Reviews on series Hotel Del Luna (9)

In the luxurious and spacious hotel "Del Luna" live the lost souls of people who have left our world, but not moved to another. Because they are held by unresolved life situations. Only after the final point, the soul can safely go to another world (the series provides a comfortable drone car for this).
Someone is waiting for the cursed family, whose representatives were involved in the death of a child in the past, to finally stop. One cannot leave the real world while his sister is alive. She remembers him and loves him - he's alive to her.
Someone is holding a picture forgotten in the book, a picture depicting native mountains or an unwritten book.
But the longest waiting for the main character of the film – the owner of the hotel named Chan Man Wol. That's why she's more scared than anyone else. She is looking for a support man, next to whom this fear will go away. And he's doing it.
Hotel administrator Gu Jang Song is an honest and open guy who accidentally gets into a magical world. He, at the call of the soul, outlines his head, rushes to help and save. It interferes with the course of events and even changes the rules adopted in this strange world “not there and not here.”
The plot causes associations with the fairy tale “Scarlet Flower”. Except here he's blue. Not just one tree, but a whole tree.
The plot is very strange and unexpected for the viewer, but this is what moves him. Interest is not lost until the last series.
Abrupt moments when someone runs and screams - in moderation. Often given slow and smooth episodes in which the characters, and the viewer, can fully live their emotions. That's a plus for the series, from my point of view.

Separately, I want to note the excellent work of the operator - the pictures are beautiful and lacquer. Nice musical accompaniment. And, of course, Man Wol’s stylish outfits are a separate pleasure. And elegant images, changing several times in a series - in the future do not repeat.
Of the minuses: some ghosts look really scary, so the series is probably not for watching with children.
During the series, you have time to get used to the heroes as to your relatives. And no, no, but the idea creeps in - it would be nice if such a place existed really.
So I recommend the series for viewing – for those who love a beautiful and philosophical spectacle.

If I had not been ill, I probably did not know about such a genre as “dorama”, and would not look.
But three days of bed rest last month did happen.

What I liked about this Korean series in the first place, is that it does not drag the plot (I mean 5 seasons of 16 episodes, as usual). It only has 1 season (16 episodes).
It won't last long. Each episode lasts a little over an hour.

The plot line is very interesting - to live for many years, helping dead souls to find peace, so that later, having loved a person and cleansing their heart of past offenses and atone for their sins, they die.

The main character lives for many years, owning a hotel for the dead - a place where every soul finds what he wanted, and eventually goes to the "other" world. The life of the hostess is associated with a tree, on which at the beginning of the series there is not a leaf.

With the advent of a new hotel manager, the tree gradually comes to life, leaves appear, flowers that must fall and then the hostess will find peace, and the hotel will cease to exist.

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The hotel pays great attention to music, it is very soulful and creates a deeper atmosphere. For example, the track below is the Russian version, but the music is the same.
At first it looked like all the characters were on the same face, but I quickly got used to it. Names are also a separate story. At first I was confused in them, and by the end of the series I was already confidently guided.

There are no obscene scenes, even kisses are rare.
In general, if you want to give up a little from current problems and plunge into a new world for yourself, it is worth watching. It will definitely succeed.

Especially sensitive in the second half of the series will need handkerchiefs - you will say goodbye to the characters. Each of the hotel employees who have completed their unfinished business will go to the “other” world.
It is very convenient to watch the movie without advertising.

Write in the comments your impressions of viewing and how you feel about this genre. See you again!

So why, after such a long five-year hiatus, did I decide to get to know one of the most watched Korean TV shows in years? Because I heard that, allegedly, since the days of Scarlet Hearts, the delightful IU has significantly improved the quality of its game. And from the first scenes, I knew that was true! The girl seemed to stop fearing herself, and opened up to her own talent. Her facial expressions now play in different colors, and the tone of her voice does not lag behind, giving the necessary theatrical design.
I also enjoyed the image of the cute P.O. from Block B, which I once dreamed of seeing on the screen. I know his comedic character traits firsthand, and I think he did not have much trouble portraying a cute little boy on errands. The guy did everything.

