This review may contain spoilers
Five Ingredients to Dine with Love
What ingredients make a foodie romance drama endearing?Happy ending? Great chemistry between the leads? Food?
Dine with Love has those three plus two extra ingredients – a tight script and just the right amount of silly supporting characters. These five ingredients, I find, make this drama enjoyable:
1. Fabulous main couple and the actors who played them.
Gao Han Yu and Jade Cheng, breathe life into Yu Hao and Su Ke Lan, respectively. Him, the cold CEO and her, the warm PR manager. Together, they displayed a comfortable long-term couple vibe. And I was very drawn to their chemistry. Oh. I have lost count of the number of times he was shirtless!
It is worth noting that Yu Hao and Su Ke Lan are one of the most mature yet flawed characters in Chinese romance drama. Individually, each carries trauma and heavy responsibilities. It shaped them into who they are and how they handle relationships as a couple and with others.
2. Tight script
In a 16 episodes format, the writers did not stray away from themes of food, family, friendship, and forgiveness. It is also tightly focused on the main couple. All subplots are connected to Yu Hao and Su Ke Lan - illness, ex-partners, business dealings, and secondary couple’s stories.
3. Main supporting Characters
The drama contains just the right amount of silly supporting characters. They served as support and competition to the main couple and slight comedic relief. My favourite amongst them is Yu Hao’s uncle, as he is the only one that brings out Yu Hao’s childishness.
4. Food
Specifically, cooking lessons. During these lessons, Su Ke Lan shined! I want her to be my cooking teacher. She is calm, always smiling and imparts knowledge about the value of food and cooking. She also gives an egg coated fried rice recipe! Yes, I did try it, and it was yummy.
In these lessons, the couple gets to know each other. It was calm yet intimate. And Yu Hao was mesmerised and addicted to her and her food. There was a scene when he turned on his laptop camera just to see her cooking behind him. Sneaky!
5. Happy ending
It is one of the most important ingredients to any romance fan. A good happy ending requires the audience to go through anticipation, warm fuzziness, heartbreak, frustration, and finally happiness. Dine with Love did not disappoint. My heart was full when they kissed in the final scene and burst when I saw the short bonus episode. Tip – find that extra episode! You will be giddy.
These five ingredients make this drama endearing and lovable to me from episode one right through the finale. It is still a flawed production (and what story isn’t?) but it showed me how invested I was in both Yu Hao and Su Ke Lan. I would have loved to spend more time with them as a couple before the proposal and less time during their separation.
On a final note – the now infamous ‘Sewing Scene’ of episode 12, is the most sensual in a Chinese romance drama I have ever watched. You are most welcome.
With love,
Lady Ajumma.
Ps. Despite the poor subbing during airing, it does not deter away from the quality of the story.
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I wasn't entirely sure what to expect, walking into this drama, other than that it supposedly had an amazing bromance storyline. As a huge lover of all things "bromantic", I was intrigued by the prospect, enough so that I put aside my qualms about there being zero non-bro romance. And let me tell you, I am so glad that I did!
I don't typically watch high school dramas, and have never watched one that was so school-centric. 90% of the storyline involved the school, and while some of you may scoff that that was surprising to me, given that the title of the show is, in fact, School, I do wish that they had delved a little more outside of the school interactions. If only to break up the slightly repetitious storyline.
This drama wasn't meant to be marathoned, I don't think. When watching your 10th episode in a single sitting, it's glaringly obvious how many times they reuse some of the same plot points and how the only characters who are given room to grow are the categorized "misfits". The other characters, who should have been the normal bunch, never are given that chance. They stay catty and arrogant throughout, and while we are given so much motivation for why the criminal element of the show acts the way they do, characters who should have been regular students seemed far more sociopathic in their actions than a character who beat a guy til his leg broke.
If you are going into this strictly for the bromance, much like I did, then be prepared to wait. And wait. And then wait just a little bit more. It took a really long time before it got to the bromance I had anticipated from the beginning. It was an arduous journey to get to that point, and I think even calling it a bromance might be a tad misleading. It runs deeper than that. It's two boys who only ever had each other and how one mistake utterly destroys them, and the story of School is how they tenuously try to pick up the pieces.
The brilliance of this show does lie in the growth, however unfairly they distribute it. If a show can take you from absolutely loathing a character in the beginning to really, really wanting them to succeed in life then you know it's doing something right. And despite it's flaws, School 2013 was brilliant in showcasing the shades of gray and how the way you look at and treat other people doesn't define them as much as it defines what kind of person you are.
All in all, this drama is well worth the time and I defy anyone to watch it and not seriously fall in love with Go Nam Soon. Never has there been a more seemingly-apathetic character who could make you feel so many different things. I promise, give this drama a shot, and you won't be disappointed!
