A curse.
Reincarnation.
And dinner?

From a hundred-year-old curse to a desperate attempt at love to maintain life, the Korean BL The Director Who Buys Me Dinner, adapted from the webtoon of the same name by Toesa, dives straight into its plot. Director Min Yu Dam (Park Young Woon) and his employee Dong Baek (Park Jeong Woo) are destined to fall in love. Otherwise, they die.

Having not read the webtoon this is based on, I went into The Director Who Buys Me Dinner with no deep understanding of the story and no real expectations. What I found was a light, quick watch with little angst. There isn’t much to go on in the first two episodes, with most of their interactions happening over a dinner table while Dong Baek and Min Yu Dam sulk over the position they find themselves in.

While I wanted to be more invested in the story, I was easily distracted. The plot moves swiftly while also not going anywhere, the two leads bickering over dating while kissing away sudden wounds and getting drunk after a week of uneventful dinner dates.

Because of the short format, lack of any deep dialogue, and no profound character setup, I found it hard to connect with the romance the drama is trying to build but was amused by the predicament they find themselves in.

Although viewers aren’t given much time to appreciate where this story is going, the glimpses of the chemistry between the actors and the quick flashes of curse-filled angst we are given have potential. I need more time with this drama, but I’m excited to see where they take it.

For a short watch about two men who need to fall in love to survive, check out The Director Who Buys Me Dinner on iQiyi.

Rating- 3.5 out of 5