Reviews

Ta Xian Chen Lun (2025), aka He Succumbed First (2025). is a very nice romance and revenge miniseries with Wang Yiran (as Su Jing Nian) and Tian Tianyi aka Liu Yifan (as Xu Xiao Nuo) in the leading couple’s role. The cast did a good job bringing their characters to life and the leading couple has great playful, team, and romantic chemistry. Wang Yiran does a great job as Su Jing Nian and his facial expressions were very much in tune with his character’s emotions. Liu Yifan also did a great job even when her character came out a little bit childish but she also did very well playing Xu Xiao Nuo. This drama has a nice flow of the storyline and it even throws a couple of unexpected twists along the way. Overall, this drama is quite entertaining, enjoy it!
In the meantime, this drama can be found in YouTube under the caption: “Caught filming CEO's scandal to save mom, she got his love confession instead, got spoiled rotten” (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q0WZ6JoM-l4) or "He Fell First" | Wang Yiran x Tian Tianyi | Short Drama” (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tiaq9GNc96o)

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One of my all time favorites

This show had me hooked from start to finish. Most dramas that are 40 episodes always have filler side plots and characters that I'm not really interested in and I end up fast-forwarding a lot of parts of the show, but I can honestly say that with this show I didn't have to fast forward anything and there were no boring plots,all the characters were interesting and the twists just kept me engaged until the very end. I only took off half a star because the love story aspect of the show did not really satisfy me, they had only one kiss in the whole show and it just wasnt giving "im so in love". I also took off half a star for the ending as well, because it just didn't seem that happy... I wish they had showed their life in the future, maybe getting married or something like that.I just felt like there wasn't enough happiness at the end of the show, they didnt even say goodbye to some of their friends which made NO SENSE. Another thing i didnt like was that he never learned ANY martial arts during those 10 years knowing he was planning a very dangerous revenge?? Come on lol. but other than that I rated it 9 stars.

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Does being rude and hitting people make you a heroine?

When I began watching KDramas in 2015 I had the chance to watch the earlier ones too from @ 2008, Back then, the ML's were arrogant of course...it was 'a thing'...but also on the other side, the female lead often yelled at people or shrieked when upset ...and worse still, would kick a guy in the shins and get petulantly loud with anyone that angered her. Now in fairness, I wasn't watching CDramas from that time because they weren't accessible for me, but after watching this drama, I felt like the old stereotype of a loud, commanding FL with a chip on her shoulder came back in all her glory. Which is just not my cup of tea anymore.
I get that we need strong female role models in what we read or watch today, but this Female Lead was quite hard to watch. Especially in a period drama that has a world order that included so many rules & manners. But in this Historical, the only one that does or says everything that comes to her, is our "strong" female lead. If that's what we're going for, then a woman only looks strong if she acts like men used to. She has no absolutely no situational awareness and every conversation she has is edged with an "I told you so' or underscored with a belligerent familiarity to everyone, even the royals at court. Yes indeed...NOBODY can make her act polite, caring or even interested in anyone else's opinion. As a lowly maid in the Court, she thinks nothing of grabbing the whip she's being hit with and then using it on her superior. Yay her! Some might feel good watching women hit back at power or gender superiority but all it did for me was undermine the credibility of this time period. That girl would be dead within five minutes in that time period. Yes. I know it's a comedy. and it's all played for laughs, but I've seen way better dramas making the same points with strong capable female leads using more than a loud mouth and physical shoving & slapping to make her point.
Ok I'll stop here. Apologies, but this drama was a loss for me. Strangely, the other actors were good, especially the stereotypical, catty and competitive Concubines who convinced me that they might have existed in history. The King was actually okay and seemed to care about his harem. Our ML was a bit stiff but went for the kisses, and so far, I've liked watching the second FL go through her metamorphosis from weak & shy into a more definite, self-aware & confident character. I have no clue if the FL will change, but it isn't worth hanging around for the ending
Watching it on Prime Video also didn't help my opinion of this drama. The subs were modern slang, a personal pet-peeve I have when people translate historicals. AND for this drama, Prime Video had huge gaps in translation. All in all, other than nice costumes & some good acrobatic sword fights, this was a disappointing watch.