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The description might confuse you into thinking that this is a romance drama blend in with the adultery concept. Sadly, for me, this was not what i was expecting. This wasn't a romance drama, it wasn't even an adultery drama. On the contrary it was heavily based on the inner relationships between the hierarcy of a company. The drama centers on a woman, Hye Won, and her complicated life and personality. The drama's main concept is how the protagonist, being unhappy due to her life decisions without even her realising it, rises above it all with the help of a charming young piano student.
The drama talks about life decisions. I can link to a saying we have in my country that i can roughly translate as "If you don't look at where you want to go, you will go where you look". Which means that if you don't set your goals straight from the beginning, no matter what you real want you will end up with what you settle with.
The show was never about the romance it was about seeing her grow as a person to realise what she really wants out of her life. This is why i have mixed feelings about this. I expected something different but, while i am dissapointed, the drama presented something completely unique and even though it was troublesome to digest and understand, i'm happy i gave it a try.
The main reason people -me included- found this boring is because of the difficult, tedious conversations about job policies and schemes of the characters. We were dropped in the middle of a war zone from the first episode, we could barely understand anything and things didn't get any clearer as the drama proceeded. Tedious, boring, vague, incomprehensable dialogs that only increasingly confused me. But, that was the actual prettyness of the whole drama. The fact that it was complicated, with unrelatable characters that you can't help but hate and in the middle there is Hye Won, a strong yet vulnerable, troubled woman, who makes the wrong choices but around so many hateful characters she becames relateable instantly and sways you.
Apart from the company drama that takes the main lead here, music is the next most significant part of this drama. The music is overall exquisite. The romance itself is being expressed solely through music, and that is another reason most people -including me- found the romance unfulfilling. You'll probably need to have music knowledge to properly understand the emotional messages delivered through music or at least have a keen ear to appreciate them.
Honorable mention to the cinematography. I'm not a fan of cinematography but here it was truly marvelous. It was gritty, dark and elegant, and suited the overall feel of the drama completely.
The acting was overall top notch, no complains, but the performance that is memorable is Kim Hee Ae's. The whole drama is on her, it's hers. The other characters serve as fillers just to help her rise and grow. Kim Hee Ae's aura was great for this drama, elegant, graceful, aristocratic even without losing her confused, sensitive even defenceless, at parts, self. Yoo Ah In's performance was also great and their chemistry was strong, noone can deny that even with the 20 year difference. However his character felt again as a filler, and wasn't given the appropriate screen time to gain some kind of value on his own.
Overall, this was a difficult watch. I wouldn't rewatch this, but i can understand why some people would. It's a drama that is aimed at a special few and those few will love it. I wouldn't recommend this to anyone who doesn't like exclusively character driven shows, long conversations about company politics, schemes but not the juisy type, and slow plot pace.
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Cute Binge-able Show With Good Acting, Non- Annoying FL, & Some Action
My headline pretty much says all I want to say.This is my first time writing a review of any show, so please, bear with me…
I binge-watched this one night/morning, and enjoyed it a lot. The plot line is interesting, and I wanted to know what happened next. But it is pretty predictable, which is not a bad thing, just in case you like or dislike such plots.
What really made me stay and that I loved were two things:
1. The Female Lead
PLEASE, goodness to gracious me. This girl is it. She’s smart, confident, and doesn’t go around whimpering and whining to everyone in sight.
2. The Acting + Chemistry
The acting actually surprised me. I wasn’t expecting bad, but I wasn’t expecting the quality that I got. It got me searching up the actor’s to see what other work they’ve done.
Esp. Wen Mo Yan.
I was shocked when I saw that not only is she 32 (jaw drops) she also only made her acting debut in 2021.
I am looking forward to what I may see from her in the years yet to come.
For Wang Zu Yi, for the most part, I think he acted quite naturally.
I am also looking forward to what he might partake in, in the future.
Chemistry~
Now, if you’re looking for a spicy chemistry, not for you.
But cute, some fluff, perhaps? It’s sweet, and not stiff!
I am not really one to rewatch (but there are specific ones that I will) so I really won’t rewatch this, and I have no desire to.
Now then,
I must bid my leave.
Farewell ^_^
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how ridiculous can it get?
we get it. the ml is smoking hot. everyone has their undergarments in a twist. however, is there more to this?this is the type of drama wherein you don't use your brain. the plot? it left the room a long time ago. from the get go, it's obvious that nothing here makes sense and we are here to watch a shitshow.
for a person that wants to take revenge, you would think that they'd carefully orchestrate a clever plan to make it happen. in this drama, the fl takes the opposite route and she's as lost as a malfunctioning google maps app.
the relationship between the main leads is as questionable as it gets but oh... the acting? *chef kiss* even though all the characters were frustrating to watch, i can't deny that the cast made sure their efforts paid off. the actor that played the villain was so good that no matter how absurd the plot is, he somehow looked eerily clever. what a shame that the story was played around with when the cast is decent.
overall, this was a drama i was able to enjoy because i didn't take anything seriously. i'm curious what more can they do with a second season or how far can they go?
