty of classic sibling rivalry and serendipitous meeting between the romantic leads. The quick transition of time and space, in addition to the contrived missed opportunity of the romance, is a drag to get through.The show takes off towards the middle when the story transitions from the hectic ER drama to the calming environment of a hospice. The slice-of-life quality of middle episodes gives the world and characters room to breathe. Each side characters fulfill their arcs as the main characters grow with them. The sibling rivalry also transforms as the brothers become more introspective about their place in the world.
The show reaches a crescendo when the romantic leads tie up their intertwined history together towards the later episode. While predictable, the chemistry between the leads blossoms into a rewarding experience.
To conclude, while this is a melodrama with no regards to realistic plot, the characters really find a place they belong in a power-hungry world that reflects the one we live in.
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