The Witch's Diner / Come to the Witch's Restaurant 마녀식당으로 오세요 [2021]

[mademoiselle]

9 hours ago, JenL said:

Hahaha, I can and I will fault Ariel    I mean, she was a bad influence for my generation!!! Look at Mulan. Now there's a Disney heroine who had some backbone! I see @stroppyse has the same feelings as me about The Little Mermaid too  Haha, although I agree that the story was made in a different era, I do think even if she was to fall in love, she could have been less annoying and giggly. My friend did say in Ariel's defence that she's a teenager, so maybe that accounts for her silliness. Whereas now I relate to Ursula because I'm jaded and old(er)

Bwahaha, it's not just The Little Mermaid. All of the classic Disney princess themed fairy tales are outdated and have been fiercely criticised by feminists. It's part of the culture of the world and women have been suppressed for centuries and shaped to be what men want women to be through many ways, even religions. Hence I was so fascinated with the theory of the Holy Grail in the Da Vinci Code movie. Hahaha. I wanted it to be true. :P

 

Side note: Ursula's character wasn't fleshed out enough so I couldn't relate to her either, lol.

 

I still think of classic Disney fondly mainly because they were my childhood cartoons with beautiful drawings (prettier than the drawings now) and unforgettable great, musical songs (unlike now it is Pop). Even though I've re-watched them many times when young (and sing-along with it), it did not influence my views on love. I was able to enjoy the movies as an entertainment. In contrary, my parents/families are the bigger influence on me for love and life.

 

I actually thought the singer was going to wish for success in her career. I didn't think she was going to give it all up for love.

9 hours ago, JenL said:

Haha does this actress always play roles with inferiority complex?!

Hahaha I hope not. She did a lot of dramas I've seen but I don't remember her roles for most of it. She became a more memorable actress after Hospital Playlist S1 so we remember her role better after that, which is More Than Friends.

 

I think I remember her role in Diary of a Prosecutor too. There's no inferiority complex. She has dual life in this one, lol, which is cute as it finally was revealed for her loveline.

Spoiler

• The Witch's Diner | Manyeosikdangeuro Oseyo (TVING / 2021) - Jin Sun-Mi
• Only One Person | Han Saramman (JTBC / 2021) - Pyo In-Sook
• Hospital Playlist 2 | Seulkirowoon Uisasaenghwal 2 (tvN / 2021) - Chu Min-Ha
• Dark Hole (OCN / 2021) - So Jung-Hwa (ep.1-2)
• More Than Friends | Kyungwooui Soo (JTBC / 2020) - Kim Young-Hee
• Hospital Playlist | Seulkirowoon Uisasaenghwal (tvN / 2020) - Chu Min-Ha
• Diary of a Prosecutor | Geomsanaejeon (JTBC / 2019-2020) - Sung Mi-Ran
• Strangers From Hell | Taineun Jiokida (OCN / 2019) - So Jung-Hwa
• My Fellow Citizens | Kookmin Yeoreoboon (KBS2 / 2019) - Park Gwi-Nam
• Possessed | Bingui (OCN / 2019) - Choi Yeon-Hee
• Kingdom (Netflix / 2019) . - Kim's wife
• The Crowned Clown | Wangyi Doen Namja (tvN / 2019) - royal concubine
• Life (JTBC / 2018) - beauty clinic staff

 

[ktcjdrama]

10 hours ago, Tofu said:

I only caught a little bit of episode 5 today and won't be able to watch the rest until later today, did they talk about Jin eating the leftover food from the last episode in today's episodes? I'm assuming that Tom Kim is the result of that. 

 

Not yet... I finished ep.6 already.

I feel like this drama is like telling us stories of "blessings in disguise"... still have to see what's the outcome for the singer. 

[mademoiselle]

@ktcjdrama You are maybe onto something on "blessings in disguise".

 

Episode 5-6

Two episodes in one is just a nice length especially after watching a 20mins short episode of Shaman Doo Shim.

 

Aish. I'm so mad at Jin giving up her chance with Gil Yong and went to see that prick. So the guy is married and had a daughter in secret? It's not a secret anymore if he shows up without disguise and attended his daughter's birthday party in public, isn't it? Even though we knew from the get-go he is bad news, it still doesn't stop me wanting to throw knives at him and shake Jin to wake up and see he's a bad news. If she has premonition of them together, why isn't she getting premonition of his infidelity?

 

And the conversation of Hee Ra with Director Oh and her mother on separate occasion is confusing. Is Hee Ra trying to change Jin's fate or what? She herself didn't want to follow the natural order but then she tells Jin to accept the natural order... it just got me confused even more.

 

I find it a little off that Jin just knows that she's have this special power and potentially becoming a witch. I'm half expecting her to question why or even how. I think the one who questioned it is Gil Yong rather than her and how is it that nothing fazes Gil Yong? Not even when he finds out Jin may be a witch too??? LOL. Harry Potter trained him too well, is it?

