This review may contain spoilers
How to make a bad ending look good.
This drama made me cry like no other before. The last episode was a complete tearjerker.Until the very end, until the last minutes, I was expecting it to not really end badly. Even before the beginning, I found out whether it was a bad ending or a good ending, but after the opening episodes, I really didn't believe that it could end as a bad ending story.
The cast and acting were perfect. The costumes and soundtrack were unforgettable. Some of the songs are still on my playlist.
The drama was almost perfect in every way, but I don't know if I'll go back and watch it again.
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Sanchez Deserved Better
It took me around 5 months to complete this show. That isnt to say that its bad. its just to say that i was busy and that i may have some alzheimers, so this review maybe inaccurate.
Goblin is a show where ghosts check in for therapy, and we check in for trauma. Ridiculous tsundere romance, a thousand-year-old angsty main lead, and random side plots that exist for no apparent reason other than to pad out the runtime and a swaggy grim reaper with a jawline like the jaw titan from aot.
Honestly, I came in expecting peak. Instead, there was alot of kdrama padding as usual. However it did make me think about alot of things like why are these dead people paying ghost money for five-star ghost room service? Does this hotel serve other nationalities or is it south korea only? can north koreans make it? How did Sanchez's girlfriend get tp summoner spell? The tiger made it, how come none of the other north koreans make it? Who’s managing the ghost economy? Is this going to impact inflation in south korea?
Our female lead is John Man Wol, not to be confused with The moon embracing the sun's sha-man wol. For a good ten episodes, she treats everyone around her like dirt. Whether they’re alive, dead or in transit. She eventually pivots to being a bit nicer, but she’ll still scam your ghost grandma for a lambo. Her character is abit over the top but ig thats kdrama. like yea. thousand year old angst tends to do that to someone. probably. idk ive never seen anyone live that long.
The male lead, Gucchi Sung, is pretty chill. He’s a polite, smart, hard working but did get trapped by the crusty old scam queen despite her literally treating him like a hotel bellboy with no union benefits and threatening to kill him on multiple occasions. He does have a strong character and actually stands up to the fl and sees past her facade of being a bitch. he is also sassy and funny. good fellow. The romance was ok. honestly good that they died. they def need a soft reset on the relationship
Side characters were goated. well cooked. Sanchez deserved better. Man comes in with pizza for everyone. Nice as hell. went through heaps of shit and landed a very nice girlfriend. Only to have that nice life snatched away from him. It just aint fair. Bro was the biggest tragedy in this show. Shits just fucked up with ghosts and angst, and all he wanted was a nice girl and a peaceful life. and he actually processes everything pretty nicely. like damn. he chill as fuck. The ghosts themselves were pretty nice. Dead people with regrets? Classic. Dead people who need to accept change to move on? omg. Some of them def had some over the top obsessoins, like, bitch, you died in the Joseon Dynasty. why are you still out here beefing with your ex's descendants? Surprised the hotel wasnt just full of people like that.
the way they deal with characters regrets and wants was actually really interesting. often times they wanted things their way, like how things were before they died or before something terrible happened before they died (their regrets)/ but to move on properly they needed to forget about that and accept something new. something related to their regret to like replace or help them cope with that feeling. And then they accept it and can finally accept their death. which i find is a pretty nice and relatable message that many shows dont really tackle that well.
Ending was fucking pretty peak. It’s the ending Violet Evergarden deserved. Sad, emotional, and satisfying. K-dramas never do that shit. Sure, it took a couple episodes of padding to get there, but it was just making space for it to hit different. especially how they used the ost. . "Can You See My Heart?" Yes, I can, and it’s weeping in moderation. enough to feel the peak. but not enough to get destroyed like more than blue or how to make millions before grandma dies. IU also epic (i dont actually know her too well and i forgot the song name).
Visual effects def looked goofy at times, but props for trying to experiment like with the borders of the screen. The briar scenes were pretty nice. also a shame what happened to that character, and the other like 4 that got brutalised by that one random dude that exited the server when he got chat banned (self inflicted mute/stabbed in the neck).
