This review may contain spoilers
Zhang Wuji & Zhao Min!?
I really like Zhao Lusi and after watching the adorable trailers, I decided to give this drama a try and I am so glad I did! I will definitely be checking out Lin Shen’s other works. He’s a very charismatic actor who deserves more opportunities and recognition. Together, they had sizzling chemistry! It’s unfortunate that some people are passing up this drama because of the age gap, but it’s hardly noticeable and there is absolutely no creep factor about it in the drama.Trust me, the romance was sweet and so incredibly funny! Lu Jin wasn’t lying when he said that Zhou Zhiruo didn’t exist in his story. From the moment he fell in love with his Zhao Min i.e, Gu Sheng Nan, his feelings never wavered and he didn’t take any of the nonsense from the people who tried to get in between them. I never thought I would say this, but there is finally a version Zhang Wuji that I approve of! lol
Now, the only reason why this drama isn’t a perfect 10 for me is because I didn’t enjoy the later half of the drama as much as I did the beginning. I wish they didn’t shift the focus away from the cooking aspect of the show. It would’ve been great if we could’ve seen more of Sheng Nan’s growth as a a chef, instead of the fight between the half-brothers. But that’s my only minor gripe. The ending was ultimately satisfying and I’m happy everyone got their own closure in some way (even though a few of them frustrated me to no end at one point in time).
If you are still on the fence about starting this drama, don’t be! “Dating in the Kitchen” has a great CP, the storyline is fun and breezy, your heart will for sure flutter for Lin Shen, and Zhao Lusi will make you laugh and cry with her for 24 episodes. Watch this drama! You will not regret it!
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The main actors are the highlight of the show. Not that the secondary actors aren't good, but I really could have cared less about any of the characters. JunHo does well at playing an arrogant and strong yet vulnerable and sweet character in Seo Poong. I have been a Jung Ryeo won fan since watching History of a Salaryman and she doesn't fail to impress as Sae Woo. Jang Hyuk is, of course, excellent as Chil Seong and I just love him as an actor.
The music is okay but can sometimes get old.
I will never rewatch this.
I don't really recommend this drama, but it doesn't totally suck.
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I wanted to love this drama- allegedly its part of a Happy T-drama series (Happy and Love Forever, Sunny Happiness (which was good) , and this one) that reused the same actors and built upon each other. I really loved Sunny Happiness because although it wasn’t original it was realistic and the “co-incidences” were low. Fresh off the drama high from Sunny Happiness I dove into Happy Michelin Kitchen ready for an intense drama marathon. I was sorely disappointed. Happy Michelin Kitchen also looks to be a knockoff of “Coffee Shop Prince” but there is a reason why it is always better to get the real thing.
The Good. A few handsome guys and interesting cuisine are the best points of this drama. I like strong female leads and this drama has one. There was also some really nice scenery shots and the flashbacks were at a minimum until the last few episodes.
The Bad. Its an awesome concept to reuse characters and actors from previous dramas- that way the dramas have a common thread. HMK re used characters but changed the personalities making it sooo confusing and difficult to accept and care about the new character being portrayed with the same actor, same name, same title, different personality. Speaking of characters, never have I been introduced to so many characters with back stories that I just didn’t care about. There was an overabundance of side stories and side situations that made my head spin- I could keep up but I just didn’t care. I like strong female characters, but for every strong female character there is generally one weak female character; I am okay with that – this is drama land after all. In HMK for every strong female character there is one weak female, one sick female, and one evil female (there are a lot of characters) clearly out numbering the men, and antagonizing the leads.
The one thing I dislike about most T-dramas is the tendency to go overboard. In MHK, there are accidental deaths, accidental pregnancies, secret births, miraculous healings, business take overs, plotting, a bunch of near death experiences, and heir issues. Way too much drama going on! The story line is polluted with all of the side-drama causing it to be forgettable, but it probably couldn’t stand alone anyway.
The Ugly. This drama is fashioned to initially resemble “Coffee Prince” DO NOT BE DECEIVED! I wrote this review so no more of my drama friends would be caught by this evil trick. This drama is nothing like Coffee Prince. Cheryl looks awful as a tomboy and to be honest I kept looking at her and saying “these people do not see her boobs?!”in disbelief. The costuming department should have been fired, because 80% of the actors looked like they shopped at a thrift store for people bigger than them. The hair/ makeup department should have been fired because not only was Cheryl’s wig an awful mess but too many characters looked old, shiny, or like their hair had never seen conditioner. And i saw Texas hair!! (big poofy kind of hair)
In short unless you love whiny, angry, creepy looking characters in situations where everyone is unknowingly really close, don’t watch this drama. Save yourself some anguish and time and just watch Coffee Shop Prince- or anything else. God Bless the subbers because I would have quit subbing around episode 5.
