Very good, could have been perfect if shorter.
The greatness of this drama is in its main characters. They are mature, thinking people with none of the usual simpering of the ganre. They are all complex and rounded and aren't so easily put into the usual boxes of good or bad.The music and costumes were good, but as usual the white skin filtering was too much. Wish the Chinese industry would stop with this nonsense, since they already have such good looking actors without the filters.
The downside of the drama was the number of episodes. Forty episodes were too much for the story and the last five episodes I was mostly skipping and skimming. It was a good drama but it could have been excellent if it was shorter.
Was this review helpful to you?
Charmingly funny show with two endings
Delicacies Destiny was not a big-budget production, with nondescript sets and unmemorable costumes and props. Still, those factors did not detract from the show's charm, and one can tell that quite a bit of the budget was invested in the cooking scenes and the resulting dishes.This light-hearted story was primarily about the relationship between a Crown Prince and his Imperial Chef, with a side focus on the female lead's ambition to be the best Imperial Chef in the palace regardless of her gender. It was not a typical historical rom-com with strict palace rules and protocols. The royals in this show interacted casually with their servants and the Queen was not the usual domineering character who controlled her son's harem and marriage. She was unexpectedly very supportive of her son and prioritized his happiness. It was refreshing to see some emphasis on on positive body image.
I was thoroughly entertained with the food porn, cute romance, on-point comedy, and catchy OSTs...until the last episode.
From episodes 1 to 15, I found this drama hilarious and quirky. Still, the ending left me so dissatisfied that it took me time to calm down before I could write a reasonably objective review. Without spoilers, I can say that it was an open ending that irritated me so much that it dimmed my anticipation for a potential season 2 and, like the male lead, left me angry at the female lead.
EDIT: I increased my rating after watching the alternate ending. While it was not the best ending, it provided a proper happy closure that was much better than a clumsily executed open ending.
Our main couple was lovable and dorky. The slow-burn, sincere, and simple romance between them was endearing and fun to watch. Both lead characters were emotionally immature in their own ways which created plenty of opportunities for funny scenes. I smiled and laughed so much throughout the show.
The male lead, Zhu Shou Kui, the Crown Prince, started off being spoiled and entitled and was used to throwing tantrums. Yet, at the same time, he was compassionate and often protected the people he cared about at his own expense. It was great to see his character develop and mature. With the female lead's help, he realized that it was not always about him, and it was all right to let other people share his burdens. As for the female lead, Ling Xiao Xiao, who ended up as the Imperial Chef of the prince's kitchen, she was initially clueless about love. It took more than halfway through the drama for her to finally "kāi qiào" or realize her feelings for the prince.
He Rui Xian as Xiao Xiao is lovely, but she does not quite have the aura of a female lead yet. Her acting was pretty decent, though, and with a few more dramas under her belt, I think that she will get to the next level. I first watched her in the Royal Feast and liked her character there. Her acting range was wider in that drama compared to this show. In Delicacies Destiny, as Xiao-Xiao, she has too much of the wide-eyed, huh? look or a deadpan look, and it was towards the last couple of episodes when I saw more emotional acting from her.
It is my first time watching Wang Xing Yue, and like He Rui Xian, there is room for improvement, especially when it comes to his micro-expressions. I find it hard to believe that he is only 20 years old since he exudes a level of maturity beyond his age. He definitely has potential with his good looks for more male lead roles.
The supporting cast was fine, doing what they needed to do. There was some over-acting but nothing much to complain about and nothing much to praise. A secondary couple provided extra entertainment but did not distract from the main couple's journey.
Music-wise, the tracks were great, and a couple of them were not what you would expect from a historical drama. Still, they were fitting for this drama. For posterity, I have recorded the main tracks after my review.
Overall, I would recommend this show. If you don't like a ridiculous open ending, I would advise to stop watching before the last 4 minutes of the final episode. Or you could watch the alternate ending if you prefer to have closure.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9XdcFM5zhQo
00:00 陆虎 - 珍馐记 (Lu Hu - Delicacies Destiny)
03:03 锤娜丽莎 - 吃货一枚 (Jiahe Ji - A Foodie)
06:35 徐均朔 - 落尘 (Xu Junshuo - Falling Dust)
10:15 银临 - 七夕 (Yin Lin - Tanabata)
Was this review helpful to you?
