K Drama Chat

In this episode, we recap and analyze Episode 16, the finale, of Hotel Del Luna. In this episode, all of the staff resolve their grudges and move on to the afterlife. Bartender Kim overcomes his shame over being labeled a lewd scholar when Man Wol and Koo Chan Sung convince the author to write a novel about a fictional, but honorable, Kim Si-ik. Guest manager Seo hee learns that the daughter of the eldest grandson in her husband’s family will carry the mother’s name, thus ending the family line. Hyun joong’s sister dies and is reunited with her beloved brother.  

Man Wol and Koo Chan Sung realize that they met nearly 1,300 years ago, when Man Wol became an orphan and Koo Chan Sung and his dad found her and adopted her into their family. Man Wol is able to muster her courage to go into the tunnel to the afterlife, but only after Mago grants their wish of seeing winter together. We see Man Wol, Chan Sung, Bartender Kim, Seo hee and Hyun joong reunite in what might have been a dream or the future. The final scene shows Mago introducing the new owner of the hotel to her sisters; Kim Soo Hyun makes an unforgettable cameo as the owner of Hotel Blue Moon.

We do a short recap of the show, and then we dive deep into the episode. We discuss:

• Another song from the OST - Happy Ending, written and performed by IU herself!
• Bartender Kim’s story and how he might have been the Shakespeare of Joseon.
• How Man Wol showed her love for Bartender Kim in her actions, but not when he was leaving for the afterlife.
• What cranes represent in Korean culture and how Joanna is obsessed with them.
• The scholar Brene Brown and her work on shame.
• Hyeon mi’s death and her reunion with Hyun joong.
• How forlorn Yuna became at the thought of Hyun joong leaving and the hotel .disappeared, but how she overcame her grief to give Hyun joong a proper sendoff and flowers from Mago.
• How Seo hee overcame her grudge when she learned that her husband’s family line would come to an end.  
• How Seo hee came to the rescue of the pregnant woman and her baby in a way that nobody came to her rescue 200 years ago.
• The benefits of curses.
• The dream that let Man Wol and Chan Sung know they had met in the past.
• Man Wol and Chan Sung’s goodbye at the tunnel to the afterlife.
• How Man Wol walked alone into the tunnel, without assistance from the grip reaper or a limousine.
• What we think will happen to Yuna and Chan Sung in the future.
• The ending scene with the entire cast; is it a dream or the future?
• How we learn that there are 12 Magos.
• The ending scene where the new owner of Hotel Blue Moon is revealed.

References:

• Kim Soo Hyun To Make Cameo Appearance In “Hotel Del Luna” Finale
• Ending of Hotel Del Luna Explained
• Hotel Del Luna delivers spellbinding, cathartic ending
• The Ending of Hotel Del Luna Explained
• What do broken-hearted knitters, urinating goalkeepers and the CIA have in common:
• Philadelphia Museum of Art on cranes in Korean culture
• K Drama’s obsession over books and literature

In this episode, we recap and analyze episode 15 of Hotel Del Luna. While Man Wol was gone, Mago gives Chan Sung a task: go back in time to 200 years ago to pick some moon flowers needed to make the wine that will make someone the next owner of the hotel. Chan Sung meets Man Wol, who asks him to stay and become her 85th human manager, but he declines. When he comes back, Mago tells him that Man Wol has come back from the afterlife. Man Wol has a joyful reunion with Chan Sung and her staff. We finally learn Hyun Jung’s back story. He finally confronts Tae sok, who shot him and led his life as Hyun Jung. He also gets to graduate from school. We also learn just a little bit about Bartender Kim’s life. At the end, Man Wol refuses the wine that Yuna has stolen from potion Mago. Chan Sung and Man Wol declare their love for each other.

We do a short recap of the show, and then we dive deep into the episode. We discuss:

• Another song from the OST - Say Goodbye by Song Haye.
• Mago asking Chan Sung to go back in time to retrieve the moon flowers
• The mind-bending aspects of time travel.
• How Mago has been engineering the whole story of Man Wol and Chan Sung, starting 1,300 years ago.
• How we meet a new Mago, poverty Mago.
• The Korean board game of baduk, or Go in Japan.
• Why Chan Sung didn’t take the medicine that would remove his ability to see ghosts.
• The story of Hyun Jung and how he was shot by his friend Tae sok, who then took Hyun Jung’s name and cared for Hyeon mi his whole life.
• The confrontation between Hyun Jung and Tae sok.
• How we learn a little about bartender Kim’s story.
• How Man Wol decided not to drink the wine that Yuna stole, in effect rejecting the opportunity to remain the hotel manager and stay with Chan Sung.
• The K Drama elements in this episode:
  • Flowers
  • Alcohol
  • The quirky best friend Sanchez
  • The umbrella scenes
• Our favorite Man Wol outfits.
• Our favorite lines from the episode.
• Second lead syndrome in K Dramas.

