Pasta (2010)

Pasta is one of the reasons older dramas have a very special regard to me.

After all the dramas that I have seen, I became worried about finding an excellent drama, but then I watched Pasta in 2020.
One of those dramas you wish would never end.

It revolves around a small world which makes it light and simple. What a comforting drama!

It is a drama well-written. The dialogues were interesting, sincere, realistic, true, funny, and hilarious. The focus on pasta and food was given a good amount of attention and it was very interesting.

The drama is captivating from start to finish. Not a moment worthy of skipping, and so many moments worth cherishing. There are many scenes that I wanna go back to. All the episodes were equally good and not an episode felt like a filler just to get thing going on. All events were equally important. The story is very engaging. The writer did a phenomenal job.

Characters are very well written and the performance is top-notch. Their development was rather unique. No matter how hateful or flawed they seemed, they were human. And they acted naturally.

The chef’s character had many colors and it was really well acted out. I never imagined enjoying Lee Sun Kyun in a rom-com, but he nailed it; especially the expressions. I could have really hated his character if it was played by someone else, but he was capable of showing many sides of his character fairly. He pulled off the ‘arrogant ML’ really well which is not easy to do. Gong Hyo Jin was the perfect person for her character. Yoo Kyung shined through her. The leads had wonderful chemistry. The supporting chefs, the waiting staff, and the management, they all shined through their roles. and the moments of their interactions were golden. The vibe of La Sfera was charming and really cute.

And for those who are concerned, although light and funny, it is not a childish love story; the characters are pretty mature.
The music blended very well with every scene.
I am way more attached to this drama than I expected to be. The drama is something you can relate to as well, sometimes.
I was hesitant to watch it at first, but sticking to the first episode sealed me in.
My heart cannot handle the loveliness of this drama!
The only reason I didn’t give it a ten is that it wasn’t extraordinarily overwhelming me with feelings. And I don’t easily give 10s. I might though after finishing it.

I am going crazy smiling like Yoo Kyung. "ye shep!"
Super re-watchable. And I am presented with another worry; how can I (am I supposed to) get over this drama and enjoy the next one?

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This is more of an everyday life drama. I really liked it and it's easy to just keep watching episode after episode. It's got good flow. There's not a lot of conspiracy or over the top stuff going on. It was really relaxing and calming to watch. I only got bored at Episode 16.
The dilemmas that the drama presents are also great. They have some creative ideas to keep the story moving and exploring the characters and the relationships more. I liked seeing how they would respond to a variety of circumstances.

Romance
I love that Hyun Wook likes Yoo Kyung from the start.
He's pretty gruff but I was impressed that even at the antagonistic stage of the relationship he cheered her up by telling her all the great things about her.
When Hyun Wook starts out the list of all the reasons he doesn't want to like her (I hate this cliché) Yoo Kyung has none of it. Yasss.
Hyun Wook is pretty mean to Yoo Kyung but she gives it back to him which is awfully satisfying.
Gong Hyo Jin is awesome in her chemistry because she always has these genuine moments of connection. And they're always unique to the couple.

Hyun Wook
I like that he's not the all-powerful rich chaebol. He actually gets stepped on quite a lot by people who poke at his confidence and basically if anyone says, “Why, you scared?” then he feels he can't say anything back which is such stupid logic.

Yoo Kyung
Right from the start, she's great. Competent and confident. That's all I could ask for in a heroine. I like that no one's stepping on her and she knows how to avoid trouble. She is incredibly stubborn and persistent and hard working.
Yoo Kyung really wants to learn and she doesn't mind laying down her pride for the sake of her education. She's smart. I like it.
I like that she keeps the hero on his toes and she's really upfront. She'll let people know when she's unhappy with them.
She also doesn't forgive easy which I appreciated. She's definitely not a goody two shoes.
She's the kind of feisty that I can understand why a guy would like it. She's fun.

Kim San - second male lead
Yoo Kyung - “Is scaring me, lying to me, your hobby?”
Kim San - “Yes.”

Sae Young
She's a bit hoity toity but I liked that she was rivals with Yoo Kyung and was so civil about it.
I also started to like her when the boys started to rebel against her gender and she told them where they could shove their sexism.

Secondary Characters
The girls were just plain annoying. I had no interest in them and skipped over all their conversation and schemes.
The guys of the kitchen had a much more interesting dynamic with bro-ship and loyalty and competition between the “Italy” and Korean team.
The Korean team got more and more annoying and rude to Seo Yoo Kyung. I was so frustrated with their stupidity and their illogical thought processes in the way they blamed her for everything constantly or tried to cut her out.
The Italian team was a lot more fun and of course better looking! Haha.
Also, the beautiful Choi Jin Hyuk is one of the boys from Italy and his voice.... *sigh....so great.

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I have been watching Gong Hyojin for a long time, The Greatest Love, The Master's Sun, It's Okay that's Love, Producers, and her latest Where Camelia Blooms and the movie Hit and Run squad. When Netflix suggested this drama I was delighted because I want more of her, however, I was actually irritated by this drama.

I have realized, I don't think Gong Hyo Jin improved as an actress at all. Her role has the same naïve, cutesy kind of character. The way she acted out her feelings for the Chef in this drama was the same as how she acted on The Master's Sun. She has the same clueless roles or strong kind of girl personality in some dramas. But her facial expressions, reactions are all the same. I have never felt compassion whenever she cries. I have realized after all this time, she can't be in a any heavy drama, I think she needs more emotions.

Also, what the hell is wrong with the Chef. ALWAYS SHOUTING, YELLING. How could anyone up with that attitude and fall in love. There were times that I need to push myself to finish an episode or even the entire drama.

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Definitely must watch - absolutely aDorkable; just as I thought I won't be swept away by another kdrama after watching about 30 dramas now,I was proven wrong. I was drawn to this drama firstly by Gong Hyo Jin - have never come across Lee Sun Gyun yet. GHJ 's dramas , like someone mentioned earlier has a magnetic feel good vibe. The story is simple predictable and yet very engaging,kept me chasing episodes after episodes. GHJ and LSG chemistry and acting was spot on , very delightful to watch . She completely nailed the character of tenacious ambitious woman but yet so vulnerable when she encounters her first love. Many times I find myself flustered by their love story. This drama also has a fantastic supporting cast- Alex , Lee Sung Min and eye candies Italian boys were fantastic. And for those Choi Jin Hyuk 's fans , I bet you can hardly recognise him here. The only kdramas that I have re watched are those of GHJ- including this one. That's how captivating she is to me

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Chef was Misogynistic

I absolutely hated the male lead in the beginning. He was highly misogynistic by firing all the women in the kitchen as he had a grudge against an ex who did him wrong. However, main female lead really wanted to work in that kitchen (which you find out why later) and after being accepted continues to be bossed around by the all-male staff. She then develops an infatuation with her boss who then falls in love with her as well and breaks his own rule to not date in his kitchen. We finally get over the misogyny on his end, just for it to resurface in the end when she's offered to study abroad for culinary arts. Ugh! I liked their pairing, chemistry seemed great but the writers must've had something against women because there wasn't a moment that her being a woman wasn't mentioned. It got irritating.

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Pleasantly Surprised. Should you watch it? Yes.

I don't know why I suddenly decided to watch this drama considering it's been 10 years and I have a lot of other dramas to watch too. Maybe it had to do with the fact Gong Hyo Jin is the female lead or the fact that I was curious who Yunseo was imitating, but either way I do not regret watching this. Definitely had some iconic scenes.

I read the comments on MDL before watching the drama so I was slightly concerned the male lead would frustrate me, but it wasn't as bad as I thought and really not that bad at all. Maybe it was because I had expected Chef to be a lot worse, especially considering this was made in 2010, but he wasn't the worst guy in the world. I was also worried about the second female lead being super rude to the female lead, but I was extremely shocked the female lead remained good til the end. I know some people hate how the female lead seemed "weak" and how she just accepted the Chef despite his rudeness, but honestly I didn't see her being weak at all. The girl was desperate to learn how to make pasta and I thought she was admirable giving up her pride to continue doing what she wanted to do. I think that's something difficult to do and didn't see her as a "weak female" whatsoever. I think people are biased about feminine female characters, in this drama I saw patience and obedience as her strength (especially considering this was her workplace). So yes, Chef isn't the nicest guy, but he isn't awful either like it was pretty impressive that he expressed his feelings for the female lead constantly, something we rarely see in K-dramas. He wasn't perfect, making him a realistic character which made me like him more. Life is kinda like that. One day you say "no romance in the kitchen" and then you end up doing the exact thing you said you won't. I felt he was a really mature character whether it be helping his ex girlfriend get over her guilt or taking responsibility for being a hypocrite. I enjoyed their relationship wasn't everything about their existence There was no huge obstacle if anything just minor inconveniences prolonging the time it took for them to get together. I really enjoyed seeing the two main characters interact, it was just simple and happy.

Despite my praises of the show it remains a 8.5 for a couple reasons. The biggest issue (that is also its strength) is it was so simple that nothing stood out. This kind of has to do with my personal preference. There was no scene that was extremely power that I would go back and rewatch, although the drama as a whole is pretty good. I also had this at a 9 until the last episode. I was very annoyed with the fact that he tried to take the female lead's chance to go to Italy without telling her. It was very random and annoying, but even without that I thought the ending could have been better.

Pasta wasn't a perfect drama, but it was definitely a good one.

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Seriously, Lee Sun Gyun is charming in every way.

Pasta is a feel-good drama with enough conflict and com-rom that can make you smile, laugh and cry. Perfect for binge-watch but it is also fine to savour it over time. Bonus for Lee Sun Gyun fans, there are plenty of scenes where he swooned us!

Professional kitchens are still male-dominated world, even ten years after Pasta is aired. Recently, there has been a growth in the number of female chefs in the US and UK. But even in 2017, there is no female chef in Gods of Foods. Imagine the context when Pasta is produced, it is understandable why there is a character like Choi Hyun Wook who wants to have an all-male kitchen and uses tough love as the main communication language.

Oh Sae Young, our protagonist, is an exception not a norm. So, I wish the character has a stronger appearance despite her past mistakes. The story made Oh Sae Young a popular TV personality with a pretty face. As for Seo Yoo Kyung, contrary to some comments, is a strong female lead. I think Gong Hyo Jin was successful in showing that. “Yes Chef” can not always be understood as a submission. There are many occasions where our hopeful chef stayed firm with her decision. Foolishly stubborn.

Anyway, it is a story about forbidden love, one of the most repeated themes. Here comes Hyun Wook and his difficult personality. I feel like many things are left unexplained about him but I don’t care that much. I blindly like Lee Sun Gyun. His facial expression, the small details when he communicated with Gong Hyo Jin were on point. I like the chemistry and interaction between these two frenemies. I often replay some scenes a couple of times before moving forward. I will rewatch some of those scenes when I am feeling low.

Music is typical K-drama. Nothing too special for me.

Please note, there were a few holes here and there. Inconsistent scenes. Different hand gestures in one conversation, things like that. I know some people find this irritating. I don’t cook so I don’t know if the kitchen scenes are correct or not.

Sometimes, a good drama is the one that fits your mood and gives you enough reason to wake up in the morning.

First watch: July 2021

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innocuous and breezy slice of life show

This show is not hard to watch as it's not plot driven, it depicts the lives of chefs and cooks in a restaurant setting with emphasis on their pasta cooking skills. Pasta is arguably the main character in this drama. There's a thread of depth that runs throughout this show as various themes are explored, one of the main themes showcased in the beginning is that of hard work versus talent; ultimately the show concludes that hard work will always win out over talent since talent does not succeed alone without hard work.

This show doesn't have much substance, a lot of themes and potential plot threads which were introduced in the beginning were later dropped or addressed sporadically and haphazardly. I would have loved it if the show had built up more on themes such as misogyny in the work place, restaurant politics, a more concerted effort by the second female lead to get her man back, the female lead's independence and freedom to make her own choices regarding her culinary career.

The cast is a great one with some outstanding performances especially from Lee Sun Kyun, his performance keeps this show afloat, his character growth is amazing but not too dramatic which keeps it all realistic. At the end of the drama, he retains his endearing, prickly exterior but there is a simultaneous softening which is illustrated by his increased thoughtfulness towards others, and his ability to take responsibility for his mistakes.
The chemistry between the two leads is snappy and cute and is one of this show's big draws.
Gong Hyo Jin's performance is not so impressive, I found her portrayal of the character too petulant, sulky and whiny, she always has a complaining facial expression and her head is almost always consistently bowed down. This is clearly not her best drama performance and I'm actually a fan of hers. It seemed like they are constantly on differing wavelengths and the male lead has to constantly lower himself to her level, I found myself wondering what he loved about her, and I'm sure this is not one question the show wants you to ask.

Anyway, the slice of life, semi-episodic nature of this drama works. I grew fond of most of the characters although there are some who literally are a waste of space, case in point the three female colleagues who hover throughout the show adding absolutely nothing to the narrative, as well as the second female lead, boy is she pathetic, what exactly is the point of this character, she had one facial expression throughout, a sly self-satisfied smile, definitely not Lee ha Nui's best performance.

This show could have done with less episodes.
I did enjoy the evolution of the two main stories in this drama, the love story between the leads as well as the warm bond that develops amongst all who work in the restaurant, especially the kitchen staff.

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Serious 2nd guy syndrome

This is a 2010 South Korean Drama with 20, 60 minute episodes.

Seo Yoo-kyung (Gong Hyo-Jin) has worked for three years at an upscale Italian restaurant, La Sfera. Her dream is to become a pasta chef at last place her mother took her to before her death. Finally Yoo-kyung gets to move up and start making pasta but suddenly a new chef is hired and, due to a past incident, he does not like women in the kitchen. Chef Choi Hyun-Wook (Lee Sun-kyun) finds reason to fire all the women including Yoo-kyung. He trained in Italy and brings three Italian chefs who worked for him in Italy to fill the gap left by the women. Not one to give up, Yoo-kyung keeps showing up to work despite being fired. She is determined to fulfill her dream by learning all she can from this Italy trained Chef. Admiration turns to something more but Oh Sae-young (Lee Ha-nul), Chef’s ex appears and she is determined to win him back. Sae-young is friends with the owner, Kim San (Alex Chu) who insists she get a job as Co-chef. Kim San has a secret crush on Yoo-kyung. With a cooking war between the Italian and Korean Chefs, a grouchy head chef who scolds at every turn and multiple love triangles, things really heat up in the kitchen.

*Spoiler ? I could tell this took place 10 years ago as the male to female relations were dated. South Koreans, in everything else I have seen, have closer equality between men and women than they did 10 years ago. I thought the chef was overly harsh in his methods and that she was treated unfairly at times for the simple fact she was a woman. Any time there was an undesirable task, all the men would suggest Yoo-kyung do it as the lowest ranking chef. I actually liked 2nd guy, Kim San, way better as he was very kind to everyone and watched over her for three years, hiding his identity and pretending to be a customer. I was really disappointed with the ending was because she had the opportunity to go to Italy and cook and he, without her knowledge, substituted one of the male cooks so that she was an able to go. He did not want her to leave which is understandable but it was selfish. She was concerned about her father and his health but I think if he had told her he would watch over her father while she was gone then she would’ve went. It seemed all the chefs that had not been trained in Italy were at a disadvantage and as a woman she already had a disadvantage. He had the opportunity to go to Italy as well so it would’ve been good had they just gone to Italy together. Heck the father was also a cook he could’ve gotten some training in Italy as well or at least lived there with them. I don’t know I was just disappointed overall with the way she was treated and the fact that she didn’t speak up for herself more. The second guy was actually much better to the women and I really like that. Overall it was good but the whole woman thing just kept it from being great for me. And I am not somebody who is strongly women’s liberation I think a balanced approach is best. I think there are things women do better and things men do better but if a woman wants to do something or a man that is traditionally one sex or the other I think they should have all equal opportunity with it. It really bothered me the way the South Korean team treated her throughout. So I would recommend it as it is interesting to see what it may be like in a South Korean Italian kitchen but with the awareness that it is a period in time and the way the women are treated could be annoying to some.

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So much screaming and unresolved arcs but still a good time

There are just three downsides to this drama that could probably turn off some people. Otherwise, it was a pretty entertaining drama.

One, there's lots of screaming from the ML. Like a ridiculous amount and even in scenes where it is not necessary. He is a character written specifically to scream in every scene. And also to smack his lips and play with his tongue every time he's onscreen.

Two, there are story arcs that are quickly abandoned and forgotten. There's one where the restaurant is struggling to make ends meet with the kitchen in disarray, but after a few episodes despite kitchen continuing to be a mess the problem goes away with no closure. There's also an arc about the chef banning pickles and some other items in the menu from the restaurant but after a few episodes, he's okay reinstating the items to the menu with no explanation.

Three, the FL is really charming but is one big masochist taking all the verbal abuse from the chef and falls in love with him despite being treated like crap.

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I love anything that has to do with food so maybe I’m coming into this drama with a very biased point of view.
Nevertheless, I did find this drama very enjoyable, it’s the type of drama where nothing angsty really ever happens, an easy watch, a walk in a park under the sunshine.
The plot is very very simple, the drama is very predictable, but they found the right cast and you care about out characters from the beginning.
I’m big on that, I really want to feel something when watching a drama and these characters, although the plot was simple and pretty smooth, I wanted to know what will happen to them.
Ray of sunshine and Lee Sung Min is stellar in this drama, love him <3

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