Bon Appetit, Your Majesty

Why add plot when you clearly do not want to have a plot?

Nor do you need the plot to be perfectly honest. I am genuinely confused about what happened and what this drama wanted to be. It claims to be a fantasy rom-com, but it feels like a cooking slice of life. It sets the plot as this epic love story that defies time with political schemes in the background… but delivers a cooking slice of life. So why not just… be a cooking slice of life and not cosplay as something else?

The whole drama is a sandwich. Episode 1-3 and 10-12 have a plot, episodes 4-9 have cooking and close to no plot. Anyone willing to explain to me how I am supposed to care about all the events happening at the end, when they were never developed and existed only in my memory from the first few episodes? I’m honestly annoyed, because I actually love the slice of life genre, and I love historical rom-coms with fun set up and some political schemes. But I was expecting a plot, and got disappointed when I did not get it. And since I was not expecting a slice of life cooking comedy, I kept waiting for the plot to happen, and ended up not quite enjoying it either.

This could have been just a slice of life cooking comedy - 8 episodes, remove Kang Mok Ju and Prince Je San from the story completely since they were useless. Also remove the whole backstory of the king's mother - useless. Serious political schemes? Useless. Male lead being tyrant for like 2 hours of the screentime? Useless. Basically, remove the crumbs of the plot we’ve got, and I will love it.

The cooking? Amazing. The bond between the cooks? Awesome and fun to watch. Making meals more than just food, but rather an emotional experience that connects people and makes them remember their happy memories? Beautiful. The visuals - breathtaking. I even enjoyed the romance, which was mild and cute, a nice backdrop to the cooking itself. And if the drama was that, and only that, it would be an easy 8.5 out of 10.

Then we have the issue of the casting. Acting wise everyone did a good job, but it’s obvious Lee Chae Min was to some extent miscast. I know it was a last minute decision, and he aced the role itself. But when you put him in the context of the other actors, his presence makes no sense - he is simply too young. All the main characters are supposed to be more or less of a similar age, and so are the actors. And then we have this 2000s baby. I want to be clear that I do think he did a great job acting wise though.

As for the romance - outside of the set up it was great. Loved the fluff, loved the initial banter. I loved the growing trust and actually decent communication. In the context of the set up? Flat. I don’t know, I’m just confused and want to ask the writer: why? I liked their relationship, I do think they like each other. Did I feel love? No. Ji Yeong felt mildly interested. I did not feel that deep bond that can change the trajectory of the future, that would make their souls crushed if they end up separated. It gave me more - you are my type, let’s see where it will lead us.

Production wise - beautiful. I was in awe with all the cooking scenes, still giggling when I remember the editing of the reactions when characters were testing female lead’s dishes.

Overall, I would be fine with no plot, just good vibes and cooking, if they did not set up an actual plot that also seems interesting and would have exciting conflicts. But now I’m just confused about what was the goal and what the writer and director wanted to deliver with this project.

Read More

If I were the king, this plot would be chained up in the dungeon !

If this drama were a dish, it would be a beautiful Choco lava cake...beautiful on the outside, but sadly missing that melty, gooey centre. Imagine the disappointment...
On paper, the concept was a straight-up feast for a food centric romcom. A modern Michelin-star chef is tossed into ancient Joseon, cooking for royals, with time travel. What I didn't expect was for it to be bogged down by adding the plot at the last minute.

Let’s start with the plot or honestly, the garnish that tried really hard to look important. Political scheming, treason, secret agendas… Except most of it never actually landed. The conspiracy gets teased in the first 2 episodes, then disappears into the background for the majority of the drama, only to be awkwardly pulled back near the finale. You could remove all the palace intrigue, dead-parent mysteries and sabotage nonsense and the cooking scenes would still work perfectly.

Pacing is another tricky ingredient which they failed to master. The drama devotes several episodes to a single cooking competition that could have cut short if they really wanted to accommodate and address the palace politics .
Also, the FL traveling from the future and knowing what’s going to happen but still waiting until swords are drawn felt completely absurd. I get that she doesn’t remember the exact dates of events, but she knows who the culprits are and could have easily warned the King. One counter argument is that the King might not have believed her, thinking she was joking but after several episodes, he clearly does start trusting her. It’s as if everyone...the FL and the writers included forgot they introduced a tragic backstory at the start, because it goes completely unaddressed in the middle episodes.

