Presentation
Korean Title: 호텔 델 루나
Aired in: 2019 (16 episodes)
Channel: tvN
Grade: 10/10
Actors: IU and Yeo Jin Goo
For more…
IU:
– Scarlet Heart: Ryeo
– My Mister
– Producers
– Lee Soon Shin, You’re the Best!
Yeo Jin Goo:
– The Crowned Clown
– Absolute Boyfriend
– Beyond Evil
– Reunited Worlds
Fantasy dramas:
– Hwayugi
– School Nurse Files
– Gu Family Book
– Tale of the nine-tailed Fox
Analysis
Synopsis
Man Weol is a 1000-year old ghost, who has been punished for the crimes she committed in the past. She was given the direction of Hotel Del Luna, that helps ghosts crossing over to the other side. Because of a promise made by his father, Goo Chan Seong, a brilliant hotel manager, ends up working for Man Weol in that fantastic hotel, that only reveals itself during the full moon.
My Opinion (No Spoilers)
If you haven’t heard of it in 2019, then you have clearly been living in a cave! This drama was the hit of the summer and it is well-deserved. Hotel Del Luna is the comeback drama of the Hong sisters after 2 years of absence since Hwayugi. The name rings some bells, of course, but it shouldn’t be the only one!
The director Oh Choong Hwan made an excellent job – he directed While You Were Sleeping, Doctors and My Love from the Star for example – and contributed to this incredible masterpiece.
Everything was perfect: the plot, the cast, the characters, the production; every details was taken care of. The crew and the cast delivered viewers with an enchanting experience, that literally blew me away!
Bonus: An excellent year for Yeo Jin Goo with 3 drama releases: The Crowned Clown, Absolute Boyfriend and Hotel Del Luna!
Analysis (Spoiler Alert)
Characters: Man Weol (IU) is the main character of the drama. She is a 1000-year old ghost, who committed crimes in the past (Goryeo era) and thus has to repay her debt. Therefore, she has been given ownership of a hotel called the House of the Full Moon. Man Weol has been the head of the institution for a 1000 years and has a very complex and peculiar personality. She is cold, materialist, superficial (only takes fancy on rings, jewels, outfits). She also has buried deep down any kind of emotions – like love, affection, care for instance. She is also quite susceptible and I loved her temperament. Her bright and moody personality gave place to some very funny scenes; especially those when she teases Goo Chan Seong (Yeo Jin Goo).
However, Man Weol is not just a distant, authoritarian and bossy hotel CEO. She has a soft side too, that is very vulnerable and tender. I think what characterizes her best is her loneliness. She is a woman who has suffered in the past, has been betrayed by those she loved and has taken her revenge by refusing kindness and love. She is still in pain and pushes others away because of that. She really is two-sided and we clearly get to discover her two main faces, as episodes advance. I loved seeing how she warmed up and opened up to others; after hundreds of years with some ghosts in the hotel, she has managed to create some ties and connections (even though she doesn’t show it). The crucial change in her life is Goo Chan Seong of course, because he allows her to fall in love again, to let go of her past grudges and to learn how to trust and love someone again.
Goo Chan Seong is very different from Man Weol. First he is a human, young (not 1000 years old) and very kind. He has a degree from Harvard in hotel management, which is one of the main reasons, why Man Weol wants to “hire” him (and also because his father promised her he would give her his son). Apart from his professional competencies, Goo Chan Seong has also very good qualities, that are in Man Weol’s opinion, very useful to help ghosts’ passing. That’s why, she gives him the ability to see ghosts. I laughed so much at the beginning, when Chan Seong gets to see ghosts for the first time (especially the blind woman). He has the kind of reaction that I think everyone would have; he runs away and screams. Even though he tries to act as if he can’t see them, he can’t pretend. The difference in terms of reaction between Man Weol, used to seeing ghosts, and Chan Seong discovering this new world, is really entertaining. It shows a huge gap in their personalities and also their background.
As part of the romance, I think that this gap in their respective characters is what brings them together and makes them so compatible. Man Weol was really cold and distant and Chan Seong, with his kindness, melts her icy heart.
All of the other characters are also really interesting. The hotel employees are defined in a distinctive way: Kim Sun Bi (Shin Jung Keun) used to be a scholar, so he is a well-mannered and educated older, who insists on respect and decorum as main qualities. Choi Seo Hee (Bae Hae Sun) used to live during the Joseon era. Therefore, she is very law-abiding and knows how to old her tongue. Finally, Ji Hyung Joon (P.O.) was a soldier during the Korean War, who died. Because he is younger than the other ghosts, he makes more mistakes and is more negligent of his job.
The main difference between the ghosts passing by and the employees of the hotel, is that the employees, as we understand it, stayed in this kind of in-between place because they have past grudges/stories unresolved. For example, Hyung Joon is waiting for his sister to die before crossing over. Until they have resolved what prevents them from moving on, they are stuck in the hotel. The employees also decided to stay there and to be of help to Man Weol, because she has helped them in the past and they want to repay their debt towards her.
