[Review: Hotel De Luna]

Comedy, Romance, Fantasy

Ms Jang Man-wol was a warrior. She killed many people at that time. She has been cursed to run the hotel for years. She eventually become the CEO of the hotel. This hotel only occupies dead souls. During full moon, there will be many clients come to stay at there. Her responsibility is to provide accommodation and comfort the dead souls before they depart to heaven. She was a human with special ability that can see ghost and kill the evil spirit.

Chan Seong’s father was once has been seriously injured when he stole the money. His souls entered Hotel De Luna. He was surprised to see the luxury hotel and he even tried to steal the antic. However, in the end, he changed his mind. He went to the tree which without any leaves. He saw a purple flower at the branch. He picked the flowers as he wanted to give to his son as a birthday gift. Ms Jang came over and tried to kill him. He begged her to spare his life. Ms Jang has a deal with him. In order to spare his life, he need to give his son to her after 20 years of time.

For the past 20 years, Chan Seong’s father asked Chan Seong to live from one place to another in order to avoid Ms Jang to find him. Ms Jang sent him a pot of flower every birthday. He was afraid of it. One day, when he was back in Seoul, Ms Jang found him. She also gave him a special gift which is allowed him to be able to see ghost. He was terrified to see the ghost around him. Ms Jang offered him to work in Hotel De Luna, however, he rejected it. He gave back the money that she gave 20 years ago and asked her to return his normal eyes.  Ms Jang did not want to.

He has a weak heart to see those ghosts. He challenged Ms Jang that he can overcome the ghosts without her presence. Ms Jang gave him a try and let him experience for meeting many ghosts. He was barely able to ignore them. Ms Jang told him that as long as he works with her, he will be safe from the evil spirit.

Manager No worked 30 years for the hotel. He was going to retire soon. Chan Seong was the one who replace Manager No’s position. Just before he left the hotel, he passed away. His souls came to visit Chan Seong. He persuaded Chan Seong to work there as it is not an ordinary hotel. Chan Seong only realised Manager No passed away when his friend told him that he was talking to nobody.

Ms Jang once told him that dead soul has no harm to human. However, he needs to differentiate the dead soul and also the evil spirit. He encountered an evil spirit in his current hotel. He made an eye contact with him. He attacked him at night. Ms Jang came to rescue him. he passed out that night. When he woke up, he already in Hotel De Luna. It was his first time to visit the hotel during night time. It was gorgeous and luxury. It was not looked the same as during day time. It just like a normal hotel.

Ms Jang brought Chan Seong to look around the hotel. He decided to take the offer to work at her hotel. He found hotel fun and interesting. Chan Seong kept seeing Ms Jang in his dream. He told Ms Jang about it. He also wondered why Ms Jang has been punished to live for such a long time. Ms Jang was surprised that Chan Seong knew about her past in his dream. Chan Seong told her that he wondered whether he was the one she has been waiting for. Ms Jang did not believe it. She wanted to sleep with him so that she could see his dream. However, it is inappropriate for them to do so.

Chan Seong made a lot of mistakes while serving the ghost. When he helped the ghost to find her memories, it turned out that the ghost was looking for the murderer who kill her. Luckily, he managed to stop the tragedy and promised that ghost that he will make sure that person will receive his punishment.

He met Ma Go at the train. She handed him a card. She was the old lady that giving out flowers to the dead people. She asked Chan Seong to meet her if he needs help. Chan Seong asked the workers how they earn money to buy food for the ghosts. They actually received compensation for sending off the ghost to heaven. These compensations will use to plant the flowers in the garden. They will then use the flower to trade food for the ghost. Ms Jang earned money was used for herself.

Ms Jang’s workers were worried about their future in the hotel when they saw the tree grew leaves. They told Ms Jang about their concern. Ms Jang and her workers decided to make Chan Seong left the hotel. They purposely asked him to attend a guest from room 13. Chan Seong entered the room with thing that her worker asked him to send. When he was curious why the guest was hiding. When he was about to leave the room, he heard a sound from the cupboard. Ms Jang came over to help him.

