Café Minamdang

Interesting story , wonderful acting game !

I liked) first i deeply fall in Seo In Guks eyes and his acting game huh this man perfectly for strong serious roles / smart aristocratic characters. I wonder how he show different emotions only through his eyes ! He can kiss with eyes or tell u the story huh Amazing! The actor who's can touch u to feel emotions only through eyes is a good actor ! .. i swear even if he didn't smile but looks at u seriously u will understand all what he want to say ))
The plot is interesting too and i never tho that this "good policeman " can be a psychopath ...while , all actors playing well and really cool! But i didn't like the image about main female detective character...why they made female character as a stupid girl whos always wrong? ..
And didn't like behavior of his sister's bf ... A little weird for me ...
Also cool different music ...
So about plot , u wait every new episode coz it's really interesting, u can't even imagine who made bad things and who's is the boss of all ...even u first see that in some characters , u realize then that u was wrong and coming more interesting part "who and why " ..

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Entertaining. Fun. Great Acting.

This was a seriously enjoyable and entertaining watch from beginning till end. First intro'd to Seo In Guk in Doom At Your Service where he looked bored AF. Having watched Cafe Minamdang, I can see why. He's got a great comedic range and is effusive and charismatic in Cafe Minamdang. He goes through the roles of brother, friend, mentor, shaman, son, charlatan, detective and beau effortlessly. The chemistry between him and his movie sister, Nam Hye Joon, and his longtime buddy, Gong Soo Chul, is so genuine it's a pleasure to watch. Also Gong Soo Chul and Nam Hye Joon is a seriously cute couple.

Although it was obvious to this viewer that Cha Do Won, the prosecutor, was the villain from the moment he appeared it still did not detract me from enjoying this hilarious romp. There were enough shenanigans that were unpredictable to have kept my interest going.

Probably the only thing I'd criticise is the age consideration in the casting. Jung Da Eun is meant to be years older than Won Hyun Joon and Seo In Guk a few years older than Oh Yeon Seo. And some unrealistic behaviours like how when Cha Do Won called out for help when he caught and was decked by Goo Tae Soo, I would not expect a detective like Han Jae Hee to go to him without looking around her and seeing the assailant run away. Also, I would've liked to have seen Gong Soo Chul's character show more of the fact that he had been a homicide detective in the past. Aside from the flashback, he was consistently the clown character throughout the series and at times it was frustrating as one can't help but feel that he wouldn't think or react this way because he's been trained as a homicide detective before! But anyway these sorts of unrealistic behaviours seem to be a hallmark of many Kdramas anyway so it's tolerated.

Highly recommend.

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Watching it because the plot. The plot : Kwon Soohyun

Oh, the hype has passed, huh? But it's still okay to catch up. Watching it because I wanted to see Prosecutor Cha Dowon a.k.a. Kwon Soohyun. But the premise is good—about a shaman who’s actually a profiler, falsely accused of killing his own friend. While trying to find the real killer, he accidentally ends up becoming a shaman.

The characters here are all unique with different backgrounds. They all support the story, making it flow well. Maybe the romance isn’t really needed, but it’s okay since it’s not dominant. Although, it’s kinda cringe in the last episode where they start being all lovey-dovey while they’re supposed to be chasing a psychopath.

Many people say the female lead's character isn’t that strong. She’s strong in fighting but weak in terms of character development. It's a shame because her acting is great. Maybe if she wasn’t so lovestruck, it would’ve been better.

And the twist wasn’t that twisty. We’ve graduated from dramas with more explosive plot twists. But Kwon Soohyun’s acting—well done. Turns out you’re a psychopath, but I feel bad because you were brainwashed. A villain I couldn’t hate. That’s it. But I kept watching until episode 18 because of Kwon Soohyun.

Overall, it’s good. I liked it. It’s my favorite genre even though the romance was a bit disruptive. Seriously, I watched the romantic scenes at 2x speed.

