Reviews

Thinly veiled "TOURIST BROCHURE" Watch it for villain character's OTT ham acting.

LOL what is this even! This is a barely disguised tourist brochure for Hezhe/Fuuyaan, China

tldr; skip - watch only for the villain's antics in the first 10-12 eps in 1.5x speed. skip both titles to gain time.

This show was popping up in recommendations everywhere. Ended up watching it in .5-2x speed. The excuse of a plot is that our ML is a photographer on a mission to capture all the albino variants of wildlife across China to hold a celebratory exhibition. He's missing the last one, albino brown brear reportedly sighted by FL, known online as "hezhe's treasure". They get off on the wrong foot. ML mistakes "villain" character's harassment of the FL as some viral "proposal" moment and shares it on social media. Hijinks ensue. ML and FL pair up over several adventures. ML dutifully "supports" our "awesome" FL on all her achievements. Villain changes heart and helps our hero get the girl in the end.
PS: There is no plot.

Luckily, each 15 min episode is less than 7 mins of content. Long start &end title scenes make for the remainder. The "albino bear" plot comes and goes as it pleases while the hero spends all his time solving heroine's home town problems. The first half is mostly fending off the advances of the "villain" - the richest man in the province who is set on marrying our heroine against her will. Plucky girl isn't going down without a fight. Fair hero plays his part in rescuing the damsel.

The real MVP of this drama is the villain character Mao Kuan Ren who lights up the scene with his OTT antics, self-aware villainy and is the most amusing character on screen throughout. This 24 ep tedium is made bearable mostly through him. The actor went above and beyond what he was paid for our entertainment's sake. My acting rating is high only for him.

There is a funny side plot where our hero dresses up as a woman to help heroine's brother avenge the villain's russian femme fatale planted in their team to cause havoc. He strongly resembled Aamir Khan's cross dress appearance in Baazi. They played the whole thing straight for laughs.

The plot device serves to showcase the monuments and scenery of the province/area and is a thinly veiled tourism brochure.

No one in the cast stand out. Heroine (Hezhe's treasure) plays cute, pout, tough, etc as demanded in script. Once the villain is "defanged" this meandering mess becomes a chore to watch.

Meh!

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Popular but forgetful

This series feels like it recycled all the different series that had come before: such as the basic story from Mr. Queen, actors and characters from The Moon Embracing The Sun, The Crowned Clown, etc... The whole thing feels like a constant water down deja vu. Not to mention the repetition of certain food ingesting orgasms and funny faces. Overall, it lacks originality.

I could see it being done as a spoof of all the series of the same genre that have come before, in the vain of the Scary Movies making fun of the horror genre. But no, Bon Appetit takes itself too seriously with a weak story plot and even weaker main actors. I agree that it is light and popular right now, but I doubt that this series will remain liked in the years, even months, to come.

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A cultural masterpiece and cinematography but failed in entertainment value

Let’s start by congratulating Idol Factory Production on the huge improvement in this series. It’s clear they now have the budget to bring in a strong production crew, with cinematography at its finest.

From a viewer’s perspective—and not being a Thai native, since the series highlights Thai cultural heritage—I found it lacking in entertainment value. Across its 16 episodes, it failed to capture the thrill, fun, and romance one might expect. To me, it felt more like the love story of two noble women who began as friends and ended with a fairy-tale happily ever after. There wasn’t much to look forward to in each episode beyond the dialogue and food, and if it weren’t for Loknam’s character, I wouldn’t have even found a reason to smile while watching this lengthy series. I also felt it was too much to have two other noble women in love with Becky’s character. It didn’t feel realistic, as there were already too many men and women drawn to her, making the character seem overrated. And then there’s Freen’s character, which felt like a huge shift for viewers who previously saw her as the dominant lead in Gap the Series. This time, the portrayal came across as cringy, since her character was made overly ignorant, and from start to finish, there wasn’t much to her role beyond being naive. They could have shown her character evolve as she grew up, which would have added more depth. As far as the actors are concerned, Freen and Becky delivered as expected. These two women have such natural chemistry that their performances felt genuinely believable. Even when the storyline or character development fell short, their acting managed to hold the viewer’s attention and make the emotions on screen feel real. I also want to commend Loknam for being an excellent supporting role. She consistently brings comedic fun to every character she plays under Idol Factory, adding much-needed lightness and charm to the series.