This show was pretty entertaining. Could have been alot shorter but it is what it is. The good parts were great. It’s not the most peak K-drama I’ve seen but its pretty nice. especially how they actually tied up loose ends in the ending.
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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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☪Enchanting, Entrancing, Some Dancing & Romancing ⚜️ °8.4° °Excellent°
[Spoilers are contained in a separate section at the end]⚜️What A Delectable Diversion. HDL is a magical little fantasy about a hotel where the dead can rest prior to heading to the afterlife. You Can Check Out Anytime You Like 🌃 But /She/ Can't Leave…
While the hotel is magical & regular slubs like us can't see it (or its guests), it still exists in the real world. It's registered with the province & a human manager is required to handle all human affairs. Enter Mr. Koo. When Koo is young, his father, in a fateful encounter with Ms Jang, promises Koo's future to Jang. Dad is pressured into this promise in exchange for his life; otherwise, Koo would grow up parentless. The good news is that HDL will now fund Koo's upbringing. So Pop takes him to 🇺🇸 where Koo, in time, "pulls a Harvard" in Hotel Mgmt. Even so, like all humans putting on blinders, neither dad nor child took the obligation seriously.
Koo comes to realize, 25 years later, that he cannot shirk this obligation. Just when he has his dream job bagged, Jang runs interference. What plays out is a peek into this amazing world within our world. As all of Koo's training is OTJ, every episode is a treat to something new & imaginative.
HDL is a visual extravaganza, from the hotel to the fashion-porn. Filmed on location at the Hotel Seine Café, which is staggeringly beautiful (it's now on my bucket list), 'dainties' & 'fancies' are 360 degrees around. Some of those delights are revealed in my spoiler section. The filming bolsters the gorgeous spectacle. Jang's got an outfit to go with every occasion, even one to wear when dining on rice cake soup. But don't expect spontaneity. If you suddenly want to go somewhere & she's not dressed 'correctly', just fuhgettaboudit.
While there's plenty of side stories in which to become engrossed, the main protagonists are Ms Jang (owner of HDL), & Mr. Koo, her very reluctant 99th human manager. Jang looks like a porcelain doll & is as feisty as a Tasmanian Devil. She's also sealed herself off. We see her dismiss the former Manager of 40 years with perfunctory efficiency, devoid of all emotion. She's taken on petulance as a primary personality trait. She displays no feelings at all, & is particularly devoid of compassion. Consistency long ago abandoned, she will say anything in the moment to satiate her emptiness.
Jang's truly b@d@$$, but, Ms Snark - Ms Sourpus - Ms Oppositional - Ms Ill-Tempered Ice Queen - is about to get a change of perspective, not just a change of clothes. Koo might appear to be a feckless wimp (which is how Jang's been treating him) but he is, as it turns out, tremendously courageous & a problem solver of the highest intellect. He knows when to be reserved & when to step up. When he steps up, it's with every bit of panache that Jang displays.
There are visual cues to the romance. Jang & Koo gradually match each other more & more. At first it's just her nail polish that matches his outfit & it grows from there. Flowers are popping up everywhere. They are beautiful… & perishable.
There's plenty of laughs. Mr. Koo is lurched far off-balance by the rush of new experiences, & he frequently jumps behind Jang out of fear until he gets accustomed to dealing with ghosts. She looks like she might reach 5'2" in spiked Jimmy Choos, so it's absurd - and bang-on funny.
When Koo was still running away from the job, Jang went out to retrieve him. He passed out after a nasty ghost encounter. K- "How did you get me back to the hotel" ? J- "Well, I got something similar to a handcart. All you need to know is that I got you back safely." The way she actually got him back, however, is not analogous to a handcart! Not one little bit!
Once in awhile, live people insist on checking in. They are placed in Room 404, the error number we've seen on countless computer screens. In EP10 there's a deft little scene: Koo & Jang are at a restaurant where people died from eating (she can't get enough of that). She's ticked off at him, but she can't resist taking pictures of her food. Snapping away, she never diverts her fuming stare from Koo. She moves the camera around & clicks it but only looks at him. It's hilarious. Koo is gifted a big cat print suit. Will the fastidious Harvard grad be able to even get one arm into the jacket without a meltdown? It's worth watching to see.
