Toph

Flashbacks are used if the character needs to recall something and to convey to the viewers that they are thinking about specific scenarios in their heads.

And, flashbacks are also useful for non-binge watchers to remind what happened.

What if Cook Maeng and Gilgeum are really the end game? 😅

My first time to see a court lady who knows how to fight like that, i was surprised!

Lol! Same here 😁

I'm amazed by Cook Yeon's brain. Aside from cooking, she is well-versed in the history and science behind cooking. She knows when the food came to exist, and how to adapt to Joseon's available resources and current technology at the time. I can't even remember any of my country's history in chronological order. Haha.

After the cooking competition, I guess, the drama now focuses more on the political arena. I'm just sad that it will soon end next week.

I originally rated this as 9/10 back in 2022, but changed it to 9.5/10 in 2025. Binge-watching this again made me realize that the drama has a great deal of depth, even though it tackles the usual power struggles within the royal family/court during the Joseon era. It's a fresh take on focusing on a strong-minded queen without taking lives. She really is born to be a queen. The loyalty between the queen's sons is unusual compared to the portrayal in other sageuk dramas, where full-blood brothers would attempt to kill each other for the throne. It says a lot about how she raised them.

thanks for this!

Yup, glad he didnt betray the royal kitchen squad :) he made a workaround about his situation and i was happy it worked!

For me, Yoona's acting is good so far. Most of the time, her character is thinking about her next steps or planning the next best course of action inside her head. In order to convey what she's thinking, her expressions should serve her well. She is from a different era, so she is always processing her thoughts within herself so facial expressions should be more visible and obvious. Otherwise, watching her will be bland. I cant think of other ways she could have done her expressions. Her voice/tone was also very well executed for a leader who is calm despite the pressure. Her stature as a cook is also convincing.

I really like Jinmu here. Haha. It's still fun to watch. The only complaint I have is that there are no independent judges for the food. Both the king and the envoy lead have their own political agenda so how is this going to be settled in the end? One could give a low score on the opposite nation despite of the excellent food for the sake of achieving their goals. 🤔

Yup, both shows derived inspiration from the same king. Gong gil there was feminine unlike in this drama, he's very masculine.

Yes, but definitely not happening in this drama since there's cook Yeon in the mix.

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Its the proof he/she is fast forwarding, thinking Manbok is also here. 😅

Yup, but I guess, the overall winner will be the cliffhanger since they are having 3 dishes this time. Haha. But yeah, i hope they wrap it all up in ep8. 😊

For me, ep 7 is not a waste. Without it, I wouldnt know that Jinmu is not totally a villain after all. It also showed how the king is changing in engaging with people - his authority could be exercised not by instilling fear but by connecting or rewarding. He even apologized for inconviniencing the people around him due to the competition. Thats called "character development". I think Cook Maeng has also his own agenda to save Joseon cooks by teaching Gil Geum cutting techniques in case they would be sabotaged (since he was instructed by Mokju to lose the competition). The introduction of the inventor could also play a crucial part later on (but i could also be wrong). The king is no longer naive about the impending coup attempt. A lot of details are in the works in building up the episodes ahead. Thus, it's not totally a waste.

Without ep7, I wouldnt know that Jinmu is not totally a villain after all. It also showed how the king is changing in engaging with people - his authority could be exercised not only with instilling fear but by connecting or rewarding. Thats called "character development". I think Cook Maeng has also his own agenda to save Joseon cooks by teaching Gil Geum cutting techniques in case they would be sabotaged (since he was instructed by Mokju to lose the competition). The introduction of the inventor could also play a crucial part later on (but i could also be wrong). A lot of details are in the works in building up the episodes ahead. I think, you are just like the king who is impatient 😅 I'm just kind of a watcher who pays attention to the small details that could be important later on.

Yeah, we all share the same torture of waiting 😂

I love him too! I hope he could be the king's ally when the coup is about to start since he's good with weaponry.

I think so too :)

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