Wok of Love (2018)

It took me quite a while to finally finish this. It just seemed that 38 episodes were way too much to complete this story. Yet again, even after all of the filler episodes right at the end of the show, the ending left many unanswered questions. Not going to lie, I decided to watch this for Junho, since I find him to be very talented and universal in every role. However, this just didn't fit him somehow. And the chemistry between him and the lead actress was weird and artificial. Second lead syndrome hit me the hardest while watching this, and I realized how the second lead male was just completely ignored during the last episodes. Now, to focus on the positive, personally, I believe that the side characters made this drama interesting and bearable to finish. In addition, I'd only rewatch this for the food porn and those beautiful shots of Asian dishes that were mesmerizing. Other than that, this drama had potential, but turned out to be too draggy and went downhill fast. If you're into friendship, bromance dramas with a dash pf romance here and there, go for it! But you will get a bit hungry!

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What really is the charm of the whole series I think, are the two main guys. They are the most interesting and entertaining. You definitely want to root for them. And what's even better, is their BROMANCE. It's beautiful, it's heart-warming, the kind of deep friendship that's very nice to witness. Their bond and their struggles are which really kept this show going in my opinion.

The sad part though, it's only about 60% of the series.

The other part are the disappointing romance and other petty misunderstandings and drama... aaand the girl's story...

I really LOVE romance, and I noticed in other reviews that people actually liked the romance here, but I just couldn't see it good at all. I have to say, it might just have been better to abandon that part and just focus on the guys' friendship. Just that setting in itself how a very talented but betrayed chef is sort of forced to just join these gangsters to take revenge and how they get to know each other and work together against these bad guys could have had more potential to just focus on in my opinion. It would have been clearer, more wholesome and just simply easier and more entertaining to follow.

Also the main girl is not lovable for me, for example she is very dishonest, lies a lot (like terrible lies), and at the same time she really hates it when someone lies to her. Ok. She is this typical woman, you know, when you never know what's on her mind (if there is anything...).
Also let me just ask if a person can really be a player subconsciously? Even if she is a dummy dum, I really don't think so. You shouldn't flirt or give off signs, and then pretend that you absolutely did nothing. At times she does act like a human being, trying to show some human like emotions, and she does get better by the end, but most of the time she is just an alien to me. She feels off, weirdly written, directed or acted out. Nothing really makes sense with her story, even if they tried to make her quirky, it's too much for me. This girl and the romantic parts are very low here in my book, nothing very heart-warming, more like hair-tearing. (but maybe that's just me)

BUT!!
Thankfully not the whole show is completely about her, and that saved it for me and made me keep going.

The story is quite simple, but engaging, you want to see the good win and the bad lose. Very black and white in that way, but it's fun to sometimes just watch something not too complicated. The side characters are okay, some are even good, but not getting too much screen time, which is a pity I think, they seemed interesting, could have deserved some stories of their own.

This tries to be a decent show, has its potential, but it falls shortly behind a 7, which is not good enough to me.

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Just totally enjoyed this

I watched this soon after my appendectomy and it turned out to be one of the most enjoyable dramas I ever watched. I love all the actors. It’s a light hearted but very interesting drama. It made me laugh a lot and this is the first drama I want to re-watch just to see Dan Sae-U all over again as well as Dil-Chiong. I have also developed a crush on her!! She’s sooo cute and lovable!!!! The chef Pung is also good- yes he is bad tempered but that is his character and it is good to see him grow in patience and humility. Love the chemistry between the actors and basically I just love everyone including the ‘family’. Hahaha just thinking of them makes me laugh. It is really really a very watchable drama for me and yes it made me crave for jjajangmyeon and here I am, less than a week after my surgery, I am cooking it and enjoying every bite!!

