Drama Digest
Kim Hae Kyung is a psychiatrist who is having rotten luck with dating women. He also happens to be a foodie and frequently sets up dinner date therapy with his clientele. Our main female lead is Woo Do Hee who works for a company that is a production house for content to be displayed on YouTube streaming services. She is already in a relationship and takes a trip to Jeju Island a popular spot in South Korea. Do-hee is under the impression that her boyfriend is going to propose to her. All her hopes of getting married to the one she loves to get dashed once she realizes that he is breaking up with her. Coincidentally she is seated next to our main male lead Hae Kyung. They both soon develop a love-hate relationship with each other. Woo do Hee meets him several times due to coincidence one of them being her work. They both soon decide to be dinner mates.
The Feel-Good Part
One of the things this drama does that sticks with the viewers is the exes of both our main leads. There is a psychiatric element to it and that keeps the plot interesting. Another development or plus point for this series is that there is a subplot of a homeless man in the series, this too keeps the plot engaging for the viewers. Adapted from the webtoon ‘Shall we have dinner together?’ dinner mate has perfectly balanced humor and lovely scenes that make the drama very enjoyable to watch. There are rules in place for the two main leads to be dinner mates. They are not supposed to discuss topics related to family, background, or names. All of the mentioned topics are out of boundaries for conversation. On top of that, they both are not supposed to fall in love. Both of their exes coming into the picture however ruin the equation for them altogether. Now revealed with flaws and weaknesses it is upto up to the main characters to decide how they navigate them. The series emphasizes obsessive ex-boyfriends and the mental health element of it.
The Disappointing Factor
Apart from the things the drama got right, it used a lot of cliches to propel the plot which made it extremely boring to continue watching. The relationship between the main leads feels like lost potential. Started slowly due to their rules in place, then when they were progressing the exes came in between and ruined it for them not once, not twice but throughout the show. This brings us to the third point, in writing the ex for Do Hee and portraying him as obsessive, the makers ended up sketching him as someone annoying. As soon as he popped onto the screen the internal groan is difficult to suppress. The plot becomes messy for its good. Although the premise of the film had great potential, they chewed a little more than they could swallow and that led to an underwhelming feeling. Due to the constant interruption by the exes, it felt like the relationship was not too enjoyable.
In-Depth Analysis
The drama series has a lot of easter eggs for the ‘Crash landing on you’ drama. We also see the drama pay patronage to the iconic breakfast at tiffany’s movie, with the main lead actress decked in Audrey Hepburn style. This drama would be recommended for those who are die-hard fans of CLOY. There are plenty of cameos by the actors of CLOY in ‘Dinner date’. We have 2NE1’s Sandara Park as a cameo in this drama as well as a cast of Players. Some scenes tease clips from CLOY. It’s something fans of CLOY can look forward to if they plan on watching this drama.
Star Power
Seo Ji Hye is the main female lead in this drama and Song Seung Heon is the male lead. The former has acted in CLOY. For the side characters, we have Seo Eun Soo and Kim Jung Hyun amongst others. Sandara Park, a former band member of KPOP girl group 2NE1 also has a cameo in this drama.
Overall Opinion
The reviews for this drama have more or less been mixed. For some it was underwhelming and for some, it matched their expectations perfectly. One thing this drama has done is show how despite having faced intense amounts of failure in your relationships and being scarred for life, you have a second chance at experiencing something like that once more. Flaws or not everyone deserves to be loved and that is what the aim of the plot seemed like. I would recommend people who enjoyed CLOY to give this drama a watch too. There are special appearances for actors from other projects and Sandara Park who plays the role of the anorexic person in the showbiz affected by online troll comments.
