Great cast, great guests - the best season yet? It was for me.

How is it possible, that when you finish the current 3MAD season, you find it the best season ever? Is it just me or was this one actually the best one to date? All jokes aside, I think that this was exactly what I needed. I enjoyed every single episode and it was the highlight of my week. So let’s get into the review.

First of all, I would like to praise the crew for showing us that everyone was filming the show in safe environment and circumstances. South Korea is the pioneer in the fight against COVID-19 and it was nice to witness it even in entertainment such as this show.

This season brings back the legendary trio – Cha chef, Mr. True Sea and Mr. Ho Jun (he is too old to be just Ho Junie now :) ). And damn, they age like fine wine and are true living icons. They are in sync by now and you can see it especially when Ho Jun arrives a bit later on in one of the episodes and they feel the void of his absence acutely. I really enjoyed all the jokes about getting old together, the constant mischief and running jokes for the dedicated viewers.

I also want to praise Cha Seung Won and Yoo Hae Jin for being not only good colleagues to Son Ho Jun, but being trusted mentors as well. He often confides in them on camera about his insecurities and they give him good advice and assure him, that all will work out in the end. To me, all three of them portray healthy masculinity which is quite rare to find on mainstream TV these days.

They have so much to do this season that you don’t even notice the length of the episodes. That is mostly because they cannot sit still, but also because of the location. Jukguldo is smaller in comparison with Manjedo, but it has so many nooks and crannies and opportunities for things to do. I enjoyed watching the morning run with Yoo Hae Jin, picking up abalones with Ho Jun, walks with the guests and the misty morning on the last day of the shoot through the helicam was pure magic. Maybe it was because I was stuck inside for too long in lockdown, but the scenery was almost liberating to see and it eased my feeling of stuffiness.

Fishing Village 5 opens with a tough first couple of episodes. The sea was not calm enough for comfortable fishing and the nets were not bringing in plenty of fish either. The cast therefore suffered quite and a bit and created the instantly iconic P (potato) a SP (sweet potato) fancy restaurant gag. I laughed so hard when in the next episodes Cha Seung Won smuggled in some meat from home, just to be sure. But, as it often happens, lows are followed by some spectacular highs. I kid you not, when Yoo Hae Jin, after struggling so much for years, caught that giant fish (that was getting bigger and bigger every time they mentioned it), I applauded and made a loud cheer. He really did well and was at the right place this time around. He caught plenty of seafood and it results in some pretty interesting cliffhangers. Yes, cliffhangers about fish. Only this show can do that.

The guests are phenomenal this season. Every single one was compatible with the hosts. It is quite rare to get out of the house for a trip this year, so you could tell that they really enjoyed themselves. Gong Hyo Jin’s warm laugh, her desire to keep everything sparkling clean and her ability to be satisfied with whatever they were able to put on her plate makes her a superb guest. She was the first female guest with this ensemble and she was very pleasant. Lee Kwang Soo felt like a fourth host, he was always ready to help and he was so gullible, that he made me laugh out loud a lot. I enjoyed his presence. Lee Seo Jin’s signature sass was just a cherry on top. He is the complete opposite of this hyperactive trio and he was just perfect here. Truly, the guest everyone wanted. Also, please, Na PD, when the restrictions end and we will all be safe, please do the Middle-aged Men over Flowers (with Ho Jun as the porter) as a real show for us, I would love it.

The hosts are amazing and the fact, that this is their fourth season on this format of the show makes it a special experience. Cha Seung Won is an inspiration in the kitchen. I really enjoy his style of cooking, he prepares even simple meals deliciously and you can learn a lot from him. He develops his style and was quite ambitious this season as well, for example with the tofu. He also praises everyone often, which is my favourite thing about him. Son Ho Jun’s ability to predict what will be needed, and hand it to Cha chef even before he asks for it, is remarkable. He pays attention and adores his older colleagues. He is very endearing and although unsure of himself, he is truly valued.

Yoo Hae Jin always does his best and goes above and beyond. He is incredibly creative and so funny while trying to improve their island lives. Atelier Muscle, How strong, Jabajo and other inventions of his are not just practical, but they are instant running jokes. I was hoping that this season he would finally get lucky with fishing and I was so satisfied when he did. You just have to root for him. He is one of my favourite people on this planet. If he decided for his next project to read a phonebook out loud, I would still watch it.

