When Netflix started recommending Mystic Pop-Up Bar, I wondered what kind of new kdrama it was. Reading the blurb, I thought it sounded a lot like Hotel del Luna… and so I put off watching it.
But then so many of my kdrama friends were saying good things about it. After finishing the excellent It’s Okay to Not be Okay, I was not in the mood to watch another kdrama, and took a break from it and watched Cobra Kai instead.
After Cobra Kai, I was back in the mood for kdrama, and who knew that Mystic Pop-Up Bar was the perfect kdrama for that? 🙂
Plot summary:
Weol-Ju has been sentenced to resolve the grudges of 100,000 people as penance for her actions in her mortal life. To do this, she opened up a bar where people can open up to her about their problems. It has taken her 500 years, but she is now close to achieving her goal.
Mystic Pop-Up Bar Review
I really love this kdrama!
It doesn’t have the emotional ups and downs and cliffhanger-iness of other kdramas (for example, Crash Landing On You).
What it does have is a feel-good, happy effect after every episode, while slowly progressing to the reveals at the end. Our main characters help someone every episode, embarking on many light & funny shenanigans to help their target. Through these episodes, we get to learn a little more about our main characters and how they ended up with this heavenly punishment. The characters grow on us with every episode. The reveals at the end aren’t exactly shocking since I already guessed them a few episodes back, but they are still done well.
It’s a light & funny kdrama with depth where it counts. It’s cathartic to see them resolve other people’s problems every episode.
It is not emotionally draining, thank goodness. The kdrama doesn’t focus on the romance. While there is a love story, it doesn’t focus on that until the end. The series only has 12 episodes, so I’m happy that they didn’t have to drag out the drama. I also really appreciated how they showed love as a quiet devotion to be the person your loved one needs. There is no emotional roller coaster love drama, but you will still realize how much one loves the other.
I also appreciate that they aren’t very heavy-handed in the use of cliffhanger tactics, so I was able to watch a few episodes at a time without feeling the need to watch the next episode ASAP. They did do a few things to extend the suspense before the “reveal” but it’s not too much so it’s okay.
But what I really love the most was the love story that wasn’t the focus of the drama slowly moving into the center and then you realize what a beautiful love story it was, 500 years in the making! There is no big drama. It is just a quiet love story, in the background, until it hits you and you start crying with their heartache, as well. For a bad-tempered character like Weol-ju, the romance was actually handled maturely.
And the best part is — it has a happy ending!!! Except for the bad guy – he doesn’t get a happy ending, hahaha. Seeing how this kdrama is a “feel-good” type, the happy ending isn’t really a spoiler…
I really hate the current trend of “compromise endings” where neither parties are 100% happy but just try to make the best of their situations. But with Mystic Pop-Up Bar, everybody’s happy at the end! So go watch Mystic Pop-Up Bar, knowing that your viewing will be rewarded with happiness.
All’s well that ends well. This is the kdrama to watch when you feel like the world is pushing you down. Somehow, somewhere, the universe has sent someone to help you. The heavens are merciful. You’ll get through this. That’s the other message I got from this kdrama 🙂
