Food banalities done ok

Two lonely people meet and bond over food. The end!

"No problem is too big that cannot be solved by sharing a meal." "The magic of food that brings people together." "The healing power of food preparation." These are the banalities repeated in every food drama I'd seen.This is a synopsis of a big number of japanese dramas. Japan excels in these. They are always interesting to watch but oftentimes the food preparation takes such a huge part of the drama that the plot is kept to a strict minimum. This can be a double edged sword. Sometimes it works, sometimes it does not!

I love dramas where food takes the front stage: they are usually fun to watch. Nevertheless, I am not blind to their flaws. And while I love food dramas, I also need some drama in the dramas I watch.

This is a wholesome, heartfelt and kind drama with a star child actor. Here there is barely any conflict and when there is, is just people misunderstanding and making themselves miserables or sacrificing their own future. One is troubled because of a misunderstanding from childhood (he was adopted, he misunderstood a remark, retreated from any contact with the family who apparently never noticed it let alone talked with him about it) . The other one is looking after his kid brother full time (after the death of their mother he dropped out of college, their father is there but seems like a stranger) not daring to dream about a future for himself. Both these situations are rage inducing where parents pay no notice to their children who feel abandoned whether it is true or not. The two men are wasting their lives being unhappy but not knowing how to escape the trap they were forced into..

They bond over food and help each other heal. The actors are good and the child actor has a well written role, which is so rare, the kid is not overly annoying and whiny but cute and smart! It is worth the watch only for him. Beside these three characters, we barely see anyone else. There is the father going aimlessly in and out of scenes. There is a coworker helping by teaching one of the characters how to make a bento. Everyone is nice, kind and helpful. There is not one single evil character in this drama.

This is a very sad drama trying to be uplifting. The two men have not lived well until they met, their lives are true tragedies. The fact that they help each other in spite of their innate pessimism is a sign of character development and that was nice to see.

The drama is a nice watch if you do not pay attention to all the darkness surrounding the main characters. I was sad and angry when I expected fluff and good food. There was not much of either!

Leer más

Magic, martial arts & abs....

I am probably cheating a little bit for my A-Z Watch Challenge since this is the second short episode drama I chose to complete the list. None of others starting with Y, took my fancy so I picked this one: it is short so even if I don't like it, I'll finish it.
The good news? I loved it! I'd compare it to The Killer is Also a Romantic but better. The stories are similar!

Two assassins who work for the same temple, meet maskless and fall in love. The woman is supposed to kill the man but finds it difficult since he does not resemble the evil person she was told about! He reminds her of the person who saved her life three years earlier. While investigating, they both stumble upon a court conspiracy. But even after getting rid of the main conspirateur there seems to be another one.

I am not particularly knowledgeable about xianxia/wuxia lore nor do I know the difference! This one is about princes, some special powers and martial arts. The beginning is funny and maks you think it is a comedy. It took me some time to get used to characters with their many names and titles. Then it gets serious as the conspiracy becomes more obvious and secrets are revealed. But, that said, it was an entertaining ride, without a draggy moment, no time was wasted on superfluous plotlines. The main couple had great chemistry and their romantic moments were swoonworthy!

The woman assassin was so fun to watch when she eventually fell in love and started batting her eyelashes and behaving like a little wife she definitely was not. He immediately put stop to it. He respected strong women and did not want her to change. What a great message to send! For such a short drama, major characters are well drawn. Surprisingly, I did not find anything annoying!

Production value is high: sets and costumes were stunning, direction and fights choreography slick, the music was appropriately uplifting ballads and editing mostly smooth (I managed to notice a silly continuity error: sleeve moving up and down the arm depending of the camera used. There are probably others but I did not notice them, the plot was moving fast forward so I did not have time to notice details much!!!).

Well, this is the kind of c drama I like: short and without time to waste. An excellent and fun watch....

Leer más

BL & Makjang

As I was skipping through the last episode, (actually FFW a drama for the very first time EVER!) while trying to avoid the ultimate cringe that episode is, I was just trying to comfort myself justifying watching this by its relative shortness. There were some good things about this drama and then there was the plot.

Good things: actors, cinematography.