 

I honestly can't say I like that Halmoni sacrifices herself so that her son could find a partner in life and that's supposed to be a happy thing for his son, or anyone. Like the singer giving up her voice for love, I think it's no different for this one. I also did not like that Halmoni made the decision without discussing with the son. Her wish for the son is hers alone but is it his son's wish? We just all assume marriage and starting a family is the end game for one's life - the last station of happiness - but is it really? Maybe for this story it is, since the writer is the one making that decision but in reality, it cannot apply to everyone.

 

I'm glad to see the guy who lost his fingers found a job and even married the girl he saved. But will he truly be OK because he didn't get the job based on his ability so will people in the company be able to accept him and not criticise he got in through the back door.

[JenL]

Had to split up my assessment of Episode 5 and 6 because it was so late when I was writing yesterday:

 

Episode 6

 

- I like the idea of a natural order that underlies the magic of this world. Sure, Heera can make wishes come true. But she can't exactly control the consequences or how you will feel about them. And there is the element of fate. It's like the characters stand at the crossroads of a choice and Heera simply guides them to the path they say they want, though she doesn't always tell them what dangers lie ahead 

-I agree with @ktcjdrama though - it really is a story that is a combination between "Blessings in disguise" and "Be careful what you wish for." Actually I was listening to a podcast about Happiness and how we tend to have this belief that we'll be happier if we get what we what (eg. winning the lottery) and unhappy if something bad befalls us (eg. getting into an accident). But actually a lot of the time, we find there's a bad side to getting good things (eg. winning the lottery, you find a lot of people want to use you for your money and you become very lonely) and we gain happiness from becoming stronger overcoming adversity (eg. Losing a limb from an accident, but then becoming strong and even turning into a para-Olympian). I feel like this series really illustrates that life requires a balance - we need both the good times and the bad. And even if we think life would be better a certain way, we can never really know, so we should just appreciate what we have and work through what we don't 

- GY is such a sweetheart! Why did Jin stand him up to see TK?!  Did TK buy you a dreamcatcher for your nightmares...No! I don't think so  Also he cares about how Jin is feeling and totally told her that he's there for support and to listen to her

- Ugh TK is so gross. I mean, I knew he was bad news from the start and I was already super suss when he was shielding himself at the bookstore....but Jin is blinded by the magical chocolate. It seems such a shame for her to waste her happiness on that cheating jerk though  Haha, I had to laugh that he was dumb enough to come to the hotel without a face mask or anything though. 

- So sad to see GY so sad. I thought he'd been somewhat careful making his wish to the witch...but as it turns out, maybe not since he might have to be Jin's shadow the rest of her life...not that he minds...but the pain of watching her be miserable over someone else sounds bad  I hope that they'll get over this TK arc soon!

- Did anyone else think that the son was going to get with the nurse who was looking after his mother in hospital?  I was like, here is the future wife!...but then a new lady popped up who turned out to be the homecare nurse and I was like, my bad!  Since grandma had to sacrifice so much, I'm glad things turned out to be happy in the end for her wish. @mademoiselle I agree with you - her wish was old fashioned and made without consulting son...Also marriage totally doesn't equal happiness or people would not get divorced! But I guess I differentiate it from the singer because I feel the implication was that her son was a bit of a deadbeat and still immature at 50 and didn't seem to have a connection to the outside world. And it wasn't that she wanted him to marry per say (though she worded it like that because older generation) but she seemed to want him to be more motivated and have the energy to be an adult. In a weird way, I feel like he did become happier and more grown up - not from getting married (though that also was a plus) but from learning to care for his mother and being a more responsible son. So I think the wish worked, not in a straightforward way though as Heera pointed out 

 

[ktcjdrama]

35 minutes ago, JenL said:

 

- Did anyone else think that the son was going to get with the nurse who was looking after his mother in hospital?

I did, LOL, but then I hesitated and thought, if the mother is going to be in the hospital for long time, son will not have chance to develop any bond with nurse, and nurse will have to take care of many other patients too, not just his mom... So I was glad that writer-nim prepared someone else for him in the form of home care for his mother and a crush from long time ago at that. 

[mademoiselle]

On 8/8/2021 at 2:47 AM, JenL said:

@mademoiselle I agree with you - her wish was old fashioned and made without consulting son...Also marriage totally doesn't equal happiness or people would not get divorced! But I guess I differentiate it from the singer because I feel the implication was that her son was a bit of a deadbeat and still immature at 50 and didn't seem to have a connection to the outside world. And it wasn't that she wanted him to marry per say (though she worded it like that because older generation) but she seemed to want him to be more motivated and have the energy to be an adult. In a weird way, I feel like he did become happier and more grown up - not from getting married (though that also was a plus) but from learning to care for his mother and being a more responsible son. So I think the wish worked, not in a straightforward way though as Heera pointed out 

I like what you said about the son maturing and possibly that's the case. I think it's a bit of a fairy tale of an ending because being paid to take care of dementia patient for 8-12 hours is different to taking care of one 24/7. That is what the woman is marrying into. Maybe there will be one out of a million who would do it, I'm just not so positive about it.

