Editorials 
I'll take one of everything
As a woman who also appreciates boyish charm and looks from the 25-35 range, the first thing about this series that gained my appreciation was the age gap. It's one of the tropes I loved about My Dear Lady and Dating in the Kitchen. And there is something about historic CDramas and KDramas that draw me in every time. Pretty sure it's the romanticized costumes and anti-tech that gets me. I did find this series a little stretched for what it was. I think this would have been just as good done over 10 episodes rather than 12, but it wasn't so much that I felt super annoyed. If you are someone who enjoys watching cooking competitions, I really think you will like the way she describes each of the dishes she cooks when she presents them. I will say, I thought we were building up to a secondary couple with the chef's assistant and the assassin, but it never actually took off. Still I found plenty of action to keep the story moving, and I really loved the way they wrapped it all up. I don't know that I will watch this one again, but I am happy to have watched it at least once.Was this review helpful to you?
this ending meeeh
I really enjoyed the culinary concepts, they were creative and engaging. Unfortunately, the romance storyline was absolutely uninteresting to me and dragged the whole thing down.The worst part was the ending, which felt so rushed it was like they just gave up halfway through. That completely killed the vibe and left me disappointed. Honestly, it turned what could have been a solid, enjoyable experience into something pretty meh, which is a shame because the cooking parts were really on point.
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Unpopular opinion
I think this show is over hyped, because there was not an equal beside it now. The acting was nice, the ML was the best by far from the cast. Production was as it should. Also, ost went completely unnoticed to me. However the script was the main "problem" in my opinion. Borderline ridiculous at times, with basic and boring dialogues. I couldn't even persive the special effects -reactions to the food as funny. Exasperated to the max. If only this show was written differently, then it would have objectively been a really good one.Was this review helpful to you?
1This review may contain spoilers
Overhyped, Lacking Substance
While Bon Appétit, Your Majesty is clearly a cooking-focused show as suggested by the title it felt like it should’ve been more than just food and kitchen scenes. The premise had potential: a royal figure, time travel, and an unexpected dive into culinary arts. But unfortunately, the show fell short in execution.The romance angle was underdeveloped, and the backstory of the deposed queen didn’t go deep enough. There was so much emotional and historical weight they could’ve explored, but instead, the plot just stalled.
After the first two episodes, it started feeling repetitive. Every episode followed nearly the same formula, with very little actual plot progression. One major frustration was the lack of explanation for how his Majesty ended up in the present time — a huge plot point that was glossed over entirely.
Overall, the show had great potential and a unique concept, but it lacked depth and forward momentum. With better storytelling and more character development, it could’ve been something really special.
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too much cooking, not enough story
the beginning of this drama pleasantly surprised me: the culinary theme felt fresh and unusual, which immediately set it apart from most historical projects. that was exactly what drew me in at first. but later it became clear that the writers relied too heavily on this cooking angle. the main plot is built on familiar cliches from other historical dramas, and even those could have worked better if they had been developed properly. instead, the creators stretched out the contests over several episodes while giving too little attention to character development.the romance line feels insincere – the characters feelings appear suddenly, without enough foundation.
that said, i can’t say everything is bad. the story has its own logic, and among the characters i especially noted the jester – a charismatic figure who truly stood out despite his limited screen time. i wish there were more characters with this kind of charm.
so for now it’s a 7/10. the drama has a fresh idea and a few strong moments, but the main story could have been much more engaging if the writers had worked more on the characters, the plot, and avoided the overuse of cliches.
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Another beautiful but ultimately forgettable drama
A spirited rom com served with beautiful faces and more beautiful food. Sucked back in time, Ji Young, immediately finds herself interacting with recorded history's worst tyrant that also happens to be a foodie and her skills as a chef save her as she adapts to ancient Joseon and struggles to find her way home. In the process she inadvertently changes the tyrannical king with her soft heart and delicious dishes leading to wonder if she really wants to return to her own time.To be honest I was really disappointed in the romance of this drama. As a romantic comedy I expected the romance to be sizzling but it was luke warm at best and entirely one sided. King Yi Heon completely carried this show for me. I'm here for all the red flagged men that are changed by love and he played that part exceptionally. From his taste palate to his misery this man delivered. He drew me in and I was hooked. Ji Young, however, was just kind of there for me. I did not dislike her but I also didn't find myself as entranced by her like I was with the male lead.
I also found the plot lacking here. They focused so much on the food and so little on the actual story progression. Carrying the food obsession and mind blowing skits that worked in the beginning was very repetitive by the end. Instead of spending as much time on the food they would have benefited from actually growing the romantic chemistry. So much screen time is given to the theatrics of the cooking but little to the actual power struggle and palace inner workings that lead up to the finale. And then you get to the end and you end up left completely underwhelmed. I can forgive giving no explanations for the time travel but the drama even chose to completely ignore Ji Young's reason for being in the hospital. Did the plane crash? Did she pass out in the bathroom? I mean I would have been satisfied if they just said she was in a coma following an accident but it was completely ignored.
Overall a very pretty drama but will be lost in the sea of mediocre dramas that leave no real impression on you.
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Nice, light escapism
Was the story and pacing handled well? No. Were the characters well written and three dimensional? No. Did I like the relationship between the FL & ML? Nope.Did I enjoy watching this? Yes!
To be honest, the pacing dragged a lot throughout the show, the FL definitely was in Mary Sue territory and frequently got away with ridiculously high stakes by the power of just being the protagonist, and the ML was presented as being a sweet, yearning boyfriend while actually being very insufferable, unempathetic, and veeery immature.
Which is quite a list of bad things, but I'd still recommend this drama to others anyway.
