I hate the way Han Jae-hui handle her cases specially everything that is related to Choi Yeong-Seop. She does a lot of stupid things and act recklessly which makes it harder to catch the real culprit. She only believes what she wants to believe. She practically ruins everything and that what makes the series frustrating. She is way too narrow-minded and self-centered as well.
39 Reviews
The female lead is annoying
dityayunis14 August 2022
The female lead in this drama is very clumsy. She was nicknamed a ghost, which made me think, "Oh she must be a smart cop and it's really hard to trick her." But she's just an obsessive and stubborn girl. She doesn't have a strong instinct in handling cases, she always fails to find valid evidence that can arrest suspects. For example, in episode 12, when she gets into Gu Tae-su's camping van, she doesn't even pay close attention to her surroundings. She enters without seeing there is cctv near the van door. That's so reckless. Then her nickname as a ghost is also too much. She is a troublesome girl.
I am the wonder of Yonghae-dong
alaningle75 September 2022
A detective who was imprisoned for a year after being framed sets himself up as a Shaman to catch the serial killer who murdered his friend. Along the way he becomes involved with his murdered friends sister who has become a detective to catch the same killer. I have been quite generous with a seven as it starts well and ends well but is way too long at eighteen episodes. The script overall is poor and their is no real chemistry between the leads, the actors all do an ok job with what they have to work with. The idea had promise but sadly if you watch it you may be fast forwarding a lot to see if the killer is caught.
Fun story for the thriller mystery genre
zinemamoviemedia23 August 2022
I like how these series show the detective character using the mystic component that is more believable for some folks to help him for solving the case. The story is fun but on the other side, this is also dark from the thriller and mystery element.
Must watch! Worth watching it!
phamthithuyxnxtnd1 August 2022
So much fun & interesting drama. It is so funny and Seo In Guk's acting is amazing and versatile, love his facial expression. A combination of comedy and action and crime makes this drama is very fun to watch. It's getting better and better each new episode.
Had A Bright First Episode, Yet Became Darker
wittilah16 August 2022
The first time I saw people posting on social media about a particular funny scene of Seo In Guk praising his looks in Cafe Minamdang, it caught my attention because I knew Seo In Guk is quite a comedic actor in Shopping King Louis years ago.
During the first episode, I was amazed at how expensive Seo In Guk was and his skills in reading the person's personality and background sparked my interest even more. Then, the drama got more exciting when I learned that there is a murder case that Seo In Guk's character has to solve.
I love the casting of this drama, however I just noticed that the chemistry is off between the characters of Seo In Guk and Oh Yeon Seo which gives me the idea that this drama can stand alone without the romance of the two main leads. Seo In Guk's role in this drama is meant to be smart, funny and childish. But I am seeing so much of an exaggeration of being funny which tends to be unrealistic at most times considering that Seo In Guk's role in this drama involves him being with the law enforcement team in the past. It's ironic how he's too childish and comedic when his past job was too serious and sensitive.
The predictability of the murder suspect is also one of the loopholes I have found in this drama. Other viewers might disagree with this opinion of mine, but I believe a lot of us already had one person in mind as the mastermind of the major murder case being investigated since the early episodes of this drama.
I know it's based from a web novel, but I hoped there would be more big surprises which are not noticed by the majority of the viewers.
On top of that, I appreciate how beautiful the camera angles are and the acting skills of the cast are great. I also like the script of this drama!
During the first episode, I was amazed at how expensive Seo In Guk was and his skills in reading the person's personality and background sparked my interest even more. Then, the drama got more exciting when I learned that there is a murder case that Seo In Guk's character has to solve.
I love the casting of this drama, however I just noticed that the chemistry is off between the characters of Seo In Guk and Oh Yeon Seo which gives me the idea that this drama can stand alone without the romance of the two main leads. Seo In Guk's role in this drama is meant to be smart, funny and childish. But I am seeing so much of an exaggeration of being funny which tends to be unrealistic at most times considering that Seo In Guk's role in this drama involves him being with the law enforcement team in the past. It's ironic how he's too childish and comedic when his past job was too serious and sensitive.
The predictability of the murder suspect is also one of the loopholes I have found in this drama. Other viewers might disagree with this opinion of mine, but I believe a lot of us already had one person in mind as the mastermind of the major murder case being investigated since the early episodes of this drama.
I know it's based from a web novel, but I hoped there would be more big surprises which are not noticed by the majority of the viewers.