 

I also think what we were shown of the son is one-sided from the mother's point of view. The son works at the restaurant and restaurant mostly opens 24/7. I could interpret it as him wanting more rest and sleep till the sun sets or to his heart's content. However oldies don't think the same, they think a person should always wake up super early in the morning even though it's a bloody weekend! The scene where she complained the son doesn't know "how to take off his own socks", that to me, is the mother's responsibility—for cleaning up after him all the time and made it into a bad habit. Now she's going to pass this chores of hers to the daughter-in-law.

 

I find it similar to the singer on the basis that both sacrifices their life. If we want singer to think of herself, likewise, I much prefer the mother to think of herself too. She has sacrificed enough of her life, worrying and taking care of her son.

Edited August 9, 2021 by mademoiselle

[SilverMoonTea]

On 8/2/2021 at 1:41 PM, SilverMoonTea said:

My advice when you broke up, just wait till he become bald & fat (will took couple of years, be patient) and you will realized you're better off without them 😅😂. 

 

@JenLI think I have knack to become witch. Life need to watch patiently, thats the message from ep 6. This drama is quite heavy & sad actually. 

 

@TofuThat Tom Kim's actor quite handsome actually lols. Wah the ending so juicy! Oh the actor is Choi Sung Jae, I think @Nohamahmoud2002like him before from daily drama. 

 

Btw the witch's earrings all so pretty, suit Song Ji Hyo so well. 

[Tofu]

If Anh Eun Jin is typecasted to play a female character with some sort of inferiority complex, then Choi Sung Jae has been typecasted to play a cheating boyfriend/husband -- especially for the last two dramas they were both in. 

 

I was finally able to catch episode 6 tonight after a busy weekend. The witch that has been visiting Hee Ra, is that her mom? Hee Ra told her to stop pretending to be her mom, but I can't tell if that was said in a "you've never tried to be a mom to me before, don't start now" or a "you're not my mom, don't tell me what to do". If that witch is Hee Ra's mom, does that make her Jin's mom? 

 

Jin is cursed to always fail at love. Is that the fate of a witch because I think Hee Ra mentioned before that she was betrayed by someone she loved too? And yay, we guessed it that Gil Yong will possibly become Director Oh. That such a lonely path though. I guess Chae Jong Hyeop is also someone else destined to play this type of role, huh? 

 

I don't think I agreed with the mom's wish for her son. I understand that she wants him to mature but like @mademoiselle pointed out, he works at a restaurant and that's a really tough job. He's probably always tired and not wanting to do anything because he's exhausted from working. I think he'll be even more exhausted now knowing that he still has to work at all hours, take care of his mom, and make sure his wife is happy living this type of life with him too. 

 

At this point, I have no idea how the drama is going to wrap everything up in the next two episodes. It feels like they are going to rush everything. 

 

[JenL]

On 8/3/2021 at 3:59 PM, Warm Paws said:

Like the singer's BF came back to her the night (?) after she made the wish. But it's not necessarily cause of the wish yet. Him coming back was just because he lost his other girl but he doesn't actually seem to be in love with her again... Unless you know... She wished that he love her again and what we saw afterwards was actually just the extent of his love all along. 😄 

 

Always need to be more specific with wishes. 😅

 

Yep, I think Heera explained it as observing the flow of things. Like the wishes are not that she changes something from nothing. It's a mixture of things that were going to happen anyway, she just guides the wish maker through one door or the other. I kind of see it as a sliding doors type thing - there are a number of fates, but people make choices leading to particular consequences.

 

Hahaha, if there's one thing I've learnt from this series is to always be super specific with wishes. Must pay attention to detail like a lawyer going through a contract 

 

On 8/6/2021 at 10:45 PM, ktcjdrama said:

Whoa... that was fast... 😧 second meeting and already a back hug? This guy is a player for sure. 

 

The oldest trick in the player's handbook 

 

 

[JenL]

On 8/7/2021 at 11:38 AM, mademoiselle said:

Bwahaha, it's not just The Little Mermaid. All of the classic Disney princess themed fairy tales are outdated and have been fiercely criticised by feminists. It's part of the culture of the world and women have been suppressed for centuries and shaped to be what men want women to be through many ways, even religions. Hence I was so fascinated with the theory of the Holy Grail in the Da Vinci Code movie. Hahaha. I wanted it to be true. :P

 

Side note: Ursula's character wasn't fleshed out enough so I couldn't relate to her either, lol.