In this episode, we recap and analyze episode 14 of Hotel Del Luna. Man Wol is convinced that Koo Chan Sung is a reincarnated Chyung Myung. She knows she can’t kill Koo Chan Sung, so she gives the moon ornament to Ji-won to make him stronger, knowing Ji-won will try to kill Koo Chan Sung. Koo Chan Sung battles and tricks Ji-won and is saved by the hotel staff and the grim reaper. As a result, Koo Chan Sung saves Man Wol from being turned to ashes. Chyung Myung finally appears to Man Wol in human form, but instead of bringing him to hell and then vanishing, Man Wol is finally empty and will allow Chyung Myung to go to the afterlife. As a final punishment, Man Wol must accompany Chyung Myung to the bridge to the afterlife. At the end of the episode, Man Wol and Chyung Myung are on the bridge. Man stops, turns around and walks back to Koo Chan Sung.  

We do a short recap of the show, and then we dive deep into the episode. We discuss:

• This week’s featured song from the Hotel Del Luna OST -Can You Hear Me by Ben.
• How Man Wol is convinced that Koo Chan Sung is a reincarnated Chyung Myung because of things he’s done and said, including holding her head a certain way when Koo Chan Sung exited the tunnel.
• How Man Wol betrayed Koo Chan Sung by giving Ji-won the moon ornament so that he would become stronger and be able to kill Koo Chan Sung.
• How Koo Chan Sung battled and vanquished Ji-won by tricking him about the full moon; he was saved by the bartender, bellman, guest manager and grim reaper.
• How Koon Chan Sung saved Man Wol from being turned to ashes by Mago.
• How Joanna is Team Koo Chan Sung and Jen is Team Chyung Myung.
• What it meant when Mago told Man Wol to empty herself  
• The meaning of 666 (the room where Seo-hee brought Ji-won) to Catholics; it’s from the book of Revelation.  
• Hyung Jun’s story and how he is waiting for his sister to die. He finally tells Yuna that he will be leaving the hotel soon.
• How heartbreaking it was to see Koo Chan Sung sobbing at the bus stop after a month of waiting for Man Wol to come back.
• The K Drama elements in this episode:
  • Crying (mostly by Koo Chan Sung)
  • Alcohol
  • Flowers
  • Triangles
  • Wrist grabs
• Our favorite Man Wol outfits.
• Our favorite lines from the episode.
• The many ways to say Thank You in Korean, including how to say it formally and casually.

References:

• How to say I’m sorry in Korean
• What is 666 in the bible?  

In this episode, we recap and analyze episode 13 of Hotel Del Luna. We learn the story of guest manager Seo-hee. 200 years ago, her husband’s family let her baby daughter die, in order to make room for a son to be born. At her death, Seo hee curses the family. When the eldest grandson of the family dies a bachelor and without children, Seo hee is happy. Her happiness is short lived when she finds out the grandson had a pregnant girlfriend. When the girlfriend and her baby are close to death, Seon hee cannot bring herself to let them die, even at the expense of her grudge. The ghost of serial killer Ji won is back and this time, he’s after Chan Sung’s friends: Sanchez, Lee Mi-ra and Yeon-soo. We also finally learn the story of the fateful night when Chyung Myung and Man Wol battle. Chyung Myung stabs himself with Man Wol’s sword and says that he will keep her in his heart and watch her from afar. At the end of the episode, Chan Sung runs into the tunnel to the afterlife (while looking for a lost boy), and is guided by the firefly who has been hanging out in the moon tree for 1,300 years!

We do a short recap of the show, and then we dive deep into the episode. We discuss:

• This week’s featured song from the Hotel Del Luna OST - Remember Me by Gummy.
• How K Drama Chat has gone up in rank on Feedspot’s list of Top K Drama Podcasts!
• We learn more about what happened between Man Wol and Chyung Myung on the wedding night of Chyung Myung and Song Hwa.
• How Chyung Myung killed himself with Man Wo’s sword and pledged to watch her from afar.
• How Chyung Myung is the firefly that has been hanging out in the moon tree for 1,300 years!
• Mago #5 or wealth Mago who brings luck and fortune to people and businesses.
• How we learn about Seo-hee and her backstory from 200 years ago. How her husband’s family left her baby girl to die and in her death, Seo hee cursed her husband’s death.
• How Seo hee couldn’t let the pregnant girlfriend of the eldest grandson, and her baby, die.
• The themes of remembering and forgetting in this episode.
• The East Asian obsession with having sons, which we think is stupid.
• The K Drama elements in this show:
  • The Tansan product placement
  • Beef short rib soup
  • Alcohol, in this case champagne and the Tears drink of Mr. Kim
• Our favorite Man Wol outfits.
• Our favorite lines from the episode.
• Tiki Taka in K Dramas, or the rapid fire dialogue between the actors
• The K Dramas we're watching now. Joanna is watching The Crowned Clown, while Jen has been busy and not watching much.
• A discussion of the K Drama that we should recap and analyze next season!

References:

• 40 Best Korean Drama Podcasts
• Why wasn’t Chocolate Popular in Korea?
• John Oliver’s K Drama Parody of Subway
• Coca Cola Korea Launches New Carbonated Water - The Tansan

In this episode, we recap and analyze episode 12 of Hotel Del Luna. The story of the serial killer plays out as Koo Chan Sung meets Ji-won at the wine bar and confirms that he is the murderer. They fight and Koo Chan Sung is saved by Detective Yeong-soo. An injured Ji-won later confronts Koo Chan Sung on the roof of the hospital and then jumps off the building. Man Wol meets Ji-won, who is now a vengeful ghost who is out to get Koo Chan Sung. There is a side story about a doctor and his wife who have been buying lifelines in order to save their sick son. We also see Sanchez, who has come home because he believes Veronica is still at the hotel. Man Wol tells Koo Chan Sung to let her go and not be sad, but Koo Chan Sung says he doesn’t want to let her go. The episode ends with a passionate kiss!

We do a short recap of the show, and then we dive deep into the episode. We discuss:

• This week’s featured song from the Hotel Del Luna OST - See the Stars by Red Velvet.
• How we’re teaching our kids to be more formal with adults until given permission to speak more casually
• How Man Wol is showing true vulnerability for the first time in 1,300 years
• How to love is to be vulnerable
• How we learn more about Man Wol’s life, including her love with Yeon-u, her love for Chyung Myung, and Yeon-u’s death
• How Chyung Myung is the firefly that has been haunting the Moon Tree for 1,300 years!
• How grudges are so damaging to your health
• The side story with the doctor and his wife who are using their lifelines and purchasing lifelines from other people to keep their son alive
• The themes of forgetting and not wanting to be forgotten in Hotel Del Luna
• The K Drama elements in this episode:
• Wrist grab
• Flowers
• Alcohol
• Triangles
• Our favorite Man Wol outfits
• How most K Dramas just one season
• The male physique aesthetic in K Dramas

References:

• C.S. Lewis quote on vulnerability
• Gong Yoo photo shoot for Monster magazine

In this episode, we recap and analyze episode 11 of Hotel Del Luna. We see the relationship between Man Wol and Chan Sung deepen, take a romantic turn, and become even playful. We revisit the story of the serial killer; Yuna is on Ji-won’s trail. We meet Hwang Moon-Suk, who was the human manager at Hotel Del Luna 30 years ago; she wants to ask Man Wol a favor for her son, who was conceived in Room 404 of Hotel Del Luna. We have the tragic story between Sanchez and Veronica. Veronica dies in a tragic car accident. Thankfully, she is able to say good-bye to Sanchez through the lunar eclipse and Hotel Del Luna. At the end of the episode, Mago visits Man Wol to tell her that her time to leave is coming near and the flowers of the tree will fail when she starts to be afraid.

We do a short recap of the show, and then we dive deep into the episode. We discuss:

• This week’s featured song from the Hotel Del Luna OST - Only You by Yang Da-il, singer-songwriter and producer,
• How the relationship between Man Wol and Chan Sung is changing.
• How individuals by default speak formally to each other in South Korea. It’s the protocol to ask to speak informally before actually doing so.
• The story with the serial killer and how Yuna is on his tail.
• How Mago #4 tells Man Wol that the flowers on the tree will fall once she becomes afraid. Man Wol ends up realizing she is afraid because Chan Sung is in danger.
• The story of the human manager, Hwang Moon-Suk. She wants Man Wol to allow her daughter and son-in-law to spend the night at Hotel Del Luna and hopefully conceive a child there.
• The tragic story of Sanchez and Veronica.
• How Hotel Del Luna has three couples that are not destined to work out: Man Wol and Chan Sung; Hyung Jung and Yuna; Sanchez and Veronica.
• The sad and moving story of the father and son who were killed by the truck driver and how the father used his one dream call to contact the truck driver and ask for forgiveness.
• How we learn a little more about the guest manager, Seo-hee, and how she is waiting for her husband’s family line to die.
• The K Drama elements in this episode: flowers, alcohol, product placement, and second couples.
• Naengmyeon and rice cake noodle soup.
• Our favorite lines from the episode.
• Our favorite Man Wol outfits.
• How to say thank you in Korean formally and informally.
• What we’re watching now: 39 and Revolutionary Love

