Kiwishi95

Half Fabulous Half Frustrating

This show is great! For the plot. The entrepreneurial aspect of this show is great. I was rooting for our team the whole time even when I was mad at them for their personal life choices. And that’s impressive considering I was mad quite often.

That’s the part where this show suffers. The “love triangle” was infuriating. The ML and FL were so childish, hypocritical, and their lack of chemistry brought the show down - the 2ML had more chemistry with the bowl of noodles. Half their personal problems felt forced, convoluted even for a drama, and I wish they had just focused on them being young business people making very plausible mistakes.

I think this show thrived because of its supporting cast of characters. Their growth and their connections were exceptional. The Grandma’s connections with the MIL, 2ML, both granddaughters was so heartwarming. I loved the developers and the designer for their friendship - all of my laughing and smiling came from their scenes. Kang Han Na is also fantastic and woefully under utilized; I would’ve loved to see more from her but her character growth is impeccable. The grandma provided the emotional impact - I didn’t cry often but when I did it was during her scenes with her family or with 2ML.

Finally, I did watch this show for Kim Seon-ho after loving Hometown Cha Cha Cha and I was not disappointed even though others who watched it for this reason seemed to be. Seon-ho saves this show. He is talented beyond measure. All the bits of writing that bring this show down are countered by his performance. It’s worth watching for that alone, even though he ripped my heart out. To be clear, as the 2ML I wasn’t even rooting for him with FL because I hated that part of the story and I didn’t feel that their connection was all that strong either. I found his own personal journey through life and business to be the best part of his character. He was brilliant.

Ultimately, I wouldn’t rewatch this show but I am glad I gave it a chance. The parts I genuinely liked were enough to counter the parts I hated.

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Balanced to Perfection

Where to begin? Jang Dong Yoon is absolutely perfect in this role. He made Baek-du the easiest to love character in a drama. I came to root for his happiness and success immediately. He is affable, kind, honest, and genuinely happy with all of life's curveballs. Probably one of my favorite male leads of all-time.

Du-sik's character was so nuanced, despite being presented in a completely opposite disposition from Baek-du. She's caring and loyal to her friends even if she is hiding her identity at first. She was dealt a rough card and she handles it with grace.

The juxtaposition between Baek-du being comically unaware of things and Du-sik being comically bad at being undercover is so well-written and provides a great dose of levity and a wonderful display of their friendship lasting even after years apart.

The friend group has to be the best part of this entire show. Seok-he being completely inept at knowing when to keep his mouth shut - also every scene of him chasing Snowball - and his eventual friendship with Hyun-wook is hilarious. Mir-ran and her entire storyline is so interesting and the way she trusts her friends to help her is touching.
Jin-su is my favorite character in this show. The way he protects Mi-ran is adorable but his friendship with Baek-du, which so easily could've been written as a rivalry, was so refreshing. He really does want him to succeed and I found myself searching for his reactions during the tournament.

This show balances the story of this young athlete trying to figure out how to use his strengths to benefit him instead of relying on past methods with the mystery surrounding Du-sik and the town's past. Baek-du's growth in realizing that he doesn't need anyone by his side to win because those people are still supporting him no matter what. Du-sik finally solving the mystery that alienated her family and realizing her friends never forgot her. The way she grows to share more of herself with Baek-du and allows him in on her big case is huge. The town learning the important lesson that words matter and can seriously hurt people - I am really impressed that this show took a very common trope of gossipy townsfolk and actually confronted them for it. So many times have I seen dramas pass off this behavior because of a character's background and it was nice to see that not one of them had an excuse for it.

This show doesn't waste time on any of the stories it tells. It's deft and transparent without being in your face. Having seen three dramas set seaside, I also feel as though this one captured that environment the best. It wasn't polished or clean, the scenery wasn't relied upon to remind you of their surroundings. The bugs can be heard chirping and the characters are often sweating due to the heat and it makes it that much more immersive.

My favorite scene is the conversation Baek-du has with his father before his big championship match. Tae-baek is a former champion with two champion sons and in one of the most authentically moving moments tells Baek-du that's it's okay he still hasn't won yet. He is supportive and ties the title of the show in perfectly with the theme: all flowers bloom at different times and it's okay to bloom late.

I think this might be my favorite Kdrama so far. It's healing and really beautiful.

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Absolutely Magnificent

I can’t say enough good things about this show.

I was in a post-kdrama rut after a meh watch and Mr. Queen was the cure!!

The story-telling, casting, acting, chemistry, humor, angst, drama, set design, costuming, OST… just everything was amazing. I was hooked from the get-go and I couldn’t stop. Kim Jung-hyun was great as the King but Shin Hye-Sun stole the entire show as the body-swapped chef/queen. That alone makes this show a win.

There was one character I really couldn’t stand (writing not acting) but otherwise all of the side characters were impeccably written and acted. The costuming was spectacular and I’ve already downloaded half the soundtrack.

The humor is the highest point of this show. The balance between the court politics, palace drama and humor make this show marvelous. The humor, while played intentionally exaggerated at times, somehow still feels incredibly natural.

Also, despite some of the other reviews regarding the ending, I don’t feel I need to compromise with it nor do I think it was a let down. I expected it or something similar (definitely not a predictable show though) and I think it was done the best it could be given the type of story being told.

This is a must-watch Kdrama for sure and I absolutely recommend it. I don’t normally enjoy historical pieces but this was fabulous.

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A Lack of Identity

I actually did love half of this show... the first half.

This is really two shows splices together to make one. The first half really does a fantastic job of making me feel for and root for so many characters. I really loved our FL and her relationship with her niece/daughter and her brother. I also really liked the nuanced ML - his story was actually quite heartbreaking. I liked how they met and how they progress. ML friendship with Jae-woo had me cheesing every time they were on screen together.

The second half of this show felt like a rushed fever dream. There is a completely hairbrained murder plot thrown in. It's poorly introduced and even more poorly executed. The methods our villain uses are quite comical despite the very real consequences of their actions and the whole thing just felt like it makes little sense. I don't think they motives were all that valid or thought out properly and it had me scratching my head. It's just very sloppy.

Now, I admit, I did not realize the crime plot was advertised to be a big part of this show. It was recommended to me by a friend who told me it was a cute love story and I researched little beyond the title. I blame poor titled and a lack of balance for my personal feelings and the score I gave.

This show is not bad by any means.

My favorite parts of this involved the kids. The competitiveness of education was so compelling, the lengths parents are willing to go to help them succeed, the very real mental health issues kids face when put under such pressure, it was all a very raw and nuanced story to tell. I genuinely liked the storyline and character growth here. The lawyer mom and her two sons were by far the group I found the most interesting and I was more invested in their arc than any other.

Overall, this show was worth watching but I would not watch it again.

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