Korean revenge dramas are a popular genre and some diversity would be a good idea. This is what the creators of "Master - God of Noodles" must have thought when they chose which work to adapt, because revenge by noodles is certainly new. The series is stylish and dark, its characters are many and interesting and its villain is terrifying. At the same time, it is constrained by its medium.
Moo Myeong (Cheon Jeong-myeong) is a man who has to give up his name and live a new life after his family is murdered and his father's name is stolen by Kim Gil-do (Jo Jae-hyeon). After the makeshift orphanage family Myeong belongs to splits up, they discover how many lives Gil-do has tainted. Myeong aims to become a master of noodles and have his revenge.
The main strength of the series is definitely its characters, at least for the most part. Prime time dramas of a short duration usually place everything on the leads, leaving supporting roles largely underutilized and underdeveloped. "Master - God of Noodles" gives us people with different ambitions, different virtues and vices. Their relationships and interactions are exciting and centered around a captivating and complex villain.
Noodle making might not seem like serious business compared to fighting against high-ranking politicians as dramas usually portray, but the series has a great way of presenting its small world as one that matters. It matters to its characters and while noodles are the surface and a culinairy type of symbolism are the theme, lives and justice are at stake underneath it all.
Unfortunately, the series eventually succumbs to its nature as a Korean drama and places power games above character development, relationships and emotions. It remains exciting, but with too many characters who have little influence in the crime part of things, some have to go and others remain at a standstill before the resolution. Kneading dough for revenge is a tough concept to sell to producers and audiences, but the balance could have been better.
Stripping down the noodle making part brings about another issue, which is the male lead. Myeong is the most typical and therefore least interesting character of the lot, but he is also stuck behind the kitchen counter in a series which eventually moves on to bigger concepts. His faltering morality is not explored well and he ultimately fades into the background.
"Master - God of Noodles" could have been much more, but if one puts those higher expectations aside, it is still a really good show by the end. Perhaps friends of more fast-paced revenge works which rely on grand confrontations will find this slow by comparison, but it could be appreciated by those who find more typical works overly dramatic and formulaic.
"Master - God of Noodles" is directed by Kim Jong-yeon and Lim Se-joon, written by Chae Seung-daeand features Cheon Jeong-myeong, Jo Jae-hyeon, Jeong Yoo-mi and Lee Sang-yeob.
Source:HanCinema
