Okay, so I am starting to get into K-dramas, I did watch a couple of them, but I'm by no means an expert.
I wanted to see what 2019 has to offer and I'll be using "popularity filters" to check what are the best-rated dramas of 2019 and give my opinion in here after every episode. You should know that I am not that into pure romance dramas (unless they have nice side stories), so don't expect me to hang onto these.
Currently watching: Hotel del Luna (episode 6) - official rating: 9.6 | my rating: 7.9
Synopsis:
Jang Man-Wol (IU) is the CEO of Hotel del Luna. The hotel is situated in downtown in Seoul and has a very old appearance. She made a big error many years ago and, because of this, she has been stuck at Hotel del Luna. She is beautiful, but she is fickle, suspicious and greedy.
Ku Chan-Sung (Yeo Jin-Goo) worked as the youngest assistant manager ever at a multinational hotel corporation. He is a sincere perfectionist. He looks level-headed, but he actually has a soft disposition. Due to an unexpected case, he begins to work as a manager at Hotel del Luna. The hotel's clientele consists of ghosts.
Review - episode 5
I was afraid I'd be dropping this show after this episode, but the story developed extremely well! Congratulations to writers of Hotel del Luna, you managed to keep my interest. This episode is full of cool things such as a ghost wedding, Sanchez getting in danger and Chanseong sacrificing himself. He is such a good worker. Apparently, we now know that Ma Go is one of the crones from Samsin mythology. Implementation of the red thread of fate was brilliant, and I love how effectively this drama connects Korean folklore to the modern present. An unexpected twist with Kang Mina of gugudan becoming next in line for the manager position. I knew there was more to her character than just a fill-in story for the previous episode. I didn't like her cotton candy romance moment with the receptionist boy, it just makes me cringe. On the other hand, seeing Manweol jealous is sight and a half and IU is amazing in playing a jealous woman. It really is unknown at the moment which direction this show is going to take, but I do believe I know how it will end. In fact, it was already mentioned: Ma Go is shaping up Ku Chanseong to see Manweol off as his last guest in the hotel. Boy, that will be a teary moment. The score for this episode is 9.5/10, cause of the cringy cotton romance between Yura and receptionist.
The total rises to 7.9. This looks promising, I'm looking forward to the next episode.
Review - episode 4:
In this episode, Chanseong finally has an encounter with the deity who put Manweol in charge of Hotel del Luna. He learns that he was not sent to the hotel by accident and it was part of "God's plan". Further, in the episode, he welcomes his own first guest to the hotel and tries to fulfil their final wish, but it backfires. The rest of the hotel staff have a meeting with Manweol claiming that Chanseong is not a good choice for the hotel manager and they decide to switch him with the schoolgirl from the last episode. Since they can't kill a human, they decide on a more cruel act. However, last-second in Manweol softens up and decides to keep him. I mean, there are 12 episodes left so I guess he should be around for that. Also, for some reason, they kiss in this episode which I found utterly disturbing. It was the most unnecessary kiss in history.
We did not learn much in this episode, but the story is developing nicely I have to admit and I am growing attached to the characters. I am reminded so much of Beauty and the Beast, where Manweol is the beast. Episode 4 is a good time for a filler episode, so score for the episode is 7.5/10. This means the final score remains unchanged.
Review - episode 3:
In order to learn more about the actual story, the beginning of episode 3 takes us back to when Manweol was mortal, 1000 years ago. This retrospective shows that there was indeed someone important in Manweol's life, either a friend or a love interest. We also find out that the old lady from the pilot is, in fact, a deity. So that explained quite a lot of things that were left unsaid.
A lot of little details are within this episode as well, but this time they were well placed. As someone who is into programming, I enjoyed the story about guests who visit the hotel while they are still alive being sent to room 404 and never coming back. We do see quite of romance igniting between the two and I personally think it's too early for that. This episode also features a seemingly irrelevant story featuring a girl played by gugudan's Kang Mina. Quite big names in this drama. And plenty of screen time for Kang Mina. Manweol kind of manipulates parents of the girl played by Kang Mina to kill off their daughter's soul, which shows how much of a manipulative bitch Manweol can be, I loved that. Also, apparently Chanseung has dreams which are inserts of Manweol's past, and of course this triggers her interest.
