I came to watch this show completely by chance, scrolling down on Netflix and clicking on whatever poster caught my eyes. So I didn't have much to expect from what i was going to watch. To my surprise, Mystic Pop-up Bar is pretty good, and definitely deserves more attention than it does now.
This drama is visually pleasing. Camera angles, special effect and scene transition are smooth, and may I say it's better than many K-dramas that I've watched. The clothing of lead characters is spot on, especially the hanbok collection of the female lead. Traditional or modernized, the stylist of this drama did a good job.
I just love the trio of the drama, and they are really cute together. Hwang Jung Eum and Won Young proved that they got what it takes to fulfill the leading roles. Compared to the veterans, Sungjae did amazingly as a kind and naive male lead.
The only downfall of this drama is sadly its pacing. For the first few episode, the script is a bit repetitive and predictable. All the twist and turns occurred in the last 2, so obviously there's not enough time, and the editing was a bit off as a result.
To sum up, this is not an out of this world drama, but it's fun to watch. I recommend it to anyone who wants an heartwarming, funny and meaningful drama.
Add a Review
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hhtrange27 June 2020
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alaningle715 July 2020Spirit realm, reincarnation, 500 year grudges, what's not to like. If only people believed what we do in this life we pay for in the next the world may be a better place. A cleverly written story, well acted with a good balance of humour and action makes this series very entertaining.
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CartoonMan202011 June 2020Great acting and directing. The cast does an outstanding job at luring you in so well that you forget you are watching a TV show! The story is interesting and well written. The show combines light comedy and sad drama together just right. By far my favorite Korean Drama thus far!
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All the stories are beautiful! i'm so moved and excited for the latest episodes and sad because this drama ends. This drama teaches you very valuable things about the life and death. I LOVE THIS, DEFINETELY WORTH IT TO SEE!
Postscript: If you like Hotel Del Luna, i assure u that this you can enjoy. -
pranishaps25 June 2020Just completed Mystic Popup Bar and im soo in love since first episode!!! Everyone has done a very good job, I wish this drama had atleast 16 episodes. I will miss watching this.
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Aliy-ah6 July 2020I have just finished Mystic Pop-up Bar and guess what? I started to re-watch it again!
The reason why I even created an account to give a review is because, come on guys, this series doesn't deserve 7. something...like what do you expect from a drama to be 10? Lots of kisses and crying...
I love the cast, they have a perfect chemistry together, all three. It made me laugh a lot, it made me cry and enjoy every chapter.
I am a big fan of fantasy dramas, you don't have to expect that you are going to see a lot of FX but what you are going to love is that in every chapter there is a new story while the main story starts to make sense.
You may recognize Hwang Jung Eum from She was Pretty, in this series I have seen another side of her acting, she is very charming, funny.
I like the combination between Joseon era and modernity plus the heaven and hell thing.
I won't tell you many other things about the series because I don't want to take you the chance to watch it and enjoy it.
I can only tell you that at the end I cried hard, like I didn't in a long time, it left me with a good vibe and with the wish to do what Hwang Jung Eum advised at the end.
I really hope for a second season since this one was too short... -
ishansharma-9560513 July 2020The show is in the format of adventure of the week and has elements of Korean Mythology which keep on getting revealed as the series progresses. Some episodes may be a bit slow. The resolution of central mystery of the show towards the end is a bit disappointing and a little convenient. The show must be watched for the chemistry between the four lead characters.
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A great blend of comedy, drama and fantasy. Easy to watch, good acting and writing each episode, I was sorry to see the season end. You know you're watching a good show when you notice there are less episodes to go with each episode you watch, and you're dreading the time when it's the last one to watch. I'm not going to give anything away. Just give it a try and if you are not hooked after watching the first couple of episodes, then I guess this is not the kind of show for you, which is fine, but I'm guessing the majority of people will keep on watching. Glad I found this little gem of a show.
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thaliavery22 May 2020I love the first and second episode! I always watch romantic comedy kdramas, but this one has a different vibes. It's just chill, mysterious, and fun to watch. Can't wait for the next episodes. I really love HJE and I missed her acting a lot. :)
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polsixe4 May 2021Very similar to Uncanny Counter with the portrayal of an afterlife as an eternal government bureaucracy and a battle between good and evil. Also parallels to the US series Ghost Whisperer with Jennifer Love Hewitt. Middle episodes feature various souls who have their "grudges" cleared up. Last few shows focus on the five main characters. Some sight gags and slapstick humour.
