The Witch's Diner

 

The first episode immediately hooked me in. Premise of the story is that anyone who eats the food that the witch cooks will get their wish. But each wish comes with a hefty price. 

Jung Jin, played by Nam Ji-Hyun was one of the customers of the witch Hee-ra beautifully played by Song Ji-Hyo. She made a wish which she deeply regretted afterwards. Jin ended up working for the witch and even learned how to cook the dishes herself. The reason therewith was revealed towards the end of the series. 

Of course, Chae Jong-Hyeop's presence made the drama even more appealing. I was growing frustrated with Nevertheless (where he is also part of the cast) so seeing him here was a treat.

WHAT I LIKE ABOUT IT

The quotable quotes and the learnings

There were quite a lot in the series. Here are a couple of my favorites:

In this scene, Jin was expressing her frustration on the wishes being made by their customers and the price that they were paying. Hee-ra mentioned this which really struck me. Sometimes, we are quick to judge people and forcing them to accept our own definition of happiness when only themselves can know what it means to be happy.

This can be difficult especially if the people involved are someone we care for. But as we say in Filipino--Kung saan ka masaya, suportahan kita.

I love this quote as I can simplify it in one word--Believe. It touched a chord in me as this has been my mantra for the past several months as I tackled a huge project at work. Believe is defined to accept something as true. Believe also involves trust and both are difficult to instill especially if you've been burned by failures and disappointments. 

The Guests

Each guest had their own story to tell and why they made such a wish. Love the cameos as they were not forced. Each guest and their story appeared for a couple of episodes. Koo Hyo-shik's (superbly played by Lim Won-Hee) story was so heartbreaking that I cried with him. Happy that his mom got her wish though.  

Chae Jong-hyeop

Need I say more? His smiles have become legendary. 

WHAT I DON'T LIKE ABOUT IT

Too short!

This is only 8 episodes which makes it easy to binge-watch. Maybe that's why I liked this drama. The writer was forced to tell a story that will just run for 8 hours which sort of made everything fast paced. I want to see more though. Probably a season 2 where Hee-ra returns?

Noona Romance

I haven't seen a successful drama with a noona romance. I couldn't feel any chemistry between them. 

RATING:

Giving this four tissue boxes! 

Watched: July 18-August 13, 2021

Since Ji-Hyo is a regular cast of Running Man, the cast appeared in one of the episodes.