Hotel del Luna (2019)

I finally watched this after much debate. I had considered skipping it altogether because I doubted how well IU's acting would be. Scarlet Heart proved to be a major letdown where she simply failed to deliver during the most emotional scenes. What a pleasant surprise it was to see that she had improved since. Overall I did enjoy the show but did not find it as bingeworthy as I would have expected. Maybe it was the longer episodes, where sometimes I would catch myself being distracted and not paying attention. The backstory between Manwol and Chungmyung was beautifully captured and delivered. It almost made me wish that was the main story instead. The main leads, seemed to lack some chemistry. I just did not feel the same attraction as I did with Chungmyung.

Overall very aesthetically pleasing with the constant outfit changes from IU and the OST was beautiful. I would say for me, it was more a show I watched more for the nice visuals over the storyline.

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I liked the drama but I think the ending felt rushed. I think the writers spent too much time developing Man Wol's past and too little developing the resolution of it. Her meeting with the captain was supposed to move me as much as the flashbacks did, and instead it felt shallow. And the "princess and Yeon Woo are getting married" seem too much like a rushed way to say "this part of the plot is closed, MOVING ON"...
I was a little bit bored by the ending, tbh. I don't think it was a bad ending, but it wasn't a ending that made me fangirl or be like "woah, this is amazing". I really liked, however, the talk between Choi Seo Hee and the pregnant lady about how that baby is her baby before anything else and it's going to carry her last name. I also liked how the five characters of the hotel are found family tm. And I must admit that, in a way, I see Man Wol and Chang Sung more as sister and brother or really good friends than romantic partners. I'm sorry, but I didn't feel any chemestry between them (and I'm watching Moon lovers right now, and let me tell you, Iu and Lee Joon Gi is wow), and while I appreciatte the way their relationship was written, I was left feeling meh about their romantic scenes most of the time. Which kills me because GENDERSWAP BEAUTY AND THE BEAST. Like, I did like the development of their friendship and I do understand how they came to be a couple but Man Wol and Chang Sung romantic scenes didn't move me as much as Man Wol and the captain, tbh.
Which brinsg me to people saying Chang Sung was boring and, let me tell you, I don't think he was. I think is really good to see a male character being the nurturing one, the one who choses to be kind and give second chances and believe the best of everybody else. And I don't think he was naive, I think he understood people but wanted to give them a chance to prove him right in making the "right" choice. I think he's cunning, kind and interesting. I do wish the story focused a little bit more of him outside Hotel del luna, though. Like I would've liked to see him arriving to New York and see a little of what he was doing, and so on. Again, I don't think the ending was bad, but I wanted to see a little bit more of the people left behind and the ending felt rushed.
I liked the acting. I think the ones I liked the most were IU's, Bae Ha Seon's, Lee Do Hyun's and Kim Mi Eun (who played the ghost bride).
The music was really good, I think it fit the kdrama really well.
The filming was amazing and I know people talk about it a lot, but the aesthetics were goals. And yes, I'm one more in the line of "God, I wish I had a lot of Man Wol's wardroble"

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Drama de qualité malgré quelques points négatifs pour moi

J'en avais beaucoup entendu parlé, j'ai donc décidé de me lancer.

Points positifs :

L'histoire : Très jolie, quand on aime les dramas fantastiques et en lien avec la mort. Tout y est tourné de façon poétique comme les coréens savent le faire.
Les acteurs : IU reste magnifique, et pour moi, elle porte le drama a elle toute seule. Son lead est bien joué, beau, mais reste légèrement en retrait par rapport à elle.
La cinématographie : Les images sont belles, les décors aussi. Cela donne un côté poétique et baroque à toute la sérique que j'ai beaucoup aimé. C'est beau à voir. L'OST est vraiment sympa aussi.

