There have definitely been a lot of dramas lately that center around a group of female friends, but I've rarely found myself truly loving them. The charm of Delicious Romance is that it explores various relatable issues like divorce/ending a long-term relationship, re-entering the workforce, and changing careers, but also manages to feel light-hearted instead of stressful. The episodes are about 30 episodes and there are also 20! What a rarity! That means this drama never drags. I would actually love a second season.
This drama just surprised me in so many ways. Also, I loved that Xia Meng worked on developing dramas for a streaming site, and had some sharp commentary to offer. A total delight!
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A must watch!
Some may call this a feminist drama, however the storyline and the acting makes this a MUST watch drama.The flow and the narrative touches our lives in every way. The storyline also relates to many of us.
The 3 main leads are characters we can somehow identify with people we know. Their challenges in life may be common and they are portrayed very well. A few rightly placed comical moments provide a relief in a serious situation. Standby your box of tissues though.
In conclusion, we live on decisions we made and are responsible for our own action.
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Lighter version of "Remembrance of Things Past"
Completed - 1/7/2022"Delicious Romance" is a pretty underrated drama, and probably because the cast members are not idols and not as famous. However, it's a heartwarming drama about friendship, love, career and dreams. I feel that it's a lighter and happier version of "Remembrance of Things Past" (which I strongly recommend).
I enjoy the close friendship between the three main leads. They have funny and witty banter, are open and honest with each other, even if they are criticizing each other's decisions. I believe the friendship is what attracted most people to this drama. These ladies are 30 years old and are facing life's challenges as 30-year-old women in China. It's not surprising the following topics/challenges are covered in this drama:
1. Family and Society Prejudice against single, unmarried women.
2. Prejudice of divorced women
3. Sexual harassment and inequality treatment at work
4. Boss and Subordinate vs. romantic partner relationship
5. Stable and steady job vs. following your dream to unchartered territory
6. Income and Status inequality
This is a very short drama, only 20 episodes long at about 30 minutes each. The pace is fast and I was not bored at all. I quite enjoy the comedy inserted in the drama to deal with some of the heavier topics. I feel that the drama does a good job in introducing all three leads and show us their stories and personalities. I like them all and feel for them when they are faced with challenges. They each have their own flaws, but I root for them.
On the other hand, I feel the romance storylines are under-developed. I'd like to see more between Liu Jing and Jiang Shan Mu and how they fall in love, esp. from JSM. I also want to see a little more about the resolution between Xia Meng and Lu Bin at the end. As for Fang Xin and Zhang Ting, I want to see more of them after they get together. Because the drama is quite short, there isn't enough time for all, in addition to the other plots.
I also like:
- Xia Meng critiquing all the tropes and cliches in rom-coms.
- Jiang Shan Mu and his daughter's relationship - she is one smart cookie
- the funny drama shooting scene with the concubines
- first drag show I've seen in C-dramaland
Overall, I enjoy this very binge-able drama. It might not be as good as "Remembrance of Things Past", but it's an easy and enjoyable watch. I recommend this to those who like dramas of women-centric friendship and their life's challenges/decisions.
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This review may contain spoilers
Indeed, It Was Delicious
Before I start, I want to say that there are minor spoilers!When I first started watching Delicious Romance, I only intended to watch a few episodes. Surprisingly, I binge-watched 12 episodes before heading to bed. It was such an easy and entertaining watch, and that's one of its charms. I couldn't stop watching it. The dialogue was natural, and the humor was golden. The numerous characters, plotlines, and the girls' friendship kept me intrigued throughout. Let's start with the characters. I just wanted to mention that I appreciated them all. Of course, some were more entertaining than others, but all of them were interesting or likable in their own ways.