I need someone to sit and explain the why's to me... Why as in not why we needed those subplots but why as in , why weren't they addressed as a part of the drama from the start and only like a finale afterthought. When the drama tries to get serious, it trips over its own feet… and the moment it goes whimsical, oh look they suddenly remember there’s a tragic backstory lurking somewhere.

And I refuse to talk about the ending because the drama didn't bother explaining either!

Where the drama truly shines is in the kitchen. The food sequences are glorious and very realistic with sizzling pans, carefully plated dishes, exaggerated reactions that somehow make you drool and cinematic close-ups. It is bound to make you hungry. No complaints here.

Coming to the romance, it is slow-burn, awkward and sweet at the start, but in my humble opinion, it never fully blooms. Till the end, I thought FL wasn't in love with the King. They had fragmented chemistry, but it wasn't convincing enough. Though I didn't mind it much considering that it didn’t hog the spotlight and let the main plot, ‘Food,’ take the stage.

Acting-wise, the leads do more than the script really deserves. LCM as the ML, brings the king’s charisma effortlessly. His portrayal is solid and he nails both the goofy and the emotional moments. Yoona as FL Yeon Ji Yeong was also good especially in the cooking scenes. The supporting cast had some good names that were underutilised, like Kang Han Na as Kang Mok Ju.

Production was very polished and grand. The money was well spent on the elaborate sets and costumes. Plus, the cooking scenes and the setup looked really authentic as well. I also like the concept behind the title of every episode. A lot of thought was put into aesthetics, but I wish they had spent as much care on the writing to do overall justice.

Overall, this could have been a perfect light-hearted historical slice-of-life drama if only it hadn’t tried to juggle a dozen unnecessary subplots. Last few episodes felt like a different drama. I did enjoy the cooking aspect, but the rest of everything was mediocre.
Will I recommend it? No. It's not even a small commitment. Every episode is 1 hour+.

Thank you for reading my review! <3 I hope you enjoyed/enjoy the show more than I did!

Read More

don’t expect too much

It started off strong for the first four episodes, then completely lost its spark. I honestly don’t understand how the ratings are this high for such a dull, directionless show. The female lead supposedly comes from the future, yet her character contributes nothing — just endless cooking scenes with no real impact.

I went in expecting a witty, lighthearted drama in the vein of Mr. Queen, but what I got was a tedious mess. The last two episodes were painful to sit through. I was frustrated, disappointed, and honestly a bit insulted that something this flat is being praised so highly.

The only redeeming factor is the male lead — he’s charismatic and even has a bit of a Xu Kai vibe — but that alone doesn’t save it. Don’t waste your time because of the ratings. If you really must watch it, go in with rock-bottom expectations.

Read More

Greatly overrated unless you are a foodie

Bon Appétit, Your Majesty is one of those titles that’s gained traction mostly thanks to aesthetics, but if you’re not a hardcore foodie, it’s hard to understand the hype. The romance is mildly charming, but the rest of the plot feels like a reheated dish you’ve seen served a hundred times before — predictable, overly sweet, and lacking real substance.

Yes, the food scenes are visually stunning — meticulously animated or shot, depending on the format — but that's hardly unique in the age of Food Network marathons and cinematic cooking reels on social media. Beautiful plating does not make a compelling story.

Unless you're in it solely for the culinary eye candy, this one's overrated and ultimately forgettable.

Read More

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..

Read More

Cooking survival show but make it Joseon

(updated 2026)

I started this drama simply because I was bored and had nothing to watch and it didn’t disappoint
The first 2 episodes were funny.

In terms of acting, wise idk yet, but for the amount of criticism LCM has gone through for playing the male lead, I think he did well, especially that he only had a few days before shooting started
Yoona's acting falls short for me in this drama. I'll be honest, she's expressive and does have her moments, but besides that, there wasn't much.

By the time more episodes came out, I just realized that this was just a cooking survival show but instead of Gordon Ramsey possibly screaming at you, you can possibly lose your life instead

The editing is really funny cause I was rather shocked whenever they ate the food and just transcended, and those edits are just hilarious that I have wondered what in the food porn is this lol

Story-wise, it's rather underwhelming when it focuses on its political royal storyline because it's just too dramatized for me. I know it's fiction, but at some point, there needs to be a line on how exaggerated it needs to be, which is why a lot of K-dramas nowadays fall short for me. The real highlight has to be the cooking part of the drama, and it's a mini survival show lol.

