A Feast for the Eyes, But Not the Story
This drama, essentially a MasterChef competition set in the Joseon era, is certainly a fun watch with an interesting premise. I was immediately hooked after the first episode, which masterfully showcased the great idea of a culinary competition. If you enjoy food competition shows, you will absolutely love the culinary aspects. The food styling is insane—it is impossible to watch without immediately feeling hungry, as the cooking and resulting dishes are undoubtedly the main character of the show. The popularity of the drama is understandable, driven by this appealing culinary theme and the presence of a handsome male lead.
However, after that strong start, the show faltered as the focus shifted away from the great cooking and toward courtly intrigues. Where the show excels visually, it fails narratively. While the story is loosely inspired by real historical events, this is strictly a backdrop and not a properly explored historical drama. If you are looking for a deep storyline or compelling plot execution, this is not the right choice. It is an easy watch, but the story is not deep, and it suffers from being overhyped. There are far greater dramas that deserve this level of attention, which is a real shame.
The drama struggles significantly when the cooking and competition are removed. Chae Min was the only character that truly stood out, and if you take away the culinary element, you are left with a weak script. This failure of writing became painfully apparent in the final episodes. They were a real disaster—so boring and badly written that I was forced to skip scenes just to finish. It’s a huge missed opportunity; the show should have concentrated more on the actual story and explored the female lead’s potential arc, such as her attempts to change the future, instead of relying on the cooking spectacle. Ultimately, the miracle ending felt unearned, capping off a season where great visuals were let down by poor scripting.
However, after that strong start, the show faltered as the focus shifted away from the great cooking and toward courtly intrigues. Where the show excels visually, it fails narratively. While the story is loosely inspired by real historical events, this is strictly a backdrop and not a properly explored historical drama. If you are looking for a deep storyline or compelling plot execution, this is not the right choice. It is an easy watch, but the story is not deep, and it suffers from being overhyped. There are far greater dramas that deserve this level of attention, which is a real shame.
The drama struggles significantly when the cooking and competition are removed. Chae Min was the only character that truly stood out, and if you take away the culinary element, you are left with a weak script. This failure of writing became painfully apparent in the final episodes. They were a real disaster—so boring and badly written that I was forced to skip scenes just to finish. It’s a huge missed opportunity; the show should have concentrated more on the actual story and explored the female lead’s potential arc, such as her attempts to change the future, instead of relying on the cooking spectacle. Ultimately, the miracle ending felt unearned, capping off a season where great visuals were let down by poor scripting.
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