It is a very emotional drama,touches upon sensitive topics and teaches a lot.To be honest,in the end,I came to the conclusion that this is actually a sad drama.But oh so good
Let's go in parts:1-the acting:Oh my God everyone was literally perfect.IU's acting was amazing,I first came in contact with her acting in the netflix's mini series "Persona" and she was splendid and in HDL she was just the same,she was perfect for the role.It was my first time seeing Yeo Jin Goo and he was also amazing,they had perfect chemistry.The rest of the cast was also literally perfect for their characters.The way everyone portrayed them helped the drama be even more perfect
2-Story:I thought it was very creative and different,to me every episode was awesome.I've seen some people bothered by how long it took to show Man Wol's story,but to me, if they showed it all in the beginning, we would've been bored by the end of it,which wasnt the case,every episode we learned something new,and that is how you usually get to know someone,little by little.It was...perfect.If you like realistic endings,and by that i mean one that makes sense with the story and the characters personalities, this is for you.The ending was so bittersweet and reasonable with what should actually happen,and we knew since the beginning it would happen,but not in a predictable way,i actually thought the ending would be why usually happens in kdramas.It was the perfect ending to that storyline,if you wanted the cliche kdrama ending (you know,the ones where they're apart for like 2 or 3 years and then they meet again and stuff)I'm sorry,but you're not really getting that...not really...I guess.Enough about this,just watch it please hahaha.
3-Soundtrack:PERFECT.They managed to put every song in the perfect moment,and they were all so emotional and...really just perfect.Also the background musics were just as perfect.I'm sure I'll be listening to all of them for a long time.
4*bonus-THE WARDROBE OMGGG.Man Wol's clothes were so amazing,I loved every outfit she put on.As a fashion student,I can say that they did an amazing job,the majority of her outfits were a mixture of the first half of the 20th century and present days.I want to be her,I want her clothes,I'm so in love.
I think I'm gonna stop here,I actually thought about making a special part to those who have watched already to talk about how much my heart is heavy because of this drama,but if I change my mind I'll do it.
So,if you like fantasy dramas that touch upon very sensitive topics,and teach about a lot of things,give it a try.But i feel like I''ve lost a part of my heart,I feel like I've lost my friends and I miss them so much hahaha.I don't know if i talked about everything I wanted to talk about but you know...okay bye
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The drama is captivating. You will instantly feel Man-wol's desperation for revenge. Man-wol portrays herself as a powerful and confident woman, but under her cloak is a woman trying to escape her sins, and desperately trying to live a good life. On the other hand, Ku Chan-sung is the perfect companion for Man-wol. Despite, Man-wol's constant caprices, and her ostensibly cruel personality, Chan-sung is always there to take care and accept her as she is. However, the overall plot fails to project on how to carefully unfold the secrets behind Man-wol's sins and her past.
Overall the drama is aesthetically pleasing to the eyes. The series is best for drama enthusiasts who love watching historical dramas. More so, with IU's top-notch acting with a mix of Yeo-jin Goo's charisma has made the drama a success.
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The story line was new, refreshing and Unpredictable. It was filled with moments that were relatable, hilarious and heart breaking. Story of ghosts is also interesting and a little bit horror too. I had no idea about the plot... with Its unique storyline this drama captured my heart. ????
Strong part of the drama is IU's character, her fashion, expressions, reactions, her sassyness. Her story captivates you right from the start, causing you to be curious about her past, and eager to find out more.
Jin goo excels at every scene. He did his best too.The story of every character was explained thoroughly.And Everyone Acts so realistic.
Music was delightful. Background music is pleasant and specially, Song Done For me.
Even though I knew it was probably going to be sad but with plenty of twists and turns it keeps you on the edge. Great job,Outstanding cinematography, Acting and writing. Loved It ????❤️????
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This review may contain spoilers
The first episode captivated me. It was beautiful and I definitely enjoyed it. But as the episodes went on, I became less invested in the story lines of the guests and more impatient to see man wol and chan sung's story, man wol's past. What I liked about the show:
1) the acting. I'm a huge IU fan and I watched this show because of her and she absolutely convinced me of her character as the immortal man wol. Despite her being so young, she conveyed an ageless wisdom with her eyes.
I have not seen anything with yeo jin goo but I was blown away by his acting skills. He and IU had definite chemistry.
2) the ost. I might not listen to them as separate songs (done for me and another day being exceptions) but they definitely complemented the show.
3) cinematography was beautiful. It was charming.
4) the way the makers handled the plotline of the vengeful ghost of the young woman whose video was made viral. That was in my opinion the most interesting episode
5) loved the way ms.choi's arc was completed. Her arc touched me the most and her conclusion was beautiful.
What I didn't like:
1) the amount of time each guest would be given per episode. There needs to be a balance because we need the already present characters to develop too.
2) the way the arc of man wol's first love was handled. I think its because the plot of the show is a little similar to goblin but I couldn't help compare and appreciate how goblin handled the whole grim reaper and Kim shin confrontation better. Considering how man won spent 1300 years resenting this man who she believed to have betrayed her, the moment they finally met was so lackluster. It was like she felt nothing. No emotions at all. Just because she had found love with chan seung did not mean she could not have had one decent conversation with ko chung myung. Same goes with the reincarnation of yeon yu. I liked the way goblin handled the subject. How despite sunny not knowing her brother in her current life, he still managed to get to her. I would have liked to the main characters from that time 1300 years ago to have alteast one moment where they were togetger. The fact that there was barely any interaction made the 1300 years of wait seem like a childish thing whereas we know it wasn't. It was 1300 years of pain, anger, resentment, hate and self loathing. Not to mention that ko chung myung stayed with her as her first guest. But not even that is acknowledged by man wol. It was all kinda anti climatic. Given the build up. Also it kills me that man wol will never know that it was ko chun myung who brought back chan sung safely from the tunnel. I'm not saying that what ko chun myung did 1300 years ago was right. There were many ways he could have avoided the situation. But given that he more than paid for what he did, I expect more from when the two would finally face each other. Both having lived 1300 years with the past in their hearts.
3) the episode in which man wol gives the hair pin to vengeful ghost out for for chan sung. I get it. She thought he was the reincarnation of that man she had hated for 1300 years. But I kept thinking that she would not go through with it. That she'd come and save chan sung. But she didn't and was prepared to vanish. I think that was the only time I genuinely disliked man wol. And because that particular moment is never addressed again, I could never like man wol as much as did before. She would have gone through with it. She would have killed chan sung through that ghost and taken the coward's way out by vanishing. The fact that she couldn't stab chan sung when he offered her the dagger meant nothing to me as a viewer because man wol had already stated that the reason she gave the ghost the pin was because she could not kill chan sung herself. So why did her letting go of the dagger mean she was overcoming her hate when she really wasn't? I wish that this particular plot line had been handled better. Like man wol giving the ghost that pin so that it would finally come out into the open, confident in its new found power, while she secretly protected chan sung. They could have shown that she didn't tell chan sung to make it seem like chan sung had truly been abandoned and so they chan sung could go look for the ghost and be more believable about how he had been abandoned by man wol. They could have even shown man wol having a change of heart at the very last minute and showing that it didn't matter to her who chan sung was in his previous life. By showing that she gave the pin to the ghost and by not doing anything she showed that nothing had changed for her. I'm bringing goblin back into this because we saw the way Kim shin came to terms with grim reaper being the king's reincarnation and the way it was handled was beautiful. In hotel del luna, this was poorly handled in my opinion.
