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Cafe Minamdang: Episodes 3-4

Cafe Minamdang: Episodes 3-4

This week, we learn how our motley crew of shamanism frauds came together, and we also witness our usually serious detective getting all tangled up in her complicated feelings for a certain profiler-turned-shaman.

 
EPISODES 3-4 WEECAP

Cafe Minamdang: Episodes 3-4

We continue right where we left off last week. While Jae-hui breaks into the cafe, the Minamdang crew sets up a trap for Inspector Jung Cheong-gi with the help of hotel CEO Lee Min-gyeong. In a secret meeting, Min-gyeong asks Inspector Jung to hand over his phone so Hye-jun can hack into the phone and track his communications.

Back at the cafe, Jae-hui barely gets away from being caught, head-butting Han-jun and wounding his forehead. Poor Han-jun woke up briefly only to once again be KO’d by his sister’s smelly feet.

Cafe Minamdang: Episodes 3-4

The next day, rookie detective Na visits Cafe Minamdang for a consultation with the infamous shaman. Stalker Jae-hui insists on joining him, but she starts off her visit with a series of embarrassments after she thinks Han-jun is heading her way, only to realize he just wants to admire himself in the mirror.

Then she gets pushed onto Han-jun, caught in his arms (complete with romantic leg lifted up), but then subsequently dropped to fall on the floor. Ouch, the secondhand embarrassment is real.

Nevertheless, during the consultation, Jae-hui calls Han-jun out on the bullcrap he’s spewing, asking him how he even ended up being a “shaman.”

Cafe Minamdang: Episodes 3-4

This reminds Han-jun of Minamdang’s beginnings after he got out of prison two years ago. After his sister picks him up, they head straight to Su-cheol’s private investigation agency — except it looks less like an office and more of a dumpster full of shaman artifacts.

They get into a tearful reunion just as a customer comes in before immediately turning around to leave because of all the statues and shamanism tools. Han-jun captures her attention after claiming she’s here to find her runaway son. To the customer, it seems he’s the real deal, but in truth, Han-jun simply overheard her talking about her problem on the phone.

Impressed with Han-jun’s so-called “abilities,” the customer promises to pay any amount they ask for. Blinded by the prospect of easy money, Han-jun immediately puts on his act.

Cafe Minamdang: Episodes 3-4 Cafe Minamdang: Episodes 3-4

Using the now familiar strategy with Han-jun as the mastermind, Hye-jun as the hacker, and Su-cheol as the brawn, they rescue their first customer’s son from school bullies and loan sharks. Here they also meet Na-dan, who insists on joining them.

Seeing the success of their first case, Han-jun suggests they pose as shamans in order to draw out Gopuri, a.k.a. the real murderer of Prosecutor Han Jae-jeong. One of the only clues they have about the culprit is how he was holding a gopuri knot (i.e. a knotted cloth used to comfort the dead) when Jae-jeong died, leading them to think the culprit is either into shamanism or a shaman himself.

Everyone is on board — even if Hye-jun enumerates a lot of demands that Han-jun grudgingly agrees to — but Hye-jun reminds her brother that their mother, a Catholic deaconess, would protest with his chosen occupation. So he proposes to hide their shaman business behind the facade of a cafe, the name of which is aptly thrown together via a misunderstanding — and some convenient wordplay around their good looks. Thus, the birth of Cafe Minamdang.

Cafe Minamdang: Episodes 3-4

Back to the present, Jae-hui continues to ask Han-jun so many questions, it’s as if she’s interrogating him. Han-jun tells her she isn’t qualified to be a detective for being so blinded by her prejudices. Undeterred, she straight-up accuses him of being the reason why her brother was murdered, asking him if he’s sorry at all.

In a rare moment of honesty, Han-jun admits: “I always am. I’m wracked by guilt every night. But I never made a mistake… I would apologize and tell the family it was my fault.” Still, Jae-hui isn’t satisfied and promises him she’ll arrest him if he gets out of line.

Cafe Minamdang: Episodes 3-4

The next day, the Minamdang crew follows Inspector Jung to his meeting with the vice chairman. When they arrive, Han-jun and Su-cheol prepare to confront the inspector, but they promptly realize they brought the wrong bag of equipment, thanks to Na-dan who thought they were actually going to be exorcizing — this kid is too naive, but adorably so. He can get away with anything with that charming smile.

Still, all they have now are shaman tools and robes when they need actual weapons. Caught by the vice chairman’s goons, what else can they do but Operation Beethoven? Also known as throwing Su-cheol to the wolves and cheering him on from the safety of the car! Sorry, Su-cheol, but you fought them off well.

