Link: Eat, Love, Kill

Thank You For the Scary Villains

My 4 categories are Acting/Cast, Writing, Direction/SFX/Music, Entertainment Value.

It was a suspenseful story that had me hooked until the end. Although, after it was over, it didn't stick with me like other dramas I've really enjoyed. I've spent some time thinking about why that is before writing this review.

Acting/Cast: This category is going to be where my biggest issue with the drama lies. I held off watching this drama because I really dislike the actor that plays the male lead. He seems very stiff and emotionless in everything I've seen him in. I even dropped Hotel Del Luna because of him. Let's just say, after watching this drama, I still feel the same way. However, there were times in this drama where he showed a little bit of emotional range that surprised me, but that's not saying much. The female lead actress is fine, but when comparing her character with other female leads in dramas that I fell in love with, I realize she is lacking the charm that those characters have. It kept me from really connecting with her. Similarly, with the male lead, I didn't even care to try to connect with him. I think that if just the male lead was switched out, this could really have been a top tier drama. It's a shame... That being said, the rest of the cast was great. I think the highlight of the drama is Shin Jae Hwi who plays Lee Jin Geun (the stalker). I smiled every time I saw him on screen. He played an unhinged psycho so well. It's been a while since I've seen such a good villain. 6/10

Writing: Very well done, suspenseful mystery that kept me guessing. Satisfying ending as well. While watching, I did get vibes here and there of Kill Me, Heal Me -- definitely a top tier drama -- which is why I say that Link had the potential. But, in regards to the writing, my only gripe in this area would be the Noble Idiocy...which became even more annoying when they kept going back and forth with it. Oh, and now that I think about it...there were multiple times where the female lead thought, for some reason, that it was perfectly ok to walk alone at night in dark alleys when there's a stalker on the loose. That didn't make sense to me, especially since the female lead has trauma after being attacked in the recent past. 8/10

Direction/SFX/Music: My only complaint here would be a particularly severe case of "frozen-in-time staring contest". The OST is decent, too. 8/10

Entertainment Value: Once the characters were established and the main mystery with the refrigerator started playing out, I was hooked. 9.5/10

Overall, I gave this drama an 8/10 mainly due to my issue with the casting.

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I expected more

I took time to reflect on this drama and the more i thiught about it, the more i found things that i disliked.
I'm going to start with the thing i liked, the ML, i always liked him and this role was quite fitting to him. The moments he had with his girlfriend were all super cute.
The FL, looked bland to me, don't get me wrong, she is a good actor but she lacked alchemy with the ML. Although the scenes they had together were cute, the alchemy wasn't here.
Other than that, the plot was quite good but pretty much flawed:
One thing is the fantasy Link they have between them. It was badly executed, i had to make an explanation for myself because their explanation wasnt making sense. I wish they didnt explain it and jusy left it there, it could be like an ability or a super power or something.
Second thing, is the lack of motive. Its a crime solving kind of drama but there were no reason to explain that said crime. The criminal had no motive. He just killed people. They didnt say how many, if he was a serial killer, why did he do it.
Third thing, is the FL didnt even TRY to protect herself. This drama started with the first episode of her getting almost killed by her stalker but throughout the entire 16 episode she walked alone at night like people werent waiting to kill her, going to strange places by herself without saying it to anyone, reaching her stalker.... Half of the thing that happened were avoidable if she had been cautious.

I think that the romance part of the drama was more well written than the crime/thriller part beacuse it was only thrilling because she made poor choices. However despite all of this I'd say this drama was entertaining. I would recommend it.