Ms Jang rescued him from Room 13 and asked him to run away. Chan Seong overheard the sound for calling him. He returned to the Room 13 and saved Ms Jang. Ms Jang was shocked as he always cowards to face the ghost. The guest in Room 13 took this opportunity to leave the hotel. Other colleagues were relieved that Chan Seong did not go crazy. They believed that whoever see that ghost will go crazy. Chan Seong found another spirit who did not wish to marry with a stranger. She met Chan Seong at Hotel De Luna. She asked Chan Seong for help. Chan Seong’s roommate found it. He was terrified when he saw the ghost in front of him. Chan Seong asked Ms Jang about it. She told him that let them marry. Chan Seong did not want his friend to involve in this asked Ma Go to help him regarding ghost wedding. Ma Go told him the solution for this is to ask the ghost to hand her red packet to the one that she loved. She eventually gave it to Chan Seong. Ms Jang did not want Chan Seong to get marry. She found her real boyfriend instead. Before both of them marry, he tried to stop them because after the wedding, her boyfriend will pass away too. Before the wedding began, Ma Go gave the scissors to the ghost to let go of her lover. She cut the string with the scissors. Ms Jang was told that Ma Go found Chan Seong to take care of her and he might see her with the car heading to heaven too.

Since Room 13 guest has checked out the hotel, the Grim reaper was afraid that she might cause issue to the human. Grim reaper would take action against the hotel if any misfortune happened to human. Ms Jang was jealous when Chan Seong’s friend told her that his girlfriend came to meet him. Chan Seong don’t have any feeling towards her. He saw Kim Joon-Hyun by passed him. He ran over and took his signature and photos of him for Ms Jang since she was his fan. She was really happy about it. Chan Seong did not want Ms Jang incarnated into pig or dog. He controlled her spending and also persuaded her to treat the guest good. He wanted to change her to become a good person so that she can go to the heaven.

Room 13 guest had become the evil spirit who killed a few men who has been watching her sex video. She has been punished by the Grim reaper for her evil spirit. Ma Go was the deity that transformed into several version. 4^th Ga Mo hurt Ms Jang’s intern (the spirit that stayed in her friend body). She became weak and those spirit kept approaching her. Luckily, Hyun-Joong came over to help her out. Most of her friend suspected that she can see spirit as they noticed her action is weird.

Chan Seong brought Ms Jang to ride a yacht. Suddenly, Lee Mi Ra came to meet Chan Seong there. Mi Ra reminded her about her past enemy who has the same face as her. Mi Ra experienced a suden strong wind and she felt that someone has been pushing her into the sea. Chan Seong rescued her and Ms Jang disappeared. Chan Seong worried about Ms Jang. His colleagues told him that Ms Jang will return to the hotel because she has been punished. She cannot stay away from the hotel. Wherever she goes, the Moon tree will follow her. Ma Go tied her life with the tree so that she can run the hotel without causing trouble that would lead her to become evil spirit. Chan Seong has no idea why Ms Jang hated Mi Ra.

Ms Jang met Ma Go. Ma Go warned her not the middle or hurt Mi Ra’s life as she did not remember what she did in the past. Ms Jang took Mi Ra’s family photo. She invited her to her hotel. She implanted a bad memory for Mi Ra by creating a delusion. Chan Seong came in time to stop the tragedy happened to Mi Ra. Ms Jang did not expect Chan Seong do so. She burnt the family photo in order to break the curse. Ms Jang then moved out from the hotel. Chan Seong could not find Ms Jang and his colleagues everywhere. Suddenly, the property agent came over. He told Chan Seong that Ms Jang wanted to sell the property. He called her and asked her whereabout. She refused to tell him. Before he left the hotel, he noticed about the firefly. It flies to the window and transformed a shadow.

