Gimbap and Onigiri

Mediocre writing, but good cast and idea

This drama is one of those cases where you can see the potential the whole time… and then watch it slowly trip over itself trying to deliver on it.

Both Rin and Taiga feel stuck in different ways, and watching them try to figure out their paths is honestly one of the strongest parts of the show. Their journeys aren’t magically smooth either, which makes things feel more grounded. Taiga finding direction while Rin keeps struggling adds a realistic contrast… but also kind of hurts the overall balance.

The casting was actually one of the stronger parts of the drama. Hyewon as Rin did a really solid job, even if her performance felt a bit awkward at times, which honestly seemed more like a language barrier issue than a lack of skill. Despite that, she still managed to convey Rin’s emotions in a way that felt sincere and natural, especially in the more vulnerable scenes. Having seen her in Friendly Rivalry, it’s pretty clear she has range, so it wasn’t hard to recognize that the awkwardness here wasn’t really on her. As for Eiji as Taiga, this was my first time watching him and he genuinely impressed me. His acting felt more effortless, especially in the quieter moments where he didn’t need much dialogue to express what he was feeling. He balanced Taiga’s reserved personality really well without making him feel flat, which is honestly harder than it looks. Together, their chemistry wasn’t perfect, but it was believable enough to carry the emotional parts of the story.

The side characters had potential too, especially Noa. Her relationship was clearly building toward a breaking point, but when it finally happens, it’s weirdly underwhelming. It doesn’t feel like the emotional explosion it should’ve been. And Junho not ending up with Noa just feels like another missed opportunity. There were way more interesting directions they could’ve taken there.

The romance itself is… messy. Not in a complex, layered way, but in a “why are we still doing this” kind of way. There are way too many conflicts built on miscommunication instead of actual meaningful issues. Instead of exploring cultural differences in depth, the show kind of uses them as a surface-level excuse for arguments. A lot of the fights could’ve been avoided if the characters just talked properly for five minutes.

And the pacing does the relationship no favors either. Things escalate way too quickly early on (episode 3 really said “no buildup needed” apparently), which makes the emotional weight feel a bit unearned. A slower burn between Rin and Taiga would’ve made their connection feel a lot deeper. If they had taken their time instead of rushing into everything, the later moments would’ve hit harder.

The cinematography and OST were honestly some of the most enjoyable parts of the drama. A lot of the scenes were shot in a really simple but intentional way that made even small moments feel meaningful, especially the quieter interactions between the characters. The use of lighting and everyday settings gave everything a more natural, almost intimate vibe instead of feeling overly dramatized. And the OST fit surprisingly well with that tone. It wasn’t anything overly loud or distracting, but it blended into the scenes in a way that actually enhanced the emotions rather than forcing them. Some tracks really stuck during the more emotional moments and made them hit harder than they probably would have on their own. It’s one of the few aspects where the drama felt consistently well thought out from start to finish.

Then there’s the ending, which feels like the writers suddenly remembered they needed to be “different” and just went for it without thinking it through. The whole breakup comes out of nowhere. The montage shows them managing long distance, visiting each other, staying connected… and then suddenly they’re just not together anymore. No proper explanation, no buildup, nothing. It’s less “bittersweet” and more “wait, did I miss an episode?”

And honestly, the biggest issue is that everything starts feeling rushed toward the end. Plotlines get wrapped up too quickly, conflicts come and go without enough depth, and a lot of things are just left hanging. It doesn’t feel like a proper conclusion, more like the story just ran out of time.

Overall, it’s not a terrible drama. There are genuinely good moments, and it does feel more refreshing than a lot of overly cliché shows out there. But it keeps getting in its own way. Between the rushed pacing, overuse of misunderstandings, missed character potential, and that confusing ending, it ends up being more frustrating than satisfying. It’s the kind of show you almost love, which somehow makes the disappointment worse.

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Go Hyewon!!

I’ve seen some reviews saying the leads' chemistry is bad, but I’m the one who watched this drama only because of it.
Since it’s a Japanese drama, I can accept that it’s a bit slow-paced. The screenwriter is apparently a Korean woman, and even though she incorporated her own experiences, the plot is really childish.
It’s upsetting that she portrayed the Korean mom as a psycho who suddenly slaps her daughter out of nowhere,
and the worst part is the female lead’s babyish voice and expressionless face...omg...
But I’ve actually come to like Kang Hye-won through this drama. I’d never heard of IZ*ONE before, but she’s actually a really charming person. Hye-won!, practice your voice and facial expressions so you can definitely win soon the Best Newcomer Award!!!

