Let's Eat 2 (2015)

I watched and tremendously enjoyed the first instalment of the Let's Eat franchise. When I heard about a second instalment, I was pretty pragmatic about the probability of the original cast returning. It's simply a bonus that Doojoon even returned for a second season to play the same character. On reflection, it really wouldn't have been a Let's Eat without him and his character returning to the show.

In terms of story, I appreciate the effort to stay true to certain important themes of the first Let's Eat, like being single, living alone, and feeling lonely in a big city, yet introduce new dimensions like friends-turned-lovers, and talking about married people feeling lonely, not just single people. Frankly, I didn't like the recycling of the mystery theme which wasn't an important storyline for me in the first instalment.

The food porn was good, as always, and I like that they ventured outside Korean food and got the characters to try other cuisines like Chinese, Indian and Mexican cuisine.

Doojoon has made Goo Dae Young the character his own and I can’t see anyone else in that role. Seo Hyun Jin is a revelation in this show. I have never seen any of her previous shows and now that she’s in Oh Hae Young Again, I definitely plan to watch that too after watching this show. Initially, I was supremely annoyed by her character. But as the show peeled the layers of her character, I really grew to love her character and she was so good at bringing out the vulnerabilities of her character. Kwon Yul is a pretty interesting actor too and I look forward to seeing him in other shows. Park Hee Soon is hilarious as Doojoon's lonely, always-drunk sidekick. A great character actor.

Overall, an enjoyable watch that is peppered with romance, food porn, and just enough angst to break your heart but not too much that you can’t piece it back together.

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How I loved this season of Let's Eat. For those of you uninitiated into the Let's Eat fandom, you can probably guess that there's foodporn involved here. Lots of it. And heartwarming drama, comedy and slice of life elements which made the first season so popular despite the fact that the makers had steered clear of any promotion blitzkrieg.
Season 2 takes us through the lives of residents in a Sejong villa away from the hustle and bustle of Seoul. So long story short, in thematic terms it utilizes the same elements from the first season - urban alienation and loneliness, the dangers faced by single women living all on their own, and the way food brings people closer together and forges relationships between the lonely and the lovelorn. But really, what makes Let's Eat 2 much more special is the relationship between the male and female leads. Because nowhere else in the broad spectrum of Kdramas have I seen such an authentic portrayal of friendship between a man and a woman. (Not even in 9 End 7 Outs was the friendship between Su Ae and Lee Jung Jin so wonderfully depicted)

Fat-shaming of women is another important issue which the writer has handled as realistically as possible without becoming overtly preachy about it. I was relieved to see Soo Ji coming to terms with her low self-esteem issues which eventually allowed her to see Dae Young and her own relationship in its true light.

Also that particular bit where Dae Young makes the grand declaration that Soo Ji is a kind and fun and pretty woman who deserves to be loved probably remains one of my favorite indirect confession scenes in all Kdrama history. Way to make a woman swoon and move her emotionally, Dae Young!

In terms of acting, Yoon Doo Joon did extremely well as the somewhat smarmy, somewhat sneaky and sharp but adorable and kind Dae Young. And Seo Hyun Jin brought Baek Soo Ji's earnestness and her naivete to life like nobody's business. Nowhere in the drama did her hysterics or anger seem out of place or unwarranted. The side characters' stories were a bit underplayed in this instalment but the fantastic chemistry between the leads made up for everything else. In fact I wouldn't mind watching this one again. My only complaint is that the angst was kind of drawn out in the last 5-6 episodes. DY and SJ could have gotten together much earlier and we would have been blessed with a few more romantic/cute scenes.

So those who are still hesitant about watching this because there's no Lee Soo Kyung here, no need to worry. Because romance and friendship-wise, this drama serves up a much more delicious offering than its predecessor.

Now for a season 3. Make it happen producers!

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