I really enjoyed this season. It was a perfect escape from all this, every single minute of this season (including the final debrief) was just pure joy. I would love seconds, this cast is my absolute favourite. Well worth my time, I will rewatch it for sure.

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Disclaimer: This review is very long, it might take you a couple minutes to read it. In this review I don’t go into the details of the JJY scandal, I just mention it for context. I don’t mention the KJH and CTH allegations because as a foreign viewer, I don’t think it’s my place to comment on this case which is very specific to circumstances in Korea (and as far as I’ve read, they have been both declared not guilty).

Edit for context: I now see that KBS World is un-priveting the episodes and majority of them are slowly coming back. This review was written during the period when the scandals were relatively fresh.

When I discovered S2 of 2D1N at the beginning of last autumn, I did what I always do. I went into a rabbit hole of articles trying to read up on it and to see the current state of the show. I wanted to watch the new episodes as they air while catching up. And to my surprise, the show was on hiatus due to the astronomical scandal that was the talk of the internet. Therefore, after finishing S2, I decided to keep my hands off of S3. Time went on, I rewatched my favourite S2 episodes a couple times, dipped my feet into S1 and then I heard that, thankfully, S4 is going to be launching as well. And as the new episodes aired, one a week was just not enough.

The famous YouTube algorithm kept suggesting to me the few S3 episodes that were left there and not privated by the KBS and my greed for them rose exponentially, especially because I was head over heels for the show. So, I was faced with the dilemma – do you discard 5+ years of hard work of several hundreds of people just because of one bas****? At the same time, I kept on reading more about the show and looked up the lists of favourite and best episodes of 2D1N as a whole (mostly because I felt overwhelmed by S1 and wanted to see a select few episodes for now) and you know what? All of the lists feature mostly episodes from S3. Tumblr, blogs and comments were also just buzzing with S3 and somehow in a weak moment, I clicked on the Quit Smoking Project Special, one of the most acclaimed episodes of S3.

After that, S3 became my dirty little secret. I sporadically clicked on the recommended further episodes and I realised that this is (was) something else. Then lockdown/quarantine happened, I was stuck in my tiny apartment for almost three months and this was the only thing that provided me with somewhat of an escape.

Such a dramatic intro to a review of a variety show? Well yes. The circumstances why this season was dissolved were dire and I was, like many people I saw in the comments of various episodes, searching for a reason to justify watching it. Now, let’s move on.

The fact that the show was almost a year out of existence provided me with (I hope) a unique perspective. Let’s just flat out say, that because of JJY this show did “not age well”. Some segments of some episodes, in the light of what we know now, left a bile aftertaste and some are just tough to watch (like the one where they in honour of Joo Hyuk’s mom, who passed that year, do a summer vacation at a friend’s house and visit the mothers or close family members of the cast – the episode with JJY’s mother is simply heart breaking). There are also some inside jokes about JJY that were innocent when first broadcasted, but now are just scary to think about.

So, is this a review or what?

Let’s look closely at the season as a whole. I really have to praise Yoo Ho Jin PD, who did remarkable things with the show during his “reign”. It’s almost as if the first year of S3 is some kind of world building of their own universe. They very quickly develop nicknames and “characters” (almost), as well as plenty of running jokes and scene stealers from the crew are introduced. Yoo PD and his team also come up with excellent specials, some of which become a repeated/upgraded versions of themselves the following years. My favourites include the annual health check-up, food tours or races with throwing the dice. All episodes from the first two years of this season are very special – even if the members are asked to reflect and pick something memorable, they usually come back to these. The beginning also introduces some legendary “guests” from the citizens. The fact, that they came up with ways to incorporate their appearances in later years, is remarkable (like in one of the races, the teachers recorded short informational videos for the members to ace the quizzes). The last thing I want to mention here is the incredible trust Yoo PD developed with the members. Just the fact that he let them shoot some parts without the crew or made a special where they choose what they are going to do, is amazing. Not only is it entertaining, but the members truly make the show their own and those are some of my favourite parts.