That being said, it was a good show with solid performances, good chemistry between the leads and I honestly do get the hype. And atleast this show did not shy away from showing some truly malicious ghosts (unlike Master's sun which made it seem like all ghosts were nice and not dangerous)
My absolute favourite moments would be when man wol reaches the tunnel where chan sung had mistakenly gone and runs to him when she seems him. That moment when man wol's cold exterior came crashing down and she felt true desperation will always stay in my mind. And secondly when man wol fights with ko chun myung and he talks to her about he had wanted to see her dressed as his bride, as she waited for him. How he would then reach out and touch her cheek. For some reason that scene hit me hard. I was all choked up because here she was, the girl he wanted to marry, dressed as the bride but holding a sword to his neck. That moment was strong and kudos to the actors for making it so. Third moment was when man wol returned after seeing off ko chun Myung and chan sung ran to her and just held her, not letting go for a second. the way he enveloped her in his arms and stood there, shaking, was a brilliant bit of acting.
As for the end, since I love happy endings, im going to stick with my interpretation: that chan sung and man wol met each other after they were reincarnated and they remembered one another (hence chan sung reading the book existence and time). I'd like to think that this particular blessing of remembering one another was a favour granted by the magos to the staff of hotel del luna for all they did to help the ghost guests. its also possible that chan sung was not reincarnated and man wol came in his current life time (which is possible since the show told us that time flowed differently beyond the bridge)since we don't see yuna in the park where everyone else is which is odd because everyone else was there. so I stick to happy ending version cuz I love happy endings
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moral of the story??? if you love someone you also have to be able to lose her/him
wooahhh what crap of concept is that? may be I'm the only straner here because it looks like 70% of people commenting here have liked a lot the series...come on this a fictional story there wasn't a need to be this mch real well author's story author's decisions viewers can only sit and watch but if I knew the end would be like this I wouldn't even started the drama
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Will Forever Stay With Me
The beginning of each scene was engaging and the plot that unfolds leaves you wondering what happens next. The storyline is very much like goblin so can't really say it's original but it was still interesting nonetheless. A lot of plotlines from the other characters and the ghosts from the hotel were thrown at me but I was more interested in finding out about Man Weol's past. I must admit that I did think the overall storyline of the drama was kinda confusing and even after finishing it there were still some things that didn’t make sense. I do think that the show spent too much time focusing on the storylines of the ghosts who would come into the hotel. Like sometimes they were interesting but I wanted to see more of Man Weol and Gu Chan Sung, damnit!The CINEMATOGRAPHY is beyond beautiful. There wasn't a single seeing that wasn't any short of wonderful. Even the boring scenes we're nice to look at because of the amazing production that went into the sets.
The COSTUME DESIGN was exquisite. The main cast always looked good but IU's wardrobe was on another level. Her clothes matched her character so well. She definitely looks the part. Gu Chan Sung wore suits most of the time but hey you can never go wrong with a suit ;)
The ACTING was excellent(I figured if IU is in this it will be good), and the scenes between the Man-wol and Chan-sang were so enchanting to watch. Each interaction between them was truly captivating. I couldn't get enough of them both on the screen together. I love their chemistry.
The OSTs are literally so amazing I have no words. every song was right for the scene it was put in. The music truly transported you into the story as you were watching. Taeyeon's "all about you" and Paul Kim's "so long" are my favorites. Punch's "another day" was very good also. This is the first drama where I actually like all the osts.
OVERALL Many shows and movies talk about life and death, but nothing stuck with me the most than Hotel Del Luna. I appreciate this drama so much, I can not explain what it means to me. This show will always be stay with me, and I will force my future kid to watch it.
For those who are wondering to watch it, please do. Everything about this show is beautiful and is perfect!
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The IU's acting was, as always, at the highest level. She's one of my favorite Korean actresses and I'm incredibly glad she played the part of Yang Man Wol. She gave the show a lot of color. I also liked the movements of the camera and the whole scenery and costumes. It allowed for a great feeling of watching the show. The drama was very pleasant to receive. The action developed at the right pace. I didn't get the impression, as in some TV series, that something was missing me, or the episodes were not enough. Here everything was in its place and the story was superbly presented.
The most intriguing scene, however, was the scene after the subtitles. I am looking forward to the further development of the action and the release of the new season of Hotel Blue Moon.
I hope that it was well thought out and that in the near future there will be a continuation. I'm looking forward to it.
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This review may contain spoilers
I don’t typically watch a lot of shows like this because the fantasy is a lot but I’m a sucker for a good romantic comedy and though this wasn’t fully intensely full of romance, everything about this story is amazing. Everything about this show was honestly amazing and beautiful; the effects, story, acting; it was great.The story is about how the FL is bound to this death hotel due to grieving and revenge and it’s like the asian version of ghost whisperer if you’ve seen the American show; they’re helping people get into the light and pass on and be there. Then the ML comes along and he changes up the whole game, it’s cliche with the average Korean storyline when things line up but for some reason, something was so different about this. It was the connection between all the members and every story like wow my mind was blown.
I give credits to this whole cast, IU really stepped up but everyone’s acting was amazing and miraculous and this was worth binge watching because I think I just cried my eyes out a majority rules just because I felt the emotion.
I LOVED THE OST; WORTH EVERY SECOND.
I would watch this over and over and over. This was the drama of 2019, no fails on that one. Loved it.
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This review may contain spoilers
This drama is beyond my expectation. Story' about ghost or dead is not something I was interested in before, but after watching this drama, I think my taste has changed. The idea of the story is not too special. The resentmant makes the dead won't like to go to afterlife then he or she should finish the undone mission. Inspite of the revenge, gaining the dead's dream of achiaving something can be so frutile which I never think before. The way to reach the goal can through an unpredictable way, funny and startling but yet it really touches or humanity sense.The plot is consistent and strong. Though the idea is not something new but the execution can be so intriguing. The quality of the acting can be said as great advance.
Yeo Jin Go has a great talent of acting. I can say this after I watched the crown clown. In this drama he could create the nature of Kun Chang Soen as a fragile, smart but so sensitive guy. I love his acting. IU also makes this drama so fresh. She could bring the soul of resentment together with her redemption of love to Chang Soen.
I don't feel that the ghosts are really scary. Since it is not horror or thriller drama yet it hasil brought us to the conclusion that life is full of mystery and unpredictable ending.
Finally I can say the music can smoothly blend to the tone of each scene in drama. Though the end of this drama is heartbreaking but I can say it turns to a happy ending
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Loved it!
Wow this is the best drama I've watched in a while! I can't believe I just let it sit in my to-watch list for so long... I was hooked throughout the whole drama. I also really loved the ending! I usually don't like drama endings but I think they ended this one well, I was very satisfied with it. It didn't feel rushed or anything. Also as a huge fan of Goblin I enjoyed this even more, it was fun seeing how the writer interpreted their version of life after death and the supernatural. I'm not the type to rewatch dramas but I would rewatch it with a friend or family member!Was this review helpful to you?
I thought that the writing was pretty solid throughout the drama. It is refreshing to watch a drama that ventures into foreign territory and breaks free of the traditional kdrama tropes and cliches to explore the less commonly visited genres of horror (though I wouldn't really consider this drama to be scary at all) and fantasy + romance. The plot is layered and has some depth, with plenty of twists and turns to keep you on the edge. The main character Man Weol's story captivates you right from the get-go, as the show uses flashbacks very well to reveal small snippets of her past at a time, causing you to be curious about her past, and eager to find out more. The generous use of humour also helps to balance out some of the heavier, more emotional scenes, while also allowing the drama to be easy and fun to watch throughout its lengthy episodes. Personally, the ending did not play out exactly how I had hoped it would, but it was fitting to the themes of this drama and very beautiful to watch, as well as very emotional. The drama explores the themes/ideas of 'letting go', 'resentment', 'unselfish love' and 'forgiveness', which are all very meaningful, thought-provoking ideas, not just in the context of this drama, but these themes also have a place in our lives as well.
PLEASE TAKE IU AND YOE JIN-GOO FOR BLUE MOON . PLEASE HAPPY ENDING
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