Such different and spectacular images of ManVol deserve special mention! What is only worth her murderous purple dress coupled with a gun. Bombistic combination and the most memorable outfit!
An unusual idea came out with the guises of God, each of which personified and was responsible for one or another sphere. What was embarrassing was his constant interference in the lives of the living and the dead. No peace of mind.

The atmosphere of the hotel "Del Luna" and the atmosphere of the series inadvertently led me to the idea of similarity with the manga "Horror Shop", where the owner of the mystical store was some almighty creature in the form of a man. There is also a similarity to the hotel manager. Or maybe the store served as a prototype for the creation of the series. Who knows?
And by the law of the genre, by the middle, after the eighth series, it was a little boring. The main actors and their characters are wonderful, but each individually, but it is a bit difficult to perceive them as a joint couple. Was there no spark (yes, just remember the thunder and lightning in Scarlet Hearts!), or was I not able to perceive Yo Jin Gu as an already mature actor?
P.S. Kameo Lee Joon Ki was unmatched. Wang So finally met with his Hae Soo.

7 out of 10

To be honest, I got into this series by accident. When choosing, for some reason, I was sure that I would become a member of some mystical thriller with a neat interspersion of romantic elements, but...
According to the laws of the genre, after such a first paragraph, it should be added: I fell by chance, but did not regret a minute. And crumble in compliments to the authors of the tape.

I have to go against these stereotypes: I checked only because it was my first experience with a Korean series (not a frequent guest in our wilderness) and, as is always the first time, the process seemed more important and valuable than the result.
The timing of the series is amazing. It is in the range of 80 - 100 minutes each (practically full ' full meter '!). It is difficult to get used to this, especially against the background of the fact that European and American manufacturers are doing everything to minimize this very timing, compress, compress, accommodate as much action and event as possible in 20-30 minutes. Yes, this in itself is not a plus or a minus, if not for the very slow course of the story.

We have to explain.

I know we have a melodrama. All the mystical and historical details accompanying the main plot are just entourage: you will not know the fate of most of the characters, they will simply appear and disappear from series to series, be replaced by others and their presence create some kind of background for several tightly intertwined love lines.
I also understand that the plot of the melodrama (such is the law of the genre!) should develop as slowly as possible. In melodrama, almost everything is more important than the plot. And the modest event series is incredibly generously seasoned with details savored by the operator: looks, half smiles, slow slamming of eyelashes, half turns, mutual inefficiencies and so on. And, of course, constant close-ups and 'slowo' one mise-en-scene from several angles.

You have to be a fan of the genre. I'm honestly not a fan. I take it hard when I am told a three-minute story for an hour and a half (even if colorful and interesting).
Moreover, the story itself, despite all the above, could well turn out to be unbanal and exciting. The action takes place in parallel in two worlds - our (ordinary) and mystical (world of ghosts), as well as in two historical epochs - modernity and the distant past (something like the end of the first millennium AD).
A hotel in which the souls of the dead are waiting to be sent to the next world (it is noteworthy that someone is taken to the afterlife in expensive limousines, and someone by regular buses) and, in parallel, complete their earthly affairs. A kind of modern version of the legend of purgatory, albeit with obvious reservations. Agree - it sounds very attractive and promising. It is a pity that all this remains only an entourage for romantic experiences and expectations of the characters.

The same thing happens with the no less promising idea of death, the relation to the dead, between the dead and themselves to the living. Despite the fact that almost all significant events in the series are built around it, in itself it is exclusively illustrative, acting as a stage scenery, nothing more.
But the camera work is very unusual. There is something from comics in it: bright, juicy colors, some almost toxic-juicy, a minimum of other actors (if they drive a car along the highway, then there is no one else on the entire track, if they walk along the street, the street is necessarily deserted, and so on), unexpected angles. All this emphasizes the unreality of what is happening, a mystical flair.
In general, if you are attracted to beautiful melodramas with piercing romantic plots and you perfectly understand what you are signing up for - you will like it. Although I sometimes find myself thinking about situations and dialogues correctly, there is a lack of understanding of some basic Korean cultural code, sharing common memes on a subconscious level. Not a critical feeling. It doesn't spoil the picture. I didn’t get rid of him until the last episode.