On top of that, I appreciate how beautiful the camera angles are and the acting skills of the cast are great. I also like the script of this drama!
First Episode is soo damn good..
neelamhimthani-8114627 June 2022
An interesting plot, but just too annoying and over the top
presspaws26 July 2022
I can understand why Seo In Guk has taken on this role - it's a million miles away from some of his previous angst driven and emotionally heavy roles. Despite being a very accomplished actor, however, he doesn't quite have the comedy timing to take on a slapstick role like this so his performance is just a little bit off which is a shame.
As for the female lead police character, frankly she would have been suspended and investigated by now for some of her antics! Totally unbelievable.
The series is often quite annoying and I'm only giving it a 6 because I love Seo In Guk and he's a great actor.
This one could have been so much better.
As for the female lead police character, frankly she would have been suspended and investigated by now for some of her antics! Totally unbelievable.
The series is often quite annoying and I'm only giving it a 6 because I love Seo In Guk and he's a great actor.
This one could have been so much better.
This is what I needed
DAwer2310 July 2022
Entertaining series!
kwihui7 October 2022
Koreans have quite the repertoire of movie and television series.
I've been away from there for 52 years now and discovered only recently these films were available, and I've been hooked on them for a month and a half non stop. Making up the lost times. I'm more American than a Korean now but still love "K-Drama!" I am happy that the "K-Pop" bands are popular among the young adults here and abroad, global in fact! Very proud of how Korea have came into world renown now, in all things technology and automobile exports and so much more just in over fifty years. Nothing like the one I'd left in 1970. Unrecognizable! Their population increase in the fifty years also the testament to their healthcare and the economic growth! Korea is a resilient country like our country, 🇺🇸!
Oops, I've gotten off onto tangent things. Apologize.
This series is worth watching. A cute funny story to boot. Great entertainment. It's actors are well chosen for each characters, love their crazy, often unrealistic actions. As I'd stated it is "a good entertainment!" The stories on going and well developed too. The few actors are recognized from their other works and glad to see them in this series too.
Anyway, I recommend you to watch it, I think that you will be glad you did.
I've been away from there for 52 years now and discovered only recently these films were available, and I've been hooked on them for a month and a half non stop. Making up the lost times. I'm more American than a Korean now but still love "K-Drama!" I am happy that the "K-Pop" bands are popular among the young adults here and abroad, global in fact! Very proud of how Korea have came into world renown now, in all things technology and automobile exports and so much more just in over fifty years. Nothing like the one I'd left in 1970. Unrecognizable! Their population increase in the fifty years also the testament to their healthcare and the economic growth! Korea is a resilient country like our country, 🇺🇸!
Oops, I've gotten off onto tangent things. Apologize.
This series is worth watching. A cute funny story to boot. Great entertainment. It's actors are well chosen for each characters, love their crazy, often unrealistic actions. As I'd stated it is "a good entertainment!" The stories on going and well developed too. The few actors are recognized from their other works and glad to see them in this series too.
Anyway, I recommend you to watch it, I think that you will be glad you did.
Update 08/14/22: Bad Script... Original Review: Over-the-top Comedy, then Thriller with Drama & Comedy Interspersed
npoc-7410513 July 2022
Updated review: As I continued to watch the series, I realized the script is just plain bad... The actors are failing to deliver, but it would be hard just based on the script, the characters they play, and the directing.
Original review with 7 stars: Over-the-top comedy at the beginning, but has more of a thriller theme now with drama and a bit of toned-down comedy. Lead actor does a great job as the eccentric shaman character, as well as the astute profiler. Supporting cast does a good job too. One character that I did not particularly like was the female lead character Han Jae-hui played by Oh Yeon-seo--the character does so many annoying things that it got irritating to watch. The character is suppose to be a good detective/police officer, but far from it and liked to blame the main male lead character.
I will continue to watch it since for the most part it is a good series.
Original review with 7 stars: Over-the-top comedy at the beginning, but has more of a thriller theme now with drama and a bit of toned-down comedy. Lead actor does a great job as the eccentric shaman character, as well as the astute profiler. Supporting cast does a good job too. One character that I did not particularly like was the female lead character Han Jae-hui played by Oh Yeon-seo--the character does so many annoying things that it got irritating to watch. The character is suppose to be a good detective/police officer, but far from it and liked to blame the main male lead character.
I will continue to watch it since for the most part it is a good series.