Cafe Minamdang: Episodes 3-4

Finally, Han-jun and Su-cheol follow the vice chairman’s goons to the pit where they’re planning to bury Inspector Jung alive — how crazy are these people?! Good thing the Minamdang duo, now dressed up as ghosts, arrive just in time to make weird haunting noises to confuse the goons and proceed to knock them out with gongs and bells. It’s truly bedlam!

Interrogating Inspector Jung (for the Nth time), they nearly get a heart attack after a masked Na-dan arrives to warn them that the police have arrived. It’s so funny how much of a scaredy cat Han-jun and Su-cheol are when they supposedly deal with ghosts and the supernatural world.

Cafe Minamdang: Episodes 3-4

The aforementioned police are actually Jae-hui and Prosecutor Cha Do-won, who have been tailing them from the start. Jae-hui wants to go in, but Do-won tells her he’ll get a warrant first, so they can’t use it against her again. Smart thinking, but honestly every time I see Do-won, I just think he’s too nice, and I don’t really have a good feeling about these too-nice guys in these types of dramas. Please don’t be a bad guy, Do-won.

Upon receiving the warrant, Jae-hui and Do-won arrive to witness Han-jun and Su-cheol in full shaman garb conducting an “exorcism” (a.k.a. some random crazy-looking dance) of evil ghosts (a.k.a. Na-dan and Hye-jun trying to keep a tied up Inspector Jung quiet). Honestly, I can’t believe Seo In-gook somehow pulled off that bright and poofy outfit. Then again, he is Seo In-gook.

Cafe Minamdang: Episodes 3-4 Cafe Minamdang: Episodes 3-4

Jae-hui doesn’t believe them one bit. But the vice chairman’s goons corroborate the exorcism story — because for them, they did get “haunted” by “ghosts” who are funnily enough also the ones exorcizing said ghosts.

Elsewhere on the estate, Vice Chairman Shin is hallucinating and running away from his victim’s ghost (who was just really just Na-dan and Hye-jun in disguise). He ends up being arrested with the evidence found on his person. The Minamdang crew also encourages the goons to surrender to allegedly dispel the evil spirits lingering around them, which they readily do, lol.

Cafe Minamdang: Episodes 3-4 Cafe Minamdang: Episodes 3-4

From afar, Inspector Jung watches them get handcuffed, prompting him to help Han-jun. He calls his boss, a former superintendent turned director of a construction company, who allegedly ordered him to tamper with the evidence of the Choi Yeong-seop case.

Han-jun, Su-cheol, and Inspector Jung go to the superintendent’s house, but gasp! He just went into shock and died on arrival. After investigating, Han-jun concludes that the caffeine-allergic superintendent was murdered with caffeine overdose.

Fearing for his life, Inspector Jung asks Han-jun about his promise to help him get away on a ship. Han-jun does make good on his promise — except the ship he was talking about was the swinging pirate ship in an amusement park. The Minamdang crew ties him on the swinging ship and dances away, leaving him for the police to find. The gang is so hilariously petty! LOL.

Cafe Minamdang: Episodes 3-4 Cafe Minamdang: Episodes 3-4

When he figures out that Gopuri is probably close to the superintendent, Han-jun asks CEO Lee to look into Choekang Constructions. She promises to do so, but just before he leaves, CEO Lee insists he check the briefcase containing his payment fee. Inside, he finds a prenuptial agreement, while CEO Lee kneels in front of him to ask him to marry her. Haha, everyone’s just so in love with him.

Han-jun and Su-cheol bring the money-filled briefcase to the hospital and give it to the hit-and-run victim’s wife. They advise her to use it for the hospital fees and her children’s college tuition and not to accept settlement from the vice chairman. Aww, our crew really are good people at their core.

That night, Jae-hui is on another stake out at Minamdang, but gets caught by Han-jun, who she punches in surprise. How many times has she already assaulted him, poor guy. Also, I know he jokes about it, but what she’s doing is really stalking… and I don’t think I’m too comfortable with how it’s continuing. I hope it stops soon. Maybe just cooperate?

Cafe Minamdang: Episodes 3-4

Well, Jae-hui does apologize for the punch (not so much the stalking), but she immediately brings up what she really wanted to discuss: why did Han-jun free then help arrest the vice chairman? Han-jun simply says it was all in service of his VVIP client.

They continue bickering like an old married couple — or maybe a pair of kindergartners who don’t know how to deal with crushes — until Han-jun warns her not to fall in love with him. To his (and the eavesdropping Su-cheol’s) surprise, Jae-hui says, “Stop making me do that then!”

