‘The Witch’s Diner’ fulfills your wishes, but with a deal

Have you ever thought how good it would have been if you had a chance to get what you want after having a really bad day, just by eating a witch’s food? But you also have to remember that you have to pay a price.

The recently concluded TVING’s 8 episode drama, ‘The Witch’s Diner’ portrays this fantasy in a successful K-drama written by screenwriter Lee Young Sook and produced by director So Jae Hyun. In this drama, Jo Hee-Ra (Song Ji-Hyo), a witch and a restaurant owner offer customers food that fulfills their wishes in exchange for their souls. All of her customers’ life is such hell that they make a deal with a witch and don’t realise that Hee-Ra will collect her price and it will be more than they are willing to pay. However, anyone who comes here seems to be healed and gets through difficult times in life thanks to the dishes of the mysterious witch.

In the first episode of the drama which aired on 26 July 2021, Hee-ra prepares a plate of foie gras for a customer, whose most ardent desire is to win the lottery, so that he may become a father and husband who can provide for his family even though he doesn’t work hard or stay beside his family when they need him. Ignoring several red flags, the man greedily eats the foie gras, and the next time he clutches a lottery ticket as the lucky numbers get called, his dream comes true. But then his nightmare begins, as he starts to lose his sight. For this meal, the price turned out to be his eyes. Despite this cold opening, the first episode shows us how greed is nothing but misery.

Similarly, in every story of the customers, there are lots of life lessons that are served. It also powerfully gives the message that we all have the freedom and decision to choose the things we want in life. And that’s why every decision of our life should be carefully thought about because even very small decisions might change our lives in a way that we might regret later.

That’s why in the journey of Hee-Ra of fulfilling her customers’ wishes, her hardworking business partner Jung-Jin (Nam Ji-Hyun) and part-time employee Gil Yong (Chae Jong Hyeop) join hands with her. Jung-Jin is a young woman who finds herself becoming Hee-Ra’s partner after enduring a series of setbacks, including losing her job and seeing a restaurant she runs with her mother go down. And Gil Yong is a guy who struggles to juggle his athletic ambitions and scholastic needs, that’s why he comes to work to find solutions for his life. Then there’s Lee Kyu Hyung from ‘Hi Bye Mama’ and Ahn Eun Jin from ‘Hospital Playlist’ who also appears as a cameo in this drama.

The main three members of the cast of the drama are all well known to K-drama fans. Song Ji-Hyo might be known as the single mom producer she played in ‘Was It Love’ or from her enthusiastic efforts as a cast member of a famous variety show, ‘Running Man’. This is the first time she tried her hand at this type of character and so she was nervous, but still did a great job. People have especially applauded her flawless performance and the unchanging beauty in this drama.

Nam Ji-Hyun also previously appeared in the dramas like ‘365: Repeat the Year’ and ‘100 Days, My Prince’. Recently Chae Jong Hyeop became famous for his role in the drama ‘Nevertheless’ and for looking similar to South Korea’s famous actor Park Bo Gum. The chemistry of these main three characters working in the witch’s diner is highly praised.

The story of ‘The Witch’s Diner’ is originally based on a novel by the well-known writer Goo Sang Hee. After being published in 2016, the story received much praise for its touching facts attached to reality. It also won the Daesang award in the 3rd Kyobo Book Center story-writing contest. The director So Jae Hyun who took charge of this most-anticipated TV adaptation revealed that he used a tailoring approach to create this series like ‘dark nursery rhymes’ with romance, horror, and thrills, which obviously turned out successful. After debuting with the little screen drama ‘Scripting Your Destiny’ earlier this year, TVING, South Korea’s new streaming service, ‘The Witch’s Diner’ is its second original drama.

Basically the makers of 'The Witch's Diner' offered a menu that K-drama fans cannot refuse. Keeping up perfectly with its twisted, dark fantasy plot the drama gives fans a taste of semi-realistic fantasy with the dingy and dimly lit diner.

* Rumaiysa M Rahman is a 10th grader at Viqarunnisa Noon School and College, Dhaka