Just to close this off, I want to mention that somewhere here the editing really improves, compared to the earlier seasons. Yoo PD makes small changes to make the show more dynamic, which also has to do with the fact that they just have so much footage. I remember the members (this was not intentional) from earlier seasons always worrying about the footage, if there is enough of it. In S3 this really is not an issue anymore.

The switch to Yoo Il Yong PD is very smooth, since the members themselves chose him. This change happens a few episodes into Dong Gu’s addition to the show, which was also a nice transition (I do believe that this made his “blending in” a bit easier). Il Yong PD rules with an iron fist at first, but as with most directors, they soon wrap him around their fingers. His run at the season is also very creative and the quality is very stable, there are also some ambitious and quite expensive specials, which proves that the higher ups were willing to invest resources into the show as well. The only downside is that after two full years of superb specials, his are just a bit less memorable. But nonetheless, still excellent. My favourites include Kim Jong Min special, Emotional trip with the poets or the Panmunjeom (the closest village to North Korea). I also have to mention, that some of the funniest bokulboks of his “reign” are hidden in seemingly boring episodes. Like when they were exploring the fall colours, hiking and then for dinner they played protect the fish (toys) in a bowl while spinning on an office chair. I almost peed my pants.

There is one more thing I want to mention that both of the above-mentioned PD’s did so well and that were the “member specific” specials, as I like to call them. Like when Kim Jun Ho had a terrible year within his private life when he got a divorce and at the same time kept losing everything on the show, they prepared a special where he was lucky the whole day. Or the episodes where they recreated some old family photos unknowingly – those were my absolute favourites. The PD’s showed the members as real people and that’s partially why this cast is still so very much loved.

The story of Kim Sung PD is heart breaking. After being on the show for almost seven years, his reign as the main PD came to a quick ending. And it is indeed a shame because from the few episodes we got, they were incredibly creative and something new.

The members who are this season

When I decided to seriously get into S3, knowing full well what happens, I told myself that I won’t get attached and especially not to Kim Joo Hyuk. Well, he was my absolute favourite since the first episode I’ve seen. I frequently cried during random episodes when he mentioned something about what he wanted to do with his life, and I was deeply touched by his authentic presence. He brought me so much joy, and in many ways, he was the ground rock this season stood on. When he decided to leave the season, he left such big shoes to fill. No wonder it took them so long to find someone to add to the cast.

Kim Jun Ho makes this season what it is, in a lot of ways. You can see how he slowly falls in love with the show and he completely lets himself go. The infamous Yaps, the one always causing mischief, chronic cheater, bender of the rules and a cute man-child. He has an excellent feel for the audience, I really liked it when he tried to steal/hide stuff they were finding during some missions and his rotten luck is a thing for a whole another review. He brought dynamic into every team he was in and I liked that a lot.

Cha Tae Hyun is an asset to every team, he is steady and always works hard. I really liked how he almost never interfered with other’s petty wars and revenges. I think that he has a lot to carry in his everyday life and it was fun to see how he could escape it all for two days and one night due to this show. He is also the one that is a close friend to every member and he knows them really well.

Defconn is, as they said, the anchor of S3 and the members trust him. He has a unique talent in making everyone feel comfortable and welcome, which in some episodes makes the biggest difference. He also possesses the “too much gene” (he sometimes doesn’t know when to stop doing something or talking), so I get that he’s not everyone’s favourite. However, I liked him here quite a lot. He also kept the season on point with references to current popular idols and actors, some of whom ended up on the show because of that.

I always root for the team Kim Jong Min is in. He is the chaotic good of this show. It looked to me as if he was the most comfortable with this cast, which I get since the majority of them are close to his age. I loved how he adored Kim Jun Ho and always bickered with him (if you don’t know, they now started a YouTube channel together called Kim Dumb, check it out). I am rooting for him in the new season as well, he is one of my absolute favourite human beings.

Yoon Dong Gu (I’m sorry, it’s just difficult to address him as Shi Yoon to me) is a breath of fresh air for this season and I think that he brought a lot of perspective and reflection at the time he joined. In his first episode, when he decided to play rock-paper-scissors fairly, I knew that he would be something else. Yet, he fits the show like a glove – he is very human, often fails, and he is very, very, very sweet. He is also quite affectionate with the members and holds them in high regard, it was nice to see.

