Overwind
Canada
This review may contain spoilers
After a full day and a half, I've made my mind about Hotel Del Luna's rating... It's an 8.
Let's make no mistake, this series is good and will most likely be the best drama this year. A complete blueprint of what a fantasy drama should be, full of romance and mystery and world building which excels very much in that regard.
However there were times when I personally thought nothing was happening in the story especially in the middle parts of episodes and would often fast forward to the points where the characters I cared about actually moved their arcs forward, it reminds me of formulaic storytelling were a villain of the week or monster of the week or in this case, ghost of the week happens and all the main characters have to untangle and solve. There is absolutely nothing wrong with this format but in a digital world where we can skip ahead, it kinda takes away from the traditional raw emotions meant to happen.
The series had phenomenal acting and it's star IU continues to shine throughout. YJG also holds his own with what he's given. It's beautifully shot with every frame seemingly from a movie. The soundtrack is ok. Not as memorable as other dramas have had.
Basically this is Goblin-lite with the roles reversed and the actions reversed. You had 900+ year old Goblin waiting for his bride to take the sword out of his heart and end his existence only to end up, falling in love, dying and staying to eventually see the bride of his life move on without him. Here, you have poor weak and naive Gu, the human hotelier falling in love with someone knowing full well the only way she could truly move on is if she left him and he does whats best for her, sacrificing his happiness for hers, sending his last guest off but the key points in both cases are the memories left behind, both leads didn't want to lose the memories and that to me is the most painful thing.
Being reminded everyday for the rest of your life of what truly made you happy and not being able to re-live it or in this case remember it, was never truly an option for our male leads. So they will continue on, living without the other that made them happy. A love like that goes beyond time and existence. It shines eternally without waver and without valour.
Gu becomes the tiger in the painting, looking at a time now lost but a time remembered.
It's not all roses however, there are flaws. I do think Gu's backstory is notoriously weak, almost Mary Sue like. The late reveal at the finale seems like a cop-out for not having any relation prior. I do think if you were rooting for the second lead, you got cheated tremendously. All that build up for not but even more noticeable was in the last few episodes you didn't really see any kisses, just a lot of lingering hugs.
I interpret the ending as its shown. Gu, never taking the meds continues to live his normal life, outside of Korea. Eventually when he does pass on, he sits at a bench and meets Man Wol again in a brand new life but their actual conversation doesn't necessarily mean they just met. Maybe they're already together in that life so happier ending but sad loves are always more memorable.
The supporting cast also had it's moments as well. They had to have more scenes because we'd get bored of the main couple by the fourth episode. It was very much an ensemble and group effort to make this series enjoyable as it was.
I do think as time goes by, this will be remembered as one of the greats. Up there with BBF, YWCFTS, DOTS and Goblin and rightfully so. Also wouldn't it be something if Kim So Hyun's first manager at the Blue Moon was Jun Ji Hyun... :)
And here I thought the hotel industry was boring.
Let's make no mistake, this series is good and will most likely be the best drama this year. A complete blueprint of what a fantasy drama should be, full of romance and mystery and world building which excels very much in that regard.
However there were times when I personally thought nothing was happening in the story especially in the middle parts of episodes and would often fast forward to the points where the characters I cared about actually moved their arcs forward, it reminds me of formulaic storytelling were a villain of the week or monster of the week or in this case, ghost of the week happens and all the main characters have to untangle and solve. There is absolutely nothing wrong with this format but in a digital world where we can skip ahead, it kinda takes away from the traditional raw emotions meant to happen.
The series had phenomenal acting and it's star IU continues to shine throughout. YJG also holds his own with what he's given. It's beautifully shot with every frame seemingly from a movie. The soundtrack is ok. Not as memorable as other dramas have had.
Basically this is Goblin-lite with the roles reversed and the actions reversed. You had 900+ year old Goblin waiting for his bride to take the sword out of his heart and end his existence only to end up, falling in love, dying and staying to eventually see the bride of his life move on without him. Here, you have poor weak and naive Gu, the human hotelier falling in love with someone knowing full well the only way she could truly move on is if she left him and he does whats best for her, sacrificing his happiness for hers, sending his last guest off but the key points in both cases are the memories left behind, both leads didn't want to lose the memories and that to me is the most painful thing.
Being reminded everyday for the rest of your life of what truly made you happy and not being able to re-live it or in this case remember it, was never truly an option for our male leads. So they will continue on, living without the other that made them happy. A love like that goes beyond time and existence. It shines eternally without waver and without valour.
Gu becomes the tiger in the painting, looking at a time now lost but a time remembered.
It's not all roses however, there are flaws. I do think Gu's backstory is notoriously weak, almost Mary Sue like. The late reveal at the finale seems like a cop-out for not having any relation prior. I do think if you were rooting for the second lead, you got cheated tremendously. All that build up for not but even more noticeable was in the last few episodes you didn't really see any kisses, just a lot of lingering hugs.
I interpret the ending as its shown. Gu, never taking the meds continues to live his normal life, outside of Korea. Eventually when he does pass on, he sits at a bench and meets Man Wol again in a brand new life but their actual conversation doesn't necessarily mean they just met. Maybe they're already together in that life so happier ending but sad loves are always more memorable.
The supporting cast also had it's moments as well. They had to have more scenes because we'd get bored of the main couple by the fourth episode. It was very much an ensemble and group effort to make this series enjoyable as it was.
I do think as time goes by, this will be remembered as one of the greats. Up there with BBF, YWCFTS, DOTS and Goblin and rightfully so. Also wouldn't it be something if Kim So Hyun's first manager at the Blue Moon was Jun Ji Hyun... :)
And here I thought the hotel industry was boring.
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