References:

• Timeless Glamor Inside IU’s Hauntingly Beautiful Fashion From “Hotel Del Luna”
• A discerning eater’s guide to naengmyeon: A cold noodle dish for those deep into Korean food

Today, we’ll be discussing Episode 10 of Hotel Del Luna. The main storyline is about the hotel Chairman and the bartender trying to set up Koo Chan Sung with the Chairman’s granddaughter. While the granddaughter is interested, Koo Chan Sung says that his heart is already taken. And even though Man Wol tells him to leave the hotel, Koo Chan Sung decides to stay by her side. In the end, Man Wol allows Koo Chan Sung to take care of her and guide her to the afterlife., causing the Moon Tree to burst with flowers. The hotel moves back to the city, and Koo Chan Sung is reinstated as the manager. There are three important side stories: Yeon-wu has come back as a reincarnated Yeong-su. Yeong-su meets Lee Mi-ra and they start to date. Koo Chan Sung meets his mother, who is a ghost trapped in a library. And we see the serial killer set up a man for his many murders.  

We do a short recap of the show, and then we dive deep into the episode. We discuss:

• This week’s featured song from the Hotel Del Luna OST - So Long by Paul Kim, a South Korean singer and songwriter.  
• The firefly and the green, shadowy character from last week’s episode.
• Whether or not we would make the choice to eat the medicine that would allow us to stop seeing ghosts.
• The love triangle between Man Wol, Koo Chan Sung and the Chairman’s granddaughter.
• Joanna’s grandmother’s visit to her in a dream when she was little.
• The cameo by Sulli, the famous singer/actress and IU’s best friend; she committed suicie in 2019 after filming the cameo.
• How Man Wol accepts that Chan Sung is there to take care of her, and that she will bloom beautifully and then die, like the Moon Tree.
• The side story with Koo Chan Sung’s mom and how we both felt shortchanged by this story, we wanted to know more about his mom and the relationship to develop between them more.
• The side story with the serial killer, and how he knows Sanchez and Koo Chan Sung.
• Our favorite Man Wol outfits.
• How food comes up a lot in this episode, especially how Koo Chan Sung used food to save Sanchez’s life.
• Our favorite lines from the episode.
• Why we think K Dramas make us so emotional, from the music, to the beautiful dialogues, pacing, and character development.

References:

• Sulli made a cameo in Episode 10. She played the granddaughter of the Chairman. Sulli is a singer, actor and model. She is a friend of IU. She was found dead in October 2019. 
• Goo Hara committed suicide 
• The last phone booth in America 
• Secrets of K Drama and K Pop Success   
• Why do people get so emotional when watching K Dramas? 
• Experts explain why K Dramas are so addictive
• In memory of the living; discussion about Koo Chan Sung’s mom

Today, we’ll be discussing Episode 9 of Hotel Del Luna. At the beginning of the episode, Koo Chan Sung finds that he has been abandoned by Man Wol and her staff. The hotel has moved to the countryside. A good portion of the episode is devoted to Koo Chan Sung trying to get back to the hotel, which he does, after a visit to see Mago, and by accompanying the recently deceased hotel Chairman. There is a side story with a Guardian of the Well, who abandoned his well because he was drying out, and wanted to leave the villagers while they would still miss him. The second side story involves Yoona and Hyeung Jun, who unwittingly discover the mass grave of six victims.  At the end of the episode, we see a reincarnated Yeon-woo, who turns out to be the detective in charge of the murders.

We do a short recap of the show, and then we dive deep into the episode. We discuss:

• Another beautiful song from the Hotel Del Luna OST. This time it’s “At the End” by Kim Chung Ha.
• How Man Wol abandoned Koo Chan Sung because she didn’t want him to put him in any more danger.
• Koo Chan Sung’s visit to Mago, where they argue about his role in Man Wol’s life.
• How both Koo Chan Sung  and Jang Man Wol are in conflict with themselves and their emotions.
• How we learn a little more about Mr. Kim, the bartender.
• Dan Pink’s World Regret Survey, where you can take the survey and read regrets from around the world.
• How regrets and grudges are so bad for you because they consume you and keep you from moving on with your life.
• How we weren’t crazy about the story about the Guardian of the Well.
• The K Drama elements of the wrist grab and lots of alcohol.
• Our favorite Man Wol outfits.
• The gorgeous cinematography of Hotel Del Luna.
• The shows we’re watching now, specifically Selling Sunset and Memories of the Alhambra.

