"Master - God of Noodles" Episode 1 recap

If you think your life is tough, welcome to the world of revenge dramas. "Master - God of Noodles" offers hot noodle dishes and heaps of the famous dish best served cold. The creators waste no time and give us the full backstory between our hero and villain, all the way to the awkward reunion in the present. This is one impressive, stylish and exciting premiere episode. You could cut the tension with a knife. Enter the noodle jokes.
What hit me first about "Master - God of Noodles" is the incredible presentation of the series. This is one very appealing work. From its oppressive atmosphere to its stunning visuals, vibrant representation of different eras, living arrangements, costume design, everything is just beautifully crafted. A lot of creators underestimate the importance of the art. You do not just point a camera and film, as soap operas tend to do. There is so much more to it and this drama's production shows us how it is done.

The pacing, presentation, character writing and acting elevate what is quite the basic set up to any revenge work. When I really think about it, this is as typical as it gets. Man wants things, kills to gets things, man things were taken from will have his revenge. There is just so much emotion injected into it that it is riveting. Emotional pain and need for justice and closure are universal topics. This makes the revenge genre very easy to get into.
I know what you are all wondering. What about the noodles? The noodles are very literal in this drama, but also metaphorical. In a way, they are a symbol of something loved and something stolen. They are an idea, brilliant and used for joy in the hands of one person, vile and used for harm in the hands of another. It is great to see meaning placed on them. Also, you will probably need some after this episode.

Which brings us to the juiciest and most twisted noodle of them all. Kim Gil-do (Jo Jae-hyeon) is absolutely terrifying. Most drama villains tend to be cartoonish, some are more human, but this man is neither. Gil-do generates a visceral response of unease and repulsion, because rather than being evil for the sake of being evil, he completely lacks empathy and a concept of right and wrong.
I do have one minor complaint so far. I feel Gil-do's illegal acts are kind of rushed. It is kind of tough to believe that he would do so many things and never get caught. On the other hand, the introduction spans over several decades and he is intelligent enough for it to be plausible. Moo-myeong (Cheon Jeong-myeong) will need more than noodles to handle this one. Now excuse me while I go have some.
"Master - God of Noodles" is directed by Kim Jong-yeon and Lim Se-joon, written by Cha Seung-dae and features Cheon Jeong-myeong, Jo Jae-hyeon, Jeong Yoo-mi and Lee Sang-yeob.
Written by: Orion from 'Orion's Ramblings'

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