A true gem!!!
Was so engaged that I binge watched the series. Laughed and cried as the story developed and learned how the characters stories twisted, turned and interacted. There are definite dark and sad moments, as well as heartwarming and joyous. The ending suited the story line and the characters, which doesn't always happen. Wish there was going to be a Season 2Weol-Ju runs a mystical poja. In her youth, she was sent to help the Crown Prince heal from the nightmares he was experiencing. After being betrayed by those she had trusted, she makes a rash decision that impacts the rest of her life.
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I am sorry, but...
I was not planning on writing a review ever (you will understand why) to be honest with you all, but this kdrama was just... uh.Firstly I want to apologize but english is not my first language and even tho i can understand text or speech perfectly, my writing is anything but. So please bear with me.
I know that many people have the problem with the last episode but I think I understand what they did here. If you look at it from the view of a normal kdrama watcher, lots of kdramas have 16 episodes, this one has just 12 ep. Usually the main drama is happening somewhere between 10-16, but this k-drama even with lots of deep thoughs and memories was fresh, heartwarming funny and kind on a soul for all of 11 episodes. In the last one (12 ep) happened everything what usually happens in those four next episodes. I do not enjoy the BIG drama they usually tryning to give us it is not my taste but in this kdrama i was okay with it because it lasts so little and thanks to that it remained fresh and light.
I love this kdrama they took something mainstream and added something new, something nice. You will not be bored by it and you will not be in that ugly kind of shock of "What the hell did they do with the plot again." I promise. If you want something pretty with good acting and fun moments, go for this one.
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This review may contain spoilers
A punishment given to a woman who commits the ultimate sin. She is to run a bar and help as many people as she can get over their hardships through their dreams. If you're looking for a heartfelt, subtle romance, and found family tropes then this is the one for you! The ending is very happy and leaves you feeling very satisfied with the whole show. I could watch this one over and over with how much I fell in love with all of the characters and their bar.-- Spoilers Below --
Wol Joo is probably one of my favorite characters out of any kdrama I've watched so far. She's so strong, confident and stubborn, but can come off rude to others. She is very strong in her hatred for all people, this due to her terrible past, which led to her suicide. Now, she has to run a bar and help the very people she hates: Humans. Along the series, you slowly watch her open up and learn that things get better and to truly accept her feelings. You learn that her and Chef Gwi were actually supposed to be together in their past lives and now finally get to be together in their present while still running the bar. The slow burn and realization of their feelings was one of the best parts of the show, but didn't overpower any of the ongoing story already. Her relationship with Han Kang-Bae is so cute and I loved seeing her journey to actually getting to see her child and correct his soul. She took him in without even knowing it and to watch the 3 of them get closer was the best.
Han Kang-Bae has had a "power" or a curse as he would probably say that when he touches someone they have to tell him everything wrong going on in their lives. It's drained him from all of these years and he avoids any physical touch with anyone due to it becoming a huge problem. He finds it hard to build relationships and only really has a few friends from work. He lives a mundane life and eventually comes across the pop-up bar. You watch him slowly come to terms with his power and learn how it can actually be used for the better and can also help the bar as well. He also becomes super close with Wol Joo and Chef Gwi, learning that she is his mom, the ending becomes super perfect when he realizes her sacrifies were not in vain and they can continue to live happily together and continue to help people. He eventually also finds love with a security guard he meets on one of the calls for the bar and then eventually while she starts working at the store. She is immune to his touch powers which makes it easy for him to actually open up and be around her genuinely without the trauma dumping.
I do wish there was more of the storylines with Chef Gwi's backstory (even though his is technically tied with Wool Joo's) and definitely more with Kang Yeo-Rin. Both of their characters were so likable and played such great supporting actors that it left me wanting more from them! Especially after the romance between Yeo-Rin and Kang-Bae sparks up. I loved them together so much and same for Chef Gwi and Wool Joo. All relationships in the show are so close and sweet that it made it an even better watch. The chemistry between all of them was incredible.
Will definitely be re-watching this one and it quickly became a favorite of mine.
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"Won't you have a drink with us?"
I had seen this drama pop up in my recommendations for a while, but I never wanted to check it out because the trailer put me off. I decided to check it out because of it's high ratings and praise, and I do not regret watching it one bit. It gives off Hotel Del Luna vibes due to the FL's, but I preferred this a lot more. Since there's only 12 episodes, the story didn't drag and the ending felt complete (for the most part).This was a refreshing drama which puts life into perspective. Although people may seem put together on the outside, many are dealing with struggles inside. Each episode felt like a new rollercoaster as it focused on a new grudge but I found it to be very lighthearted and heartwarming. I immediately knew I was going to love this drama just after watching the first episode.
