Hotel del Luna (2019)

Disappointing end

Visually, this is quite stunningly beautiful, in a deeply satisfying way. Ahhh the color. Every single scene was a jewel: they could have made the whole thing silent (and kept the orchestral part of the soundtrack, which I also loved) and I would still probably have watched all 16 episodes. The storyline switches between the ghost hotel's current incarnation in present-day Seoul and monster-of-the-week-style tales of its residents as its new young non-ghostly manager adjusts to his job, and historical flashbacks to the story of the immortal, 1000-year-old owner Jang Man-wol and how she got the curse which ties her to the hotel. She was a great character, wonderfully played by IU - I had never heard of her before this, but she was marvelous, and so was her wardrobe, which must have filled a warehouse. I loved both the flashbacks and the ghosts and unlike some reviewers, I liked the ML, who grew on me, and in fact all of the cast. And it was so very good in parts, especially the flashbacks. I'm sad that it's finished and out of my queue.

But the storyline was undeniably patchy and messed up: there were too many arcs, which felt rushed, badly paced and not sufficiently filled out, and the end fell very flat for me, as did both of the romances. I felt similarly about The Master's Sun - that it started so well and could have been absolutely brilliant - so I'm super curious now about the Hong sisters' writing process: how much is pre-outlined, how much is done on the fly as it's filmed? Because it feels like they just started pantsing it at some point because they were out of time. If anyone is reading this who has better Korean than me (not hard) and can link to any interviews with them, that would be great. Anyway. In short, could have been a 10, but it gets an 8. Still definitely worth watching though.

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A Nocturnal K-Drama

HIGHLIGHTS: Sumptuous cinematography and set designs. Beautiful and mysterious soundtrack that expressed perfectly the mood and ambiance of the drama. Intriguing plot with plenty of twists and turns to maintain interest.

I liked IU’s performance as Jang Man-wol. There was enough nuance in her performance to keep me intrigued. But I didn’t think she had the physicality and aggressiveness to inhabit her role as bandit and fighter in her earlier life. Yeo Jin-Goo'’s acting seemed too exaggerated and annoying in the first episode but I grew to like his character. Overall, the cast and acting was very good.

For me, chemistry is the most important element in a K-drama. There’s plenty of moments when emotions cut loose but what makes this drama really successful is the tension from all the emotions that are held in check. After watching parts of the series for a second time, I gained a greater appreciation for the script. Jang Man Wol and Go Chun Myung were in a passionate love/hate relationship. And this was while she was fully human. Jang Man Wol and Ku Chan Son's relationship was a counterbalance to that. Jang Man Wol was no longer quite human, she was Koo Chan-Sung boss, and both implicitly understood that she was destined to cross the bridge. So their dynamic was one of an understated, unrequited love mixed with an awkward brother/sister relationship. I feel the contrast between the two relationships made the drama a richer experience. But the problem I had with Yeo Jin-Goo's acting is that it appeared to be overacted and inauthentic much of the time. Jang Man Wol also had a warm, heartfelt relationship with her staff which again, was understated, making it a more emotionally nuanced and engaging dynamic.

This isn’t the kind of drama you watch while working out at the gym. It’s far from your typical rom-com. While it has its fun and playful moments, the overall tone is darker and more introspective — perfect for a quiet evening under the spell of the full moon.

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I honestly don't know.

I don't know how i even finished this series, when now, i will literally drop a show INSTANTLY if i am not vibing with it. If i think back to the storyline, it seems pretty good on paper. He needs to pay back the "debt" that was left behind by his father and she's the collector, i just think it may have not been executed that good. Or maybe it's just not my taste. I loved the cast and some of the ost, but i found myself waiting for it to be over. Idk maybe i just didn't really click with the story and tbh i barely remember it, even now. I really wished that i had liked it more, but i hope IU does more acting.

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So if you've watched Master's Sun, you'll realize Hotel Del Luna follows the same format (because of being the same writers) of telling the main story while at the same time show minor stories of guest characters in each episode, some lasting longer than others. For me, the main story progressed at an okay pace. At the beginning, the first episode grasp your attention, wanting more, but a couple episodes after that, it was slower than I would've liked. I like the minor stories but some of them overpower the main plot when I really just want to see more of Man Wol's story.

STORY: That being said, I think the plot to Man Wol's story was revealed pretty well. It had a beginning, a middle, and a end. I like it how it leaves me guessing a lot so it wasn't predictable for the most part. What was predictable was knowing the ending was going to be heartbreaking just based on the plot and scenario itself but it matched up pretty well to what I expected.

While I did like most of the minor stories of the guest characters, my only problem was there wasn't much relation to the main plot or the main/support characters. I would've cared more of the minor stories if it somehow reminded Man Wol or the other hotel staff about their past lives and it showed some steady progression on how to move on to the afterlife eventually. I mean I just didn't like how they neglected the stories of the support character roles until the very end, like literally the last few episodes. I also didn't like how some minor stories like Chan Sung's mom or Sanchez's girlfriend had potential to have a bigger impact on the plot but was cut short like it was mistake in writing or something. This was something I had a bit of frustration in Master's Sun as well.