Goo Chan Seong’s friends Sanchez (Cho Hyun Chul) and Lee Mi Ra (Park Yoo Na), as well as Kim Yoo Na (Kang Mi Na) are extremely well-written. Kim Yoo Na, like Goo Chan Seong, represents the middle place, in which humans and ghosts interact (especially in the hotel). Sanchez and Lee Mi Ra embody the human place; with some specific connections to the past (Lee Mi Ra for example).
The back stories: Apart from the main love story of Goo Chan Seong and Man Weol, each character has a specific story to tell that adds to the general atmosphere and can act sometimes as enlightenment for our main characters.
The story of the bride for example had a great impact on our lead couple, as they questioned their relationship as well. Even at the end, God Mago (Seo Yi Sook) comes to pick up the pair of scissors she has specifically left, when the bride was at the hotel.
Hyung Joon and Yoo Na had such a cute, adorable and yet tragic love story. I was really moved and teared up at the end, when they had to go their own way.
Sanchez and his fiancée was for me a very tearful moment as well (I’ll let you see why in the drama!).
What I think, is that each story reflects in fact a decisive moment in Man Weol and Goo Chan Seong’s relationship. We go from love to grief at a hectic pace and we get access to a variety of emotions, that Man Weol discovers and has to deal with. These stories are here to first give us a better glimpse at Man Weol’s real personality and second to help her feel again. They are indispensable to the drama and Man Weol’s emotional development, that brings her closer to Goo Chan Seong.
The past life: Hotel Del Luna is depicting two major timelines: the first is set in Man Weol’s past and the second in current days. In the past, we find out that Man Weol fell deeply in love for a man Ko Cheong Myung (Lee Do Hyun), who she thinks betrayed her because of Lee Mi Ra (her past self before reincarnation). This betrayal caused Man Weol’s best friend Yeon Woo (Lee Tae Sun) to die. In reality, Cheong Myung tried to protect Man Weol by deceiving her and being the bad guy, but wasn’t expecting Man Weol’s revenge. To avenge the one she considered her brother, Man Weol decides to kill Cheong Myung: she disguises herself as his bride and kills him with her sword. She goes rogue after that and kills a huge amount of people; bearing a grudge and a heartbreak at the same time.
At the very beginning of the drama though, it seems like Man Weol is unable to forget the man she once loved and killed. She is wandering, without real goal or meaning in her life, and looks for The House of the Full Moon. This place is supposedly the place where ghosts go before crossing (the future Hotel Del Luna) and I believe that Man Weol is looking for this place because she is looking in fact for her ex-lover. She either wants to ask for an explanation or for forgiveness. It is also possible that she wants to see him one last time or spend her life with him forever, by dying. I have to say her motivation is quite unclear.
Anyway, Man Weol’s search is the reason, why she ends up with the hotel in the first place, stuck for eternity.
The fantasy and the mystical universe: Well, I definitely had to talk about that. The Hong sisters have beautifully described this mysterious and fantastic universe, creating an entire imaginary around Man Weol’s character. There are some elements that need to be explained in that drama, as they are essential to the plot:
The tree and the leaves: Nature in that drama is symbolized by this very eerie tree, that doesn’t age and doesn’t bloom. In the past, Man Weol stuck her sword in the tree, that absorbed it. On the sword there was her name “Full Moon” and her blood; which directly connected her to the tree. Her memories and her life were conveyed in the tree. It symbolizes her, that’s why she protects it so much throughout the drama. The tree is unable to bloom because of Man Weol’s grudge. As she little by little gets rid of it, the flowers start to fade away and the tree seems to become lively again. The evolution of the tree embodies the evolution of Man Weol’s personality and the fact that she is finally becoming more humane.
The flowers: In that drama, nature, that dies and blooms again (there is the topic of rebirth quite present also), is not only present through the tree but also through the flowers.
First, God Mago always gives a white flower. I think it is a white lily (not a specialist though) and if we look at the meaning, it represents innocence and purity (plus, the white color emphasizes this meaning). In my opinion, a ghost crossing the bridge with a white lily means that he has cleaned his soul and his past life of the grudges, the problems, the preoccupations he has had and can peacefully start over and be reincarnated. At the end, Man Weol is also given that lily and crosses the bridge with it, proving that she has at last come to peace with her earthly existence.
Second, there are the flowers of the tree that are quite interesting too. Before Man Weol crosses, she gives a flower to Goo Chan Seong. That flower represents her memories and becomes part of Chan Seong’s body and mind as well, making it impossible for him to forget her after. Even reincarnated, I think the flower she gave him is a way to make sure they will find each other, no matter the lifetime.