The plot: BAD! Nonsensical and cringy. The story follows some mobsters who are ALL gay of course: from the Boss in a a happy 30 years old relationship with his secretary down to the minor players. What kind of mob is that? The criminals themselves were extremely unconvincing, unnatural! They just looked like a bunch of PC schoolkids putting on a show in which they imagine what real criminals might look like,behave and dress! Ridiculous!
The characters are not really explained: we do get to hear a kind of a back story but it does not explain their situation at the beginning of the series! Why does he have to work three jobs in order to put himself through high school? Why is the other guy a member of the mob? They all talk about killing people but look like they'd apologize and start crying if they accidentally crush an ant? Apart from the four main characters, everyone else either cannot act or they got unclear direction?
The second half plunges deep into a makjang with rich families, paying off the unsuitable lover, amnesia...classic!

It is still watchable under one serious condition: turn your brain off. Then you can enjoy the two love stories with decent skinship and a lot of cringe. Especially in the last episode. A lot!!!!!
All in all, this was bad. Barely watchable short drama: its saving grace being the short duration. LOL To watch only when there's nothing else!

Leer más

Love & Obsession

Actually, there are two different dramas in one here. And they do no mix well! I wanted so much to drop this but I kept watching since it had turned into a hate watch after 3 episode only to become more interesting in last two episodes.

The first story is a usual student/teacher forbidden romance. It was bad! Don't get me wrong, I have nothing against this theme in a drama if it is done correctly. Unfortunately everything was wrong about it here starting with the cast of the main roles: both actors are too old and it is very much obvious so the story is not convincing. They are supposed to be 17 & 27 but the actors are both 10 years older and it is jarring. The only credible moment these two had were the very last couple of minutes of the drama! Another jarring point in this love story was the teacher's behaviour. Why is it that when women fall in love in dramas they completely lose every brain function and become lovelorn idiots making one wrong decision after another until the hell breaks loose? The student was behaving his age; a hormones raging teen who first jumps and then looks! I was really annoyed with the love story more so since the couple had no chemistry to speak of! For a long time I was convinced that the teacher was fooling with the kid to take revenge on his mother who ruined the teacher's family long ago! No such luck! I kept wishing they would not end up together. No such luck!

I almost dropped it but the second story was much more compelling...

The second story is a crime story. The couple is being talked and bullied on the internet with growing violence. One of the suspects is the student's mother. Her character is very interesting. As the story progresses and we find out more about her life, she becomes more and more human and likable. At the start of the show she's just that tiger mom, controlling and fierce. We find out the reasons for her behaviour and suddenly our appreciation of her changes completely. Really, she is the best character in this drama and actually makes it worth the watch.

The rest of the characters are not worth the mention. They are there just to be a soundboard for the three main ones.

This drama does nor know if it wants to ba a romance or a crime drama and that is bad. The romance part is extremely badly written: the kid is a brat playing cruel pranks on the teacher who falls in love with him instead of punishing him? What?!?!? The stalking crime part was much better structured and the final search was suspenseful as they managed to keep the mystery until the very end!

Leer más

Fluff & loan sharks

With a final, post credit, oh so unexpected revelation, this little bl is over! It was a cute watch a bit draggy in the second part and full of tropes but still enjoyable.

The story is about a younger son of a well off family, overprotected, a bit spoilt but kind and sweet who has a crush on a chinese influencer in Thailand. So he wants to learn chinese. He meets a chinese investor who needs a thai partner to open a shop. Their interests converge so...They meet, clash, become friends and more....

The series reminded me a lot of Ai Long Nhai for the main couple in which one is grown up and serious while the other one is apparently silly and childish. With a gorgeous smile that literally lights up the screen!!! So they open a convenience store which takes some time to take off but still they employ the full staff who spend their time endlessly mopping the floor! No customers to speak of! But the staff keeps growing as the series moves forward!

This series is pure fluff even with the loan sharks who turned out to be businessmen and not too evil in spite of their looks. Everyone is kind and nice (reminds me as well of a number of japanese dramas in that respect!), not a big baddie in sight and the biggest evil doers are they to themselves! It is not cringy either: surprisingly so with a shrieking trans character who was actually bearable (or are we getting used to it?!?!?).

