Sometimes, you don’t need a groundbreaking masterpiece. Sometimes, you just need a drama that makes you smile, leaves you hungry, and gives you butterflies every time the leads share a scene. Bon Appétit, Your Majesty is that drama—a delightful, food-filled romp through time that became tvN’s surprise breakout hit of 2025.
When this 12-episode time-slip fantasy premiered in August, it quickly captured hearts across the globe, becoming tvN’s highest-rated drama of the year and claiming the top spot on Netflix’s Global Top Ten. And honestly? It’s easy to see why.
A Recipe for Success: What’s It About?
The premise is pure K-drama comfort food: Yeon Ji-yeong (Im Yoon-ah), a perfectionist French-trained chef at the peak of her career, accidentally time-travels to the Joseon Dynasty during a solar eclipse. She lands smack in the middle of the royal court, where she encounters King Lee Heon (Lee Chae-min)—a young, temperamental tyrant with impeccable taste and a deadly temper.
Ji-yeong’s modern culinary techniques and international flavors captivate the king’s refined palate, but surviving in a palace filled with scheming nobles, strict traditions, and an unpredictable ruler proves to be her greatest challenge yet. What follows is a delicious blend of romance, comedy, food porn, and surprisingly touching character growth.
Im Yoon-ah and Lee Chae-min: A Chemistry That Sizzles
Let’s address the elephant in the room first: there’s a 10-year age gap between the leads, both on screen and in real life. Im Yoon-ah is an established actress and Girls’ Generation member, while Lee Chae-min is a relative newcomer (you might remember him from a small role in Crash Course in Romance). On paper, this could have been awkward. In practice? The chemistry is electric.
Yoon-ah brings her signature charm and comedic timing to Ji-yeong, creating a character who’s confident, funny, and refreshingly capable. She doesn’t need saving—she’s too busy trying to keep herself alive with her cooking skills and modern sensibilities. Her facial expressions alone are worth the price of admission, especially when she’s internally screaming at the absurdity of her situation.
Lee Chae-min, in what’s essentially his breakout role, is a revelation. His King Lee Heon could have been a one-dimensional tyrant, but instead he’s layered, wounded, and surprisingly sympathetic. The way he conveys the king’s internal struggle—between his traumatized past and his growing feelings for Ji-yeong—through subtle expressions and body language shows genuine talent. Those “cute but devilish smirks” that fans keep mentioning? They’re real, and they’re devastating.
The Food: Every Episode Leaves You Hungry
If you’re not prepared to order delivery after every episode, don’t start this drama. The food styling is absolutely stunning. From gochujang butter bibimbap to sous vide cuisine that blows the minds of Joseon-era royalty, each dish is photographed lovingly enough to make you drool.
But the food isn’t just window dressing. It’s the language through which Ji-yeong and King Lee Heon communicate. Each meal she prepares becomes a bridge between their worlds, a way for her to express care, and for him to experience something beyond the trauma and violence that has defined his life. The show understands that food is love, memory, comfort, and art all at once.
The drama strikes a clever balance between traditional Korean royal cuisine and modern international cooking techniques, creating fusion dishes that feel both innovative and respectful to Korean culinary traditions. It’s no wonder the show found success in a year when Korean food content like Culinary Class Wars was dominating global conversation.
A Lighter Take on History
The fictional King Lee Heon is loosely inspired by Yeonsangun, one of the most notorious rulers of the Joseon Dynasty who reigned from 1494 to 1506. The web novel this drama is based on actually used the historical ruler’s name, but the Netflix series wisely changed it to create distance from the real, much darker history.
This is important because Bon Appétit, Your Majesty isn’t interested in being a historically accurate or gritty political drama. It’s a fantasy romance that uses the Joseon setting as a beautiful backdrop. The drama does incorporate some real historical elements—systemic oppression, the abuse of power, the rigid class structure—but it approaches these topics gently, never letting the darkness overwhelm the romance and comedy at its heart.
Think of it as comfort viewing that occasionally reminds you why good leadership matters, why empathy is revolutionary, and why sometimes the best way to change a tyrant’s heart is through his stomach.
The Supporting Cast Adds Flavor
Beyond the leads, the drama benefits from a talented ensemble. Kang Han-na brings complexity to her role, Choi Gwi-hwa provides comic relief as the palace jester who becomes an unexpected ally, and the various palace officials and kitchen staff create a lived-in world that feels authentic despite the fantastical premise.
The court intrigue never gets too heavy, and the scheming nobles are just villainous enough to create tension without turning the drama into a political thriller. Everything stays focused on the central romance and Ji-yeong’s fish-out-of-water experiences.
The Pacing Debate: Rushed Ending or Just Right?
Here’s where opinions diverge. At 12 episodes with a runtime of 80 minutes each, Bon Appétit, Your Majesty moves quickly. Some viewers loved the tight pacing—no filler, no dragging middle episodes, just pure forward momentum. Others felt the ending was rushed, wishing for 16 or even 20 episodes to flesh out certain plot threads.