Cafe Minamdang: Episodes 3-4

At home, Jae-hui is so frustrated about how she was misunderstood – she’s not in love! But he’s nice! But he’s also a nutcase! We get it, girl, you’re just in denial. Jae-hui’s not depicted as too ghost-like this week, showing a more childish vibe especially around Han-jun, and I’m enjoying seeing a new side to her character.

Giving themselves a day off, the Minamdang crew enjoys some BBQ, even if the cafe’s sales are lower than usual. Just as Han-jun pouts about having it but still missing it (it being a new wristwatch, not the culprit), he gets a call from another VVIP client about ghosts in her kitchen. Han-jun decides to accept the case to get paid.

The Minamdang crew quickly figures out that the ghosts are just kids looting for food and traces them into the sewer. Su-cheol does catch one of the kids, but he unfortunately gets mistaken for a kidnapper, so Jae-hui gets called to arrest him.

Cafe Minamdang: Episodes 3-4

Claiming there’s another kid in the sewers, Han-jun suggests the police should check. But Jae-hui insists he should come with her, even bringing out protective gear. Ever the clean freak, Han-jun tries to get out of it, complaining all the way. He’s only forced to go because Jae-hui threatens to arrest him for the hidden camera in his glasses, which is, you know, illegal.

They do find the other kid, but not just that. Han-jun discovers a trail of gopuri knots leading to… a dead body?! It’s the same M.O. as Jae-jeong’s murder, and as the episode closes, Han-jun and Jae-hui realize that the culprit they’ve been looking for is once again on the hunt for victims.

Cafe Minamdang: Episodes 3-4

This week didn’t have as many comedic moments as the last, since it felt like all the setup we missed in the first episodes was pushed to this week. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, but the pacing got a little off-kilter. I’m hoping next week’s episodes will get us closer to the Gopuri case and the truth behind it all.

As always, Seo In-gook performs his role so brilliantly. He goes from comically animated to straight-faced and serious in half a second — so much that it’s sometimes jarring — but he’s really the one who keeps me hooked.

Cafe Minamdang: Episodes 3-4

 
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Ok, I’m really loving this show. To be fair, I tend to love detectives in all their many varieties, but especially wildly competent and insightful Sherlock Holmes types, where their deductive skills seem like superpowers. I loved the Mentalist and Psych, and I love this show too.

Every interaction between our OTP throws our FL so completely off balance and I am here for all of it. That scene where they bicker outside the cafe? Amazing. The scene where she catches him dancing in the woods? Fantastic. When she spies on him giving away a ton of money and then obsesses over whether he is a decent person? Perfection. When she leans in close to comment on his glasses and threatens to arrest him? Here. For. It. Although he might have been the one to be thrown off there. Also, can we take a pause and appreciate Seo In-guk in those camera glasses?

Also still humming the song from the credits at the end of Ep 4.

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Aw, The Mentalist is still one of my all-time favorites. I wonder what Patrick would think of Han Jun? 🤣

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Patrick can't be too critical, since he made a living pretty much the same way for a long time! I always think it would be hilarious for two such people to meet each other someday. The world would just implode.

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Su Cheol getting out of the car and the crew watching him was hilarious. The drama has settled into itself and is getting better. Our chatty lawyer is very suspicious, I wonder if he was in on the cover up or if he is the regular 3rd person is an unnecessary triangle.

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I am with Meryl--the nice guy in these dramas are too suspicious.

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@books7time glad I'm not alone in my suspicions! There has been one too many betrayals of nice guys in K-dramaland :(

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I can't decide if I want the chatty lawyer to be a good guy who does some misguided things when he doesn't understand the full situation but who teams up with our heroes in the end to take down the baddies, or if I want him to be the ultimate bad guy who framed Hanjun and murdered his friend. More episodes will tell!

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The drama is definitely getting better. The prosecutor grabbing her wrist and inviting himself into FL's plans is making me leary of him. He's trying too hard for it to be sincere imo. His attention seems forced. I'll be surprised if he's good.

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And also, it wouldn't be very fun if the ultimate Baddie was someone totally random that we hadn't ever met in the show before (another mark against him). Plus, I've been trying to think of the people who would have been able to respond quickly enough to Hanjun talking with Inspector Jung that they could arrange for Mr. Caffeine Allergy to be poisoned. And Chatty Lawyer was there and definitely could have made a quick call to some minions. I'm not saying he's our murderer, but I've never seen them in the same room together.