Does JJY deserve anything nice to be said about him? To be honest, knowing what I know now, it gave me the freedom to rewind his parts when they were separated from each other or simply scroll my phone without regrets when he was on. As a whole, I don’t think he would be my favourite anyways since he presented himself, at least at first, as quite arrogant and I really don’t like that. When he came back from his hiatus (which we now know the reality of) I think I finally saw his place in S3. It wasn’t the same without him and he belongs to this season, however heart breaking that might be.

I also want to comment on Lee Yong Jin, the intern who never got to be the member. He was like a flash from the clear sky, when he first appeared on as a guest, I just knew that he belongs there. He is hilarious and the few episodes with him that we got, were excellent.

In conclusion, since we never got one

I cried like baby watching the last episode of S2. If S3 had a similar final episode, I would end up in the ER with severe dehydration. This is a bad joke, but the fact that we are left without a conclusion, a full send-off, is bittersweet, heart breaking and frankly, this season deserved better. On the other hand, leaving it on a high is a small gratification. I am sad, that the power to make and ending was taken from them.

I am not a fan of comparisons and of the attitude of not moving on from stuff. This season was overall very excellent and had elements that the previous seasons of the show didn’t have. It was almost as being an insider in the coolest group of people at your school, that everyone wants to be friends with and seeing them for who they are – just regular (and super funny) guys. I will root for every cast member and I sincerely hope that the system won’t fail JJY and he will recognize his wrongdoings, correct his behaviour and realise the burden of what he’s done to his victims.

I will of course support the new season of the show, since the idea of it is more than just the members. It’s all inclusive and about the beauty of Korea, learning about the culture, food and life (while having some fun).

I will remember these members forever.

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The second season of The Great Escape is excellent. The crew has really blown it out of the park. The world building is expanded and many cases are built on what happened in the first season. Yet, at same time, if you are new viewer, you are not missing anything. They also tried to enhance the plot of the show, bringing in some wild cards such as the possibility of not escaping from the complexes or that one of them could "die". This makes you feel some sort of urgency and you root for everyone even more, than in the previous season.

I have to comment on a significant improvement of all six of the hosts and the way that the crew matched their evolving abilities. Some of the episodes, although still about escaping, are quite different from the typical "let's empty all the drawers and find the password". This also makes the ones, who were struggling the last season, to be the key players in some episodes and it really shifts the dynamic in the team from episode to episode.

The bromance is still amazing, as well them being quite the role models in displaying friendship and the fact that being scared is okay.

What a triumph this season was! Amazing, well worth my time.

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The premise is straight forward, you watch six celebrities escape from large scale escape rooms, but The Great Escape is much more than that. This is show is very entertaining, funny, quite suspenseful and it makes you care a lot about the hosts.

It is not very rare to see a well working team in Korean variety, but here is a whole another level. They have a common goal which makes them work together, show their best abilities and cheer for each other every time they discover something. This is amazing, because it keeps their spirits high and also you get more into it because you sincerely root for them.

Every escape room (or in this case we can refer to it as "escape complex") has a specific theme. Naturally, you will not be interested in every complex the same, but none of the episodes are boring. I would also like to compliment the editing team on this one, because even though the members get stuck on some clues sometimes, the episode is still seamless, rarely drags and the tempo is there. Not to mention the sheer scale of TGE - I was in awe several times with the props and entrances to some secret passages.

As for the humor, the general rule is - the scarier the theme is, the more entertaining the show gets. There are a lot of inside jokes because they constantly refer to previous funny situations. It is also remarkable to watch them becoming pros at escaping. At the beginning they struggle a lot, being stuck in a tiny room for several hours, but in the last couple of episodes they develop the sense for hints and clues, and it is a joy to watch them.

Lastly, I would like to mention the healthy bromance and male representation. I love that they make it okay to be scared.

The Great Escape is in fact really great.

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Excellent follow up to the first season, I loved it very much and did not disappoint me. The production is just mind-blowing, some of the sets and the scale of the cases is unbelievable, as well as the guests in this season.

