Hotel del Luna (2019)

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 (:

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Tomem cuidado com os spoilers!

Sim, eu dropei Hotel del Luna e ainda assim vou fazer uma resenha positiva.
Acho que eu nunca vi um drama com uma filmografia tão bonita quanto à de Hotel Del Luna. Os cenários são lindos, os figurinos e o elenco e simplesmente impecável.
A história também não deixa a desejar. Pode ser que acabe sendo lenta em alguns momentos mas ela e simplesmente muito profunda em alguns momentos. A única razão que me fez parar de assistir foi o temido spoiler… É, me contaram o final e tudo perdeu a magia pra mim. Não que eu odeie o fim, é só que eu sinceramente acho que esse dorama não funciona ou não te impacta da mesma forma com spoilers.

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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

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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.

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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.

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Envolvente

Antes de começar a assistir não se esqueça de pegar o seu lenço para enxugar as lágrimas que podem cair sem querer.
Mas não é por isso que deve deixar de assistir, você se envolve na história e cria um vínculo com cada personagem ao conhecer sua história, o romance nos passa uma sensação de amor puro e também há as cenas engraçadas, e o senso de moda de Jang Man-Wol? Alguém me ensina a me vestir desse jeito, embora a beleza seja muito grande.
O elenco é demais!!! Não vai se arrepender de começar!
Sigo esperando a segunda temporada mesmo que não tenha, infelizmente. <3

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Hotel del luna para sempre <3

Nossa, não sei por onde começar! Primeiro que nem fiz uma resenha do episódio porque eu só fiz chorar. Assisti hotel del Luna como indicação de uma amiga e ainda demorei um pouco pra ver por causa da lista que é grande. Mas a história é tão única, original, autêntica. Os atores incríveis, amei a IU, que mulher maravilhosa, o ator que fez o Chan sung entregou muito, adorei o trabalho dele e dos demais atores que não conhecia o trabalho! A cenografia do drama é incrível, todos os detalhes, as lições que vamos aprendendo no decorrer da história, a ost impecável!!! Vou sentir saudades do pessoal do hotel, as despedidas foram terríveis. Enfim, foi muito triste mas foi tão lindo! Toda vez que ver uma lua cheia vou me lembrar de hotel del Luna ??

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hotel del luna

Déjà, l'histoire est réfléchie, et bien agencée. Je ne peux pas mettre moins d e 9.5 car j'ai adoré.

L'histoire : On sent que l'histoire a été travaillée, et bien amenée dans le drama .

Les jeux d'acteur : La plupart des personnages sont bien joués, IU incarne ( je trouve ) très bien tous les personnages qu'elle joue, et encore une fois, elle a très bien joué Man-Wol, tout a fait dans son rôle. Yeo jin goo, a magnifiquement bien joué Ko chan sung. Quant au personnel, ( Shin jung keun, le barman, Bae hae seon, la gouvernante, et P.O, le réceptionniste ) on été drôles, et sans eux la série ne serait pas pareil... L'ami de Ko chan sung, Sanchez, joué par Jo hyun chul, est un petit rôle très mignon. Et ne parlons pas de seo yi sook , qui interprète plusieurs rôles, toutes les mago, et qui a très bien joué, car on distingue très bien ses différents rôles, alors chapeau.

L'OST : les chansons ne m'ont pas toutes plu, mais j'en ai aimé quand même au moins 5 ou 6. ( J'écoute en boucle "done for me" :-) par exemple )
Peut être, et surement d'ailleurs, que je le reverrais, et c'est pour ça que j'ai mis 9.0 . <3

Voilà pourquoi c'est un drama que je conseille aussi fortement = )

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Até fantasma vai querer assistir

Posso parecer clichê mais o único defeito desse drama foi acabar, fiquei arrasada. Esse show começou bem e conseguiu manter o folego até o final. Com uma história bem diferente e original dos dramas que acostumamos ver esse drama traz tantas reflexões, sentimentos, aprendizagem que é impossível não se envolver no seu enredo. Tudo nesse show foi tão bem planejado e executado que você percebe o excelente resultado na tela.

Amei cada personagem ali, todos contribuíram para história de alguma forma, eram agradáveis e simpáticos. Vou confessar que a gerente de quarto era minha segunda personagem favorita neste drama, porém a equipe do hotel era formidável foi lindo ver o progresso deles.

Agora vamos para minha personagem favorita, Tenho que exaltar essa excelente atriz que foi nossa Protagonista feminina, ela deu um banho de atuação e arrebatou meu coração, sua personagem era demais ri e chorei com ela, aquele seu jeito fechado, durona e engraçado me fez me divertir muito assistindo. Adoro protagonistas assim inteligente, carismática divertida , bonita, por falar em beleza tenho que deixar aqui minha admiração pelo seu guarda roupa , como era estilosa da cabeça aos pés, até as unhas dela eram lindas , os figurinistas e toda equipe arrasaram. Eu amei cada momento dela em cena arrasava nos looks e na atuação. Você se identifica com ela pois ela não é aquela mulher perfeitinha, ela erra também sofre e enfrenta seus demônios todos os dias como você e eu.

A Ost é maravilhosa, envolvente as letras eram lindas, trilha sonora nota 10 os , efeitos sonoros também eram muitos bons , tudo tão bem feito que era ainda mias fácil se envolver naquele mundo. Esse drama te leva para uma viagem muito louca para aquele mundo de fantasia.

Então recomendo fortemente que você assista esse drama , nele vai encontrar de tudo um pouco na dose certa, fantasia, comédia, romance mistério ação tudo numa trama muito bem amarrada e finalizada.

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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.

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Fantasy story with love and resolving grudges

Grim reapers, deities, ghosts - nicely woven together with romance and perfectly timed reveals. The music played a bit part in setting the correct mood and I found myself tearing up at many moments when words were not even spoken.

The drama was extremely well written with many interesting little stories being introduced and solved all the while having flashbacks of the FL’s past life which made me feel so sad for her. Watching her fall in love with the ML was heart wrenching since it was already revealed early on that she would be leaving him in the end.

I loved the FL’s character, gorgeous outfits and stunning manicured nails! She had wonderful chemistry with the ML and their bickering was cute and natural. Although she puts forth a cool and strict front with her staff, she cares for them immensely as is revealed in the way she protects them and the way she is engulfed in sadness when they leave her.

The deity concept here (Mago) was interesting and it was fun to see them all look like identical sisters but with different personalities, hairstyles and dressing to suit their different responsibilities - the strict one dressed in black, the beggar-looking one in charge of poverty, the perky one dressed like Queen E and so on.

The ending was done nicely in several stages. It was good that the drama didn’t just end when the FL’s grudge was resolved (as most dramas usually do) and it went on to do very nice closures for each of her staff before coming back to end on the FL and ML. Not the happy ending I would have liked but one that fits this storyline.

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Grudges, Ghost, Friendships, Family, Laughs, Sadness, Past and Present

I like to watch things that have ghosts or mystical story's for Halloween and I am happy that I watched this drama! It didn't disappoint, it had everything that I love in a drama. It had friendships, relationship, family, comedy, sadness. One minutes I could be sad and the next smiling and laughing at what was being said or done. Yes it has ghosts and one or two may of been a little scary but for the most part when you meet the ghost you found out more about them and their background which didn't make them as scary. The story revolved around things that happened and in the past, grudges and working through your grudges to forgiveness or moving on, with your life. It even had romance in it which was sweet, and the ending had me sad but that is what the story was about moving on to the afterlife, once you are ready!

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