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Great visuals with a choppy plot
Overall: So don't read the summary on gagaoolala as it gives away what is supposed to be a plot twist in this short film. I've noticed very similar weaknesses with m/m romance from Taiwan (i.e. Because Of You, Light, Innocence, Papa & Daddy) which try to cover too much plot and often have flashbacks/forwards that add to the choppiness. I wish Taiwanese writers/directors would learn from Strongberry in South Korea on how to put a cohesive/realistic story into a short run time (i.e. Some More, Step For You).Content Warnings: none
What I Liked
- acting
- production value
- the scenes of physical intimacy
Room For Improvement
- choppiness, starts with them yelling at one another, then a guy is in bed, then motorcycle riding, then basketball playing...like what is going on???
- for the basketball playing scene, how did they meet? The story should have started here and given some footing for the rest of the story.
- unrealistic responses/conversations, who doesn't ask what a person does for a job, it's one of the first things you ask someone. Also, if someone tells you not to do something don't they normally give a reason or wouldn't you ask what their reason is?
- how much time has passed, there isn't a sense of how long they've know each other, a few days, a few weeks?
- I didn't like the ending and think there could have been an honest conversation about the challenge/s of their relationship and how they want to proceed.
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ADORABLE
Technically, this special does not have any music I think? Or maybe the video I watched was incomplete... but for the BGM , EP and OP of the drama, I am giving it a 10. The angel choir alone deserves a 100/10 XDThis special was adorable, as all episodes were. I was smiling the entire 18minutes, it is so funny but romantic at the same time.
The pain of Kurosawa for the chocolates made me rofl, Detective Rokkaku being KuroDachi's son XD so cute and really the cherry on top of this marvelous drama.
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This review may contain spoilers
Something you should know before you watch
I've had high hopes for this movie. I didn't watch the trailer. I kinda just went into the movie blindsided. I thought it was gonna be like bloodhound the show that's how people were making to seem like in the comments but anyway, I feel like it was good actors but but in the movie, they kind of just thrown in characters and kinda expect us to know their backstory or how their attached to them and then for the action to happen at the end of the movie did it make sense to me? I feel like this movie had good potential but they kind of just threw this plot everywhere if I had to give her the rating I would give it a 4.3. I'm deducting points because there's a lot of confusion. The story is all over the place, adding people at random times ,should've went with a different plot ,and many more. I'm not gonna go all around the world and explaining it I would give this movie a shot if you're gonna watch it but personally, I just didn't like it. To be honest, I think they should've took a note from my name or ballerina but that's just my personal opinionWas this review helpful to you?
had potential, but cliched/nonsense writing ruined it
Overall: the weak script hurt what could have been a unique premise. It has twenty 25 min episodes on GagaOOLala and ten 50 min episodes Viki. I'll be referring to the longer Viki episodes in my review.Content Warnings: bullying, fight, attempted murder, fight, death, grief, dub/non con kiss
What I Liked
- the intro/music
- clear about when this takes place at the start and after the jump
- that magic dude (who vanished for a large chunk of time)
- the friendships between characters
- sweet/caring moments
- the final episode was better than several episodes previous to it and the NSFW scenes were done fairly well
Room For Improvement
- my main complaint is the weak script, characters are doing things "because the writer said so" not because they would actually do them in real life, I don't want to list all of the nonsense things out but there are a bunch like what kind of warehouse has a kitchen (and a bathroom?!?)
- several characters are too unlikable/hot and cold
- cliches abound including the flamboyant guy as a villain and the evil ex girlfriend cliche
- the boss/employee dynamic had a bit of a grooming aspect to it and it was difficult for me to see past it, wish they hadn't been boss/employee
- the total nonsense with the freezer and lack of consequences
- awful communication
- I like cameos but was not into the stepbrother cameo
- a lot of filler/slow pacing
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This review may contain spoilers
Just lit as s1. Shouldn't be dropped halfway in any circumstances!!