There's some head-scratchers, unfortunately, & there's some glaring omissions, too. The ending is not my favorite part of HDL. Things went downward a tinge in the last couple eps. Ep16 was too slow, sappy, & drawn out. It's always sad when the wrap up of a great story is the worst part of it.
We watch them & all the staff develop individually & as a unit. To avoid any jolts to the system pay attention. The show creators will tell you where they are headed: Believe them. We don't see much of what happens going forward, which is a little letdown. That is why viewers are clamoring for a S2.
Things are mostly looking way up at HDL, though. This is appropriate to watch with kids that are around the ages of 12& up. The feel is almost Disneyesque. There's some elements (evil ghosts, murders) that are too scary for children of single-digit age, who would struggle with the subtitles anyway. HDL offers valuable lessons, such as forgiveness, & Koo is a walking ethics handbook.
While you may not get 100% customer satisfaction, make sure to check-in anyway. This is a hotel, & a show, like no other. I'm a little sad, but also very bedazzled.
⛔️SPOILER SECTION⛔️
From tidbits to broad strokes, here's some additional insights into HDL.
In the way of laughs and delight〰️>
The pool is actually a yacht-worthy ocean with sunlight-levels to order. HDL even has an amusement park. Who wants to go! Uh, hang on... I can wait a while for that, I guess. The entrance fee is steep.
After Koo starts putting his whole heart into the job, Koo finds out that he was the /3rd/ choice for manager. Having been 'committed' to the job for 25 years & presuming himself indispensable, he's shocked. The staff calls him 'Mr. 3rd choice' behind his back.
The way she got him back to the hotel when he passed out was by possession. It's best that Koo not know.
How could you say "no" to having a beer with the Grim Reaper!? SANCHEZ!
In the way of romance〰️>
The Romance between these 2 is magnificent. Koo actually pursues Jang. She exposed the tiniest opening & he wedged it wide to occupy all the empty space. It inspires a smidge of awe. Before long they are spending most of their time together. They continue the trend Koo started by conversing in metaphors. For example, when Jang says: "The sea is beautiful tonight. It makes me a little sad." She looks Koo in the eye & says: "I'm sad because it's more beautiful than it was before." They feel for e/o, but they haven't fully acknowledged it to themselves, so they can't express it yet. As their feelings deepen, they both want to protect e/o. Next, they begin matching. It grows from there. Once she gets past wanting to kill him, they match more completely & start to reflect e/o. He closes one episode by declaring: "You are devouring all my nights & all my dreams: Admit it, he just laid down a 🎤drop! Another time, Koo tells Jang: "The view is much better now that I'm with you." Koo's so smooth he could write dating primers. They show us the apex of his masculinity when Jang, in an attempt to coerce him into the cat print suit, threatened to take his clothes off if he didn't wear it. He looked at her & said: "Can you handle it?" She froze for a moment. He ain't weak at all.
In the way of heartbreak 〰️>
We see heavy foreshadowing in the rose he gave her: It's fragile & will wilt eventually. Some things are left oblique, such as the sex of the last Yun family baby, or the non-answer to the "capricious" deities that don't seem to be fair.
It was obvious they would be resolving grudges for the staff. It might have been better if they spread it out a little more. We don't see what happens to anyone going forward, which is another letdown. The ending is not to my liking. At all. Their relationship is priceless. They have so little time together once they settle into it.
I get it: Koo let Jang go. He made the choice. The show creators chose the ground rules they constructed, though, and not only are their constraints somewhat severe, but they don't always make sense. Worse, is that they are inconsistent, at times. Early on, we're told the tree looks dead because time stopped flowing (is dead) for Jang. She didn't die in the series, so why would she have to cross over to the Afterlife? Why would Jang even be sentenced to pay a 1000 year penance? Because she took out the rotten government that abused their power & her people? Does Jang's punishment fit the crime as well as Koo's tiger suit fits him? Jang's horrible circumstances seem worse than she herself is.
