Juniper
If there was really a Witch’s Diner where customers ate a dish chosen by the owner and get a wish granted, there would probably be a lot of customers notwithstanding the heavy price exacted which could be lost memories (dementia), loss of limbs or eyesight. In the last 2 episodes of “The Witch’s Diner” entitled “Mon’s Kimchi & Bean Sprout Porridge” and “The Final Feast” respectively, we finally know the background of Miss Witch, Jo Hee Ra who was just a normal person like us before she got transformed into a witch.
The twist in the story is the relationship between Miss Witch and Jung Jin whose mother is actually her adoptive mother. Nevertheless, Jung Jin’s mother has always treated her like she was her own flesh and blood. Jung Jin goes home to see her father who had a past with Miss Witch before dumping her for Jung Jin’s mother. It’s this betrayal that made Miss Witch go to the previous witch’s diner and wish that her ex-lover’s daughter will be as miserable as her.
It’s not long before she regrets her wish as she finds out she is pregnant so she goes back to the diner to ask for her wish to be retracted but too late. Once the wish is made, there’s no return and Miss Witch is advised to abandon her baby who of course turns out to be Jung Jin. Miss Witch hands her baby over to Jung Jin’s mother.
Comparisons have been made between this intriguing drama and “Hotel Del Luna” but I think they are very different. There’re no ghosts in “The Witch’s Diner”, just a bit of black magic and if there is a dark side, it’s the heavy price customers have to pay in exchange for a wish. However, the customers don’t seem to be too unhappy about it and willingly give up whatever the witch demands of them.
I have really enjoyed this drama and wish there were a few more episodes. The dresses worn by Miss Witch are gorgeous and Jung Jin gets transformed into a bona fide witch in the last episode after making another wish. It’s a very watchable drama and I think it’s one of the best K-dramas this year.