Overall, the series isn’t a bad watch—I managed to get through it even after it had already ended several months ago. However, once I finished it, I found it memorable but not something I’d rewatch the way I did with Gap and other GL series.

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this is a MASTERPIECE !!

“Thank you for staying alive. Your loved ones must have felt so relieved… live another day.”
This line from *Lovely Runner* sums up why the series touched so many people — it gave hope, joy, and unforgettable moments to viewers around the world.

For me, this was one of the best dramas I’ve watched in my two years as a K-drama fan. Why? Because watching it was one of the most entertaining experiences of my life. There’s something special about following a drama while it’s airing — knowing that thousands of others are just as curious and excited as you are each week.

What made *Lovely Runner* even more special was that it didn’t even have a massive budget. No one expected it to blow up the way it did, yet it became incredibly popular and loved. That’s exactly what makes it a masterpiece for me.

And then there’s the acting… Kim Hye-yoon and Byeon Woo-seok were a perfect match. Their on-screen chemistry was off the charts, and their performances made it feel like they were truly living their characters’ lives. They worked so hard on this drama, and the fact that their effort was rewarded with fame and love makes me so happy.

If you’re an emotional viewer like me, get ready to cry, laugh, and even get frustrated at times. The very first 15 minutes already had me in tears — the way Sun-jae gave Sol hope for life again was so moving. His words touched me deeply.

But I have to say this: *Lovely Runner* isn’t for viewers who get bored easily or only want lighthearted romance and comedy. For me, romantic comedies like this are an escape from real-life problems — but for some people, it might feel like a waste of time.

Still, if you just want to spend 16 episodes being happy and forgetting about your worries, this drama is perfect for you.

**Final Thoughts:**
For me, this drama is a true masterpiece. Because a 10/10 doesn’t always mean a drama that leaves you breathless or sweating from tension. Sometimes, it means a drama that makes the butterflies in your heart come alive. And that’s everything.

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Top 3 historical cdrama

I loved it. The acting was great and so was their chemistry. I loved the ost as well. The little snippet of their wedding left a smile on my face during the whole thing. I wish they got into a relationship sooner, but he was so insecure and there was a lack of communication from both of them. I understand why she was hesitant in the beginning, she knew another version of him, so of course she was scared. They had very cute moments in the last I believe 10 episodes, very small and short ones but got me giggling. I wish You Fangi didn’t die and wished we saw more of her and her husband’s married life. In the end him basically bullying his son was so funny, he’s so insecure over Zhang Ze (was only funny to see on the show, if it happened in reality that would’ve been disappointing).

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Preview looked greater but all was just hype

I was really excited due to all the reaction it got. The trailers also seem great.

Pro: the fl was so pretty as a man. There were fun moments as she was being like mulan. I enjoyed the moments of her at that time. I liked how the ml found out her gender fast. Ml eye contact was good. Choreography was nice I can say that.

Con: her acting as a dude in the first half was so bad, she was so girly and flirty. I’ve seen good Korean dramas where they pretend to be male and I’m myself convinced. This was not convincing. the voice or acting was not good for pretending to be a male. The love scenes came later and wasn’t that intense. I wanted more love and more compelling love. Ml was not very expressive nor that romantic. The Sl story was just everywhere. Story just was messy. Villain was just okay but sided with someone incompetent. There was no real twist. There were some parts I just had to skip.

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Somehow the food outshines everything else

When I first started this drama, the first two episodes were so fun and engaging that I was really looking forward to the next ones. Episodes 3 and 4 didn’t disappoint either, they were just as entertaining as the first two, and the story was getting even more interesting.

But then I watched episode 5. About halfway through, I found myself thinking, “Is this drama really just going to be about a cook feeding the king delicious food all the time, no matter what happens?” I get that the main premise is centered on cooking and food, but it feels like all the mouth-watering dishes are overshadowing everything else.