Quite a boring episode, even more so than the last one. Kang Mina received hella lot of screen time for someone unimportant, so I'll continue watching because she has to play bigger part. Episode score: 6/10.
We're down to a total of 7.5. If it gets lower than that in the next episode, I'm dropping this.
Review - episode 2:
If the pilot was eerie, the follow-up episode was anything but that. It feels like a filler episode, showing us more of a comedic side. Sure, there are some scary scenes, but the rest of the episode is pure comedy. Ku Chanseong was given the chance to run away, but did not use it and is now forced to work for Hotel del Luna. He finally reaches the hotel and meets Jang Manweol there. He tries buying his way out of the position, but Manweol is not willing to let him go. We also discover that Manweol is a huge spender, owning plenty of cars, luxurious jewels and drinking exclusive champaign. This is found out through a couple of scenes that are supposed to make us laugh, but I find them quite cringy. Especially the one where Manweol speaks informally to a man way "older" than her, and Chanseong pretends that she lived abroad and doesn't have a good command of Korean. That entire scene, and many others were not needed. The chemistry between Manweol and Chanseong is stronger than ever and IU and Yeo Jingoo are really great together. On a more serious note, the current manager of Hotel del Luna dies in this episode and it is now definitely time for Chanseong to fill in his shoes.
I am still not sure whether Manweol is a good or a bad person, but I will just go with the narrative that she is a good person who bad things have happened to.
Not overly impressed with this episode as I experienced it as a break from the story to fill in the holes that remained from the pilot. Still, plenty of mystery left and I am really interested in its development. This episode was a letdown, but the pilot was amazing so I will give it one more chance. Rating this episode 6.5/10.
Current total: 8.3/10
Review - episode 1:
Apparently, this is a drama with 8th best view ratings in Korean history. I was really excited to see IU in the world of acting, and for a reason. Never thought I would be the one to watch a historic drama, but Hotel del Luna is not exactly historic as it has a crossover twist, telling two stories at the same time. Following Jang Manwol (played by IU), a warrior rebel from Goryeo era who lived 1000 years ago who committed a sin and is now destined to fill in the shoes of a CEO for a particularly peculiar hotel whose main goal is to cater the needs of ghosts who have unfinished business in the living world. Our other hero is from 2019, Ku Chansung (played by Yeo Jingoo) who is probably going to become a manager of the hotel in future episodes, due to his own father selling him to Ms. Jang, 20 years ago.
The pilot really opens up a can of worms with plenty of things left unexplained. We know Manwol committed a sin, but since she can't remember, we do not know what it is. Furthermore, it is unclear why she decided that Ku Chansung should be the one working for her. There are characters whose purpose is left in the unknown, but I guess that was made on purpose for a cliffhanger effect. The absolute highlight of the show is definitely IU. She plays a cold-blooded character so well that I completely forgot how kind-hearted she is in real life. Some of her scenes send shivers down your spine and it is just breath-taking to watch. Other actors are great as well, the hotel staff (particularly the bartender) and some of the other ghosts who are visiting the hotel as guests. The atmosphere is eerie throughout the show, with a few comedic inserts, which I guess is a thing in Korean TV. Yeo Jingoo god is also brilliant in playing a confused character who is absolutely baffled with everything going around him. The chemistry between him and IU is unmatched, as he saves her from "death" at the end of the pilot.
In conclusion, this pilot exceeded all of my expectations. The premise is unique, IU's performance is stellar, and I love a good mystery. 10/10 for now.
PREVIOUSLY WATCHED:
I wanted to see what 2019 has to offer and I'll be using "popularity filters" to check what are the best-rated dramas of 2019 and give my opinion in here after every episode. You should know that I am not that into pure romance dramas (unless they have nice side stories), so don't expect me to hang onto these.
