Hotel del Luna (2019)

Incredible

Hotel del Luna....

An incredibly good drama. First of all I have to admit that I canceled the series before, wrongly noticed. I'm actually the kind of person who doesn't cry on series or movies, but this series moves even the strongest of people to tears.

The Production of Hotel Del Luna is from another planet. Every single scene was a success and the actors were great. I was surprised to see IU in the role of Jang Man Wol because I didn't know she was in the drama, but as expected she was great.
The whole story is well thought out and very interesting, even if the episodes last for over an hour. The production, as already mentioned, is just breathtaking. From the different locations to the scenes, everything was just perfect.
I really like the music who was played a lot during the drama, it was something special.
The places where the story was played were very well chosen, as were the clothes/costumes.
Jang Man Wol and Goo Chan Sung's relationship is downright sweet, even if there have been ups and downs.
The last episode was just very sad, as the people slowly but surely disappeared into the tunnel and the relatives mourned ...
For me the best thing were the flashbacks because you lernt so much about the people during these.

So please give the drama a try, you won't regret it.

Read More

All Things Must Pass

There is one constant in the universe: Everything changes. Nothing stays the same. All “Goodbyes” are temporary. Shakespeare may have said it best: All the world’s a stage and all the men and women are merely players. They each have many entrances and exits, and one man in his time plays many parts.

Hotel Del Luna is an extraordinary series about the high price of holding onto grievances, unfinished business, resentments, guilt, and grudges. They create a heavy burden; a weight that must be released. The pivotal theme of this series is “letting go.” Surrender may be one of the most fearful things you’ll ever do, and yet, it’s also so incredibly simple. The fear of letting go is that we lose that which we most care about. The irony of letting go is the realization that we never lost anything to begin with! It’s always been there and always will be.

Hotel Del Luna is a hotel for the dead; the dead who aren’t quite ready to move on due to the reasons listed above. It becomes a bit of a staging area, and the irony is that the guest determines how long their stay will be based on when they are willing to let go of the past. Such is the power of forgiveness. There is only ever one person you need to forgive: yourself. Let go.

Jang Man Wol is the illustrious owner of the Hotel Del Luna. She’s been the owner for 1300 years. What binds her to the hotel is her own deep-seeded hatred and grudges from the past. Rather than face and deal with those things, she chooses distractions (like most people in life do!). She is a woman of opulence who is always looking for something to buy, whether it be expensive cars, clothes, jewelry, or even just money itself. She’s a bit of a con artist who is able to trade various services with her guests for monetary payments. She’s selfish, greedy, and someone who cares little for anyone’s happiness except for her own self-indulgence.

Enter Goo Chan Sung, a young hotelier who has been recruited by Jang Man Wol to be the new “human” manager. Of course, he’s initially reluctant, but he quickly sees the value in the hotel. And more importantly, he helps Jang Man Wol to treat people with respect as well as give her a glimmer into a life she could have if she were able to simply let go of her anger and hatred. Goo Chan Sung represents all that is decent and ethical in people. He chastises Jang Man Wol for her greed and treating guests little more than bank accounts, and he’s never afraid to do so. He speaks his mind, no matter how much the honesty might upset Jang Man Wol. What starts out as a very rocky business relationship, soon turns into one of both necessity and love.

Of course, nothing is quite as it seems, which is indicative of some of the best K-Dramas. We get to know the staff and how each of them has a past that must be faced and let go. They are all likeable, but one can see that there’s something sad about each of them. And why wouldn’t there be? There are fewer things sadder than a soul who is determined to remain earthbound because they are unable to let go of their attachments and their past.

Jang Man Wol is unique in that she is neither living nor dead. It’s as if she has a foot in both worlds. And with that, she has special abilities that help her deal with some of the nastier spirits and protect Goo Chan Sung as well, since he is human and has no true defenses against the dead.

One of my favorite characters is Ma Go Shin, who is a deity who represents the various aspects of the Divine. Some are somewhat cold and methodical. Others are gay and delightful. Each one shows up when it’s most necessary. While she imparts wisdom, she also understands that even she cannot interfere in the freedom of choice. Each soul must make his/her own choices with the understanding that there are always consequences. Seo Yi Sook did a masterful job with these “multiple” roles!

The visuals and cinematography are astounding in this series with vibrant, crisp colors that seem almost ethereal and other-worldly. Hotel Del Luna looms into the sky like a monstrous Taj Mahal that endeavors to touch the sky. And yet, these visuals do not detract in any way from the story or characters. As with so many well-made K-Dramas, the plot and characters are never sacrificed for spectacle.

There are many hilarious moments as well as many tearful and heart wrenching ones. Koreans are masters of never revealing everything all at once. This enables them to go back and fill in the missing pieces that make the story work. This is often done at the perspective of the character or characters which explains their behavior until they’re given “the whole picture.” In short, nothing is ever as it seems! And this keeps the viewer on their toes!

If I have one minor complaint about the series, it’s the chemistry—or lack of it—from IU and Yeo Jin Goo. There’s warmth and respect there, but it rarely strays into love or romance. You just don’t quite feel it from these two. I understand that IU is trying to depict Jang Man Wol as a cold, selfish woman, but chemistry is absolutely vital to this kind of a story. As many actors have stated: you either have chemistry or you don’t. It’s nearly impossible to manufacture. We see tears and a lot of emotion, but I was waiting to feel that angst; that despair of a love that must be let go. However, as I said, this is a minor issue that, fortunately, never really distracts or takes away from the story. It simply would have served the series better if the two leads had had some kind of chemistry which is why it's imperative that casting directors do their due diligence.

“Missing: The Other Side” is still my favorite “after life” series from Korea. This one’s pretty close. It starts at a slow burn and gradually starts moving. This isn’t a bad thing though as there is ample time to understand and get to know this intriguing, mystical world.

The series’ strength lies in its thematic elements of letting go of the past and releasing those resentments and grudges. I’m not sure many people understand or fully realize how important this is. Life is a process of letting go. If you dare to hold onto anything, it’s a lost cause because it’s ultimately doomed to failure which brings nothing but heartache and resentment. Knowing that all things pass away is a blessing. Why? Because nothing is lost, and you will eventually share “the stage” once more with those who have always been there but are simply playing a different role with a different face. How do you know this? Because they are with you now.

Read More

Hotel del Luna is like most fantasy romance dramas we've seen before; so the storyline is predictable. It has the usual funny scenes and the heartwrenching stuff.

What's awesome it that the main leads embody the traits of the opposite gender.
The female lead is a warrior, a leader stuck in time and hating it. She's strong, capable and money-hungry... SHE CRAY.
The male lead is kind, warm-hearted and a do-gooder... HE'S ADORABLE.
In this drama, the woman comes to the rescue of the man... AND HE LOVES IT.
It's worth watching just to see the gender swap and the beautiful relationship between the main characters unfold.

The OST is one of the best EVER. I mean, Taeyeon, Heize, Chung Ha and Gummy?!

Also; IU's wardrobe is to die for.

I rated high on rewatch value because I've already rewatched all episodes :)

Read More

This drama is obviously written by the Hong Sisters and they have written several best hit, but for me personality this drama was the best work up to date in my opinion. To be honest, I was hesitant to start this drama because of the past written works by the Hong Sisters, but this drama change my perception and I decided to give it a try.

There is no main characters other than the leads of course being Lee Ji Eun and Yeo Jin Goo, but many of the side characters is what made the drama shine as well. However, I would suggest reading the plot to see if you are interested and give a tried because base on the plot it seem to be a typical Korean drama that has been done, but this one is different and you won't regret it. There are 16 episodes and each episode there is a meaningful story and guest cameo is well.

Read More

Hotel Del Luna is a beautifully told story. Some will say that this show is slow after some point in the middle episodes. It does slow down I will agree with that, but the slowness feels and adds naturally to the story. No, I won't rewatch this because of my tendency of not to rewatch things I've already seen unless it's with someone else. So if I find someone to rewatch this with me, I'll do it but not just by my lonesome.
Story:
The story starts almost abrasively but mellows out which I think leads people to believe it slows. But the story becomes more intense and lays out an intriguing world. By far, one of the most intricate storylines that has a bigger cast but still manages to address each and everyone's back story. From 1,300 to 500 to 200 to 70 years ago. Each story has its own unique feel making each more precious. Death is also a giant theme in this story, no surprise when writing about Grim Reapers, Ghosts, and the like. However, this intense subject matter is shown in all lens of life. With many different perspectives in which to believe.
Acting:
The chemistry between our main leads was one of the things that made this story breathtaking. After watching my fair share of dramas, I can tell you that these two are nothing like any other couple I've encountered. They have cute, funny moments that make you smile or giggle. While also having a very significant outlook on the life they share, if only for a brief time. Jan Man Wol and Ku Chan Sung are an alluring coupling that does nothing but enhances the characters and story told.
IU and Yeo Jin Goo give such power and prowess to these characters. The casting for this lead couple was perfect. I was worried about Yeo Jin Goo because of his recent Absolute Boyfriend series which I didn't like and barely finished. But this was so a much better fit. He did a heartfelt job when portraying Ku Chan Sung — as for IU, even more, impressing that her precious works. She tends to get sweeter and better the more she acts. By far the most dazzling character, Jan Man Wol's outfits were over the top.
As for the rest of the cast, Shin Jung Keun who plays Mr. Kim was a crane who put just the right amount of funny into each moment as well as having some tearful moments. Bae Hae Seon as Ms. Choi felt at first like a very flat character, and it wasn't until almost the very end that she grew. I hoped for more, but I think this was just the right amount. Plus that hug, tearjerker. Pyo Ji Hoon as Ji Hyun Joong surprised me; I honestly loved his character way more than I had thought, and his character development towards the end was astonishing as well as it just felt right. Not like a last-minute addition but a natural arch. Kang Mi Na as Kim Yu Na fit perfectly with Ji Hyun Joong. I loved how we experienced love in it's purest form, first love.
Music:
The music most definitely sets the mood in each of the scenes it was assigned. I loved that IU even sang a song wishing for Man Wol and Chan Sung to have a happy ending. They used powerhouse singers like Ben, Gummy, Taeyeon, and Punch, to name a few. The songs are so sad, touching and powerful that sometimes they took over. But I was grateful because then I couldn't hear myself sobbing. I honestly can say this collection of songs will stick with me even if I forget the story which is unlikely to happen.
Hotel Del Luna is by far one of my favorites of this year and maybe even my drama watching career. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

Read More

A beautiful, fantastic journey!

In myth-fantasy K Dramas, it is often seen that only the male characters lead a tired and bored immortal life either by being a God or by suffering for his past sins. This trope has been successfully reversed in Hotel Del Luna.

Written by the Hong Sisters, Hotel Del Luna follows the story of Man Wol, a 1300 year old soul punished into roaming the human world for her past sins. Her time has been paused by the Gods by denying her entry into the afterlife, and connected to Hotel Del Luna and its Moon Tree - a moving hotel which transforms its ownership to a soul which has committed the worst of sins and still holds grudges. This hotel serves as a platform for fulfilling the unfulfilled desires of dead humans, before they can move to the afterlife. This is a stark comparison considering how Man Wol has to constantly send off her guests to the afterlife, while she is herself denied entry into the same.

Del Luna's Man Wol is hot tempered, narcissistic, tired of her long existence, pursues a rich lifestyle even while being constantly bankrupt, enjoys Champagne and caviar, and a clear foodie - all her food pictures go on her Instagram account, loves shopping and buys a lot of cars. Throughout the series, Man Wol remains true to her individualistic character traits, she nurtures her revenge, her grudges against the enemies and even acts on fulfilling them. She is portrayed to be strong - she is the one saving her love interest from supernatural elements, brave with thoughts and actions of her own, she knows what she is doing. She doesn't simply turn into an obedient, loving soul in a second upon meeting her human love interest, as is often shown in most of K Dramas.

Apart from Man Wol and her narrative, the small subplots this series follows are equally entertaining. Special mention to the quirky, funny and equally endearing side characters of the show with plenty stories to tell of their own. The show's cinematography and CGI effects are so very beautiful, the stark Moon Tree, the blooming flowers, making it a treat to watch it.

Read More

I love a good romance spiced with ghosts and mystery!

Hotel Del Luna is one of the first dramas in a long time that has been able to pull a strong emotional reaction out of me. I have seen a lot of good, emotionally impressive dramas before, but it's been a long time since I last saw a drama like that before watching Hotel Del Luna.

The story of Hotel Del Luna is very interesting, and I was very intrigued by it right from the start. I personally really like dramas that handle the topic of ghosts, for example "Master's Sun" and "Oh My Ghostess" are some of my favourite dramas of all time. The story overall was good and interesting, but in my opinion it was a little draggy/messy/confusing at some points, which is why I scored the story 8.5. There was a lot of mystery in this drama, and I would have hoped that the mysteries could have been solved a bit more evenly during the drama. Also, there were a lot of scenes, where they used like 7 different camera angles just to show Man Whol (IU) sitting on a chair or lying under a tree for like 3 minutes straight for example, and I found that a bit unnecessary lol.

The cast of HDL was amazing. The main leads did a really good job, and all the supporting actors were amazing as well. I especially want to give a "shoutout" to Block B's P.O. aka Pyo Jihoon, I was very pleasantly surprised by his acting and I absolutely loved his character. I actually loved all of the characters that were the main hotel staff, they were so great. The only thing about the casting that I found odd, was that why on Earth was one of the ghost actresses dubbed?? I have no clue.

The music in this drama was good, I mean nothing was mindblowingly good or extremely memorable, but I didn't think any of the songs were particularly bad either. Just some quite standard drama OST songs. "Another Day" by Punch & Monday Kiz, "Done for Me" by Punch, "Can You Hear My Heart" by Heize and "Only You" by Yang Da Il were probably my favourites.

I personally never rewatch dramas anymore, but I honestly feel like this one could be entertaining to watch again some day, but not right away though. Maybe if I get my spouse to watch some dramas with me, this could be on our watchlist :D

Overall I scored this drama a solid 9. I liked the plot, I liked the cast, and even though there were some moments/people in this drama that I really disliked, (like Man Whol's personality at some points,) they didn't overshadow this drama's greatness. I would happily recommend Hotel Del Luna to anyone, especially if you like supernatural dramas with a good dose of romance and mystery (:

Read More

ONE OF THE BEST FANTASIES!! GREAT WORK HERE!! ALERT OF MASTERPIECE!!

This was pretty much ➡️ AMAZING!

Great chemistry between both leads and the storyline has a development (this is almost impossible to find in almost any drama nowadays, everything is too repetitive and dull now).
The storyline goes back and forth between the past (from her POV) to the present. It centers mainly in the romance, the fantasy theme such us, helping ghost cross to the other side by letting go of their grudges, the mystery of the past story with her past lover and the also death (as she wants to die but she can't).
The characters are well constructed, my favourite is her (IU's character) her sassy personality and her toughness are different and difficult to see in korean women.
The male character is well made too with personal development/growth, his experiences teach him something that will make better in each episode.
The supporting cast was easily enjoyable too with the funny touch, I really loved their addition to the drama too.
The OST were beautiful and easy to the ears, just like the drama.
I really enjoyed watching this drama from the beginning till the end. I highly recommend it, you'll not regret and have a great time watching it.
RATE 9.5/10

Read More

Strong fantasy set-up and dynamic between leads with ultimately unsatisfying conclusion

I came into Hotel del Luna with several biases, but I enjoyed it for the most part (except for the ending, which I really found unsatisfying). Usually, the fantasy tag is an automatic skip when I'm looking for prospective dramas, since I think the extra layer of contrivance often sets up ridiculous plotting and a lot of fat a show could trim off. I didn't find this to be the case with Hotel del Luna, overall. I'm also not a fan of frequent flashbacks, which this has, but here it makes sense given the nature of the fantasy and the premise. The way they're interlaid into dreams makes sense and so the majority of the setup in the beginning and middle is pretty artful. More superficially, I think the costuming and set design was a definite aesthetic draw - it reminds me a lot of It's Okay to Not Be Okay in how it's used as a supplemental pleasure to the main drama. The music is also nice throughout. Overall, there's a lot of visual and auditory appeal in this.

(General spoiler) I really like IU, as most going into this probably do. She does a great job, as does the ML; they have strong on-screen chemistry and their characters' dynamic works well. I do wish their romance was more intimate, though; much of their relationship is threaded through teasing banter, on the one hand, and long-term promises and commitments on the other. As the conclusion was coming up, I felt like the reality of the romance (indicated by the former) faded for the sake of the fantasy-driven resolution (the latter). They flirt but their relationship is weirdly desexualized because IU's character is somehow a 1,300 prude when the chips are down and the ML shows even sarcastic interest. Usually, I think shows can verge too far towards fluffy/intimate, but here I felt like the weight of their choices actually called for the sex/marriage institutionalization more than so many lighthearted shows I've seen that pursue that direction. She kisses him like 3 episodes in - or so it seemed - but that's basically the extent of their romantic intimacy besides some nice chaste hugging. Instead, we get extremely heavy romantic statements of commitment at the expense of fluffiness. Though I typically don't find it necessary (or even desirable to include it), I think having sex and more moments of intimacy in this show could've better shaped the drama at the end and added more levity as well (I think of how that would've fit within the pseudo-gossip the hotel workers had between them). In short, I think the desire to be true to the show's fantasy premise overwhelmed the desire to have a satisfying romance (with all the attendant intimacy), which is ultimately why the ending didn't work for me at all.

(Spoiler) Halfway through, my rating probably would've been closer to an 8.5 or a 9, but the ending made me rethink the parts of the show that I enjoyed from the beginning and middle. My central question throughout the run was, "are they going to be able to stay together in the real world?" But as I got to the end, the creators clearly thought more in terms of "what's the right way for IU's character to atone and thus for us to wrap up the fantasy side of things?" As someone who watched primarily for the romance, the ending was very unfulfilling and frankly didn't make sense to me, especially the ML's actions and what he says to the FL about moving on. I think having reincarnation as a facet of this drama was a fundamental mistake, though one the creators relied a lot on for conflict in the middle and end. Rather, I think the drama of losing immortality and reintegrating into society while dealing with lingering grudges would've been more compelling narrative. I don't think fated relationships - something established in this show via reincarnation - have any real stakes or emotional fulfillment (because choice is circumscribed by destiny), so having the resolution based on some nebulous possibility of meeting again in a reincarnated future does nothing for me. Here, they overcome and change in substantial ways only to lose what's most meaningful to them. Ultimately, the fantasy side of this drama, which I didn't mind for most of the run, led to this kind of unfulfilling conclusion (and on a shameless cameo no less). Like the show's creators, in the end, the main characters are more concerned with an imagined future than with the material reality of living and cultivating romance out of tragic circumstances.

(Spoiler) Rather than romantic or cute, I found the ending to be a weird mix of cynicism and idealism emerging out of the religiously-inflected fantasy. IU's character never lived a real life, never got to be someone because her life was conditioned by the cruel machinations of fate and the stain of vengeance. Once she meets someone with whom she can live and be free, she has to say goodbye because a gaggle of mercurial Fate bitches basically say so. In such a case, it's not clear what the ML should do in his regular life afterward. He falls in love with a gorgeous millennium-old demigod who he makes eternal promises to, but after she moves on, he's supposed to just live basically a regular life? His whole existence at that point is conditioned by the knowledge that his deepest happiness is contingent upon dying and meeting someone he won't remember in a reality he can't fathom. That's not the leap of faith that makes a good romance, but a religious deferral and rejection of the joy of living. The structure of the show really made me think the ending was a punishment of the FL (and the ML by extension), rather than the struggle to move on from her grudge (as it's presented). So the problem, to me, wasn't that the ending is sad (which it is), but that the basis for the resolution - reincarnated future hope - is nonsense and unfulfilling.

Read More

WOW I was SO pleasantly surprised by this quirky, emotional, heartfelt, and CUTE show!

After admiring the ultimate puppy-dog-of-the-Korean-Industry Yeo Jin Goo in Beyond Evil, I IMMEDIATELY started watching Hotel Del Luna because I was SO DAMN EXCITED to see him in a cute romantic show.

I just wanted to see him be cute and in love and act cutely with a girl and act like he was in love and smile and giggle and be sexy and hot and funny and HE WAS ALL THAT AND MUCH MORE IN THIS SHOW!
He was absolutely adorable and the PERFECT companion to the cute little firecracker that IU was throughout, they compliment each other SO perfectly, and one thing I kept noticing was the difference in their hand sizes! Yeo Jin Goo has giant hands, specially when compared to IU's tiny ones, and I absolutely ADORED every scene which showed them hugging/holding hands etc. etc.

The ghost stories of all the guests at their hotel kept me engaged and interested and emotional. The staff all had compelling back-stories, enough to fuel me to cheer for their happy ending as well.

And another special thing about this show is that I usually end up skipping elaborate backstories of any character, specially if it relates to the Joseon Era, but for this show I saw every second of their pasts, and not just IU's, but also the staff had an unique stories and were extremely interesting to watch!

The only two people I didn't care much for were the receptionist and his girlfriend, although the little sister of the receptionist was ABSOLUTELY ADORABLE.

The fantasy element in the show was beautiful and stunning, with an extremely memorable soundtrack to boot, beautiful songs and OST. Also all the cameos were such a pleasant surprise.

In short, this show was like a hidden treasure for me, and I extremely enjoyed every element of it.

Read More

30% Great, 70% Boring

Plot: Unresolved pasts of old ‘ghosts’ plus a human hotel manager with some sprinkles of other ghosts stories. The premise is quite interesting and cool but the execution was poor because of too much flashback, too much slow motion and too much focus on visuals.

Acting: Decent acting from main leads and some side characters.

Music: I did like some of the music, mostly by female but not sure if IU sang them.

Rewatch Value: Quite disappointed with how it turned out after episode 4 so no, i won’t be rewatching it.

Overall: 6 for concept, visuals and efforts of the actors. I think the director/producer focused on how visually appealing the drama is rather than the flow of the story. It was all over the place. The amount of flashbacks they keep on showing every episode made me lose interest. It took me more than a month to finish this even though I was fast forwarding a lot. I was not emotionally invested and most of the time bored with their scenes, I just wanted to know about the past and how it will end. Today, I decided to finish the 16th episode which took me less than 30 mins to finish because it was predictable and rushed. I’m quite sad because this has so much potential and I expected a lot on the first few episodes however it felt flat most of the time. What a waste of a good concept.

Read More