Florida Banjeom (2021)

A Flavorful Start That Fades Away

With its enticing first episode, this series serves up a promising feast, but as subsequent episodes roll in, it unfortunately strips away all the flavors. This Korean BL series begins with a surface-level storyline and never ventures beyond it, adhering to basic romantic drama tropes without attempting to grow.

The narrative revolves around Seo Hae Won, who travels to Seoul and finds lodging at a guesthouse with the popular rooftop restaurant, "Tasty Florida." The restaurant is run by four handsome guys: Cha Ji Soo, responsible for customer service; Eun Kyu, a childhood friend of Ji Soo and the chef; and Ha Jin and Seo Hyeok, who serve and handle dishwashing duties respectively. Hae Won joins the restaurant staff and becomes the object of Ji Soo's pursuit, while harboring his own attraction toward Eun Kyu. As Eun Kyu grapples with his feelings, torn between Ji Soo's affection of Hae Won and his growing closeness, a rift forms between the friends.

While the series boasts a good-looking cast with commendable acting skills, it suffers from a lack of context. The story remains stagnant, never elevating its premise or providing substantial development. Important details are mentioned in passing, lacking proper context or explanation. We learn that Eun Kyu yearns for validation from his deceased mother and desires to make her proud, but the significance of this need is left unexplored. Additionally, Eun Kyu's missing father, who supposedly resides in Florida, could have been a compelling plot thread to delve into. Moreover, it is disheartening to witness a 15-year friendship between Eun Kyu and Ji Soo being overshadowed by their newfound connection with Hae Won, whom they have only recently met.

In conclusion, "Tasty Florida" fails to pick up the pace due to its short run time, which restricts the opportunity to fully flesh out the characters and create a more cohesive and engaging storyline. The series remains disappointingly simplistic, losing any potential for sustained entertainment value.

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Sweet enough but rushed

It started off really well, but towards the end, it felt rushed. I think it's a common problem with k BL dramas; they're often quite rushed. Either they need to make the episodes longer, or they need to increase the number of episodes, in my opinion.

I'm personally not a big fan of love triangles, but I'm not against them either if they're done right. However, I didn't like it here; it just didn't feel right.
And one thing that makes me wonder is why they didn't feel the need to talk after their first kiss. I mean, they kissed each other when it actually wasn't the best time to do something like that, and the next day it felt like nothing happened. Isn't it a bit unrealistic? And personally I'm not a big fan of it's writing.

Overall, it's sweet, but I still feel like it's rushed and could've been better.

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Dibs!!

Lol, I don't know how to describe the series in one word, but yes a word that can describe the story is "DIBS".
The dibs part is both dumb and realistic.
2 people fighting over someone who obviously likes the first one but since 2nd one called dibs, 1st one tried to first stop himself but when it didn't work, the 2 guys who have been friends for 15 years fought.
Their friendship displayed between the 2 guys is what we expect, what we try our friendships to be like.
Normal story can watch for timepass.
I believe this series would have been way better if more chemistry was shown between the leads and the friends.

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Ordinary, but cute

At first glance, or rather for the first few glances, I decided to skip this because of the rating and because I'm not really much of a foodie. Nevertheless, upon actually watching this I decided that it was mildly enjoyable - most of that being due to the set, the OST, the visuals, and the chemistry between the main two characters which is generally cute and wholesome. I'd definitely recommend this for fans of Playlist Global because the vibes of the OST and set are reminiscent of Twenty Twenty and Love Playlist to some extent.

This drama isn't exactly that original - for me it certainly does not match the likes of other BL dramas (i.e. Colour Rush), but I have to admit it was quite refreshing. (If you're looking for comedy, look elsewhere though.)

In essence, this drama isn't the brightest star in the BL universe, but if you like a simple, slice-of-life city romance without many cringy moments, this drama is the one for you :)

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Oh, this was cute! So soft and cozy like pastel colored cotton. I felt like wrapping myself in this drama and just... relaxing.

It's a very short series - 8 episodes 10 or so minutes each - and so it didn't even try going big or broad or tackling any issues. It told a very simple story and because of that, it was really good.

It gave Eun Kyu, Hae Won and Ji Soo just enough background for the characters not to feel flat. In a few words and scenes it explained the depth of friendship between Eun Kyu & Ji Soo, the love they had for each other - and why the fact that they both started to have feelings for Hae Won created a problem between them - in the end, it wasn't about Hae Won at all.

And Hae Won. For the youngest and cutest character, he sure had a spine and he knew what he wanted - Eun Kyu. And he didn't let Eun Kyu discourage him. Softly, gently he stayed by Eun Kyu's side. That was all. Despite only just starting college, he seemed much more... emotionally mature than Eun Kyu. I guess it had much to do with the fact that he obviously had a loving family whereas Eun Kyu had none and not even the love of Ji Soo's family could really make up for that.