References:

• Comprehensive analysis of Hotel Del Luna’s gorgeous cinematography 
• Gif of some of the Dutch angle shots in Hotel Del Luna 
• Dan Pink’s World Regret Survey 

Today, we’ll be discussing Episode 8 of Hotel Del Luna. This pivotal episode is devoted to the relationship between Man Wol and Lee Mi-ra. We learn through flashbacks that Lee Mi-ra is Princess Song Hwa from Man Wol’s past. Princess Song Hwa is the person who ordered all of Man Wol’s gang members killed. In retaliation, Man Wol kills Princess Song Hwa on her wedding night. In modern times, Lee Mi-ra is Koo Chan Sung’s ex-girlfriend from the US. Man Wol invites Lee Mi-ra to the carnival at Hotel Del Luna and tries to ruin Lee Mi-ra’s life through an evil grudge, which Koo Chan Sung blocks. There is also a side story about an old woman who has recently died and an imaginary ghost created by a lonely woman in a loveless marriage.

We do a short recap of the show, and then we dive deep into the episode. We discuss:

• Another beautiful song from the Hotel Del Luna OST. This time it’s “Can You See My Heart” by Heize.
• What we loved about this episode.
• How Man Wol forced Mago #1 to appear by stopping an old lady from going to the afterlife.
• Man Wol’s grudges against Chyung Mung and Princess Song Hwa, who is Lee Mi-ra in modern times.
• The show’s themes of grudges, regret and forgiveness.
• How we are finally starting to realize the depth of Man Wol’s grudges and regrets.
• The Power of Regret, the new book by Dan Pink, which explores our most common regrets and what we can learn from them.
• Our favorite lines from the episode. Joanna’s favorite is from Mago: For a flower to blossom, she needs to feel the wind and face the rain, too. Jen’s favorite line is from Koo Chan Sung to Man Wol: I don’t care if this is your prison or your fence. I will stay here with you.
• How Hotel Del Luna is both a prison and a fence for Man Wol. It both locks her in and keeps her safe.
• Why Koo Chan Sung took the evil grudge intended for Lee Mi-ra.
• How Man Wol decided to move the hotel and not tell Koo Chan Sung.
• The side story with Gyeong-a, the made up ghost.
• Our favorite Man Wol outfits.
• How episode 8 connects with, and brings clarity to, episode 1.
• Korean terms of endearment and the use of “a” at the end of a name to make a name a term of endearment.
• How Filipinos absolutely love nicknames.

References

• Heize on Kpop Fandom
• Philippine People Show a Knack for Nicknames 
• The Power of Regret by Dan Pink 

Today, we’ll be discussing Episode 7 of Hotel Del Luna. The bulk of this episode is devoted to the story of the ghost from Room 13, who has escaped the hotel and is killing people. Mago 4 and the Grim Reaper ultimately deal with this ghost, but in the meantime, Man Wol, Koo Chan Sung and Yuna all get involved. There is also a side story about a husband and wife who find themselves at the hotel and discover they had different first loves. Finally, we see more flashbacks from Man Wol’s life and we now know that Lee Mi-ra, Koo Chan Sung’s ex-girlfriend, was the princess from Man Wol’s past.

We do a short recap of the show, and then we dive deep into the episode. We discuss:

• Another beautiful song from the Hotel Del Luna OST. This time it’s Lean On My Shoulder by 10cm.
• The deepening relationship between Man Wol and Koo Chan Sung. One again, Man Wol saves Koo Chan Sung, this time from a grudge by the unhappy husband. Man Wol also seems to increasingly accept that her time at the hotel is coming to an end.
• How Karma ultimately came back around for the men who circulated the illegal video of the ghost from Room 13.
• How Man Wol tricked the CEO and showed the deities how evil he was. As a result, Mago 4 came for the ghost from Room 13 and the CEO.
• The theme of forgiveness, especially in the story between the husband and wife.
• How Man Wol is referred to as a thief several times in the episode.
• How Man Wol and Koo Chan Sung now realize that Lee Mi-ra is the princess from Man Wol’s past.
• The K Drama elements: Flowers, alcohol, the piggyback ride, and the wrist grab.
• