Hotel del Luna (2019)

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

Lire davantage

it had so many uncommon things on this series it was fun to watch like the story, IU's dressing style, OST, supernatural things, when I started to watch it gave a comfortable feeling like so I keept watching it. The romance part was good but I think they could do a better job

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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I'm just after watching the last episode of Hotel Del Luna. I didn't expect him to have such strong emotions on me. The end of the drama is incredibly touching.
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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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 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!

Lire davantage

Plot/Storyline this drama:
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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Tenho que dizer que Hotel Del Luna me surpreendeu muito, tanto em atuação quanto em história. Começando pela atuação, IU sabe mesmo como atuar, desde Dream High eu venho acompanhando ela e nunca me decepciona. A química dela com Yeo Jin Goo foi muita boa, dois atores perfeitos pros papéis. Acredito tanto os atores principais quanto secundários foram de extrema contribuição para a perfeição do drama, me encantaram.
Em relação a história, sou meio suspeita, sempre amei The Master's Sun e adoro coisas sobrenaturais, então quando vi que partia pra esse lado já não tive dúvidas em assistir, mas foi apresentado como uma história bem diferentes das outras, a ligação entre as vidas e as histórias individuais de cada personagem me fez pensar sobre meus próprios ressentimentos.
Eu recomendo, e muito!
<3

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ACTING: This is the first time I have ever reviewed a show no matter how good it was but for this show I have too. I was expecting it to be good because of IU. She is a phenomenal actor as well as Jin Goo. Her last works have all been good so I was expecting it to be amazing and boy was I pleased. When she cries, you can feel her pain. There not stiff actors or forcefully doing anything. Even the side charecters are doing amazing jobs at portraying there rolls and the chemistry is amazing.

The story itself is very unique and complicated at first. It all is starting to make sense and you don’t really expect any of it which is even better you get surprised and you are waiting wanting more. The description of this show doesn’t bring it justice. If you want to see a real show that’s not all about cute fluffy romance then this is the show. It does have romance in but it’s also focusing on lots of the side stories and there pasts which is very interesting.

The music is to DIE for. We have many of the OST’s by Punch who is a great singer. NCT’s 127 taeyong, Taeyeon, Monday kiz, Paul Kim and even IU herself and all of the songs are fantastic and I can’t stop listening to them. They fit the scenes perfectly.

Although this isn’t completed and we can’t guarantee what will happen at all I am hoping for a happy ending even though I’m not too sure if it fits the story that well especially since IU hasn’t had the best record of happy endings since I watched moon lovers: scarlet heart ryeo. I will Definitely be rewatching this when it is over.

Do not hesitate to watch this because it is not complete. I will be redoing my review and adding to it when it is over. Of course it has its fault like the non existent SLS I have even though there not really a second lead. Oops haha.

I rate this a 10 in everything so definitely recommend!!!

Lire davantage

There's so much to say, but I'll try to be short.

I already knew from all the teasing before the show was aired how it was going to turn out: All about the cinematography and IU. I hesitated for a long time but I finally gave it a try for IU, she never deceived me in anything she did and she still hasn't, yet I'm dropping this one.

From the too much colored, unnatural filters and imagery to the lacking plot, every aspect of this drama feels soulless. It doesn't matter how good the acting can be, it can't save it. This drama suffer from wanting to do too much in term of production throwing pretty stuff at it. It's ok as long as the package looks good, right?

Well, not really.

The drama is pretty popular and has good critics and I can understand why. It can be a good drama if you're looking for entertainment only. But if you're looking for emotions, deep plot and something special and touching, this drama has no interest at all.

All the little stories about the ghosts aren't touching, how could they be touching in the 30 minutes the screenwriters allowed to them. The rest of the time is dedicated to the protagonists standing in front of a tree trying to somewhat pull out any emotions you would have developed toward them. But I wonder how such thing is even possible in this setting, at best you're feeling sympathy, it might be enough for some, not for me.

I don't have anything negative to say about the overall acting. They were all ok, good at best but mechanical, nothing to exploit in the character given to them. Yeo Jin Goo did a good job in what he was asked, his character being there for IU's to shine, nothing else. IU was as expected amazing, but what she can do when she has the only seemingly interesting character in the show?

The cinematography was beautiful but every scenes felt empty, special effects doesn't change anything when what's happening isn't even remotely engaging.

I had no expectations for this drama to begin with, I am not even disapointed. I am more annoyed thinking I could have enjoyed an another drama with IU but sadly it wasn't the case.

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