 

True...except Mulan, which is still my favourite. Though I guess that's a cheat because I always liked Mulan before the Disney version came out because my mum would tell me the story as a kid. I guess that's why the new fairy tales like Frozen are so popular, since they spoof on how girls shouldn't fall in love with guys they only just met  Also like Mulan, the tales are more multi-cultural and more about friends or family (rather than just romance), which is nice 

 

I see Ursula as bitter because she was edged out of sea kingdom for not looking attractive enough. I mean she is the only not size 6 sea-person in the kingdom with octopus body and purple skin  (But she also had petty, power hungry personality type which is not so relatable)

 

On 8/7/2021 at 11:38 AM, mademoiselle said:

I still think of classic Disney fondly mainly because they were my childhood cartoons with beautiful drawings (prettier than the drawings now) and unforgettable great, musical songs (unlike now it is Pop). Even though I've re-watched them many times when young (and sing-along with it), it did not influence my views on love. I was able to enjoy the movies as an entertainment. In contrary, my parents/families are the bigger influence on me for love and life.

 

Hehe, I think of Disney fondly and with much nostalgia too. Especially because the first movies I saw in the cinema were probably Disney ones. And also I still am involved in Disney through things like work. But I think sometimes when you re-watch something it's interesting how you can see your values have changed. I would have never thought much about The Little Mermaid if I hadn't been made to watch it again in my 20's. Watching it as an adult, I just had different feelings about the characters and storyline. This is probably why I'll never re-watch early dramas because I prefer to think of them nostalgically and how I enjoyed them when I saw them the first time rather than re-watch and automatically re-evaluate them as the person I am here and now. 

 

But I think a good way of measuring growth is to see how your preferences have changed. I still like The Little Mermaid, especially 'Under the sea', but Ariel is just not as cool as I thought when I was a kid. I still love Mulan, Belle and Jasmine even after a re-watch so they're safe (for now) 

 

As for influence, I think it's sometimes more subconscious influence on society as a whole rather than individually. I don't think one movie or book might change me as a person...but Disney, along with other films/ TV / media at the time, would have influenced people around us like our friends and family, who might in turn have influenced us, for better or worse. The influence of media is that it becomes cultures or sub-cultures or certain beliefs - it might not get into our heads directly from the TV itself I guess  

 

On 8/7/2021 at 7:44 PM, mademoiselle said:

Aish. I'm so mad at Jin giving up her chance with Gil Yong and went to see that prick. So the guy is married and had a daughter in secret? It's not a secret anymore if he shows up without disguise and attended his daughter's birthday party in public, isn't it? Even though we knew from the get-go he is bad news, it still doesn't stop me wanting to throw knives at him and shake Jin to wake up and see he's a bad news. If she has premonition of them together, why isn't she getting premonition of his infidelity?

 

Me too!! Ugh, Jin, why did you have to eat the leftover chocolate and let it cloud your judgement?!  I had to laugh that the secret affair child's birthday party was in a very public place. You would think they would hold it at their private mansion or something. But otherwise I was really quite sad that Jin was still clinging onto TK in a trance-like state. It doesn't even seem like love...more like compulsion? 

 

On 8/7/2021 at 7:44 PM, mademoiselle said:

how is it that nothing fazes Gil Yong? Not even when he finds out Jin may be a witch too??? LOL. Harry Potter trained him too well, is it?

 

Hahaha that boy must have watched a lot of Harry Potter and fantasy dramas 

 

On 8/8/2021 at 3:27 AM, ktcjdrama said:

I did, LOL, but then I hesitated and thought, if the mother is going to be in the hospital for long time, son will not have chance to develop any bond with nurse, and nurse will have to take care of many other patients too, not just his mom... So I was glad that writer-nim prepared someone else for him in the form of home care for his mother and a crush from long time ago at that. 

 

I'm glad I wasn't the only one who made that mistake  But I was wondering how they would bring that about when he was taking her home from the hospital. 

 

On 8/8/2021 at 10:44 AM, mademoiselle said:

I also think what we were shown of the son is one-sided from the mother's point of view. The son works at the restaurant and restaurant mostly opens 24/7. I could interpret it as him wanting more rest and sleep till the sun sets or to his heart's content. However oldies don't think the same, they think a person should always wake up super early in the morning even though it's a bloody weekend! Also the scene where she complained the son doesn't know "how to take off his own socks", that to me, is the mother's responsibility—for cleaning up after him all the time and made it into a bad habit. Now she's going to pass this chores of hers to the daughter-in-law.