It's not a good story, but it's a very good pick me up for some good old fashioned escapism, especially if you don't want to pour a lot of emotional energy into a fully well fleshed out story.
I liked watching the FL beat impossible odds again and again through the power of her (delicious looking) food. The cooking scenes were definitely very fun. There was also a nice amount of side plots and intrigue to keep the storu from becoming too stale, and the characters were all entertaining and fun go watch on screen.
Overall, I have no idea how this drama got such a big hype going around it at all, but it did get a few laughs and gasps out of me when I was feeling pretty down, which I'm happy about.
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Good but could have been better
I really enjoyed this series but it could have use a few more episodes for everything to come together. The ending felt rushed and the romance definitely needed to improve. I wanted more scenes of them together when they realized how they truly felt about each other.I know food was an important element of the show but it overall shadow the romance with how much emphasis was on it instead of the romance.
Eventhough I tuned my brain off during the show, the ending could have been explained better.
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Made me hungry
This was really good and at some parts really funny..The dishes prepared looked good and kept you wanting to eat while watching it 😆
Overall the acting was good and the characters fitted well together.
It was totally hilarious at some parts, and really good at other parts.
I loved the characters i think they made the show .
But the recipes were mouth watering and presented really nice. The facial expressions when they took a bite were just too funny
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Good but a little dragged out
Overall, the plot and the characters were really good. I liked the drama quite a bit, but the last few episode dragged on a little too much. There is an upper limit, to how many times I need the leads to get a full flashback of all the times they have looked romantically into each others eyes. Especially when we are at climax of the plot. Let the plot unfold. This was however, a minor issue, thst only started in the last episodes. Overall the show was enjoyable, just a little too long IMO.The acting was great and the casting was amazing. Every character felt fully compatible with the actor behind.
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This review may contain spoilers
Great start, mediocre ending
I enjoyed most of this drama, but it wasn't particularly thought-provoking. It had good production, and I liked how each dish cooked by cook Yeong was highlighted in its own episode with its own mini plot. Overall, I feel it fell apart towards the end, as it focused too much on wrapping up the story, and a lot of it felt really rushed. The Ming cooking competition was easily the best part of this series, and it's worth a watch for that, just don't feel obligated to finish it.Was this review helpful to you?
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1This review may contain spoilers
I honestly don’t know how to review this because while everyone seems to find some flaw in it, I actually found it kind of flawless.. Everything about this drama worked for me.. Yes, even the vague ending with no clear explanation of how he got to the present and ended up with the FL.. I believe it was meant to be open to interpretation and honestly I am satisfied with that..Even if you argue that the flaws can’t be ignored, I feel they are immensely compensated for by the strength of the script and the performances.. The writing carries such emotional weight and the actors breathe life into it so convincingly that the few imperfections barely matter.. For me, this is a drama whose emotions feel alive.. Remarkable on a technical, aesthetic and narrative level, it stands out as an outstanding piece of work..
Well, the opening paragraph turned into one giant, incoherent mess.. But I suppose that’s alright.. It’s a reaction that came from feeling, not analysis and maybe that’s better than trying to make it sound perfectly organized or polished..
Honestly, casting Lee Chae Min as the male lead was a bold move but it paid off.. Many people doubted the choice and were openly criticizing but he didn’t disappoint for a second.. I actually thought YoonA would have to carry the show but LCM was so good that he even outshone her in several moments.. I am genuinely happy for him and really hope he keeps picking strong scripts from here on unlike Crushology and Hierarchy, which were honestly, complete dumpster fires..
The drama avoids unnecessary distractions.. We know what we are getting and who the bad guys are.. Even though romance is one of the central themes, it’s not presented in an overly grand way.. I was mainly in it for the romance and the cooking and I was satisfied with both.. Honestly, half the drama revolves around cooking competitions and they are surprisingly fun to watch.. I mean, how could they not be?? The characters reactions whenever they tasted her food, along with those silly but hilarious CGI sequences were pure entertainment..
The supporting cast were great.. They were fun to watch.. I hated Kang Mok Ju the most but I liked that she never begged for forgiveness or showed regret for betraying the King.. Even in her final moments, she stood by her choice.. I wished the bad guys had suffered more, their deaths felt too easy.. They killed so many characters I cared about.. The last two episodes were basically a Korean version of the Red Wedding and it was brutal to watch..
I wanted to mention a few other things..
In the present timeline, when the royal kitchen cooks turned out to be her colleagues, I thought that was a really nice touch.. And when they mentioned the Michelin reviewer, I totally thought it would be the lady who used to taste the King’s food..
I really wish this drama had been longer, maybe around 16 episodes.. Seeing him come to the present and figure out how to live here would have been so much fun to watch.. Imagine him trying to be polite when he’s literally a king, that attitude alone would have been a pain for everyone around him, but hilarious for us to watch.. And when he finds out history painted him as a tyrant?? I would love to see his reaction.. Plus, it would have been nice to see how the couple adjusts to their new life together.. If it had been 16 episodes, we could have had all of that..
And honestly I hate how Netflix keeps butchering the subtitles.. When the King called Ji Yeong ' my other half ' they translated it as ' companion'. That scene would have had so much more impact if it were translated properly.. A lot of people are missing the real emotion because of these lazy translations..
Overall, beyond its narrative, Bon Appetit, Your Majesty shines just as brightly.. The visuals are stunning and beautifully rendered.. It’s a drama that manages to be exciting, nuanced and visceral.. It all comes down to whether you connect with the drama’s emotional core.. I understand some of the criticisms but personally, I didn’t share any of those issues.. For me, it was a good drama with strong performances from the leads and an equally good supporting cast.. Even with its flaws, the script leaves you feeling satisfied and happy by the end..
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