The music is awful! I presume that the songs are original but they sound just like the songs in every other thai bl: there is one with finger snapping (or something sounding like that) for rhythm, then another one which begins a capella before the music is introduced usually used in highly dramatic scenes post big revelation/confession, some instrumental piano pieces to set the mood...BORING!!!!

The amount of product placements was annoyingly high: from square loaves of bread (taken to a date as a snack), to ramen, porridge, skin care and so on and so forth. I guess the square bread PPL were actually a joke: they were so ridiculous so it must be second degree. Right?

The actors are very much at ease with each other and their chemistry is more than correct though it does not light up fireworks! The supermarket make out scene is legendary as are the morning after reactions and explanations: hilarious!

All in all, a correct though forgettable watch. On second thought, maybe not so forgettable: that smile is ......swoonworthy!

Leer más

Exciting turns to boring but beautiful

Well this was an interesting experience. This short drama was beautifully crafted, acted and produced. It was a pleasurable watch.

The story revolves around two antagonists: Nie Zhe the son of the most powerful man in the county and Xiaodie, a maid. When her mistress dies after being assaulted, Xiaodie decides to avenge her death. She takes her place and introduces herself into Nie Zhe's house. Immediately the sparks fly and they clash until they do not anymore. That is the moment that Die's mistress chooses to reappear after being brainwashed by the neighbouring county's spy.

The drama has an amazing first third: enemies to lovers trope is my favourite. Watching the main couple spar, bicker and fall in love, chemistry lighting up the scene like fireworks, was perfect. Smart female lead and tsundere male lead were just a joy to watch. And there were some hot scenes, let me tell you! Barechested Nie Zhe is worth the watch. I am shallow, sue me! LOL

Until they became a boring couple in love. Love in dramas really means death to brain cells. So they are in love and keep wanting to die for each other when facing the bad guys! But, fortunately, heavens protect people in love from their own stupidity, it seems here!

The rest of the drama is quite boring frankly! Being held hostage, poisoned, threatened, held at gunpoint, faked death etc. etc. you think of it, they did it! Spies, crazy doctors and revenge of revenge of revenge or whatever was boring and annoying.

The actors did a wonderful job, they were perfect for these roles. The cinematography was stunning and the sequences filming details (flying pen, sloshing drink, breaking glass, falling petals...) were a feast for eyes! And songs were amazing: they gave the drama this century ago feeling,

It could have been a perfect drama had not the second part got lost in the ridiculous spy story. Bi=ut it is still worth the watch: if only for the main leads. They were extraordinary!

Leer más

Magic, martial arts and secrets

And on to another short c drama gem! And this one was fun to watch: a complex plot, excellent writing and acting, boring already heard kind of music and a cliffhanger!

It is a complicated story of palace conspiracies and hidden identities. The soul of a murdered girl enters into the body of a general's daughter slated to marry the fifth price considered silly and idiotic. But she finds him sweet and kind and naive and falls for him hook line and sinker without realizing he is a master martial arts warrior. When she discovers the truth she is mad and angry. The end.

The acting was superb. The ML was excellent going from silly to hearthrob in a blink of an eye, changing character so smoothly that the fact she could not recognize him was rather believable: that different attitude and the white hair were a perfect deception combo. She hides a secret as well: that she actually is not the general's daughter. She is a strong brave woman, competent warrior and an expert pharmacist (or poison enthusiast!). Only one person finds her change of character intriguing. It goes to show how a woman is practically invisible and brought up only to serve men and disappear behind them. When she shows that she actually does have a brain, the men are scared and intrigued.

The best and most entertaining episode was ep 10 when they had to deal with a plague hitting the kingdom. It was thinly, very thinly, veiled exposé on COVID in China and it was hilarious (from my point of view!) though that funny part had nothing to do with the drama just a personal appreciation!!!!

The only problem I had with this drama was the ending. So she finds out he has a secret identity and is all huffing and puffing angrily and jumping in the water and disappearing etc. But she also is not who she claims to be so what gives her the right to feel hurt and offended and angry?

The drama is chock full of plot so there is not a moment wasted on the unnecessary side plots: we have martial arts, flying fans, poisons, music, ghostly possession, zombies, magic and crazy good chemistry!

So on to the sequel!

Leer más

Tasty food is the path to love

Being a woman in a male dominated society has never been easy moreover in rigid rules' dominated Japan in the 50s. Unfortunately, the war had left ryoten without a male head so the young woman needs to get a husband in order to make the business operational. Her younger unmarried sister having eloped, Ichika, a widow, is forced to marry young Amane whose family promised to help them save the restaurant. Ichika is an exceptional cook working in a western hotel (Japan is still under US rule) and manages to blend western and japanese cuisines and make delicious food. Amane, realizing his wife's talent, pushes her to become restaurants chef in spite of customs formally forbidding women to be in the restaurant's kitchen.

Knife and Green Pepper: Ichika's Cookbook is a heartwarming tale about a 34 yr old widowed woman realizing her own worth with the help of a 19 yr old husband.It depicts the society still set in its old ways but shaken gently by the american presence and their customs.

Japanese excell in these cooking dramas and this one is no different: dishes bring people together be it by making them together(Ichika & Amane) or by serving them to "hostile" customers (americans or old respected men). We are privy to food preparation and can witness the pleasure and joy Ichiko derives from cooking. That joy is reflected in tasty dishes bringing happiness to whoever tastes them.

Everything is soft and muted in this drama: the cinematography, the music, the characters. The final song is really good and it plays over credit scene which is a must watch since it shows a scene already seen in the episode but from another point of view which brings additional depth to the characters.

The only problem I had with this drama is a total lack of chemistry between the main leads: their dynamics is more of a mother/son nature than lovers which they were supposed to have become by the end. I could not feel it. And even though Amane is oftentimes assertive and making decisions, as is expected from a sole male member of the house, and Ichika is demure and submissive as she is supposed to be with her husband, as the drama progresses their roles slowly reverse. Never completely, mind you, but they end up at the same place, looking eye to eye. I was not that much bothered by the age difference but even on the first day of their marriage, Ichika took the initiative to protect Amane from unnecessary intimacy when she realized he was ill at ease. Ichika herself had much more chemistry with the hotel chef and I could very well see them having a thing.

But this story was never going to be a conventional one: if you are going to break customs, do it completely and break every interdiction placed upon the characters. They seem to be doing this. Hopefully we will get another season of this drama and see how the characters evolve. This is based on a manga and apparently the drama covers 4 first books out of 10 published (never translated in english though). So there is more from where this came from!

PS Thanks to fansubbers for translating this drama. Such a nice watch!

Leer más

Creepy not cute meals

I started watching this only knowing that the episodes were 15min long and I needed something short to watch.

She loves to cook and she loves to eat is the self explanatory english title (thank you Furritsubs!) about two 20 something young women, neighbours and who bond over food. One likes to cook huge amounts of food for the other one to eat under the fascinated smile of the first one.

And that is what I found creepy. Maybe it is a cultural thing so I should not pass judgement but when someone invites you to a meal, wouldn't you expect them to eat with you not just watch you eat? I would but I do not know about Japan!
But it was fun to watch them cook, go grocery shopping and have fun together. Was there a need to bill this as a romance? No!!! Both characters (backstories told) seemed like persons who have never been interested in romance or for that matter ever understood the meaning of being attracted to another person. At one point the cook looks up the meaning of attraction and love between women as if she had never heard of the concept before.

The drama also manages to insert a slight criticism of japanese society and the way the women are viewed: tiny appetites and there only to satisfy men's needs. Both of these women never felt comfortable in such roles and therefore they always felt excluded by friends and family. They found the understanding they needed in each other.

There is deep friendship and understanding between two women but romantic love? I am not so sure! They have no chemistry and I really could not imagine them being more than just friends.

This is the third food love japanese drama I've watched and it left me with feeling confused: where is the romance here? The love of food not the love through food!

Leer más

Cliché, so what?

I guess, I watched this at the right moment for me: I needed something light, fluffy, with minimal angst and drama. And I got exactly what I asked for. And liked it a lot finding it almost perfect until they hit us with the last episode. This is a story of second chances at love, rectifying past mistakes, repeating the same errors, learning from others, growing as a person, accepting one's flaws, getting better.

