Juniper
Thanks to my friend who recommended Hotel del Luna, probably the best Korean drama of the year, I watched all 16 episodes online in less than a week. As most of you know, this drama is about a hotel where the guests are all ghosts who have unresolved issues. Once they have settled their grudges (they could have been murdered and want to exact some sort of revenge but they are forbidden from killing as that’d mean their soul will crumble into dust), they can enter heaven in a chauffeured limo if they have been good or in a bus if they haven’t been all that good.
Jang Man-wol is the hotel’s proprietress, she’s been stuck in the hotel for over a millennium as she atones for her sins. She is played to perfection by Lee Ji-eun who changes clothes so often. Her makeup, clothes, accessories and hats are so beautiful that I wish there was a shop here selling everything she wears. I would so love to have some of her eye-catching hats and what makeup is she wearing. Her lipsticks are astonishingly lovely too.
The hotel proprietress has a penchant for cars and food. She has a fiery temper but a kind heart. The principal staff in the hotel are Sky Bar bartender, cleaning lady and receptionist. I like the receptionist the most out of the three as he has the most charming boyish smile. All three provide some comedic relief, they get along so well and have such good chemistry.
Along comes Goo Chan-seong who is initially reluctant to take up the position of Hotel del Luna manager but at the persistence of Jang Man-wol, has to capitulate due to a deal she made with Goo Chan-seong’s father 20 years ago. Goo Chan-seong is a MBA graduate from Harvard who had a position as assistant manager in one of Seoul’s best/top hotels but had to give it up as Jang Man-wol gave him the ability to see ghosts and that affected his performance. He had no choice but to take up the position as Hotel del Luna manager and after getting used to seeing ghosts everywhere (even outside the hotel), he managed to cope and blend in well with the rest of the hotel staff.
Each ghost has a story and they are just like humans at the hotel in that they are still eating, drinking and surfing the Internet. Although well over a thousand years older than Goo Chan-seong, Jang Man-wol and Goo Chan-seong fall in love but there’s always that lingering thought that their romance is short lived as Jang Mann-wol will have to head towards heaven once she has resolved her own issues.
Overall, I really enjoyed Hotel del Luna from start to finish as there are no unnecessary scenes which can make the drama tiresome. I couldn’t wait to see what Jang Man-wol would wear next. It’s a wonderful drama, highly entertaining and I couldn’t get enough of it. Hopefully there will be a sequel!
