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.