The female lead is annoying, she's so frustrating and ruins the whole drama.
rainabraunxiv20 November 2022
Oh Yeon Seo is really not my cup of tea. I also didn't like her in Korean Odyssey. There are a lot of other actresses that can take on a tough female detective role and excel at it. She looks awkward. Her acting is lacking, I can't sympathize with her. I believe she'll do better in a romcom, romance-centered drama. Her role, Han Jae Hui, is also annoying. The way she handles her cases isn't ideal nowadays. She's too narrow-minded, she only believes what she wants to believe. She's not showing a tough detective, she's just arrogant. But since I like the story of Cafe Minamdang overall, I'm still watching it. Just that the female character AND actress are both frustrating.
Different point of view
nasimzhosein-695-7947484 July 2022
This is silly, stupid and certainly not funny. Scenes are way too over the top ridiculous. If you want a thriller or mystery choose another drama. Seems to have a good set of actors that were just involved in a terrible script.
Could have been an 8 or even a 9
locoking31 December 2023
I really wanted to rate this series better. But man, even if I really like Oh Yeon-seo, her character is so poorly written and really unlikeable!! Self centered selfish and close minded.
Seo In-guk does a great job as the profiler/shaman. The series is well balanced between action, drama and comedy. It has a great plot and good side stories. It has great supporting cast. But everything becomes awkward and a little cringe because of how bad detective Han Jea-hui's character (Oh Yeon-seo) is written.
I wanted to give this an 8. But the more you watch the more you dislike Jae-hui!
Nevertheless, Cafe Minamdang is a worthy series and a must watch.
Seo In-guk does a great job as the profiler/shaman. The series is well balanced between action, drama and comedy. It has a great plot and good side stories. It has great supporting cast. But everything becomes awkward and a little cringe because of how bad detective Han Jea-hui's character (Oh Yeon-seo) is written.
I wanted to give this an 8. But the more you watch the more you dislike Jae-hui!
Nevertheless, Cafe Minamdang is a worthy series and a must watch.
Must watch
nayonikasharma-7717223 July 2022
Disappointing so far
eamonn-236686 July 2022
The lead actress is always really good to watch ( a korean odyssey, mad for each other) and she's the reason i'm watching the show. The lead actor however is really incredibly annoying. I'll give it a chance to see if it improves though.
So far so good
jayabharathiprabakar24 July 2022
Really Wanted to Like This.
abscondus23 August 2022
I really wanted to like this drama because the cast contains some of my favorite Korean actors, but even they could not save the series from a bad script. One of the reasons I like Kdrama is because of the way they blend drama, comedy and romance together in a way that works. But in this drama the comedy is so overdone, often descending into slapstick, that I can't take the male lead seriously at all. The main characters are unlikable and annoying, and there is no chemistry between the two leads.
I'm used to the Seoul police being portrayed as incompetent, but in this show they're like the Keystone Cops or the Three Stooges. I no longer care 'who dun it', but I'm watching it to the end if for no other reason than to hear Dreamcatcher Kim Sua sing her first OST song. I just wish it had been in a better drama.
I'm used to the Seoul police being portrayed as incompetent, but in this show they're like the Keystone Cops or the Three Stooges. I no longer care 'who dun it', but I'm watching it to the end if for no other reason than to hear Dreamcatcher Kim Sua sing her first OST song. I just wish it had been in a better drama.
A good comedy show
tealsail6 August 2022
A team of shaman, hacker and a former cop/detective. These three will get the job done for their customers. Not so strangely, they are famous for solving criminal cases. The customers are happy and hence the cafe being quite a popular place.
Although the premise is very interesting, the writing of this show lacks research and details. Almost to the point that it drags down the fun parts too. If you are seeking a plot driven show, this is not for you. It's there in bits and pieces. So my two points go to lack of research on characters and uneven plot line.
Other than that, I am quite enjoying the actors as they all bring something unique and their own craziness. The OSTs are above average.
Although the premise is very interesting, the writing of this show lacks research and details. Almost to the point that it drags down the fun parts too. If you are seeking a plot driven show, this is not for you. It's there in bits and pieces. So my two points go to lack of research on characters and uneven plot line.
Other than that, I am quite enjoying the actors as they all bring something unique and their own craziness. The OSTs are above average.
It's great apart from the female lead character
rosieandpickles7 December 2023
Warning: Spoilers
It's funny mix of investigation drama and comedy. Almost all of the characters I can get on board with apart from the female protagonist . I kind of feel like it would be just better without her focusing more on the shaman group trip and their interaction with police etc. She doesn't have a real purpose nor values one can get behind.