I appreciate that they expanded the world building in this season in a way, that created a unique show, but at the same time, if you did not see the first season, you could watch this one anyway. They created a new overarching mystery using some of the guests who showed up in multiple episodes which made the interaction with the hosts just a whole different kind of entertaining. They also kept a nice balance of individual/stand alone cases and inter connected ones.

The addition of Lee Seung Gi was very nice. He has a good sense of what the audience likes and he brought in a nice dynamic. I also read that because of Ahn Jae Wook's scandal they re-edited some of the episodes and it is true that he just appears in the bare minimum, but you notice it only when you focus on it. I am glad that they kept him on and didn't make any weird zooms on the others or edit him out completely.

The second season is still very, very funny, but the funny moments are not abundant like they were in the first season. I was trying to get into it with an open mind, but I just have to comment on the fact, that it was missing Lee Kwang Soo a bit. Other than that, this is still one of the best variety out there and time just passes by when you get into it.

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We all had this situation happen to us. We are far away from home and suddenly, we start to miss even the little things, but mostly home cooked meals. The premise of Boarding House in Spain is just that, to provide the traveller with some comfort and it leaks through the screen to your home, wherever it may be.

And oh my, this variety show is very difficult for the hosts. They had so much to do and were quite understaffed (Hae Jin had to get help from on of the on-site producers several times), that I think, if it were any other hosts, they would not make it. All three of them are so hard working, so entertaining and so sweet, I just can't.

The first couple of episodes reflect this. They are all battling jetlag (which they don't mention, but you can see it quite well) and they get to know the hostel and its surroundings. As a European who recently made a visit to Korea, I could totally understand their baffled expressions around some of the differences in produce, but they work around it excellently. Also, hat off to Jung Nam for taking notes on everything and practicing his Spanish enough to get by, and even make fast friends with some of the shop owners. He might be a scatterbrain in the kitchen, but he was very well organised when it came to the though stuff. At first I didn't know what to make of him, since he is a lively person and the dynamic between him and the other two was different than what I'm used to from the other varieties they have done, but he is very endearing and likeable.

After a rocky beginning, the hosts get a much need needed injection of positivity from a great group of pilgrims on the fifth day. After that, I felt that Seung Won became his usual self and he started to be interested in his mischief, and the responsibility of cooking that much every day got a bit lighter on his shoulders.

As for Hae Jin, his job was very varied, plus he had to make some impromptu stuff out of wood for the hostel as well. I admired that about him and mostly because he carried the humour and good spirits around him even when the situation got rough. I just love this man, and the crew adored him so much as well. They just laughed around him all the time and it makes you genuinely curious about what he is up to. Also, he is just so charismatic outside of the format of the show and makes parts of every episode a sort of video diary of his own, when he explores the surroundings during his exercise routine.

To make a kind of summary, the show settles into a nice groove after the first two-three episodes, but as a whole, it's excellent. I wanted to keep it as a casual watch, but instead, I gulped it down in 5 days. You will not regret investing your time into this one, it is worth it.

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After struggling the whole late autumn and winter, here comes the spring and summer, bringing new hope, groove and hilarious situations. For better dynamic, the hosts also get reinforcements in Kim Kwang Gyu, which is a great move. In this edition, they also start to really dwell into the self-sufficiency theme and they don't let the hosts just run around town to buy whatever, but they have to either work for it, or present Na PD with something they harvested, which gains them money. At least, this was the idea. In reality, Seo Jin just tries to push his luck and he makes a lot of deals.

They make improvements to the house and its surroundings, they learn a lot about taking care of the garden and they even build an oven. They also make themselves almost natives in the area and the locals are really proud of them, making various signs about which host likes what from their shop. All of them also improved as cooks and it's a joy to watch.

The choice of guests was excellent in this run, again. The three hosts have great chemistry and they make everyone feel welcome. Personally, I think that it worked the best with Park Shin Hye, whom they all adored and they (drunk) called her all the time, after she left.

I loved this very much and I will return to it in the future. It really was that good.

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This edition of 3MAD was incredible. The four guys really adapted the programme into their own and you won't even notice the absence of guests. Every episode is very entertaining and I was thinking to myself: "This just cannot get any better, this is the peek." And yet, I was wrong. The hosts try to do as many things as they possibly can, not to amuse the viewer, but to have genuine fun themselves. They explore the area of Gochang, work hard, play hard and eat a lot of delicious food.

I really enjoyed the dynamic between the youngsters and the veterans, as well as between the cooking department and the facility department. They kept joking constantly and had a good time. CSW and YHJ kept a nice tempo in the show, mostly because they cannot just sit still. I loved when they played ping pong, even baseball and also the inside jokes they developed during the night time conversations.

The added benefit to this run of 3MAD is the rural area this takes place in. I can imagine that people from cosmopolitan areas have only a rough idea about how the fruit, vegetables or rice shows on their plates or in their supermarkets. The hosts do various jobs in the area and it's interesting to watch and to learn with them. They usually reward themselves with and adventure, which is just a cherry on top.

Three Meals a Day: Gochang Village is just amazing. If you want to invest your time only into one of this series, I would pick this one.

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This is probably one of the most wholesome pieces of TV I've seen in my life. At first I was a bit confused, because the editing was done in a different way than the rest of the 3MAD series and then I read about the scandal of one of the hosts and the decision to chop his scenes out of the series. This affects the first three-four eps of the series, but the result is surprisingly fresh and paints a picture of a beautiful friendship between Cha and Yoo (as they refer to themselves). They also both feel drawn to Son Ho Jun who due to bad weather becomes literally stranded with them on the island for 6 days (at one point, they have to lend him some socks). No wonder he later on becomes the replacement host, they totally fell in love with him.

This show features a healthy bromance and plenty of it. The men share raw stuff from their lives with each other and it's very touching. Cha and Yoo also become Ho Jun's mentors, men to look up to and respect and they joke around almost constantly. No wonder this had such a high viewership, this 3MAD is something very special.

Fishing Village 1 is also very educational for people outside of Korea. It's fascinating to see the life of fishermen and you root for Yoo every time he gets to go fishing. I also really enjoyed how the show portrayed the life in the village. The people were interested in the house of the celebrities, they gave them a lot of advice when they met them at random and I loved the part, when the neighbourhood halmoni came to check if they were on fire because the fire smoked too much.

The food was on another level. Cha is an excellent cook and oh my goodness, they gave him some tough challenges, which he passed with flying colours.

The scenery and overall production of the show was just excellent. Well done all around, I can't wait to watch the second season.

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RHGHR is easily one of my favourite dramas of this year. I loved my Wednesdays and Thursdays, coming home to this. There is much to be praised, but there were some shortcomings as well.

First of all, I have to congratulate this drama for giving us a strong female lead in a historical drama, that was essential to the plot until the end. I often see in sageuk dramas, that the female starts strong and towards the end, she just lets everyone else handle the situation. This was not the case here, which made me very happy.

The theme of keeping history was very strong and even though it seemed laughable at the beginning, when they spoke about it so pathetically, the message was well received and important in the age of fake news and "believing opinions rather than facts". Massive thumbs up from me.

Other strength of RHGHR was in developing minor characters and various themes within the drama. The whole historian gang was so awesome, I am going to think about them a lot. Lee Ji Hoon shined here, as well as
Sung Ji Ru (him screaming "Mámáááá!" all the time was the funniest thing ever). The leads were cast very well, I enjoyed their performances and loved the fact, that the female lead was older than the male lead.

The additional episodes didn't feel as empty, as they usually do in other dramas. They saved quite enough agency, so it was still quite dynamic but I personally feel like some of the characters were not quite themselves and even though they tried to present it as a development, it just rubbed me the wrong way. The tempo was also a bit distorted and although I loved the first three quarters of the drama, it became a chore for me to finish it.

Nevertheless, I had so much fun, laughed aloud a lot and enjoyed myself. Good riddance, Goo Hae Ryung and please, just dip the brush in ink sometimes.

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This show is a solid ten from me. The concept is very good and I think it reflects the reality in a lot of countries - children just don't have the opportunity to run around and explore nature freely in our time. Little forest takes this issue and blends it together with well chosen hosts, some very sweet kids and excellent setting - summer is just oozing from the screen.

The first episodes, although very entertaining, focus more on the struggle of the hosts, who have limited experience with taking care of children of various ages. However, then the show finds a nice groove, placing the children at the centre of it. You get to know them better, the hosts prepare games, experiences and adventures for them and in the middle of all of this, the kids gain new knowledge and grow up a lot.

