Bon Appetit (2023)

Not overly delicious, but still entirely edible

If I had to describe this show in one word I would go with "harmless". It's a sweet enough story without much bite (pun intended) but with some quite lovely moments. And that's about it.
Don't get me wrong, I don't dislike this show, it's perfectly fine. But personally I just didn't get very much out of it.

The actors did a good job and the editing and music were solid. The chemistry between the leads was good as well and I did quite enjoy some of the supporting characters.
I just also felt like there was something lacking. Sure, there were plot holes, but nothing particularly egregious or bothersome.
I occasionally had some trouble understanding certain characters' motivations, but liked them all well enough. Some of the conflicts were a bit ridiculous, but they weren't drawn out unnecessarily and over all the characters communicated with each other quite well.
I couldn't tell you exactly which of these things reduced my enjoyment of the story so much. Maybe it's all of them together.

But there are quite a lot of people who enjoy this show and I can understand why. It's a sweet, low-stakes, low-angst romance between to people who seem to genuinely care about each other and aren't afraid to show casual physical affection.
There are also a few novel aspects to the story such as the dreaded "love rival" who turns out not to be much of a rival at all and instead turns into a supportive friend.
But above all, the show is incredibly easy to watch. It's easy to understand, easy to like, and easy on the eyes.
You can blaze through it in a breezy 3.5 hours and, if nothing else, walk away with a feeling of not entirely having wasted that time.

So, while I personally didn't get much enjoyment out of the series and certainly wouldn't rank it among the greats of food-centered romances (of which I am usually quite a big fan), I would still recommend giving it a watch.
Maybe you'll find yourself vaguely disappointed, but maybe you'll enjoy it quite a lot. Either way, it's worth a shot.

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Easy & Light, Lost the Charm Towards the End

Overall, the first few episodes is what made the story really stick out, with the descriptive cutscenes of Yoonseo cooking and the dynamic between the two from within his origin of how they met and why he started cooking.

The introduction of the secondary love interest (intern) was okay, but I generally dislike when a mc has to be spoon fed every ounce of advice by another character. The intern and Dohoon’s conversations together were basically better developed than the actual main couples and they gave the intern so much unnecessary screen time with the advice and prying of the relationship.

The main conflict isn’t that bad, just makes you cringe a little with how cliché it is, especially with the ex and then the intern conspiring against Yoonseo which was annoying. I actually like how food was the main result of the conflict, though seeming childish, it is the center of their relationship where Yoonseo is able to show his love and affection for Dohoon.

To conclude, their relationship was not well developed. If they gave more time to developing the gradual connection Dohoon began to feel with Yoonseo instead of the intern and ex plotline, I would’ve enjoyed it more. It is an easy watch with a charming food quality, but the overall relationship of the MCs is what fell flat as it could’ve been expanded on way more.

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Best K-BL Contender

I whole heartedly reccommend this perfect wholesome endearing charming Bon Appetit.

I was completely taken by surprise by this drama because i expected it to be a definite fail for me. I ended up binge watching it in one evening just because i could not get enough of the acting and the directing.
They're definitely giving Semantic Error a run for its money, they're definitely in the top 5 korean bls for me.
It doesn't feel like a bl project at all tho, it actually remindes me of Gaus Electronics
Not only the two male leads are exactly on point with their characters, also the supporting actors, the office team, are so natural like they have experience with regular standard korean dramas. There is nothing cringey or stiff or misplaced in their performances.
There is one scene in the final episode, when they are on set filming for the commercial, that just gives me euphoria and satisfaction as a watcher.
I have to admit that i am very biased towards Lee Ki Taek, he simply made it look and feel so real and serious and i could totally see him in a more tragedy or thriller drama. For a while he made me think of Kim Rae Won from First Responders, but don't ask me why

Lots of appreciation and thanks to every one of the people who chose to participate in this project and gave me comfort and entertainment during chaotic times

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