It’s the midway point for K-drama Dinner Mate (Shall We Have Dinner Together) and I’ve been watching intently but haven’t felt the urge to write it about until now. That’s probably because each episode feels like a bite, or perhaps part of a meal, so without the entire meal yet it’s hard to formulate a thoughtful review. It’s the midway point now, 8-episodes in (or 16 based on the half-hour episode format) and I’m quite addicted despite the low key almost languid pace of this story. Leads Song Seung Heon and Seo Ji Hye are wonderful together, visually they are a treat and their characters have such rootable personalities and a genuine connection. Their conversations are really thoughtful, sincere, and mature, though a tad restrained so I have yet to see sharp sparks that convey passion.

The prickly part is the two second leads played by Lee Ji Hoon and Son Na Eun, the latter of which remains a terrible actress and is playing a totally textbook annoying and self-absorbed second female lead. Lee Ji Hoon is the X-factor, he’s been on my radar since playing bad brother to Lee Min Ho in Legend of the Blue Sea, he’s like a baby Kwon Yul and I worry he’s relegated to second leads when he can do so much more. Here I don’t know why he abandoned his love and is back trying to win her back in all the wrong ways like a stalker drunk on love potion. It’s confusing the heck out of me and making what would be a breezy romance feel suddenly fraught with landmines and a backstory I’m more and more curious about.