An easy-going romance
Don't expect anything too serious or complicated, this is just something to watch if you want to keep smiling at two dorks that fell for each other. The main characters are lovable and the actors portray them well.There's no cringy humor, nor anything too corny. There're cliches but they are mostly done in a self-aware way, which is refreshing, and if there's angst (concerning the leads), it lasts almost nothing, they don't dwell on that. I honestly just focused on the leads though, so I skimmed through all the drama the other couples went through.
Big plus, which made the drama so enjoyable, the heroine is smart and resourceful and hilarious in a really good way. The leads respect, trust and protect each other throughout the story consistently too, which doesn't happen often, so it's really good to see.
So it's nothing outstanding, but I often need this kind of drama, where everything bad breezes past and the focus is in the good times, so that's why I put a high score. Totally watchable too, in fact, perfect if you're seeing a melodrama and want a little dosis of silliness and happiness.
Was this review helpful to you?
A Fresh and Unique Story for a C-drama
The story might seem a bit common but the portrayal of the story, the acting and the drama setting took it to a different level. This story might not be for everyone and it kind of seems mature(not 18+ though..LOL) not like a typical c-drama we always watch.The first episode itself got me hooked and of course there are few aspects in the drama that are cliche and Female Lead's mother character kind of lacked reality, to me it felt like an irritating or baseless(logic less) character. Also, kudos to the FL who I think gave it her all for the character and I kind of felt like all the actors fit their characters really well except for the Female Lead's mother character.
I never expected a C-drama to be this open and mature or I might not have come across other dramas like this one...But yeah, if you prefer a strong emotion with great acting that gives you fresh vibes for a rom-com....Well, this is it.
Go watch it!!! You will not regret it :)
Was this review helpful to you?
Despite the weirdish pet/owner relationship between the main characters, this drama is somehow very realistic. In the end, it is about people searching for someone with whom they can be themselves and that is a something everyone can relate to. Even if you don't like Matsumoto Jun - who, by the way, does a superb job in this drama, very adorable - you should give this drama a try. It might well be that at the end of this drama you too hope to have an adorable Momo as your pet! ;)
If you have read the manga, I think that this drama adaptation isn't a bad one at all. It's different, of course, and it doesn't follow the manga faithfully: there are quite a few changes and some characters omitted, some added/having bigger roles. However, I do think that the drama has the same spirit as the manga, and the main characters are quite the same. Anyways, I read the manga after watching this, so my opinion might be a bit biased since I was charmed by Matsumoto Jun's Momo first. :)
Was this review helpful to you?
worst season / wat happened
taynew firstkhao and sing - the only ppl that actually didnt disappoint anyonethis was a boring season the games were boring and the king of the day was the same person 5 days in a row, not only that but homophobic jokes were made by foei and white towards tay and first while others like chimon laughed at the table. not only that but first expressed that he found khao cute "the voices in my head keep saying khao is cute" they kept teasing later on about it and it was starting to become uncomfortable it was a harmless comment it felt like it was rooted from homophobia. not only did they make that joke but also a rape joke towards first and tay and later apologised and made first sit there w them but u can clearly see that he was still down the atmosphere in the house was bad and ppl wanted it to be over u can tell that 2 ppl wanted to leave the house.
so by now taynew and sing left to do work i assume leaving firstkhao, there was a game tht they had to disguise themselves and guess who it is. black paint and afro wigs were used and many ppl did blackface and laughed at the others who did it even if they didnt have ill intentions (mond knew what he was doing) they still should have known the only ppl who didnt take part in any of this was firstkhao by the end of challenge u can see khao being moody the atmosphere was gone again this was on the 6th day. https://twitter.com/ickyfeeI/status/1568519437770436608?s=20&t=YSzapkOrXH2WA1SJT6lFQg (<<<< what happened) pics are still up after 7hrs no apology
gmmtv ignored ppl calling them out and continued to post more pics of the group dressed like that. one more thing do not go after firstkhao for not saying anything we have to remember that in thai culture respecting ur seniors is a big thing there everyone is responsible for their own actions and consequences that come after dont blame others for the actions they did not do.
Was this review helpful to you?