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This review may contain spoilers
More Kim So Hyun Please
The story follows Kim So Hyun as Princess Pyeong Gang. First, Kim So Hyun was phenomenal in her role. I can't say enough good things about her performance. This also goes for her character which was so incredibly interesting. Princess Pyeong Gang is everything that I could want out of a character. She is very capable as a fighter, and she has emotional depth. She also is willing to do whatever it takes to protect her family and country, even at the cost of herself. This leads her to come across as very authentic.This brings me to one of the best parts of the story and where this series is somewhat unique. Pyeong Gang has agency. In so many of these stories with a strong FL, the story undermines her by having her saved and/or protected by the ML. Here, the FL gets herself out of trouble when needed, and that is so refreshing to have character consistency.
The ML is also a good character. He does undergo a somewhat unbelievable powerup, but he never fully outshines the FL. He also doesn't have her cunning and ruthlessness. He's more of a traditional hero, which provided a nice balance to their characters.
Several other characters play a major role, and all of them are interesting. The antagonists all have believable motivations that raise the stakes and makes the protagonist's journey all the more intriguing.
The ending was one area that I think was too easy. I won't spoil anything, but I think that it was a missed opportunity.
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Quite nice to watch...
As typical of Sukfilm they try to tell a short story with a very limited budget and this time I think they did quite well. Yes, we are all sick of the same places, but at least the "bar" has now background noises to make the scene more believable. I really really wish, they would have friends in the community to help them out for locations to vary the settings a bit.This time the story did not contain a bitchy woman and without cringe which was a bliss and the story is just straighforward and kept more real without forced drama. Of course it's cute and has fluffy moments. The acting was good. The only negative I can say is in the finale where, a) the scene with the mom should have been played out and b) the scene of the sister finding out who the lover of her brother is should have been skipped, because it was unnecessary. But all in all, they did nothing wrong (this time).
So if you have not seen it yet, it's about a 65minutes filler and you could have seen worse. 🤣
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"Our Song" is a program filled with positive energy, full of laughter, joy and emotions. There is no episode that would not be dripping with jokes and good humor. The new arrangements of sometimes very old songs are so great that although I haven't had much in common with Chinese music so far, now I am full of delight for older and younger songs. "Ousr Song" has opened a whole new world for me and has become the most enjoyable adventure of recent years. The viewer will meet people with wonderful personalities and a great sense of humor, full of love for music and respect for others.
Not without reason, "Our Song" is China's best and most popular music program in 2019. The group of its international fans is also growing: D
If you have a bad day, any troubles or worries, "Our Song" will be an excellent remedy for them. A radiant smile is guaranteed!
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A must see. A gem & they should all be very proud
A must watch. It's slow. It's quiet. It is superbly acted. The locations and sets are full of emotional jarring sound ever so quietly. What a gem. I cried out loud.There are multiple POV's/versions of one man's moment in time. It is great story telling. It shows you how you never really know the whole story no matter how much you think you know the person.
This is about survival by more than one person. About how one person makes a difference. Both good and bad. How one decision changes your course.
Most of all,
My wish is one world where we can be at peace, happy and proud to love and be loved as our hearts and minds see fit.
Thank you to all those that made this film.
Please leave encouraging comments to the actors page. They read it!
Thank you.
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Sooooo realistic
Wow this is the most realist drama ever. There's no rich boy, poor girl. They are not step siblings, their parents dated and moved in together, but they never married. The ml's dad died and fl mom got involved with scammers and ran away leaving the girl with nowhere to go. They just stayed together taking care of other, since they had no one else. How they had to do minial jobs just to survive and eat. This is about life in general. They never treated each other like brother and sister.This story is so good, the ml and fl did their roles well. The chemistry is top notch,. This is a must watch.Was this review helpful to you?
Story:
I L.O.V.E.D the girl. She's so tough, I mean the way she acts. Though there's a deep sadness within her, she tries to hide it with a cheery smile that does not fool our dear Gyeon Woo. It's also different from what I ever watched and I enjoyed it a lot! Seriously I never laughed so hard. There were particular scenes that cracked me up, there's this one where honestly I couldn't breathe because I was laughing so hard.
Acting:
*Nods head and smile* It is flawless. It's like Cha Tae Hyun and Jun Ji Hyun were made to play the lead roles in this movie. I loved Gyeon Woo's mother, always hitting him. In saying that all the girls in his life are always hitting him, poor thing. Jun Ji Hyun plays 'The Sassy Girl' (I just realised that he never referenced her name O.O). She played the abusive, easily drunk, tough, cute, delicate, gorgeous girl. I need to watch more movies with her in it.
