CKdramaNerd

I wanted to love this drama because it started with so much potential — an interesting female lead, a compelling culinary journey and a male lead with a refreshing, less-polished look. Unfortunately, as the story progressed, the sheer number of problematic characters and the constant cruelty became exhausting. There was always another betrayal, manipulation or terrible decision, to the point where the drama stopped feeling enjoyable and started feeling frustrating.

What bothered me most was the lack of meaningful accountability. Characters do genuinely terrible things, yet the story leans heavily toward forgiveness and redemption rather than consequences. I also found the relationship between the leads increasingly concerning. His treatment of her crosses the line from “strict mentor” into behaviour that feels emotionally abusive. Being someone’s mentor, or going through your own struggles, does not give you the right to demean or repeatedly bulldoze over another person.

I made it through 32 of 40 episodes (80%), and that was enough for me. I appreciated Ke-song’s growth and there were moments of genuine potential, but ultimately there wasn’t enough good to balance the bad and the ugly. I no longer felt invested in the characters or their relationships, and I simply couldn’t justify continuing. Unfortunately, this one wasn’t for me.I’m