The variety show ‘Bonjour Bakery,’ which garnered significant attention as the return project for actor Kim Seon-ho, isn’t quite hitting the mark in terms of buzz during its early release. Despite boasting a star-studded cast and a ‘healing’ concept, it hasn’t yet created a strong impact.
‘Bonjour Bakery’ is a Coupang Play original variety show featuring Cha Seung-won, Kim Hee-ae, Kim Seon-ho, and Lee Ki-taek. The show aims to be a healing experience where the cast operates a ‘senior dessert cafe’ in a quiet rural village and connects with the locals. While the cast combination is eye-catching, critics say the buzz hasn’t met expectations a week after its release.
The biggest disappointment cited is the ambiguity of the concept. While ‘Bonjour Bakery’ promotes itself as a healing show, it lacks the distinct emotional vibe or immersion that typically makes viewers feel at ease. At the same time, it doesn’t offer strong variety-style comedy. Because it chose a calm approach but lacks memorable scenes, reactions suggest the overall feel is a bit bland.
A sense of déjà vu is also being pointed out as a weakness. Variety shows featuring food preparation and social interaction in nature have been repeated many times. In particular, Cha Seung-won has already built a strong image in nature-and-cooking shows like tvN’s ‘Three Meals a Day’ series. Because of this, some feel there is no significant difference, as ‘food’ was simply replaced by ‘desserts’.
Public perception of Kim Seon-ho is another variable. Kim Seon-ho made his variety return through ‘Bonjour Bakery’ following previous controversies. While this drew attention before the release, his first official appearance focused more on the program than direct mentions of the controversy. At the time, Kim Seon-ho stated, “It was a program where I could provide healing to the elderly and receive healing myself.” However, since this is his first variety return after the controversy, public opinion remains divided.
Some analyze that the platform’s limitations have also played a role. Since Coupang Play original content is consumed primarily by subscribers, it is harder for it to naturally reach a wide, unspecified audience compared to terrestrial or cable variety shows. Because it isn’t a structure where people stumble upon it while channel surfing, there are certain constraints on how quickly word-of-mouth can spread.
Of course, only the early episodes have been released, so it’s too early to determine the show’s ultimate success or failure. However, so far, it hasn’t left a strong impression due to a direction that is neither clearly healing nor clearly funny. For ‘Bonjour Bakery’ to turn the tide, it seems it needs a definite charm that goes beyond simple calmness.