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It pays to ignore negative reviews and just watch it yourself sometimes

I loved this drama!! It makes you crave sweet and sour pork like crazy. Junho is SEXY AS HELL here and he shows off his superb acting chops again and again. He isn't an "idol actor" - he's an actor. Period.
The FL was completely adorable and grew into a fierce, opinionated, and talented woman and partner for the ML. I loved loved loved them as a couple. I also loved how the bromance developed, and how much love and trust there was between the men.
I'm not sure why commenters are saying there wasn't adequate character development - we must not have been watching the same drama. The characters at the beginning were not at all where they ended up at the end. There's not really a spoiler here to say that the gang turned into real chefs at the end, because that was a main point of the drama to begin with. The secondary romance was also sweet and a pleasant surprise. No spoiler here either, but there was a twist in the middle that was heartfelt, sweet, and extremely touching.
I loved the supporting cast and we could clearly see growth in all of the characters...except one. I hated the mother with the fires of a thousand suns. She was a Horrible. Selfish. Person. I actually found myself screaming at the tv whenever she came on. She started the drama selfish and entitled, and ended up being selfish, entitled, bratty, dumb, and just plain mean. She wasn't evil like other K-drama mothers, but that didn't make her meanness and selfishness any less easier to take. Gah, I hated her.
Sure, this drama wasn't perfect. I wished for a wee bit more of a resolution for one of the main characters at the end, and it's hard to fathom ex-spouses as ridiculous as the ex's of the main characters'. (I've already mentioned the mother.) There were a few plot holes, but let's be honest, what K-drama doesn't have a few plot holes or characters who drop out of sight? That said, any time you get three main characters who all sparkle on screen, a passionate romance without too much melodrama, some amazing-looking food, some very satisfying payback, and the CUTEST KITTEN EVER...I've got all I need.

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This show's romance arc pissed me off

Ok so...full discloser I think Jang Hyuk is one of the best Korean actors that ever lived and I like him in every single thing he's ever been in. I also came into this show fresh off watching A Beautiful Mind, Shine or Go Crazy, and Tell Me What You Saw...specifically because I wanted to watch literally everything with Jang Hyuk in it. So I was definitely jaded from the start. It's also definitely not a genre I typically enjoy or seek out...boring romance dramas...meh. So my review is super super one-sided and unfair. I'm 100% aware of that.

Basically, I hated this show. I hated that the lead actress ended up with the shallow young pretty boy instead of the much more interesting and (in my opinion) attractive secondary male lead (Jang Hyuk). I was super mad at her for making such a shallow and uninteresting love choice. She was a decently written character with a decent amount of depth and she went for the eye candy. The eye candy lead actor's character was so lame and shallow and undeveloped. He's basically this crybaby brat who in other dramas would easily have been the failed third point of the typical love triangle. He's basically the guy who's around usually to show you what a great and desirable person the lead is. I hated this character. The actor is fine in other dramas, but this character in this drama was literal trash.

Almost certainly I would have had a different opinion about this drama if the lead actress' character wasn't such a predictable boy-toy chasing idiot (aka if she had fallen for the bad boy gangster (Jang Hyuk) instead. But as it stands, it was a STRUGGLE to get through this entire thing and I hated every minute of it beyond episode 3 or 4. I would literally never watch this again.

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hits and misses in this one

I have to say that all of the food scenes were an orgy for the senses, and they made me want to scout out the nearest good Chinese restaurant. The bromance between the two male leads was fun to watch, as their friendship developed. I didn't care for the female lead at all. I was hoping that she would kind of grow on me, but I found her smiling/smirking to show up at times that were very inappropriate. I felt like she was playing both men and that her emotions weren't totally invested in the male lead. And don't even get me started on her parents! The male lead really tried to step up, but the female lead just let the parents walk all over them. There's being respectful, and then there's being a doormat. And the mom saying that if they went to work in the restaurant, they would have to move out of the house? It wasn't even her house! Good kisses (though few and far between) and a happy, though rushed, ending, considering how many episodes I had to sit through.

