Cinderella Chef (2018)

I was really excited to watch this drama because of the potential I thought it had. The pros include the lead and supporting characters! I thought everyone had unique characterization and you either loved , or loved to hate, or just down right hated certain characters which made it so much more enjoyable to watch. I also really appreciated the action scenes in this drama; they were really well choreographed and added a certain spice to the episodes which always got me excited. Also, I think this drama does a great job of incorporating small details to the storylines such as bringing to light quick conversations that we would think were otherwise unimportant.

Now the cons with this drama I would have to say include the constant back and forth of being together and breaking up between the leads throughout the story. I found it very repetitive and annoying to watch, especially when it always involved some stupid misunderstanding. I think because I love all of the characters in the early episodes so much, the sudden change in plot near episode 24 kind of caught me off guard and made me dislike where the story was heading. The story just didn’t seem consistent enough to keep your focus at times which is why there were a lot of skippable scenes. At one point, I wasn’t sure if it was a drama about time travelling, romance, or politics. Not saying they’re not mutually exclusive, but it felt all over the place at times.

It’s an overall good drama to watch, definitely got draggy in the middle and again in the end; it could have easily been around 35 episodes to help with that. I recommend it if you have the time and patience to watch 56 episodes.

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So Much it Could Have Been

This is probably going to be one of my shorter reviews honestly. I really wanted to like this one- I really did. I feel like there was a lot of wasted potential here and I cannot stand the female lead 80% of the time.

STORY
Objectively, the story wasn't bad- I just feel like it was dragged out unnecessarily long and started to embody a lot of cliches that it could have skipped over. There was also the unneeded "I love you but we can't be together" in the second half and the spiraling of choices that made me kind of hate the thought of ChunYu and JiaYao together. A lot of people complained about the two arcs and everyone dying in the first half- but I think it was technically two seasons? So it was chill. I think the girl was a really unique case in terms of traveling to the past- she wasn't exactly weak nor was she strong- she dealt with the time travel actually really realistically. For me, besides how the female character was written, the other characters were actually pretty complex. Everyone had very good growth- everyone except the female lead. She did get a little less annoying and naive towards the end where she fooled even the audience in this really well thought out ruse. I commended her for that, but it took way too long, and she was written fairly inconsistently. The male lead I liked- not just because he was hot (I admit that made him VERY easy on the eyes) but his struggles were real and he dealt with them the best that he could. He wasn't the "perfect" man but he also owned up to everything he did. The central romance really pissed me off though. I think he could have done well without her, however, the pining for each other and the growth he goes through because of her was really good to watch. Still, I cannot get over how annoyed I am at the female lead, and I admit I just kept watching because of ChunYu. Chong Ye really made me cry- especially at his son's death. He's not an innocent character, nor is he evil, and he really got to my heartstrings.

ACTING
I really liked the acting of the bandits, and the leads. Bie embodied ChunYu very well and filled in all the empty spaces in his character. I don't think I would have been able to see a more perfect actor for the role of ChuYu. Zhong Dan Yi played a really good JiaYao, and as much as her character made me want to hit my head against a wall, she embodied her to every little annoying expression, and for that I gotta give it to her. All the bandits really hit the mark, especially Zhao Jian as Bai Chong Ye and I really felt that absence for the whole second half. Chun Yu and Chong Ye bromance is one thing I'll wholeheartedly miss.

MUSIC
The music was okay, but nothing really stood out to me.

OTHER
THE COSTUMING OF THE FEMALE LEAD. It came out of complete left field and I know that she likes to "change up" the fashion but how was she not murdered by the people for the "scandalousness" of her clothing. Like I get it's her fashion but the peoples' reaction to her clothing should have been much different- and those ridiculous heeled boots- like where in the world did they come from??

REWATCH VALUE
Yeah, it's a five for me. I wouldn't mind rewatching select episodes in the first half in the background as I do things, and some select episodes from the second half. Besides that, there's not much value to it to me.

CONCLUSION
A series with so much wasted potential. I wanted to love it but my suspension of disbelief can only go far, and there's only so much I can like with a very annoying female lead who sounds like a broken record towards the end. The side characters made up for the confusing female lead writing.

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Pro:
Comedy-Fantasy genre usually refreshing, but this one takes it to another level! Yaoyao who brought modern words and foreign language to the past every now and then was one of the plus point I love about this show. She also not an Added also the natural acting skills of all of the important character and also not cheap looking settings.

Con:
The death of the seemingly main supporting character at the middle of the show and the change of the setting and main supporting character made me feel like it suppose to be 2 season story instead of 1 long show.