The final episodes do pack a lot in, resolving the central conflict, palace politics, and the time-travel mechanics relatively quickly. Some explanations feel under-developed, and certain emotional beats could have used more breathing room. But here’s the thing: this is ultimately a fantasy romance. The happy ending matters more than meticulously explaining every detail of how the time travel works.
If you’re someone who needs every plot point wrapped with a neat bow and fully explained, the ending might frustrate you. If you’re content with “it’s fantasy magic, just enjoy the romance,” you’ll be fine.
The Controversy That Became a Blessing
It’s worth mentioning the behind-the-scenes drama that actually worked in the show’s favor. Park Sung-hoon was originally cast as King Lee Heon, but stepped down in January 2025 after posting controversial content on social media. Lee Chae-min was brought in as a replacement with filming already scheduled to begin.
Many now agree this change was serendipitous. The script—lighthearted, romantic, food-focused—suits a fresh face rather than an established actor carrying heavy expectations. Lee Chae-min brought youthful energy and earnestness to the role that might have played differently with someone more experienced. Sometimes the universe knows what it’s doing.
TVN’s Much-Needed Hit
With a series-high rating of 12.7 percent, this became the only tvN drama in 2025 to crack double digits in viewership. For a network that produced iconic series like the Reply franchise, Crash Landing on You, and Guardian: The Lonely and Great God, 2025 had been struggling despite strong international performances from 2024 titles like Lovely Runner and Queen of Tears.
Bon Appétit, Your Majesty reminded everyone why tvN is beloved—when they nail a romance, they really nail it. The drama tapped into all the right elements: Korean food culture during a year of global food content popularity, K-pop appeal through Yoon-ah’s involvement, classic romance tropes executed well, and a fantasy setting that let viewers escape into pure wish-fulfillment.
The Divided Audience: Overhyped or Underrated?
Interestingly, this drama has sparked passionate debate. Some viewers call it the best drama of 2025, praising the chemistry, the food, the humor, and the heartfelt romance. Others dismiss it as overhyped fluff with no real substance, carried entirely by good-looking leads and pretty food shots.
The criticisms aren’t entirely unfair. The plot is straightforward, bordering on simple. Character development, while present, isn’t particularly deep. The political intrigue is surface-level. If you’re looking for complex storytelling, layered themes, or innovative narrative structure, you won’t find it here.
But that’s kind of the point? Not every drama needs to be a thought-provoking masterpiece. Sometimes you want something that makes you feel good, makes you laugh, makes you root for the couple, and makes you hungry. Bon Appétit, Your Majesty excels at being exactly what it sets out to be: comfort food in drama form.
Who Will Love This Drama?
Watch Bon Appétit, Your Majesty if you:
- Love food-centered content and don’t mind watching while hungry
- Enjoy time-travel romance with lighter stakes
- Appreciate Im Yoon-ah’s rom-com queen status
- Want to see a promising newcomer in Lee Chae-min
- Need something sweet and uncomplicated after a long day
- Are a fan of Joseon-era settings but want something less heavy than traditional sageuks
- Love enemies-to-lovers with bickering that melts into genuine affection
Skip it if you:
- Need complex, layered plots with political depth
- Get frustrated by time-travel logic that doesn’t fully explain itself
- Prefer slower-burn romances with extensive relationship development
- Can’t handle age-gap romances (even when the chemistry works)
- Want something darker or more historically grounded
Final Thoughts: Sometimes Simple is Perfect
Bon Appétit, Your Majesty won’t change your life or make you rethink the nature of love and time. It won’t leave you contemplating deep philosophical questions. What it will do is make you smile for 12 episodes straight, give you massive food cravings, and remind you why we watch K-dramas in the first place—for that perfect blend of romance, humor, and heart.
Im Yoon-a and Lee Chae-min deliver performances that elevate material that could have been forgettable in less capable hands. Their chemistry carries the show through its simpler moments, and their character growth—however straightforward—feels earned and satisfying.
Is it the best drama ever made? No. Is it a perfectly executed piece of comfort viewing that knows exactly what it wants to be? Absolutely.
In a year filled with heavy dramas, political thrillers, and emotionally exhausting content, sometimes what we need most is a drama that reminds us why we fell in love with Korean storytelling in the first place. Bon Appétit, Your Majesty is that drama—a warm hug in visual form, best enjoyed with snacks nearby and your heart open to pure, uncomplicated joy.
What works: Incredible chemistry, stunning food cinematography, perfect comfort viewing, Im Yoon-ah’s charm, Lee Chae-min’s breakout performance
What could be better: Rushed ending, simple plot, some wish for deeper character exploration
Pro tip: Watch with food delivery apps open. You’ve been warned.