Currently watching: Hotel del Luna (episode 6) - official rating: 9.6 | my rating: 7.9
Jang Man-Wol (IU) is the CEO of Hotel del Luna. The hotel is situated in downtown in Seoul and has a very old appearance. She made a big error many years ago and, because of this, she has been stuck at Hotel del Luna. She is beautiful, but she is fickle, suspicious and greedy.
Ku Chan-Sung (Yeo Jin-Goo) worked as the youngest assistant manager ever at a multinational hotel corporation. He is a sincere perfectionist. He looks level-headed, but he actually has a soft disposition. Due to an unexpected case, he begins to work as a manager at Hotel del Luna. The hotel's clientele consists of ghosts.
Review - episode 5
I was afraid I'd be dropping this show after this episode, but the story developed extremely well! Congratulations to writers of Hotel del Luna, you managed to keep my interest. This episode is full of cool things such as a ghost wedding, Sanchez getting in danger and Chanseong sacrificing himself. He is such a good worker. Apparently, we now know that Ma Go is one of the crones from Samsin mythology. Implementation of the red thread of fate was brilliant, and I love how effectively this drama connects Korean folklore to the modern present. An unexpected twist with Kang Mina of gugudan becoming next in line for the manager position. I knew there was more to her character than just a fill-in story for the previous episode. I didn't like her cotton candy romance moment with the receptionist boy, it just makes me cringe. On the other hand, seeing Manweol jealous is sight and a half and IU is amazing in playing a jealous woman. It really is unknown at the moment which direction this show is going to take, but I do believe I know how it will end. In fact, it was already mentioned: Ma Go is shaping up Ku Chanseong to see Manweol off as his last guest in the hotel. Boy, that will be a teary moment. The score for this episode is 9.5/10, cause of the cringy cotton romance between Yura and receptionist.
The total rises to 7.9. This looks promising, I'm looking forward to the next episode.
Review - episode 4:
In this episode, Chanseong finally has an encounter with the deity who put Manweol in charge of Hotel del Luna. He learns that he was not sent to the hotel by accident and it was part of "God's plan". Further, in the episode, he welcomes his own first guest to the hotel and tries to fulfil their final wish, but it backfires. The rest of the hotel staff have a meeting with Manweol claiming that Chanseong is not a good choice for the hotel manager and they decide to switch him with the schoolgirl from the last episode. Since they can't kill a human, they decide on a more cruel act. However, last-second in Manweol softens up and decides to keep him. I mean, there are 12 episodes left so I guess he should be around for that. Also, for some reason, they kiss in this episode which I found utterly disturbing. It was the most unnecessary kiss in history.
We did not learn much in this episode, but the story is developing nicely I have to admit and I am growing attached to the characters. I am reminded so much of Beauty and the Beast, where Manweol is the beast. Episode 4 is a good time for a filler episode, so score for the episode is 7.5/10. This means the final score remains unchanged.
Review - episode 3:
In order to learn more about the actual story, the beginning of episode 3 takes us back to when Manweol was mortal, 1000 years ago. This retrospective shows that there was indeed someone important in Manweol's life, either a friend or a love interest. We also find out that the old lady from the pilot is, in fact, a deity. So that explained quite a lot of things that were left unsaid.
A lot of little details are within this episode as well, but this time they were well placed. As someone who is into programming, I enjoyed the story about guests who visit the hotel while they are still alive being sent to room 404 and never coming back. We do see quite of romance igniting between the two and I personally think it's too early for that. This episode also features a seemingly irrelevant story featuring a girl played by gugudan's Kang Mina. Quite big names in this drama. And plenty of screen time for Kang Mina. Manweol kind of manipulates parents of the girl played by Kang Mina to kill off their daughter's soul, which shows how much of a manipulative bitch Manweol can be, I loved that. Also, apparently Chanseung has dreams which are inserts of Manweol's past, and of course this triggers her interest.
