Profile
Drama: Dinner Mate (저녁 같이 드실래요)
Network: MBC
Episodes: 32
Release Date: May 25 – July 14, 2020
Runtime: Monday & Tuesday 21:00
Plot
Two single people meet and agree to have dinner together. Will their strange friendship turn into a lasting love?
Main Cast
Song Seung Heon – Kim Hae Kyung
Seo Ji Hye – Woo Do Hee
Lee Ji Hoon – Jung Jae Hyuk
Son Na Eun – Jin No Eul
Ye Ji Won – Nam Ah Yeong
Kim Seo Kyung – Lee Byeong Jin
Review:
It’s been ages since I’ve since this dreamy version of Song Seung Heon so I was excited to watch this drama! Plus Seo Ji Hye looked so pretty in all the promos!
I loved this drama when it focuses on the relationship between Hae Kyung and Do Hee. From that memorable time they first met in the airplane, to becoming dinner mates, to falling in love. I liked the concept of the show. They met and continued to meet without knowing each other’s names (although in reality i think this is too difficult to do because i would probably stalk social media until i find his name haha!). It is true, we sometimes say a lot of things to strangers and even online, because there’s no judgement – the people dont know you anyway so you can be yourself and express how you feel. and i think that’s why their “relationship” somehow worked because they know each other’s secrets, hurts, and interests, and as they closer, they realized they were similar in many ways and are able to connect well with each other.
Everytime Hae Kyung meets Do Hee and says, “Shall we have dinner together?” i just SWOON. so hard. Like, hello Do Hee, such a handsome and nice guy likes you! What are you waiting for?? But i know she’s been hurt twice and is afraid to love again. And that’s why i love Hae Kyung because he knows it and he is sensitive enough to handle her. I laugh every time Dohee feels like she is being psychoanalyzed – i was thinking the same way, like won’t it be amazing that your boyfriend knows how to read you but then it’s also scary cause he might also use that against you since he knows how to manipulate you. Good thing Hae Kyung is another candidate for perfect Kdrama boyfriend of the year!
One thing i wanted more of — is skinship! I mean they are both mature adults, but they are so conservative!!! Just a few kisses and teasing in the latter part of the drama! RAWR! I thought cute and fiesty Dohee would be a sassy and sexy girlfriend to Hae Kyung! but it’s okay, they’re so cute i love them!
My mom also watched this show and she loved Song Seung Heon so much! She has been watching a lot of Kdramas lately and one thing she observed is that it is almost always the girl who is more aggressive than the guys. So she said that she welcomed this drama because here, it’s the guy who has actively pursuing the girl and even pushing for marriage. Not that a girl getting a guy is wrong. It’s just that it’s also good to see nice guys going after the girl and treating her like a queen.
Now on to the not so fun part of the drama, is the introduction of the two annoying exes! Okay, one ex should have been enough to fill the love triangle. But a love square where both exes were selfish and toxic was too much. I have absolutely no interest in No Eul or Jae Hyuk’s storyline or redeeming arc so I’m disappointed that the second half of the show focused on them (esp on Jae Hyuk). I thought every single time they are on screen is taking away all the could have been cute scenes between Dohee and Hae Kyung!
For one, No eul was just too selfish! and i hate seeing her smug face everytime! That her story took the drama to conclude was unnecessary. Even her realization that she has lost her love wasn’t even that stirring. i thought, about time to wake up! I think she should have been there in the first half and left the show by episode 10. i did like what Dohee told her in the last episode – you are an amazing woman! I agree. i hope they focused on that instead. And i want to add to what Dohee said, “You are an amazing woman! Don’t force yourself to a guy who doesn’t deserve you or know your worth. There will be other guys who will like you for who you are.” Hae Kyung wasn’t a bad boyfriend, but he really just wasn’t the right one for Dohee.
As for Jae Hyuk, i also didn’t care about his character, but i did understand why he was there. He needed help but first and foremost, he need to acknowledge that he needs help and he wants to get better. In some ways i felt bad for Jae Hyuk but what he did was still not right to Dohee. And that episode where Jae Hyuk barged into Do hee’s house and Dohee lied to Hae Kyung about it… hm. i didn’t really like this scene. Hae Kyung is a licensed doctor, he would have known what to do with Jae Hyuk. But maybe that was the push that Jae Hyuk needed to wake up from his delusions. I loved the resolution of his story, with him and his old doctor, Keanu, healing their pain and hearts together. It felt like he found a “father” figure and I think with the right friends around him, he will get better.
Lastly i want to comment on Ahyoung – i love Ye Ji Won, she always takes on the weird female badass character and she slays in this one too. I have two comments on her – one, that sudden relaitonshp with Keanu was really weird, although i was super happy when they got married in the end. Two, all the drama would not have happened had she not approved all the 4 of them working in a show together! This was like the stupidest idea i have ever heard! We all know what will happen when you put 4 bitter exes together – it’s a disaster waiting to happen! I thought this should have been resolved better with Ahyoung apologizing better to Dohee, rather than a sweeping one statement of “i was wrong to agree with this in the first place”.
Completing this wonderful show are the beautiful scenery (i think it’s the colors that made this drama looks so pretty and stylish), Hae Kyung’s wonderful fashion (i absolutely loved his coats, and everyone he wears anything white or green) and the amazing soundtrack (very different from the usual OSTS – this drama had more R&B flavor). Wish there were more dinner scenes though coz the food looks so delicious (YUM YUM!)
Rating: 8.5/10
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