This review may contain spoilers
Great language skill displays otherwise nope
If you're here for a kdrama with substance this isn't it. But there are gems that make some episodes worthwhile.
Let's get the cons out of the way:
- The political plot is just the typical "royal relative wants to usurp throne because he feels more entitled to it" BS. Yawnfest.
- The romance angle fails to lift off from more than the suggestion of Stockholm Syndrome since the male protagonist had no qualms killing the heroine from the word go. Plus, can't say a married guy who has a habit of forcing women into sexual slavery makes for a winner.
- The heroine's reactions to many situations are just dumb and unrealistic.
- Many unrealistic behaviours occur at tense moments.
- Those above really made me want to quit the show on episode 1 however, the pros do make viewing with watching but only in the relevant episodes...
Pros (and it's really quite worth it, imho):
This is one of the few Korean shows that really put in an effort with correct language skills. The heroine's French isn't 100% but is closer to the correct diction then other kdramas I've heard. Moreover, the actors taking on Ming characters really put in a great effort with their Mandarin pronunciation, especially Jo Jae Yoon, as Tang Bai Long. Although his pronunciation isn't 100% comprehensible he nails the natural speaking tempo of the language way better than most attempts I've heard. It was a real pleasure listening to him each time. He cements his acting prowess when he speaks Korean back to his competitors, acting as though he's not a native Korean speaker by being "clumsy" in his speech with it. I was floored and impressed by his attention to detail. He really made the whole show worth watching for the cultural exchange aspects between the Ming and Joseon competitors
cooks.
Conclusion: If you're a language buff, it's worth watching the first and other episodes with the Ming cooks in them. If you're looking for a good kdrama, possibly give this a miss.
Jo Jae Yoon's acting is a 10/10 in an otherwise 1.5/10 series.
Let's get the cons out of the way:
- The political plot is just the typical "royal relative wants to usurp throne because he feels more entitled to it" BS. Yawnfest.
- The romance angle fails to lift off from more than the suggestion of Stockholm Syndrome since the male protagonist had no qualms killing the heroine from the word go. Plus, can't say a married guy who has a habit of forcing women into sexual slavery makes for a winner.
- The heroine's reactions to many situations are just dumb and unrealistic.
- Many unrealistic behaviours occur at tense moments.
- Those above really made me want to quit the show on episode 1 however, the pros do make viewing with watching but only in the relevant episodes...
Pros (and it's really quite worth it, imho):
This is one of the few Korean shows that really put in an effort with correct language skills. The heroine's French isn't 100% but is closer to the correct diction then other kdramas I've heard. Moreover, the actors taking on Ming characters really put in a great effort with their Mandarin pronunciation, especially Jo Jae Yoon, as Tang Bai Long. Although his pronunciation isn't 100% comprehensible he nails the natural speaking tempo of the language way better than most attempts I've heard. It was a real pleasure listening to him each time. He cements his acting prowess when he speaks Korean back to his competitors, acting as though he's not a native Korean speaker by being "clumsy" in his speech with it. I was floored and impressed by his attention to detail. He really made the whole show worth watching for the cultural exchange aspects between the Ming and Joseon competitors
cooks.
Conclusion: If you're a language buff, it's worth watching the first and other episodes with the Ming cooks in them. If you're looking for a good kdrama, possibly give this a miss.
Jo Jae Yoon's acting is a 10/10 in an otherwise 1.5/10 series.
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