Bread, Love and Dreams (Korean: 제빵왕 김탁구) is a 2010 South Korean television drama starring Yoon Shi-yoon, Joo Won, Eugene and Lee Young-ah. It tells the story of how a determined young baker overcomes many trials towards his goal of becoming the best baker in Korea. This story takes place in the 1970s to 1990s, starting after his conception and finishing when he reaches his mid-20s. The series aired on KBS2 from June 9 to September 16, 2010, on Wednesdays and Thursdays at 22:00 (KST) for 30 episodes.
The series was one of the most watched shows in South Korea in 2010, with a final episode viewership rating of 50.9% and becoming the 25th highest rated drama of all time. It is considered the breakout role of lead actor Yoon Shi-yoon, catapulting him to immense popularity as well as receiving much praise for his sincere acting.[1][2]
Synopsis
Kim Tak-gu (Yoon Shi-yoon) is the eldest son of Gu Il-jong, the chairman of Geosung Foods Enterprise, and Kim Mi-sun, his mistress. The chairman's wife, In-sook, is furious with her husband and shuns Tak-gu. When his mother is kidnapped, Tak-gu runs away from home and spends the next 12 years looking for her.
In his journey, he enters a baking school owned by Pal-bong who is a legend in the baking industry. Coincidentally, he was also Tak-gu's father's teacher.
In said school, Tak-gu also finds Jo Jin-goo, the man who kidnapped his mother. Jo Jin-goo tells Tak-gu that his mother accidentally fell off a cliff.
Tak-gu decides to stay at the bakery and learn the art of making bread, like his father did before him. Gu Ma-jun (Joo Won), Tak-gu's half-brother, is also at the school, hoping to learn baking to win his father's approval and take over the family business. He lives under an assumed name and never reveals his true identity. Ma-jun still nurses a hatred for Tak-gu from their childhood.
It is later revealed that Tak-gu's mom is not dead and that she is looking for him. The chairman, who also spent the past 14 years looking for Tak-gu, eventually finds out that he is at the bakery and is furious at Ma-jun for not telling him. The chairman wants Tak-gu, his eldest son, to take over the family business instead of Ma-jun. Rejected, Ma-jun plots to steal Tak-gu's childhood friend, Shin Yoo-kyung (Eugene), and embarrass his family in the process. Tak-gu eventually finds his mother, but In-sook and her lover, Han (the chairman's assistant), plot to rob Tak-gu of his inheritance to let Ma-jun take the chairman's position. When the chairman finds out, Han attempts to murder Tak-gu, but Tak-gu is saved by Jo Jin-goo. Meanwhile, Ma-jun's plan to embarrass his family works, but it doesn't give him the satisfaction he expects. He reaches a truce with Tak-gu and the two agree to let their older sister, Gu Ja-kyung, run the company. The show ends with Tak-gu continuing to work at the bakery with his girlfriend, Yang Mi-sun (Lee Young-ah), while Ma-jun decides to travel around the world with his new bride, Shin Yoo-kyung. Manager Han is imprisoned and the chairman is happy that at last, his loved ones found happiness.
The show was well received in South Korea, receiving a record viewer rating of 50.8%.[3] Audiences were attached to the show because of its underdog vs. society theme.[4]Naver listed it as the most searched for item in South Korea of 2010.[5]
On December 20, 2010, the series received presidential honors in a ceremony that thanked cultural content producers for their achievements.[6]
In the table above, the blue numbers represent the lowest ratings and the red numbers represent the highest ratings.
Ratings in the Philippines
It aired on GMA Network from January 3 to April 29, 2011, on weeknights at 10:00 PM PST.[9] It was moved to the 9:15 PM timeslot due to its high ratings but later moved back to its original slot to give way to the local shows. Each episode runs 45 minutes including commercial breaks. The entire series was dubbed in Filipino.
Kantar Media national TV ratings (10:00 PM PST / 9:15 PM PST)