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watched weekly as it came out

since watching this show weekly from the start i was very curious with the missing sister storyline and why eun gyehoon and dahyun were connected or “linked”. i really liked the beginning even when they “killed” the stalker but later he turned out to be alive. tho, he definitely was dragged out way too much in the plot (always showing up and saying “hinting” about gyehoons sister or the kidnapping but never saying anything). i have to say i loved the main leads but especially eun gyehoon, seeing him broken after feeling like he’s lost his whole family and growing up alone made my heart break :( and the chemistry between the leads was so great, the slowburn, everything. im very happy how this show ended and how they gave a nice closure to even the side characters without much plot. the last ending scene from ep 16 made me cry with how they showed the leads as kids with them now UGH SO SAD. even when they showed gyeyoung telling adult gyehoon that its not his fault and he shouldnt cry and when gyehoon was talking with his dad telling him he shouldnt find her and to just stay with him and his mom made me emotional. there were so many things i learned just from watching this show and it has some of the best relationships ive seen. 8.5/10

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Links, murder, romance… and plot holes big enough to drive a red car through

A Murder-Mystery Romance That Starts Off Delicious… Then Burns the Recipe

✨ THE GOOD:
Unique premise – Emotion-linking with a stranger? Creepy, cool, and oddly romantic.
Visually beautiful – Great cinematography, food shots, and eerie tension when it’s trying.
When it’s good—it’s really good – A few intense scenes hit hard… then everything shifts genre again.

🤯 THE “PLOT? NEVER HEARD OF HER” MOMENTS:
Pacing from hell – It starts like a thriller, turns into rom-com, forgets it’s a mystery, then circles back to trauma.
Plot changes every 3 episodes – Serial killer? Family drama? Cooking show? Take your pick.
Characters lose brain cells weekly – Decisions made by dice roll, logic left the building early on.

💔 THE “LOVE KILLS… SLOWLY” FACTOR:
Romance? Exists.
Chemistry? Debatable.
It’s mostly awkward stares and trauma bonding with some bonus soup.

🎯 VERDICT:
"Like ordering gourmet ramen and getting instant noodles halfway through—
but ......
You still eat it because you’re already halfway in."

Watch if: You like genre roulette, eerie concepts, and can vibe with chaos.
Skip if: You need consistency, clear pacing, or a drama that finishes what it starts.

Best paired with: 🍜 A mystery-flavored snack, a plot flowchart, and the ability to emotionally detach halfway through.

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wowwwwww

wow what a show! so many heartfelt moments mixed with heart-wrenching moments as well.

while the show has some "cliches", and plenty of plot twists it felt so incredibly refreshing because of the way it approached them in regards to how the characters felt. it was very nuanced. also like the messages that embedded throughout the story. i could go into great depth into any of them but i won't just to keep this short. especially like how certain reactions from the characters felt very realistic. the main message of community being nothing without genuine connections and empathy was such a good thing to throw in. love the way they approached all of these messages.

yeo jingoo gave a great performance as always. he never fails to amaze me with his acting. moon gayoung was very good here too i was pleasantly surprised. the show does have its hick-ups but i enjoyed watching so much that they didn't bother me much. i laughed, i giggled and i cried (SO MUCH). definitely recommend

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A pretty good mystery/romance drama

Honestly, I'm surprised at all the bad reviews this drama got. I liked it and kept waiting for the turning point where the drama takes a turn for the worst but for me, that never came. Sure, I didn't care much for the big reveal at the end but I still thought it was a good mystery that kept me engaged the entire time and had me guessing who the big bad guy was at the end. And my heart absolutely broke for Gyehoon, especially at the end. All in all, I don't think I would watch it again and I think watching it on 2x helped just cause I really can't stand being in suspense. But I liked the drama, it was entertaining and engaging and that's all I could ask for.

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A Subversion of the Genre

This drama was just a beautiful subversion of the genre. It consistently did things differently than how it would play out in other dramas that cover mystery/thriller.

The strongest point of this drama is how cohesive it is. Multiple aspects of the production are linked together through details in the same way the main characters have a link. It's a sign of their hard work and thoughtfulness. Things like similar style clothes, matching camera angles for the two leads, and symmetrical backgrounds make for great visual representation of the concept.

As I said in the beginning, this drama subverts its genre. So it's not for everyone. It's for people that want to watch a different type of mystery/thriller romance.