I have to add that 12 episodes did mess up the pacing for the story as well, which is a shame because it had some good aspects. Unfortunately, this is a recurring problem within the K-drama scene nowadays. 16 episodes either drag the story, or 12 isn't enough to even tell the story

I haven’t read the source material, but I deeply hope it’s not a k-trauma (it wasn't thankfully)

Read More

I can't get over 2 things...

Ok - spoilers.

Love the cast. Acting was great. Production was great. Action was great. FOOD LOOKED AMAZING.

BUT...

1) He was legit a murdering tyrant. He had dozens/hundreds of innocent people murdered. And that's really never resolved beyond "oops he realized that maybe wasn't ok." I mean, she fell in love with someone who had women and children killed.
2) The ending of him just showing up AS the King? So they never really resolve his terrible terrible past.
3) "It's a secret... it doesn't matter" felt like it would have been cute in a different storyline, but here it felt dismissive to the fans. It wouldn't have been such a big deal to have him held in the book and released when she returns to the present. OR better yet, at least have his spirit reincarnated or something (which at least dodges the "he's a murderer" thing.)

Read More

Tastefully Fun, Until Overdone

I enjoyed this fun, fresh take on an old story as I don't watch a lot of food based dramas. The acting was good, and the story was nice with a good balance of action, and comedy in the beginning. For the most part this is an enjoyable watching experience, however, I really didn't enjoy the final 2 episodes. The final episodes felt like they strayed from the original story line, music scores, fun, quirky parts. It went from zero to hero with no real investment, and the final episode was laughable in its laziness in terms of writing. I seen this tastefully overcooked lol (-l

Read More

Shoujo Food Wars? ???

I was originally going to give this show a 7.5, but when I sat and thought on it I realized the ending pissed me off more and more. Not to mention that when I actually gave it a second thought, the story was nonexistent as well as the "romance." I think I was just blinded by the flashy visual effects that looked straight out of Food Wars mixed with the attractive cast.

I love time-travel stories, and historical slow-burns have my whole heart. As such, I was locked in like crazy when this show was airing for a while. The show set itself up in the first episode to be an exciting historical tale that would eventually lead to steamy romance between a modern woman and king with more than a few screws loose. I personally like dark romance-esc relationships and have no issues with a complex love story between a mentally unstable king with mommy issues and a mentally stable modern day lady forced to be dragged along to the palace on one of his sporadic whims. Some people might have an issue with that pairing, but I don't. In fact, I encourage that spice. But what I got instead was a show stuffed with filler, underdeveloped characters, and an undercooked romance. And just as I had my hopes rise again with the intensity of the Ming food battle and the plot taking center stage during the final three episodes, the ending gave through with the final blow to leave me unsatisfied.

I tried to console myself when I was watching the plot turn away from any serious writing by accepting that it was always meant to be a fluffy slice of life, but then they whiplashed me with a sudden importance put on a decent plot again in the last episodes. The tonal switch-up was out of place and I think they should have stuck with a single genre and called it a day so as not to raise my hopes. The story was just left feeling vacant with how they didn't even try to explain the mystery behind Mangunrok nor how the fuck Yi Heon managed to get himself into Ji-young's era. The explanation being gatekept behind "it's a secret" made me drop the score an entire point. Did they even think about explaining the supernatural aspect at all??? I'm tired of seeing authors write time-travel plots without actually considering the consequences of explaining its existence in the verse it's written in. They just decided to have Ji-young randomly be summoned back to her time under BS circumstances and cut away from showing what became of Yi Heon's life during her absence. Then they expect you to accept that Yi Heon, a man who was raised as royal man in the 1500s and lived as a king to be able to perfectly adapt to the modern era in roughly a month. Who's buying that?! Realistically, this man would have been thrown in a jail cell for threatening random people on the street with a sword whilst wearing bloody clothing. Then they want you to accept that it makes perfect sense for all of Ji-young's friends acquaintances from the Joseon era are either reincarnated or have descendants that look *exactly* like them 500 years down the bloodline. Get real.

