Man Wol finds acceptance in her metaphoric tree growth this week and our puppy Chan Sung continues to try and save her. Can these two ever be on the same page or are they destined to miss their chance at love once again? Come join The Fangirls as we chat everything episode 5 & 6 of Hotel Del Luna.
Ack! There is an escaped ghost
Man Wol’s frantic smooch keeps Chan Sung from seeing the closeted ghost. I guess if a human views the ghost then she drives them crazy. Sending him away through the doorway, Man Wol confidently deals with the ghost, shutting her back in her cupboard.
But just when you think everything is settled, the ghost starts calling Chan Sung’s name. She sounds just like the hotel’s proprietress. Man Wol scoffs at the ghost, declaring that Chan Sung is a huge coward and would never fall for that. Next thing you know, Chan Sung comes bursting into the room and rushes to save Man Wol from the ghost. But instead of attacking the two, the ghost darts for the door and our OTP remains in an unexpected embrace.
Kmuse: I have to admit that this
Clkytta: I love a good save and twirl! We all knew he was going to come back for her, right? He has a major soft spot for her. Remember how the previous manager said he was more afraid of Man Wol than the ghosts, but Chan Sung isn’t. Chan Sung sees her, maybe not as a human, but definitely as a woman.
Karie the Maknae: I was kind of rooting for Chan Sung to be smart and follow Man Wol’s directions, but he returned and I’m totally conflicted over his response. Maaaaaaaybe I’m starting to feel the chemistry between these two. Maybe.
Kdrama Jen: No conflict, here! Yesss!!! Kisses! Bring on the KISSES!!!!
Drama Geek: What I liked is how much it impacted Man Wol. She never thought he’d risk himself to rescue her, and then he’s got her in a embrace and she’s a total goner. I think that even in her original life, she didn’t believe she deserved love.
Bellhop & Intern sitting in a tree
It looks like we might be having a small dose of side romance coming soon. Our 4th option intern is sparking with our revolution era bellhop. Could we see another OTP being developed to take over the hotel someday? It is especially clear that we are heading in this direction when our Bellhop continues to save Intern anytime she is about to be bullied. If he wasn’t intent on killing off Chan Sung, I might even be shipping this romance.
Kmuse: I am a big fan of Intern and I want her to find her happy ending. I would maybe want someone a bit more ethically upstanding for her but the heart wants what the heart wants.
Clkytta: I like this little side romance. There are bright and shiny sparks between Bellhop and Intern and I hope that there isn’t heartbreak also. Bellhop is waiting for his sister so they can go to the afterlife together, and since he’s been a ghost for 70 years I don’t think he’s going to be waiting too much longer for her.
Karie the Maknae: I really like the Intern and the Bellhop. He’s just the right amount of sassy, and I honestly don’t take his desire for Chan Sung to disappear seriously — he seems to just be following the crowd, in this case. The Intern cracks me up — she sees right through everyone and is doing her best not to care. I think she loves that she’s absolutely shredding her former bully’s reputation.
Kdrama Jen: Oh, I am totally shipping these two, Kmuse! I am with the Maknae on this one. Love the intern! I also am quite impressed with our Block B idol actor as bellhop. He is all kinds of adorable!
Drama Geek: I third the Maknae’s thoughts on Intern. He was ecstatic when he found out Chan Sung was still sane. I think Intern can’t be that happy living as her former bully, so the hotel job is a nice ending for her.
Here comes the bride
The ghost in need of help this week is a dead woman whose in-laws are intent on finding her a husband for the afterlife. It seems that she was engaged to their son, who is in a coma, and they want the bad energy to move on so their son can wake up. Needless to say, our bride ghost isn’t really keen on marrying anyone.
The couple finds a shaman to make a fate bag, which links the man who finds it to the ghost and they are married and the ghost takes the man to the afterlife with her. Unluckily, it is Chan Sung’s bestie who picks up the bag. Sanchez begins to wither since he is not of strong spirit and in an effort to save his friend, Chan Sung volunteers to be her husband.
Man Wol is not having any bit of this and in a jealous tizzy goes off and finds the ghost of the fiancee in the coma. She marches him back to Hotel Del Luna for the wedding. But in a bit of selflessness, the bride snips the red string of fate and tells her beloved to go back to living. She travels to the afterlife alone and all is well.
Kmuse: I enjoyed this storyline but thought it took up to much of the episode. There was so little OTP interaction since we were focusing on finding the ghost a husband.
Clkytta: There is always a level of misunderstanding with the ghosts. We have to understand that things in the ghost world don’t always translate well to the human world, so Chan Sung is constantly getting into bad situations. This was a sad story from start to finish. I was really conflicted with this one because I saw nothing wrong with the fiancé going with her. Now the poor guy will wake up and his parents will probably buy him an arranged marriage so they can have grandchildren or something. Bleh.
Karie the Maknae: I like that the bride made the choice for herself, instead of making a choice that forced other people to go along with her. And I liked that Man Go Sin got involved, giving our bride the tool she needed to make the right choice — not forcing her to make the right choice either, but making it possible.
