This story first seems to be a romantic comedy and throughout gives a light hearted treatment of 4 men working in a French pastry boutique and the relationships between them.
The main character Jin-hyeok is a rich and seemingly spoiled heir who decides to throw away a conventional career path and opens a French pastry shop in an old antique store.
His side kick Seun-woo is the best French baker in Korea, trained by a French master chef, and a super popular flaming gay and seemingly carefree guy.
Joining the crew is a young delivery boy Gi-beom who is crazy about the pastry that is turned out by Seun-woo, and Soo-young.
Throughout, we are exposed to these beautiful French pastry, to make us and those that are actually eating them melt with desire.
Surprisingly, the store owner and boss Jin-hyeok actually gets physically ill every time he eats cakes. Surprisingly Seun-woo does not first recognize Jin-hyeok who reminds him that he had a crush on him in high school, confessed and got rejected by the manly acting Jin-Hyeok.
Little by little we learn more about each man's past. Each has had a traumatic past that still interferes with their lives and none seem to be able to break free from it. Through their interactions however, their developing friendships and increasing fondness for each other the 4 are eventually able to overcome their trauma and start to heal. This process is also helped by the a seemingly side plot: the pursuit and eventual capture of a serial child killer and likely molester who attracts kids by offering them cake.
The whole is given a cartoonish treatment, which seems befitting of the comic book origin of the story and helps incorporate the dark elements of the 4 men's pasts while maintaining the light tone of the movie.
The execution is not flawless but overall it is still a very good movie. It is well worthy of watching and will appeal to a broad audience although it is often dubbed as a gay romantic comedy complete with a single men on men french kiss.
**Spoiler alert from here on**
Many reviewers seem to think that the dark pasts and subplots are poorly integrated distractions but they are clearly crucial elements to telling the story that is meant to be told.
Jin-hyeok's inability to eat cake without getting sick dates back to his childhood when he was kidnapped and disappeared for two month. He was eventually found but could not remember that dark time albeit we know that he was fed cake by the kidnapper, who was possibly a child molester.
Sean-Woo's seemingly carefree life is in fact his own way of emulating what he believes was the lose behavior of his mother, who in his mind deserved punishment for her actions. ..
And if you watch carefully you will discover how the trauma of each men affects them and how eventually they all are healed..
The movie ends with the last of the two men overcoming their traumas. Jin-Hyeok is being hugged by a man without needing to freak out about it, and Seun-woo is finally able to address and talk to women.
Enjoy the movie.
The main character Jin-hyeok is a rich and seemingly spoiled heir who decides to throw away a conventional career path and opens a French pastry shop in an old antique store.
His side kick Seun-woo is the best French baker in Korea, trained by a French master chef, and a super popular flaming gay and seemingly carefree guy.
Joining the crew is a young delivery boy Gi-beom who is crazy about the pastry that is turned out by Seun-woo, and Soo-young.
Throughout, we are exposed to these beautiful French pastry, to make us and those that are actually eating them melt with desire.
Surprisingly, the store owner and boss Jin-hyeok actually gets physically ill every time he eats cakes. Surprisingly Seun-woo does not first recognize Jin-hyeok who reminds him that he had a crush on him in high school, confessed and got rejected by the manly acting Jin-Hyeok.
Little by little we learn more about each man's past. Each has had a traumatic past that still interferes with their lives and none seem to be able to break free from it. Through their interactions however, their developing friendships and increasing fondness for each other the 4 are eventually able to overcome their trauma and start to heal. This process is also helped by the a seemingly side plot: the pursuit and eventual capture of a serial child killer and likely molester who attracts kids by offering them cake.
The whole is given a cartoonish treatment, which seems befitting of the comic book origin of the story and helps incorporate the dark elements of the 4 men's pasts while maintaining the light tone of the movie.
The execution is not flawless but overall it is still a very good movie. It is well worthy of watching and will appeal to a broad audience although it is often dubbed as a gay romantic comedy complete with a single men on men french kiss.
**Spoiler alert from here on**
Many reviewers seem to think that the dark pasts and subplots are poorly integrated distractions but they are clearly crucial elements to telling the story that is meant to be told.
Jin-hyeok's inability to eat cake without getting sick dates back to his childhood when he was kidnapped and disappeared for two month. He was eventually found but could not remember that dark time albeit we know that he was fed cake by the kidnapper, who was possibly a child molester.
Sean-Woo's seemingly carefree life is in fact his own way of emulating what he believes was the lose behavior of his mother, who in his mind deserved punishment for her actions. ..
And if you watch carefully you will discover how the trauma of each men affects them and how eventually they all are healed..
The movie ends with the last of the two men overcoming their traumas. Jin-Hyeok is being hugged by a man without needing to freak out about it, and Seun-woo is finally able to address and talk to women.
Enjoy the movie.