Hotel del Luna (2019)

This show was my first Kdrama ever and I owe it all to IU being the woman ever. So yeah, I'm a bit biased to it like I can agree that it's not the most well done show ever made but wow do I adore this show. I LOVE IU IN THIS ! She shines as this messy, impatient, champagne loving woman who's running this ghost hotel. And her employees were so... An awful bartender who just wants his recognition, a heart wrenching story about motherhood, and P.O.???? WHAT IS HE DOING HERE??? Like I wish I knew but why was he actually so heartfelt in this role I kinda loved it???? Him and Kang Mina's character were actually so cute I loved them??? Also yeah Sanchez is the best character in the show other than Manwol he took me out that man has seen so much poor guy. But yeah as the show went on the plot started to make no sense??? And things just kinda happened and came out of nowhere so like what was the point? I'm also not crazy about the male lead or his relationship with Manwol but I did like the individual stories of the ghosts they helped out like I love ghosts as a concept so much so this concept was so fun to me. I looooved the ghost hotel I love all their stories I loved Chansung's willingness to help them like ugh <33 ALSO THE CAMEOS WERE SO FUNNY FOR NO REASON. I know Lee Joongi had the time of his life with that cameo I love him. Also I love Park Yoona I'm a Park Yoona stan for life and yeah I know a lot of people hate Mira but idk, I love a good loserwoman. Even though her romance was questionable like that felt really cruel to Manwol and Yeonwoo. I also loved Manwol's backstory and everything with her trying to deal with that that was crazy. And yes. Lee Dohyun is in this. And yes, he kinda ate it up??? Lowkey I do feel for his character even if I'm Jang Manwol's number one fan always. But yeah this show just means the world to me as it got me into kdramas and IU completely ate it up as usual

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THE POWER OF IMAGINATION.

yin story per se is nothing new or unexpected. However, the casting, production, direction and EDITING .. was spectacular.
IU is hands down one of the most talented actress of her age, paired with a VETERAN and CHAMELEONIC actor such as Yeo Jin Goo ...you already have a solid base. The screenwriting and editing are in sync and polished. A complicated intersections of people, twist and turns at each corner and yet no problem following the story, enjoy it, and re-watched it periodically. The production did a great job with maintaining a "low profile" and yet deliver a clean, yet artistic concept. The hotel per se feel so real in this paradoxical and dystopian reality that it doesn't make sense and yet it just does. I adored it.
I ADORED THE LIMOUSINE, AND THE STORY OF THE ELDERLY MAN WITH THE DOG.
It was hearth wrenching but so well done.
The final touch is the 3 goddesses. LOVE LOVE THE IDEA. It's the perfect definition of what yin and yang mean to me. Never full light , never total darkness. Just variations of it.

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I'm not too sure how they fell in love

The entire concept of the show is so interesting and unique however I was always confused as to how they fell in love so soon. I didn't really see much of a chemistry. maybe it's just me but that was the only drawback imo.

I also didn't see any bonding amongst the other staff. it seemed super forced and distant. Everything else was interesting and I like Man-Wol quite alot.

If not for these seemingly superficial relationships, this show is honestly like an artwork. Absolutely stunning visuals and amazing music. The storyline is sooo intriguing and deep.

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ESSA COISA DA IU E FINAIS ABERTOS

Levei 3 anos para terminar esse drama (mais por preguiça mesmo e porque acabei priorizando outros). Ele não é ruim, pelo contrário amei a história, amei os visuais (principalmente os da IU), amei o enredo, a ost muito marcante, e o elenco tem um entrosamento muito fluido e maravilhoso. Essa coisa de a IU sempre pegar enredos super intensos de dramáticos é ótimo porque ela entrega muita atuação, mas os finais abertos é o que mais me incomoda. Eu anseio o dia em que ela fará um drama em que a protagonista tenha realmente um final fechado e isso fique explícito, porque pra mim eu fiquei com mais um sabor amargo de "porque eles não tiveram o tal final merecido". No mais, é uma produção dramática de fantasia que vale muito a pena. E aquele final, me deixou com vontade de conhecer a história do novo dono da "BLUE MOON" (mas que sabemos que não vai acontecer T_T).

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One of TVN's greatest kdramas!

I mainly watched this as I was recommended this and I was interested in seeing IU's acting and also seeing Park Yoo Na portraying another character! I was not disappointed apart from the kdrama True Beauty, this has to be one of the best dramas I've seen from TVN.

Acting
The cast did so well with portraying their characters to the point I forgot this was all fictional. The crying scenes felt so real to the point I shedded tears of happiness and sadness towards the final episode. IU and Jin Goo truly have some chemistry and they didn't have to have many intimate or sexual scenes to show that.

Soundtrack/OST
Amazing! The osts are absolutely beautiful it has to be one of my favourites to listen to! They do an amazing job capturing the atmosphere whether it's to create sadness or suspense.

Plot/Storyline
The writers did incredible! From the beginning to the end of the kdrama, I was intrigued of what would happen next with each episode, the writers definitely know how to keep the reader on their toes. The comedy was great too! I couldn't help laughing at some points.

Cinematography and Special FX
The Cinematography and Special FX is something I'll never forget about this drama. The makeup artists did incredible with makeup to create a ghostly look on the actors, it gave me goosebumps! Plus the editing is incredible, it definitely adds to the ghostly/supernatural atmosphere. Also IU's stylist needs to get a raise! I couldn't stop admiring at her outfits throughout the whole drama, all of them were gorgeous.

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Unique, Entertaining, Memorable

This is one of the few dramas that I'll never hesitate to rewatch. I loved watching this drama due to its storyline, OSTs, but also the emotions that I felt throughout. There are scenes that can be scary, scenes that will make you laugh, and scenes that will make you cry. The storyline of this drama is something new and unique that I haven't seen portrayed in other dramas that I have watched. There is great chemistry amongst the actors/actress. The OSTs are very nice and fitting to the drama, even without watching the mv to the most just by hearing the song you'll be able to picture a scene from the drama in your mind.

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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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Gente, que dorama perfeito! Terminei ele ontem e ainda tô tentando me recuperar.
Eu amei esse dorama do início ao fim. A história é ótima, tem as doses certas de fantasia, drama, romance e comédia, além de ter várias historinhas dentro de uma história maior, e todas foram muito bem trabalhadas e finalizadas.
Quanto aos personagens todos são muito queridos, tantos os principais quanto os secundários, o elenco é excelente. A atuação da IU tá impecável, ela tá no auge, e a Jang Man Weol se tornou uma das minhas personagens femininas favoritas, ao mesmo tempo que ela é forte, comanda e faz o que quer ela também é doce, divertida e faz tudo para proteger quem ela ama.
E assim, o casal desse dorama é um amor. O romance deles é muito legal, não tem aquele jogo de gato e rato, no momento em que eles percebem que o sentimento é recíproco eles se entregam. O romance é muito maduro, eles sempre respeitaram a vontade do outro e um não prende o outro.
Quanto ao final foi muito coerente e teve tudo a ver com a história, não poderia ter sido de outra forma.
Enfim, esse dorama já é um dos meus favoritos e eu super recomendo que você assista ele, você não vai se arrepender!

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