6 out of 10

Everyone is probably familiar with the song 'Hotel California' performed by the Eagles. If you’ve ever listened to it, remember that “you can check out any time you like, but you can never leave.” The lyrics of the song are so applicable to the concept of Hotel Del Luna & #39 that it seems that the idea of the series was derived from it. If this is your ' cup of tea' as the main character Man-wol puts it, then this story risks you liking it.

As for me, I prefer bitter coffee, so ' Hotel del Luna' drank in small portions and without too much delight. On the one hand, this sweet, slightly philosophical tale of life after death and eternal love looks easy. The characters almost immediately evoke sympathy, beautiful plans and soundtrack are pleasant to perceive, in the series many touching and funny moments. On the other hand, in the process of watching it is difficult to get rid of the feeling of excessive naivety of what is happening, as if the drama is designed for people of high school age. To hell with them, mystical creatures, time travel and magical potions. But still somehow difficult to believe that the half-human half-ghost after 1300 years of its existence remained at the level of development of a young girl and for all this time did not deal with his mortal resentment. And resentment does not drag on for such a period, and the ghost could somehow evolve early, rather than waiting for the appearance of an ordinary young guy to open his eyes to the nature of human feelings.
The main character is the same 1,300-year-old ghost - a grumpy and wayward Man-will performed by Ayu (Lee Ji-in), on the popularity and talent of which, of course, the entire series is held. She is beautiful, charming, organic in her role and all the outfits that she constantly changes throughout the series sit on her just perfect. Once her character was cruelly betrayed, causing her so fierce anger that the deity Mago (one of several twin sisters who control various spheres in the world of the living and the dead) as punishment tied her to the moon tree and entrusted the management of the hotel for ghosts. ' Hotel del Luna helps the dead to complete their worldly affairs, wait for an important event or fulfill their last wishes before they depart. Some ghosts, whose anger is so strong that it does not allow them to go to the next world for a long time, remain with Man-wol as hotel staff. By the way, the stories of the three main hotel workers sometimes cause more interest than the lines of the main characters.

Although the Hotel Del Luna is not for the living, he needs one manager with a beating heart for legal and financial cover. There is no avoiding turnover here, because living managers tend to die and cease to be useful in this capacity. So there is a new, 99th hotel manager Ku Chang-song (Yo Jin-gu) at the beginning of the series. He is an ambitious and attractive young man whom Mago chose for Man-wol to finally save her from a 1,000-year imprisonment. Of course, it will not be a spoiler to say that without a love story there was not enough. Yo Jin-gu, though not my type, is certainly handsome. In addition, it perfectly conveys deep feelings and emotions, despite a fairly young age. But again, it’s hard to believe the sincerity of feelings between the 1,300-year-old Man-Wol, who has seen everything in her lifetime, and the 25-year-old Harvard graduate, no matter how gifted and ambitious he may be and how well the actors do their roles.

Although I did not watch the series in a volley after another, I was still waiting with interest for the outcome. Alas, there were no unexpected turns and discoveries, everything happened exactly as I expected. Therefore, I cannot give a score above 6. I love Aya, but I can’t stand her on my fragile shoulders. And do not let the big names that flash in the credits mislead you. Lee Joon-gi, Kim Soo-hyun and other stars are there only for potion, in roles-cameo.