I spent most of the series thinking that when Jang's time flows again she'll be able to live her life out with Koo before passing. In fairness, the vibe increasingly felt ill-fated. It's not like they didn't forecast the weather. Nevertheless, I'm going through 5 grief stages over it. Right now I'm angry. YO! It's a fairy tale, for cryin out loud!! Why can't we have a fairy tale ending!? :( looks like I'm sliding into the bargaining phase)...
Mago “straight” asks Koo if she can do him a favor in exchange for the scissors' safe return. Why didn't he ask for more time? Mago used him to work on Jang. She set it all up 25 years ago, perhaps longer. SHE caused his broken heart. She didn't have to be so stingy… so dang capricious. They're making me hate fate.
Don't tell me that meeting in future lives is a happy ending. One happy life now is worth a hundred ‘possible’ lives later. If they do, indeed, meet up as kimchi & chicken noodles, is that happy? Doubtful. It's understandable that aspects of reincarnation are considered to be romantic. The potential downside is that we could look at all the misery in this world as being deserved by the oppressed due to indiscretions in prior lives. Every living thing could be in jeopardy within that philosophical circle, & compassion & empathy will take on damage under such suppositions, also. The worst thing is that if it turns out to not be true, then it is too cruel to the oppressed.
Things go downward a tinge in the last couple eps. Ep16 is too slow, sappy, & drawn out. It's always sad when the wrap up of a great story is the worst part of it. The saddest thing is that I could be experiencing a warm firefly glow today, instead of anger. Finally, for Jang, running the hotel is a punishment, but it seems to be a reward for the next guy. CAPRICIOUS Mago winks at us again.
Enough of that.
I'm still alittle sad, and I'm also alittle angry, but still bedazzled.
Originally 〰️🖊 10/2021
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This review may contain spoilers
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!Was this review helpful to you?
A 1300 Year Old Cycle.
My review comes three years late after finally getting a chance to rewatch it.I had followed the drama while it was airing and remember losing interest half way, watching the final episode and skipping through the scenes around Episode 11 - 14. It was this rewatch that finally made me understand why I found certain parts less than interesting.
A young prodigious man is tricked into the service of a supernatural being, Jang Man Weol, after his father was conned into making a deal with her 20 years ago.
Then, we get to see an exclusively detailed view of how Gu Chang Sung's entire life gets turned upside down as a result. I admit, he was an unsuspecting and unconventional male lead --- half of the drama, he is stuck in a state of constant dilemma, attempting to make decisions and also learn about his mysterious master, Jang Man Weol, the owner of Hotel del Luna where he is forced to work.
Jang Man Weol had a lot of "pecadillos" rather than being a genuinely evil being. But, I consider her very first decision of tricking Chang Sung's dad into selling his son to her the most cruel one. Burdened with the punishment of running the Hotel for 1300 years, she awaits to serve vengeance to the ones who had forced her through this dark path. It is now upto Chang Sung to see that she crosses the afterlife safely and remove her resentment.
I loved the three ghosts who served the hotel -- Miss Choi, Mr. Kim and Hong Joon. They were humourous. I also adored the rapport between Chang Sung, Sanchez and Mi Ra. I sometimes wished that the story focussed more on the humans than the ghosts. The ghosts whose tales were prominently followed were all emotionally depressing. I did not find them boring, as each one had a pivotal role in changing Man Weol's view on life.
The major events in the story are pre-planned by the 'deities'. And everyone of them managed to get on my nerves except for Police woman Ma Go and Medicine Ma Go. The way they dealt with the lives of living beings like cards was difficult to watch.
Last, but not the least... I could feel why Jang Man Weol sought revenge for centuries. This was also the weakest point in the drama for me. The backstory of a very important character was almost laughable. It was a moment that I waited for as I wished that it would make me find him redeemable, but in the end, he sounded like a coward.
I suddenly understand why Chang Sung was the male lead instead of him. He might not have anything heroic happening around him, but he definitely had enough intellect and loyalty in him.
I wonder how hard it was for IU to act as Jang Man Weol. She had around more than three outfits per episode and I can't imagine how exhausting it was for her and the stylists of this show. (I loved JMW's style though!)