Les points négatifs (de mon point de vue évidemment)

La fin : Même si elle semble logique, je suis persuadée qu'ils auraient pu chercher quelque chose de plus vrai et en adéquation avec la série. Pour ma part j'ai vraiment été déçue : Ils auraient clairement pu faire mieux à mon sens.
La romance : Bien présente tout le long, mais uniquement dans les paroles. J'aime la retenue des dramas coréens, mais là, c'est trop... Il y a même un moment où je me suis dis " Mais ce n'est même pas possible que cela se passe ainsi". Je suis une fleur bleue, mais là pour moi aucune corrélation entre leurs mots, et leurs gestes. Rien. Et vraiment, en ce qui me concerne cela a vraiment desservit leur histoire.

En conclusion : Clairement un drama de qualité, avec de la recherche et de la beauté. Même si les points cités au-dessus ont un peu terni à mon gout le drama en lui même, il faut le voir et le découvrir malgré tout.

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Manwol is the GOAT

Story: An interesting premise that started strong, lacked in the middle, and ended strong.
(+) the romance is endearing and mature. I know a lot of people had second lead syndrome but I personally enjoyed Manwol and Chan Sung romance. They bicker and tease but there is so much affection and understanding.
(+) finding out Manwol's backstory was interesting
(+) The second couple was cute
(+/-)beautiful CGI- it was really good in the beginning but wasn't as prominent/good later in the show
(-)Because the episodes are over an hour long I easily got bored of the week to week ghost stories. I think it would've worked better if the show was 20-30 minutes.
(+/-)bittersweet ending

Acting/Cast: IU owns this role! Not only is she amazing as the 1300 year old CEO but her scenes in the past- specifically her crying scenes got me.
Jin Goo was also great but his character was not as strong or developed compared to Manwol. He was interesting in the beginning but as the show went on his character was more of a support system to Manwol.
The rest of the cast was great but I'm disappointed that all their side stories were rushed at the end. I would have rather learned about their past than random ghost stories.

Music: Hands down one of the best OST of any drama! It features well known artists such as Gummy, Punch, Chungha, Taeyeon, Ben and even our wonderful IU.

Overall: This drama holds a special place in my heart. Though I can acknowledge the flaws I still looked forward to it every week. My advise would be to not binge it as it might get boring because the episodes are long.

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beautifully made

Hotel del Luna is an amazing drama. Although it took me a few episodes to get truly invested in the story, it left me crying like a baby during the last episode.

First of all this drama is just overall very beautifully made. The hotel, the scenery and the outfits (ESPECIALLY IU’s outfits!) are super pretty and pleasing to the eye. This might be one of the most aesthetical kdramas I have ever seen.

Second of all the story is emotional, fun, and investing and the characters are all very likeable. The dynamics between the main leads are great and it‘s fun to see how their relationship changes over time. IU‘s performance really stood out to me, but all the actors did a great job in this one.

Lastly the OST of this drama is amazing and features a lot of popular artists.

Would recommend everyone to watch this kdrama!

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Fun, beautiful, though the story was not so memorable.

Trapped in her resentment, Man Wol (IU) has to spend an eternity running Hotel del Luna, catering to the unresolved issues of ghosts before they move on to the afterlife. Go Chan Sung (Yeo Jin Gu) ended up working for Man Wol due to a deal his father made with her. Through his job, Chang Sung gets to know the mysterious Man Wol and her dark past. Will there be any redemption for Man Wol doomed fate?

The first stand out point is the fantastic world building of Hotel del Luna, it is majestic and wonderful to look at. More than that, the visual effects, OSTs and costumes are all stunning. Man Wol’s costumes are something else! They are undeniably feminine & stunning with luxurious & rich color tones, and IU wore them with confidence that these clothes are not ‘drowning’ her. She really proves herself in this role, with her cold and powerful gaze that perfectly define cold, powerful, and ancient being Man Wol. The next point I love is the cast chemistry, the hotel staffs, the god ladies, and the chemistry between IU with Lee Do Hyun (they fought great together). Indeed, it’s not the chemistry between IU and Yeo Jin Gu, who is our male lead that I enjoyed most.

However, those are the aspects that I love from Hotel del Luna. The story itself didn’t grip me and some of the ghosts issues are not that exciting to watch. I enjoyed the comedic interactions, especially the beginning ones, but the main romance never felt romantic. Overall, it’s a great drama despite my pros and cons. I like how it ends with good life lessons as well.