Chan Seong had a dream. He dreamt about Ms Jang’s past whereby she has been betrayed by her lover, Chung-Myung.  He works for Princess. Chung-Myung killed Ms Jang’s best friend and her men. Since then Ms Jang hated Princess and Chung-Myung. Ms Jang killed the Princess during her wedding day. She also intended to kill Chung-Myung as well. He only knew the reason why he hated Mi Ra soo much.

Chan Seong went to see Ma Go. She gave him a medicine for recovering his eyes for not seeing the ghost. She let him make a choice whether he want to go back to his normal life or continue to be the hotel manager of Ms Jang.

One of the ghosts came to his house. Chan Seong saw this as an opportunity to find the hotel. He followed the ghost to newly located Hotel De Luna. Ms Jang was shocked to him there. Besides the area, there was a well and a factory that makes rice wine. The Spirit of Well came to the hotel. Chan Seong invited him to come in. He came in and made the hotel wet and flood. Ms Jang was angry with Chan Seong for inviting uninvited guest to her hotel. She told him that Spirit cannot live in hotel. He talked to the Spirit of Well. He told him about his fear. The Spirit of Well also helped him to discover his fear. Chan Seong feared of Ms Jang being destroyed by Ma Go. Chan Seong managed to find a suitable place for the Spirit of Well. He threw away the medicine and told Ms Jang that he will not leave her alone and do not let her do something that might be harm for her.

There is a series murder case happened in their neighborhood. Seol Ji-Won was the murderer, however he managed to put the blame on others. He found out from his car camera that there was a lorry followed him while he was taking the corpse to bury it at the hill. Ms Jang’s intern Kim Yoo-Na noticed the ghost was in his car. She asked the driver to follow the car Ji Won drove. Yoo Na and Ji Hyun-Joong found that there were more ghosts at the hill. They brought them to the hotel. Hyun-Joong also made a call to the police. Ji Won thought that it was Chan Seong that followed his car.

Chan Seong, Sanchez and Ji Won were college friends. Ji Won accused Sanchez for murdering one of the foreign students in US. Chan Seong helped him gone through his hard time although he did nothing for the murder case.

Chan Seong met a ghost at the library. The ghost requested him to destroy the photo in the book. He realized that the child in the photo was him. He thought that she might be his mother. He was upset to know that his mother has passed away. Ms Jang tried to console him. She reinstated him and let him send his mother to the heaven. Chan Seong was surprised when Mi Ra brought Ms Jang’s old friend Yeon-Woo to Sanchez’s restaurant. He told Ms Jang about it. Her friend now worked as a cop. She believed that Chan Seong will also bring her enemy to this world as well.

Chan Seong wondered where did Ms Jang got the money to buy expensive coast for him. His friend told him that she sold her rare horses at very high price. He was happy for Chan Seong that he has been reinstated to work in the hotel.

His friend told Chan Seong that he wanted to propose to his girlfriend in Shanghai. His girlfriend will be in South Korean in 2 days. He was so excited about it. His friend waited for his girlfriend at the restaurant. She did not come. He received a call saying that she met an accident. When he was about to fly to Shanghai, Chan Seong stopped him. He saw his girlfriend at their house. He brought his friend to his hotel. He told his friend that his hotel was meant for the dead. Coincidently, it was an eclipse that day. Human are welcomed to their hotel. Human can also see the ghost. His friend met his girlfriend and they wished each other goodbye.

One day, Yoo Na called Chan Seong. She told him that she had found the murderer’s car. He went over to the place to meet her. He told her to stay away from violent crime and let him handled it. While she was waiting for Chan Seong, Ms Jang met Ma Go. She was warned by Ma Go that the tree will wilt when she feels afraid. Ma Go told her that she was afraid to lose Chan Seong. Chan Seong saw the picture drew by Yoo Na. He noticed that he was Ji Won whom he knew.

Ji Won attacked Chan Seong when he knew about his secret. With the help of Yeon Woo, Chan Seong did not get hurt. Ji Won killed himself in front of them. Luckily, he did not die. He was wondering about what Chan Seong told him about the spirit. Before he jumped off the building, he sent a curse at the website “Hello”. Ji Won became the evil spirit but Ms Jang was unable to destroy him due to his strong resentment. Ms Jang worried that he might hurt Chan Seong. Therefore, she made a deal with Grim Reaper.