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Fated Twist?

The surprise in question? Well for a long time watcher of wuxia, costume and fantasy drama i must say this drama has a lot of nice costumes and cinematography that feeds the eyes and leaves one in awe . The actors did execute their part pretty well and will leave you watches eager to watch another episode. However the progression of the drama was slow from the couple starting episodes that caused many watches to drop this drama early and i totally understand them. Even though that was an issue for me I did manage to make it half way through the drama and find it funny that everything falls into place and progression of the story occurs from here on to the ending episodes.

Is the drama romance heavy? I’d say no. But expect a lot of BROMANCING


Storyline 9/10
Acting 9/10
OST 10/10

OVERALL 9.5/10

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When the second half falls off a cliff...

This drama came out of the gate with bang! A red clad female general who is a master archer takes down a prince who is referred to as the Killer God or some version of it? Sign me up!
The sheer amount of razor sharp tension between Fu Yixiao and Feng Suige in the first half of the drama was so good! I was appalled at the violence and brutality they doled out to each other, but somehow since they were equally psychotic I could close one eye and live with it.
What I had trouble with was the return of one Su Rong Qing (from The Princess Royal) who was now haunting my screen as Xia Jiangshi, yet another pathetic villain role. Granted, I can't stand the villain roles this actor takes on because he just does not have a presence on screen and looks like a child play acting as a baddie. So here, the ballad of Su Rong Qing continues...(shout out to the reviewer who reviewed The Princess Royal and said it should have been called The Ballad of Su Rong Qing instead. That has stuck with me until now!)
The first half of the drama was fantastic - our leads work together to piece Yixiao's memory together and find out who is the traitor in Suige's kingdom. Their interactions were so honest and raw; clearly both of them had so much baggage and trauma and somehow together they healed. It was all very bloody and sweet. The betrayal by Yixiao's closest allies was heartbreaking and we see that in a way her memory loss allowed her to finally see things for what they are and to really find and connect with the people she is meant to be with. Suige's trauma flowed through his veins and I especially loved the way he challenged his father and did not care that he was challenging the emperor. I have waited a long time for a drama where the prince doesn't cower and live in fear of his father. It was a nice change!
The palace intrigue on both Susha and Jinxiu sides was so boring though. It was predictable and a real snooze. Susha politics made my eyes cross from boredom and Jinxiu's internal drama made me fall asleep more than once.
The one scene I truly enjoyed was the confrontation Feng Suige had with his father where he sees that the emperor is a depraved power fiend who only wanted his Killer God son to become just like him. When Suige sees his father as a monster and understands how his mother was murdered, it was so tragic yet moving to watch him refuse to become what his father wanted him to be. A huge part of that was Yixiao who had become his ally in every way and the way she stood up for him and protected him was phenomenal. She was truly the MVP of this drama.
By this point Suige's revenge is done and it's only episode 25/26. I'm then thinking to myself what on earth is left that this drama needed 38 episodes? Oh boy.
So off a cliff it went.
I was still on board when Suige gets ambushed and stabbed by the Murong father and son duo. I was horrified, but knew he wasn't going to die as it just didn't strike me as that sort of drama. Plus it wasn't even episode 30 yet...
Then he's buried while barely alive, dug up, taken to some exclusive alliance where everyone gets saved no matter what, becomes blind, becomes un-blind, loses his memory specifically of the love of his life, then un-loses his memory of her by stabbing her and then gets caught up in the internal betrayal of this alliance because the people there were sick and tired of not being able to leave. Why oh why did we need 38 episodes just to go through all this?
The final battle was always going to be Yixiao's revenge which coincided with Suige's revenge 2.0 against Xia Jingshi. I thought that Yixiao would finally confront him about the death camps and what he did to her and then take his head off. Yet, it is Suige who delivers the final blow with Yixiao assisting?? This should have been written better considering Xia Jingshi had wronged her way more than Suige defending what was done to Xiyang.
Lastly. Xiyang. Lord this girl was a pain. I knew she would end up being miserable, but she just continued to circle the drain of misery and not amounting to anything. If you marry someone you love but he does not love you, especially because he has made it clear that he loves someone else, how exactly were you planning to win that fight? She gets mad at Xia Jingshi and throws a hissy fit that he can't just give into her and their marriage. Girl....Also Xia Jingshi is an ass and you really should have known better.
The mess that comes after that was beyond ridiculous and really could have been written better. Also, why are rival kingdoms always written as twisted? Like why did Xia Jingyan have to have kinks and exhibit depravity? Also why do they always have to be styled with all the braids and beads? It makes it seem as if Susha is the "right" kingdom and Jinxiu is not. What's up with that?
Then for Suige to place her in the reigning position of Susha - I would be alright with this if we could remember the girl being capable of doing anything except being childish! When did she suddenly become wise and capable??
All in all, Fated Hearts was fabulous until it wasn't. I would rewatch the first half and pretend that the second half was written better.

