Cafe Minamdang

 

Title: Cafe Minamdang

Genre: Mystery, Comedy, Romance, Ensemble Cast

Leads: Seo In Guk, Oh Yeon Seo, Kwak Shi Yang, Kang Mi Na

Premise: A disgraced former profiler works as a conman while trying to solve the case that brought him down. A determined detective works hard to solve her brother's murder. The two work together to find a serial killer that haunts their lives. Will romance ensue?

Rating ★★★★ (4)

Describe the show with a hashtag: #OhNoYeonSeo

Reasons to watch

• Seo In Guk
• The Cafe Minamdang team
• Keep you on your toes mystery

Reasons to skip

• Extremely unpleasant and annoying female lead
• No chemistry between the ML & FL

Opinions

SPOILER ALERT!!!!

I should preface this by saying that I LOVE Seo In Guk and do not at all like Oh Yeon Seo...at least the roles she has played in other dramas. That said, I think many viewers would agree that her character in this drama was the worst part of the drama. I won't throw all the blame on her shoulders, though, because, for some reason, K-drama writers find it difficult to write a strong female lead that isn't over-the-top abrasive and mildly unlikeable. In this case, there was nothing mild about it. I fully understand she had to be tough to rise in the ranks of the police force, and this drama relied on a bit of slapstick comedy, so a lot of things were exaggerated, but my goodness, I did not enjoy her character one bit, I was even more upset about the romance between her and Seo In Guk. They had ZERO chemistry, and even their characters didn't seem compatible. There was no reason for them to have become a couple.

Now, unpleasantness aside, this was a wonderful drama. The pacing was great, the story was well developed and the acting was really good. The best part...well second best, cuz Seo In Guk...was the little crew they had. While I have never seen Kwak Shi Yang in this sort of silly role, he did a pretty good job. The team was hilarious and carried the show. 

I love a good thriller/mystery so I loved that I didn't immediately figure out the mastermind behind the killings. The drama kept me on my toes, and I looked forward to each episode and solving the case.

Conclusion: This drama utilizes a lot of silly/slapstick comedy, but don't let that put you off. It's a great story and a wonderful cast- despite Oh Yeon Seo. I would recommend the drama.