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worth to watch

kaget dikit sama endingnya, udah ngira gopuri nya dia tapi ga nyangka ajaa. keren banget pliss layak untuk ditonton 😻😻 walaupun diawal awal agak kesel sama han jaehee tapi dia baik kokk. overall baguss banget sii, komedi, thiller, roman dapat semua, acting nya juga. ️️ ️️ ️️ ️️ ️️ ️️ ️️

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️️ ️️ ️️ ️️ ️️ ️️ ️️ ️️ ️️ ️️ ️️ ️️ ️️ ️️ ️️ ️️ ️️ ️️ ️️ ️️ ️️ ️️ ️️ ️️ ️️ ️️ ️️ ️️ ️️ ️️ ️️ ️️

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Comedy over Crime

Overall, this show is quite good. The storyline is intriguing and enough to keep me invested, solving crimes with two methods: law and "supranatural". It is nearly overcomplicated as the cases (are trying to) connect each other, but the chemistry between everyone is so excellent that they are able keep the tense lighter. And on top of that, the comedy level is very consistent. At least, they're able to keep it for like 15 episodes, and it doesn't totally disappear on the latter stage though. The addition of Lee Min Gyeong and Park Jin Sang is also hilarious.

The casts carry out their job excellently, especially Seo In Guk. He is the star of this show. While the chemistry is somewhat excellent, unfortunately the casting division didn't do a good job here. Oh Yeon Seo, even though she acts well, doesn't have a cut to be a cop. To me, she doesn't have the aura that able to convince me that she is a police. I know it's quite difficult to pick someone who fits for action, comedy and romance altogether but it still doesn't feel right. The same thing applies to Kwak Shi Yang and Kang Mi Na whom doesn't resemble an ex NIS agent.

There is a massive plot hole in this show. Im Hui Suk is described by other shamans as "too young to be called as aunt". It doesn't make any sense that she picked up Cha Do Won and Gu Tae Su (Lim Yong Ju) when they're both still kids, and suddenly they're now look much older than her. During the campervan arson, why the hell Jae Hui have to try breaking the glass when she has her phone in her hand? On the car chase after the exclusive event, Jae Hui enters her van in a dress but then gets out from the van with a tracksuit. Final episode is a massive let down, I don't think the revenge is served sweet enough. They suddenly forget about Cha Seung Won and everything about the Choekang Construction scandal. Neither the truth about Choekang nor about Cha's family are revealed, instead they serve us a pure makjang at last.

This show is a great to watch if you prefer the comedy over the action or crime.

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Loses steam half way and dragged on too long

Han Joon is very entertaining as solves crime in the guise of a shaman with his own sharp deductive skills augmented by his misfit team comprising as his computer savvy sister Hye Joon, his brawler buddy barista, and pretty boy cafe host who kinda disappears as the plot gets serious. He's the best part of the show with the range to balance comedy with heartbreaking angst. The few scenes that he had with the late prosecutor best friend Jae Jung that was murdered showed a million times more chemistry than any of the scenes he has with the female lead love interest Jae Hee/Jangmi who is woefully miscast as she does not have the acting skills to either be funny or be serious let alone traverse the tone in between and it doesn't help that the writing for her characterization is atrocious. She's just violent and refuses to think with any kind of reasoning even though supposedly she closes a lot of cases. She just beats gangs up with brute force, with no detective problem solving skills. Her best relationship is actually her friendship with her sunbae that she is the superior of with them finding mutual respect for each other.

People saying the drama is not meant to be taken seriously sound like they are watching a whole different show, like a best friend being burned alive before their eyes haha? Victims of rape and murder, haha? They have the comedy moments which work best in all the dynamics outside of the chemistry-less romance that grinds the pacing down to a halt and serious subject matter as well. 18 episodes drags on for way too long for the show which should have been 12 episodes max. The writing for even the best character starts getting messy like Han Joon's either being very good at fighting to suddenly not being good whenever the plot needs it. Han Joon not knowing Jae hee was Jangmi is really nonsensical too with how he can read people and Hye Joon can dig up dirt with her tech skills. The casting for the characters with age gaps make zero sense either. Jae Hee's actress is the same age as Han Joon, but she looks a lot older even though his character was an adult when she was a kid. If it's just to make it so he wouldn't recognize her, they could have been both around the similar age as kids instead. The shaman auntie Im is supposed to be older being an adult already when her goon and her boss were kids, but they look way older than her as adults.

The twist on who the true serial killer is was nicely done having telegraphed it all the way when Prosecutor Cha ignored Han Joon's witness statement regarding the scar. He had better chemistry with the female lead which led to the disturbing reveal of his affections for her due to seeing her flounder in her search for her brother's killer and relying on his seeming kindness in helping her. He was otherwise the prototypical good guy drama character other wise. I think it would have been even more devastating if a friendship was played up with Han Joon and the others more too in the superfluous 18 episode runtime.

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A Hilarious Thriller or a Thrilling Comedy?

Only Koreans could find a way to mix a thriller with comedy, and somehow pull it off so that you’re laughing your head off one minute, and then intrigued with suspense in the next. You really can’t think of two more polar-opposite genres than these two. It would be like trying to combine the elements of The Pink Panther movies with Silence of the Lambs.

You may be hard-pressed to find a more lovable and mostly capable bunch of misfits out solving crimes than this bunch. A criminal profiler mimicking a shaman and the worst police division in Seoul, out to catch a serial killer and the corrupt businessmen behind him.

Nam Han Jun was set up as a fall guy for his best friend’s murder, and now that he’s out of prison, he is trying to solve the crime and find out who’s behind it. His other best friend, Kong Su Cheol, another former police officer, is the brainless muscle of the team. He’s fiercely loyal and dedicated to Nam Han Jun, but he’s also not very bright. Next, you have his sister, Nam Hye Jun, who is a master computer hacker, and it’s her skills that provide the elements for Nam Han Jun to help his troubled clientele as a shaman. Locked in her computer room for days on end, nobody can stand the smell of her!

On the other side of the fence, we’ve got Lieutenant Han Jae Hui, who’s the new head of the worst police division in Seoul. She’s a bit dense and not too bright when it comes to the men in her life, but she thrives on the attention she gets. She’s also a fierce hand-to-hand fighter. She’s also the younger sister of Nam Han Jun’s best friend who was killed, and Nam Han Jun doesn’t realize this until later in the series because she’s working under a different name, and they haven’t seen each other in years. At first, she blames Nam Han Jun for her brother’s death until the layers are slowly peeled back to reveal the identity of the true killer and what really happened. She also has a couple of bumbling detectives on her staff who can never do anything right.

Han Jae Hui’s initial disdain for Nam Hun Jun often comes with hilarious interactions in which she almost always punches him, kicks him, slaps him, and even tasers him! All of these are done with great comedic effect, thanks mostly to the brilliant acting of Seo In Guk, who’s got enough comedic chops to do Jim Carrey proud. Nam Han Jun is loud, verbose, and a bit arrogant, but he’s also really gifted when it comes to criminal profiling and seeing details that most people miss.

The story is mostly a good one, even though I knew early on that there was something off about Prosecutor Cha Do Won, who is the true serial killer and psychopath. My only complaint is that he doesn’t act like a true psychopath, with a number of elements missing. Psychopaths are incapable of love or empathy, and Cha Do Won’s love for Han Jae Hui is a contradiction. However, his skills of lying and manipulation are spot on. I would have preferred an actor with a more dynamic personality who could showcase these elements better, but that’s a very minor complaint.

This series will have you rolling on the floor with laughter. It’s easily one of the funniest series I’ve watched in a while. All of the actors did a great job showing off their comedic abilities. And the series will also have you on the edge of your seat, trying to figure out who’s pulling the strings.

My only other issue is that there is a glaring age discrepancy between Aunt Im, Cha Do Won. and Koo Tae Su. She’s supposed to have found them when she was a grown woman, and they were just small children, when the actress is easily 12-15 years younger than either of them in their adult years. I don’t know why it was so hard to find an older actress to play the part of Aunt Im.