 

That is true - Asian mothers spoiling their sons so they can't do their own housework    As for the waking up early, I can't say I relate because all the Asian oldies I happen to know sleep in later than me (except my grandma) and they're not the type to tell us off for sleeping in. But they're always like, "How do you sleep so little???" because I also sleep quite late 

 

The maturing I was referring more to was the detachment when he first had to look after his mother. More socialised and mature people would probably be more at ease even if the task is shocking. Also they would have a community to ask for help or support (like friends or family members or a church group). But the son didn't seem to have anyone? And he was like a kid wanting to run away. Luckily he still had GY's dad (a neighbour who moved in recently), he reflected and changed his mind after their talk. Maybe the mum was better off wishing he had a community of some sort when her son was in hard times ...but oldies only know marriage as the way to "not be lonely" 

[mademoiselle]

@JenL You got me thinking about which Disney Princess character(s) I like and realise I didn't have a favourite. I have a few favourite cartoons I would re-watch when young - mainly Snow White, Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella, The Little Mermaid because I have the videos. The 2nd & 3rd are top preference in their drawings, especially Aurora, she is the most beautiful princess (and one of the most useless LOLLL - but loved the drawings). The rest are because I loved the songs. Little Mermaid, aside from the flaws, it was a fun watch. With Mulan, I listen to "Reflection" the most. As Disney moved towards the end of the 90s, I became less interested mainly because rather than classic musical style, the songs became modern Pop songs.

 

My favourite Disney character though... hahaha, do not laugh at me, is Experiment 626: Stitch! He is the cutest!

4 hours ago, JenL said:

Ugh, Jin, why did you have to eat the leftover chocolate and let it cloud your judgement?!

I'm confused with this bit. Was the food supposed to bring her "fake love" or cloud her judgement? Because the singer wish for the guy she loves to return to her. So I half expected Jin would have a guy (or guys) fawning over her, not the other way around.

4 hours ago, JenL said:

As for influence, I think it's sometimes more subconscious influence on society as a whole rather than individually. I don't think one movie or book might change me as a person...but Disney, along with other films/ TV / media at the time, would have influenced people around us like our friends and family, who might in turn have influenced us, for better or worse. The influence of media is that it becomes cultures or sub-cultures or certain beliefs - it might not get into our heads directly from the TV itself I guess

True, I find media (TV/films) is an alternate ways of brain-washing/influencing people. For example I had seen an old version of Anne of Green Gables when young and recently Netflix has Anne with an E. This version added contents that weren't part of the original e.g. the racism issues faced by the Red Indians and Black people, feminism as well as homosexual. I've taken notice there are now many media advocating feminism and acceptance of homosexuality.

4 hours ago, JenL said:

As for the waking up early, I can't say I relate because all the Asian oldies I happen to know sleep in later than me (except my grandma) and they're not the type to tell us off for sleeping in.

That's nice of your family. Mine...

Spoiler

I've always been a night owl and if I'm at grandma's place, grandma would wake me up asking non-stop, "What do you want to eat? Eat more... you're too skinny!". My parents expect us to wake up early (even on a weekend) just because they think it is unacceptable to sleep til 12pm or later. Mum still nags how late my sister sleeps and caused her grandson to sleep late too and has terrible dark circles.

 

Now that they are older, I don't know why, they no longer wake up at 6-7am.

 

 

Edited August 9, 2021 by mademoiselle

[ktcjdrama]

3 hours ago, mademoiselle said:

As Disney moved towards the end of the 90s, I became less interested mainly because rather than clasic musical style, the songs became modern Pop songs.

This I agree, so I’m not much into the princesses now. Anyway, my fave Disney Princess is Belle. Beauty and The Beast is the best all rounder. I enjoyed Little Mermaid because of the songs, but I also detest the part of leaving family and giving up precious gift for a non-guaranteed love. 
 

 

[JenL]

Crumbs crumbs crumbs  I'm just watching for all the NJH and CJH chrmistry

 

 

[Tofu]

On 8/9/2021 at 7:45 AM, ktcjdrama said:

This I agree, so I’m not much into the princesses now. Anyway, my fave Disney Princess is Belle. Beauty and The Beast is the best all rounder. I enjoyed Little Mermaid because of the songs, but I also detest the part of leaving family and giving up precious gift for a non-guaranteed love. 

Same. Belle is my favorite Disney princess. I do like Mulan too, but I don't think she's often considered as a princess. Little Mermaid was, by far, my least favorite out of all the others. I think I've only watched this in full once and then just clips afterwards. I never care for Little Mermaid and its story until it started showing up all over the place in Korean dramas. 

 

Same here @JenL!!! 

[JenL]

On 8/9/2021 at 7:33 PM, mademoiselle said:

The 2nd & 3rd are top preference in their drawings, especially Aurora, she is the most beautiful princess (and one of the most useless LOLLL - but loved the drawings).

 

Hahaha I agree wholeheartedly with this sentence - Aurora is so pretty!!!  But yeah, she just slept a lot 

 

On 8/9/2021 at 7:33 PM, mademoiselle said:

My favourite Disney character though... hahaha, do not laugh at me, is Experiment 626: Stitch! He is the cutest! 

 

Yayyy for Disney creatures! I'm not a Stitch fan, but I love this chubby character...