I really loved the trio consisting of the badass and charismatic Weolju, the calm and dependent Guibanjang, and the clumsy and sweet Kangbae. This was my drama with Hwang Jung Eum and I don't think any other person can portray Weolju than her. I have been a fan of Choi Won Young since I've seen him in many dramas, and I LOVED the SKY Castle reference!!!! And a special mention to Jung Daeun. I think she executed Kang Yeorin's character perfectly, and she gained herself a new fan! I hope to see her in more roles in the future :)
Overall, this drama provided a lot of comedic relief while also having a nice message throughout each episode. Each episode left me feeling warm and fuzzy and it reminded me how valuable life is. "No matter what's making you suffer now, things will settle and pass eventually. Hang in there until then, and you'll find yourself stronger."
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This show did a really good job at viewing people in a very realistic way. No characters besides the main bad guy were painted as overly good or overly evil. Everyone had their regrets, their sins. Even the most kind and gentle looking characters had some "dirty secrets" in their past. It showed this balance of good and bad we all have in us and no one is perfect but you can make up for your mistakes by growing into a better person in the future. I also feel like we got to see a very wide range of characters/stereotypes throughout this show so it kept each episode fresh and worth watching. There really was no episode where I was bored, all of them were decent at minimum which is saying a lot for a K-drama.
I've seen a few people complain that in the beginning they kind of showed us these details from the past but then didn't mention them for a bit but I think they way the past and future unraveled together was quite good in this show compared to others that have a lot of flashbacks. I really like how they tied things up quickly and revealed some big shockers in the last three episodes instead of doing the "lets drag this out to 16 episodes and put in a bunch of unnecessary scenes". The last three episodes were really great and I was happy this drama didn't go into a lot of the typical clichés we see in dramas nowadays.
If you are expecting a romance K-drama, this definitely isn't for you. This drama is more about relationships in general and most importantly the relationship we have with ourselves. In one episode you get to explore the relationship between a parent and child and in the next you get to go into the relationship between friends or between lovers or coworkers. Even though this show followed a definite outline for each episode, it never got boring. In one episode you would find yourself laughing and in the next, or even the same one, crying.
I wouldn't call this some Oscar worthy show or anything over the top but it was quite good. Even though it has this very spiritual/mystical atmosphere about it, it really shows this very realistic portrayal of what many people go through in their lives. Its a simple but fun show.
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This review may contain spoilers
A Generic Kdrama Genre of Reincarnation
Let's just get straight to point.Every episodes are worth to watch to be honest. More likely the first 2-4 episodes were very good but in the middle part of the series the consistency of the hype was gone. It's just like a normal episode and nothing new. The main story on how the past and future connects was really predictable which makes me forced to finish the drama atleast until the end. Overall all it was a good drama but the thing is it is just another generic reincarnation-fantasy korean drama which is you'll going to predict the ending.
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I loved the fact that this drama seemed like an anthology of sorts while keeping the original plot. Wol Joo is someone in limbo, not alive yet not entirely dead. She has to fulfill her goal in order to pass on peacefully. Chef Gwi is a former chief from the afterlife who now accompanies Wol Joo in her adventures. Add Kang Bae to the mix and we have one of the perfect KDrama trios. I really enjoyed the chemistry between the three and although I already had an inkling with regards to who they really were, the story was weaved beautifully. 12 episodes seemed not enough and perfect at the same time.
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Heart-warming and heart-rending story
I binged "Mystic Pop-Up Bar" in several days - the quirky and sweet story drew me in from the first episode and, coupled with its loveable characters, light humour, and magical elements, kept me glued to the screen until the wonderful finish.The chemistry between the three leading characters was fantastic - each one had a unique personality with their own views of the world and problem-solving ways, and they all worked perfectly as a trio and in pairs. No one seemed like a side character - they all equally contributed to the story and had their own tasks to achieve. I couldn't ask for a better found family!
The episodic format of the drama worked very well - each problem that needed to be solved rightfully paralleled the troubles of the main characters and helped the narrative to evolve. I'm a big fan of the 'case-of-the-week' type of storylines because I believe they are the best way to introduce us to the daily lives and dynamics of characters before moving on to the overall plotline. And "Mystic Pop-Up Bar" did the shift halfway through so well that I didn't get taken out of the story!