But, if you’re looking for a fun series, you can hardly go wrong with Café Mindamnang!

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Acceptable mess!

Don't expect this show to be a mind-stirring thriller-mystery, and you'll be able to watch it! for many of the viewers, this turned out to be a disappointment which is understandable as many of us had high expectations from the plot line and the casts...this story definitely had potential but they couldn't bring justice to it. It's more of a comedy series as clearly specified in the genre but the mystery part was a fail due to pretty predictable and poor story development. While watching I could feel like something's missing, unnecessary disputes and logic were constantly repeated, and it seemed like they were trying to make progress with the storyline but ended up with a mess. there were times when I couldn't find sense in certain characters' thoughts and certain behaviors. Anyways this show made my Mondays and Tuesdays light-hearted! For the comedy part, they sure did a Good job, it's a good drama if you're looking for a good laugh with a hint of thrill. I really enjoyed watching their fun- interaction . The whole minamdang crew was my favorite throughout the show! Acting wise all of the cast members did their best to portray their characters! the ending ost's such a bop!! This's all I gotta say...you won't regret this for a single watch or you might?! IDK!!>_< . <3

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a light-hearted thriller !

First of all, I want to emphasize that I'm not much of a comedy fan, but I really enjoyed watching this series. Despite what many people say, I think the mix of comedy and crime was nicely done here. Sometimes a bit exaggerated, but I think that was the directors' intention.
However, I do agree that the FL was incredibly annoying for the first few episodes, which almost made me drop the drama. Although she became more bearable later on, the romance between her and the ML felt forced/fake. There was no chemistry between them.
However, the same cannot be said about the group of friends from the cafe. Their interactions honestly saved this drama for me. The cast did a really great job playing their roles !
Despite many mistakes and holes in the plot, I highly recommend watching the drama <3

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Great thriller with surprising plot twist.

I got to admit, I wasn't sure about this show after the first two episodes. But once his it gets going, boy does it ever get good. Absolutely amazing, not to mention the plot twist in episode 16. Amazing show and most synopses don't do it justice.

Cafe Minamdang (2022)

A story about a former criminal profiler who was falsley accused of evidence tampering in his best friends murder. Upon being released from prison he now works as a fraudster posing as a fortune teller, tryingto solve that murder. He inadvertently ends up teaming up with a police detective who turns out to be the dead friends little sister. As they begin to trust each other and fall in love the begins to take surprising and unexpected twists and turns.

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Good, but could have been better.

I overall liked Cafe Minamdang, liked the cast, liked the premise, but just found that the series strayed at certain points. Some of the plot twists weren't exactly neccesary and just added length to the series. Sometimes I wish that a series was 18 episodes, but this one was the opposite, and I found myself pausing after certain episodes and taking a break before revisiting.

Main criticisms from my perspective:
- I really liked the premise about the faux-shaman profiler, but I found they could have leaned into it harder. Some episodes were unique and fit the theme, and others seemed to have forgotten it completely and became more of a generic suspense/mystery/cop series.
- Sometimes I found solutions to mysteries were well explained, if subtly or briefly, by Nam Han Joon's skills, but on other occasions, they just kind of handwave it with a scene of him thinking really hard and having flashbacks that, as a viewer, I felt were didn't link the puzzle pieces together.
- One of my biggst peeves with the series is Han Jae Hee. I like Oh Yeon Seo and thought she did well, but the character was written too inconsistently. Sometimes she was "Han the Ghost" who could run down and beat up entire groups of thugs without breaking a sweat, and other times she was a helpless damsel who suddenly couldn't do anything but struggle and cough and cry, when she should reasonably be able to save herself and others. Especially when Nam Han Joon is the one saving her. I assume this was to play up the romance, but they could have done it in better ways that didn't detract from the character.

I like it, I finished it, but I think it had the potentil to be a 9-10 star series where I actually relished the 18 episode runtime.

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