Last edited-Mar 2024,
Find me on instagram: @kdramajudge

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A flower that dreams of the moon

Story: The story can be predictable but also unpredictable. One thing is for sure, it will keep you wanting more and more. It’s a story of betrayal, misunderstandings, reincarnation, hate, love, passion, revenge, and whatnot! It has it all. I am not one to cry easily but I shed a tear or two while watching. Death and what allegedly happens after death is mentioned a lot and we see deities helping people in dire situations as well as changing someone’s fate. It does make you wonder if death is the end.

Characters/Acting: The chemistry between the characters was good, especially between IU (Jang Man Wol) and Yeo Jin Goo (Goo Chan Sung), as well as between Yeo Jin Goo (Goo Chan Sung) and Jo Hyun Chul (Sanchez). All the characters had very intriguing stories and I think that the casting choices were great. We have some character developments like Jang Man Wol’s (IU) character to mention a big one. I was very satisfied with the acting and how the actors embraced their roles.

OST: Apart from Can you see my heart by HEIZE which plays A LOT in almost every episode, I discovered some more beautiful songs like At the End by Chung Ha, Another Day by Monday Kiz & Punch, and Taeyeon by (태연) - '그대라는 시 (All About You) by Blue D to name a few.

Overall: Give Hotel Del Luna a chance to take you on a fantasy journey where the boundaries between life and death, as well as fantasy and reality, get blurry.

Score: 9.5/10

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Story failed my expectations, wasted star-studded series

I was quite disappointed about the overall story which was filled with sub-plots that doesn't connect to the main plot and was pretty boring as well.

I love seeing IU on those extravagant clothes and accessories and her acting doesn't really fail but I felt like the story is lacking in so many ways. The first half is specially boring but it gets better towards the end when the story finally had some substance in it. I feel sorry because the casts really did their best and most of them portrayed their role exceptionally well specially IU but then again it all ends up with a poor writing.

I don't think the plot is my cup of tea but I can say this series at least make it a little more bearable as I watch more episodes. I almost dropped it but because I really admire IU's acting I decided to continue. Maybe what's more disappointing was the hype when the show was first aired. It was so popular so I expected a lot from it.

Overall, I still enjoyed watching it. If you're an IU fan, definitely watch this as IU is stunningly beautiful and such a great actress here.

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Huge fan of IU and Yeo Jin-goo. They're both powerhouses in everything they do, so I knew the show would have strong legs to stand on, regardless of the genre.

The OST and Moonlight Sonata were all gorgeous, they really pulled the scenes together and drew you into their world. I really loved the side storylines with the hotel guests and learning about their grudges and what pulls them away from release. I also thought the side characters were all really wonderful and had great chemistry, so I didn't have issues when an episode was side-character-centric. I sensed more chemistry between IU and Jin-goo while they were just friends, but I never felt like they didn't adore each other through the end. I was a sobbing mess at the end.

The visual FX was pretty meh. It's okay that it's not great - I understand visual FX is expensive- but sometimes it was worse than cheap Halloween makeup and very amateur. I got over it after a few episodes though and tried to enjoy the show/scenes for their story and character chemistry. My only real "issue" is that I really wish there was a special episode to show the epilogue. I really wanted to know more about what happened after the end episode.

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Beautiful, but the backstory is what got me

Yes, just to get it out of the way. The cinematography of this drama is just gorgeous, IU rocks every single outfit, and the OST is also pretty great.

In this entire drama, however, I have to say that plotwise I was just so much more invested in MW's backstory and in the enemies-to-lovers ship. I completely fell in love with the flashbacks and the high-stakes dynamics between the characters, even while knowing that everything was going to end in tragedy.

While I still enjoyed the modern story and the unusual dynamic between the main leads, I didn't love them as much as I loved the backstory couple, and I almost didn't feel any romance at all. I think part of this is just the time taken to the modern plot.

I wasn't a huge fan of this kind of episodic writing in Master's Sun and I felt the same for this one. Other than the subplots that connected us directly to the main or supporting cast, I didn't care much for the individual ghosts and their stories and pretty much just waited with bated breath to find out about MW's story.

