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

[Tofu]

I took these from the trailer and it seems like there will be three more stories/wishes. At least they are not as bloody looking? 

 

[JenL]

1 minute ago, Tofu said:

I took these from the trailer and it seems like there will be three more stories/wishes. At least they are not as bloody looking? 

 

I will probably watch while having dinner then

[Tofu]

It's Friday so as Chae Jong Hyeop has been saying, come to the Witch's diner! 

 

This puppy love...haha! 

Clip TVING released:

 

[bai]

14 hours ago, Tofu said:

Chae Jong Hyeop is surprisingly very strong. I really thought their whole team was going to lose but they didn't! 

ROFL what a plot twist 

 

OK distracted LOL

 

btw the show, woooow I love they bring mandrake in this show. WIZARDING CLUB feeelssssssss. Hahahahaha

 

but it feels kinda weird when they seems not knowing about witches at all but Gilyong seems so relaxed about all those 'new things' waeeee. The reaction seems they already know there are muggle, squib, half, pure in HP universe so it makes sense in their world (??) or seems they are too stressed so just get along while they can (nothing to lose) 

[mademoiselle]

3 hours ago, bairama said:

Gilyong seems so relaxed about all those 'new things' waeeee.

LOL, coz Gil Yong has watched Harry Potter.

 

[mademoiselle]

LOL purely for admiring purposes

 

[Tofu]

@bairama Jin was pretty shocked and unconvinced that Hee Ra was a witch. Hee Ra had to send her to different locations for Jin to believe her. When it comes to Gil Yong, I really think he's all, "Noona, I trust you", so if Jin thinks Hee Ra is a witch, he will too. 

 

I watched episode 3 and I'm more convinced now about the possibility of Hee Ra once granting wishes to Jin's and Gil Yong's moms. Jin read the labels on the glass jars and they were:

• The first tears of a newborn baby. 
• The last day of a terminally ill patient. 

These two sounds like they could be connected to Jin and Gil Yong. Also, with Jin's ability to read people's memories just by touching them, I think @mademoiselle was onto something. It seems like Hee Ra is grooming Jin to take over. 

 

Gil Yong's wish is so cute and genuine. 

Spoiler

 

 

[bai]

48 minutes ago, Tofu said:

I watched episode 3 and I'm more convinced now about the possibility of Hee Ra once granting wishes to Jin's and Gil Yong's moms. Jin read the labels on the glass jars and they were:

• The first tears of a newborn baby. 
• The last day of a terminally ill patient. 

Awww.. Ahh my heart  the writing idea seems so good huhu. I'm going to watch ep. 3 ppallii

[abs-oluteM]

So I caught eps 1 & 2 . It took the show awhile to capture my attention. The pacing felt a little uneven for me . The setting up of their backstories took longer than I had expected considering this is an 8 episode show.  And I was somewhat disturbed that Jin's wish would be death for the lady who scammed them. While I could see that this would have a dramatic effect and it was made in a moment of anger , it does make me question Jin's values. She had just caused the death of someone , she was technically an accomplice to murder but her rather short moment of remorse made me uneasy (especially when she started negotiating about what she will now get from Hee Ra)   It felt rather inconsistent to how the rest of her had been presented - she came across as someone who would stand up for the weak,  like what she did for Young Gil. Is this intentional ? Since I am reading that she may be chosen to take over from Jin. Clearly from scattered flashbacks, she's met HR. 

 

Overall the drama is visually pleasing . And the cast do have synergy in their scenes - still surprised that baby face CJH is already 28 and is older than NJH! They look pretty good together but I won't go as far as to say I need them to have a love line though Young Gil is clearly having a noona crush. I think the main draw for me here really is Song Ji Hyo as the witch. Somehow there's this energy that she brings to her scenes.