I'm one of those who waited half a year to watch s2 and without any doubt i can say ,this never disappointed.S2 was fresh with so many new charecters(some still remains a mystery),ofcourse there were some tissue grabbing and sobbing moments,but was extremely entertaining ,thrilling and satisfying with the ending.
Mild Spoilers ahead !!!!
After the 3-4 th epi ,the story faced a slow pacing (maybe because of the loss of someone) and also due to a diverted less significant' case' than the previous ones. But to my great surprise the show retrieved the initial momentum the very next week. To be honest,it made me completely forget the trauma that was given in the earlier episodes and was fully immersed in the new story arc.
𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐒2 was being connected with S1 .Certain charecters and events had great importance in season as well, which made it feel like Master plan or something of the writer.
The only thing which was disappointing in my opinion was ,
(𝗦𝗽𝗼𝗶𝗹𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗮𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗱)
Im a great fan of PARTNERS FOR JUSTICE [2018-2019] which infact is by the same writer(i think). She did this very similar doctor character in PFJ too, so that felt easy to pin point the main antagonist. Moreover, the antagonist was more obvious than the previous season, nevertheless the journey was worth every second.
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Romance blew the mission and the logic !
The premise of this drama involved secret agents, shady odd jobs and conflicting loyalties when tested. Initially, I thought this would be one of those spy series where the hunter falls for the prey. But this was an unapologetically sappy love story wrapped in a slightly unhinged espionage plot. I was expecting "mission impossible" vibes but make it a BL, but what I got was "mission emotionally compromised".The above is not technically a complaint because the drama made it clear in episode 1 what it wanted to be.
Our leads Da Hei and Xiao Bai come from two very different worlds and are forced to live together. Da Hei is our neighbourhood hire with a tragic backstory where he is collecting funds for his little sister's treatment.
Xiao Bai comes from a long line of secret agents (family business if you may xD) where expressing emotions is a crime, and he is sent here to spy and report on Da Hei.
But what happens when you put two handsome boys together? We all know the answer!
The romance between them was the highlight for me. They had this awkward adorable chemistry that builds with every episode. There is something very genuine between them that made me actually enjoy this even though the plot seemed to be a bit logically weak.
Coming to the whole spy plot, it was barely convincing. There was no structure or realism. Surveillance tactics were very questionable and it looked more like a dramatic group chat project rather than an investigation by an "intelligence company". It was more of follow your heart and wing it!
I stopped expecting logic from the drama and it made me actually enjoy this but the number of plot holes was amusing at times.
The side characters felt mostly like props to the central romance. I found their presence more situational than essential. Some are tossed in for comedy, some for a little backstory but none of them felt fully emotionally cohesive to the plot.
The acting was decent from both leads and their chemistry was believable. The rest of the cast also did well considering how little they had to offer. The production doesn't look cheap but again could have done more on the spy side to make it more believable.
Overall, this was fun but a mess. Recommended if you don't mind a romcom flimsily disguised as a spy drama and are willing to suspend disbelief and logic while watching.
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This review may contain spoilers
When I was to the 2nd to the last episode, I was like rather excited to see how the drama was going to end. Then as tried to predict the ending, I started to smile because I thought the ending was going to include a twist, foreshadowed earlier in the series - when Ye Hua wanted to fake his own death, in front of so many witnesses, so that he can be with Su Su without the pressures of being the Crown Prince. I was like... that clever guy. But in the end, it was a stupid ending, and ending that made no sense and dragged on for nothing. This series is highly overrated. And how did they resolve Qian Qian's relationship with Mo Yuan? I mean, that was really not explained. And not to mention how anti-climatic his 70,000 year long return was. I mean, that is essentially the second larges plot of the series and the resolution felt incomplete. Was this review helpful to you?
My review could very well end here, and you'd get the gist. Nevertheless, a simple comparison would be unfair towards this drama and decisively too flattering towards the other two.
There are at least 3 reasons to prefer Sungkyunkwan Scandal (after 4 years I've finally learnt to write this title) to other gender/bender, flowery boys scenarios:
1. The female heroine is intelligent! How refreshing. Not only she has a well working brain, but she doesn't let anyone trample all over her. Her goal in life is more edifying than simply get the guy. In this sense, SKK is way more modern than many K-dramas set in today Asia.
2. Directly related to the above, the flower boys are actually nice people! They overcome prejudice, value friendship and don't go around grabbing the girl's wrist at every turn.