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This drama should have been entitled, “Jjajangmyeon”, it’s the only thing that is consistent, everything else was inconsistent. From start to finish, it was just Jjajangmyeon”. Characters came and gone, but not the Jjajangmyeon. Na-ah. I can’t repeat Jjajangmyeon often enough, because Jjajangmyeon is what this drama is just all about. The drama started out promising, like, it had all the ingredients for a good drama, but sadly, the writers failed to make an outstanding dish out of it. As I mentioned, the Jjajangmyeon was all that was consistent in the story, everything else was all over the place. I tried so hard to finish it, but I just couldn’t. I tried so hard to like it, the premise was good, it had my number one requirement for a watchable drama, too, that is, no overly annoying antagonists (though Sae Woo’s mother was pretty annoying, the character itself is annoying, it’s not even unrelated to the main leads). The main leads were cute, too. Most would say, they did not have chemistry, but I'd say, the story just did not allow their romance to develop enough to see it. Needless to say, I dropped this drama. It’s my first time saying this for any drama: I wasted my time on this.

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WARNING: THIS DRAMA WILL MAKE YOU HUNGRY! SO PREPARE YOURSELF!
This drama has many random things, like: Romance, delicious food, drama, comedy, love triangle, betrayal, friendship, family, marriage that go wrong, second lead syndrome, revenge, gangsters, cooks, cook gangsters, "action" (don't take it very seriously), a weird/funny horse (YES A HORSE)... And you know what? Everything was amazing, everything was well written/made.
The drama is super refreshing and will give you the feeling "What the hell is happening???", what made it so funny.
I NEED TO TAKE A LITTLE OF MY TIME TO TALK ABOUT THE HILARIOUS AND UNFORGETTABLE CHARACTERS:
I've never loved a leading actress so much. Loved her honest character and loved the actress. She made me feel everything just with her eyes, I know this can sound weird, but I love seeing her cry, she's so emotional and pure.
Junho!! Loved him in "Just between Lovers" and seeing him as a sexy cook was great.
Jang Hyuk played the lovely gangster, who I fell in love with.
In conclusion, you can see the love triangle created, and I'm sure you will suffer for second lead syndrome, just like me, but honestly that didn't make me feel sad at all, because these 3 leads have the best friendship ever and there's no fights for the girl or jealousy and yet there is the awesome bromance<3
IT'S A FUCKING DOPE TRIO!!!
And we can't forget the support roles, who were hilarious and made the drama complete. I really appreciate seeing Jo Jae Yun in whatever he's in, he's amazing <3
THE ONLY THING I HATED was the mother of the female lead....so annoying and sensitive...
IF YOU ARE THINKING IF YOU SHOULD WATCH THIS DRAMA OR NOT, DO NOT HESITATE AND WATCH IT!!
ONE OF THE BEST DRAMAS OF THE YEAR!

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Sin duda, los gansters se comieron el show. Cada uno de ellos, incluso al que la mujer engaña jaja. Chil Seong es mi personaje favorito acá, desde el primer momento en la escena de la peluquería me encantó. Es un personaje completo, complejo, gracioso y que te atrapa completamente. Hizo todo lo correcto, incluso cuando renunció a ella. NO ME GUSTÓ que no me hayan pasado nada de él con la veterinaria, o sea, ella estaba detrás de él... tenían que verse una quinta vez para echarle la culpa al destino.

Con Poong y Sae Woo, tengo sentimientos encontrados. Me comenzó a gustar su relación luego del capítulo 20, luego que ella se emborracha y hace todo el drama de vamos a acostarnos. Pero al principio, él no me gustaba para nada, demasiado altanero, gritón, de todo. Aunque entiendo que no lo tuvo fácil, su esposa es una desgraciada -aunque la desaparecieron del show, pudieron sacar más drama de allí-, lo mismo el ex-esposo de Sae Woo, abandonarla sólo por verguenza a estar relacionado con una familia en desgracia, es un poco hombre que no puede enfrentarse a sus padres.