[Tofu]

@abs-oluteM Jin didn't wish for the death of the scammer lady. She wished for revenge and was thinking along the lines of something terrible happening to their restaurant so it'll shut down. Jin was not careful with how she worded her wish so Hee Ra took the "revenge" to the extreme. It's one of the reasons why Jin asked Gil Young if he was sure about his wish as well as the guy (I forgot his name) from today's episode. She wanted to both of them to be sure about what they are wishing for as there is no turning back once they eat Hee Ra's food. I see this as her wanting to make sure they do not make the same mistake as her. Jin learned a valuable lesson that your words have weight and you have to be careful of what you say because everyone interpret differently from you. The drama continue to show her remorse in each episode because in today's episode, she walks pass the scammer lady's restaurant and you can see hints of regret in her nonverbals. 

 

48 minutes ago, abs-oluteM said:

I think the main draw for me here really is Song Ji Hyo as the witch. Somehow there's this energy that she brings to her scenes.

Yes! She's so badass as the witch. I love when she's all "I'll do what I want" to Jin.  I have a backlog of her clips that I need to make into gifs. 

 

[mayicoryn]

Spoiler

Hmmm is JJ a witch too? I have no theory :D just throwing some thoughts around

And GY's wish surprised me.

Spoiler

I thought that his wish goes to his friend but I guess it's not :D That's kinda cute :) I know that the genre of this drama is not romance but it sometimes makes my heart flutter xdd So he want's to stay by her side for a long time and want's her to smile often.... interesting

Noooo 1 episode each week? But well that's life :D

[Tofu]

@mayicoryn I think we all have a feeling that she may turn into one too. Gil Yong is too sweet for his own good. 

 

This clip from the trailer, does it mean that, at one point, Hee Ra was a human and not a witch? 

 

By the way, did anyone else also think the silkie chicken looked very...slippery? LOL! 

 

[mademoiselle]

Episode 3

I was when the show reached the end! It's so short! LOL LOL. I didn't have enough.

 

@Tofu It almost seems like Hee Ra is grooming Jin and Gil Yong to be herself and Director Oh, don't you think? Technically she doesn't need any help but she took them in. I'm curious in Hee Ra's expression too when Gil Yong told her his wish and all the retorts he gives her. I'm glad that his wish is what I thought and simple. A simple wish means the price he has to pay won't be losing something precious or gory. However, since he wishes to stay beside Jin for a long time I honestly hope he will be able to win her heart eventually because then it'd be too sad that he has to watch Jin loves another man, right?

 

That chicken dish did not look appetising again BUT the cameo actor made it look delicious. I was salivating! Hahaha.

 

Jin's nightmare is so disturbing and scary. Will she be able to handle it? Her power seems to be awakening. The books and shelf fell and I think she causes it.

 

@abs-oluteM Like Tofu said, I don't think Jin truly wish for that lady's death. "The word has its weight" - we didn't get to know what exactly Jin wished for because Hee Ra told her to think about it while she eats. She must have been cursing in her mind as well and when people are emotional and cursing, we could use heavier words which we do not mean.

-----

Agree that this is the first time I like Song Ji Hyo's roles. Oh btw, did Hee Ra change her mind because of Jin? She was going to take an arm but she ended up only taking two fingers. Hopefully the amputated fingers are not physically taken away coz then the doctor could stitch it back. It doesn't seem like she's taking the fingers physically but the "desire" of the person.

[JenL]

Just watched Episode 3 and I'm liking this series a lot!  Like @mademoiselle I was surprised when it was over because it felt so short! But this is what happens when a series is only 8 eps and 40-45 mins per ep! Btw, I'm glad I finished dinner before watching because I would not have done it with the fingers and the old lady's ghost and the silkie chicken 

 

Episode 3

 

- It took awhile to set up the backstory for the intruder with the knife, but his story was so relatable. I think a lot of people have had the experience of not necessarily getting the job they dreamed of as a child or feeling like the worst candidate at a job interview. His story shows that people generally don't do bad things in a vacuum (unless maybe if you're a psychopath). Most people are driven to bad acts out of desperation 

- Jin definitely seems to have some witchy powers herself with her ability to read witch ingredients and see people's personal histories. I think the theory that someone had here of Jin being the "price" paid for a previous wish made by her parents sounds really plausible. Maybe she was in danger or lost as a child and the wish was to save her? Heera seems to be claiming as her protégé  

- I really like Heera the witch  I think she's the perfect amount of frostiness, cynicism and madness...And the way she intimidates with her powers....she's my dream witch and one of the big draw cards to this series 