The soundtrack of this drama is absolutely unforgettable. I can remember almost all the songs even after three years.
I do find the drama absolutely delightful and enjoyable. It's not a masterpiece, but the brilliant performances by the cast, beautifully shot scenes and a story that completes a satisfying circle is definitely worth giving a try.
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Hotel Del Luna - A Five Star Experience
I started watching this show as something to pass time whilst writing an essay but it quickly grabbed my attention and ensured it would never leave my memory. The concept of the story is very unique and it was really interesting seeing how the show addressed themes of guilt, forgiveness, redemption and death by making some of the main characters fallible to mistakes. The story progressed and though the first five or six episodes were certainly enjoyable, they were more about building chemistry between characters with those "ghost of the week" episodes and giving us snippets of Jang Man-Wol's past. But once we reached episode 8, everything after that was really just 10/10 episodes. I found the last scenes of the finale very difficult to watch to the point where I'll revisit the entire show but never rewatch that final episode.It also became clear by the end that the show was telling us this very crucial message: death isn't the end but merely one stage of someone's life. Separation by death doesn't diminish the value of love and relationships, but makes living through those moments all the more special knowing that they are finite moments that can end at any point. This isn't an easy thing to make peace with for a lot of people, but Hotel Del Luna beautifully crafts the message that often the journey can be as beautiful as the destination. Things come to an end but can last forever if they're moments that are lived well.
What I really like about this show is that the overarching arc of the story doesn't reach its resolution until very well near the end, with an incredible amount of tension generated along the way, but it also gives what some might call the "calm after the storm". The pacing isn't quick but I feel it's better this way. Understanding Jang Man-Wol's history over a number of episodes rather than too quickly early on protects the intrigue around her. It is also reflective of how we come to understand new people in our lives as real human beings. Hotel Del Luna, in that sense, is truthful to the human experience of fraternity and relationships.
I also really think there's a particular episode near the end that deserves an article of its own. It was one of the best episodes I've watched in a Kdrama show. It also mattered, after so much deliberating and agonising, that Jang Man-Wol came to the decision that she did during that episode. It was important that the writers had gone with it how they did because it ascribed agency and emotional weight to the significance of her decision, rather than a situation where her choices were resolved for her by the truth being revealed to her. That would have made her angst redundant and wouldn't have been ultimately Jang Man-Wol making a choice but it being made for her. The writers were conveying quite clearly to us that this was both her decision and also their way of answering a question that would have been forming both within the heads of the characters and the audience itself from the show's beginning once Jang Man-Wol's backstory became increasingly revealed.
The stories of the support cast are also quite devastating in their own rights. Really, this is one of those kinds of shows.
The acting is extraordinary in reflecting the show's main themes, and I mean genuinely extraordinary. IU is stunning and steals the show in every scene of every episode. Her character is genuinely one of the most memorable characters I've ever watched in TV. Even if you find the show difficult to enjoy, it's difficult to not appreciate just how good she was. Yeo Jin-Goo was also really good as the lead male in the show, and his character had a really good compassionate aura that contrasted well with IU's character. His morally steadfast approach could appear boring once you realised there was no room for growth seeing as he already began as this perfect, loving guy, but it made him the perfect riposte for IU's character. Whenever the two shared a screen, the show never lacked for it. They enjoyed an incredible chemistry that will live long in the memory and made those final scenes all the more beautiful.
The music. Just wow. Find me a better OST from any show, I'll wait! They enriched the tone of just about every scene, complementing perfectly. There are particular highlights from Episodes 6, 9, 12 and 14 that stand out for helping deepen the beauty of some stirring and moving scenes. They were nearly as memorable as the characters of the show themselves.
Can I just reiterate again how marvellous IU was? She might have inspired a new generation in fashion.
All in all, this is one of the best k-dramas I've ever watched, with a finale that will remain glued to your brain for a very long time afterwards.
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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).Was this review helpful to you?
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IU’s Best Performance So Far!
