Acting and chemistry are fundamental, with cooking, French, and action as well. Im Yoon-a's lavish table setting is brightly adorning viewers' weekend nights.
In the tvN Saturday-Sunday drama 'Bon Appetit, Your Majesty' (written by fGRD, directed by Jang Tae-yu, planned by Studio Dragon, produced by Film Greta and Jung Universe), Im Yoon-a plays the role of Yeon Ji-young, achieving double-digit viewership ratings within just four episodes and topping the trending topics for two consecutive weeks, even dominating the Netflix global rankings.
Im Yoon-a perfectly embodies the character of the French chef 'Yeon Ji-young' who time slips into the past, receiving high praise of being 'Yeon Ji-young itself.' In particular, her exhilarating performance, akin to a refreshing drink without sweet potatoes, is delivering thrills to viewers. With a clear voice and a playful tone that doesn't yield to the pressure of the chefs, she establishes discipline, quickly finding answers even in crises, captivating viewers with the charm of a 'self-reliant female character' as opposed to the typical 'candy' female leads in existing works.
Just as the lavish table setting in the drama does not come together overnight, Im Yoon-a's perfect portrayal of 'Yeon Ji-young' follows the same principle. She displayed great passion by learning actual cooking techniques at a culinary academy for months before filming and seeking advice from professional chefs. Additionally, she perfectly prepared lengthy French lines to match the setting of a French chef and tackled challenging wire action herself, showcasing her relentless effort in presenting a true 'acting feast' on weekend nights.
As the best dishes arise from small details, so does Im Yoon-a's acting, alive with detail. She captures slight changes in expression when detecting subtle flavors in cooking competitions, performs realistic actions in dexterously handling cooking tools, and highlights even the small tremors in her gaze that convey subtle emotions with the tyrant. Above all, 'Bon Appetit, Your Majesty,' which combines historical dramas and romantic comedies, has received applause for its superb casting, particularly because Im Yoon-a excels in both genres.
Im Yoon-a's true value shines through her chemistry with co-actors. She shares a romance chemistry filled with excitement with Lee Heon (Lee Chae-min), creates a taut tension with Kang Mok-joo (Kang Han-na), and forms intriguing relationships with various characters, such as Queen Injoo (Seo Yi-sook) and Im Song-jae (Oh Ui-sik), showcasing her prowess as the 'chemistry fairy.' Especially given the nature of the romantic comedy genre, the chemistry among characters is crucial, allowing Im Yoon-a's chemistry to stand out even more.
Im Yoon-a's achievements are reflected in records. The fourth episode of 'Bon Appetit, Your Majesty' broke its own record by achieving a nationwide rating of 11.1% and 11% in the metropolitan area, marking the highest ratings achieved among tvN dramas aired this year. Furthermore, Im Yoon-a has claimed the top spot for two consecutive weeks in terms of viewer popularity among cast members, while 'Bon Appetit, Your Majesty' has also topped the TV-OTT drama popularity rankings for two consecutive weeks and ranked second in the Netflix global TOP10 TV (non-English) category, demonstrating significant influence.
'Bon Appetit, Your Majesty,' with its records and acclaim, reflects the perfect harmony of Im Yoon-a's passionate acting, thorough preparation, and her chemistry that encompasses those around her. Having established her own firm territory as an actress, Im Yoon-a has made a mark through this work, sweeping through box office success, popularity, and global recognition.
As 'Bon Appetit, Your Majesty' takes flight alongside Im Yoon-a's performance, it is meeting the expectations that everyone has been waiting for, and it is exciting to see how much more splendid and profound the 3-star table setting she will create in the future.
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