- Haha, I think it's lucky that Jin spoke up for intruder guy - he got a price discount from one arm to two fingers only  But the way he lost them, sliced off, was painful 

- Yeah, @Tofu that silkie chicken did look slippery like rubber  My feelings about all the foods so far is that they look simultaneously grotesque and beautiful and artificial. I'm sure that's the effect they're going for anyway - like something that both draws you in and repulses you. And the sound effects are next level - I think this week it sounded like really gross gobbling sounds and the chicken sounded rubbery 

- Gil Yong is so lovely, sticking up for everyone  I don't blame that girl in class for liking him. Heh, she's the 'young' version of the mum from 18 Again Don't tell me she eventually goes to the diner wishing Gil Yong will like her?! 

- Jin is really paying the price for her revenge wish...I jump EVERY time, even though I know now that the ghost will come out at some point 

- Gil Yong's wish was soooo cute...though I'm not surprised that he wished that  I feel like he's what a healthy person should be like...but most of us are a little more twisted than we should be  I like that he's sure pure and knows the value of earning things and working through the journey rather than just getting instant gratification. I think because he's so pure, Heera isn't able to do much to him...or even if she does, she'll just take it to the extreme that they will have to stick together for all of eternity...which I'm sure Gil Yong would not mind at all 

[JenL]

20 hours ago, Tofu said:

I watched episode 3 and I'm more convinced now about the possibility of Hee Ra once granting wishes to Jin's and Gil Yong's moms. Jin read the labels on the glass jars and they were:

• The first tears of a newborn baby. 
• The last day of a terminally ill patient. 

 

This is a smart read into the story! I didn't really link this scene, but yes, it seems like a clue into both their pasts 

 

17 hours ago, abs-oluteM said:

The pacing felt a little uneven for me . The setting up of their backstories took longer than I had expected considering this is an 8 episode show

 

I feel like it would be too rushed just to launch into the episodic stories without first showing the main character experiencing the true horror of "getting what you wish for." Also it seems like something happened in Jin's childhood (and most likely Gil Yong's), so the set up of the character's backstories might be important going forwards

 

18 hours ago, abs-oluteM said:

And I was somewhat disturbed that Jin's wish would be death for the lady who scammed them. While I could see that this would have a dramatic effect and it was made in a moment of anger , it does make me question Jin's values.

 

I agree with @Tofu and @mademoiselle in that it was a mistake because she didn't wish for the woman to die, just to get what she deserved (she was so totally horrified when she found out that was death). Heera manipulated Jin's wish and interpreted it in the way she wanted because Jin didn't say (or think) specifically what type of "revenge" she wanted  

 

I think the show is smart because Jin's remorse isn't shown through her crying and yelling about what a bad person she was (which would have been pointless) - she knows she can't reverse her actions, but she's now proactive and warns all the wish-makers about how dire the price of their wishes might be. She's also punishing herself in her subconscious through her nightmares of the dead woman too 

 

Haha, to be honest, I found Jin's wish understandable in her situation, as I'm sure we all have at some point in our anger. I'd like to think I'm not a bad person and have helped a lot of people before. But recently I had a similar experience to Jin's in that someone tried to do something bad to my parents. If a witch had appeared, I can't say I would have been morally above Jin  The difference is I'm very careful and would have been really, really specific so they wouldn't have died, just that they got a taste of their own medicine...Jin just never had good experience reading the terms of a contract 

 

18 hours ago, abs-oluteM said:

I won't go as far as to say I need them to have a love line though Young Gil is clearly having a noona crush. I think the main draw for me here really is Song Ji Hyo as the witch. Somehow there's this energy that she brings to her scenes.

 

Hahaha, I need a love line because it's CJH's first lead role and I want him to get the girl 

You're right SJH plays a really enticing witch character and the role really suits her 

 

17 hours ago, mayicoryn said:

 I know that the genre of this drama is not romance but it sometimes makes my heart flutter xdd 

 

I am totally getting chemistry flutters from Jin and Gil Yong  It's fairly cute and innocent though

 

 

7 hours ago, mademoiselle said:

However, since he wishes to stay beside Jin for a long time I honestly hope he will be able to win her heart eventually because then it'd be too sad that he has to watch Jin loves another man, right?

