Don't know how I made it to the end
There are quite a few issues with this series unfortunately. Some massive and others subjective. I'll list them and leave it to you to decide how you feel about watching this series.
1. The series drags a bit and could have been wrapped up sooner. I almost didn't feel like continuing several times. Nearly 70% of the episodes were watched in 1.25x or 1.5x speed for this reason.
2. Casting issues that feel confusing. The FL is depicted as knowing the ML as a child while he was already an adult. But later they seem to be of the same age. Similarly, an adult female character is introduced to two children and later they look like they are older than her or the same age while she hasn't aged at all.
3. The FL is initially shown as a powerful force and a strong woman but her character deteriorates significantly. She becomes unbearable, overbearing, a bully, extremely suspicious without justification at times, breaks and enters while portraying a cop, beats up the ML, her fight scenes are a joke, she ruins investigations and leads by the ML, and is the worst character in the series.
4. No chemistry between the ML and FL. I don't understand why they even like each other.
5. The humour is funny but at times cringeworthy. For example baby talk, split pants, pulling faces. Not really my style.
6. The action was ruined in the finale. Something that I had been looking forward to. Almost fell asleep at one point.
The good aspects that got me through.
1. The cafe Minamdang team has good chemistry and they are the heart of this show.
2. The male lead acting as a shaman could have easily come across as over the top but he kept it classy. He lives up to his character as a profiler and is good at catching clues.
3. The mystery element is decent.
4. When the humour is good, it's entertaining. I am glad that this was a light show considering the number of murders taking place.
5. If you enjoy strong female leads then that would be the character of the sister. Enjoyable persona.
Cafe Minamdang is not the best mystery, detective, comedy, action series so I wouldn't honesty recommend it for any of these genres. There are better shows out there. But if you like the male lead then you'll enjoy it.
1. The series drags a bit and could have been wrapped up sooner. I almost didn't feel like continuing several times. Nearly 70% of the episodes were watched in 1.25x or 1.5x speed for this reason.
2. Casting issues that feel confusing. The FL is depicted as knowing the ML as a child while he was already an adult. But later they seem to be of the same age. Similarly, an adult female character is introduced to two children and later they look like they are older than her or the same age while she hasn't aged at all.
3. The FL is initially shown as a powerful force and a strong woman but her character deteriorates significantly. She becomes unbearable, overbearing, a bully, extremely suspicious without justification at times, breaks and enters while portraying a cop, beats up the ML, her fight scenes are a joke, she ruins investigations and leads by the ML, and is the worst character in the series.
4. No chemistry between the ML and FL. I don't understand why they even like each other.
5. The humour is funny but at times cringeworthy. For example baby talk, split pants, pulling faces. Not really my style.
6. The action was ruined in the finale. Something that I had been looking forward to. Almost fell asleep at one point.
The good aspects that got me through.
1. The cafe Minamdang team has good chemistry and they are the heart of this show.
2. The male lead acting as a shaman could have easily come across as over the top but he kept it classy. He lives up to his character as a profiler and is good at catching clues.
3. The mystery element is decent.
4. When the humour is good, it's entertaining. I am glad that this was a light show considering the number of murders taking place.
5. If you enjoy strong female leads then that would be the character of the sister. Enjoyable persona.
Cafe Minamdang is not the best mystery, detective, comedy, action series so I wouldn't honesty recommend it for any of these genres. There are better shows out there. But if you like the male lead then you'll enjoy it.
Was this review helpful to you?