It's still worth a watch and I enjoyed it a lot just wish the female protagonist had a better character or if it at least was developed or evolved trough the series . She remains stubborn and a hindrance to the investigation even when she sees she has been wrong. Her morals are a little shady.
Meantime the characters from the shaman crew are well presented developed and you will definitely get behind them.
Over the top features remind of a conic or superhero series that I like a lot I think brings lightness to the series.
It's still worth a watch and I enjoyed it a lot just wish the female protagonist had a better character or if it at least was developed or evolved trough the series . She remains stubborn and a hindrance to the investigation even when she sees she has been wrong. Her morals are a little shady.
Meantime the characters from the shaman crew are well presented developed and you will definitely get behind them.
Over the top features remind of a conic or superhero series that I like a lot I think brings lightness to the series.
Over the Top but funny Therefore it makes sense.
SilentCoffee23 August 2022
A lot of things don't make sense and that is why it's funny. You can't watch this with your normal POV.
This is just an pleasant enjoyable drama series for people who just want some fun with a little bit thriller at the end.
This is just an pleasant enjoyable drama series for people who just want some fun with a little bit thriller at the end.
Git better once I watched it in Korean.
hawkinsuhc5 October 2023
Warning: Spoilers
I think my biggest issue other than the language was that for Han to be a former police profiler,he couldn't defend himself. He got caught a lot due to a lack of common sense. Nevertheless, his character, while quirky, was entertaining. As for Jae-hui, I can't fathom how she was considered an expert at solving crimes. She truly seem to lack common sense. Han was truly good at what he did as a profiler. It sucked that he was framed and forced to serve time for a crime he didn't commit. The only other issue I had was the casting. Jae-hui should have been at least 5 years younger than Han, yet she looked at least 4 to 5 years older than him. All in all, I still enjoyed the series.
The female lead is annoying
dineshsunda11 January 2023
The story is pretty good but what make it it irritating is the female lead. MC is doing most of the work almost close enough to main villain but then the female character gets in his way and ruin everything. I mean if it was only done once or twice it would be fine. But no but it was done all over the story. Honestly the female lead was no need
So if you like me who gets annoyed watching something like this I wouldn't recommend it.
But let's say you are one of those people who think it's okay to interrupt the main character cuz it's a drama that idk what to say. YOU NEED HELP.
Overall 4/10.
So if you like me who gets annoyed watching something like this I wouldn't recommend it.
But let's say you are one of those people who think it's okay to interrupt the main character cuz it's a drama that idk what to say. YOU NEED HELP.
Overall 4/10.
Misses at everything it tries to be (comedy, romance, thriller and mystery)
leahcubed14 April 2023
Warning: Spoilers
6.5/10 is my rating. This is a 2022 South Korean mystery romance drama with 18, 63 minute episodes.
First I will provide a synopsis then review.
Synopsis Nam Han-joon (Seo In-guk) was a profiler but is now a faux shaman who always delivers results for his wealthy clients. While he pretends his knowledge is from Shamanistic ability it really stems from above average investigative work. Key to his success is his unhygienic sister who just so happens to be an expert hacker and was formerly a member of the national intelligence service. Gong Su-cheol (Kwak Si-yang) is also onboard with Han-joon's schemes and helps in not only the investigative aspects but also uses strong arm techniques when the situation requires. The other swindler team member is Jo Na-dan (Baek Seo-hoo) who helps in a variety of capacities on the cases but primarily focuses on actual café operations. Han Jae-hui (Oh Yeon-Seo) who heads up the Dauen Police force is not amused by Han-joon's antics. The police think the Shaman team's ability to always be one step ahead is suspicious.
Review The story was absolute chaos. One of the few I have experienced where there is all this action and things going on but it made me completely bored. They called Jae-hui "the ghost" which would make you think she had supernatural powers but she did not. Han-joon plays at behind a shaman and I thought perhaps it would turn out he had some ability but he did not. The chemistry was off. I just could not see them together romantically. The killer was predictable. I would no watch this again and only recommend it to die hard In-guk fans as it is a unique role for him and he carries it off as good as anyone could have.