ACTING: For the most part, the acting from these actors & actresses were pretty good. IU shows a great deal of emotions, from being heartbroken & betrayed, a stern woman, to having a comedic side when it comes to money. Yeo Jin Goo's acting was a bit boring for me in the beginning. I felt like that didn't give him an opportunity to really show what he can do in his acting but that quickly improved towards the middle and end of the drama, especially his crying scenes. My favorite actor has to be Ji Hoon from this drama. He plays Hyun Joong so well. You just love it when he's happy because he has that puppy smile that makes you want to smile but when he's sad, you just can't help but be sad with him.

MUSIC: Rarely is there a drama where I enjoy and add every ost to my playlist but this drama is one of them. The ost are just amazing and it fits very well to every situation in this drama. Punch's songs "Done For Me" & "Another Day" with Monday and Yang Da Il - Only You, are my favorites from this drama.

REWATCH VALUE: This is one I would definitely consider rewatching however I would probably skip the minor stories this drama shows since the main plot has more value overall.

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I'm out of tears

At first I didn't know if I should watch this drama cause it had so much hyped I was afraid I'd dislike it. Now that I'd finished it, I know why it had so much hyped and why it received so much love. The plot is interesting, this concept of a hotel where the dead go before going to the afterlife. That, plus the thing with past lives and reincarnation, amazing.

I'll be honest, the best thing that happened to this drama is its ost. So many good songs that go well with each scene, they set the mood perfectly, I can't complain. There were two songs that stucked with me the most, Can you see my heart and Done for me... uffff those two songs, every time they came out I'd cry my eyes out and sob like a baby.

Another thing that I really liked was IU's acting, I can't help but think that there was no other actress that could've taken the role, Jieun was perfect for Man Wol's character. Also, I really liked the quemistry she had with Jingoo, really loved the couple.

I think the only down side with this drama is that the last few episodes are long af and the story starts to drag a little bit, but other than that I really liked it.

Also, the last episode broke my heart. So prepare tissues if you're gonna watch it.

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I enjoyed the drama, the set is beautiful and Jang Man Wol is the primary character in this drama.

The drama itself has beautiful production, the scenes, Jang Man Wol fashion lol

Jang Man Wol has many layers and IU had showcased her character beautifully. The cute, happy, sad, tormented, mad scenes were acted in a way that I do think she is Jang Man Wol and she does it in a way that's believable and consistent with her character. She's the star of this drama and others are just there to support her character which is unusual since most of the time it's the male lead.

I do think that Jang Man Wol has more chemistry with Chung Myung romantically than Chan Sung. I'm actually more interested in the back story than her scenes with Chan Sung. I think of Jang Man Wol and Chan Sung relationship would have been better as platonic than a romantic one.

I wished the ghost stories were not so prominent per episode though, it'll have been better if those scenes were shorten and give the time to show the developing relationships with the Hotel Del Luna staff and, Jang Man Wol and Chan Sung.

The casts were really good too, they portrayed their roles really well, it's just that everything seems so rushed in the latter episodes in terms of resolution for the Hotel Man Wol staff and I prefer to have seen more of their stories than the other ghosts.

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One of the best dramas for 2019

I decided to watch this drama purely because of the title. It was very catchy and so was the poster. I haven't checked the cast so I was suprised to see I.U but I gave it a shot although I'm not a fan of hers ( sorry not sorry). I have to admit that she was really good and proffessional , I was impressed. The story was really good , funny in most parts but there was the nessesary drama as well (and the needed romance of course). I really loved the aisthetics and I.U 's clothes (her stylist did a really good job). Even if you don't like watching supernatural / fairtytale / ghost dramas I think this drama has a little bit of everything and you will definitely like it.

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I never like k-drama. Start from the language, the actor (their face almost all the same for me, hard to part them ?) until the story (sometimes for me k-drama is a little bit exaggerating). But i'll make exception for del luna. This is by far my most fav k-drama.

Del luna have everything i hope from drama. Story include mystery, friendship until romance. The romance itself not too much, just enough to make me say owh, cry & laugh.... :p.

The main couple relationship progress really smooth & excellent. The ending also really perfect to close this drama. The song really good makes me want to search & download. ^_^

Hopping there will be the second season.

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Existence and Time

I'll be honest in the review. I was not completely impressed with this drama. I felt the story and setting was heavily inspired from Master's Sun, a previous drama of the Hong Sisters and Goblin which was like a cultural reset with many dramas trying to copy it's fantasy world. Because I have already seen those two dramas, I felt deprived of an original story while watching this drama. The hotel and ghost concept was in Master's Sun while the theme for Supernatural protagonist with a curse from deity to be resolved by a human was from Goblin. There were other world building themes as well that I thought reminded me of Goblin. Because of these things, it felt a little dated.

The Good thing though is that it did manage to find a cohesive theme within the show without having to drag out any narrative. The different ghost stories though not as good as the ones in Master's Sun, did progressed story and character development. And the whole theme of resolution of one's grudge using Time and Existence as a background was good addition too.