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The True Kim You Jung Masterclass

Anyone who knows me knows that I absolutely detest insane K-drama villains. They’re shallow, repetitive, and poorly written. They lack the depth necessary to make them feel real or believable, and their motives often border between non-existent and illogical. Basically, the “insane villain” trope is not my cup of tea. From Vincenzo to Dear Hongrang, they just kept getting worse. Then along comes Dear X with the most brilliantly complex sociopath I’ve seen in a long time.

You could argue that she’s so layered because she’s the protagonist and main focus of the show, but if those other dramas had better character writers and clearer priorities, they could’ve made their villains feel just as layered as their heroes.

Baek Ah-Jin is a phenomenal character brought to life by an equally capable actress. Although I hated My Demon, I wasn’t the least bit skeptical when I heard KYJ was heading this production, because she gave what was easily the best acting performance in that drama. The supporting characters really enhance the story, my personal favorite being Moon Dohyun. The plot hooked me from the first episode and kept me engaged throughout. I have to admit, though, that the rest of the show wasn't as good as the first four episodes, and the ending left much to be desired. One thing that stayed consistent, though, was KYJ’s acting.

There’s a strong thematic presence in this show. Subjects such as violence, abuse, generational trauma, and duplicity don’t simply exist here—they’re explored quite deeply. It’s unapologetically dark and gruesome. Sometimes, I even fear for the child actors involved. The visuals are stunning—the dark and gritty tones work seamlessly with the world-building, and the lighting complements KYJ’s face in a way that almost makes her look doll-like at times. The direction sometime makes it feel like a horror show. The musical element is on another level; the way it intensifies an already tense situation makes everything come together perfectly.

As good as everything already is, my favorite aspect of this show has got to be the psychological maneuvering. Manipulation is depicted with striking accuracy. Ah-Jin is a villain through and through, and while her actions are unjustifiable, they’re strangely understandable. She’s beyong redemption, yet you can’t help but wonder how different her life might have been had she been born into better circumstances. She’s intelligent and calculating. She sees people as pawns in her mind games, inserting herself into their lives as the very thing they yearn for—whether it’s love, a morality project, or a sense of usefulness. She shifts her personality to infiltrate their minds. She could be a love interest to one and a helpless child to another. But once she sinks her teeth in, they become slaves to her every bidding.

This show isn’t perfect, though. It’s sometimes unbelievable how well things work out for the female lead. But they balance it by having her make costly mistakes every now and then. This is just peak entertainment. Baek Ah-Jin is now one of my favorites kdrama characters of all time. She is the gold standard for insane kdrama villains.

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When winter is cold and warmth is needed

If you are into action and flaming hearts, this drama is definitely not for you. The stories told here draw you in slowly. They keep you interested and make you feel the unspoken pain, the solitude, the loneliness the main characters live with. But the pain is bearable, because in all this bitter coldness and icy numbness of winter you can already sense that spring will come, and the ice will thaw.