 

Haha, I also thought about this too!  But I think since Gil Yong said he wants to work towards things for them to be sincere, I feel like he has maybe saved himself from that happening. It sounds like he could accept the failure of his choices, so I feel like Heera is not tempted to use that against him. The extremes she might take it to is sticking them together forever (ie. what you said about turning Jin like herself and Gil Yong like Director Oh).

 

8 hours ago, mademoiselle said:

Oh btw, did Hee Ra change her mind because of Jin? She was going to take an arm but she ended up only taking two fingers. 

 

I feel like that intruder guy did get a discount on his price. Two fingers is quite a difference to his whole arm  Hahaha, love how you thought about them being stitched back. Would have been nice to see him getting a job...l don't know if he was specific enough either. Like hope he specified his dream job otherwise he might just become toilet cleaner or something unexpected and he had to pay 2 fingers for that 

[mademoiselle]

5 minutes ago, JenL said:

Like hope he specified his dream job otherwise he might just become toilet cleaner or something unexpected and he had to pay 2 fingers for that

Hahaha, OMGGG, you made me laugh. I think the show left it as an open ending for our imagination.

7 minutes ago, JenL said:

The extremes she might take it to is sticking them together forever (ie. what you said about turning Jin like herself and Gil Yong like Director Oh).

Gil Yong wishes that he could stay beside her for a loooong time. He didn't specify how long! It could be til death do us part. I don't like this phrase coz once I saw a show (not even sure what it is) but it was about a couple and think maybe the female was a witch and the lover cheated on her or wanted to leave her but he couldn't because of the spell. And the only way to be free from her is death. I don't even remember the full detail of the creepy show anymore but it is ingrain in my memory of this scenario. Another show was about mannequin becoming alive...  There's also a movie I watched where the building has creatures and there lives a witch. At first she's appeared old but by the end of the movie, she lets her hair down and she was young & beautiful and ready to combat the creatures. I'm dying to know the movie name so I can read up on the plot since I didn't fully understand it at the time.

 

I watch whatever my siblings/family watch when young so I've this random memories of scary shows which I can't name names. I wish I knew so I could share a proper story of what I've seen and my reactions to it.

[JenL]

4 hours ago, mademoiselle said:

Hahaha, OMGGG, you made me laugh. I think the show left it as an open ending for our imagination.

 

True! Since it paid the price already, I guess we assume it's a good job. Maybe it'll be shown briefly in a different ep...

 

4 hours ago, mademoiselle said:

Gil Yong wishes that he could stay beside her for a loooong time. He didn't specify how long!  It could be til death do us part. I don't like this phrase coz once I saw a show (not even sure what it is) but it was about a couple and think maybe the female was a witch and the lover cheated on her or wanted to leave her but he couldn't because of the spell. And the only way to be free from her is death.

 

Haha, that was what I was thinking too. Sigh, no one here is very good at being specific about what they what. So possible that is what GY is stuck with. That phrase is really macabre, isn't it? And it's always used in weddings. In terms of horror, makes me think of corpse bride type scenarios (though that was a cute animated cartoon film). 

 

Isn't it weird how you're left with traumas from things you watched as a kid?! Haha, you have a lot of witchy shows you saw in the past that seemed to have stayed a long time...the ideas and scenes you've mentioned sound quite scary. I don't think I have any witch related ones, or at least I remember the films with witches. A movie which I don't know, but remember a traumatising scene of is this: A girl (who is dressed as a boy) is caught by enemy soldiers and whipped till her back is bleeding and then they press salt/ sand into it and and she screams  

 

What was I watching as a kid?! I think it was a Cantonese film, but it's my no context film trauma 

[stroppyse]

Okay. Binged the first 3 episodes, so I'm caught up now. In the first episode, after HR closes her restaurant, she talks about going to "that child". It wasn't clear whether she meant Jin or GY, though the drama seems to want you think think that it's Jin with all the child flashbacks. I wonder about that though, and whether it's not GY whom she had wanted to meet? HR was definitely pleased with GY's wish and responses to her even if she did call GY a fool. Anyway, it makes sense to me that HR had met both Jin and GY as children though, and I like the idea that they may have been the result of wishes made by their parents.