Kdrama Jen: I have to say, Hong Sisters are surprising me with this one. There have been a few last minute twists that are quite delightful. I love that the bride had the opportunity to make the choice to cut her own string.
Drama Geek: I agree that this story had some nice twists and I really liked the outcome. I do feel that if Man Wol was a bit more forthcoming with information regarding ghosts that Chang Sung wouldn’t flounder as much.
Someone is a tiny bit jealous
We see the start of Man Wol’s jealous streak when she had to deal with the bride ghost. That jealousy goes into overdrive as
Sanchez blabs to Man Wol about the girl’s beauty and how she is perfect for Chan Sung. To say that Man Wol is pissed would be an understatement. Poor Chan Sung is oblivious to the whole situation and instead of hanging out with his ex, he is busy trying to get Kim Joon Hyun’s autograph for his cranky boss.
Clkytta: I liked how Chan Sung ran off chasing after Kim Joon Hyun. The ex storyline is annoying. I hate when they pull out an ex to try to add tension. Man Wol has no idea that her jealousy is misplaced and that Chan Sung is humiliating himself to get her this autograph.
Karie the Maknae: Man Wol’s jealousy amuses me, mostly because she doesn’t do anything embarrassingly stupid to express it. I’m interested to see what the story with the ex is, since she’s obviously no good. I wonder if she’s actually a ghost and that’s why Chan Sung can’t get her to give up the $5k she owes him . . . I’m just speculating here.
Kdrama Jen: I am totally intrigued to discover how ex-girlfriend plays into this whole story. We saw a flashback in hanbok, so we know there is more to this twisty tale. (Kmuse: Isn’t she the reincarnation of The Princess that Man Wol stole from?)
Drama Geek: I was dying when he chased after the chef. He obviously has no feelings for his ex, and doesn’t even want to be in the room with her. Again, it’s Man Wol’s insecurities that keep resurfacing. She hides it with all of her gorgeous outfits and jewelry (which I am totally fine with. Hello, Breakfast at Tiffany’s!).
Start clipping the coupons
Man Wol is doubly hit when Chan Sung informs her that she has to sell a bunch of her cars since she is more or less broke. Man Wol mutters that she hates being poor and refuses to discuss the sale of her babies.
Through the hotel staff, we get some more information about hard times the hotel faced back in the early to mid-1900s. You can tell that Chan Sung is concerned over his boss’s past plight.
Clkytta: Ok, she doesn’t like being poor. Selling about 10 cars and keeping two does not make you poor. Man Wol loves to live the good life, but she’s spending her money like water!
Karie the Maknae: Man Wol needs a budget, like, YESTERDAY. Good heavens, woman! But since Chan Sung isn’t afraid of her, he might actually be able to make her stick with one.
Kdrama Jen: I love her. I can’t help it. I just adore her.
Drama Geek: I’m with Kdrama Jen. I adore her, flaws and all. Not that I’d let her anywhere near my bank account. LOL.
Everyone loves a meta reference
We get a really entertaining scene where an actor who dreams of playing a king in a drama convinces Man Wol to help him get his wish. But not before the actor misleads Man Wol and the staff that he really is the ghost of a king. It was hilarious watching Man Wol try to figure out which king he was until, finally, they realized he was playing a king in a famous drama. The drama shared an uncanny resemblance to Yeo Jin Goo’s last drama The Crowned Clown.
Clkytta: I did not watch The Crowned Clown — my dislike for historical dramas is pretty well known. I loved the cameos though, especially Lee Yi Kyung, he is one of my favorite up and coming actors.
Karie the Maknae: I loved this segment, especially because we got to see some of Lee Yi Kyung’s range. The whole thing was a lot of fun.
Kdrama Jen: One thing Hong Sisters do well is throw in all kinds of references that feel like a little gift to the avid drama fan. It’s like a little reward for dedicating so many hours of our free time to drama watching. There was a fun Moon Embracing the Sun reference and now this. I enjoy these SO much!
Drama Geek: This entire story gave me the giggles. It also made me want Yeo Jin Goo to be possessed by the ghost so he could act like the king. That would have been the ultimate meta.
Kim Joon Hyun
The foodie/comedian Kim Joon Hyun made an appearance in today’s episode. He is the famous food critic that Man Wol has been crushing on since the beginning of the drama. After a whole bunch of glimpses of his leg on screen, we finally get to see the man in real life. And all I can say is that his smile is radiant.
Kmuse: I couldn’t help but smile when he smiled. I can see why Man Wol enjoys watching him eat so much.
Clkytta: I’m with Kmuse on this one. There is no way to not smile when he smiles. He really is crushworthy.
Karie the Maknae: Agreed. He is adorable!
Kdrama Jen: I love that Man Wol fangirls over him like others fangirl (or fanboy) over Yeo Jin Goo (or even IU) in real life.
Drama Geek: I love me some fangirling. His smile was radiant.