The character writing was probably the most unfortunate aspect of this show, however. I initially liked Ji-young's character for being a tenacious and intelligent woman that was going to need to have to use her charms to survive in an era where she'd be persecuted. But of course, the roadblocks that would appear due to her gender and apparent madness are completely irrelevant. Then by the end she felt so lackluster as a romantic lead. I mean, they wanted me to believe that a modern woman like her would fall so deeply in love with a maniac like Yi Heon despite only being in Joseon for no more than a half year. I realized just how misplaced she felt in the show when she was completely useless during almost all plot-relevant conflicts later in the show. I mean, what did she *really* contribute? In the actual palace intrigue, she was just a damsel that needed to be saved by a flurry of attractive men with swords. Yi Heon himself was far more interesting that her given his plot relevance and questionable morals. But of course, they try and make him seem like the good guy by the end and everyone else is the bad guy. I liked him more when they leaned into how much of a whack job he was; this is what made me excited to see how the central pair would develop feelings for each other despite their contrasting personalities. He made me laugh a few times as well and I love funny bastards that deserve to be put into an asylum. They could have just kept with his insanity and made it more tragic, but they chose to make him magically remorseful by the end without any prior indications of hesitation for his crimes. Him being okay with giving up the throne during treason was extremely hard for me to believe given that he was a man used to having every little whim cared for and using his position heavily to his advantage whenever he felt like it. It doesn't make sense to me that a guy willing to risk the lives of his citizens for a mere unofficial food battle would care enough about their well being to sacrifice his power and prestige in the final episode. The show didn't even attempt to address the repercussions of his actions against those he harmed, either. The rest of the cast was just background dressing with good potential that went unused. The jester was a guy with a good motive, but was left with virtually zero development even in the last episode. The only character I really felt any slight effort to write from was Tang Bailong. But of course, he existed for one arc alone, so he disappeared along with any complexity in character writing. The main villains, Jesan and Mok-ju, were underwritten and fell flat as central villains. Where was the complexity in them? How did they get away with the obvious rules they kept breaking? The bonding moments with the cooks were cute, but their characters one-note as well. Gil-geum was the only semi-important one, but she was so extremely annoying with the way she'd talk and sprout open her bug eyes to the point that I couldn't wait for her to leave my screen. I thought they were even teasing a romance between her and the jester at one point but that just went nowhere per usual. That may have secretly been a good thing however, because I am getting tired of seeing side couples that just take away screen time from decent main couples. The lack of backstory for virtually everyone really did detriment their characters; even Yi Heon and his sparse flashbacks made it hard to truly understand his rage.

The romance itself was hollow. I couldn't understand just why Ji-young fell in love with Yi Heon by the end. The guy literally attempted to murder her on multiple occasions and was called a tyrant with mommy issues in history for a reason. She knew that he committed the Chaehong and purges, yet didn't seem that phased being beside him. The man was literally going to have chefs lose their limbs right in front of her, yet acts like a high schooler in a Shoujo a couple of episodes later. She barely expressed a single ounce of judgement for a man as vicious as Yi Heon; not even in her head. As for Yi Heon; he was a king notorious for being a womanizer, yet acts like a lovestruck fool for Ji-young super fast into their "romance." He didn't show a real discriminatory bone in his body towards Ji-young despite her being older, of unknown origin, and mentally "unsound." And I find it incredibly hard to believe that a guy so horny he was criticized for it in history books would be a blushing idiot in front of a woman who is only exceptional at cooking. Where were the sparks required for me to believe their supposed "love"? I felt tension from them in the first episode given how much it seemed like it would be enemies to lovers, but that sizzles out when they actually attempt to write them romantically. I don't believe that either of these two grown adults, one of which is heavily experienced, would be acting like teenagers in their first relationship whenever they get into proximity of each other. I was excited to see how they'd write a romance between a mature woman and king with a womanizer status. But it's like they forgot who they were writing and erased that aspect of Yi Heon's character in favor of generic K-Drama romance. Where was the angst of a modern lady being a side piece to a king and the looks she'd get from it? Where is the concubine feuding she'd get dragged into? Why wasn't Yi-Heon's supposed "favoritism" of Mok-ju shown? Where was Yi Heon's classism at being attracted to a commoner at? Why didn't they have that sexual tension you'd expect to see in a harem setting? Why didn't they explicitly show scenes that grew their attraction toward each other? Where is the hardening of resolve it would take for a modern woman in Ji-young's situation to develop at? Where was the complexity of Yi Heon initially liking Ji-young because she reminded him of his mother at? Where was the difference in mindsets that would bleed through into their choices in their relationships at? Where was the, albeit toxic, power play at? I swear they didn't even have any substantial bonding moments that would make their undying love believable. Yi Heon himself even admitted in episode 1 that he didn't find Ji-young attractive but would "bestow a favor" upon her anyway, yet then gets blushy at the mere touch of her later. That does NOT seem like the attitude of the same guy at all. The most "attraction" I feel is Yi Heon being drawn towards Ji-young because she reminds him of his mother, in classic maniac fashion. They barely seemed to find each other attractive by the end, but act like a married couple in the epilogue. And you can call me a degenerate if you'd like, but I still wanted more intimacy and implied sex scenes. They were supposed to be mature adults, yet the most they get are surface-level kiss scenes sparsely thrown in. Incredibly disappointing.