Music:
Is it just me or Director Yann Samuell really really loves Canon D Majoy by Pachelbel. I watched his other movie called 'Classic' and the same instrumental piece was played throughout the movie. I'm not complaining, it's more like an observation.
Rewatch:
I sure as hell would rewatch this. It's soo funny,
Overall:
I LOVED IT. I know why people keep telling me to watch the movie. Everything made sense at the end and this movie really made me believe in DESTINY ~
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Her Love Boils Bathwater sets itself to be a sentimental family drama. But Ryota Nakano takes a more light-hearted approach. Instead of following a very dramatic ill-single-mother-making-her-time-worthwhile take (and it's very tempting to), he doesn't. Instead, he rallies his great cast to launch the story foreword.
And that's the film's greatest strength—its cast. Hana Sugisaki won Best Supporting Actress for her role and she proves once again that she's one of Japan's most promising young actresses perhaps taking on the footsteps of the chameleon actor, Fumi Nikaido (a personal bias).
Perhaps being Japan's entry to the Best Foreign Film list is a little bit of a stretch since the film is simplistic but heartfelt, strengthened by its cast. Its little moments and character interactions are its charm. Nakano doesn't patronize these characters—he shows them as flawed ones and as imperfect beings but what's great is how that all plays out.
The cinematography is stunning, paired with lukewarm colors yet vivid. The score truly embraces the scenes. Yes, I cried.
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Okay, but Not Incredible
There have been worse, there have been better. I feel like that sums up the story.Overall, the story isn't bad. The cinematography is nice and JoongDunk do have nice chemistry with each other. Other than that, nothing to write home about. It wasn't overtly unique, but it was a decent watch.
I didn't regret watching it, but I think I would like to see how these MLs do with a more mature script. Maybe it's because the college/high school arc is getting old, but I'd love to see Thai dramas in general move forward out of the school era.
Overall: Decent watch, but not life-altering.
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The chemistry is insane♥️
I binge watched this drama in two days. It was filled with powerdynamics,romance, revenge,seduction and sweet sweet love between two child hood sweethearts who don’t know each other’s true identities when they reunite. FL is stunningly beautiful and stubborn,equal in her deadliness to her soulmate,our alluring and dark killer of a hero. Such a badass power couple!Was this review helpful to you?
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Over The Past Ten Hours..
This film is the perfect example of what sets pieces from Japan apart from Westerns, Kdramas, etc. A delicate,heavy story woven by it’s magical Ost, sharp camera language, and effortlessly masterful performances. No where else will you have a similar style in similar executions. The heaviest of topics leading to self reflections that you’re not aware of until it ends.The Last 10 Years leaves more questions than answers, and not for the film itself. After finishing the film i spent the past 10 hours falling in and out of sleep to the Ost on repeat and tears drawn to the rhythm. Why do such different situations and occurrences hit so close to home? What’s so similar in my own life that has me so empathetic of these characters? Why am I, a grown man, waking up 3 in the morning with puffy eyes over a movie? For fucks sake do i have to check if i wet the bed as well? Are all of these emotions simply the film or realizations from watching it?
I’m usually not a fan of the typical pacing dramas and films from japan, and it’s quite rare to spot one that steps outside of that norm and delivers a deliberate, smooth flow throughout. Especially considering the time restriction of films, taking your time to give more impact towards the climax will always have my upmost respect. Mix that with realistic dialogue,compelling performances, and a subtle melo tone and you got a work from japan at it’s very peak. THIS is what I watch these works for. THIS is what I can’t get anywhere else and feel the same uplifting overtones of a very dark, depressing story.
A slight flaw i find with almost any decent movie, especially ones this good, is that there’s always something more i want to see but not given. Some more fleshed out development instead of the bright, fluffy montages we received of our leads’ bond getting closer would’ve sufficed. Alas, the more you give me and the better it is, the more i want. There’s a very thin line of Perfect between the large margins of “Draggy” and “Not Enough” , this falls in the latter for me.
Films like this, in my opinion, are must watches not only nationally but internationally as well. Such heavy topics delivered in such an impactful way that teaches us things we never considered before needs the recognition. This level of quality is rare to come by. First love is rare to come across. Life itself is such a blessing that is rarely cherished amongst many of us the way it should be. Death is seen too much as this inevitable outcome that some unfortunately succumb to sooner than others. We sometimes empathize for selfish reasons. Some may want to end it all with no concerns of how it effects the people around them. Life can be this seemingly endless journey to a singular destination one wants to rush towards from unfortunate hands dealt, or it could be the journey itself as you cherish a blessing others aren’t given , with those around you through thick and thin that you’ve been lucky to have been dealt.
The Last Ten Years makes use of depressing desires to accentuate the appreciation and beauty of life and finding your own happiness in it. A masterful artwork i hope receives the attention and praise it deserves down the line.
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