She was undoubtedly the most interesting and layered character out of everyone, and I wish we had dedicated just as much time to the male lead as we did to her or even to any of the supporting cast (the hotel workers). Even with his backstory, his character and plot seemed a little shallow.

Ultimately, it was the backstory of MW that stole the show, my attention, and my heart.

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hotel del luna being one of the most anticipated dramas, i felt like i should give it a shot.
knowing at iu was being a part of the cast made me quite excited, and as expected i couldn't imagine who could play jang manwol better than her.

production wise, this drama is very aesthetically pleasing and definitely worth it's quality. from the interior of the hotel, manwol's outfits and also the cinematography that the drama has delivered is pleasing to the eye and i loved how the whole drama is shot.
plot wise, it wasn't the greatest plot i have encountered but it definitely wasn't bad at all. i enjoyed the character developments of each character, and the connections between the past selves with their the current selves and how fate brought each person together. however, for some reason in the middle of the drama i felt like i could predict jang manwol's back story and what made her receive her punishment.

overall the drama was good! it's worth my time and i loved the chemistry between all the characters in this drama ~

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A story about healing, moving on, forgiveness, and loving again

n.b.: Might contain what others consider as "spoiler" but is not in my opinion.

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At first, one would assume this is a typical romantic comedy about some couple who found each other, denies being in loved, and eventually lived happily ever after. However, one will soon learn that this is a story about healing, moving on, forgiveness, and loving again.

IU, as Jang Man Weol the owner of Hotel del Luna, beautifully brought to life her character. She successfully hid her image as the world's "Queen of Pop" with her superb acting. From a very friendly, approachable, smiling IU, she totally became the bitter, easy to anger, and strict that is Jang Man Weol. As this story spans a thousand years, IU's talent in acting shone as she took on different roles and genres in one series.

One would probably also assume that Hotel del Luna was an IU show especially since she wore countless of dresses in every 1.5-hour episode, which could range from a thousand years ago to the present. I would say she probably beaten Lucy Liu in Elementary in this area, turning a series into a subtle fashion show. However, Yeo Jin Goo made this his own show as well, himself a veteran actor who have taken challenging roles, playing as Goo Chan Sung, the Hotel Manager, equalised the show between the two actors and their characters.

The music were also great. Yeo Jin Goo's and IU's acting were more than enough but with the right music at the right time, it deepened the emotional connection to the important scenes. From action to the most heart-wrenching scenes, the music made the series very memorable and touching, especially for those who are going through the same challenges in their lives.

The writers also did well. While Hotel del Luna was a hotel for ghosts/spirits, nothing was too scary, I wouldn't even categorised this show as "horror". In each episode, they touched on different subjects about death, murder, accidents, forgiveness, and separation with the people we love, that longing desire to be with them even after life has ended. They carefully guided the show to not turn into "horror"--which amateur writers would've fallen into and throw the story everywhere--by always bringing in the light-hearted comedy of Yeo Jin Goo and IU.

Finally, the overall story of healing, moving on, forgiveness, and loving again was told perfectly in 16 episodes averaging 1 hour and 20 minutes each. This was very eye-opening for those of us who were recently deeply broken, those of us who are denying we have lingering bitterness in our hearts, those of us who are finding it hard to forgive and move on. Goo Chan Sung and Jang Man Wol showed us how and why we should heal, move on, forgive, and love again. Goo Chan Sung demonstrated to us how we should let someone heal first before entering into a relationship with them, how we can be the support they need and not give in to their every demands just because they were deeply hurt. While Jang Man Wol told us how bitterness and an unforgiving heart can lead one to live a sad, unfulfilling, pointless life, and how we can once again love by healing ourselves first.

Thank you to the whole team for bringing us an amazing production and a great meaningful story.

If there will ever be a "Hotel Blue Moon", I hope that it will tell meaningful stories as with Hotel del Luna, and that the sequel wouldn't fall into "just another entertainment show"--a common pitfall with sequels.

Hotel del Luna: 100 out of 10 stars!

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