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Nice and soothing show!

Gimbap and Onigiri served as a really cozy and down-to-earth series, which fitted me very well since I’ve been watching a lot of fantasy recently. While it was no mind-blowing story, I still enjoyed it and it was soothing.

Gimbap and Onigiri made me have something to look forward too on Mondays and I was very pleased to be able to come home and watch an episode of Gimbap and Onigiri. I also need to say that I feel like the duration of each episode was perfect!

I, unlike many other watchers, actually enjoyed the last episode. While Rin and Taiga came as a shocker, seeing how the characters developed and seemed to do what they wanted to was really welcomed.

Junho grew on me a lot and while it of course was difficult for him, he accepted that Rin wasn’t romantically interested in him, and then treated Rin and Taiga really well as a couple. Sad to see that he couldn’t end up with Noa, I shipped them.

Could have been better:

In Halo!!! I need it on streaming services right now, it’s to good to not be released! Begging for aespa to release it, maybe on a Japanese album later on at least?

THE MISCOMMUNICATATION ANNOYED SO MUCH! We for real couldn’t go an episode without being pissed of by how the leads always misunderstood each other or talked about how their love maybe wouldn’t work. While I do understand the problem it often felt a bit too much.

Akinori was a very annoying character to me and I am happy that Noa finally decided to break up with him. It was nice that he still was in contact with his hyungnim and gave back the money that he shamefully asked to borrow.

Favorite character: Noa
Best episodes: Episode 1 & 8

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Cute but a bit boring

I found the premise of this drama quite interesting. Also, as a foreigner living in Japan, I could relate to her struggles a lot.
Their meet cute was really cute too, and I loved the connection with food and how they both were struggling in life but trying to make the best out of it. Sometimes, life take a completely different, unexpected turn, and this drama showed it really well. I even cried at a few scenes especially at the end.

Although their relationship was cute most of the time, there were a fee things I found annoying and childish, especially that midway break-up. It was intense and unnecessary…

I also didn’t like how the second female lead was such a pushover to her bum of a boyfriend 🤯🤯🤯how can she date someone like that????? with no job, addicted to pachinko games on top of it too… omg! I was just sooo icked out and didn’t understand why she was still together with him…

For the main couple, I also can’t say that I liked their ending… it wasn’t bad but not what i hoped for…

All in all, it was an ok drama. Good enough to watch in-between, but tbh I wasn’t really looking forward to watching it every week. whenever I had free time between my usual dramas or nothing else to watch I would turn it on.

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Good Romance But Bad Ending

I enjoyed this series very much, and I would have given it an 8 rating, but the last episode was very predictable and very disappointing! I liked all the actors and I liked the way their romance developed, but the ending could only be liked by third wave feminists. Taiga achieved his employment goals, but his heart was broken. His Korean girlfriend dumped Taiga, who was a good man that she loved, and who loved her very much, for a job in merchandising. So Taiga was depressed and the woman got a good job; this is the kind of ending that only feminists would like. Very sad. There is too much feminism in Japanese TV.

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Parecidos por fora, diferentes no tempero

TEMAS: Amor intercultural | Identidade | Solidão leve | Pertencimento | Comunicação emocional | Cotidiano | Autoconhecimento

Assistir Bolinhos de Arroz para mim foi aquela experiência gostosa de ver uma história simples que, sem fazer barulho, entrega muito mais do que parece.

A ideia gira em torno de duas pessoas que, à primeira vista, são quase iguais. Mesmos gostos, mesma vibe, aquele encaixe que faz pensar, pronto, deu match fácil. Só que não. Conforme a história avança, eu fui percebendo que o interessante não está no que eles têm de igual, mas justamente nas diferenças sutis.

E é aí que o drama ganha charme.

Eu gosto muito de histórias que usam coisas do cotidiano como metáfora, e aqui isso aparece de um jeito leve, quase poético. Pequenos hábitos, escolhas, jeitos de ver o mundo, tudo vai mostrando que relacionamento não é sobre ser igualzinho, é sobre aprender a lidar com o que não é.