Spoilers* I think this was a miss in everything it tried for. There was potential for a supernatural element in her name "the ghost" and in his role as Shaman. Instead they would have these sort of fade to black moments when she was about to give bad guys a beat down but it really meant nothing and just made it silly. She was supposed to be some super detective but her and her team couldn't solve their way out of a box. They were always a step behind Han-joon's team whose plans seemed to fall apart and backfire as often as not. His shaman ability was all a sham and it turned out he was just very intuitive and had his people working behind the scenes and feeding him information. It was supposed to be funny when he went into shaman mode because you knew it was an act but I just found it cringy. It made no sense that he was good enough at martial arts when he was an officer to train others but in most of the physical conflicts he was getting bested. It wanted to be a comedy but the situations were not very comedic and it wound up being over the top, three stooges like, cheesy. You don't even find out who the killer is until the last few episodes and that is when he really goes on a spree. Would have been more interesting if those cases had occurred earlier. Jae-hui spent so much of the story being harsh to Han-joon because she blamed him for her brother's death that it killed any chemistry so it was hard to envision him falling for someone that acted so hostile. They all were so inept and none of their plans worked out completely. When he went in to Shaman mode or when their plans went awry it was meant to be comical but it always fell short. I like In-guk and think he is a talented actor and that is what kept me watching.
#CafeMinamdang #SeoInGuk #OhYeonSeo #KwakSiYang #KangMiNa #KwonSooHyun.
First I will provide a synopsis then review.
Synopsis Nam Han-joon (Seo In-guk) was a profiler but is now a faux shaman who always delivers results for his wealthy clients. While he pretends his knowledge is from Shamanistic ability it really stems from above average investigative work. Key to his success is his unhygienic sister who just so happens to be an expert hacker and was formerly a member of the national intelligence service. Gong Su-cheol (Kwak Si-yang) is also onboard with Han-joon's schemes and helps in not only the investigative aspects but also uses strong arm techniques when the situation requires. The other swindler team member is Jo Na-dan (Baek Seo-hoo) who helps in a variety of capacities on the cases but primarily focuses on actual café operations. Han Jae-hui (Oh Yeon-Seo) who heads up the Dauen Police force is not amused by Han-joon's antics. The police think the Shaman team's ability to always be one step ahead is suspicious.
Review The story was absolute chaos. One of the few I have experienced where there is all this action and things going on but it made me completely bored. They called Jae-hui "the ghost" which would make you think she had supernatural powers but she did not. Han-joon plays at behind a shaman and I thought perhaps it would turn out he had some ability but he did not. The chemistry was off. I just could not see them together romantically. The killer was predictable. I would no watch this again and only recommend it to die hard In-guk fans as it is a unique role for him and he carries it off as good as anyone could have.
Spoilers* I think this was a miss in everything it tried for. There was potential for a supernatural element in her name "the ghost" and in his role as Shaman. Instead they would have these sort of fade to black moments when she was about to give bad guys a beat down but it really meant nothing and just made it silly. She was supposed to be some super detective but her and her team couldn't solve their way out of a box. They were always a step behind Han-joon's team whose plans seemed to fall apart and backfire as often as not. His shaman ability was all a sham and it turned out he was just very intuitive and had his people working behind the scenes and feeding him information. It was supposed to be funny when he went into shaman mode because you knew it was an act but I just found it cringy. It made no sense that he was good enough at martial arts when he was an officer to train others but in most of the physical conflicts he was getting bested. It wanted to be a comedy but the situations were not very comedic and it wound up being over the top, three stooges like, cheesy. You don't even find out who the killer is until the last few episodes and that is when he really goes on a spree. Would have been more interesting if those cases had occurred earlier. Jae-hui spent so much of the story being harsh to Han-joon because she blamed him for her brother's death that it killed any chemistry so it was hard to envision him falling for someone that acted so hostile. They all were so inept and none of their plans worked out completely. When he went in to Shaman mode or when their plans went awry it was meant to be comical but it always fell short. I like In-guk and think he is a talented actor and that is what kept me watching.
#CafeMinamdang #SeoInGuk #OhYeonSeo #KwakSiYang #KangMiNa #KwonSooHyun.
Please dub more korean shows and movies!
dieseldog3333 December 2022
At first I was pleasantly surprised it was so good. After binge watching it over 3 days I'm hooked. I'm a fan of Asian TV and anime but I haven't seen anything this good before. The actors were great! It was funny without being too cheesy (although it was cheesy a few times. Lol) it was serious and heart wrenching at times too. I would love to see another season of this. I really hope you all dub into English more asian tv. I just can't read subtitles and watch a show at the same time. You could find a whole new audience if you did. Especially anything with these actors in it. This may be one of the best shows I've seen in a long time!
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