Sure, the relationship between the leads is slowly progressing, but their characters still lack development and depth. Maybe as the episodes go on, they’ll work it out and I hope so. Still, the characters are fun to watch, especially Yeon Ji Yeong as the cook. She’s smart, witty, and strong, and I can’t wait to see how she continues to survive in the Joseon era. As for King Yi Heon, he’s just… okay, I guess. For now, all he does is eat, get angry, frown, and investigate the mystery behind his mother’s disposal (with zero progress so far). I’m not sure how to feel about his chemistry with Yeon Ji Young but it’s surely not bad, but to me, they come across more like siblings than a romantic couple.

The side characters, though, really add color to the story. From the maids and cooks to the cunning figures like Consort Kang and the Grand Prince, each of them brings something that makes the drama more interesting.

Overall, I hope the storytelling will continue to improve, as this drama remains one of the most enjoyable shows I’m currently watching.

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Fun, but Coffee Prince Was Braver Than This

(copied from my Viki Account)

[addition at the bottom for finale postmortem]

Giving this a nine, though it's not finished, for overall excellent storytelling and humor.

That being said, I think it's worthwhile to just talk about the core theme of this series and the ambivalence I have toward it. Without it being finished, I can't say what the intention is or how well it was executed. What I can say, is that this series, whether intentional or not, elucidates the whole issue of compulsory heterosexuality. This issue is, what I think, is the main reason why this series seems to be drawing some controversial opinions.

If you don't know what compulsory heterosexuality that means, it's basically a queer theory argument that describes how men and women are socially and politically ingrained to perform heterosexuality; it defines the relationships between men and women, how we can interact with each other, and what is considered socially acceptable behavior between same gender people in order to de-legitamize and stigmatize relationships that are not heteronormative (i.e. queer relationships).

This idea runs at the center of the premise. If you can understand that, you can understand that every conflict between the characters stems from this. It's not just a question of Yoonjae accepting JiEun No Matter What (that's a little simplistic); it's asking YoonJae's character, and all of us really, to confront the very idea of what is normative gender and sexuality.

Both of their characters are initially presented to us as the ideal heterosexual couple; one that is rooted in stereotypical ideas of masculinity and femininity as being oppositional; e.g. she is small and cute, he is tall, handsome, and strong. Their relationship is getting increasingly physically affectionate, following a prescribed, heteronormative path of development (meet-cute, dating, meeting family, kissing, going on a trip, etc.) It's the very idea of what is considered Normal.

But when confronted with this sudden gender change, "JiHun" is stronger, more handsome, and taller than Yoonjae. This is a gender identity crisis for them both. Because now, his girlfriend is everything he is and MORE. Add to that is the sexuality crisis; because of compulsory heterosexuality, they can no longer be physically affectionate—that is presented as a given and almost never challenged so far. For a character that has defined himself, his masculinity, and his sexuality within a heteronormative picture of his relationship to JiEun, this gender change is like a spear shattering that 2-d view.

Suddenly, their lives and personalities are more fleshed out. Yoonjae learns things about JiEun he never knew. They hang out as friends, discovering new aspects of each other. But there's always this tension at the center: when will JiEun turn back into a woman, so they can get back on their Normal progression? And, if Yoonjae can't love "JiHun" the same way, does that mean their love is only contingent on being "heterosexual"?

This is exactly where the ambivalence lies. If JiEun remains a woman at the end, is that not just dismissing this entire crisis and the uncomfortable questions it raised? Is that sweeping the issue under the rug and just reinforcing the compulsory heterosexuality?

But then, would the series *allow* JiEun to remain a man? In which case there are only two outcomes: they break up because Yoonjae is Straight, or they stay together because YoonJae decides he can love "JiHun" the same way. But what about the gender dysphoria and the real questions about gender identity THAT raises?

These are the main questions I am left with at this juncture. I have a feeling I am going to be disappointed about something despite the overall great level of storytelling this series has had so I'll probably leave this at a 9 for not giving me a lot of confidence after 10 episodes.