I was fascinated by how beautifully the contrasts were shown. The cold and stillness outside, the frozen atmosphere in the FL’s home — and then the warm bookstore with its tea, colors, and the gentle togetherness of the book club. Winter becomes the screen on which past pain wants to be seen, spoken of, and healed.

A lot of opening up and healing has to be done in When the Weather Is Fine, and the thawing is slow. But it happens — just like nature does it every year.

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they be playing 4d chess over here

TLDR; This show is a lot darker than I thought--moral dilemmas, emotional manipulation..Also, it's kind of same old same old in terms of romance, and the story's choppy sometimes. Acting is amazing, though and feels natural. Lots of music, nothing much else to say about it, and it's a one-time watch for me.

Story: It's refreshing that fl doesn't get the plot armor of everyone not knowing she's female (at least for ml). It's obvious it's adapted from another story bc it feels like some characters should've been fleshed out more and allowed the audience to connect with them--also the random narrator jumpscares lol. Even though they start scheming against each other, the amount of trust between them is incredible (ml especially). One rlly nitpicky thing I would like to add is that there are clearly some boundary issues ml doesn't seem to follow, though I know fl does like him that way--it's just he forces it sometimes, which is kinda eh tbh. There are misunderstandings, but they confront them and apologize. At least ml is honest and never intentionally leads 2nd fl on. The second half of the show really tempted me to drop it, which I've never done before btw (I always watch till the end in case it gets good) bc the plot just went downhill so quickly, and it's dumb asf (mostly bc of one certain character). It does get better, though, like 3-4 eps later bc something huge happens, and the way it pans out is bittersweet. Main couple argues A LOT--but it's not bc of petty stuff and more about conflicting moral dilemmas. Someone in the comments said fl's a realist while ml's an idealist, which I think really encapsulates the source of their arguments. It happens so many times that I forget why they're upset in the first place. I've been watching a lot of shows where the ml has a final hurdle/calm before the storm moment before their happy ending. I feel like this one is a lot more mellowed out, and their happy ending is a full episode long!

Acting/Cast: The chemistry is insane, and this is the most I've seen a ml cry (and his tears are real). Out of all the shows I've watched, this one has the most kissing/romantic scenes that are not romance-only genre. Normally, I would be a bit put off by that, but they fit like a puzzle, so it's cute..

Music: A variety to choose from, but none of them really stood out to me/were particularly catchy.

Rewatch value: One and done for me. I think the most off-putting part is the story pacing.

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Action-packed and Exciting, except for the unsatisfying romances and Gong Jun

**edited to increase rating from 8.5 to 8.75 after watching Dashing Youth. Blood River is so much better**

Subjective Gut Rating: 8.75

The title of this review sums up how I feel about “Blood River”. Going into this, I really have low/no expectations. This drama aired while a few other costume dramas were airing, and it didn’t seem to have a lot of buzz. But the plot sounded interesting and different, and I didn’t hear too many complaints. I ended up really liking it. You can watch “Blood River” as a standalone drama, even if you haven’t seen “Blood of Youth” or “Dashing Youth”. I dropped “Dashing Youth” and even though I watched “Blood of Youth”, I forgot everything except for a funny and bald monk.


Plot/Pacing
The introduction of the assassin organization and its hierarchy could be confusing at first. It introduces many characters, fighting moves, sects and specialties right from the start. But as we’ve seen in similar drama setups, most of these characters are unimportant and will disappear soon. So, if you can’t remember them all, it’s all good as the ones that you should remember will show up again and again. “Blood River” could be divided into 3 big arcs. I enjoyed the first 2 tremendously, as they really focus on the fall of the old and the rise of the new Dark River (the assassins). It’s full of exciting events, interesting twists and excellent action scenes. The last arc is more political and the pacing is slower comparatively, but not draggy slow. The drama really kept my attention for all 38 episodes. The pacing was great and I kept on saying to myself how much I am enjoying this and that it’s such a pleasant surprise. Because it has a huge cast, I feel that the drama is unable to fully develop each supporting character’s personal stories to make me love them. Therefore, I am not as invested in their stories as much as I have wanted to be.


Acting
Oh, Gong Jun. Where do I start? He’s just not good. I haven’t seen him since “Word of Honor” because none of his dramas after that hit were interesting to me. I finally get to see him again and it’s such a disappointment. His character is stoic and a little standoff-ish, and Gong Jun gives me a blank face. I look at his big unexpressive eyes, and they are dead. What's worse was his voice. I applaud him for dubbing, but he seems to be intentionally lowering his voice for this ‘serious’ character, and he sounded like a monotone robot. With poor acting and poor voice dubbing, he was the weakest link. The other disappointment was Peng Xiao Ran. She’s so underutilized in this drama and she should NOT be listed as a main character. Not only was her acting so average, her voice acting/dubbing was just as bad as Gong Jun’s (ok, maybe a little better). She’s not monotone, luckily, but her voice and her character don’t match well. Chang Hua Sen (which so many viewers are in love with) did fine, though not excellent. But I think his character gives him more to play with compared to Gong Jun’s. My favorite acting in this drama goes to Bai Shu (Prince Langya) and Li Dai Kun (madman Mu Ci Ling). Bai Shu’s voice matches his character’s charisma. He doesn’t have too many scenes but he has screen presence. He definitely shows up to be THE Prince, not like the First Prince and the laughable young-looking emperor with a beard. Li Dai Kun is such a scene stealer as the madman. His looks, overdramatic hysterics and crazy laughs are all so fun to watch. Each time he shows up, I wonder what kind of chaos he is going to bring.


Romance
Ahhh.. another disappointment. I don’t mind the slow burn romance between Su Yu Yu and Doc Bai He Huai. I actually like that they started off as acquaintances, then friends and then something more. Unfortunately, the development is lacking. There’s no spark and no chemistry between the two. The drama just did not spend any time on this romance. On the other hand, Mu Yu Mo and Tan Liang Yuen had such excellent chemistry in episode 1 during their first encounter. A flirty girl trying to lure, seduce and trick a stoic guy. What a great setup! Unfortunately, after a couple episodes with very few scenes, they disappear for another 20+ episodes. Also barely any development of this romance. The beginning and the ending conversation are memorable, but due to the lack of development, it couldn’t deliver an emotional impact on me. What a wasted opportunity! I really wonder if this is due to the screenwriter's inability to adapt the novel well, or if the novelist is incapable of writing a decent romance storyline.


Production
I already complained about Gong Jun and Peng Xiao Ran’s voices and dubbing above. The dubbing in this drama is only average as a whole. The costumes, sets, accessories, hairstyling are all good enough for me to enjoy the drama. You can tell this is not a big budget S+ production. I think the money goes into all the action scenes. I LOVE this about “Blood River”. It not only relies on CGI fighting, but also actual sword fighting scenes that WOW me. I was so pleasantly surprised! There are also many fight scenes throughout the drama. So, if you don’t like fights, this is not the drama for you. Most of these fights are exciting and fast-paced. In fact, I think they intentionally sped up the fights in the first episode, but they slowed down later on. The last big fight with the eunuch might be my least favorite, because there’s a lot of talking and preaching during the fights.


Despite some of my complaints, I have a really good time watching “Blood River”. I like it so much that I am tempted to pick back up the dropped “Dashing Youth” and watch that again. I would definitely recommend this drama, especially because I think some of my complaints are pretty personal and subjective. The journey of the rise of the new Dark River is well-written and exciting. But if you are watching this for romance, then you better skip this one.

Series Watch Order
1) Dashing Youth
2) Blood River
3) The Blood of Youth

Completed: 11/12/2025 Review #641

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Looks like we are finally back in the old Kdrama era

The first thing that came to my mind while watching the drama was- it was giving old Kdrama vibes. It was pure nostalgia as if I was rewatching all those dramas that introduced me to this whole new world decades ago. If I could compare it to more recent drama then 'The business proposal' is the closest one in terms of plot and fluffy rom-com feel.
But it isn't the plot that will make to glued to it. It is the acting and chemistry of our main lead. They felt so believable and relatable especially in the beginning. It is simply a Chaebol drama , "rich man poor woman." but you will still watch it because it is so damn entertaining. The dialogues are hilarious, acting is just perfect. Honestly this was the sort of vibe that I was missing badly from all the recent Kdramas. They were following more western style and sort of loosing their own essence in the race. (Though I can't complain about every single one of them. Some were exceptionally good but that is just my p.o.v. and one can have different opinion over it.) Honestly it was 9.5 rating drama for me but towards the middle it began to lose its maturity and relatability which I loved in the beginning and then I thought it is one of those kdramas which you can only enjoy if you don't try to find logic. But for me it would have been perfect if ML's character was shown more reasonable and less coercive. In the beginning his behaviour felt hilarious, then it became annoying a little. Even FL, who was portrayed really cool/mature and relatable in the beginning began to turn into cliched clueless kdrama FL. For me it started really very well in the beginning but began to fizzle out towards the end as it began to turn its characters little cheesy for my taste. Overall it is a good fluffy rom-com one time watch kdrama for sure.
(Btw was I the only one who was taken aback for a moment because sml really looked like Jin.)

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Ummmmmmm…..WHAT……..exactly …did I watch???

Beautiful couple pairing! A great storyline with good potential… I enjoyed it so much!! The chemistry between the main lead couple was awesome! Then……..the last episode just had to ruined it!! I’m still fuming here about it!!!!uhhhh… why does the writer had to do this to us!!! I was set on being a loyal fan for this drama until the very last episode. Left me confused, then sad…. Then angry! And the audacity of the “ The End” we get. As the minutes on the drama is coming to an end. I started panicking because the direction of the storyline sudden switch to a “cliff hanger “vibe. I had to pause and re check to make sure it’s not just 24 episode and that it would still have a few more episode listed to assure me we still need to find out what will happen. Then the subtitles show “ The End” and I felt it like a slap in the face of the ending. How sad the writer gotta leave us hanging like that when the show was great. I will still go back and rewatch my favorite scene BUT….. to rewatch the whole show…. No thanks for me… Honest review: EP 1-23 is good. (Episode 24 is unnecessary so watch with caution that it will leave you feeling unsatisfied .)

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Royal Feast Deja Vu (or maybe the Remix)?

Summary (heavy violence from middle to end): A show about cooking with science, time travel through a recipe book, royal romance, and an unrealistic but intriguing storyline with cheesy, upbeat background music? All check. Hallmark, Korean style! How does that differ from regular Korean dramas? Well, the introduction had that similar background music and feel, set to a cooking competition, that I’ve experienced in one too many American Hallmark movies. Of course, it’s not complete without those familiar K-drama elements incorporated, like a high-profile and tyrannical (or narcissistic) but dashingly handsome male lead. Another check. The frequent close-ups of the his perfect lips as he savored each morsel of food was like 😳 It was also nice to see a lot of cultural tie-ins to Korean history, with heavily ethnic music and dance numbers showcased throughout.

As the episodes went on, I started to get a feeling that I’ve seen this show before…a fastidious ruler with a super refined palate that picks on the lowly but beautiful palace cook, who’s also his fated soulmate, as they navigate a swarm of conniving trickery by other palace residents? Ah-hah. Royal Feast (2022). And the mystery surrounding the execution of a family member? Story of Yanxi Palace (2018). AND, the crazy blood bath towards the end of the movie while shrouded in some type of espionage against the main characters? Fateful Love (2024). Perhaps it was just a coincidence but all those aspects of this show gave me a bit of deja vu. Lol

However, the story got sloppy towards the middle with some inconsistencies (like storytelling approach) and holes (like lack of explanation on some key points) in the storyline that the filmmakers never bothered to resolve by the end.

Overall, I did enjoy Bon Appétit, Your Majesty! Rewatch? Yes, please. Even though I was balking at the inconsistencies and holes in the storyline, I still wanted to go back and catch the details I missed from the beginning. Looking back through the show, I realize I loved most the part when they first met and kind of hated each other. ^_^ That smack to the head in response to his ummm piggish offer to her was woahhh… 😂

My respect for Im Yoon-ah’s work is growing. Apparently, she underwent months of culinary training for this role. She also speaks multiple languages, and her Mandarin is pretty good (King the Land, 2023). I also love the mini music video nod to Seo Teiji & Boys "Come Back Home," one of my favorite scenes of the show!


Details: Despite its undismissable plot holes, I was quite impressed by this fantasy, sci-fi, mystery romcom themed around cooking. The flow of the story was very smooth for most of the show. And what began like a Hallmark evolved into a much more complex plot akin to the likes of Chinese period dramas Story of Yanxi Palace (2018) or Fateful Love (2024), both of which intensities are hard to top in my book. I mean those dramas had ALL kinds of wrongness (diabolical villains in every corner)! But Bon Appétit, Your Majesty! is a good contender. There was plenty of “Whaaaa???” moments in the plot development. And although it’s hard to believe that they fell off a tall cliff and floated to a shore pretty much unscathed (especially after he was shot by an arrow), it made for a great setup. Good thing Yeon Ji-yeong knew a bit of first aid. 😂

The aspects of the show I appreciated were:
- how Yeon Ji-yeong was a tough and determined woman, who spoke up for herself or others; she was the perfect partner for the king — go, go, go!
- incorporation of scientific explanations with the cooking, not just showing fancy dishes
- showcasing ancient dishes with some modern twists (having had multiple culinary experts in their arsenal to consult with), along with the euphoric reaction from different characters when they tasted the food; I actually wouldn’t have minded being the poison checker if I could taste all that lovely looking food. ^_^ My mouth was watering the whole time!
- how the filmmakers tied in certain time-space tidbits between episodes, like the origin of King Lee Heon’s historical name Yeonhuigun and consistent comparison between modern Korean and ancient Joseon terminology
- the Seo Teiji & Boys Come Back Home sample, Mangunrok remix performance 🎉; the bonhuuuuu part kinda killed me. Lol
- punchy cultural background music, along with the traditional dances
- funny and cutesy scenes like the playful paper fan fight between King Lee Heon and Im Song-jae
- the slight dabble in steam punk with the eccentric and reclusive inventor who could only be won over by Chef Yeon’s charm and passion for cooking; love how he comes to the rescue at the end
- that they reincarnated her whole culinary team in the future

The aspects of the show I didn’t like were:
- lack of explanation of key points, like where exactly the magic of the recipe book came from; yes, their love created it but what made it work? Or the half-baked explanation why Lee Heon’s mom was executed; what was her crime again? I didn’t get that part.. also, why was the Mangunrok hidden away without inciting anyone else’s curiosity, including the king’s?
- inconsistency with their storytelling method, like addressing the audience directly in the beginning and then not following through. I wish it was more like Wayne's World (yes, different animal I know) in which the characters kept checking in with the audience throughout. It would have been cool to have both leads directly addressing the audience occasionally as a comedic shtick
- how the dialogue got sloppy towards the end and suddenly the show was more of a blood-spilling spree
- inconsistency in character behavior, like how the whole group of culinary/jesting rebels turned from brave and victorious to dumb and helpless right after Prince Je San captured Cook Yeon. Seriously? You had no more arrows or bombs left to take him down with? But I guess the show would have had to end... 🤦🏻‍♀️
- less and less scientific explanations for the dishes, as well as less details, in later episodes
- the overused dumb leads scenario of stubbornly returning to danger AFTER being warned not to do so...WAYO!? Like Cook Yeon in the forest after being rescued from the massacre in the palace, or King Lee after surviving an ambush and then looking for Prince Je San only to reveal Chef Tang’s riddle/warning to the guy

There was a blood eclipse...but what made the book magical and time transcending? Apparently, it wasn’t their tears or words. Was it her blood splattered on the book? And why did the book only transport HER back through time and not him? I thought the whole point was that the magic of the book was centered around their deep love for each other. C’mon, people, get it together! Ije geu-man! (I heard that a lot in Dramaworld 😂)

I also got a bit annoyed with the Cook Yeon in later episodes, especially in the stand-off between King Lee and Prince Je San. Seriously? The guy's in the middle of an intense sword fight and you're calling his name, trying to get his attention? Why don't you be useful and crack a jar over the enemy's head?? Oh, and love how she's taking her sweet time to read the recipe book too, while he’s fighting for his life, like it's an ordinary day in the neighborhood. Wow 😂

I don't know if the filmmakers got flustered with how to end the story but I didn't appreciate the lackluster way of refusing to explain how he finds her in the end. It felt kind of like a slap in the face to the audience to say, "It's a secret…” rather than conjuring up a little backstory for that. Lame. For example, a blood eclipse while holding the ripped page of the book and thinking about one’s true love would have been good enough. Or clicking their heels together and saying three times: "My dearly beloved, if you were to read this someday...may you come back to my side." OR nannn jigeumm… muuu eos-eulll… chaj-eulyeo go! aeleul sseuneun geolkka… Mannngunrok, eooo-di-sseo? You must come back home… 😂😂😂


Side Notes:
- Why was Lee Heon not curious as to why Yeon Ji-yeong’s outfit was way different than the hanboks of that period? Why didn’t anyone look in her handbag and notice something unusual about the items?
- How does the guy have strength after being shot in the chest with an arrow?? And what was the point of burning the house down like that, just because you felt insulted? Sheesh
- The dialogue with the envoys in forced Chinese was killing me... just don't even bother if you're not gonna do it right. Lol. Although, Jo Jae Yoon did do a pretty good job speaking Chinese.
- The chin guard window mask never made any sense to me, in any drama. Really? That small thing's supposed to prevent germs from transferring?
- How did Lee Heon have the means and the know-how to get a new outfit in the modern world?? Also, what happened to Yeon Ji-yeong’s precious handbag in the end? Would have been cool to do an outtake of its outcome

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Masterchef®: Season Joseon

This is my first ever historical K-drama. I have zero knowledge about Korean history, so I might have missed out a lot of historically incorrect things. Bon Appetit, Your Majesty is mostly a belly-tickling food showcase. The original concept is good. Everything about the food is excellent, the visual of the food presentation, the cooking process, the reaction of the "customer", the explanation of the cooking process. The concept is very similar with Masterchef show: Chef Yeon Ji Yeong gets a challenge to cook a dish with a concept, serves it to the judge(s), the judge tastes and comment the dish and the cook gets to explain the dish and cooking process. The political side looks very confusing to me with no knowledge in Korean history, but some on screen explanations are quite helpful.

The casts are quite good. YoonA and Lee Chae Min are doing a good job, although it's not something extraordinary. The Ming Chief Envoy somehow has the worst Chinese accent compared to his colleagues.

However, the pace is extremely slow. It takes 5 episodes for the Ming Cooking Competition. Unfortunately when this pace applies to anything else, it becomes painful. They use the receipt of request-cook-serve-judging phase pattern almost the whole show. After repeating it a lot of times, the tone and vibe switch drastically after episode 10 and with such pace it's not appealing at all. Also it turns a bit makjang after episode 10. All about the cookings disappear too after this episode, and it becomes like another show. The final episode is a massive letdown. I don't care if the king goes to the future, but those grenades are ridiculous!

The soundtrack is quite okay. Watch this show if you're quite okay with a slow pace.

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