I thought the main actors did well in their roles however, the ages did not match up. I mean, they wanted me to believe that Ji-young looked 27, when her actress is obviously in her thirties. I'm not insulting her looks, I'm just stating it how it is. I was also very confused on how old Yi Heon was supposed to be. I was curious so I researched the actual Yeonsangun he is based off of and according to Wikipedia, that guy died at 29, so I guess he was in his late twenties as well? But then it wouldn't make sense for the MDL page to list them as having an age gap *in* the drama. I saw that there was some issue with the casting of the King and that impacted the eventual age gap, but I didn't know that when I was watching the first 8 episodes of the show. So as you can imagine, I was very confused. But the casting itself was good; I give kudos to whomever casted Yi Heon's actor because that guy's bug eyes and devious eyebrows and smile had me laughing my ass off every time he did that goofy grin. And although I criticized how it was hard to link with Yi Heon's personal rage pertaining to his backstory, I could still feel his anger and sympathize with his resentment due to the actor's passionate portrayal of raw emotion in serious scenes. Ji-young's actress was good in the role; it's not her fault she was given a poorly-written character to play. She managed to come across as a skilled chef stuck in a different time period, so she did what was all her character writing required of her.

The visual effects that would play when people bit into their food had me dead more than once. I thought I was tuning into an episode of Food Wars a few times when the sounds they'd release from their food comas, only to be awakened to reality when I realized there was no ecchi. I had to question how hard it was for the actors not to burst out laughing when recording those scenes. I think my favorite scene was when they saw the phoenix soaring in the air during the Ming food battle. I was fucking dying when they were enacting animal gestures during those scenes, as well as the Ming envoy praying to a giant Buddha out of nowhere. Those scenes were probably the best entertainment for me in the entire show.

The production itself was beautiful and the scenery looked amazing. The greenhouse was straight out of cottage-core and the food was as delectable to look at as it probably tasted. I had not qualms with the music either and felt it enhanced pretty much every scene it was in. The random Mangunrok rap thrown in mid-show followed with a dance sequence that made me feel like I was watching the Boondocks was definitely a hilarious and artistically crafted scene. The costumes were great and I adored the hair styles of the women along with the robes Yi Heon would wear; the robe he wore to Lion Dance was definitely my favorite one by far. The camera angles were nice and they accented action sequences well.

The action sequences made me feel extremely shallow when they made me froth at the mouth more than anything Ji-young made; I have never been so entranced by handsome men wielding swords and doing kickflips before in my life. I was one heart-eyes emoji away from being a complete degenerate. There really is nothing quite like seeing Yi Heon, Su-hyeok, and Gong Gil adorned in historical garb and attacking nameless assassins in order to protect the fair maiden, Ji-young. I've never wished for a show to turn into Shoujo more before in my entire life. And when Yi Heon was bloody and battered after arduous fighting in episode 12, I was enjoying the sight.

Though, despite any positives I may have, I cannot picture myself ever rewatching this show again in good faith. There just isn't anything that would make up for the negatives that would cause a sour aftertaste to resurface upon rewatch. There is underdeveloped chemistry, lack of sexual tension, hand-fisted plot, shallow villains, two-dimensional characters, and an underutilized setting. So, would I recommend this show? No. I would only recommend it to someone if they reeeeally liked cooking. As for someone that really likes political intrigue or romance, I'd steer clear altogether. It'd be a waste of time.

꜀( ˊ̠˂˃ˋ̠ )꜆

Read More