I have never seen Shim Eun Kyeong in anything else, but I couldn't picture anyone better for this role. She was totally adorable as quirky, naive and genious Na Il. I know not everyone is a Joo won fan, but I love him. He has played a variety of roles and doesn't disappoint as Yoo Jin. It seemed real as he fumbled around learning to have friends and care for people. The other actors are good also. Go Gyeong Pyo is good as Il Rak.
The music is outstanding. It is worth watching this drama for that alone.
I will probably rewatch this at some point.
No matter what genre you enjoy, I recommend this drama. It is a comfortable and easy watch.
Was this review helpful to you?
What a roller coaster of a ride!
I’ve been waiting for this movie since I saw the trailer when it came out and I had high expectations for it. The movie didn’t disappoint AT ALL. Just a warning though, this movie is NOT for the faint hearted and may trigger viewers.Acting:
I want to seriously give a big salute to the actors in this movie. All of them did an amazing job. Their acting was so breathtaking and they captured all the emotions of their respective characters beautifully. Uhm Tae Goo deep voice really suites this movie so much.
Production:
The cinematography was mind-blowing. They really showed Jeju Island nature very nicely. Moreover, the director really knows how to capture their viewers. They have us sitting on the edge of our seats just waiting to see what happens.
Rewatch value 10/10!
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
It’s literally 5am and I have a 8am class sOON BUT I FINISHED ALL 24 EPS :0 tbh I was confused at first because the drama made it seem like Ye Lin was the ML but LMAO JOKES ON ME ITS YE MIAO not complaining tho;) For an honest review, I really enjoyed the plot it wasn’t cliché but tbh it was like the typical Chinese youth drama. Everything goes well and is light and fluffy up until the last few eps so don’t get shocked when you start crying and cursing at a fEW MFS for making you this emotional *trust me I did it* What makes this drama really special are the scenes of the main leads exploring the art of ancient painting and how because of this, formed unexpected friendships (& love interests HEHEHE) In the end I really wished that this drama was a few eps longer because the ending felt very rushed and all over the place idk I’m not a Calculus ho but shit didn’t add up and kinda left me hanging:// If this drama gets a season 2 then I hope they focus solely on Ye Miao And Ruining’s relationship! LOLL anyways I really enjoyed this drama and since I sacrificed my college studying time for this yOU SHOULD TOO jk but it was good guys!
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
It’s good but something is missing
I liked this drama. I really did. But something was missing for me. Usually horror stories bring a sort of dopamine rush which was not there for this drama. The story was interesting and several plot lines were only revealed at the end. The pacing of the drama was good too and none of the episodes felt draggy or boring.The acting of the characters whilst great, I could not be completely engaged. I think this was a stylistic choice by the author who decided to write a plot driven story not a a character driven story. This is why many characters save for the female lead felt very one note for example the mom was supper annoying that’s it, the grandmother was super evil that’s it. The back story of the ghost was tragic but somehow when it was being played out the scene did not land.
Having said that there was a fairy talesque vibe to the story. The folk practices were sometimes fun to watch and the cinematography was awesome. We usually don’t talk enough about the technical aspects of drama making, but to me the most fabulous job was done by the camera/ cinematography crew. There was a very solid technical team behind it. And I wish more people realised how great the people behind the camera could be.
Was this review helpful to you?
The Glory — An Extraordinary Journey from Trauma to Triumph
Watching “The Glory” was not just entertainment — it has been one of the most soul-wrenching, eye-opening experiences I’ve had in a long time. Not just because of its intense and gripping plot, but because of the raw, unflinching portrait it paints of trauma — not the kind we casually reference in conversation, but the kind that leaves deep, lasting physical and psychological scars. The kind that reshapes you. That haunts you.At the heart of it all is Zhuang Hanyan — and she’s not just a character. She is a walking wound, both physically and emotionally. A survivor of trauma most people can’t even begin to imagine. This isn’t just a revenge story. It’s not a romantic story. It’s the story of a girl denied the luxury of innocence, forced to survive in a world that offered her nothing but cruelty — and still, she breathes, perseveres, and ultimately triumphs against all odds.