Perverts get their just desserts
The escaped ghost has become a type of vigilante. She must have been hurt badly in her past life because her target when she escapes is perverts. She is basically starring in a secret camera video taking off her clothes when she turns around and goes to the camera and asks if they like it. Then she goes all killer ghost on them.
Clkytta: This ghost hates humans and I’m pretty sure that she must have been a victim of some sort of sex crime. The fact that she is targeting perverts reinforces that for me.
Karie the Maknae: I think so too, so I can’t help but root for her, even though she creeps me right the heck out. I may have employed the fast forward button for her segments.
Kdrama Jen: I think we are going to continue to see some serious repercussions from letting the ghost out of the secret room.
Drama Geek: Is it bad that I cheered for her?
Kmuse: Drama Geek, I cheered for her as well. Stupid perverts.
Being cute at the beach
We end the episodes with our OTP looking really beautiful together, watching a sunset on the fake beach. Can we just pause this moment and be in awe over how amazing Man Wol looks in the light of the fake sunset?
Clkytta: The beach scene was very pretty. Man Wol’s stylist needs a raise. Everything that they put on her looks fabulous. I want that hat so bad! It was really a picture perfect scene.
Kmuse: This might be my favorite Man Wol outfit to date.
Karie the Maknae: Man Wol’s style is impeccable. And there was a shot of Chan Sung/Baby Oppa, too, where he’s lit by the golden light and you can just see how handsome he’s going to be in about ten years. Maturity’s going to look good on him.
Kdrama Jen: IU continues to be absolutely stunning in every scene. From her Audrey Hepburn look to her perfect beach scene, I feel like this whole drama is one long photo shoot.
Drama Geek: Sigh. My crush is growing so huge for IU. She is just all sorts of gorgeous and knocking this character out of the park.
Final Thoughts
Kmuse: To be honest, they lost me a bit during ep 5. I was not feeling the character’s development at all and I was dreading having to continue with the show. Luckily, everything turned around in episode 6, and I really enjoyed all the storylines and pacing of our OTP.
Dramarookie: I didn’t comment on this week’s episodes since I didn’t even finish them. Several things about the show bother me and I decided to end my stay at Hotel Del Luna. There are probably a few other viewers like me who wish the emphasis was more on the rom-com, less on the horror. I didn’t sign up for the K-Drama version of The Exorcist. The other ladies will have to continue on without me this time. Crazy Ahjummas
Clkytta: It still feels very Master’s Sun to me, so the ghosts aren’t freaking me out too much. I feel like we will have a lot of the scary ghosts in the beginning and then they will chill out. I’m ready to see more of Man Wol’s past. Her past with the Hottie Captain of the Guard is interesting and I need to know who the other guy is. Do we have a past love triangle?
Karie the Maknae: I was with Kmuse during ep 5 — I just about exited the hotel with Dramarookie. Thanks to things picking up in ep 6, I feel like I can stick with it, but it’s definitely not my go-to drama right now.
Kdrama Jen: I have booked an extended stay at Hotel Del Luna. I love the ghost story aspect and I am enjoying IU’s performance in particular. Sure, the main romance is kind of plodding and underplayed, but the side characters are fun. I am thinking of this as nibbling on lots of banchan (side dishes) at the Korean restaurant while I wait for the main course. I will be fine, as long as the chef delivers a tasty meal to the table soon! Of course, since the Hong Sisters are in the kitchen, I am starting to get a little worried since sometimes they promise Korean beef bulgogi and they end up serving hot dogs with no bun. Hey, is anyone else hungry?
Drama Geek: Thanks, Jen. Now I’m STARVING. I am with Kdrama Jen on my hotel reservations, booked until closing. I actually enjoy things that are a bit creepy and don’t mind the ghosts. I do understand why some would want to bow out. I get the feeling that the writers are trying to fix the pacing problems they’ve had in the past. They don’t want to push the romance too much yet, and they’re relying on the ghost of the week to help with the character development. I’m still not sure how I’m going to feel about this romance once they get together, but I’m enjoying their performances and I can’t wait for the next IU outfit.
So, what about you? Are you booking your stay at the Hotel Del Luna or checking out?
Til our next deadly encounter,
The Fangirls
Dramas With a Side of Kimchi
I feel like the Hong Sisters are some of the best writers doing modern fantasy realism. I love the way they integrate technology and modern mores into their ghost stories. I think they also really excel at creating a rich story-world, and I agree with Drama Geek that it seems like they are hitting a better pacing with this than some of their other dramas. I like that they’re delving into Man Wol’s origin story, but also giving us glimpses of the other ghosts’ pasts and different eras of the hotel. I hope we get back stories for our other two long-term ghosts, both because I just love the way it makes me feel like the characters do things when they’re not on the screen, and because I think that doing this sort of multiple-plot-line thing will help (knock on wood) make the third act angst less/shorter.
I have a theory that Hotel del Luna is loosely a gender-swap, modern adaptation of Beauty and Beast.
I had that same thought! We’ll see where it goes, eh?