Drama Digest
The drama “Would You Like a Cup of Coffee?” follows Park Seok, the barista and owner of Café 2Dae. His shop runs well and is quite successful, which he manages by himself. However, one day Kang Go Bi, after tasting the cafe’s coffee, becomes adamant about learning from Park Seok. Reluctantly, he becomes Go Bi’s mentor. And the both of them bond over coffee and meet various people that visit the cafe in the process.
The Feel-Good Part
It is a treat to watch for coffee lovers. Each episode is relaxing and very laid back. It picks tiny portions of the backstory of a visitor or a regular customer. And through that gives a life lesson to our main characters and viewers. The cinematography supports the tone of the drama. The relationship of the two lead characters progresses in each episode. And they depict the emotions of the characters and motivations well. On the acting front, there are no lapses even with the other recurring customers.
The Disappointing Factor
Due to the short runtime, the stories of the visitors are brief, without indulging in their background extensively. It may lead to a disconnect with the emotions of the characters.
In-Depth Analysis
Adapted from a manhwa called “How About a Cup of Coffee?” the drama successfully retains the warmth of the manhwa. After repeated attempts at the civil services examination, Go Bi does poorly in the test again. While taking a short break to restart his preparation, he momentarily chooses to go to the cafe. And this decision ends up becoming a turning point in his life. At its core, it is a coming-of-age type of drama where a character discovers a passion for something and seeks to learn it. The process of finding your interest and calling in life is the highlight of this drama.
The drama dives deep into the coffee-making process and about barista as a profession. It is lovely to see the mentor-mentee relationship bloom throughout their time together. And the personal growth that Kang Go Bi has from a tired and exhausted civil service aspirant to an inspired youngster is moving. And after taking the mentor role, Park Seok shifts from being adamant about handling things on his own to naturally accepting the role of mentoring others. All the visitors and regular customers to the cafe have unique stories and backgrounds. The drama has an overall calm tone and discusses things of importance in daily lives. The drama shows the idea of a community and how certain public places may become a hub of connection. Through the story, one realizes how interconnected lives can be due to the places they visit.
Star Power
Park Ho San plays the heartwarming cafe owner turned mentor. And Ong Seong Wu of Wanna One fame plays the mentee, Go Bi. Both portray their characters well. All the supporting characters and other appearances also commit to their parts.
Overall Opinion
The drama exudes warmth and maintains a cozy atmosphere. It is easygoing and will put you in a good mood even in its short runtime.