 

Baymax 

 

 

On 8/9/2021 at 10:45 PM, ktcjdrama said:

This I agree, so I’m not much into the princesses now. Anyway, my fave Disney Princess is Belle. Beauty and The Beast is the best all rounder. I enjoyed Little Mermaid because of the songs, but I also detest the part of leaving family and giving up precious gift for a non-guaranteed love. 

 

Belle is a good princess. I love how much she loves reading 

 

On 8/9/2021 at 7:33 PM, mademoiselle said:

I'm confused with this bit. Was the food supposed to bring her "fake love" or cloud her judgement? Because the singer wish for the guy she loves to return to her. So I half expected Jin would have a guy (or guys) fawning over her, not the other way around.

 

I think the food was meant to make someone fall in love. Because the singer wanted the guy to fall in love with her again, she thought of him when she ate the chocolate, so he was the one who loved her. But because Jin ate the chocolate without thinking of anyone specifically, I think the spell wasn't done properly she became the one who ended up falling in love easily, though the 'romance' also came easily when she wanted to fall in love. And maybe the first significant guy they ran into (ie. her friend pointed Tom Kim out specifically) made him the target. 

 

Hahaha also your parents are so funny @mademoiselle. I think it's because my parents worked odd hours and also slept odd hours, so they definitely couldn't get up early enough to tell us off for not getting up early enough. 

 

On 8/9/2021 at 2:29 PM, Tofu said:

If Anh Eun Jin is typecasted to play a female character with some sort of inferiority complex, then Choi Sung Jae has been typecasted to play a cheating boyfriend/husband -- especially for the last two dramas they were both in. 

 

Also the singer's cheating boyfriend is type cast as an annoying-hot-and-cold boyfriend character too - he was in Monthly Magazine Home as Chan, the best friend of the second lead. Chan was petty and kind of a jerk when it turned out the girl he liked, Mi Ra, liked his friend....but he does like her and is ultimately nice to her when she's rejected by his friend and they end up together 

 

On 8/9/2021 at 2:29 PM, Tofu said:

Jin is cursed to always fail at love. Is that the fate of a witch because I think Hee Ra mentioned before that she was betrayed by someone she loved too? And yay, we guessed it that Gil Yong will possibly become Director Oh. That such a lonely path though. I guess Chae Jong Hyeop is also someone else destined to play this type of role, huh? 

 

Noooo...I hope it's strongly hinted that Jin will at least notice Gil Yong. Doesn't have to be some strong romance, but I need CJH not to be forever alone 

 

 

On 8/9/2021 at 2:29 PM, Tofu said:

I don't think I agreed with the mom's wish for her son. I understand that she wants him to mature but like @mademoiselle pointed out, he works at a restaurant and that's a really tough job. He's probably always tired and not wanting to do anything because he's exhausted from working. I think he'll be even more exhausted now knowing that he still has to work at all hours, take care of his mom, and make sure his wife is happy living this type of life with him too. 

 

If I think about it, I wouldn't want my parents to make this wish for me. (But I have a friend who said she wouldn't mind her parents setting her up or whatnot, so I feel like she wouldn't mind this kind of thing!  )

 

With this said, I guess I also see the well intended meaning that I think was meant to be portrayed - the mother didn't want her son to be lonely especially as he could barely adult outside of work. It probably would have been clearer if there was an extra scene showing him wishing to have more friends/ or saying he was lonely, so there was confirmation that the wish was his as well as his mother's. I think you saw it a bit anyway when his mother was ill - he had no one to help him and he was overwhelmed...and that would have been the same situation if the mother had gotten sick naturally without having made a wish. At least now he has someone with him to share the good and bad times...but I don't know about the wife having to stop working and care for her mother in law full time as @mademoiselle mentioned...would they get some extra pension/ welfare? 

 

As for it being realistic that there was a woman who would want to marry into that situation, I actually do know some people who really enjoy taking care of/ hanging out with old people ALL the time - the friend above who I mentioned doesn't mind being set up by parents also really, really likes hanging out with elderly. She spends more time talking to elderly than every other age group...maybe I found the wife's character valid because I was thinking of this friend hahah. She also likes kids a lot. I'm amazed by her patience with kids and elderly, though she is impatient with regular adults and often scolds me for running late and other habits etc. 

 

On 8/9/2021 at 2:29 PM, Tofu said:

At this point, I have no idea how the drama is going to wrap everything up in the next two episodes. It feels like they are going to rush everything. 

 

Agreed! I'm not sure how things will tie up! I hope it's not rushed  It looks like there's a greater focus on Jin in the next episode from the trailer, so maybe it'll be less about a new restaurant guest and more about the main characters?  Or they want to do another season...I'd be perfectly happy if they want to do season 2 

 

22 hours ago, Tofu said:

Same. Belle is my favorite Disney princess. I do like Mulan too, but I don't think she's often considered as a princess. 

