This review may contain spoilers
Of Chocolates, Mental Illness, and Love Connections
I've been looking forward to this the moment the project was announced so I'm happy to report that I'm not disappointed. It is the best J-drama I've seen in quite some time. I have been avoiding J-dramas in general because I can't seem to understand its appeal anymore, something about their low-budget production quality, directing style, and acting that no longer meets my standards. Netflix-produced J-dramas, however, seem to be several notches higher than their network/cable TV produced counterparts, and this is no different. In fact, it has some of the best productions I've seen in a Japanese drama, period.While this is a remake of a French-Belgian movie, at its core, it is still a J-drama through and through, from its formulaic and cliched but heartwarming story to its endearing characters and life lessons. The focus on the chocolate-making industry is also typical of a J-drama. The professions of the characters are almost always highlighted and treated like another character in the story and that's something that I've always appreciated. As a chocoholic, I couldn't be happier.
The main characters, Sosuke and Hana, are endearing albeit imperfect and lacking in many ways. That one episode in which they searched for the “God Send” cacao fruit perfectly encapsulates what this drama is all about. A rotten fruit that is meant to be discarded can produce one of the best tasting chocolates known to man. Even an awfully flawed person can still do some good and achieve greatness. I love that symbolism!
I also love how everything is interconnected and that every episode features different stories of people, their heartaches, their triumphs, and their love for chocolate. I'm glad that they showed how debilitating scopophobia and OCD can be. Mental illness is as real as the air we breathe and shouldn't be taken lightly. People do struggle with these disorders every single day of their lives and more movies or dramas should feature them to raise awareness. I do like the group counselling scenes. They are enlightening as well as moving. Yes, it's predictable and tropey, but it's still good entertainment. Not every drama should flip tropes over their heads and contain plot twists to be enjoyable or good. Some just need the right recipe to satisfy one's palate.
My only real beef with the drama is the storyline of the second couple. I honestly don't think it's necessary. It feels out of place to me. Or maybe it's just not as well written as the main couple's that I found it incredibly lacking and unsatisfactory. So both of them also struggle with emotional problems of their own, I get that. But how did they meet exactly? How did they fall in love? What actually happened between them? I can only assume they met through Sosuke?I have so many questions. Even the way they got back together in the end felt rushed and forced. I feel like this was missing at least one episode because they skipped the mont matcha in the Rainbow Palette box. Maybe that was supposed to show more of their history together and also tell us why it was Sosuke in the kendo dojo sparring with Hana instead of Hiro.
Romantics Anonymous is by no means a perfect drama. If you're not used to the quirkiness and style of Japanese dramas, then you'd probably have more things to nitpick on and complain about. But I did enjoy this immensely. I may be biased as I'm an Oguri Shun fan and food dramas are right up my alley, but this really hit the spot. I've been mostly disappointed with J-dramas of late so this was a welcome change. I'm glad they decided to make this and I hope they will do another season with Sakaguchi Kentaro and Song Joong Ki. I will surely check that one out too.
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Sweet and Lovely like a Chocolate.
This is everything you expect from a sweet and heartwarming romance. It's delicious and make you both laugh and cry. A perfect mixed balance between kdrama and jdrama with amazing performance from both leads and other cast and beautiful visuals and cinematography.Story of two people who both have their own struggle with mental health and social anxiety but they want to change and be better and grow.
It still has many clichés but heart melting nevertheless especially with good chemistry between main couple.
If you are looking for a short feel good healing drama with sweet and cute romance, you will enjoy it.
and remember be kind to yourself and others. we all have our own struggles but it's never late to grow.
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Delightful
This is not a drama to rush through.It's a nice little drama that is best appreciated by not binging. Though I found it delightful, I also found it unmemorable, but not in a bad way ! It's something I will re watch & so am glad it's that way, because having something that's a reliable lovely thing to revisit is actually a great thing!I normally skip episode intros, but this one has a different one for each episode - showing you how a different piece of chocolate /confection is made every time. I liked that they portrayed people in love yet it didn't mean that thier "issues" disappear & they become instantly healed.
Pleasant without too much melodrama.