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at initially i gave this drama 7.5 rating but as long as i'm watching episodes my rating is decreasing 7.5 , 6, 5.5 no doubt drama is nice but it bored me to dragging unnecessary content too much which i think this series must be ended to 30-35 episodes it make me think should i drop it but what the reason i'm stick to it is main lead fun loving moments i hope in next episodes it makeup to my interest

it has most the similarities to eternal love which make it more uninteresting may be people like it cause eternal love is my also favorite but when drama not stand out in anything(new/unexpected) and became shadow of any drama then whats the point to give your valuable time to it

in my opinion its nice drama but not worth 56 episodes, there is not any extraordinary story line..............................by watching this drama people can judge itself thats better idea cause i've mixed feeling may be i'm watching asian dramas for long time so i'm familiar to dramas situations when it comes to compare any drama

it could be better if i haven't watch any similar drama before the it might be fresh for me and may be my opinion is different or better than this...

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Would've been better w/o the 1st Half + Unexpected Unconditional Love & Trust from Main Leads.

Before I even start with my reaction I just wanna give a crucial advice to anyone who's planning to watch this drama.

[!!!] IF you ever felt so done and tired of this drama during the first 25+ episodes just stick a tiny bit longer cause its second half have all the best this drama has to offer.

So lemme start cause I'm itching to list down my thoughts, complains and opinions about this drama.

First thing first, the unnecessary 1st half of this drama ruined everything for me. I would say that this drama is much better off without it. That part is a combination of all the trash you could ever incorporate to make a drama extremely annoying and bad. If given a chance I would definitely skip most of it and only watch the good portion of it — Like, Hell~!! Even the main leads are irritating on that part and just thinking how badly written that was infuriates me. I was also quite impressed on how bearing I am to actually stay despite all those moments I almost gave up on this piece, yet managed to get back by keeping a positive mindset of its redemption parts... and I must say it didn't disappoint one bit.

Second, Although this drama may look overly 'clichè' but NO WORRIES this drama is a complete contradictory of what it may seemed and looked like. In fact, this drama surprised me on how opposite the story outcomes are in comparrison to all the dramas I have watched so far and I must say that it made this drama completely different and has even become its saving grace overall. (P.S. All of those are on 2nd half, so you'll better hang tight)

Third and Last will fall directly towards the entirety of the drama itself. It was both a pleasure and depressing to watch this drama overall. Imagine having to bear with 28+ episodes just to get to the exciting part was real mad and insane however I wanna guarantee everyone that you'll surely experience the redemption arc of this story right after reaching and passing that huge-long slump.

P.S. The fighting scenes are executed really well and the comical moments are really fun to watch.

Story - 8.5, I'm still hesitant even at this point but I can never give it any higher done this. Half of this drama is trash and it felt like that trashy part was set up mainly to make the protagonists look terrible and to showcase the main villain's evil plans. It was completely useless and non-sensical no matter how much I think of it cause this drama can easily go on without those.

Acting/Cast - 10, This section of the drama is something I'm extremely certain of. Despite all the negative opinions I have towards the drama and story itself; I must say that the actors who acted in this drama extracted all their emotions and expertise in portraying and giving life to their respective characters. Compliments and High praises.

Music - 8.5, Again, saved by the sudden BGM inserts at the latter part of the drama. Honestly, the BGMs are so random and doesn't fit the mood and scenes of the drama 2/3 of the time. Thank god they use better songs during the remaining 15+ episodes that helped to save this section for me.

Rewatch Value - 8.5, I may seemed insane but I wanna clarify that I would rewatch it while scanning through the important scenes only and will continue to the 2nd half right away after enjoying some of those nice scenes.

Overall - 8.5, I still feel like it can go up to 9 but after coming this far and looking back at my scores made me decide that this is just right. Considering how they fucked and messed up HALF of this drama is enough to justify my rating. But after all those mess I assure everyone that this drama has 'Good-to-Great' moments moving forward.

IF you find my review helpful please let me know.

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I actually was really enjoying this, until the subtitles stopped at episode 20. Up until that point this drama was quirky, fun and hilarious. Characters were likable and the odd nature of Xia Chun Yu and Ye Jia Yao relationship, suddenly getting married but then slowly falling in love, made for an excellent dynamic.

But then when the subs stopped so I peeked into the next few episodes to see what would come up next. Boy was I shocked. Yes, I was not expecting a full on bloodbath to happen. And then out of nowhere the chef (Ye Jia Yao) looses her sense of taste? What??? I wanted to know what happened but at the same time I was really put off by the changes, especially for such a silly light-hearted drama.