A drama about forgiveness, acceptance, awareness of choice and its consequences. Throughout the series will be given the opportunity to face different people, their problems, ways of realizing their selfishness and what can be forgiven.
On the one hand, the drama is romanticized, but on the other, in addition to the main line, there are many others and sometimes it is much more interesting to watch them.
Also in the drama, a lot of meaning is attached to details, almost everything that is touched on in the initial series will be explained, remembered later. Here and another minus in the last few hours show a lot of events, really penetrate and distraction will not work. Everything goes too dynamically, while in the middle, on the contrary, they give too much time to the background to realize the main lines.

In a fantasy world where events take place, mythology is very mixed: rivers, flowers, the visibility/invisibility of ghosts, the physics of real-world things. The chemistry and stories of the main characters are pretty well thought out what, why, how. Anyone who wants answers to these questions will get it, and on closer inspection and before it is obvious, “a lot of guns are fired.” There are touching moments, sad, sweet, topical problems. The series are diverse. The intensity of passions between the characters occurs gradually, everything does not happen at once, which is definitely a plus, you need to know a person, and then take him.
The main heroine is an ambiguous personality, the contradiction of actions, character sometimes leads to a stupor. But in the bulk are the reasons for such actions. Of course, outfits, hairstyles, style of the world - very interesting and beautiful-mystical. Listening separately is also a pleasure.

As for the actors, I can’t say that anyone was overplaying, everyone was on the same level. But often the main servants overshadowed the main characters - very charismatic. There are references to past drama with IU, which is nice. Also, the director and screenwriters are experienced comrades for whom is not the first drama. They are also doing a great job here.

Revisiting this drama, I don't think I want to. It is very fabulous, but not sweet, a little stretched, but dynamic. Of these contradictions is the series. And he keeps that mood until the last second, where the finale is puzzling but pleasing.

' All I do now is express the love of a fragile man who loves with all his heart.39 . . . 'It's hard to feel like a petal that's about to disappear.'

' Hotel del Luna' is a beautiful mystical fairy tale about unconditional perfect love that never stops ' even after death. Phantasmagoria about unattainable and fatal love, everything is permeated with eternal sadness. Reincarnation is wonderful! Lots of strong scenes and funny and dramatic. Philosophical deep script. The end of Episode 13 is a shock! But it's all beautiful! You worry, you sob, you wipe your nose, but you do not cease to admire the drops of blood slowly flowing from the sword, and the tearful eyes of Manvol. And the misty Sandzu River! Very atmospheric, high-quality picture and incredible music. Beethoven, Beethoven! Magic and luxury. The cast of Punch - Don For Me is very successful. Yo Jin Gu is a young, talented and versatile actor, quite experienced, despite his age, he is only 22. His beauty is unusual, his features remind me of Tutankhamun’s golden mask. I don’t know who would do better to play the brave and pure Ku Changsong. In Jin Gu’s spectrum, everything, even subtle emotions, is never overplayed. Each of his roles is a different person. I love it for a long time and everything it does is of the highest quality. She's a fairy woman. I revisited her filmography and videos.

In this drama she is very different, funny and tragic, gentle and cruel, but always charming. Try to watch with subtitles key scenes, IU, as a vocalist, masterfully works with intonations. I really liked Lee Do Hyun - ' I will be the moon that is always in heaven and will look after you' The work of costumers is amazing. I wonder if there is a maniac who will count all the outfits of Manvol? Separate admiration for jewelry and handbags, plus a small bonus - IU with a luxurious lush braid. Watched and watched without translation, with voiceover, then with sabs. I envy those who have not yet seen, I had such a hangover from watching only after 'Scarlet Hearts' This rarely happens when you really part with the characters and are going to miss them, like real people. I think the end is natural and in the spirit of the series, anyone else would be out of place. Repentance, forgiveness and sadness, permeated with mutual love, light and serene, and it is insanely beautiful! Plus the consolation cherry on the cake is Kim Soo Hyun's cameo. Goodbye, and thank you, Hotel del Luna! Now my love for Korean dramas is one degree higher. How do they manage to create such things? Unfathomable! Very special work, although in some places it somehow resembles Tim Burton, there was a similar feeling. (I have never written such lengthy reviews) Good viewing, everyone.