My personal favorite is Fang Xin, delivered by Zhang Han Yun. Because she is beautiful, her goals and needs can easily be fulfilled by others. Fang Xin, for example, has various allergies, but she has never had to learn how to cook according to her needs as others already provide that for her. For instance, her ex-husband was the one that prepared all of her food. There are several examples throughout that demonstrate how beauty can make life easier. However, beauty has certain drawbacks. Fang Xin is frequently underestimated and looked down upon, particularly in her workplace. What I admire about her is her strong work ethic, as well as her ability to bite back if necessary. Her characterization is unsurprising, yet I still enjoyed Fang Xin's character immensely. I like how she approaches situations, and I like how she recognizes that her beauty gives her an edge. Her romance with Zhang Ting (Ren Bin) was quite entertaining to follow. Zhang Ting was a little dull for me, but he's a genuinely sweet guy. Despite the fact that he didn't know Fang Xin, he treated her kindly. You could argue that it has something to do with her beauty. Still, the two were adorable together.
Xia Meng, performed by Wang Ju, is my second favorite. Oh my gosh, Wang Ju was fantastic. She portrayed Xia Meng perfectly. Literally, chef's kisses. Xia Meng is successful and headstrong, and how could I forget her proclivity for telling lies after lies? Her achievement far outweighs that of her long-term boyfriend, Wang Ji Cong (Yang Bo Xiao). Because they work in the same department, Wang Ji Cong frequently feels inferior to Xia Meng. After the two break up, Xia Meng meets a charming fitness trainer named Lu Bin (Zhang Fan). The difference in income from her previous relationship affected her mindset and thus affected her current relationship. Her plotline was definitely the most interesting. I also like the conclusion to her relationship with her ex-boyfriend. That was the conclusion I was hoping for, and I'm glad that the writers agreed with me.
Finally, there is Liu Jing, who is played by Li Chun. She's not my fave, but she's still intriguing. She is a culinary blogger who also studied IT. She is unsure about what she wants to accomplish with her life. What she knows is that marriage is the last thing she wants to do, despite her mother's wishes. She frequently feels invalidated by her mother for not marrying. Even when she develops feelings for a man, he is a divorced single father (Jiang Shan Mu played by Zhou Cheng Ao). Divorced people face discrimination in China, therefore her parents were vehemently opposed to him. I'm not a fan of these kinds of parents in dramas since they're exhausting to watch. However, such parents do exist, and Liu Jing's parents are a prime example. Other than that, I like her relationship with Jiang Shan Mu and his daughter. His daughter was a delightful character. She has a lot of sass and is actually pretty mature.
The three's friendship is both realistic and entertaining. I enjoyed watching the scenes of their childhood. The dialogue is also exceptionally well-written and natural. It talks about many social issues, with humor thrown in to lighten up the drama. There are some cliche and cringy parts, though. I also feel like the drama could have been a couple of episodes longer. That would have allowed the story to finish up some characterizations, and some of the relationships would be more concluded. Overall, this drama was a treat to watch.
Note: An 8.5 might seem low for others, but just know that it's really high for me :)
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Beautiful friendship makes life more delicious..
What I love the most from this drama is the friendship between 3 main female lead! Their friendship is just beautiful despite their characters are so different from each other but somehow i think they complete each other and they always be there for each other!!! I just love all the conversation in this drama I think the scriptwriter make it so real that it somehow makes me can relate to certain line. The romance well despite the title said delicious romance but I think their friendship and each of the character life struggle is more interesting!Between their childhood and current timeline, the acting from both timeline is just amazing! All the actresses potray their charactesr so well which make this drama even better!
This drama is so light and I think you can bingewatch it in one sitting without feeling bored but instead you will feel happy, you will laugh, sad, upset and the characters will also grow on you. I would love to rewatch it again just to feel it all over again!