I definitely watched this series for IU, and I didn’t expect her to portray someone as cold and cruel as Jang Man Wol. She does an amazing job with this character. The storyline itself is quite unique, with her being the owner of Hotel Del Luna—a place where souls linger before moving on to the afterlife. The idea of allowing them to experience what they couldn’t while alive is such a brilliant concept by the writer.I loved how layered and tragic Jang Man Wol’s character is. Her past, full of sorrow and bad choices, ultimately leads to her being cursed and trapped in the hotel. IU’s performance as this character was something I didn’t expect to like so much, especially since I’ve only seen her in lighter dramas, except for My Mister, which was more serious.
As for Goo Chan Sung, the male lead, I wasn’t immediately drawn to his character. He comes from a poor background, but I didn’t find him particularly interesting at first. I initially thought he might be the reincarnation of Go Chung Myung, but I was surprised to learn he’s a different character. That could’ve been an interesting twist, but I understand why the writer chose not to go that route, as it would have been too cliché. Despite finding his character a bit dull, I recognize that he’s a good actor.
The chemistry between IU and Yeo Jin Go is there, but it didn’t quite resonate with me. It would’ve been more intriguing if Chung Myung had been the lead, given their 1,000-year-old love-hate history. I knew Chan Sung met Man Wol in a past life, but it felt a bit forced, like the writers were trying too hard to make it feel like fate. Still, overall, the series was good and definitely worth rewatching.
I enjoyed the mix of heavy drama with comedy, and the music was fantastic. My favorite tracks are Taeyeon’s "All About You" and Punch’s "Done For Me."
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potential wasted
what I like about this series:1. IU and Lee DoHyun: IU is as good and as beautiful as she has always been, no complaints there. my first time watching LDH and man, he blew me off the park! the acting and the chemistry with IU was off the chart. his storyline was so good, it doomed the ML’s look/acting/storyline/chemistry (or lack there of with IU).
2. Their past (love story): so tragic, and it’s basically the main arc for the drama lol. there is not even 1 but I dislike, except for maybe the ending. if there will be a future drama with these two, or a drama continue after these 2 reincarnate, I’ll be watching!
3. the music is very very good
4. the theme/premise is excellent!
what I dislike about this drama:
1. the ML: initially, I was fine with him. I like him, I was onboard with their love story. then come the train that called LDH, and man, it kicked the ML out of the park so hard, I couldn’t get back lol. by the end of it, I don’t see the chemistry anymore, and I couldn’t careless about the two leads any more 😒
2. it feels shallow! with a story like that, with what it could have been, it ended in a way that made you question the whole series. what’s the point? what do you get from it? no clear message, nada. just like how FL left the ML hanging (even though he understood the meaning n so it’s not technically hanging), the show left audience hanging 😩
3. it likes they have a great story, but in the name of “surprise!”, they went the unconventional way (making the ML not the reincarnation/has no link to LDH’s character), so while it makes the past love story super tragic (big selling point), it pushes the new love into the shadow (nothing to grip the audience with). so the result is meh! you can’t feel the leads ending 🙄
Do I recommend this series? yes! because the love story because IU and LDH is just so good to watch, missing that is a great lost to any drama watchers! but because of the negatives I listed, this series is only a sad 8 from me 😩 (I would love to give it a 9 or 10, but the flaws were toooooo big!)
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Beautiful to watch
This is a beautiful show to watch. Beautiful cast, beautiful set, beautifully filmed, etc. I was impressed by IU's progression throughout the show. I really hated her at the beginning (as I was supposed to), but her character really progressed and you could really see her pain and her vulnerability. Yeo Jin Goo was very good at the reluctant hotel manager. There was a sweet romance, but this spoke more to me about resolving issues in our lives, and the fact that family doesn't have to be nuclear. The hotel staff had their own lovely family.I thought the special effects were very good and added to the enjoyment of the show.
The costuming of IU was the standout for me. Her clothes and her jewelry were always so stunning and classy. I've watched some other K-dramas recently and have compared the feeling of the clothes/cinematography to Hotel Del Luna. Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery!
Add the cameo appearances of Lee Joon Gi and Kim Soo Hyun - bonus!
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