Quite a boring episode, even more so than the last one. Kang Mina received hella lot of screen time for someone unimportant, so I'll continue watching because she has to play bigger part. Episode score: 6/10.
We're down to a total of 7.5. If it gets lower than that in the next episode, I'm dropping this.
Review - episode 2:
If the pilot was eerie, the follow-up episode was anything but that. It feels like a filler episode, showing us more of a comedic side. Sure, there are some scary scenes, but the rest of the episode is pure comedy. Ku Chanseong was given the chance to run away, but did not use it and is now forced to work for Hotel del Luna. He finally reaches the hotel and meets Jang Manweol there. He tries buying his way out of the position, but Manweol is not willing to let him go. We also discover that Manweol is a huge spender, owning plenty of cars, luxurious jewels and drinking exclusive champaign. This is found out through a couple of scenes that are supposed to make us laugh, but I find them quite cringy. Especially the one where Manweol speaks informally to a man way "older" than her, and Chanseong pretends that she lived abroad and doesn't have a good command of Korean. That entire scene, and many others were not needed. The chemistry between Manweol and Chanseong is stronger than ever and IU and Yeo Jingoo are really great together. On a more serious note, the current manager of Hotel del Luna dies in this episode and it is now definitely time for Chanseong to fill in his shoes.
I am still not sure whether Manweol is a good or a bad person, but I will just go with the narrative that she is a good person who bad things have happened to.
Not overly impressed with this episode as I experienced it as a break from the story to fill in the holes that remained from the pilot. Still, plenty of mystery left and I am really interested in its development. This episode was a letdown, but the pilot was amazing so I will give it one more chance. Rating this episode 6.5/10.
Current total: 8.3/10
Review - episode 1:
Apparently, this is a drama with 8th best view ratings in Korean history. I was really excited to see IU in the world of acting, and for a reason. Never thought I would be the one to watch a historic drama, but Hotel del Luna is not exactly historic as it has a crossover twist, telling two stories at the same time. Following Jang Manwol (played by IU), a warrior rebel from Goryeo era who lived 1000 years ago who committed a sin and is now destined to fill in the shoes of a CEO for a particularly peculiar hotel whose main goal is to cater the needs of ghosts who have unfinished business in the living world. Our other hero is from 2019, Ku Chansung (played by Yeo Jingoo) who is probably going to become a manager of the hotel in future episodes, due to his own father selling him to Ms. Jang, 20 years ago.
The pilot really opens up a can of worms with plenty of things left unexplained. We know Manwol committed a sin, but since she can't remember, we do not know what it is. Furthermore, it is unclear why she decided that Ku Chansung should be the one working for her. There are characters whose purpose is left in the unknown, but I guess that was made on purpose for a cliffhanger effect. The absolute highlight of the show is definitely IU. She plays a cold-blooded character so well that I completely forgot how kind-hearted she is in real life. Some of her scenes send shivers down your spine and it is just breath-taking to watch. Other actors are great as well, the hotel staff (particularly the bartender) and some of the other ghosts who are visiting the hotel as guests. The atmosphere is eerie throughout the show, with a few comedic inserts, which I guess is a thing in Korean TV. Yeo Jingoo god is also brilliant in playing a confused character who is absolutely baffled with everything going around him. The chemistry between him and IU is unmatched, as he saves her from "death" at the end of the pilot.
In conclusion, this pilot exceeded all of my expectations. The premise is unique, IU's performance is stellar, and I love a good mystery. 10/10 for now.
PREVIOUSLY WATCHED:
Synopsis:
Oh Yoon-Seo is a popular actress. She is famous for her beautiful appearance, but her acting is bad. She gets involved in a scandal with the son from a chaebol family. Her acting career declines precipitously.
Oh Yoon-Seo hears that a famous screenwriter wants her to play the lead female role for a drama series. The character works as a secretary for a lawyer. To gain experience for the role, Oh Yoon-Seo is required to work as a lawyer's secretary for a few months. Meanwhile, Kwon Jung-Rok is an attorney for a law firm. He is arrogant and cold-hearted. One day, his boss asks Kwon Jung-Rok to let actress Oh Yoon-Seo work as his secretary for 6 months. He is not happy about the situation, but he has to accept.