I have to give my admiration to all four of the hosts, who grew their skill set for this show as well. The kids in the show were all great and it was fun to see how they formed they relationships with the hosts. It all wraps up in quite an emotional finale, but you won't be disappointed investing your time into this.

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This was so great, I laughed the whole way through.

It was very interesting to see how the format of the show came together and found its identity. The choice of the guests, especially early on, was incredibly ambitious. On the other hand, this would probably not have become the phenomenon it is without that bold move.

And oh my, the hosts have struggled greatly. You root for them almost immediately and you learn a lot along with them. At first, mostly about how to keep yourself alive in an old school cottage and then about the Korean cuisine. There is so much to love here. The way they both struggle with basic meals and constantly call their moms from the landline ("Wait, that sounds complicated, I will give the phone to Taecyeon.") and succeed in producing an enjoyable meal is very sweet.

Both of them are also really handy, worked a lot around the house and the animals. I also enjoyed very much when they had their outings to town and made so many friends at the market and in the hardware store (Dong Shik rules!). Also, Seo Jin's sassy attitude is my favourite thing.

This show was excellently produced, even the episodes where I was not fully familiar with the guests were entertaining and enjoyable. I just loved it.

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This run of Three Meals a Day had everything I love - hosts with great chemistry, amazing guests, enjoyable soundtrack and perfect food porn. Seriously, some of the meals appeared in my dreams.

I also loved the "hidden subplots" of Kyun Sang's cats, neighborhood sassy stray cats, Jackson's family and elderly in the gazebo. I laughed so hard when one of the grannies commented on an outfit of the other ("It looks crammy on TV!") and I enjoyed the little surprises they hid inside the fridge for the hosts.

This show is amazing for the overall vibe of it. The summer just leaks from the screen and it made me want to go to a cabin or for a swim in the sea. As far as the guests go, everybody was great, but I enjoyed Han Ji Min the most - she really had a good time riding on the bike and joking with the guys.

It's great, be sure to watch it. Have food handy :)

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This is one of the best dramas out there. The writing itself is just superb and all of the cast was well chosen. It is a joy to watch, the story keeps you on the toes and I personally could not put it down.

The story is overall well designed, mostly character driven but the attention is well divided into three main lines following the side characters as well. This created unique tempo and various stages of relationships of the others present a solid ground - this kept the episodes varied and not one was boring or weak. You will be interested in the side characters as well, the drama takes the time not just to develop the relationships of the couples, but presents very fleshed out friendships and individual relationships between the ensemble as a whole.

It's just such a shame that for the sake of creating dramatic conclusion, the last two episodes are a sore spot. The female lead starts behaving absolutely out of her character and creates a situation that you as a viewer can't get behind. This bothered me. Otherwise well written conversations became just monologues and some rushed decisions left me a bit confused.

As for characters, the main six are excellent. I especially loved the character of Ma CEO who was a true gem and solid element in every relationship. The minor characters were very good as well, I enjoyed the parents very much. I liked the music.

I will definitely rewatch this at least one to have a "further think" about this. It gave me so much food for thought and it did stir emotion within me. It really is a unique drama and even though the last two episodes are a bit of a let down, the overall quality and character of the show itself make up for that.

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I liked this drama way more than I expected and that is definitely thanks to the characters. Phenomenal cast, all of the four main leads were entertaining, had great chemistry and you just rooted for them.

However, the story is not only simple, but sometimes quite silly and inconsistent. Also, and that might only be because of my personality, the element of the double life and constant lying was very hard to watch for me. I totally procrastinated the episodes where this situation culminated. The only thing that got me trough that were the sweet scenes between the main leads.

On the other end, I don't regret my time with this drama. It had so much good stuff in it - the relationship between the siblings, Do Min Ik finding out his worth with a disability, the constant bickering and genuine fun of Gal Hee and Min Ik on the screen and also a female character that was very into one male character.

Music was nice, I also think that this drama has a few of those scenes like little gems that I am going to go back to.

Overall, if you are in a mood for something simple and easy with amazing characters, this a good choice.

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