3. Everyone is MUCH better dressed. I'd say colours and costumes are a huge part of this drama's charm.
This said, the drama is not flawless. I believe its main weakness lies in the way conflicts are resolved. While highly interesting and thought-provoking issues are raised - gender equality, homosexuality, eastern vs. western philosophy (Confucius vs. Socrates), the power of knowledge and others, they aren't in any way resolved and at times are very superficially concluded. Mind you, not that a tv-show could ever give us the answers to such essential questions, but even in the enclosed world of the narration some plot threads should have had a conclusion but didn't. We are left to wonder when and how the packet has been so prettily wrapped.
Also, the pace is uneven. The drama is somehow divided in groups of episodes, each developing and in a way closing: the entrance, the tournament, the scandal, the treasure hunt etc. The love story is charming in the beginning, drags in the middle and gets very charming again by the end. I wish they had shortened the angst - which works very well for the male lead who's facing a true conflict, but makes the female suddenly annoying - and given more space to their delightful romantic banter. Even the ending could have been better elaborated and conclusive, had they cut short on the middle anguish.
All in all, however, this is a lovely, funny, feel-good watch. The acting is fine enough, since it has no pretence of greatness. Don't expect stellar performances, they are all a little stony at times, but they look young and pretty, so one is ready to forgive them.
Not surprisingly, my very favourite character here - Yeorim - is also the best acted one. I've sit through the whole drama waiting to see what he would say next and what new outfit he would wear.
Music is, for me, the true sore spot. I appreciated the insertion of modern rhythm on a period setting because the drama is meant to be "timeless". The instrumental pieces are nice, albeit forgettable. The "lover song", on the other hand, got so much on my nerves, my watching partner and I retorted to muting the sound whenever it played (and it played every single time our lovey-dovey pair was together). Have you ever tried watching a kiss in complete silence? Well, don't try: it's terribly awkward, proof that the right music makes up for 50% of the emotion. Since we couldn't have romance+music at the same time, we hummed a tune ourselves.
This review comes after a second watch. I had seen this drama back in 2011, but was distracted by other things at the time and basically couldn't remember a thing. Watching it in good company was a funny and entertaining experience I am ready to recommend.
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I was attracted by the synopsis and the lead actors so I decided to give it a try without any sort of expectations.
2) Storyline/Plot:
This film's story wasn't special but it was interesting to watch, the general concept was something that would make you attracted.
Positive points:
*This is the type of story that fits the majority of viewers because it has an appealing concept.
*Main Genres:
--->Action: it was present in many moments and many turns; this element made the film enjoyable (I wouldn't imagine myself watching the movie if there wasn't this element) plus the action scenes were nicely made and very believable.
--->Humor: this film was hilarious but not too funny so don't get your hopes too high. Funny scenes were present every once in a while which made the storyline lighter.
Negative points:
--->Romance: it wasn't heavily present, actually we don't get to see a lot of romance in this film, it was superficial and not very interesting (except a little at the end). However, it doesn't ruin the general story but I can't possibly call this "A romantic film".
Story: 8.5/10
3) Acting/Cast:
*Gong Yoo:
This actor's films/dramas are always interesting to watch. Here, it wasn't any different; his role was a "cool" role that kept things enjoyable. His action scenes were nice too: great kicking skills.
Speaking about the character, I would say that Kang No-young's personality was sometimes mysterious and indifferent yet it can become warm and caring at some other points.
*Kim Sun Ah:
In my Dictionary, she has always been a good actress who knows how to deliver emotions. Here, I saw decent acting skills and some nice action moves.
The character was the strong girl type, it was really funny sometimes and super serious at other times. Chun Jae-in's school girl mode was greatly done, I liked everything she have done as a high school girl especially the way she reacted with her surroundings.
*Other Cast: The acting wasn't bad plus the choice of characters was nicely done that's why I have no complains about the supporting roles.
*Relationships:
--->Friendship : I liked that concept here even though it wasn't that deep but it was good enough to make you interested.
--->Chun Jae-in's relationships with her uncle and the police departement members was hilarious sometimes and enjoyable most of the time.
--->Romance: Due to lack of romance in the storyline, there weren't much chemistry to talk about.
Cast: 8.5/10
Acting: 9/10
4) The ending:
The romance was fixed in the end but this was your usual rom-com ending; the sort of ending that anyone would love to see on screen.
The ending: 8/10
5) My impression (How did it affect me):
The feelings I had while watching this:
*Some anticipating moments since I wanted to know what will happen next.