I especially like the cross over element as the female lead is Korean & that factors into the story
There is a fun cameo at the end by Song Joong-ki & Kentaro Sakaguchi for no particular reason
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sosuke's brother???
maybe its just me and because i started watching this because of hyojoo and kind of like for funsies, i dont mind watching dramas that just makes me happy and butterflies in my stomach and that arent too hard to understand so it was quite a good drama, i could watch it again actually but i have a few complains. i kinda got lost with few things, but the most important is, what exactly happened to sosuke's brother? like, yeah, he had an terminal illness but im not sure if that was the whole reason of why sosuke felt gross i think they couldve had explained better ??? but maybe thats just meand something i quite didnt like was how things happened, especially hana and sosuke getting married in a year😭 i know dramas these days do that (at least koreans) but while I dont mind them getting married, a year was like, not a lot of time after knowing each other and they couldve had explored a little bit more of their actual relationship, like the dynamic and stuff
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Warm Hugs and Heartfelt Moments
I absolutely loved this drama! At first, I was a bit skeptical, but by the end, I was completely hooked. The simplicity of the story is honestly what makes it so special, it’s such a warm, feel-good experience from start to finish. The chemistry between the leads is incredible, and the way they portray their anxieties feels so genuine. It’s rare to see a show that blends such heartfelt moments with clever details like the episode intros and unique naming. The production is top-notch, and the OST? Perfect! It’s the kind of drama you want to watch when you need a cozy, uplifting escape. I honestly didn’t expect to love it as much as I did, but here I am, already thinking about rewatching it!Was this review helpful to you?
Perfect one day binge.
Not too short, not too long. Plenty of character development. Very heartfelt with depth but not in a suffocating way. Hits closer to home, with some realistic issues most go through more than led on by society. Great romance as well that wraps up perfectly!I like how mental illness is portrayed and isn’t magically cured either. Both leads still have their issues but have found a way to live with it and find happiness as well. It leaves the story feeling more authentic as they feel like real people with real circumstances.
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Each episode gets worse and more BORING !!!
It started beautifully and was very interesting at first.The first three episodes were awesome because they weren’t only about those silly chocolates and the business. I’m sick of the monotony in this series.
In most episodes, they completely forget about the phenomenal psychological elements they introduced at the beginning.
Later on, it becomes shallow and ridiculous.
Many scenes feel detached from reality. Even the acting wasn’t very moving. At times you could clearly see that the actor wasn’t genuinely crying, but that his eyes were simply watering from the injection of artificial tears, which is often used in low-quality film productions.
I don’t recommend even starting this show, because there are far more valuable series waiting for you, such as Crash Landing on You.
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It will keep watching
This drama was profoundly heartfelt as it captured the struggle of trauma. The focus on the various relationships was well-articulated, keeping viewers entertained and eager to know more, while also adding suspense with the company's challenges.I really enjoyed the storyline, and the casting was spot on, right down to the cameos. Great drama from Japan and Korea! Historically enemies, now allies. It's beautiful to see how nations are slowly but surely coming together through media and other means. Despite the past, growing together is as sweet and delightful as chocolate.
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I hadn’t watched a normal Japanese TV series in ages. I decided to give this one a try, and before I knew it—eight episodes later—I was done. That says a lot. 😛You can find more of my reviews on Instagram. :D See my homepage about my Instagram account. Some of my reviews are under five hundred words so I can't post them here. (*^▽^)/★*☆♪(*^-゜)vThanks!
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I really enjoyed this series. The whoe thing was a rather comforting watch for me. Chocolate realy does just put me in a better mood and can just soothe me in my worst moments. I thought Oguri Shun and Han Hyo Joo were really good together as Sosuke and Hana. I liked the supporting cast especially, Akanishi Jin as Hiro. I liked that each episode focused on one of the speciality chocolates and how the were made. The show had some very emotional moments for me and It broke my heart that Sosuke thought he was dirty as a child after his brother died causing his phobia of not being able to touch people. I cried a ton in episode 7 too after they read Hana's apology letter. I could relate to her phobia b/c speaking in front people has always been hard for me.
11/9/25
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Had to watch it cause Han Hyo-joo is starring:)
This was originally based on a French-Belgian movie so it's not an original. So, we have a socially awkward chef who acts as a bartender staff but later spreads her wings and shows her real skills. She is also trying to help a chocolate firm boss to overcome his phobia of shaking hands with people. I like the concept, the acting team. It wasn't the epic series and till the end, it was a cliche, they get married but it was interesting to watch and they made me to eat chocolate with them, after watching each episode:)Was this review helpful to you?
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Bland for a slice of life / romance crossover
This drama started out great but ended up feeling dragged out. The casting was alright, but the storytelling was lacking. It was too slow-paced even for me, and I'm slice of life genre enjoyer. Also, I can't deny my frustration towards unnecessary love triangles (especially in J-dramas), because writers somehow manage to make 90% of the show about a couple that isn’t even endgame. That being said, I have to admit this drama heavily relied on the leads’ chemistry and acting. If it weren’t forHan Hyo Joo and Oguri Shun, I probably would’ve dropped it ASAP.
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