A former criminal profiler spent time in prison after being framed for his best friend’s death. Now, after serving his time, he makes a living by using his keen powers of observation and insight into human behavior to convince rich clients that he is a shaman.  With the help of his best friend, who serves as his personal bodyguard, and his tech-savvy sister, they perform their “magic” in the back room of their cafe.  But outside of business hours, the crew is still trying to find the real culprit in their friend’s murder.  When their investigation overlaps with a current police case, the conman shaman meets a tough and determined female detective who also shares an interest in their private investigation.  Now, they will find out whether a rogue conman can actually work with a by-the-book officer of the law.  

Oh Yeon Seo as Han Jae Hee

From the time she was a child, Han Jae Hee was interested in martial arts.  And a childhood crush on a young police cadet set her on a career path that has never wavered. But after her brother’s tragic death, she changes her name and joins the police force with her new identity.  When an investigation brings her face to face with her old crush, she is thankful that he doesn’t recognize her as the awkward young girl who followed him around.  But his involvement in her brother’s death draws her to him, as they both search to find the truth of what happened that night.  

Han Jae Hee is known as the “ghost homicide detective”.  She is determined and fearless in the face of criminals.  But her brother’s death left a shadow on her heart that has never healed.  Oh Yeon Seo has played several of these outrageously outspoken characters, and she plays up to the intensity well.  Unfortunately, Jae Hee has a tendency to be all bluster without much substance. A bit more depth to her character would have been nice. 

Kwak Shi Yang as Gong Soo Cheol

Soo Cheol was a detective before he was fired unfairly.  Now he works as a barista during the day at Cafe Minamdang, while still using his detective skills to help Han Joon after hours.  Han Joon is his best friend, and he is completely devoted to him.  When Soo Cheol falls in love with Hye Joon he is overcome with guilt and worry that Han Joon won’t approve of him as a suitable suitor.  

 ♥ Mom

The character of Han Joon and Hye Joon’s mother “Deacon Kim” was very funny.  The lengths the group goes to hide Han Joon’s identity as the great shaman is well played.  And her delicate christian sensibilities are presented with just the right touch of subtle humor.  And that made it doubly funny to watch her find out that her son is the shaman her church friends are visiting.  And also when the group try to explain that the whole thing is really just one big ruse.  

 ♥ Psychological Twist

Although the shift in this drama from silly comedy to psychological thriller was a bit much for some fans, I appreciated the unique twist the story created.  Although I was suspicious of the prosecutor, the idea of a young psychopath getting hypnotized into becoming a warrior of justice was an interesting touch I couldn’t have predicted.  And it made his character much more complex than the usual evil villain.  

Villain Ladder

This is a pretty common formula for crime mystery dramas.  They chase after some evil villain and then when they catch them, they find out that there is someone more evil.  And this repeats multiple times.  It’s not necessarily bad, but it can be pretty redundant over time.  This drama did it enough times that it started to seem like it might never end.  By the end, many of the bad guys in the earlier episodes had been long forgotten.  They could have cut out a villain or 2 and gone with fewer episodes. 

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 Inconsistent Character

It’s not unusual in kdramas to start with over the top silliness that eventually calms into an actual plot.  But this drama started with some large personalities that seemed to loose all those unique traits as things went on.  Hye Joon’s messy room and crumpled clothes fell to the wayside for beautiful straight hair and a more put together appearance as a whole.  The prosecutor’s habit of filling with air with boring trivia points also disappears and never comes back.  It just made the characters feel inconsistent and a bit more boring in the later episodes.  

Things wrap up for “Cafe Minamdang” pretty much the way you would expect.  Do Won’s true character is finally revealed and he is arrested.  However, he still refuses to show any remorse for his actions, standing by the idea that he only killed those who deserved it anyway, with a slight exception for Jae Hee’s brother.  Han Joon had hoped to leave the life of a shaman behind after catching Gopuri, but his team was quick to remind him that they hadn’t finished paying off their debts.  So he agrees to keep the cafe open on the condition that he get a 6 month vacation to travel.  Initially Jae Hee refuses to go with him, saying she is happiest working. But a sudden suspension makes her change her mind.  She and Han Joon are just unwinding on their vacation when some other vacationers find a dead body floating in the water.  So, the detective/cafe squad is back in action.