Review: episode 1
Oh Yoonseo (played by Yoo Inna) is a famous Hallyu actress whose career went downhill because of a drug scandal. She wasn't really famous for her acting but rather for her beauty and CFs. After 2 years of no work, one day she finds a script for an in-development drama that features a secretary in a law firm. In order to get this role, Yoonseo's manager decides to send her for 3 months in a law firm to get experience and learn more about her character. Yoonseo actually enrolled in law school before but didn't last a single semester. She gets assigned as Kwon Jung Rok's (played by Lee Dong-woo) secretary, and Mr. Kwon is not happy about it.
Yoonseo fails in simple tasks, such as forwarding the calls, photocopying documents, etc. For that reason, Mr. Kwon tells her to just sit at her desk and do nothing. Then Yoonseo decides to do everything she can to impress Mr. Kwon as his secretary.
The premise of this show is cute, and it takes a really good actor to perform "bad acting" on camera, in which Yoo Inna simply excels. Lee Dong-woo's performance is also stellar, as his cold-blooded character really has no mercy. However, Mr. Kwon does soften up in the end for Yoonseo. The comic relief really makes the show easy to watch, but it does get cringy sometimes. Side characters are great as well, but the chemistry can be felt only between Yoonseo and her manager. Unfortunately, episode 1 did not leave enough material to properly open the show, and it did not ignite the desire in me to watch episode 2. The first episode left much to be desired and I will not be following this show any further.
Final result (based on episode 1): 7.5/10 (purely for Lee Dong-woo's performance, otherwise it would have been lower)
Oh Yoon-Seo is a popular actress. She is famous for her beautiful appearance, but her acting is bad. She gets involved in a scandal with the son from a chaebol family. Her acting career declines precipitously.
Oh Yoon-Seo hears that a famous screenwriter wants her to play the lead female role for a drama series. The character works as a secretary for a lawyer. To gain experience for the role, Oh Yoon-Seo is required to work as a lawyer's secretary for a few months. Meanwhile, Kwon Jung-Rok is an attorney for a law firm. He is arrogant and cold-hearted. One day, his boss asks Kwon Jung-Rok to let actress Oh Yoon-Seo work as his secretary for 6 months. He is not happy about the situation, but he has to accept.
Review: episode 1
Oh Yoonseo (played by Yoo Inna) is a famous Hallyu actress whose career went downhill because of a drug scandal. She wasn't really famous for her acting but rather for her beauty and CFs. After 2 years of no work, one day she finds a script for an in-development drama that features a secretary in a law firm. In order to get this role, Yoonseo's manager decides to send her for 3 months in a law firm to get experience and learn more about her character. Yoonseo actually enrolled in law school before but didn't last a single semester. She gets assigned as Kwon Jung Rok's (played by Lee Dong-woo) secretary, and Mr. Kwon is not happy about it.
Yoonseo fails in simple tasks, such as forwarding the calls, photocopying documents, etc. For that reason, Mr. Kwon tells her to just sit at her desk and do nothing. Then Yoonseo decides to do everything she can to impress Mr. Kwon as his secretary.
The premise of this show is cute, and it takes a really good actor to perform "bad acting" on camera, in which Yoo Inna simply excels. Lee Dong-woo's performance is also stellar, as his cold-blooded character really has no mercy. However, Mr. Kwon does soften up in the end for Yoonseo. The comic relief really makes the show easy to watch, but it does get cringy sometimes. Side characters are great as well, but the chemistry can be felt only between Yoonseo and her manager. Unfortunately, episode 1 did not leave enough material to properly open the show, and it did not ignite the desire in me to watch episode 2. The first episode left much to be desired and I will not be following this show any further.
Final result (based on episode 1): 7.5/10 (purely for Lee Dong-woo's performance, otherwise it would have been lower)
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