I looked into it later and judging from the last episodes, I think it still manages to pull off a happy ending. I haven't picked this up after what happened, even though I think the subs are in now. Perhaps one day.

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Childish play. Dropped

In my opinion, this drama series had way too many episodes - a total of 56. The series was based on a time-travel storyline, but unfortunately, the main female character was portrayed in a very immature and childish manner, which made it difficult for me to watch. However, I was pleased to see that the series had a happy ending, which is quite rare in time-travel dramas

I cannot tolerate inconsistencies in a comedy, especially when it involves inappropriate clothing in a period era. The scriptwriter's modifications to the original book story created a confusing and redundant mess of every genre. The result is a messy drama that I cannot stand. Additionally, the childish and Lolita-like voice and behavior are my pet peeve.

Cute character played by Zhao Lu Si in 2017, aired in 2018. Very little food-oriented. The title is misleading.

As clearly stated in my profile, I always spoil myself before investing my precious time in a drama. I make sure to watch the last few minutes of the final episode to ensure that the ending will be satisfactory. So, it's true that I dropped the show, but I already knew how it would end. And it was the only thing that saved this drama: the happy ending with the main couple. Rarity with time travel and for a change, she came back in his era. Kudos for that! Based on only this, a 4 rating is not only appropriate but also justifiable, instead of a lower rating.

Oh well. I tried.

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annoying female lead

If you’re looking for a fun, lighthearted historical romcom, this isn’t it. But what really made me drop this drama was because of the female lead’s character. Don’t get me wrong, the actress did amazing at portraying the character BUT I was so annoyed at her character. I tried giving this drama more chances because I see good reviews about it and about how everything will make sense in the end.

However, I guess I just don’t have the patience to deal with the female lead’s bratty attitude. It was cute in the beginning and I took the drama as lightheartedly as she did. I understand that she treats it like a trip to ancient China, but I really can’t stand some of her actions. Yeah, sure, it’s watchable for the first 3 episodes or so but it just starts getting annoying. I thought about dropping it at episode 8, but I figured I should at least make it to episode 10. I really tried to keep going with it, and I guess her character is written that way to add more drama and it’s how the story will continue but seriously???? I appreciate the idea of her being independent and realizing love isn’t everything, but come on can she at least be made likable in other senses too? I don’t understand how people get over her attitude or perhaps I’m being too harsh and impatient.

Ok before this whole review turns into a rant about the female lead, I’d like to say that the soundtrack is good. Additionally, there are some scenes where she cooks cool dishes and it’s interesting to see how she creates modern tools to help her in the kitchen using what she has lying around. Her outfits were cute, but sometimes they were inappropriate for the current period regardless if she’s a “modern 21st century” woman or not.

ANYWAY, if you made it this far in my rant, do watch it if you have the patience and you’re ready for something deeper than a mere romcom. Just go into it without taking anything too seriously and I think you’ll be able to fare better than I.

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Trashy Product, period!

This drama is such a trashy product.
Not worth even for free.
Made by amateurs only.
Nothing positive can be mentioned.
Uff, thank God I can drop it.
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1.5 points and I am super generous just because the time travel and cooking could have really good potential. But they just screw it successfully.
FL is annoying and stupid. The actress looks so not fitting into it, so fake.
ML can be watchable if he takes off his clothes. The rest of the crew, they don't even worth your attention. What were all thinking by going into such a bad project...

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Wth is that supposed to be?

I had to drop this Drama after only 7 Episodes because the whole thing was just ridiculously stupid. I know, this is Comedy but still most of the so called "funny" scenes ended up being silly, embarrassing and totally annoying. I started to watch this Drama due to the time traveling aspect (I love time traveling) but it couldn't make up for the badly written and stupid story. The characters were okay. From what I've seen there was a chance that both of them could have developed into good characters but the the overly forced, unnatural Comedy and the FL's way too modern and "scandalous" outfits ruined it for me. I have nothing against Comedy if it feels natural and is not over-used and the actor actually has the talent to do it right (like the actor that played Ming Lan's father in Story of Ming Lan). I also understand that the FL comes from modern times and thus all the modern influence but her outfits were too much. Don't get me wrong, they were pretty but absolutely not fit for ancient China. They were way too scandalous for that time and bothered the hell out of me (and where the heck did she get those boots from?). You might enjoy it if you don't care about authenticity and you like light hearted stories, which are not meant to be taken seriously. But if you're like me, who's more into serious stories, don't watch it.

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