Grim Reaper asked her to take away the live of a child who are supposed to die 3 years ago. She did what she promised. Grim Reaper in return will bring Ji Won to her. She did not want anyone to hurt Chan Seong. Her tree started to wilt when she was afraid of losing Chan Seong.

The evil spirit appeared in the dark. He tried to hurt Chan Seong’s friends. Sanchez almost get hurt by evil spirit. Luckily, Grim Reaper was there and the spirit was not dare to touch him. Ms Jang sent something that could prevent him from hurting his friends. She was guilty when she wanted to let the evil spirit to hurt Mi Ra. She finally told Chan Seong the truth. They searched for her in the cinema. Fortunately, she was unhurt. However, she never expected that Yeon Woo was being here. He just fell off the staircase.

A child came to the hotel looking for his mother. He wasn’t died yet. The staff asked Chan Seong to send the child back. Before he did, the child was missing. One of the guests told Chan Seong that the child went to the platform area. He quickly ran there. He saw the car already drove away. He chased the car but he could not find the end. He thought that child sat in that car. Suddenly, he realized that he was being trapped in there. The spirit entered his body and came out of the tunnel. Ms Jang hugged Chan Seong tightly and felt glad that he was safe. When he touched her hair, she sensed that it was not Chan Seong.

Ma Go told her that he might be Chung Myung. Ms Jang felt anxious. She was thinking of killing him. She handled the ornament that she has casted the curse to the evil spirit in order for him to kill Chan Seong. She can’t kill a human. However, if the evil spirit getting stronger and kill Chan Seong, she will also cease to exist. Grim Reaper requested Chan Seong to help him to catch the evil spirit. Wealth Ma Go once told Chan Seong to take care of the first guest. He wondered who is it. He met Ma Go at medicine store. Ma Go told him that he was the firefly and asked Chan Seong to stop Ms Jang from cease to exist. He got the ornament from the evil spirit and the Grim Reaper caught the spirit.

Chan Seong managed to stop her from cease to exist. He told her that he was there. Ma Go helped her to clear her misunderstanding towards Chung Myung. She also had a talk with him. Ma Go asked Ms Jang to send him off as a last punishment.

Before she sent off Chung Myung, she told Chan Seong that she will be back. 1 month has been passed. The hotel was continued to run, but Ms Jang has not came back yet. The Moon tree was back to its original state. Everyone thought that she might not be able to return and loss her memories when she walked across the bridge. Chan Seong cried as he was getting more anxious when Ms Jang haven’t come back.

Ma Go asked Chan Seong to find the flower of the Moon tree back in Joseon era. She warned him not to eat or drink anything there. If not, he will never come back. Ma Go needed the flower to produce wine for the next owner of the Moon tree. He went to the Joseon Era and met his colleagues and Ms Jang. He helped Ms Jang to solve her debts and introduced her a new hobby. He got the flowers and went back to modern era. Ms Jang suddenly came back from the tunnel. Everyone hugged her tightly. They thought that she forgot about her past memory once she step on the bridge. However, she didn’t.

Chan Seong asked Ma Go why she choose him to stay beside Ms Jang. Ma Go told him that perhaps he hadn’t saw the last dream. He dreamt that in the past he noticed about Ms Jang was still alive in the forest whereas her parents passed away. They had come across with one another again after 1,300 years.

All the guests and colleagues went to heaven one by one. Chan Seong also sent Ms Jang, who is the last guest to the heaven too before the hotel disappeared. Before Ms Jang left, she asked Chan Seong to take the medicine. He didn’t take instead he gave it to the intern. He was able to see the ghosts as well as Ms Jang too.

Source: https://www.soompi.com/article/1335772wpp/hotel-del-luna-cast-welcomes-viewers-in-first-official-group-poster