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Such a beautiful show
Okay so I’ve come here to write this before I finish the last episode(don’t know why it took me so long to watch this as it’s got a very high rating) because I ain’t mentally prepared for the inevitable to happen the scene of man wol leaving with koo Chang sun seeing her off so I just want to talk about how amazing this show isStory:
The story and concept to me is great as I’m relatively new to k-dramas I don’t know if it’s a played out concept or original but I love it, the idea there is something after death is a beautiful thing and I feel like a lot of people that watch this can find comfort even know it is fantasy in watching this.It is a very emotional show usually I’m not really getting watery eyed until the end but with this because every episode there is a different story of someone that has passed it started from the beginning the stories In particular I shed a few tears at was the couple the were going to get married and go to the afterlife together, the doctor and his wife trying to prolong there sons life by giving them there lifeline,Sanchez losing his girlfriend Veronica was very emotional too.I also enjoyed how the story of man wols past it intertwined throughout the whole show with yeon u and the general.The whole way through the show they have eluded that man wol will have to go and I’ve known this but I’m not ready for it it’s going to be heartbreaking.
Cast/characters
Main star of the show is 100% IU-man wol she’s hilarious and sweet and a more forward confident sort of female lead which is definitely how i prefer female leads in k dramas in the majority of the shows there shy with there emotions,beat around the bush too much or are just awkward with people they clearly like not with man wol she knows what she wants she’s self confident,stubborn and expresses her feelings full on similar examples of this in shows I think are great are go moon young from it’s okay not to be okay and shin Hye sun from angel:last mission love.
Koo Chang sun is great too his chemistry with man wol made laugh a lot of the time and there great together.
All of the hotel staff are great too the bell boy in particular I liked.
In conclusion I loved pretty much everything about this drama only thing I wish would change is probably man wol and Chang sun being together at the end but the story is about death and the afterlife so I suppose it would undermine the whole theme of the show
Watch it if you haven’t already you will enjoy it!
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This review may contain spoilers
STORY: The overall story wasn't really original. It's about afterlife, reincarnation, deities and supernatural. Which is not lacking in the Korean drama world which is the reason why I am giving an 8/10 for the plot. It also not a lighthearted drama because I cried my heart out especially on the last 2-3 episodes, so if you are looking for a feel good drama this is not for you. ACTING/CAST: I should be honest, one of the biggest reason I wanted to watch this drama was mainly because of IU. However, I loved PO and Mina in it. Mina is really pretty. Also, Yeo Jin Goo was an eye candy. I might as well say that Yeo Jin Goo's acting is 100/100. I can really feel the emotions coming from him it made my heart ache together with him.
MUSIC: The best part of this drama is the music. Hands down! 10/10. Constant replay on my list. Gummy, Taeyon, Punch, Monday Kiz you name it!
REWATCH VALUE: As I mentioned, this is not a feel good drama. If you wanted to watch something happy this is not for you. For me, I don't really rewatch sad ending drama that often. All I can think of now if I see IU is that there is a probability it will have a sad ending. Like Scarlet Heart all over again.
OVERALL: 9/10 - I think overall this is a good drama. The storyline is not perfect but I had fun watching this along the way until the end. I am currently having a syndrome for finishing this drama. Like, I don't know what to do next anymore.
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This is my first time to write a review but IU is the one who bring me here , an amazing well played character , with a perfect facial expressions ,especially her scenes from her past life ..I was like wooow that's what's called acting !!!
Daspite man wool I think HDL was a good drama , just a GOOD one , the best part was those cute dialogues between Chan song and Man wool and SOME of the ghosts stories while most of them fail to give me any interest .The thing that keep me watching each episode is to end Manwool story which actually gave me the the greatest disappointment !! I don't have a problem with sad endings but not expected ones !! The ending was sooo poor !! I was like ohhhhh what they were saying that will happen happened actually ! Woow !! Till the last moment I was waiting for a plot switch that may surprise me and meet my expectations but nothing happened! ( Despite the glowing face of kim so hyun :p)
All the other characters played well,chan song wasn't played inappropriately as it said it was written wrong ..he has no role despite supporting man wol ..without her he is Nothing, even when they tried to talk about his life and his mother it eneded iless than a half of the the episode with a robot face and noo emtiondsotions at All !!
but I think the actor did his best actually as others do.