 

That is true, she's probably not a princess...but sometimes they do include her. I have these Disney Princess collectibles and she's included in the set 

 

Hahaha @Tofu I live for these behind the scenes! I feel like CJH and NJH have really good chemistry and I want them to work together again since this series was so short 

 

 

Gif credits: Dream

Edited August 12, 2021 by JenL

[JenL]

Poor boy always being rejected 

 

 

[mademoiselle]

@JenL Haha, I don't know why but I ♥ Stitch and I haven't met anyone who likes him however in Japan, my love for Stitch is considered mild xD There was this couple (I think) at Disney Japan lining up to meet Stitch and they had Stitch dolls attached all over their backpack. The different versions of Stitch are so cool as collection.

Spoiler

With figurines and plush dolls, one must get it in Japan because you can get genuine ones that actually look like the real characters. Outside of Japan, the quality drops and most of them look fake or deformed.

Aww... Baymax is cute. That show had me in tears at the end.

On 8/12/2021 at 10:39 PM, JenL said:

I think the food was meant to make someone fall in love. Because the singer wanted the guy to fall in love with her again, she thought of him when she ate the chocolate, so he was the one who loved her. But because Jin ate the chocolate without thinking of anyone specifically, I think the spell wasn't done properly she became the one who ended up falling in love easily, though the 'romance' also came easily when she wanted to fall in love. And maybe the first significant guy they ran into (ie. her friend pointed Tom Kim out specifically) made him the target.

But the singer's boyfriend didn't return to her because he loves him, isn't it? I thought he came back not because of the spell but because he was kicked out by the other woman?

On 8/12/2021 at 10:39 PM, JenL said:

Also the singer's cheating boyfriend is type cast as an annoying-hot-and-cold boyfriend character too - he was in Monthly Magazine Home as Chan, the best friend of the second lead. Chan was petty and kind of a jerk when it turned out the girl he liked, Mi Ra, liked his friend....but he does like her and is ultimately nice to her when she's rejected by his friend and they end up together

He is also in You Are My Spring, playing a police - he's alright there.

On 8/12/2021 at 10:39 PM, JenL said:

If I think about it, I wouldn't want my parents to make this wish for me. (But I have a friend who said she wouldn't mind her parents setting her up or whatnot, so I feel like she wouldn't mind this kind of thing!

Actually you would be surprised I've met a fair few people who met their partners through her parents' setting up. Most are Indians and Sri Lankan. The Sri Lankan one tried to find one herself through dating apps but that didn't work out. Her parents set her up with a few and eventually she found one and now married.

On 8/12/2021 at 10:39 PM, JenL said:

That is true, she's probably not a princess...but sometimes they do include her. I have these Disney Princess collectibles and she's included in the set

Yeah, Mulan is technically not a princess but Disney has included her as one of the Disney Princesses.

 

From Wikipedia:

Spoiler

The official canon of Disney Princesses consists of the female protagonists, most of whom have royal ties within their fictional universes, from twelve selected Disney films. Princesses were given an official number in the franchise lineup based on the chronological order in which their films were released, starting with Snow White as the first and original Disney Princess, with Cinderella being the second, followed by Aurora and so on.^[24]

1. Snow White – Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937)
2. Cinderella – Cinderella (1950)
3. Aurora – Sleeping Beauty (1959)
4. Ariel – The Little Mermaid (1989)
5. Belle – Beauty and the Beast (1991)
6. Jasmine – Aladdin (1992)
7. Pocahontas – Pocahontas (1995)
8. Mulan – Mulan (1998)
9. Tiana – The Princess and the Frog (2009)
10. Rapunzel – Tangled (2010)
11. Merida – Brave (2012)
12. Moana – Moana (2016)

Eleven out of twelve official Disney Princesses are, within their fictional universes, princesses or the cultural equivalent. Snow White, Aurora, Ariel, Jasmine, Rapunzel, and Merida are daughters of kings and queens. Cinderella, Belle, and Tiana become princesses by marrying a prince. Pocahontas and Moana are daughters of tribal chiefs. The lone exception is Mulan, the daughter of an ordinary married couple, who becomes married to a soldier rather than a prince, in subsequent media.

 

With the exception of Jasmine, every princess is the main character of their respective films; nine out of twelve serve as titular characters.

 

Disney bought over 20th Century Fox, so they should also include Anastasia too, LOL.

 

Edited August 14, 2021 by mademoiselle

[JenL]

Haha are these 2 getting romance?! 

 

 

 

[JenL]

Does this Behind the scene already contain spoilers?!  I watched into a few mins, but was like...I don't remember them going to the police station again?! I suppose it might have aired in Korea already. I have to wait till it comes out on Kiss Asian 

 

 

[Tofu]

The first few minutes with Tom Kim is so distasteful. This was almost me because I just couldn't stand him making himself out to be the victim when he assaulted both Jin and Gil Yong!

 

[JenL]

Wow episode 7 explains everything in the first few mins 

 

Spoiler

Heera's cheating boyfriend or at least boyfriend who broke up with her was Jin's dad?! And Heera's wish was that his child would be miserable?!

 

[Tofu]

I watched both episodes and I was happy with how they wrapped up the series. Will be back to add some more thoughts after work. 

 

@JenL

Spoiler

Yes, but she didn't realize that his child is also her child. 

 

[JenL]

Haha, I spoke too soon. There was more to reveal  

 

But yayyyy! I've finished now  Given how short the episodes were and how short the entire series was, I was pretty happy with it, especially the ending. It's been a week of drama endings for me - I finished Signal, Monthly Magazine Home, Racket Boys, The Witch's Diner and (non-Asian drama) Sabrina the Teenage Witch and I found this ending satisfying. Truthfully, I think this is on my super cute favourites list (a list of dramas with pleasant storylines and super cute romances that I'll probably never get over!) Haha, given their stations in life there was definitely enough hinted romance for GY and Jin  And damn, they both looked so bewitching in their witch/ supporter outfits  

 

Aside from cuteness, I enjoyed the magical elements (witches, mandrakes, potions and all)  and the thought-provoking, ethical debates. Dramas definitely score higher for me personally if they examine more philosophical/ existential ideas - In this case, I like that the series looked at the cost of revenge, and how hardship can bring silver linings, as well as how dreams can sometime come with hidden consequences. These are things worth highlighting because everyone shares these human experiences of having hard times and wanting so much more out of life at times when we feel despair. 

 

Of course, the drama is not perfect - there's definitely things that could have been fleshed out better or given more consistency, such as whether or not the singer ever got a better deal from her wish. I think people who are use to 16 (or more) episode dramas found this choppy, but it didn't actually bother me too much -  I think I'm quite use to watching short Western Netflix dramas with a similar editing style and 30 min episodes. Also the world building was limited, but I see short series as showing just a snapshot of that world and we, the audience, just getting a peek. To me, it's better than the opposite type of fantasy drama problem - the long dramas with detailed world building that loses it's logic or contradicts itself as the series goes on 

 

All in all, I liked this series and was pleasantly entertained. I'll write my thoughts on each episode with spoilers tomorrow 

Edited August 13, 2021 by JenL

[JenL]

The Last Behind the Scenes!!! 

 

Summoning @Tofu because this is sooooo cute! 

 

Also love what all the casts said about the drama in their ending comments, especially NJH. Lovely to know she filmed her last scene with Chae Jong Hyeop! But it was the actor who plays Director Oh who said the greatest truth: "I wish this was 16 episodes instead of 8" 

 

 

[JenL]

Episode 7

 

- The reveals were good at the start of Episode 7 - So finally we know that Jin's dad was actually a cheating scum also and that's how Heera is linked to Jin. She cursed her ex's child so that she would be miserable (with the same fate too it seems)...And the price she paid led her to be a witch...but wait there will be more later! 

- Arghhhh Tom Kim is a massive jerk!!!!  My god, this is a massive, entitled narcissist and totally abusive, trying to gaslight Jin saying what she saw wasn't real and then acting like she was unreasonable and even strangling her because she wanted to break up with him Good thing Gil Yong saw him and ran back to help Jin of course! 

- At the police station, I loved how the characters were shown to be smart since GY pointed out the CCTV footage and Jin had been quick enough to record the incident on her phone before he started to hurt her. Also really liked the fact that when asked about their relationship, GY was really considerate of Jin's feelings and the whole situation and didn't say he was her boyfriend (which always is the impulsive line that guys say in Kdramas), but said guardian instead, even if it was funny with him being younger...but it made Jin comfortable enough to agree firmly he was her guardian.   Guardian = boyfriend, same diff  Also Director Oh as their lawyer was cool! 

- I wish they had punished Tom Kim...but I guess it's true it would be stressful and sometimes it's easier to just cut ties with bad people 

- Haha, I thought GY was careful with his wish, but no, even he was not careful and did not word what he wanted as specifically as he thought. But I see what I said about GY wanting Jin to be happy was correct, though he didn't say it explicitly at the time he made his wish...he just said she's pretty when she smiles 

- More truth revealed  Heera is her real mum!!! I have to say I didn't see this twist coming, but it was a fun one. I like how pleasant her adopted mum was about the whole thing even if it 'ruined' her marriage (she was probably glad to get rid of that jerk anyway ). As for Hera's backstory, I like that it seems the witch was her real mum and like Jin, she has the temptation to make a dark wish which leads her to transform. I feel like it works well that there seems to be a ritual that leads to awakening witch-hood, rather than people are just born with the powers...it's like the understanding of the consequences of the wishes makes them have greater power