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This review may contain spoilers
I don't usually write reviews for every drama... if I do it's either because it was just too good to not write something or because it left me feeling unsettled and wanting more. This drama would be in the second category!! I actually did love most of this drama. The chemistry of the cast was amazing, the story line was realistic and thought out, the friendships were genuine, the food was amazing, and just everything came together so well to tell an amazing story.It was the last 1/3 of the drama that started to get long and frustrating. I know every FL has her flaws but in this 20 episode journey, there should have been some character growth for these ladies. Xia Meng 's lying was too much and she was sorry but not sorry. It's a bummer when you stop rooting for the FL and actually think the guy deserves better. I don't think she learned anything from her lies...she was sad because she got caught and he broke up with her, but placed in a similar situation, I think she would do the same thing.
Liu Jing who is super undecisive is STILL that undecisive at the very end... which made me go ....What?!? There should be some personal growth in that area especially if you're dating a man with a little girl (who by the way is an amazing little actress). The scenes with her parents made me cringe and fast forward (oh the hysteria and crying) although I know that's cultural and I just don't quite understand the control parents have over their kids.
Fang Xin was probably the only one that had some character growth by re-entering the work force and growing into a stronger, independent woman. I actually wish there were more scenes with her and her ML since that relationship was the most sincere and genuine one. I would watch a whole drama with those two as the leads! They didn't get as much time together compared to the other couples, which made Fang Xin's reveal at the end even more confusing since drama didn't show them progressing that quickly. For me it didn't quite fit in her story line even with the whole bread vs love analogy.
In the end, I liked this drama but was sad when it ended because it felt like there should have been more... more personal growth, more depth to their characters, and more time for Fan Xin and her handsome baker!!
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Delicious by name, delicious by nature!
At the core of this complex drama is the relationship of three contemporary Chinese women living and working in the same city. They are around 30 years of age and well educated. They were in the same class in high school but their trajectory after school were completely different. What doesn’t change is their very closed sisterly bond.Each FL seemed to lead a fairly stable if humdrum life. All that changed when covid-19 hit their city. It was a stroke of genius to coincide the start of the drama with a city wide lockdown. Each vignette of their lockdown life will strike a chord with most people. The enforced closeness wore down the veneer of civility and laid bare some home truths. Only then did they realised how they are all trapped in their individual life cycles.
One lead was confronted by her husband's cheating via a very public disclosure. She knew something was amiss but decided to ignore the telltale signs as a way of self preservation. Another realised the boyfriend of several years whom she has "collected" as a milestone in her successful and thoroughly planned out life was someone she doesn't really care for. The last member of the trio had to confront the societal and familial expectation of holding down a boring 9 to 5 job while being labelled a leftover woman. The pressure to get married is relentless.
This all happened very early on in the show, so I won't call this a spoiler. The rest of the show is a skillful piece of writing and acting as the trio try to find a "new" normal after the lockdown. This meant an almost complete realignment of their views and circumstances.
In terms of plot and pacing, it is a delicate dance of interweaving stories and the writer set a cracking pace. With only 20 episodes to play with and a lot of tales to tell, there is very little bloat. The lives of the three female leads pressed on ahead with scant pause for breath. The only time they slow down is when they are together, usually sharing a delicious meal or relaxing at home after work. Their conversation ebbs and flows naturally with an ease that only old friends can sustain. They knew each other so well that they don’t have to lie to each other, and they also knew when one of them is backward in coming forward. It was a joy to see how the writer used their seemingly mundane conversation to tell us their inter thoughts as well as provided a barometer of their emotional states. Some of those scenes are deliciously wicked. ;)
In terms of acting, it is very good all round. There are many characters in this drama. The leads, their ex’s, new love interests, family members, co-workers and more. Good actors filled the key roles but they are not A-listers. Even the young actress playing the daughter of one of the ML is a lively little minx. The writer gifted her with some killer dialogue, and she made the most of it.
There was no shortage of emotional scenes to test their mettle but it is not all gloom and doom. In fact, there are more genuinely funny moments than sad ones. The mood of each episode swings and changes with finesse. The FL's tackled their roles with gusto. It is cathartic to see their characters grow and heal over time.