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The chatty Prosecutor was a bad guy in Abyss. I hope it's a red herring, and he's just really a nice guy

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A red herring would be nice. I cant help but give serious side eye to anyone nice in this show. Hopefully he's just around because of a crush on FL.

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I truly enjoy KSY's performance in this drama 🤭. He's definitely can be hilarious yet not so-smarty-panty and dared to dissing SIG's fashion style 🤣.

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His mortified look omg haha

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😩I hope I can start this before the next episodes air

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It's kinda sad that the FL is the typical reckless and loud cop who doesn't really think before acting... The fact the actress is Oh Yeon-Seo is not really helping.

Fortunately, Seo In-Gook makes me forget all the bad when he's on my screen. He's really the best for this kind of role!

For the story, it's the usual past murder that had an impact in the lives of our heroes.

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I agree. I can't decide yet if it's the FL actress or how her character is written that I'm not keen on. SIG is always a joy to watch though. He is why I am here and also why I will stay.

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It's both because of OYS the actress and how her character is written, I think. 😪 As a character, she was initially introduced as someone intelligent etc. Then she just became annoying. And getting away with rule breaking.

Like she hurt Han-jun twice and both because she was in the wrong. Yet she had the audacity to be apalled. 😑

Also, Han-jun was right. She was being biased and has no right to call herself a detective. So yeah, I'm not empathizing with her at all.

But maybe if another actress played the role, I would like her just a little bit. But OYS, ugh 😣

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Yes exactly. I've only seen the actress in ODYSSEY. Didn't care for her character or her then. I hoped it was just the writing. I'm getting the same feeling now. Hopefully she will improve later when/if she teams up with Han Jun instead of working against him. Likely the very last episode though.

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Agree! I hope it's sooner. I can only eyeroll for so long, especially when she keeps interacting with the chatty lawyer. Lol 😅

Speaking of chatty lawyer, I hope the writer/s get consistent with his character. For someone labelled as 'chatty' he sure became just quietly nice and... normal after his intro scene.

Even if he's the baddie, I hope he continues to be that chatty guy mouthing off trivia and whatnot.

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I wish they'd stayed with his chatty origin also. It would've fit more into this show's comedy I believe. Also, if he's bad it would've been a bigger surprise to me.

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I think he's chatty to get the bad guys.

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Thank you for the write-up because the show is so chaotic that I couldn't figure out who was doing what most of the time. This is the only other drama I'm watching, but it's not at the Must See When Released level for me.

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I found this week's episodes better than last week. I certainly laughed more this time round. All the scenes at the shady villa were funny from poor Su-cheol being sacrificed to the hopped up CEO running away from the cops.

Conversely the Prosecutor guy lost all his chatty charm this week - lots of suspicious actions suggesting he's the big bad and his behaviour with the FL bordered on unprofessional.

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It's a mess but it's not trying to be anything then what it is ( for now at least). I must be in the mood for wacky humor because I had a blast watching these two episodes. And I am a sucker for Team Underdog stories. The actors of the Cafe Minamdang team all seem to be having a blast. I am less enthused about the female lead, and I am still scratching my head at why the writer thought the age gap, childhood link was necessary or makes sense. I actually do not want romance for the first time in my drama watching history.

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"I actually do not want romance for the first time in my drama watching history."

Same, girl. Same.

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+1 I'd rather watch our ragtag team do their stuff than deal with the OTP. 🤣

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'I actually do not want romance' yes this. If FL disappeared I could watch an entire season of the cafe team doing their thing. They're the most fun to watch for me.

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There is no romance in the book (I don't know about the webtoon)

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I did not know this was based off original content.

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Also, thank you @meryl for the weecap. You capture the ridiculousness of this drama perfectly and make me laugh.

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Thank you @books7time! Happy to hear you enjoyed it :)

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It is definitely a testament to the actors that I actually laughed at the "smelly socks knocking everyone out in the closet" scene. On paper, that's pretty generic and predictable humor, but all three of them sold it so hard that it ended up being truly amusing.

The show as a whole is uneven and almost entirely dependent on SIG's many charms (I do like the cop trio at times, though). It's hard for me to visualize 18 episodes of this. As I said last week, I think Oh Yeon-seo is talented (I didn't care for her or her character in "Korean Odyssey," but she was excellent in "Mad for Each Other") but I think she may have been miscast. There's just no way I can buy that her character is that much younger than Han-jun and sadly, I don't think she and SIG have any romantic chemistry despite some fun banter. It really pains me to type that!

