Bon Appétit, Your Majesty Review

⭐ Rating: 3/10

📅 Year: 2025

🎭 Genre: Back in time / Mystery / Romance

⏳ Episodes: 12

✅ What Worked: Strong opening episodes, fun early banter between the leads, family and childhood themes.

❌ What Didnt: Sappy romance, lack of chemistry between the leads, predictable mystery, loss of the early love-hate dynamic.

👀 Worth Watching? I would not recommend it. While the cast did a great job with the material they were given, the story lost its charm early on and never managed to recapture it for me.

I had this drama on my watch list on Netflix for a while, but just got around to it. I know it was a pretty popular show, but my honest thoughts on this are mixed. It started out pretty interesting, with a woman going back in time 500 years to the Joseon era, but unfortunately, the more episodes I watched, the less charm it held.

Bon Appétit, Your Majesty, Netflix

I was really thrown off by the way the drama opened. Instead of starting in the present day and letting us experience the story unfold naturally, it dropped us into a random moment in Joseon before rewinding to explain how everything happened. It felt unnecessary and took away some of the impact of the time-travel premise. I would have preferred to discover the story alongside the main character rather than being told from the start that she somehow ends up in the past.

I was also really strange seeing her with her phone and all the modern items she brought with her into Joseon. Then she asked, "Is this a historical drama?" It was like a frog telling you it's a frog while staring you in the face. It was an extremely odd moment. I did, however, truly enjoy the first meeting between the two leads, as well as their silly banter, which is why I continued watching.

I know this may seem mean, but this really felt like the Temu version of Mr. Queen. A chef going back in time and falling in love with a king? I felt like I was having a flashback.

Especially because the food didn't seem as appetizing, the connection between the leads didn't feel as intense, and the villains felt less memorable. While the premise was similar, it never managed to capture quiet the same magic for me.

Bon Appétit, Your Majesty, Netflix

Very quickly, their banter and fun energy turned sappy and awkward, which is very typical in K-dramas, but in this case it ruined the remaining charm the show had. By Episode 5, I barely had any energy for it at all, and I found myself rolling my eyes more often than not. If their love-hate dynamic had remained, I think the drama would have been a lot more fun. Some of the best moments of the show happen early on.

I do have to note that this show had great actors. Both leads, Im Yoon-ah and Lee Chae-min, matched each other stride for stride and kept the show propped up on the few stacks of cards it could. They had zero chemistry, but they acted well regardless.

You have to understand that I love romantic K-dramas, but only if they follow a few simple rules:

• Both characters are intelligent.

• There isn't excessive melodrama or ridiculous behavior.

• The characters have charm and charisma.

• Above all else, chemistry.

This show broke at least two of those rules for me.

And I honestly felt bad for Lee Chae-min. Could his jaw even unhinge after all the chewing he had to do in this drama?

Anyway, there was one aspect of the show that I truly enjoyed. It all came back to the themes of family and childhood, and how deeply those things shape who we become. I found that lovely.

🔥 Why You Should Watch

• Great performances from the main cast

• Fun banter in the early episodes

• Superhero/mystery mix

• Light and easy 12-episode watch

• If you enjoy food-focused dramas and palace romances

👎 What Might Not Work For Everyone

• Little chemistry between the leads

• Romance becomes overly sappy

• Excessive melodrama

  
  

❤️ Final Verdict

Bon Appétit, Your Majesty started with a fun premise, strong actors, and some entertaining banter between the leads. Unfortunately, the more episodes I watched, the more forgettable it became. The romance lost much of its early charm, the mystery was predictable, and the villains never stood out. The food cinematography was also a bit excessive. Every bite seemed to trigger a dramatic montage as if the characters had just discovered the meaning of life through a bowl of soup.

That said, there were some genuinely funny moments throughout, and I really appreciated the show's themes of family, childhood, and how those experiences shape us. While it wasn't a drama I would recommend, I can see why some viewers enjoyed its lighthearted tone. For me, though, this is one of those dramas that fades from memory almost as soon as it's over.

Acting: 4.5/5

Storyline: 3/5

Cinematography: 2/5  

Overall Entertainment Value: 3.5/5

 I rate it 3/10 stars: ⭐⭐⭐