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List of KDramas and Their Grades

To make your next drama selection a little easier, I have sorted all the Korean dramas I've watched into one list, ranked by grade. They...

Thursday, February 20, 2020

KDrama to Watch: Hotel Del Luna (2019)


Hotel Del Luna (2019)

Grade: B+
16 episodes, 1.5 hrs each
Viewing Platform: Viki

Jang Man Wol has been serving as the owner of the mystical Hotel Del Luna – a place for souls to come to terms with their mortal affairs before moving on to the afterlife – for a thousand years. It is her punishment for the lives she took in a grief-stricken rage all those years ago. Normally this hotel keeps out mortal visitors, but the occasional not-dead-yet human makes his way inside, and Gu Chan Sung has to serve as the hotel's human manager as a result of his father's deal with Man Wol. What happens when the dead tree that holds Man Wol's soul starts to change once Chan Sung enters the establishment? Will the ghost employees with their unresolved deep grudges allow this change to continue? Or will they all dissolve into nothingness, unable to reincarnate, once the destroyer god finds their revenge-riddled souls?

*Absolutely stunning visuals, beautifully tragic tales, and fabulous fashion mark this show as one the entire kdrama community will reference for years to come. This story is one of revenge, resentment, and redemption, based on the Buddhist philosophy of reincarnation. There is a hefty dose of spookiness in the first half or so, with a few “jump scares,” plenty of death and some gruesomeness, with lots of sadness throughout. It has a different pace than the typical 16 episode kdrama, partly because of the extended length of each episode, and partly because it doesn't focus on the romance between the two leads. This was a high-quality production, but it isn't my favorite “universe” for a story; for a person who believes our souls are eternal and that we can be with our loved ones forever, the idea of forgetting one's past life every time makes the whole idea of love fleeting and meaningless. Still might be a worthwhile watch though, for the sheer production value and sense of community since it was such a popular show.

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