Four years ago, they were poor but in love, he had big dreams, she worried a lot. Until she could not stand it any more and she broke up with him. He went on to become a successful internet producer while she stayed down in the doldrums, trying to find a way out and failing, repeatedly. She has a big chip on her shoulder, huge inferiority complex and refuses to accept kindness and help from others. They meet again, sparks fly and in spite of past unresolved conflicts they start dating again. But it is, again, a disaster! Until she finally realizes the error of her ways and mends herself and her relationship. He is a saint basically! He loves her and forgives her all her mistakes and wrong judgements while she holds him responsible for making her feel inferior. All he wants is to help her achieve her dreams, be there for her. She gets it wrong every time. He asks to talk everything out, while she keeps saying he does not understand her without explaining anything. Talk to him so he can understand you, you idiot!

I liked the story. It is nothing new or groundbreaking just a story of second and third chances at love. The first five episodes were extremely well paced and the story flowed nicely with them bickering and fighting, him trying to push out gently the other man in the picture, nice and caring friends (who of course crush on each other!). And then they almost ruined everything with the last episode which was rushed, illogical and unnecessary! So halfway through another one of her depressions, she has an epiphany, gets aware of all her errors and gets back with him! She definitely needs therapy! This is where dramas go so wrong: being in love cures all ills! No! She was traumatized by her injury which stopped her from playing the piano professionally but she never addressed the problem!

This is more of a disappointed rant than a review. I still enjoyed it but it could have been much better!

Leer más

Intrigue & Love

Even though the official english title is very poetic, the other title on youtube videos is very fitting as it describes the plot precisely: intrigue, conspiracies, lies ...and love!

As usual with these short dramas, the plot is rushed with added unnecessary complexities.
The plot is rather simple: the FL takes the place of a princess in order to kill the king and avenge her father. Her plan goes awry and she actually gets married to the northern king with the help of the queen who needs a spy in the northern kingdom. But our FL falls in love with the ML and together they uncover a conspiracy by the queen and her evil brother to create mayhem and distrust between other countries: divide and conquer.

The series is quite good: it changes from the usual chinese palace setting to the grassy plains and deserts of the north and therefore it is new and refreshing. The scenery is beautiful, the costumes are different from the usual flimsy drapes floating in the wind, the hairstyles are less elaborate and particularly ML's hair decorations are beautiful. The main actor is handsome and talented while the actress was ok: there was something bothering me about her but I cannot quite figure out what!

Maybe it was her character which bothered me the most?!? She is supposed to be a trained fighter but her skills come and go, depending on a situation or, more precisely, on her costume: when she's dressed all in black she is an excellent fighter but whenever she puts other coloured clothing she seems to become a clumsy clutz and from what I saw it was not on purpose! The ML's character becomes a bit silly towards the end: he's so much in love that he keeps following her around like a faithfull puppy, eyes filled with adoration!

I have to rant a bit: youtube go to hell with your rules and regulations! I wanted to watch the full movie version on youtube because it is more convenient but the drama is half soundless: we are not allowed to hear the music, so I guess it is the usual youtube problem with chinese music rights. I found the drama elsewhere and the songs are really beautiful (performed by a duet M/F) so it is really a shame to miss out on it! And youtube keeps insisting we subscribe: never gonna happen!

Anyway, the drama is a good short watch, the editing is a bit choppy, the two main characters are not totally convincing and the rest are rather simple though they do grow a little when they realize their mistakes. Episode 18 looks like the usual drama ending: the main couple is finally together and walking happily while gazing into each other's eyes so the additional two episodes to wrap up the loose ends I had frankly forgotten about is a bit of a change of mood after the happy ending.

Leer más

Flowers & betrayal

This short web drama is a surprisingly well made chinese GL: the relationship between two women cannot in any case be mistaken for friendship like they are forced to do for BLs. There are no kisses and that speaks volumes about the skilled storytelling!

The title is fairly self explanatory: it is a love story spanning three lifetimes. A courtesan is betrayed and killed by her lover so with the help of her flower fairy she comes back to seek revenge and dies a second time. In the third life she is a flower fairy to but with a limited lifespan.

