Ji pin jue pei

So a top level high society Chef just happens to be wandering around a night market and samples the cuisine of a female cook who is using his name to draw attention.

In the real world his lawyers would have been first on the scene and demanded they remove his name from their advertising on pain of prosecution.

But no - that would have obviated the chance for them to fall in love.

And this is where the elephant in the room lumbers in.

The girl he is attracted sexually to is the living image of his dead sister - she even has her mannerisms.

Distasteful? Much?

Why wouldn't the writers make her the image of his ex girlfriend or his high school first love?

The usual tropes apply - enemies to lovers - disapproving dominant parents - the jealous third parties etc ad nauseam.

And I haven't even mentioned the bizarre dance routine at the beginning of this series.

I wasn't impressed by the looks or the acting of the entire cast - a definite miss for me.

This drama is mainly a romance, but a little bit of several genres was squeezed into it. The plot is quite unrealistic, but the character growth, family bonds, and romance was quite fun to watch.

The show does a good job foreshadowing and hinting at events through the entire show. There's very little guessing involved with the plot; but that ended up building the anticipation when the event you're expecting finally happens. The characters are likeable, so you end up rooting for them to accomplish goals.

The secondary couple was very cute. The romance and kissing scenes are all well done. There is a single INTIMATE scene, which is uncommon in these types of dramas. It was done very well: Despite having no nudity or obscenity, it managed to be very sensual. Both couples looked great together.

There were several episodes dedicated to a backcourt politics "arc", which was extremely funny.

Fen-Qing (Yu-Wei Shao) is smart, very pretty, and heartbreaking. Ting-En (Kang Ren Wu) is smart, handsome, and rational to a fault (i.e. Too rational). The chemistry between the two is really electric and so believable that I found myself thinking about the characters and looking forward to the opportunity to watch the next episode. I think a lot of care went into the character development for this story, and also the importance of family is a major theme that runs throughout. Fen-Qing, because of her humble background, missing father, and inexperience, places family including friends and acquaintances, as a high priority, higher than a romantic relationship. This, plus some labyrinthian family complications, plus Ting-En's rationality, leads to a heartbreaking situation.

In short, I do recommend this series if any of the above strikes a chord, or if you have any interest in the fine details of high cuisine. It is amazing to me that the two lead actors can make their relationship so real without it actually being so. I wish them and also Ting-En and Fen-Qing the best.

The Perfect Match is the first Taiwanese drama I finished on Netflix (and finished quickly because it is enjoyable to watch). A love-romance comedy crossing a high-end restaurant chef and a girl selling curry at the night market.

As a foodie myself, I was drawn initially to the food (the Taiwan night market is already unique by itself), but I enjoyed the plot that is executed at a good pace and at the right level of details that goes into ingredients and running of a restaurant. Conflicts within the riches' families do not make much sense to me other than as comedies, but unlike most Japanese dramas that may build multiple arcs but only finishes the main one, The Perfect Match did the few well justice.

Romance dramas are usually filled with beautiful actors and actresses and this is no exception. Lead actor Wu Kang-jen is seasoned and lead actress Ivy Shao was having a break-thru year in her acting (and singing) from her first major role the year before (Back to 1989). You will fall in-love with her by the end of the drama.

Great plot, acting, cooking scenes and scenery! Enjoyed this show very much. It is a little on the long side and I found myself skipping flashbacks but it's still good and well worth watching! Also very pleased with the ending, although I wish it could've last longer like more detailed of everyone's happy endings.