I honestly liked it a lot. There was so much good stuff there. Like when drunk Eun Kyu crawled into Hae Won's bed. Or when Hae Won treated Eun Kyu's burned arm. So sweet and soft.

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I guess people really do have different tastes?

So l came to dramalist to check if l should watch the tasty florida and l saw all these reviews saying its not that good, it didnt live up to their expectations and all that but l decided to go with my instinct and decide for myself how good or bad it is..and i must say lm so glad l did ?l enjoyed every minute of the show and could totally empathise with each character and see things from their perspectives. I created a dramalist account for this specific review coz felt like it was needed. All l can say is l had a blast watching it, l loved it, wouldn't mind rewatching it and most importantly :I SUGGEST YOU WATCH THE SHOW OR ANY OTHER SHOW FOR YOURSELF AND DECIDE IF ITS FOR YOU OR NOT. DONT RELY ON OTHER PEOPLE'S OPINIONS AND REVIEWS ALONE.

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A series for those who want to fall asleep in front of the screen and watch the entire mini-story in one afternoon or evening. Five new actors and it was impossible to tell that there was a ten-year age difference between them. What to add. Just South Korea. There is no point in writing the details here, and I can describe my feeling in two words: restful refreshment. I recommend watching it sometime on a relaxing weekend or at Christmas.



Seriálek pro ty, kteří chtějí spočnout u obrazovky a zhlédnout celý minipříběh během jednoho odpoledne nebo večera. Pětice nových herců a vůbec nebylo poznat, že je mezi nimi až desetiletý věkový rozdíl. Co dodat. Prostě Jižní Korea. Nemá cenu sem vypisovat detaily a dvěma slovy charakterizuji můj pocit: odpočinkové osvěžení. Doporučuji ke zhlédnutí někdy v pohodovém víkendu nebo o vánocích.

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The tasty of Florida

Esse BL foi uma grata surpresa, em vários quesitos. Eu não sei como a Coréia do Sul consegue contar uma história que mistura amizade, família, trabalho e um triângulo amoroso em tão poucos episódios, que ainda por cima são muito curtinhos, e mesmo assim entregam um trabalho de tanta qualidade. O elenco tem beleza e talento de sobra, a química entre o casal principal aquece o coração. A ost é linda, e a ambientação, que foge um pouco do lugar comum, também é uma vantagem.
Gostei muito, já revi algumas vezes, e super recomendo essa história. 10 de 10 pra mim.

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Beautiful love story

I've watched this show several times because I love it so much. The actors have done a great job with their characters. It was easy to see what the characters were thinking and feeling. It was such a sweet, endearing love story. I'd love to know what happened to the father in Florida. Had he passed away? Gotten a new family? Why hadn't his son heard from him? I didn't know any of the actors in this show but they did an excellent job, main leads and support actors.

I thought the music fit the series very well. I plan to research it to see who actually sang the songs. It was directed well and the editing was very good. Cinematography was so good as well. It looked like a big budget film even though it was a short series.

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Coração quentinho durante todo o BL

Eu me surpreendi tão positivamente que fiz questão de vir aqui contar a minha experiência.
A sinopse fala sobre culinária, então eu não estava muito animada para ver já que não gosto muito desse assunto retratado em dramas.
Mas aqui foi totalmente diferente, a culinária foi essencial para o desenrolar da historia e não ficou algo cansativo. Até porque acredito que eles foram direto ao ponto na maioria dos episódios, confesso que queria muito mais tempo para me aprofundar sobre esses personagens e conhecer cada um deles melhor!
Desde o primeiro momento onde os protagonistas se encontraram eu senti muitaaa química, além de que eu amo um clichê romântico então em todos os episódios eu me via morrendo de vergonha por achar alguma atitude fofa.
Ele pode ser bem curtinho, mas de fato ganhou um lugar especial no meu coração. Uma história não muito complexa mas que tem tudo para deixar seu coração quentinho.

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Beautiful characters and sweet story.