<< A Life Shaped by Trauma >>
From the moment she was born, Hanyan’s world was one of darkness and violence. Abandoned at birth, wrongfully branded a “barefoot ghost,” she was torn from her biological parents living in Ming Dynasty Beijing, and discarded into the hands of cruel, abusive adoptive family in a remote, impoverished village called Danzhou. Her childhood wasn’t just difficult — it was a relentless crucible of suffering: beatings, starvation, humiliation, and sexual assault — all before she even had the words to describe her pain.
Most people would have broken under the weight of what she endured.
But Hanyan’s suffering didn’t end there.
When she was finally reunited with her birth family, clinging to a fragile hope for love and belonging, she was met with more rejection, manipulation, and abandonment. Her biological mother — the one person she had longed to know — responded not with warmth but with cruelty: caning her, starving her, pushing her away with chilling detachment.
And then — the unimaginable. Hanyan witnessed her biological mother’s murder, brutally and mercilessly carried out by the man she had called father. A mother she had only just begun to love, died poisoned and bleeding in her arms. Later, she would learn he had also killed her grandfather, her stepsister, her stepfather, two loyal maids — anyone who dared stand in his way.
How does a person survive that?
How do you even breathe after that?
<< The Messy, Honest Truth About Trauma >>
"The Glory" doesn’t just tell us about her trauma. It makes us feel it — bone-deep, breath-shattering. It doesn’t romanticize trauma. It doesn’t use it as a decorative backstory or a convenient excuse for sympathy. It shows trauma as it truly is — raw, jagged, messy, suffocating, and unrelenting. The kind that reshapes how she sees the world, how she makes decisions, and how she learns to survive in a life that has given her nothing but agony from the moment she was born.
Hanyan’s trauma bleeds into everything: her thoughts, her choices, her relationships. Her coldness, her rage, her recklessness, her mistrust of people, and her thirst for justice at any cost — these are not signs of cruelty or evil. They are the armour she wears to survive.
Yes, she lashes out. Yes, she is messy. Yes, she makes mistakes. Yes, she is reckless. Yes, she breaks down. But how else is someone supposed to respond when they've been told, over and over again, that they don’t matter? When their very existence has been battered, broken, and betrayed?
To expect composure from the shattered is not only unfair and unrealistic — it’s cruel.
"The Glory" reminds us that real trauma is not tidy and nice. It doesn’t produce people who are graceful, likable, or thoughtful. It produces people who are angry, cold, explosive, guarded, impulsive, or volatile. People who wrap love in fear, and safety in suspicion. Underneath it all, is a human being, simply struggling to crawl out of the wreckage with nothing but sheer will.
And yet, Hanyan keeps going — not for praise or pity, but because her pain demands justice. Because her story demands to be heard.
<< Compassion Heals: Yunxi’s Choice >>
And maybe — just maybe — that is healing.
But here’s what we often forget: healing from trauma is not a straight line. It’s not always calm. It’s not always graceful. It’s not always pleasant. Sometimes, healing looks like rage. Sometimes, it looks like destruction. Sometimes, it looks like burning everything down just to prove you still have control over something.
Enter Fu Yunxi — the one person who knows Hanyan’s brokenness most intimately. He sees her pain, has touched her scars, lived through the fire of her fury, felt the sting of her mistrust. And still — he stays. He never flinched, never turned away. He pursued her, married her — not just out of love, but because he believed in her. He trusted her strength. He knew she would protect his family. And when Hanyan prepared a divorce letter on their wedding night — not out of rejection, but a desperate gesture to shield him and his family from the fallout of her dangerous quest for justice — he burned it without hesitation. Not to possess her, but to tell her, in the clearest way he knew how:
I choose you. Even now. Especially now. You are not too broken to be loved.
If he — the one closest to her rage, her sorrow, her scars — could choose compassion over judgment — then why can’t we?
<< The World’s Quick Judgment >>
In the real world, survivors like Hanyan are too often branded with convenient, dismissive labels: “angry,” “broken,” “evil,” “irrational,” “cold,” “reckless,” “stupid,” or “beyond saving.”
But these aren’t character flaws — they’re the visible signs of invisible wounds.
The Glory reminds us of a hard truth: behind every trauma survivor is a story we cannot fully comprehend, pain we cannot measure, and suffering we may never see.
Because there are countless Hanyans among us — bearing invisible wounds from battles we may never fully know or understand. They don’t need our judgment. They need our presence. Our compassion. Our willingness to listen, even when the truth is hard to hear.