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Intriguing plot & prettty dark story, with excellent acting

PLOT: The ML, a great chef, is disturbed by the emotions he feels from the FL, just as he was with his twin sister, who disappeared 18 years ago. He returns to his hometown (where the FL lives) to open his restaurant and solve the mysteries of the past. An ex-couple, now colleagues in the local police force, is also investigating a series of assaults/murders.

+++ Excellent acting, both the two leads (Yeo Jin Goo & Mun Ka Young) and the supporting cast (Shin Jae Hwi makes a very credible Villain).
+++ Well-executed suspense, with flashbacks providing clues at just the right time.
+++ Well-written storyline but with heavy themes (child abduction, murder, violence, etc.) and we don't need to mention the everyday cowardice of selfish people. All the characters are dark to varying degrees...
+++ Excellent OSTs, sometimes soothing, sometimes distressing.

### Series that could have been shortened by several episodes, the pace becomes slow in the last third (eps. 11-12)
### Culture of leaving things unsaid (to protect you) or "I'll cut you off without listening": VERY annoying! I know this is meant to lengthen the drama, but the directors/screenwriters should find something else.
### Lots of clichés: a weak female protagonist venturing alone into a creepy place in the middle of the night => why not call the police? Too reassuring? Doesn't anyone get the surveillance cameras fixed?

=> A good series, well done, but I'll not rewatch it cause of the heavy atmosphere.
****************************************************
Plot intrigant & story pesante, avec très bons acteurs

PLOT: Le ML, great chef cuisinier est perturbé par les émotions qu'il ressent de la FL, comme il le faisait avec sa sœur jumelle, disparue il y a 18 ans. Il retourne ds sa ville natale (où vit la FL) pr créer son restaurant et résoudre les mystères du passé. Un ex-couple, devenu collègues ds la police locale, enquête également sur une série d'agressions/meurtres.

+++ Excellents acteurs, aussi bien les 2 leads (Yeo Jin Goo & Mun Ka Young) que les acteurs de soutien (Shin Jae Hwi fait un cinglé très crédible).
+++ Suspense bien mené, avec des flashbacks apportant les indices au bon moment.
+++ Storyline bien écrite mais avec des thèmes lourds (rapts d'enfant, meurtres, violence, etc.) sans compter la lâcheté ordinaire des gens égoïstes. Ts les personnages sont noirs à des degrés divers ...
+++ Excellents OST, parfois apaisants, parfois angoissants.

### Série qui aurait pu être raccourcie de plusieurs épisodes, le rythme devient lent dans le dernier tiers (ép 11 -12)
### Culture du non-dit (pr te protéger) ou "je te coupe la parole sans t'écouter" : TRÈS énervant ! Je sais que cela vise à rallonger la durée du drama, mais les réalisateurs / screenwriters devraient trouver autre chose.
### Bcp de clichés : FL faible qui s'aventure seule dans un endroit flippant en pleine nuit => pourquoi ne pas appeler la police ? trop rassurant ? Personne ne fait réparer les caméras de surveillance ?

=> Je l'ai vu une fois (pour les leads) mais l'histoire est tellement pesante que je ne pense pas la regarder à nouveau.

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Everybody is suspicious

An interesting concept. The whole neighborhood is suspicious. I liked the characters - the mother and the grandma of the FL. It was funny at times. Although, it's one of those typical stories where "the ML always seems to find the FL when she's in danger and saves her at the right moment.

What bothered me was how the ML remained silent about the dead body in the fridge. Like he thought the fridge was his and took it in. Then, why not inform the police about this? Even after it was confirmed whether the FL was his sister or not (the answer is pretty obvious to the viewers from the beginning given that she was the FL), he should not have cooperated with her.

The murderer. I wanted to know what crimes he committed over the years. What exactly he did do to the father? Why didn't he do anything to the ML? Why weren't there more victims over the years?

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