 

I wonder what Jin's powers and nightmares are leading to. Maybe she is going to become the next witch after HR completely disappears. It would be nice to get more clarification on the basis for HR disappearing though. Is it if she grants her own wish?

 

I like the chemistry between Jin and GY, but not sure I buy it on a romance level. That may have to do with the fact that they made GY be a high schooler though, even if GY is contemplating dropping out of school. I think I'm in the minority here when I say that I wasn't actually swept away by GY's reasons for wanting to stay by Jin's side. Basically, it boils down to GY thinks Jin is pretty when she smiles. I know he's meant to be intrigued when she gives him confusing advice for living as a nice person or not, but at the end of the day, it seems to be because Jin is pretty. I'm fine with that as the basis for a crush, but not as a lifelong longing to be with someone. Aside from that though, I do like the interactions between Jin and GY, as well as their interactions with HR.

 

 

11 hours ago, JenL said:

I feel like that intruder guy did get a discount on his price. Two fingers is quite a difference to his whole arm  Hahaha, love how you thought about them being stitched back. Would have been nice to see him getting a job...l don't know if he was specific enough either. Like hope he specified his dream job otherwise he might just become toilet cleaner or something unexpected and he had to pay 2 fingers for that 

 

Your comment made me totally laugh! I think that Bae Yoon Gi will be fine. He's winning an award and a monetary reward as a brave citizen, as shown on the news for his bravery. That should be the start of his opportunity. The fame may be momentary, but it means more people are aware of who he is, and it could open new doors for him since he's not just one of the many resumes albeit one with fewer specs than others. Plus, as @mademoiselle, they can probably stitch his fingers back.

 

Btw, I actually wondered if by costing him an arm, it was going to be a broken arm rather than an amputation of some kind? So, perhaps the finger amputation may have been worse than a broken arm. though it sounded better to YG in terms of 2 fingers versus 1 arm.

 

 

So, next episode, we're going to see Min Ha from Hospital Playlist as the case of the once happiest woman on earth. Wonder if she's going to hope that Seok Hyeong gives her a chance???

[Tofu]

Glad to know that we all felt the same when episode three ended. I seriously was thinking that I might have skipped some scenes because it came so abruptly. Why did they change it to just one episode a week? 

 

@mademoiselle I didn't even think that Gil Yong could possibly replace Director Oh! Considering that Gil Yong's wish is to be with her forever, this can turn out to be true. 

 

The only show I remember watching that was in the witch category was Sabrina the Teenage Witch with my sisters. Nothing compared to what you watched. Haha! 

 

13 hours ago, JenL said:

I think a lot of people have had the experience of not necessarily getting the job they dreamed of as a child or feeling like the worst candidate at a job interview. His story shows that people generally don't do bad things in a vacuum (unless maybe if you're a psychopath). Most people are driven to bad acts out of desperation.

Sometimes I am happy I didn't grow up in an Asian country because I have no idea what kind of career I would have right now. There is so much pressure to do well in school and even then, that doesn't guarantee you a job when you graduate. 

 

13 hours ago, JenL said:

Heh, she's the 'young' version of the mum from 18 Again 

 I also tied her to 18 Again too. I thought, "Oh, it's because she hasn't transferred to Lee Do Hyun's school yet." 

 

12 hours ago, JenL said:

Hahaha, I need a love line because it's CJH's first lead role and I want him to get the girl 

I think based on this alone, I am finally realizing what @SilverMoonTea constantly put herself through with these second leads. Why do you suffer like this, Silver?! 

 

 

@stroppyse Yay! I'm glad you're watching too! I think you might be on to something about Hee Ra's wish. In the trailer, she had a line that said something like, "If I remake my wish one more time, what's going to happen?" 

 

50 minutes ago, stroppyse said:

So, next episode, we're going to see Min Ha from Hospital Playlist as the case of the once happiest woman on earth. Wonder if she's going to hope that Seok Hyeong gives her a chance??? 

