Lazy Writing: Tyrant to Softboy Overnight
Everything from romance, character arcs to plot was underdeveloped. The idea that she could cure illnesses instantly with food makes no sense. The tone swings from serious to comedic with no warning.
A plot that wandered off course. Premise vs. Delivery.
The show begins with a compelling setup: King Yi Heon is introduced as a tyrant, the consort is a villain, and palace enemies. The promotional material including the trailer and official synopsis clearly paints him as a dangerous ruler: " She’s forced to cook for an infamously temperamental tyrant, King Yi Heon, a ruler with a killer palate and a deadly temper.” But after just a few episodes, his personality and plot direction flips. He becomes a softboy with barely any explanation. The show tricked viewers into watching! Expecting a slow-burn romance and emotional unraveling through food, only to deliver a rushed character rewrite. The show shifted direction fast, abandoning the premise.
A plot that feels like three different dramas stitched together.
1) Political danger, cold tyran king etc.
2) Then: Sudden romance shift. The king becomes a softboy. The Ming cooking competition begins and drags on.
3) Almost near the end: Whiplash back to political rebellion, betrayel, romance THAT DID NOT get explored.
Final episodes: tries to tie everything together in a rushed way.
Romance sucks, then "I LOVE YOU." all of a sudden
This drama is barely a romance. It teased a gradual emotional connection, her capturing his heart through food. Instead he falls too fast. Her perspective is glossed over, and she acts like a frozen robot pretending to be into it. There is no buildup.
Female Lead: Very hard to connect with.
Despite being the protagonist, she rarely showed emotional depth and wasn’t layered at all. She stops questioning her surroundings, doesn’t act on her knowledge. She was passive in romance scenes, often reacting with blank expressions or minimal dialogue. Was that the actor’s fault, or the script’s? Both. An actress who CAN NOT express emotions in a real way. Her character arc lacked growth: she didnt evolve, reflect,
Lacks depth: dilemma and his trauma.
The fl knows the historical consequences. She’s aware of the bloodshed and the villains. Her dilemma—whether or not to tell him—is a an important conflict. But the show forgets it.
The Ml trauma about his mother, his complicated relationship with the queen, and the palace enemies are not explored meaningfully.
The Ming Cooking Competition:
The Ming storyline did NOT fit in the story and dragged out way too long. Four out of twelve episodes—one-third of the entire drama—were wasted on a subplot that barely moved the story forward
This drama promised tension, emotional depth, and a romance. It delivered none of that.
A plot that wandered off course. Premise vs. Delivery.
The show begins with a compelling setup: King Yi Heon is introduced as a tyrant, the consort is a villain, and palace enemies. The promotional material including the trailer and official synopsis clearly paints him as a dangerous ruler: " She’s forced to cook for an infamously temperamental tyrant, King Yi Heon, a ruler with a killer palate and a deadly temper.” But after just a few episodes, his personality and plot direction flips. He becomes a softboy with barely any explanation. The show tricked viewers into watching! Expecting a slow-burn romance and emotional unraveling through food, only to deliver a rushed character rewrite. The show shifted direction fast, abandoning the premise.
A plot that feels like three different dramas stitched together.
1) Political danger, cold tyran king etc.
2) Then: Sudden romance shift. The king becomes a softboy. The Ming cooking competition begins and drags on.
3) Almost near the end: Whiplash back to political rebellion, betrayel, romance THAT DID NOT get explored.
Final episodes: tries to tie everything together in a rushed way.
Romance sucks, then "I LOVE YOU." all of a sudden
This drama is barely a romance. It teased a gradual emotional connection, her capturing his heart through food. Instead he falls too fast. Her perspective is glossed over, and she acts like a frozen robot pretending to be into it. There is no buildup.
Female Lead: Very hard to connect with.
Despite being the protagonist, she rarely showed emotional depth and wasn’t layered at all. She stops questioning her surroundings, doesn’t act on her knowledge. She was passive in romance scenes, often reacting with blank expressions or minimal dialogue. Was that the actor’s fault, or the script’s? Both. An actress who CAN NOT express emotions in a real way. Her character arc lacked growth: she didnt evolve, reflect,
Lacks depth: dilemma and his trauma.
The fl knows the historical consequences. She’s aware of the bloodshed and the villains. Her dilemma—whether or not to tell him—is a an important conflict. But the show forgets it.
The Ml trauma about his mother, his complicated relationship with the queen, and the palace enemies are not explored meaningfully.
The Ming Cooking Competition:
The Ming storyline did NOT fit in the story and dragged out way too long. Four out of twelve episodes—one-third of the entire drama—were wasted on a subplot that barely moved the story forward
This drama promised tension, emotional depth, and a romance. It delivered none of that.
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