The firefly: During the entire drama, we can see fireflies roaming around Man Weol’s tree. Fireflies are in fact Cheong Myung’s spirit, who decided to stay with Man Weol all that time, because he couldn’t leave her behind. Man Weol is also able to forgive him at the end when she finds out who really was there with her during her hardest times. She also realizes that she has actually never been completely alone, allowing her to move on. From a symbolic point of view, fireflies represent light amidst obscurity, as well as the mystery and the magic of life. It is thus not difficult to associate the genre (fantasy) with this mystical connotation and Cheong Myung’s role in Man Weol’s existence; a light guiding her through her own darkness.
The moon: There is an entire imaginary dedicated to the moon. First, Man Weol means Full Moon, second the hotel only appears during the full moon. Moreover, the moon is most of the time considered as a feminine symbol representing time and cycle. Just like spring takes over winter, the moon is a symbol of rebirth and eternal start. This also connects perfectly with Man Weol’s story who lived at another time period and has constantly been starting over (either with new employees, at different periods of time, with another lover… hence by the way, the incredible set of photos of different eras that Man Weol has).
God Mago: How could I not talk about God Mago in that fantasy drama? Clearly, the first time I saw that God Mago had different faces and personalities, it made me think about the Moirai. The Moirai in the mythology are three deities Clotho, Lachesis and Atropos, who have control over humans’ lives. The first one creates a thread (representing life), the second one measures the thread (time of life) and when time comes, Atropos cuts the thread (death). I couldn’t help but thinking that God Mago had the exact same role: she created a new life for Man Weol, then she helps her finding the right people for the hotel and indirectly is of assistance in resolving Man Weol’s grudge and finally she is the one who sent her away on the bridge. Plus, the reference is very clear during the episode with the bride and the life thread, in which God Mago lends her scissors to cut the thread.
Interestingly also, at the end God Mago tells Chan Seong that he and Man Weol are still connected (so the thread has not been cut; or maybe the flower has a role to play in all that).
Destiny and fate: Of course, destiny has an essential place in the drama. At the end, we discover that in reality, Chan Seong and Man Weol have been connected since their childhood during Goryeo times. Indeed, when her entire family got killed, Man Weol survived. At that time, God Mago told the Grim Reaper to not take her away, as she foresaw Chan Seong’s arrival. Chan Seong with his kindness saved Man Weol, thus establishing their unique connection.
In that matter, I am convinced that God Mago knew everything that was going to happen. She was aware of their destiny, that was already pre-determined and just made sure that what was supposed to happen, happened indeed.
Lee Mi Ra and Yeon Woo’s fate is also interesting as they end up as husband and wife in their reincarnation, getting rid of the old grudges. At that time, Man Weol is even forgiving, telling Mi Ra to take good care of Yeon Woo.
The ending: Let’s start with Goo Chan Seong and IU reuniting at the end. In my opinion, because this is an open end, Goo Chan Seong is still able to see ghosts; but if we look into details the background, while he’s sitting on the bench, we can distinguish a Korean style monument; meaning that he is probably in Korea and not in New York (remember he was supposed to leave for NY). So there are two main hypotheses for me: one, he is dreaming and IU is visiting in his dreams or two they have been reincarnated in another dimension or time (cc the title of the book Chan Seong’s reading) and because they still have their connection, they manage to find each other again; explaining also the background.
Finally, I had one last idea about that meeting place: what if this final meeting place is actually the place where they met in the past? They go back to the place, where it all started, beginning a new cycle (cc the moon) and fulfilling their destiny (cc what God Mago foresaw).
The idea of cycle is by the way the closing aspect of the ending. Indeed, we turn the page on Man Weol and Chan Seong’s story, while beginning at the same type another story with the amazing Kim Soo Hyun, taking over the hotel.
IU: This actress is in general fabulous in all the dramas she plays in. However, this one is for me a real turning point: she is funny, magnificent and also so true in her acting. I am truly convinced that had it been another main lead, the drama wouldn’t have been the same at all!
Fashion: As part of the external elements, I had to talk about that specific subject. Fashion in that drama, and I applaud the stylists, is incredible. All the costumes are different but elegant and so well-worn by IU. It gives off a different vibe each time and perfectly matches Man Weol’s moods and evolution. Plus, for those interested, a special Instagram account was opened while the drama was airing, focusing on the fashion and Man Weol’s nails. By the way, her manicure is also so perfect.
Let’s not forget her earrings also, beautiful!
To check out that account: fullmoon.long
Direction, production, music: I don’t think I need to tell you a lot, because it will be very visible. Just a little focus on the amazing colors, angles and direction that reproduced so well this fantastic world. The special effects were also amazing (the hotel for example) and you really need to listen to the playlist of that drama, if you haven’t done it yet. IU’s special song, Punch, Heize, Taeyeon, Gummy, Chungha are among the artists who did the OSTs. Highly recommended!
In a nutshell, Hotel Del Luna is a fantasy drama about love, grief and destiny that will become your next favorite very quickly!
P.S.: Did you see the product placement for Alvolo (pizza)? It was literally everywhere!
P.S.2: Did you see Lee Joon Ki’s cameo? And Sulli’s?
Once Upon a Drama 