O clima é leve, com momentos fofos, outros mais reflexivos, nada pesado demais, mas também não é vazio. Tem conteúdo ali, só que servido com delicadeza, tipo comfort drama mesmo.

E confesso, me pegou essa ideia simples, duas pessoas podem até parecer iguais por fora, mas cada uma carrega um universo próprio por dentro.

No fim, eu fiquei com aquela sensação boa de que amor não é sobre encaixe perfeito, é sobre ajuste fino, feito no dia a dia, com paciência e curiosidade.

Impressão final, um drama leve, sensível e charmoso, daqueles que aquecem sem pesar, lembrando que as melhores conexões não são as idênticas, são as que aprendem a se complementar.

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Bem água com açúcar

A proposta do dorama é até bonita: leve, delicada, com aquele jeitinho japonês de contar histórias através de gestos simples, silêncios e comida (os tais bolinhos de arroz 🍙). Só que, na prática… fica tudo muito morno.
A trama se arrasta em vários momentos, sem grandes conflitos ou reviravoltas que realmente prendam. É aquele tipo de história bem “água com açúcar”, onde você espera que em algum momento algo mais intenso aconteça — mas não acontece.
Os personagens são fofos, sim, mas faltou profundidade. O romance então… quase não evolui. Fica naquele vai-não-vai eterno, e quando você acha que finalmente vai ter alguma entrega emocional… simplesmente não vem.
E o final? Sinceramente, decepcionante. Depois de acompanhar tudo, o mínimo que a gente esperava era ver os dois juntos, independente da distância.
No geral, é um dorama que pode agradar quem gosta de histórias extremamente leves e contemplativas. Mas pra quem espera emoção, desenvolvimento e um romance que realmente aconteça… provavelmente vai sair frustrada.
Bonitinho, mas esquecível!

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Gostosinho

“Bolinho de Arroz” é um drama japonês que acompanha a trajetória de uma estudante coreana de animação, que se muda ao Japão. Através de um onigiri preparado por um jovem cozinheiro, ela encontra conforto e apoio. Ao mesmo tempo, a presença dela foi fundamental na vida dele: no início, ele estava perdido, sem propósito, mas foi com ela que ele reencontrou uma paixão, uma direção, e a culinária se tornou o caminho pelo qual ele cresceu. Juntos, eles se transformam, mas, infelizmente, a série escolhe um desfecho que os separa. Ainda assim, a jornada é sensível, com uma construção que, apesar do desfecho agridoce, deixa uma mensagem poderosa de crescimento e apoio mútuo.”

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韓国語が多すぎて引いちゃったわ！
そこは控えた方がよくない？
主人公が韓国人だからってそんなに韓国語を使う理由にはならないよ。そもそも日本ドラマなんだし！
シーンに出てくる韓国語の大半が、日本人からしたら興味がないし、聞くことさえ面倒くさくてできない。
それにしても、ストーリー自体はいいけど、使い方がよくない！！
楽しい恋愛ドラマかと思ったのに、結局シーンが急ぎ足で支離滅裂だったんだよね。
多分俺は期待しすぎたのかな…まぁ基本的に楽しくなかったからおすすめしない。

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simples e raso, mas gostoso de assistir

Eu sinceramente esperava mais desse j-drama, comecei assistir porque tava lá pulando na minha Netflix rsrsrs, e porque achei a atriz muito linda e o ator também. Não conhecia eles, então fiquei curiosa.
Eu não estou acostumada com as séries japonesas, mas achei a fotografia bem bonita.
Achei que se encaixa no estilo melodrama, mas ao mesmo tempo, não tem aquela cor apagada e depressiva, então gostei muito…
O desenvolvimento foi legal, achei tudo bem ok, interessante, mas acredito que poderia ter sido melhor…
Porque algumas coisas foram bem rasas em seus sentimentos e profundidade, também achei a personagem da prota meio manipuladora e infantil no início do dorama, em algumas momentos fiquei com raiva dos dois, mais depois fui entendendo e escolhi finalizar…
Se vc quiser perder um tempinho, vale a pena, so que final me decepcionou muito, porque achei que o dorama inteiro foi mastigado, e o final ficou aperto.

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