The CP's have very good chemistry and there is a decent amount of skinship and even racy scenes. The Show did seek out its traditional rom-com root towards the end but it is a bit of fan service and I can't complain.
All in all, the show is very entertaining and rewarding but it is a thought provoking journey. It laid bare a lot of societal issues in present day China which will resonate with its target audience. Hat off to the production team for their commitment to breath life unto a challenging script. I would highly recommend this show to anyone who want something more than the artificially sweetened rom-com clones that are being mass produced right now.
P.S. You must not miss the forth wall breaking moment at the very end of the show. :) What does it signify? A sequel? That would be delicious!
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Must Watch!!!
This drama is extremely underrated and one of the best drama i watched this year. This drama actually talks about covers a lot of social issues including sexual harassment, working politics, gender inequality in workplace and forced marriage by parents however they produce it in a light and enjoyable way so you won feel pressured when watching all this social issues. Besides, the love story plot of this drama also happens very naturally which is different than most of the chinese love drama nowadays where those love happens like unlogically and for no reason the girl and guy just love each other after few glance. Oh ya one last thing, the plots of this drama is also very logic and natural, its like you won see things like a female villain hate the female lead for no reason.Was this review helpful to you?
Could have been great but something is off...
Some declared this feminist, but I do not really see it, but it does get points for effort... Showing some of the hardships many women do face from different angels as well as showing how these very different personalities come together and overcome sexual harassment, objectification, discrimination in the workplace and a bunch of other stuff... And while they do attempt to show that you do not need a man to be complete 90% of the conversation is about men so I actually doubt this female centered feminist plot would actually pass the Bechdel test... There is also a lot of cringe and situations that just feel awkward.The characters in this drama are most of the time, fun and lovable, there is one plotline that makes way to way too much second hand embarrassment, and though they do motivate it pretty well it just feel like something I have been annoyed by before. Also making this otherwise pretty cool character very annoying at times.
The men in this drama are either complete jerks, or so sweet they will give you diabetes... and the drama does have more representation than most c-s have.
We also get to see typical C-drama parents that have a blood boiling effect... A pretty cool kid and some delicious food pictures...
The subs here are really good so extra points for that; https://www.captionfy.io/playlist/61b42e5c85aaa3748a8d7ced
All in all an okay watch that is pretty easy to binge but not really a masterpiece, and not really a feminist manifest...
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new record to me...
Hey!!! I've successfully completed this whole drama in one day!!! Yes that's addicted this drama to me. Made me don't want to drop or even pause it.This drama is about love, friendship & also life decision. As this drama started we can see our 3 females lead (FL) in the intersection of their life, either with love or job. As the drama go we also can see they find new love & new direction in their love.
The FL in this drama is some picture of our (audience) life. We have at least met one of these 3 women, the quirky Liu Jing, the pretty Fang Xin or the strong Xia Meng. Their struggles, their friendship, their life is really relate to our daily life & struggle.
Apart of all of what I wrote above I also like they not only give us the adult life of our FL but also their youth, that give us some kind of narration of their character. What more... They also give us a glimpse of the ML youth story also what shape their character.
Overall even though this drama doesn't have very popular actor/ess to upgrade the rating, but this drama really one good drama to watch. Every problem have meaning & every decision we make must be lived wholeheartedly.
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Absolutely overrated
Rated when the series was at a 8.6 rating.The series is completely a mashed up romance with no direction. All three characters tend to have no specific direction during the whole plot, one loves the other and then fulls in love with another. Completely nonsense and lots of unnecessary drama added to make it a 20 episode cdrama. Every scene seems as though it was rushed to make, there are several scenes that weren't precise enough and lacked detail.
Gave the story a 3.0 rating as the movie got worse as it progressed, the start was ok, the ending was terrible, hence the 3.0 rating. The music was a 1.0 rating as none of it was really original, most were music from composers from the past.
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