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It seems a new Korean drama takes streaming by storm in the West every day, and it’s not just “Squid Game.” But whether it’s a life-or-death game show or a girl turning into a chicken nugget, the biggest chart-toppers always seem to come with a wild premise. And the latest Korean series to become a hit on Netflix, the historical fantasy time travel drama “Bon Appétit, Your Majesty,” might have the most outlandish premise yet.
“Bon Appétit, Your Majesty” tells the story of Yeon Ji-yeong (Im Yoon-ah), a brilliant chef in modern-day Korea. But upon her return home after winning a major award, the timing of a solar eclipse sends her hurtling backwards through time, and she arrives in Joseon-era Korea. There she happens upon the court of King Yi Heon (Lee Chae-Min), loosely based on the real-life Korean tyrant Yeonsangun, who lived around the turn of the 16th century. With a chance to change part of Korea’s darkest history, Ji-yeong sets out to soothe the heart of the diabolical Yi Heon with her impressive culinary skills.
Based on a web novel by Park Guk-Jae titled “Surviving as Yeonsangun’s Chef,” the Korean live-action series is topping the foreign charts on Netflix. If it continues to dazzle, perhaps we’ll have another South Korean franchise on our hands, and a new entry on our list of the best K-drama shows on Netflix.
The studio behind Bon Appettit opened a string of pop-up stores
Netflix shook the marketing world with its inventive promotional campaign for “Squid Game” involving real-life recreations of challenges from the show (and with fewer consequences than Netflix’s real “Squid Game”). Not to be outdone, “Bon Appétit, Your Majesty” is trying its hand at creative marketing, and its first campaign concerns the opening of a series of pop-up shops all over Asia.
Unlike “Squid Game,” the mini store campaign for “Bon Appétit, Your Majesty” isn’t from Netflix. Instead, it’s being spearheaded by series producer Studio Dragon in response to the show’s international popularity. Shops are opening across locations in South Korea, Japan, and Thailand. These will be open for one week only, between October 2 and October 11, and according to Studio Dragon.
“In response to the overwhelming support from domestic and international viewers, the pop-up stores have prepared various goods … from ‘Bon Appetit, Your Majesty,'” the studio said in a statement published by Chonsun. The shops are being opened alongside pre-orders of the official scriptbook, which Studio Dragon hopes “will help fans preserve the drama’s emotional impact for a long time.”