Spoilers Within

I did not expect to like this kdrama. I honestly just watched it on a whim and because the sneak peak on Netflix looked so fun. She out here making a man crazy with her fancy rifle. So when I watched the first episode and was immediately sucked in I was surprised. And when it barely took me any time to finish the drama even though I had other dramas on my watch list that were more recent… I was even more surprised.

It is so good and so compelling. It also had me thinking at multiple times, why don’t they have a juju radar?! Like the part with Chan Sung’s father, how was he so stupid? I kept sitting there like, “You’re dead! You’re in a ghost hotel!!”

Actually, hold up, I’m not even mad he didn’t know he was dead, I’m mad that he didn’t figure out he was in a ghost town earlier. I mean nothing went off in his mind?

I had the same thoughts when watching Spirited Away. Honestly if more people had juju radars more lives would be saved in these dramas and films.

Unfortunately it doesn’t get better throughout the drama, no, people stay being juju radar-less. *sigh* It was stressful. OMD the scariest part though was with the ghost that was in the cupboard in that empty room with a long corridor. Oh man, that creeped me out and I have no idea how Chan Sung could not sense that they were setting him up.

But speaking of from that ghost onwards I started to realise that it wasn’t the ghosts that were scary, it was humanity. The first moral of the drama, humans are the worst villains (I’m  looking at you Seol Ji Woo). Humans wronged that woman and drove her to her death and then used the money they gained from that exploitation to gain more riches.

Oh it hurt my heart. When we learned her story, I was honestly rooting for her. I know I shouldn’t and vengeful ghosts are evil in real life but still! I felt for her. I was like, “Go ahead, take him!”

It reminds me of Rosalie and how she got revenge on her ex-fiancé and his friends. I was honestly so giddy. I sat there like, “Yes sis, yes! Kill them!” Both when I was reading the book and watching the film. (Still waiting for a Rosalie movie).

But then that takes me to the second theme of the drama, is vengeance worth it? That is what Man Wol was trying to figure out or rather she wondered about. Although I think she firmly believed for the longest time that it was worth it especially given what she went through.

She explored the theme of revenge with Choi Seo Hee because sis was waiting for the last of that horrible family dies. She wanted that family tree to gain root rot and die! Honestly, when you find out why, can you blame her?

However when faced with her chance she finds that she is more merciful than her enemies. They were rotten through and through and she could have let the woman’s baby die. The woman who was pregnant with the baby of the last male heir who died without marrying.

Now, the baby was going to be illegitimate but it would still carry on that family line if it took the father’s last name and so Seo Hee wanted her baby gone and Man Wol was like “Yes! Get your revenge girl! You ain’t even killing her, that’s a natural complication of pregnancy.”

But she couldn’t do it. She couldn’t let another woman suffer through the horror of losing a child. And it’s a good thing she did that too because the woman had no intention of raising the child with the name of the man’s family because this is the 21^st century, why she gotta? She’ll raise the baby with her name! It was such a funny moment. Both me and Seo Hee were like, “Oh yeah, you can do that now.”

So through Seo Hee’s journey we saw both sides, if you wait long enough your wish will come true but you don’t have to do anything. There’s no need to take vengeance and don’t make assumptions because you can be wrong.

That’s another theme of the drama, don’t make assumptions, don’t judge. The amount of times Chan Sung thought he knew the situation but didn’t… it’s too numerous to count. Although it did start to get annoying, like with the baker incident, why didn’t Man Wol just tell him? Then she got all worried when he was in danger like dude, you had plenty of time to tell him the truth about the incident.

She did that a lot and it annoyed me.

Ah Man Wol and her story, how tragically sad. All that she endured, the love that she lost… man. To think he, Go Chung Myung, was the firefly and he stayed for the longest time and that he was her first guest… When finally the full story came out and she forgave him and took him to the afterlife…

Wow.

Just wow. It was a lot. I thought I was going to be mad at him but when we heard the whole story I just felt sorry. I felt sorry for all of them.

Believe it or not this is my first I.U., Lee Ji Eun, kdrama and so I didn’t know what kind of actress she was. She’s so good at playing pain and deep emotions. She really had me feeling for her. She’s also good at playing strength, Man Wol had this core strength to her character that never really left.

Chan Sung was so sincere and hard working. He was one of my favourite characters and I’m not going to lie I didn’t like Seo Hee for a couple of episodes because she and the other two kept trying to kill him. I forgave the other two because they actually felt sorry but my girl Seo Hee didn’t and that rubbed me the wrong way. I mean she got better and actually did feel sorry in the end and actively worried about him but still!

He, Chan Sung, also had an inner strength. He had to deal with a lot, seeing ghosts for the first time, a psychopath and falling in love with someone who can’t age or stay. But he took it all on his chin and didn’t become resentful. He really was the best character.

I also really liked Shi Ik aka Seon Bi. He was so sweet and old fashioned and I’m so mad at his peers tainting his name and letting him die in shame! I’m glad that times have changed but it also got me thinking that there are still people who think as if they are from the Joseon era and not just Koreans either.

He worked so hard! I was just so mad for him. His relationship with Man Wol was so wholesome and he was there with her from the beginning. The way she stood up for him and wouldn’t let him lower his head *falls dramatically back on my bed* it got to me.

I cried the most when he left. I’m not even going to lie.

Ji Hyun Joong, I did not expect his story to be so sad. I just thought he was waiting for his sister but when we got to that plot twist. Wow, that was unexpected! I was mad that he started dating Soo Jung. He knew he wasn’t staying. Honestly, I hate pointless romances. (Also my first drama with P.O., Pyo Ji Hoon, he was good as well).

Side note: wasn’t Soo Jung’s story messed up. What Kim Yoona’s parents did… wow. I was sitting there like oooooooooh!

You’re probably thinking I hated Chan Sung’s and Man Wol’s romance. In a way I did. They didn’t even get to smash, like what’s the point? Y’all just going to stare into each other’s eyes all the time? Not even going to enjoy one last night together?

That was a wasted opportunity.

But I didn’t hate their romance in the end. I knew it wasn’t going to work from the beginning so I didn’t get attached. I had faith that he would find love again. She’s not his end all and be all. They taught each other things and then they moved on.

To be honest his best friend, Sanchez, had a worse romance. Again I cried.

I’ve learned that these kinds of dramas never have happy endings, Goblin pissed me off. I mean what kind of happy ending is it for him to live forever watching the ones he loves forever die just so he can be a goblin for others. That’s selfish!!! Whoever did that was being selfish and not thinking of him! Ugh!

Anyway, so Hotel Del Luna did not leave me in a similar rage so I’m happy about that. I am sad though that Chan Sung wasn’t able to keep any of the pictures.

Other thoughts: Mago was a trip. I loved some iterations of her and didn’t love others. She really got me thinking about Korean mythology, I’d like to learn more. What is a Korean deity outside of the main religions? Goblin also had me wondering about that.

Also this whole concept of the afterlife, is a Buddhist concept or a Korean concept, the whole three lives or ghosts… yeah where does that come from?

Also do they think of the grim reaper the way the West does or is it slightly different?

Speaking of, the hottest character was the Grim Reaper in this. Do not argue with me, he had me from the beginning to the end. *smirks* So sexy.

Last but not least…is Hotel Blue Moon happening? I am ready. I AM REAAAAADY!! *to be said in similar way to this is spartaaaaa!*

Just say the word go and I’ll be there.

Ps: I am mad that they put Yeon Woo and Song Hwa’s reincarnations Young Woo and Mi Ra get together. That was rude. The disrespect, I was mad at romantic Mago for that.