*This post is a follow up to the Royal Feast – Basically video.
There’s no denying that Royal Feast invested a great deal in costumes, sets and cooking sequences, but be careful not to raise your hopes up too high about this drama being another Jewel in the Palace.
Royal Feast is ultimately a drama about Zhu Zhanji and Yao Zijin – their journey to power (one might hope) and their relationship.
The food scenes are beautifully shot, though there are not enough of them to give you any valuable insights into traditional Chinese cuisine. There is also endless yelling about palace rules and punishment going around as the story progresses. These drawn-out scenes too are there mostly to serve as obstacles for the female lead, not to educate viewers on the period of time.
Unlike Dae Jang-geum who begins from zero in all senses, Yao Zijin — the female protagonist of Royal Feast — starts from a position of privilege. Not that she’s rich or well-protected, but in the sense that she already has a fair amount of skill to impress. Yao Zijin is that “strong, mart and special” girl we’ve seen many times before who benefits mostly from the story’s favoritism.
The supporting characters are intriguing enough to support the plot (for now). Xu Kai and Wu Jinyan’s acting is not different from the last time you saw them, but they are also not too bad as to hinder your enjoyment of this drama.
In short, if you love the two lead actor and actress, go for this drama, feast on the lavishing costumes and food scenes. But definitely keep your expectations low regarding the plot.