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wendyalmasen20 June 2020I was quite skeptical watching this show because of Hwang Jung Eum cause I didn't like her previous portrayals in her other dramas, but I was surprised by how good her chemistry is with the cast in this one and how suitable her portrayal was for Wol-joo. I love Won Young Choi played his role as he showed all and very different sides of Guibanjang. Yook Sungjae was perfect as Kang Bae; honestly, his character is the cutest and the most adorable I've watched. All other characters played their roles well, even the recurring and episodic characters kept me hooked.
I like that there are take-aways or lessons given in each episode. Each episode was healing and relatable. It is highly recommended. -
Glue2Screen23 October 2022I was very excited for this series as it sounded similar to Hotel de Luna and all the high ratings. However, the high ratings on here set me up with a high expectation that wasn't met. Sadly after getting to episode 6, my interest weaned and attention scattered. The main culprit for this loss of interest is the uneven beginning and lack of gripping mystery in the episodes. So much of this series relies on spoken exposition rather than presenting you pieces to put together (some people enjoy this as element of storytelling, but I find it highly dull-so preference plays part in this).
Definitely not high on my list of fav drama. It's ok, but I prefer Hotel Del Luna. -
aranH-123-5605420 June 2023This is not a TERRIBLE kdrama, but it's DEFINITELY not as good as I was led to believe, or anywhere near that. I had read a lot of extremely positive reviews before watching, and I was honestly kind of shocked by just how mediocre the show ended up being
A solid 5 for me.
This was a pretty bad knockoff of two SIGNIFICANTLY BETTER shows: Hotel Del Luna & The Uncanny Counter that are often mentioned in the same conversation.
There were multiple points during the show where I felt like, "wow... this is kinda dumb... but I guess it's mildly entertaining and I'll stick around to see what happens".
The Good: I thought Jung Da-Eun (who plays Yeo Rin) did a good job playing her character. You don't appreciate it fully until a later reveal about her backstory, but the theme they were going for is pretty solid ; )
The lighthearted humor was also nice, and occasionally I did laugh out loud.
Towards the end, the payoffs of some of the storylines they'd been developing were done pretty well.
The Bad: Everything else was VERY mediocre, and mostly dull versions of things copied from much better shows.
The final showdown is spoiled by the fact that we see the "heroes" inexplicably standing outside the room listening to the villain monologue and waiting till well AFTER he does the terrible thing that he's obviously going to do to walk in and try to stop him. There's no danger to them entering the room, and no, they're not coming up with some elaborate plan... they're quite literally just waiting their turn for the writer to call them into the scene once the drama has been manufactured...
There are plenty of other cringy/head-scratching moments like this in the show where characters do inexplicably stupid things, even for a TV show.
The biggest thing for me was that, for the first time in about twenty-some kdramas, I wasn't hooked and excited to watch the next episode... it was just a thing to do... mildly entertaining.
The Ugly: I enjoyed Choi Wonyoung (plays the bar's manager in this show) in Sky Castle, but MY GOSH, his acting in this show was TERRIBLE... I don't know if he just phoned it in, but sometimes it looked like someone who had never acted before.
Overall, it was OK... but definitely in the bottom 2 or 3 Kdramas I've watched... and I've watched A LOT lately, and definitely not anywhere in the same league as most of the other kdramas I've seen it compared to.
I'd say go in with low expectations, if you even bother. -
vishnufun30 May 2020One of those drama you wanna watch. With funny instances, it teaches some good values! Highly recommended!
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triciastone-7001121 June 2020This is my ration long for each week. As other reviewers have said, superb casting, brilliant storyline and script. Not a word wasted. I am only sad the series is so short. Thanks for a great show.
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imats24 October 2020You had me hooked from episode one. Thank you for this. I laughed I cried I laughed I sighed I cried again. Your characters had the right actors who played the roles so well I was there reliving it with them. All I can say is I want more..
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AnnaPagrati24 August 2021I loved this drama so much! It was so heart-warming & beautiful!