Story is a bit messy to begin with but as it is a short episodes' web drama that is to be expected. The actresses have good chemistry, the guy looks as creepy as the role demands, the special effects are quite good and the cinematography is excellent. All in all a very good short web drama....

Leer más

Love and art

I have been putting off watching this because of the ugly poster: it gives off negative vibes. It made me think that this would be a very weird and unpleasant story.

I couldn't have been more wrong! This is pure and unadulterated fluff! Cute and sweet!

The plot is nothing original and has already been seen many, many times. A writer suffering from writer's block and down on her luck, meets a ghost of a woman in a coma. The ghost who is a painter, offers the writer to stay in her house in exchange for the writer's help sorting her business out before leaving.

There have been many versions of this story and you can see where it will end. Still, the acting is top notch, the two women have great chemistry. The production is correct. It is well crafted short web drama! I would like to know who painted the art on the walls in this drama. It is stunning and thought provoking!

The main topic, beside the love story, is art. How it is made? Why? What inspires you? Who do you make it for? The painter, who is successful sees the writer's struggles but she just watches from the sidelines, knowing from her own experience, that the writer needs to touch the bottom to realize she's going about the writing the wrong way!

This is really an excellent short drama!

Leer más

Season 5/5: The End?

The story continues from the previous season. After leaving the publishing company because her skills were not recognized, YiYi and the emperor start their own platform and begin publishing her novel. But her old company's owner won't let her be and keeps creating problems for her. YiYi also finally admits to be in love and they have some lovely lovey dovey moments. But his time is coming to the end and he accepts to leave since that is going to save her life.

The story is definitely not as interesting or as funny as it was in the first three seasons: they are basically repeating the same plot in the modern setting. There are same characters in two worlds behaving exactly the same so the novelty of modern setting quickly wore off. The emperor get used to modern world fast and became a high performing businessmen. I was a bit upset with the rapidity of this plot point but then I reminded myself that this is a fantasy based drama not a reality based one.

The couple had their happy ending in the last minute of the drama though it was not explained how or why: he was not supposed to remember anything once he went back into the book but I guess love conquers all. And I think that the Book Scholar must have helped them a bit when he saw how much they love each other and to what lengths they are ready to go in order for the loved person to stay alive. The Book Scholar was punished so....

Same problems as in season 4 regarding cinematography are present her. I think that they filmed both seasons in one go. It is ugly to look at. And what's with the ML's haircut: he just came out of the army or what?

All things considered, this is a fun watch, the actors have correct chemistry, it is very funny at the beginning but later on it becomes more and more serious with just little drops of humour here and there (YiYi's brother is comedy gold!).

Leer más

Season 4/5: His turn now!

Our novelist is back home but in spite of all success, she is not happy, missing the emperor all the time. The Book Scholar erases her memory of falling into her own book. But the emperor suddenly shows up wanting to pick up where they left off. When the Book Scholar tries to send him back to his own world, he realizes that the emperor is connected to the novelist too much. She has to find a way to make him want to go back otherwise she's going to suffer because of his presence. Now the emperor has to learn how to live in the modern society.

The comedy is back after the serious third chapter of this story. Unfortunately not as funny as before! Now it is his turn to be fish out of water and try to get used to the new setting. And just like the novelist in the first part, he gets comfortable very quickly and the focus of the story shifts to her workplace, friends and family. Mostly workplace as she tries to sell the sequel to her book and is having trouble being approved by the big boss. The workplace dynamics are quite fun to watch: the jealous supervisor, the love struck boss and his dragon of a mother big boss, the novelist's brainstorming team.... The relationship that stands out the most, though, is between the emperor and his secretary: there is a real bromance(without romance!) in the making there.

The big problem is the production value: the drama looks like their budget was cut in half: the cinematography is ugly, the colours are pale and when colours there are, they are obviously fake. The costumes are ugly, the hair is ugly (why does the emperor sport that horrible army buzzcut?). The music has been reduced to one song: I like it but I need variety.

Nevertheless, it is a fun watch, one cannot help but root for them and wonder if and how they are going to get their happy ending!

Leer más