Hanyan is not a villain — she is a mirror held up to our society — a crucial reminder that people break in different ways, and that healing isn’t always straightforward. And her story, with all its brokenness and all its resilience, deserves compassion above all.
She isn’t heartless. She’s hurting.
She wasn’t trying to destroy others. She was trying to reclaim herself — to feel safe, to feel whole, to feel human.
Before we judge her for her rage or recklessness, we must ask:
What would you become, if you were taught that love always ends in betrayal, that trust is a weapon, and that your body and voice were never truly your own?
<< A Wake-Up Call for Us All >>
"The Glory" is not just a drama. It is a reckoning.
A searing reminder that real trauma doesn’t get resolved in a season or in a single kind gesture. It lingers. It shapes how you see the world. It stains relationships, and even the good moments with fear and suspicion — because trauma teaches you that every joy comes with a cost.
And that’s a lesson we desperately need today:
• Stop expecting perfection from the wounded.
• Stop demanding grace from the broken.
• Stop measuring worth by how “well” someone hides their pain.
And instead —
• Start creating space for the messiness of healing.
• Start showing up — not with judgment, but with empathy and kindness.
• Start offering understanding, not assumptions.
• Start offering help instead of knee-jerk reactions.
Because real life doesn’t come with dramatic music or scripted redemption arcs. In real life, survivors walk among us — quietly, bravely — carrying wounds we cannot see, fighting battles we may never understand.
So the next time someone seems angry, cold, distant, or hard to love — pause.
Consider what they might be surviving — and choose kindness.
<< The Glory’s Final Gift >>
"The Glory" doesn’t just tell a story. It gives trauma a voice. It gives pain a face. And it calls on us — the audience — to become better people. Not with pity, but with humanity.
Yes —" The Glory" may be just entertainment for some. And yes — the characters are pure fiction. But if, even after everything shown on screen — her backstory, her trauma, her rage, her vulnerability — we still cannot empathize with Hanyan… Then how will we ever truly empathize with a real survivor in real life?
• Let "The Glory" be more than just a show.
• Let it be a mirror.
• Let it change how we see, how we feel, and how deeply we care.
Because empathy — real, honest, uncomfortable empathy — is what makes us human.
Was this review helpful to you?
A Dark Painful Story Told in a Comedic Way
“Back From the Brink” is a dark painful story but told in a playful, comedic way. A spirit dragon, Tian Yao (Hou Minghao aka Neo Hou), was conned into a marriage where he was dismembered. Since then, he became an ordinary man, wandering the world trying to find his body parts. In his painful journey, he meets a girl, Yan Hui (Zhou Ye) who falls deeply in love with him and promises to help him in his search to return to his former form again.The tone of the drama is playful with modern vibes. Yet at the same time, dead serious when the antagonists appear. This series has perhaps produced two of the most egregious antagonists in the cultivator sisters. Their obsessions and atrocities make the viewers clenched their teeth and seethed, wishing them die a horrible death.
Tian Yao the spirit dragon, is a pure man void of evil thoughts. He is kind and upstanding with a mission to protect the world. His journey and determination to find his body parts are painful and touching. As he eventually returns to his dragon form, he becomes the strongest creature there is. I love Hou Minghao’s portrayal of the Tian Yao character here, though the CGI of the dragon is rather poorly done. Hou Minghao is very good looking and cute with an innocent youthful look. Some viewers commented that his acting skills are still somewhat lacking, I find him to have improved greatly since “A Girl Like Me” when I fell in love with this young actor. Here, his portrayal is believable, and his character is very lovable. As Tian Yao, his lack of words hits the viewers hard as he endures his pains silently.
Yan Hui, a disciple of the cultivator sect, is a happy-go-lucky girl who never holds any grudges. Her good nature wins her many friends and helps her become very strong in the end despite having a weak heart at birth. Zhou Ye is beautiful and has great acting skills. Her crying scenes are heart felt and convincing. Most important of all, she has amazing chemistry with Hou Minghao as they make a great matching pair.