ME CAE MAL LA SRA JI, la mamá de Sae Woo la detesto hasta el último capítulo: materialista, boba, y tan consentida, mimada e inútil. Casi les lanza la relación pro la borda, pone el dinero sobre todo incluso cuando ella no tiene ni un $ para pagar el alquiler y pone a todo el mundo a compadecerla y a pasar trabajo por su egoísmo.

EN FIN.

Me ha gustado, aunque no me ha encantado. Me empezó a enganchar ya bastante avanzado el dorama.

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Wow
This was the right delightful,cute , romantic, comedy, noona drama to watch

Although it was a little bit like a recipes book which made it a little longer than it should be

But it was really fun, amazing and made me hungry many times LOL ?

This drama had the perfect aspects
Bromance, comedy , romance

What I hated a lot the love triangle
I really felt with pain when jang hyuk saw ryeo won and jun ho kissing eachother
I couldn't stop myself to scream

I wished he found another woman but they made it open end if he is going to meet the Veterinary doctor again or not

I hated the FL's mother the most
She is the most selfish , annoying woman I've ever seen
And by the way
did the writer or the director indebted to her or what?
She was acting 3 roles in this drama

First time to watch jun ho in a drama
I have to say I loved him so
He was a brilliant actor
He succeeded to deliver me every tiny feeling
He made my heart jumped many times during watching

The FL character was amazing but sometimes annoying
She is optimistic and alway smiles
Which is really good but sometimes she couldn't stop smiling even in serious situations which annoys me a lot

Jang hyuk and his gangster group were the most cute gangsters
Jang hyuk was the most kind, fair , warm hearted , Manish , funny , loyal & cute gangster I've ever seen ❤️??

This was very heartwarming drama which gave you the perfect butterflies with the most cute innocent ML
No nonsense drama, no separation, no tears Except for jang hyuk T_T

I rated 9 instead of 10 because of jang hyuk only
Highly recommended ❤️

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Came for the story, stayed for Jang Hyuk

Overall this is a cute show. The best part about it is the food and, most importantly, Jang Hyuk. First the food, it made me want Chinese food all the time. I love shows that are based on food (Dating in the Kitchen is highly recommended). But the highlight is Jang Hyuk. Let me just say the FL is a fool!! Who wouldn't love a bad a$$ like that? This was the first time I've watched any of his works and now I'll search out a lot more. He does most of his own stunts which is extremely cool and he's so attractive. He does have an odd laugh and sometimes he's over the top but overall he's one of my current favorite actors.

The plot sounds really interesting and entertaining. Unfortunately, it's largely forgettable. I finished watching this show a few days ago and the only thing that sticks out is my confusion over why the FL would chose the ML. The chemistry between the two didn't happen until the last part of the show. But she was pining away for that man at the beginning. Also Jang Hyuk's character was a stand out. Other than her lack of judgement, the FL was good. Her smile and attitude were bright and easy going. I can understand why both men would like her. The supporting cast was great, very entertaining. But have I mentioned Jang Hyuk, yet? In the end, Jang Hyuk and his band of thugs are what carried the show.

I do recommend it but it isn't a high priority show. It's funny and entertaining but not to memorable.

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I could not give more than 6 for this and it deserved better

If you would have removed that useless character that is the mother and her self-centered selfishness, I could have been on board 100%.
Not only is she selfish but she pushes (or tried to) her daughter to be the same: an empty shell that marries for money.
Disgusting attitude (for lack of better word)

If you can make abstraction of this person (she really irked me anytime she was on screen) the drama is pretty enjoyable. Could have been done in half the episodes (yes it was draggy and the plots were pretty similar).
Thank to the acting skills of both ML, the very endearing FL, plus the gangsters (adorable) they carried the drama.

Would I rewatch it? No, but I had a pleasant time. Would have given this a higher score but the selfish mother dragged this down a point.

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