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charleslanobucklin11 September 2020A K-drama that's hard not to love. I enjoyed everything about this series and I was sad to see it end. Great acting and cinematography. The storyline was intriguing and uplifting and music score was spot on. I gotta give this show a ten because I think it deserves to be watched. Those folks who enjoyed Black might want to give this show a look albeit it's not as dark as Black was. Two thumbs up. 👍👍
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leahcubed28 October 20209.5/10 This is a 2020 South Korean television supernatural drama with 12, 70 minute, episodes.
At night a pop up outdoor drinking bar appears in Seol. It offers free food and drink to clientele. The bar keep, Weol-ju (Hwang Jung-eum), has a mission to resolve grudges for 100,000 people and it has taken hundreds of years but she is very close to the finish line. Only problem is at the rate it normally takes to sort out who has a genuine grudge and resolve it, her time will run out. Her loyal bar manager, Chief Gwi (Choi Won-young), uses skills he gained as a former afterlife detective to help her resolve cases. A chance encounter with a young man, Han Kang-bae (Yook Sung-Jae) that has the unique ability to have people tell him their innermost concerns after he touches them, seems to be the perfect fit for their mission. Spoilers** I liked this one, so much. I found it interesting the whole way through. The cases they had were interesting. I liked the supernatural aspects and a love that lasts so very long. The Sung-Jae character was so nice and sweet I loved seeing him have some happy times after being an orphan. I have loved Hwang Jung-eum in everything she has played in. She is an amazingly talented actress. I was surprised how pretty she is with long hair and red lipstick. She looks pretty with shorter hair too but the long hair, was just a level up. I wasn't sure why their younger selves were played by other actors. I loved the whole concept of the mystic pop up bar. This one was magical on par with Goblin for me. It was a world I hated leaving. The only very slight detractions for me is I wish Sung-Jae had retained his abilities and just learned to control them. I also wished that Chief Gwi and Weol-ju had been able to be human because with them being supernatural and Sung-Jae not it means they will have to lose him at some point. It also felt like they could tick off the gods and just disappear sometime. I wanted to know what happened with Sung-Jae's girlfriend too after she was fighting all the evil spirits to save him. But those are all very minor points. It really ended well. If you love supernatural and unique storylines I highly recommend this. Also a couple of great love stories. -
MidoriAi21 December 2020Only a 6 year old can watch it and laugh about the silliness they portrayed, that aren't funny because it is kindergarten humor!! But, it has adult components, like when the boss sexually harass his employee, so, I think they expect that adults laugh about kindergarten humor.
If this would have been approached with a different angle, it would be great. But no, thank you.
I don't get why so many people give this more than 8, really. -
henkharmsen27 July 2020K-drama's are always slow, which is in the end very healthy for your mind. This fantastic story is about love, hate, after-life and you name it, but it is absolutely slow. I would say: high quality slow. And that's why you really see and experience the beauty of the actors and the beauty of the story. You get the time to cry and laugh and get angry with the main characters. If you like this try Black or A Korean Odyssey. The same slow food. Enjoy!
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nolafmak30 June 2020You will fall in love with the cast and the plot will keep you hooked, alternating occasionally to the past to reveal more about the characters and theither intertwining fates. Sometimes when I watch kdramas, I can't help but feel a slightly sexist undertone to how the women are portrayed as weak and naive almost to a fault. I did not feel this way at all with Mystic Pop Up Bar. The themes of this show overall are comforting and each episode will bring a sense of satisfaction as they help solve their grudges and grow closer. Also, the food they cook in the tent looks so yummy.
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alainj-francois14 September 2022A really wonderful series. Stunning acting and a heart warming story. In particular the young actor Sung-Jae Yook (playing Han Kang Bae), has a unique sincerity. I was amazed how with the slightest gesture or facial expression he was able to communicate a wealth of emotional information. He is one of those unique natural talent. The whole cast was wonderful.
As a cinematographer, I often look at the camera and lighting and I am always delighted at the ingenuity of Korean film makers in portraying the story with stunning visuals that meld into the overall storytelling.
Overall a highly satisfying experience, both cinematically as well as visually - a well written and executed story.
Congratulations to all.
Alain.