“Mystic Pop-up Bar” (쌍갑포차)

By Jae-Ha Kim
jaehakim.com
December 3, 2021

☆☆☆☆
Weol-Ju (played by Hwang Jung-Eum)
Han Kang-Bae (played by Yook Sung-Jae)
Guilbanjang (played by Choi Won-Young)
↑Note: Korean names denote the surname followed by the given name.

I admit it. I sometimes don’t start a K-drama because I don’t like the title. This was the case with last year’s “Mystic Pop-up Bar,” which just sounded meh. But I needed a show to tide me over while I was waiting for new episodes of “Happiness” and “Melancholia.” And, boy, am I glad I gave it a shot.

In Korea, you’ll see many poja/포차 dotting the streets. They’re tented outdoor food stalls where people can grab a hot delicious snack and down it with some soju. This mystical poja is run by Weol-Ju. In her youth, she was sent to help the Crown Prince heal from the nightmares he was experiencing. After being betrayed by those she had trusted, she makes a rash decision that impacts the rest of her life.

Now over 500 years old, she can’t ascend to heaven until she settles the grudges of 10,000 souls (dead or alive). And because she’s already 200 years over her deadline, she has only one more month to get the job done.

Helping her are Guilbanjang, who looks after her as much as he verbally spars with her, and Kang-Bae, who has some kind of mystical powers of his own. When someone makes any kind of physical contact with him, they tell him everything that’s bothering them. It sounds like it could be kind of a cool curse, huh? But having to hear everyone’s hardships (and whining) would grow old fast.

Hwang Jung-Eum is one of my absolute favorite actresses. I love everything about her, especially the forthright way she delivers her dialogue. Her chemistry with both leading men is on point and viewers can see the family-like dynamics shared by the trio. Choi Won-Young and Yook Sun-Jae are superb actors whose subtle (and overt) mannerisms speak to viewers without them having to utter a word.

The weakest story arc in “Mystic Pop-up Bar” centers around Kang-Bae and a bodyguard, who has her own otherworldly issues to deal with. Though the couple is awkwardly sweet, the storyline is tepid.

Fashion: Kudos to the costume designer who dressed Weol-Ju exclusively in hanboks (or hanbok-inspired couture). The outfits are gorgeous and showed that a traditional piece of clothing can easily fit into modern day society.

Slang: Poja/포차 is short for pojangmacha/포장마차.

Airdates: Twelve 60-minute episodes aired on JTBC from May 20 to June 25, 2020.

Spoiler Alert: Guilbanjang is the reincarnation of the Crown Prince. After the Queen orders his best friend and confidante to kill Weol-Ju, the guard mistakenly murders her mother. After Weol-Ju hangs herself, the heartbroken Prince chooses to die by suicide as well. If you watched “Goblin,” you know that those who take their own lives are considered among the biggest sinners and are punished accordingly. In Weol-Ju’s case, she didn’t know at the time that she was pregnant with the Crown Prince’s baby. Viewers will probably guess early on, but the spirit of that child lives in Kang-Bae.

All that aside, one of the best subplots occurred in Episode 4. It dealt with a man who is losing his memory, but loves his wife dearly. At first, we think she is still alive, before realizing that it’s a case of, “I see dead people” (à la “The Sixth Sense”). He has severe survivor’s guilt and isn’t ready to let her go. Weol-Ju helps him (and the spirit of his deceased wife) get closure, before the latter moves onto heaven. Cognizant of how he will be unable to care for himself, he contacts his son (who will return from the U.S. to be closer to his father) and makes plans to move into a nursing home.

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