I loved the supporting characters in the hotel and I hopped to see much earlier scenes about their lives but it came at last episode and very briefly...
All the soundtracks were amazing !! They added an amazing touch to every scene ???????? they're in my playlist already
Overall I enjoyed it but I won't expect to repeat it again , I think watching two episodes per week was one of the important factors why I completed I!
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this series is bad for my health but it was epic i loved it i cried and laughed i have been through all kind of emotions and i cried in the final episode but laughed at the end when i saw kim soo hyun and i hope season 2 will have a a happy ending plz my heart can't take it anymore but i loved it and im sure i will also love the next season alot i mean come on i was waiting for kim soo hyun to make an appearance for a long time .P.S i really felt bad for lee do hyun i hope to see him as a male lead in a drama soon he is a great actor.
'''I have a qeustion when they met in the final episode does that mean that she got reborn again or what cause it was vague to me ??! plz someone explain to me :)
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Story : I like the story unusual drama and Hong sister really made it.
First few episode very interesting and the rest I don't really enthusiast it. Every episode I'm really looking forward to the past scenes than the main story.
Acting : I admitted that IU be praised for this drama, some scenes IU really slayed it although her acting didn't make me stunning like his previous drama "My Mister" but I must say that she is a hard working for this. Yeo Jin goo really well take role the hotel manager, sometimes his acting make me amazed. But I don't feel chemistry among them, I always skip their intimate scenes because I already fall for Chung Myung???? ( Team captain). I can see the potential Chung Myung and Yeon woo for the main lead. I'm really into that Chung Myung feeling.
Conclusion : I'm really appreciate for tje costume man weol and the whole property of the drama.
I'm really disappointed with the selection of the main lead. Does not mean Yeo Jin goo as a bad, he is really potential but I think IU pairing with Lee Do Hyun be better than IUxYeo Jin goo, I can really feel the chemistry of them. In the end, I lreally hoped that Man Weol (IU) and Chung Myung end up together.
P.s: sorry for my poor english.
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I loved this drama’s take on the Beauty and the Beast theme and I loved that it turned the whole trope on its head. Here, it was the woman, Jang Man Wol, who was bloodthirsty and vengeful and… stabby, and the man, Goo Chan Sung, who was soft and sweet and gentle. I love to see gender stereotypes switched.I also loved one of the secondary pairing, Lee Mi Ra and Det. Park Young Soo (BTW, the actors both had supporting parts in My ID Is Gangnam Beauty!). I loved them because they were similar to Jang Man Wol and Goo Chan Sung: she was like a porcupine and he was just the softest…
So yes, I loved that. But around ep 13 it started to feel off. I guess it all began with the very bland ending of the vengeful spirit storyline. They built it up to this seemingly huge plot and then… a whimper, not a bang. I had a similar feeling with pretty much every subplot afterwards. Yes, all the loose ends were tied but, well, they were tied and re-tied and then tied again for a good measure, so much so that I couldn’t help but feel that the last two eps dragged - they were both 90 min. long.
Don’t get me wrong, I cried during the finale but at the end, instead of feeling satisfied and pumping my fist all, “Yes!” and “I don’t want it to end!” I felt more like, “Okay. Onward.” The best part of the final ep was the very last scene, the introduction of the new hotel owner. That was well done.
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Eventhough the first four episodes could be a little boring for starters, it gets better and better til the end. So don’t skip this drama because honestly, you’ll regret it. And for those of you who is still in dilemma whether you’ll be watching or not because of the ending, don’t worry, it’s a happy end.I never thought this drama could bring so much hidden emotions I never felt before when watching other dramas. I cried easily but never cried when watching the opening episodes (1-4) but watching this I realized how fast I was to cry. The drama was quite sad for me, but also happy at the same time. It shows beautiful goodbyes frequently in every episodes and I’m very satisfied with how all the “main characters” in the story each has their own stories to tell and somehow managed to relief and let go of their pasts eventually.
