Unfortunately it's just not enough
First of all, I want to say that I started watching with really good feelings about this series. There's many things to like about it and the first half of the episodes made me wonder why did Bite Me get such a low score here on MDL. In case you're looking for good reasons to watch this series, here's a list:
- The chemistry between the two main characters is actually very good. I already knew Mark from other series and I was expecting him to do a good job in terms of acting, but Zung really surprised me. Their gaze alone communicates a lot in terms of thoughts and feelings and made me look forward to every scene of theirs.
- This series is about chefs and cooking, and believe it or not, there IS a lot of cooking and food! Both the making and the final result of each recipe are shown in great detail and the quality of the camera work made it very satisfying to watch. I found myself drooling or feeling hungry multiple times as I watched. I recommend watching this with either a snack or a full stomach!
- This might sound like a low standard, but still: the music was used perfectly. There were no moments when I thought that the soundtrack didn't fit the moment, and even the silence was used in a clever way. Last but not least, there are no annoying sound effects here: if you're tired of Thai series where characters aren't able to blink without some goofy sound effect playing, then this will feel like a true breath of fresh air.
The true flaw of this series in my opinion is not even the pacing: I really enjoyed the series during the first half, and the slow pacing actually made me enjoy the touching moments and the cooking even more. I don't believe that the romance between Aek and Aue was supposed to bloom any faster either.
What actually got on my nerves and ended up ruining the series for me was the build-up of the dramatic/angsty elements of the plot. None of the threats and obstacles that the protagonists faced felt like huge problems at all, yet they were treated as such, making it hard for me to keep watching without feeling frustrated about the characters' decisions during the last few episodes. Even the resolution of these problems didn't get a proper build-up, making the ending of the series feel rushed and incredibly unsatisfying.
I don't want to spoil anything, but all I can say here is that the good of this show is indeed excellent, while the bad, while not as awful as it could get, is too annoying for me to want to rewatch this ever again in the future. In conclusion, all I can suggest is to watch the series for yourself and make your own opinion about it, because my feelings about it are too mixed to decide whether or not I should recommend it.
- The chemistry between the two main characters is actually very good. I already knew Mark from other series and I was expecting him to do a good job in terms of acting, but Zung really surprised me. Their gaze alone communicates a lot in terms of thoughts and feelings and made me look forward to every scene of theirs.
- This series is about chefs and cooking, and believe it or not, there IS a lot of cooking and food! Both the making and the final result of each recipe are shown in great detail and the quality of the camera work made it very satisfying to watch. I found myself drooling or feeling hungry multiple times as I watched. I recommend watching this with either a snack or a full stomach!
- This might sound like a low standard, but still: the music was used perfectly. There were no moments when I thought that the soundtrack didn't fit the moment, and even the silence was used in a clever way. Last but not least, there are no annoying sound effects here: if you're tired of Thai series where characters aren't able to blink without some goofy sound effect playing, then this will feel like a true breath of fresh air.
The true flaw of this series in my opinion is not even the pacing: I really enjoyed the series during the first half, and the slow pacing actually made me enjoy the touching moments and the cooking even more. I don't believe that the romance between Aek and Aue was supposed to bloom any faster either.
What actually got on my nerves and ended up ruining the series for me was the build-up of the dramatic/angsty elements of the plot. None of the threats and obstacles that the protagonists faced felt like huge problems at all, yet they were treated as such, making it hard for me to keep watching without feeling frustrated about the characters' decisions during the last few episodes. Even the resolution of these problems didn't get a proper build-up, making the ending of the series feel rushed and incredibly unsatisfying.
I don't want to spoil anything, but all I can say here is that the good of this show is indeed excellent, while the bad, while not as awful as it could get, is too annoying for me to want to rewatch this ever again in the future. In conclusion, all I can suggest is to watch the series for yourself and make your own opinion about it, because my feelings about it are too mixed to decide whether or not I should recommend it.
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