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Agree about Oh Yeon-seo. I too liked her in MFEO but not Korean Odyssey and she definitely seems miscast here not least because the age thing doesn't make sense.

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I didn't like her in MFEO when she was acting with the ML as a love interest. I realized I'm not sold with her being in a romantic scene? Lol

I think she was okay in Come Back Mister but only because she had good chemistry with Honey Lee. And because Honey Lee is charming 😄

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I like OYS a lot, and I think this drama's lead is really SIG as he gets to be larger than life. And she's more of a support. But kdramas dictate there must be one ML and one FL and their lead-ness must be viewed equally, even if the drama is more focused on one and the other "lead" is like their lesser half/romantic partner.

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it's kooky. i like it.

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Same! Su-cheol omg hahaha

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Perfect word choice

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Thanks, I have learned a new word and I like it.

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Thank you for the weecap!

I'm not just clear on the epilogue. Could someone explain that bit? The timeline was confusing lol

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I thought this week's episodes fared much better, especially with balancing humor with the more serious stuff. I liked the FL lead much better than the ML the week before, but this week, it's flipped. In smoothing out the rough edges from the previous week, they sort of flattened the FL character. I do like how it reminds me of the tv show Psych, which someone has mentioned above, with the Team Shaman = Shawn and Gus and Jae Hui is pretty much Lassie. I sort of like the dynamic of her being super suspicious of him and being one-upped. And Team Shaman still got to be on their toes because she's nosy and won't be as easily manipulated. I hope we get a good team-up. I'm not too into the potential romance since my fave OYS role is still the one where she brought on the comedy and romance was minimal.

The only thing I really wish they hadn't done was the childhood connection because the age gap confuses me, even if it's just like 5-6 years since the FL's rank should more realistically put her in her 30s. And Han Jun was perhaps friends with Jae-hui's brother and he recognizes Jae-hui as being the little kid. But he never knew that kid sparring partner was the sister? I know Jae-hui changed her name and all, but i don't think that's relevant? Also young Jae-hui's warm view of him is so different from his narcissistic personality.

I love how the Nam kids' mom is a pastor and they're going around being shamans. How have they not been caught?

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I have a feeling their mother is a force to be reckoned with, too. I curious to see their family dynamic.

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They knew what they were doing casting SIG - the drama isn't bad or anything, I like it, BUT SIG and his ✨ aura ✨ are carrying this show to the point where I can easily overlook the things I'm not sold on yet (the FL, the childhood connection, some elements of the plot) and watch just for him hahahaha

I also like the rest of the Minamdang crew too, they make it hard to not fall for their charms! ❤️

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Thanks for the recap.

When SIG went for the mirror in the cafe, I had major "What is wrong with secretary Kim?" vibes.

The drama has now reached the first case of the book (that I randomly read last month) and if was something a bit magical to have the drama so perfectly play what I have read (regarding this case of children stealing food from the sever and the being the reason of a woman burned corpse with white wedding shoes discovery).
SIG is indeed perfect for this role. I *love* the ease with which he takes on the serious inspector. And I much as I laughed with the faces he made at the cheabol marriage proposal, as much prefer to see him focused on finding the clues rather than playing the kooky person. The Minamdang gang is fun, but I hope that the drama will dropp the goofiness a little.

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Still loving this show. I love how the only serious scenes happen in the epilogue or flashbacks.

The marriage proposal was legendary.

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The most interesting part to me is watching Kwak Si Yang. I have seen him in so many dramas. He has been the second lead (Second to Last Love), the bad guy (Chicago Typewriter), the conflicted frenemy (Alice), and a variety of smaller parts in famous dramas, but I don't think I have ever seen him do comedy.

I always like it when an actor gets outside their comfort zone and shows us what they can do. I am pretty happy with the whole Cafe Minamdang crew so far. I like the whackiness of it.

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Spoiler alert goruki.. Is the guy closest to him the mighty powerful guy who acts dumb but isn't they give it away episode 3 flashback.. When they revisit the former agency

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I’m behind with this show and haven’t had a chance to read the reviews and the comments so please excuse me if the following has been discussed. The timeline makes little sense to me visavis SIG’s character’s age when he was a beat cop and the little girl who grew up to be a detective. SIG’s character and the female detective seem to be more or less the same age so to me it is not credible at all that he was a mentor and sparring partner to the little kid. Apart from this gripe, SIG is mostly hilarious. He mugs, chews the scenery - albeit in a good way - and sadly has become a mercenary nihilist. I want him to find at least some redemption and stop helping these vile rich people achieve impunity.

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