Many viewers curse Bai Xiaosheng (Wang Yilun aka Riley Wang), a shadow demon, because he comes in between Tian Yao and Yan Hui in a love triangle. I love the Bai Xiaosheng character and Wang Yilun has given a great performance. The two side couples are entertaining and sweet, forming a great alliance for Yan Hui and Tian Yao. The OSTs are beautiful and soothing. Do listen to them for music lovers.
My Verdict
This is a lovely story with love and hate, happiness and sadness, kindness and atrocities, light and darkness. When one harbors negativities, one is consumed by darkness, as with Fu Yin (Pema Jyad), the Master of dark air. This is a very enjoyable drama for the whole family.
Recommended. Great watch. Don’t miss it.
BRAVO!
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
I feel like they could have done more with the characters and paced the story better.
There were parts that were compelling and gripping, and then parts where the plot dragged like crazy and I could only get through it at 1.5x speed, especially the middle. I think they spent too much time on the townspeople gossiping about Samdal and Yongpil when they had their own lives to live. I also felt like Yongpil's dad coming around was too sudden and we should have seen a gradual change start several episodes earlier. I also think the downfall of the villain was too brief for the grief she caused. Overall I feel mixed about it. I think this story could have been told and been better in 10 eps max. My favorite character is probably the little girl. She was too cute for words but was also the voice of reason a lot. I don't think I'd recommend this for most, there's better and there's worse.Was this review helpful to you?
1This review may contain spoilers
This is the most chaotic series I’ve ever seen! What I thought was going to be a good way to pass time, turned out to be a beautiful story about friendship, love and the bond you create with the people around you.THE STORY:
The series follows the story of an apartment complex where only men are allowed to be tenants. The story also has several callbacks to Why R U the series and you will see why soon. From here on out, the story follows several couples, the most prominent being Nott and Pun, and their journey towards love.
THE ACTING:
The acting is seriously impressive! All the characters seem to be crazy and the actors channel the essence of their characters very well. A special shoutout has to be given to Poppy as Porpla, whom I just found out played Junior in Why R U the series! For actors who seem to be doing their first or second roles, they were amazing. I have to say that it’s been amazingly cast.
THE PRODUCTION:
This is the first time I’ve seen a sitcom format for a BL and I have to say I’m sold on this idea. The production team has done an excellent job with this series and I believe it’s going to get even better as it goes on. The series also breaks the fourth wall often to either give advice on love, or sometimes it’s just cause!
THE OST:
What a fun OST! The OST of this series is the same as Why R U’s OST and I love it. Most of the tracks of Why R U’s OST are reused for this series and I couldn’t love it more!
THE NEGATIVE:
Nothing. Absolutely nothing. I cannot think of one negative thing about this series.
THE ENDING:
WHAT THE HECK WAS THAT ENDING! Seriously what was that ending? They rode off on a Spaceship and THE END!! Then that one year time jump? I really hope that was a season 2 announcement.
All kidding aside though,
What I thought was a series that depended solely on it’s hilarity, delivered a surprisingly poignant and heart touching finale. That conversation between Porpla and Pun about unfulfilled first love was something else. Poppy was just ‘Chef’s Kiss’. I never would have thought that my favourite character at the end would be Porpla and the relationship I would be most invested in would be that of Pun and Porpla. That Spaceship though! I guess they got together, but that ending has got to be an announcement for season 2!
This series does not have as high as a rating as other series’ do, but trust me, it’s worth your time. If you’re having a bad day and just want to laugh , this series is perfect for you. Its a surprisingly insightful series about life, if you just look past those quirks. I hope this review helped you with your decision to watch this series. Thank You!
Was this review helpful to you?
This show goes down light and easy in the first few episodes, and you'll be hooked before you know it. Then it will totally wreck your feelings! This show went above and beyond any expectations I had for it. Although, there are a few minor plot points that I deducted a point from the story for, overall I had no major criticisms for it.
Chae Soo Bin and Yoo Seung Ho did an exceptional job as the main leads. They did well in both the comedic scenes and in the emotional scenes. I have nothing but praises for them in this drama. The supporting cast were enjoyable also.
Some will say that this is only light and fluffy, but I found deeper meaning in the story as well.
This was a surprise hit for me! I went in expecting a 7-7.5 show and instead was happily given much more! If you're on this fence about this one, hop off and just give it a chance. I don't think you'll be disappointed!
Was this review helpful to you?
