Skip to main content

1.02 - Episode 1 of Hotel Del Luna


Episode 1 of Hotel Del Luna introduces the main characters, Jang Man Wol and Koo Chan Sung, as well as some of the hotel staff, mainly the bellman, the guest manager, and the bartender. The episode flips back and forth between the past and the present, and between the main storyline and the side stories. 

We do a short recap of the show, and then we dive deep into the episode. We talk about our first impressions of the show and what we loved about the first episode. We discuss:
  • What we know about Jang Man Wol
  • What we know about Koo Chan Sung
  • What we know about the hotel
  • How 3 of 14 K Drama Elements show up in this episode, mainly: flowers, alcohol and food.
We close with a few words about Korean names, including how you address someone formally, informally, and our new Korean nicknames.

Here are some of the websites we referenced:

###

K Drama Chat is a weekly podcast where we take one Korean (K) Drama each season and and recap and analyze each episode. K Drama Chat is available on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify and Stitcher.

Comments

  1. TimTTMay 25, 2022 at 7:42 PM

    Hi there! For me, the first episode of Hotel Del Luna really hooked me into the story and world that the show presents. The idea of hotel that appears at night and serves the dead is fascinating. Jang Man-Wol is a fascinating character, seeing that she has something really horrible that she did to make her punishment being the owner of the hotel and never truly being dead or alive. IU's performance is so awe-inspiring that every time she is on-screen, you can't take your eyes off her. I love the contrast between her and Gu Chang Sung's personalities and how Chang Sung is perhaps the perfect male human. He is kind and caring, but not afraid to call out on Man-Wol's behavior or actions.

    The thing I found interesting immediately was the beginning of the show was basically a retelling of Beauty and the Beast. The show loosely follows this story to a certain extent.

    Man-Wol's scene shooting a ghost bullet to the corrupt mayor was the show stealing moment. Everything from the music, cinematography, and acting was well done.

    Can I also say that this show has the best background music I have every heard! The music matches perfectly with the tone and style of the show. In a way it kind of reminds me of the music from the Harry Potter films.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Thanks for your comment on this episode!

Popular posts from this blog

5.4 - Review of Episode 4 of Mr. Queen

Today, we’ll be discussing Episode 4 of Mr. Queen, the hit K Drama on Netflix starring Shin Hye-sun as Kim So-yong, Kim Jung-hyun as King Cheojong, Seol In-ah as Jo Hwa-jin, Na In-woo as Kim Byeong-in, and Choi Jin-hyuk as Jang Bong-hwan. We discuss: Then songs we played during the recap: Conspiracyby Kim Deuk-su  and Lost Memory by Howl.  Last week’s episode was so funny, while this episode is really dark and there are bad guys everywhere.  The Queen has figured out that it was the King who tried to kill her in the alleyway.  The King is still desperately trying to figure out what the Queen knows.  The many plots to frame someone for the Queen falling into the lake.  The Queen accuses the King of going after her because she’s weak; this makes him wonder if the Queen is plotting against him or if she really is someone different.  Jo Hwa-jin goes to Grand Dowager Queen to confess they she pushed the Queen into the lake When the King tries to defend Jo H...
2 comments
Read more

11.14 - Podcast Review of Episode 14 of When Life Gives You Tangerines

Today, we’ll be discussing Episode 14 of When Life Gives You Tangerines , the hit K Drama on Netflix starring IU as Oh Ae-sun and Park Bo-gum as Yang Gwan-sik as young adults, then Moon So-ri as Oh Ae-sun and Park Hae-joon as Yang Gwan-sik as older adults. We discuss: The songs featured during the recap: “A Rock that never erodes in the sea of my heart” and “Just be a good son, that’s all,” both by Park Seong-il, whose work captures the sad, wistful tone of the episode. Our guest Kim Soomin from Virginialicious shares her passion for Korean food and the stories behind her food tours. How Eun Myeong’s storyline takes center stage, highlighting the painful dynamics of favoritism, ambition, and parental regret. The cultural and historical context of buncheong stoneware, how Eun Myeong’s life was turned upside by a single buncheon statue. Pawnshops, especially during the IMF crisis in Korea. The heartbreaking reasons Eun Myeong started his business, and his desperate need to be...
20 comments
Read more

11.16 - Podcast Review of Episode 16 of When Life Gives You Tangerines

Today, we’ll be discussing Episode 16 of When Life Gives You Tangerines , the hit K Drama on Netflix starring IU as Oh Ae-sun, Park Bo-gum as Yang Gwan-sik, Moon So-ri as older Oh Ae-sun, and Park Hae-joon as older Yang Gwan-sik. We’ll also announce the show that we will recap and analyze in Season 12 of K Drama Chat. We discuss: The songs featured during the recap: Theme of Gwan-sik , Looking Back, It Was a Paradise , and It Was Just Sometimes Winter, Sometimes Spring , all by the incredible Park Seong Il. The devastating yet beautiful farewell between Ae-sun and Gwan-sik, as they reflect on their extraordinary life together. How Ae-sun’s poem, To the Heart That Leaves Me Behind , encapsulates her enduring love and strength, and how poetry weaves through the show as a symbol of love, regret, and hope. The emotional family moments, including Geum-myeong and Eun-myeong’s tearful goodbyes to their father, filled with regret, gratitude, and newfound understanding. How Ae-sun a...
20 comments
Read more