Very Good Visuals - the actors as well as the venue of the story...
But it feels rushed, less development of characters and relationships on a bullet train( all the three involved in the love triangle)
I also feel that something could be done for the other two characters too, other than just letting them be present as fillers.
Also, I feel confused about the starting of the series i.e. the character's mom's advice about good and bad strangers... It didn't have anything much to do with the story.
Similarly, them training in Ju Jitsu also didn't have much to do with the story.
Some points made me feel bad about the third corner of the love triangle, Ji Soo.(I tell this based on the following points)
1. The ml won in Ju Jitsu.
2. At one point I remember Cha Ji Soo mentioning that his father supported/ trusted Eun Kyu more about running the cafe- The Tasty Florida.
3. Ji Soo tells Eun Kyu that he is interested in Hae Won and at the same time Eun Kyu is not very decided about Hae Won. I felt that Eun Kyu should have let them try it out first. To the contrary, he interferes.
4. He wins over Hae Won.
5. He also gets to go and search for his father, just after beginning his relationship with Hae Won.
From these points, from my point of view, Eun Kyu actually got all that he wanted, contrary to what is shown in the show(that he sacrificed everything for Ji Soo). I sympathise more with Ji Soo... That is not to say that the relationship between Eun Kyu and Have Won is not right or not intresting... It's just that it could have been done in a better way...

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All Visuals, Nothing Special

At a glance The Tasty Florida seems to have a nice premise and the first episode makes it look promising, but there is absolutely nothing special about this BL. It's made for the fujoshis that simply want all hot men get together. It's really infuriating to think about.


PLOT:

Freshman Haewon arrives in Seoul and is heading to his guesthouse. While absentmindedly admiring his new town, he falls into the arms of Eunkyu. Eunkyu helps Haewon to the guesthouse and disappears after. Haewon begins to look for a part time job and discovers the restaurant The Tasty Florida, about his guesthouse. When he goes up to take a look he sees Eunkyu again, along with Jisoo who co-own the restaurant together. Jisoo is instantly and openly smitten with Haewon, while Eunkyu sneaks glances at Haewoon.

Haewon ends up working at the restaurant thanks to Jisoo, but Eunkyu isn't very happy about it. Desperate to get Eunkyu to like him, Haewon starts helping Eunkyu, much to Jisoo's disappointment.

Honestly, the plot seems to he written by a high schooler. All the men are heartthrobs and the two main leads are into each other from the start of the drama. The characters are all poorly written, with Haewon being the most boring protagonist. The stars seem to just align for Haewon and he has all of these hot men chasing him from the moment they see him. He also doesn't really do anything to get the man of his dreams. Haewon also goes from a painfully shy and quiet guy, to being so open with his feelings right after he gets hired at the restaurant. Eunkyu is also painfully one-dimensional, always brooding over his unfortunate backstory. Even when he gets together with Haewon and is supposed to have his happily ever after, he is still brooding.

The worst offense is the climax of the drama, when Jisoo and Eunkyu confess they love Haewon to each other and fight over Haewon... In front of Haewon... Without even confessing to Haewon... And Haewon instantly getting together with Eunkyu after Jisoo and Eunkyu have a small pity party of "poor me, you said you'd do anything for me," "poor me, because of my family life, I never had anything I wanted, but now I want Haewon." Even having the two boys do that "if I don't run to the protagonist, I will miss my chance to be with him" chase scene that kdramas are known for.


HAEWON x EUNKYU (x JISOO)

At first, I was really rooting for Haewon and Eunkyu. They way they first met and interacted was really a Cinderella moment. However, after Haewon started working in the restaurant and had a personality change, I stopped caring. Haewon's actions before and after is so different that is throws me off, especially after Eunkyu gets burnt. Is he the same person? Also, Haewon is literally just eye-candy. His character does nothing to make Eunkyu fall for him.

Eunkyu has so many brooding emotions, I think he needs to be in another drama with another leading man that can actually do something for him and take care of him. Even his best friend Jisoo would be a better match for him than Haewon. Yes, Haewon is good on the eye and encourages Eunkyu to open up, but Eunkyu does all of that on his own without Haewon's help. It's literally talking to Jisoo that makes him open up.

Jisoo... You can do so much better than Haewon. He literally just sits there ogling Eunkyu.

Eunkyu and Jisoo, don't even bother ruining 15 years of friendship for Haewon. Haewon's not worth it.


ACTING/ CINEMATOGRAPHY/ MUSIC

The cinematography and music was amazing, and it's really a waste to spend it on such a bland drama. Even the actors' talents are wasted on this drama. Eunkyu and Ji soo's actors are amazing in their roles. Eunkyu's actor was amazing to the point, I really think he needs to be given another role in another drama where he can showcase his talents. His brooding scenes were wasted on a bland plot. Any scene that he's in really feels like a great drama. In fact, I decided to watch this drama because I saw a clip of him in this and thought it was going to be good... It wasn't... Because of the plot, and I was very disappointed.


OVERALL:

Just watch the first episode and imagine the rest yourself. You'll be highly disappointed by the amazing cinematography, acting, and music that was wasted on a bland plot. If you choose to continue to watch this... Just skip the scenes to the scenes with Eunkyu and Haewon in bed together confessing their hears out. Those 2-3 scenes are really the best part of the drama.... Along with how they met. The rest isn't worth your time.

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