Lastly, I want to compliment the overall tone of the drama - the lighting, the music, and the vibrant colour palette were kept even during the bittersweet moments to show us that this is a happy if sometimes melancholy story. Also, while the soundtrack wasn't a standout (except for the opening music and animation!), the sound effects worked brilliantly and were incorporated so well. Half of the fun in comedic scenes came from them!
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For me the most important thing is the satisfaction and love of the story against the viewer
I gave a reviewed to the story 10/10 because I like the character of the actors in this story and they add more stories about their history in the old days this story is really powerful and I like this story because they add more to the power of their God and their power, they make this story even more interesting to other viewers including myself love to see this story. However, I still say that this story is indeed the best and appropriate for me as a seerOkey itu sahaja......
Saya memberi ulasan kepada cerita 10/10 kerana saya suka watak pelakon dalam cerita ini dan mereka menambah lagi cerita tentang sejarah mereka pada zaman dahulu cerita ini sangat berkuasa dan saya suka cerita ini kerana mereka menambahkan lagi kekuatan. Tuhan mereka dan kuasa mereka, mereka menjadikan cerita ini lebih menarik kepada penonton lain termasuk saya sendiri suka melihat cerita ini. Namun, saya tetap mengatakan bahawa kisah ini memang terbaik dan sesuai untuk saya sebagai pelihat
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Refreshing
I basically inhaled this series, it's so good. One of the things I love about this drama is that it's very cheerful and has plenty of hilarious moments while they tackle issues that are hard to talk about. Don't get me wrong though, there are plenty of tear jerking moments too. There are a lot of life lessons being taught, even towards the very end. The familial relationship between the main characters are very endearing and a very strong drive in the story. I also love that romance isn't the focus of the drama. In a way this reminds me of Hotel Del Luna with the supernatural and punishment elements. Overall, this is a very sweet series, and quite a short one too (12 episodes), so it's easy to fall in love with this. Would definitely recommend this.The only thing that bugged me with this drama is that there were times when they jumped around and broke the 180 rule over and over again without any reason.
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Crazy mystic family!
This drama is fun and heartwarming.A decent watch. A fair balance of comedy and drama, What's needed to be admired cuz it's difficult to display the conception of life in a light and comic way.
Yep, you can strip out the chorus handily.
Each 2 episode is contained a new story and lesson.
So the drama runs with a great understanding.
It begins with more comedy and then minimizes later on and focuses more on the main leads' stories.
The love stories I mean romance is kinda weird but enjoyable.
Reasonable twists to grab the interest.
Overall, I honestly love is drama.
The reason why I'm not giving it a 10, is bc some scenes/things disturbed me and make me skip the scenes perhaps I find them a little cliche.
But again It's soooooo good to watch.
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This review may contain spoilers
it's more than a cheap knockoff of Goblin, but not much more!
At the core of it the the show's concept is very similar to Goblin's, to the point that it could be considered a homage to it. I think the creators had homed in on the winning formula & even managed to gather the winning ingredients, but in the end they ended up overcooking the meal.The three leading actors were excellent. They had great chemistry with each other. I always liked Hwang Jung Eum, but she used to get a lot of flak for her high pitched loud voice, but I feel that she did a good job at suppressing that here, objectively there should not be much to criticize about her acting. Yook Sung Jae improved a lot as an actor as well, that surprised me quite a bit. They main plotline was great, albeit a bit too predictable, though I would have preferred fewer Saeguk flashbacks.
The overarching storyline of the three main leads is only about 20-30% of the drama and that would have been fine really. The idea to make a Goblin-like show where most of the focus is on the ghost stories is a good one. Obviously in MPUB it's not entirely ghost stories, but the problem of the week format with great leading actors could have been outstanding.
The biggest problem with the drama is that production team failed paying attention to detail, there are huge problems with the casting for some supporting characters and also some of the mini stories are on the boring side of mediocre. Luckily there are 2-3 pretty decent ones. As for the casting blunders, Baek Ji Won and Tae In Ho are perhaps the biggest ones. They are both very skilled, renowned actors, however the casting director did a terrible job casting them for these roles.
And finally Na In Woo! I just dislike the actor, I'm not sure why really, It might be completely irrational too. I've seen him in 3 dramas before and there was not a single scene that I liked in which he appeared in.(scratch that, I loved him getting stabbed in Mr Queen!) The actor might not even be the main problem here. Kim Won Hyung as a character just doesn't work very well. We had so many Saeguk flashbacks in MPuB, but despite that his motivations were just not very well explained, resulting on the character becoming a two dimensional cartoon villain merely to be wasted some time on during the final showdown.
I mostly liked the ending, but once again they could have spent a little more time to explain how Guibanjang escaped punishment, instead of just arbitrarily ......
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