The biggest problem the the whole drama why I couldn't back it up was the lack of chemistry between the two main leads. Ko Chang Soo as a character was the literal definition of Gary Stue(Guy Many Sue) and a Manic Pixie Dream Guy. It was even more apparent because IU and Lee Do Hyun in their past shared so much more chemistry. They were definitely the highlight.

The show had breathtaking shots and cinematography. But the heavy use of CGI and VFX did feel a little artificial. IU looked Etheral. Extra plus points to her styling department. The cameos were a treat for old IU drama lovers

Finally OST were the best part of the show. Would definitely listen to this album on repeat

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When you look for drama, romance, thriller, emotion, supernatural , it's the perfect drama circling everything above with a little spiceness of horror. It's IU's drama means it will be one of the best drama . Her acting makes this drama more beautiful. The way she carried all the looks , the way she represented the character Jang Man Weol, it seems like no one can better play that role than her. Yeo Jin Goo also played Ku Chan Seong role very good. The other casts are very good. The OSTs are very touching as there are fourteen OSTs, the story will keep it amusing till the end.
Usually I get bored during episode 12-14 as at that period it become boring except the mystery genre, but in this case , I just watch it as fast the drama gets subtitles on the websites.
-- Overall this drama is worth to watch and you will feel that your time has been used in a good way, now stop reading reviews and watch it ! ????

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It's been a while since a watch any drama, I was on a drama slump for about six month and "Hotel Del Luna" came to get me out of that dark place, so, with some tears still left in my eyes, here's what I have to say about this amazing drama.

My first impression of this drama was that it was beautiful from cinematography to costumes and even the special effects, and for a moment I was scared that this would be just another drama with amazing visual and no story to tell, but I was wrong, although is not the most perfect story it's definitively worth give it a shot.

This drama follows self-centered Jang Man Wol that as a punishment for a revenge that happened many years ago as to serve as a CEO to a peculiar hotel which's its guests are ghosts. Goo Chan Sung his just a normal guy who has his life turned around when he starts to work as a manager in Hotel Del Luna.

Although this drama has romance it's a very slow-burn one, plus this isn't really the main focus of the show in my opinion, I think it's pretty obvious that the show story it's about Man Wol and her growth, her path to be a better person at peace with herself. She is the most developed character with flaws and layers and IU's performance helped to bring this amazing character to life. Because of that Yeo Jin Go's character Goo Chan Sung was completely overshadow, even the good acting couldn’t save this, it was pretty obvious that Goo Chan Sung was only there so Man Wol had a reason to change, I think it was a shame he didn't get a better development . I like slow-burn romances, so I didn't mind the time they took to realize they loved each other.

The side characters had good stories to tell, stories that were worth explore in more depth and not in the last four episodes, I think they could have left some of the other guest stories and focus more in this one's, because for me there resolution felt a bit rush.

This drama main focus and moral of the story per say it's about forgiveness and the act of letting go, Man Wol journey it's about that and even the side character’s arc it's about letting go of the past resentment and move on. The theme of "letting go" and "forgiveness" are very well explored in this drama, and it's pretty obvious by the amount of emphasis they put on it. As the drama put it: it's harder to let go than to hold on.

The romance in this drama was cute and very slow-burn, as someone who loves a good slow-burn romance I didn't mind, plus I really liked that this drama switch rules, making the arrogant CEO with a soft heart a woman.

But, even with its flaws this drama is very entertaining to watch the balance between very dramatic scenes and the comedy it's well done helping this drama to be fun and easy to watch. Yes, this drama will probably make you cry, but it also will make you laugh within the same episode. Also as someone that spent six month without watching any drama, and got a bit used to the american format of 45 min episodes, each time I watch an episode from this drama I felt like I was watching a movie to be honest.

Acting/Cast: It's pretty obvious that IU stole the show for me, her portrayal of Jang Man Wol was almost perfect, the way she portrayed this very complex character and his growth throughout the show was impressive and I couldn’t imagined someone else in this, plus she is really pretty and seeing IU in such nice clothes in every episode was a sight to see. Yeo Jin Goo also did a good job, but the script really failed him, as didn't matter how good of an actor he is, his character was lacking something more memorable, but in the scenes he breaks down emotionally it feels raw and sincere. The supporting cast did a go job complementing the two main characters very well and also provided us with some comic relief and some interesting side-stories.

Cinematography: I don't usually have a separated topic just to talk about this, but this drama cinematography it's top notch and definitively deserves a topic of its own. The special effects were tastefully use and blend perfectly with a scenery around, the camera work and the color use were beautiful and combined with the editing created this drama gorgeous visuals. It's one of the most beautifully shot dramas I've ever watch.

I can't finish my review without talking about the beautiful OST full of very well-known names, this OST isn’t just good music but also the way they were included in the drama helped create beautiful and unforgettable scenes, plus I found new music to enjoy in my way to work.

Will I watch this drama again? Maybe, I really liked the drama and it was very entertaining to watch. Do I recommend it? Yes, if you like fantasy with a bittersweet ending, amazing cinematography and an amazing main character growth. I think this is a show to watch.

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