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Mystic Pop-Up Bar korean drama review
Completed
Mystic Pop-Up Bar
7 people found this review helpful
by Mel
Jun 27, 2020
12 of 12 episodes seen
Completed
Overall 10
Story 9.5
Acting/Cast 10.0
Music 10.0
Rewatch Value 10.0
This review may contain spoilers

A true masterpiece

Okay folks, get ready 'cause I'm gonna fangirl really hard about this show for like...the rest of my life. If you're wondering wether to give this a chance or not, my solid advice would be: YES, DO IT! DO IT NOW! JUST DO IT!!!

To me, this drama feels like one of those shows that fill you with joy and makes you feel all warm inside. It is definitely something that reminds you of the beauty of life. I'm sure many times we find ourselves going through a rough patch, we get tired of the way things are going in life, or we just have too much on our plate. I mean, just as an example, in addition to our personal ups and downs, we're all going through a pandemic right now!! And it might make us feel like this is too hard, this "thing" called "living" is just not what we were waiting for or we would've liked it if it came with a series of instructions on how to navigate it. However, we all know this is not possible and that we have to go through life figuring out how things work and making the best out of what we have.

For me this show provided that pause I needed in my routine. It was like finding a friend who comes to me and says: 'Hey, it's okay. Stop for a second thinking of all the negative things that are going on in your life or how you don't know what's gonna happen in the future. Stop for just a minute and look at the things that are going well, at all that you've accomplished and at how you have the opportunity to start over each day and try your best to achieve what you want. I understand how you're feeling and it's okay. Things will get better and you're gonna ace it.' What I loved so much about MPUB is that it reminded me that we're all struggling in this uncertain journey called "life." We all have our problems and no one has a guide that says how to do it, we're all figuring it out at our own pace and that is fine. There'll always be good and bad times and that's just how life is. It doesn't end there, there's so much to enjoy and appreciate in life even though we're sometimes stuck in seeing just the negative part.

This show taught me something that I tend to forget many times. What's important is to value the small moments in life, the people we are with and the time we get to spend with our loved ones. Sometimes we just need to look up to realize that everybody else is also struggling and trying their best, that's the moment when we realize that it's not just us, other people are going through the same, other people need our help as much as we need theirs. If I had to decribe MPUB in one word, I'd say it's "healing." I get so many positive vibes from this show, it's like a friend who tells you that no matter what you're going through you'll work it out.

Every episode of this show has a life lesson or take-away (that must be one of the things I find most refreshing and love about this drama) and the one that stuck with me the most is that we all need someone to listen to us, someone with whom to share our struggles, our worries, but also our joys and hopes. We don't expect that person to solve our problems, but we all need someone to be there for us. And of course it's not only receiving, we also have to give. There are many people around us who need us to ask them how they're doing and listen, truly listen to them.

This is what makes MPUB a true jewel in kdramaland, it's not everyday that we come across a show like this. The character development and the relationships between them are so masterfully and beautifully written that they seem real people you can relate to even though this is a fantasy story. (Shout out to that person in the comments who asked if there's a word for shipping a family, 'cause that's exactly what I'm doing. I SHIP THIS FAMILY LIKE FEDEX). The actors did such a wonderful job in portraying the characters that I truly came to care for them (especially our mystic trio, they're now my precious babies that must be protected at all costs). Hats off to each one of them. I only have one teeny-tiny complain about this show. Even though I LOVED the ending, it didn't quite have the same feeling as the other episodes, if you know what I mean. It was a tad rushed in my opinion. I kinda felt I wanted more, more of my mystic trio being together as a family, but nevertheless, it was wonderful. Congratulations to all the people involved in this masterpiece, they really did an outstanding job. They deserve a standing ovation.

Bonus: I'd just like to take some time to talk about Chief Gwi and how much I ADORE this man. I mean, he just went ahead and raised the bar so high up that at this point, everybody else should just give up. I mean, where can I get a man who catches evil spirits for 500 years just so that he can spend 1 year with you helping you without expecting anything in return, without revealing who he is, just wanting to be right by your side, doing his best to help you achieve your goal. I mean, he didn't even try to explain what happened in the past because he felt that what was important wasn't to get himself a second chance but to fulfill his promise of protecting you. A man who literally decided to go to hell for you without expecting you to recognize all his effort and devotion. A man who promised to always find you no matter what and he DID. He did and stayed with Weol-ju, knowing how much she actually resented him but being happy of just being able to be with her. AND DON'T EVEN GET ME STARTED ON THE ADORING LOOK IN CHOI WON YOUNG'S EYES EVERY TIME HE LOOKS AT WEOL-JU. I NEED THIS KIND OF ROMANCE IN MY LIFE. We didn't even get a single kiss from them but it wasn't needed, I hadn't seen this level of romance in a kdrama in a long time. That hug in ep 12 was everything I never knew I needed.

Bonus 2: Sungjae is a precious baby boy. Too precious for words, too precious for this world. He did an amazing job once again and I'm so proud of him.

In summary, MPUB is now one of my all-time favorite kdramas. It was an amazing journey and I'll definitely be rewatching it more than once. The found family trope is so strong in this one that it's all I ever wished for in a kdrama. We really need more shows like this out there. Once more, congratulations to all the cast and crew for making such a beautiful show.

"Everyone's fate is decided by the heavens, but the heavens is more easily moved than you might think. Little things that you say and do may change your fate. If changing your fate is called a miracle, miracles may be happening every day. The miracle of you being alive, the miracle of having that person next to you, the miracle of being able to have a drink with that person."
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