Simple Yet Enjoyable
My 4 categories are Acting/Cast, Writing, Direction/SFX/Music, Entertainment Value.
I don’t often watch sageuks, but I tend to like sageuks that involve a female lead that goes back in time. I think I am just able to relate to them better that way – by watching someone from my generation figure out how to survive in a foreign world. I dropped The First Night with the Duke because the female lead from the modern world didn’t bring any modernity with her (aside from the cliché of a female lead being really good at mixing drinks and playing drinking games...and sexual promiscuity…). Fortunately, Bon Appetit, Your Majesty delivered on what I was looking for from this type of drama.
Acting/Cast: I didn’t like the male lead so much in the beginning because of his acting style, but he grew on me throughout the course of the drama. I thought I wouldn’t like the female lead, but she did a really good job. I think she fit the role very nicely. I liked the side characters – particularity Gil Geum. She was so cute. I really enjoyed her relationship with the female lead. Most of the characters are likable in general, aside from the villains. 7/10
Writing: I think the female lead was a very well-written character and I think that is what ultimately made this drama work as well as it did. She is fun, strong, talented, level-headed, and, most importantly, believable. Like I alluded to in the beginning, the female lead’s character brings aspects of the modern world with her to the Joseon era, such as hand gestures, vocabulary, and of course recipes. Instead of trying to just blend in with everyone else, she remains unique and even tells other characters that she’s from the future. I was very happy about that. The premise of the drama is simple. So simple that if you don’t enjoy the cooking aspect of the drama, then, there’s not much else to hold your attention. The majority of the drama is the cooking and in contest-like fashion. I didn’t think I would enjoy something like that, but I did. I was actually bummed when the cooking stopped towards the last couple episodes or so. Even though the drama focuses heavily on food, there is a consistent romance storyline as well as the typical plan to overthrow the king that persists throughout the entirety of the drama. It’s all pretty basic since this is a 12-episode food-centered drama, but I enjoyed all of it. One thing I dislike about sagueks is that they are typically very depressing with a lot of torture. This drama is not like that at all, which is a huge reason why I liked it as much as I did. However, I can say that I was hugely disappointed that more wasn’t done with Gil Geum’s character, such as her own love story. I was also disappointed in the ending. It’s not the worst ending, but it would have been easy to give us some sort of explanation. It’s like the writers gave up in the end. The characters suddenly felt lifeless—as if they only existed for the female lead instead of being their own unique individuals. 4.5/10
Direction/SFX/Music: This drama has a charming quality to it. It’s like a comfort drama. It doesn’t take itself too seriously and it looks nice. The food scenes are definitely the highlight of the drama. The OST didn’t stand out to me. It’s your basic K-drama romance songs. 6/10
Entertainment Value: I was surprised at how much I enjoyed this drama. This is the first time I’ve watched a food drama. Even though I’ve never been a foodie, I found it interesting and educational. I liked to watch while eating dinner. 7/10
Overall, I gave this drama a 6/10. A 6 or higher is in my ‘would recommend’ zone. It’s a pretty basic drama, but it has a certain charm to it. The female lead is a well-written and acted character and the other characters are likable as well. I would recommend this drama if you like happier and more family-friendly sageuks.
I don’t often watch sageuks, but I tend to like sageuks that involve a female lead that goes back in time. I think I am just able to relate to them better that way – by watching someone from my generation figure out how to survive in a foreign world. I dropped The First Night with the Duke because the female lead from the modern world didn’t bring any modernity with her (aside from the cliché of a female lead being really good at mixing drinks and playing drinking games...and sexual promiscuity…). Fortunately, Bon Appetit, Your Majesty delivered on what I was looking for from this type of drama.
Acting/Cast: I didn’t like the male lead so much in the beginning because of his acting style, but he grew on me throughout the course of the drama. I thought I wouldn’t like the female lead, but she did a really good job. I think she fit the role very nicely. I liked the side characters – particularity Gil Geum. She was so cute. I really enjoyed her relationship with the female lead. Most of the characters are likable in general, aside from the villains. 7/10
Writing: I think the female lead was a very well-written character and I think that is what ultimately made this drama work as well as it did. She is fun, strong, talented, level-headed, and, most importantly, believable. Like I alluded to in the beginning, the female lead’s character brings aspects of the modern world with her to the Joseon era, such as hand gestures, vocabulary, and of course recipes. Instead of trying to just blend in with everyone else, she remains unique and even tells other characters that she’s from the future. I was very happy about that. The premise of the drama is simple. So simple that if you don’t enjoy the cooking aspect of the drama, then, there’s not much else to hold your attention. The majority of the drama is the cooking and in contest-like fashion. I didn’t think I would enjoy something like that, but I did. I was actually bummed when the cooking stopped towards the last couple episodes or so. Even though the drama focuses heavily on food, there is a consistent romance storyline as well as the typical plan to overthrow the king that persists throughout the entirety of the drama. It’s all pretty basic since this is a 12-episode food-centered drama, but I enjoyed all of it. One thing I dislike about sagueks is that they are typically very depressing with a lot of torture. This drama is not like that at all, which is a huge reason why I liked it as much as I did. However, I can say that I was hugely disappointed that more wasn’t done with Gil Geum’s character, such as her own love story. I was also disappointed in the ending. It’s not the worst ending, but it would have been easy to give us some sort of explanation. It’s like the writers gave up in the end. The characters suddenly felt lifeless—as if they only existed for the female lead instead of being their own unique individuals. 4.5/10
Direction/SFX/Music: This drama has a charming quality to it. It’s like a comfort drama. It doesn’t take itself too seriously and it looks nice. The food scenes are definitely the highlight of the drama. The OST didn’t stand out to me. It’s your basic K-drama romance songs. 6/10
Entertainment Value: I was surprised at how much I enjoyed this drama. This is the first time I’ve watched a food drama. Even though I’ve never been a foodie, I found it interesting and educational. I liked to watch while eating dinner. 7/10
Overall, I gave this drama a 6/10. A 6 or higher is in my ‘would recommend’ zone. It’s a pretty basic drama, but it has a certain charm to it. The female lead is a well-written and acted character and the other characters are likable as well. I would recommend this drama if you like happier and more family-friendly sageuks.
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