I'm not watching Hospital Playlist so I'm not familiar with her character from that drama; however, she was in More Than Friends (the drama that I pretend never happened @mademoiselle) and the proposed storyline of being with someone for a long time, having happy memories, and losing them is similar to the character she played in More Than Friends. 

 

 

The healing words in this episode:

There's no need to try so hard. It's not like you need to be acknowledged by others in order to prove your worth. 

 

The witch that stopped by to see Hee Ra said the following to her in episode 2: 

They watch people's lives and grant their wishes in return for a price for eternity. The price for their wishes cannot be reversed. 

Does that mean that granting people's wishes are what's keeping Hee Ra from aging? Hee Ra responded back to the other witch that she's just having fun when the other witch was telling her she's crossing the lines. I wonder if later on, Hee Ra is going to regret some of the price she asked for. 

[stroppyse]

1 hour ago, Tofu said:

Does that mean that granting people's wishes are what's keeping Hee Ra from aging? Hee Ra responded back to the other witch that she's just having fun when the other witch was telling her she's crossing the lines. I wonder if later on, Hee Ra is going to regret some of the price she asked for. 

 

I was wondering if HR has to pay some price for her granting the wishes?

 

Btw, I'm not seeing GY as being like Chief Oh, though I'm not sure about the relationship between Chief Oh and HR. I'm actually not getting a good read on the world that is shown in this drama, so not sure what role Chief Oh really plays either.

[Tofu]

@stroppyse He told Jin that he's like a shadow. 

[mademoiselle]

@JenL I remember one more detail about the Til Death Do Us Part show.

Spoiler

The couple was bound to a figurine of the both of them - the figurine of a bride & groom we use for the cake. I think it was after marriage the husband wants to break his promise but he couldn't so he tries to murder his wife. I remember one scene where a cover was deliberately put over the figurine so the wife couldn't breathe while he himself went scuba diving. I honestly can't remember who was the one who died in the end. But I want to know the full story. So curious!

 

Hahaha @Tofu I think I saw a bit of Sabrina the Teenage Witch too but this one is not scary at all. I don't think my family carried out censorship and checked whether a show is PG-13 or not, and I'm left with fragments of memories from some disturbing shows.

 

Back to the show, now I'm starting to think 8 episodes might be a bit too short to tell the whole story. We don't even know who/what Director Oh is. He seems to be a magical being as well.

 

As for Hee Ra, if she stops being a witch, is that mean she'll age and die? Or she can at least stay beautiful like Jang Man Wol but be able to move on and be reincarnated?

[mademoiselle]

Errr... what are they doing? LOL!

 

[Tofu]

@mademoiselle Yeah, they have yet to really explain a lot of things and the relationships between all the characters. I'm hoping that they don't try to cram everything in the last episode. 

 

12 hours ago, mademoiselle said:

As for Hee Ra, if she stops being a witch, is that mean she'll age and die? Or she can at least stay beautiful like Jang Man Wol but be able to move on and be reincarnated?

Hahaha! I hope she stays beautiful like Man Wol but who knows, maybe they'll go for the aged look. 

 

I think the opening sequence is really nice. 

 

 

[SilverMoonTea]

My favourite character here is that sassy mandrake lols... So Harry Potter-ish, and I like how it always scold people who touched it haha... Seems this plant always associated with witch & craft, taken too much can bring to madness & delusion according to Wikipedia. 

 

Back to the drama itself, I think this drama can be classified as dark comedy? The payment for the wishes that being granted is really not that fair. 2 fingers for just 1 simple request, to have a decent job? Really? I think it's not a good trade off at all. While I think for Jin & Gil Yong the payback come off as softies? So far they're just being asked to become part-timer? Or probably the full blown impact not yet occured?

 

I think it's good to have just 8 episodes for me. For now I'm quite entertained with the gorgeous setting, some sparks between GY and Jin (yes, I'm with @JenLon this 🥰), and SJH as Hera quite nailing the witch role too. I love it when she said, she will just open or not open the store as her wish 

 

Spoiler

@TofuI think SLS have already become a hobby or even way of life lols. It's like some guilty pleasure, you know it's not good for your health, but you're addicted to it