*Some excitement moments during action scenes.
*Entertainement moments were included too.
*I don't think there were any boring moments during the film; only some slow moments but they didn't last for long.
*Is this film memorable: yes, I think it can be considered as a memorable film although it isn't special.
My impresion: 8/10
6) Overall:
*If you like action films with a slight of romance then you may want to watch this.
*If you like strong female leads and cool male leads then this is for you.
*If you're into undercover films then you would like this.
Overall: 8.5/10.
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All around, I think that acting was stellar. Kim Sun Ah was wonderful as Yeon Jae. I loved the progression of her character. She went from a frumpy office punching bag to a woman awakening to life to a serious, proud, sad woman, determined to live her life the way she wanted. There were countless moments while watching this where her emotions came across and just blew me away. Lee Dong Wook; he was rather stiff at first and that stiffness was obviously more than his character's chaebol, "all dead inside" persona. But I expected that because the man has been away for two years. As time went on, that stiffness went away and I breathed a little sigh of relief. Uhm Ki Joon (Dr. Poopy Suk) was probably one of my very favorite characters in this drama. Watching his character growth, watching his steadfast friendship as Yeon Jae's doctor was joyful and heart wrenching. All of the side characters, Yeon Jae's mom, her best friend Hye Won, the Tango class crew...Her friend Hee Joo...They all had meaning to her life and to the plot. Well done.
My only nitpick is Im Sae Kyung. I'm not sure if it was Seo Hyo Rim, the writer or both, but her character was a one dimensional terror of a witch. I wish they would have helped me have sympathy for her. I know they tried to give her that in telling her history but for me at least, they mostly failed.
This plot completely revolves around her diagnosis of fatal cancer so I'm not giving anything away. Knowing that is your starting point challenges the writer to fill in the questions of what now? What will and must your character go through? This show had some very heavy moments, and it should have. They were dealing with death. But those heavy times made the small triumphs, the happy moments and the love connections, both romantic and familial that much deeper. The writing of this was so smart. It seemed so realistic that this is what a person would go through when told they have cancer and not long to live: The denial, hope, determination, heartbreak, panic, desperation and anger; Yeon Jae and those whose lives she touched felt them all. Every phase of Yeon Jae's journey felt right to me. It was hard to go through with the characters in points but necessary and didn't drag out too long.
The cinematography was beautiful. I loved the music; the love theme for Yeon Jae and Ji Wook was lovely. I liked the light "French inspired" soundtrack during happy times and many other songs too. They all seemed to fit well with the story. I loved the color palet and design of the sets especially Yeon Jae and Ji Wook's homes. I want to hang out at the Tango place. Also, I want Yeon Jae's wardrobe! She had some awesome clothes.
The message of this drama is simple: To live your life to fullest and to be true to yourself. To find happiness for yourself and those you love and most of all; finding hope, even in the face of death.
I recommend this! You will laugh. You will love the passionate moments between the two leads as well as the light comedic moments. But you MUST have tissues handy!!
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The characters are really deep and well-developed in spite of the entire theme being them Karuta players. I love the main girl and her passion and determination for the game was really inspiring. I also loved the dynamics between her and her friends and watching them practice and bicker was very nice. The way these characters come together and decide to go the Nationals was amazing.
The romantic aspect of the film wasn't much but I enjoyed whatever they showed. When the movie gets intense, they also throw in some anime humour which saves it from being too much to handle. I think this film can serve as an inspiration for anyone regardless of what goal you are aiming for. It also shows how not just talent, but perseverance and taking care of your health while working toward your goal is equally important.
The main actress is really pretty and the main actor was also cute. I don't know any of the other side actors but they also did good jobs of their characters. Like I said, a big traditional side to the film exists and that makes it way more intriguing to watch. Like in the poster, the costume of the main girl was very beautiful to look at. So there's an aesthetic value attached to the film.
I think(?) there's a sequel to this film which is MUCH NEEDED because the ending left scope for a lot to happen. I think this has convinced me to read the manga and watch the anime because I've clearly not got enough of these characters. There's also a lot more story that can be told and I want more- so yeah.
I am super glad I didn't pass it up because that would've been such a waste. Hopefully by the time the subs come out for part 2, I'll have read the manga and I hope there will be more romance. The leads are so cute that I-can't-even...... Go watch it. Hope you enjoy it as much as I did.
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