To sum this all up, I’d like to praise all of the directors for directing all the casts perfectly; the writers for writing such a beautiful story; and last but not least, the casts who played their role beyond excellently.
9.5/10 ⭐️
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Yeo Gin Goo cemented his status as one of my favorite male actors, only 22 years old but phenomenal! IU found a new fan in me! Her acting in the past was feeble but improved dramatically from a puddle to a Great Lake.
I recommend this heart-stealing gem :)
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it's fucking sad
i cried my eye's out, it's worth the watch but not if you're a sensitive person or a crybaby. i kept crying.i hate the princess the most she was a fucking shitbag i even ate her in their present life it was her fault that all of this happened, i kinda wanted jang man-wol and go chyung-myung end up together, it wasn't really Go cyung-myung fault, he was forced to marry the bitch or Jang man-wol will die
ji hyung-joong was really sweet and seeing him cry made my heart ache, i wanted to jump of a roof because i saw that they all cry why did they had to make my heart ache so much ugh it's making me cry again
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Why I loved the story:
The storytelling was focused, and didn’t waste time with annoying side that were useless. Each episode felt like it had its own theme or central message. Don’t get me wrong there are loads of side characters, but they all served a purpose in this drama, either to teach the other characters something or to expand this ghost world which the Hong sisters care fully created.
All the rules establish in this world wasn’t broken to create cheap tension. There were hardly any plot holes - showing how much care the hong sisters put into the storytelling
The backstory of IU enravled quite interestingly and the hong sister was able to keep me hooked but never bored by presenting new side characters
The gender role reversal in make this drama unique. It’s the man this time that open up the cold but more powerful women’s heart.
And this makes the two lead characters very interesting and watchable, as we get a man very confident in this manhood without feeling intimidated by the other half - something which I rarely see in Kdramas.
And another badass female character but whose is deeply flawed with resentment.
Yes and the story did make me cry! I was defiantly weeping the whole of the last episode.
What I don’t like in the story:
Nothing really, or I wouldn’t of given it 10/10.
Umm...I guess that the secondary couples story wasn’t that interesting - but even their story line made me cry.
There is, what feel is like a shoehorned side plot to do with the leads in the last ep but even that hardly bothered me because it tied the story up nice and neatly.
What I liked in the acting department:
IU relished in this role, you can tell she enjoyed playing this strong powerful women but she was also tender when it came to other scenes. And this I think kept most viewers (including me) hooked.
Now the thing with playing the less powerful other half is that the interest for you can just get swallowed by the other half. You most of the time also end up with less interesting traits and Yeo Jin Goo’s character is a goody two shoes with a strong moral compass- which is normally something I find off putting and very uninteresting because they tend not to have any flaws and just are there. However he has to be my fav character in the drama and I think that lends it to YJG’s acting chops, he pulls off this character really well even when there feels like there is not much for him to do.
What I didn’t like:
The chemistry with these two actors isn’t electric, but by no means bad. The don’t have the great amounts of chemistry but really I didnt feel like they needed that instant electric and overly sweet chemistry, as it may have felt disingenuous to IU’s character who has had a bad experience to love. They had sweet, touching scenes and that was enough to make me root for them but I can understand if someone else doesn’t find it enough.
Some complained about P.O’s acting but to be honest it didn't overly bother me, I though he did a fine job.
What I liked about the OST:
EVERYTHING!! It was lush and placed really well through scenes. This OST is just amazing, really has to be one of the best! My absolute fav obviously include Part 3 (obvs), 1 and 12 (both of the two Punch songs and Taeyeon’s)
The only complaint I could see someone making is that all the songs are too sad but like I don’t think anyone would deny that that are all beautiful!
Why I have already rewatched it:
The OST
The production values , from each one of IU’s stunning outfits, hairstyles and always perfect looking makeup to the really impressive CGI- this drama makes it hard for you not to rewatch.
Also the cinematography is just beautiful, everything looks gorgeous but also very distinctively ‘Hotel del luna’ like.
HIGHLY RECOMMEND! Give this one a watch, I don’t think many people would be disappointed!!
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