Bracing myself for the finale!

[finale postmortem]

After the ending, I can add a more conclusive evaluation. Though the series brings up all the issues I've written about above, it does not necessarily answer or incorporate those issues textually. In other words, the gender/sexuality crisis we are all, inevitably, thinking about gets side-stepped entirely.

Instead, the series concludes with a happy ending by deciding that their main issue was just that they weren't communicating well enough with each other, ultimately over-generalizing the central conflict to become entirely non-political. (I'm using the term political in the context of social politics, not specific state politics.) And, in retrospect, I think it was always going to side-step the issue. The narrative's focus on the other side couples and Minju were its way of avoiding the real questions by creating extraneous plot for the characters to work through instead.

So, yeah. I pretty much stand by my original remarks.

TL;DR: Fun, but Coffee Prince was braver than this.

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Amachan is the 9th Asadoras that I have watched and it was one of the best ones. I was surprised by how much I ended up loving it, especially since I had dropped it in the past. I’m really glad I gave it another chance because I enjoyed it so much this time around. Unlike the previous Asadoras I’ve seen, this one has a stronger focus on comedy, which I found very refreshing, and the modern setting made it even more enjoyable.

The story is well-written and engaging, showing how people’s dreams and perspectives can change over time. Aki’s journey reflects this beautifully—she starts out aspiring to be an ama diver, then dreams of becoming a deep-sea diver, later shifts her focus to becoming an idol, and finally finds purpose in wanting to save her community. I really admired how determined and passionate she was in pursuing her goals. I also loved the cast of characters—each one was memorable, and the actors and actresses brought them to life wonderfully. Overall, Amachan is an excellent Asadora and definitely a must-watch.

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Fluff is not what to expect from a revenge drama, but the first half of the series can easily drained you by watching the characters slowly revealing their true characters and turning against the female lead (Minori). This makes it clear that some people are disgusting in nature to the point beyond help, and as Minori pointed out to Riko in the rooftop scene, people who hurt their closest ones don't deserve sympathy. The pain from deception and betrayal leaves a long scar that prob takes many years to heal. I was satisfied with Minori's father siding with her and helping her to fulfill her revenge, then I was dissapointed in the second half of Minori's redemption arc because she basically got swayed by a younger man who used to be her student and also her ploy for revenge. For a second, I thought I was watching chuukagusei nikki because it felt like a sudden change of narrative. Although it is entertaining to watch, the romance between them felt forced and didn't make any sense. I was happy with Minori's choice of her being independent and her belief that a woman doesn’t need a man to be happy. The story should have ended there, with Riko starting a new life with her daughter, Yudai and his mom getting their consequences, and Wataru starting his career, it would have been a satisfying conclusion.

Rating: 8/10. Watch if you like dark psychological drama around marriage and affairs.

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Harsh realty of gay men lives

Rewatched this a few times and always see what new comments there are. It’s not a Bl. It’s a reality based gay short. Gay life is different in every country but a common culture theme remains. What the fiancé senses is accurate. Millions of gay men marry to hide and do what is “right” for family and society. We all know this. It’s a terribly tragic and sad thing for all involved. I had so much hope we were entering better times but with the USA rolling back protections I fear so will other countries.
So it’s a gay film based on reality. It’s accurate and wonderfully acted. IMO a must see.
Hopefully everyone watching will have a better understanding of their trauma and difficult life all because others feel they should live and love in a way that is acceptable by someone else’s standard.
🤲

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The ending a bit disappointing as it focused heavily on setting up the 2nd season.

Worth watching overall, but ultimately I was quite let down by the conclusion. It felt rather disappointing because it concentrated excessively on constructing a possible second season instead of delivering genuine closure. A television series should reward its audience with a fully developed, satisfying narrative within the current season. Depending too much on uncertain future seasons undermines the existing effort and feels inconsiderate toward loyal viewers who invested their valuable time, trust, and emotions. Please provide a proper conclusion, not merely a vague setup.

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