Skip to main content

12.18 - Podcast Review of Bon Appétit, Your Majest

Today, we’re doing a special episode on Bon Appétit, Your Majesty, the hit K Drama on Netflix starring Lee Chae Min as King Yi Heon and Im Yoon A as Yeon Ji Yeong. We are joined by the amazing Ernabel Demillo to discuss:

  • The featured song during the recap: I Find You by Do Young.

  • How Bon Appétit, Your Majesty is a light-hearted, romantic, and food-filled drama inspired by the dark reign of King Yeonsangun.

  • The show’s unique blend of historical fiction, time travel, romance, and culinary arts — with food as a central character and storytelling device.

  • The story of King Yeonsangun, the real tyrant who inspired the fictional King Yi Heon, and how the drama reimagines his story.

  • A comparison to Mr. Queen and why this show, though similar on the surface, is more about food, love, and redemption than gender-bending comedy.

  • Im Yoon A and Lee Chae Min’s incredible chemistry, with Lee Chae Min’s breakout performance being especially notable given his short preparation time.

  • The standout supporting characters, including Gil Geum, Gong Gil, Kang Mok Ju, and the Chinese chefs — each representing different cultural and culinary dynamics.

  • The symbolic power of food in the drama, showing how it connects people, heals trauma, and even saves nations.

  • The use of the Mangunrok as the show’s MacGuffin — both a literal time travel portal and a symbolic love letter from the king.

  • The drama’s conclusion, including how the king travels to the modern day, and the emotional payoff of their reunion through food.

  • A discussion of Michelin-starred restaurants in Asia, the rise of Korean cuisine globally, and personal dining experiences from Ernabel.

  • Gong Gil’s deeper role and edited-out storyline — including a potential love triangle that was ultimately minimized.

  • The theme of finding your destined love across time, emphasized through the OST lyrics and repeated motifs of reunion and promise.

  • What we’re watching now — from Because This Is My First Life to Would You Marry Me and The Uncanny Counter — and a preview of Season 13 of K Drama Chat, where we will recap and analyze Startup.

References

###

K Drama Chat is a weekly podcast where we take one Korean (K) Drama each season and and recap and analyze each episode. K Drama Chat is available on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and Pandora.
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Thanks for your comment on this episode!

Popular posts from this blog

11.14 - Podcast Review of Episode 14 of When Life Gives You Tangerines

Today, we’ll be discussing Episode 14 of When Life Gives You Tangerines , the hit K Drama on Netflix starring IU as Oh Ae-sun and Park Bo-gum as Yang Gwan-sik as young adults, then Moon So-ri as Oh Ae-sun and Park Hae-joon as Yang Gwan-sik as older adults. We discuss: The songs featured during the recap: “A Rock that never erodes in the sea of my heart” and “Just be a good son, that’s all,” both by Park Seong-il, whose work captures the sad, wistful tone of the episode. Our guest Kim Soomin from Virginialicious shares her passion for Korean food and the stories behind her food tours. How Eun Myeong’s storyline takes center stage, highlighting the painful dynamics of favoritism, ambition, and parental regret. The cultural and historical context of buncheong stoneware, how Eun Myeong’s life was turned upside by a single buncheon statue. Pawnshops, especially during the IMF crisis in Korea. The heartbreaking reasons Eun Myeong started his business, and his desperate need to be...
20 comments
Read more

5.4 - Review of Episode 4 of Mr. Queen

Today, we’ll be discussing Episode 4 of Mr. Queen, the hit K Drama on Netflix starring Shin Hye-sun as Kim So-yong, Kim Jung-hyun as King Cheojong, Seol In-ah as Jo Hwa-jin, Na In-woo as Kim Byeong-in, and Choi Jin-hyuk as Jang Bong-hwan. We discuss: Then songs we played during the recap: Conspiracyby Kim Deuk-su  and Lost Memory by Howl.  Last week’s episode was so funny, while this episode is really dark and there are bad guys everywhere.  The Queen has figured out that it was the King who tried to kill her in the alleyway.  The King is still desperately trying to figure out what the Queen knows.  The many plots to frame someone for the Queen falling into the lake.  The Queen accuses the King of going after her because she’s weak; this makes him wonder if the Queen is plotting against him or if she really is someone different.  Jo Hwa-jin goes to Grand Dowager Queen to confess they she pushed the Queen into the lake When the King tries to defend Jo H...
2 comments
Read more

12.1 - Podcast Review of Episode 1 of Extraordinary Attorney Woo

Today, we’ll be discussing Episode 1 of Extraordinary Attorney Woo , the hit K Drama on Netflix starring Park Eun Bin as Woo Young Woo, Kang Tae Oh as Lee Jun Ho, Ha Yoon Kyung as Choi Soo Yeon, Ju Hyun Young as Dong Geu Rami, Kang Ki Young as Jung Myung Seok, and Joo Jong Hyuk as Kwon Min Woo. We discuss: The songs featured during the recap: “Brave” by Kim Jong Wan and “Beyond My Dreams” by Sunwoo Jung-a. Kim Jong Wan is the lead of alternative rock band Nell; Sunwoo Jung-a is a prolific indie artist and producer in South Korea. The episode title in Korean, 이상한 변호사 우영우 (“Strange Attorney Woo Young Woo”), and how the English title "Extraordinary" reflects her character more positively. Woo Young Woo’s first words: quoting the Korean criminal code after her father is attacked, marking both her autism diagnosis and her path toward becoming a lawyer. The careful, touching portrayal of autism spectrum disorder through Woo Young Woo’s sensitivity to stimuli, love of ord...
23 comments
Read more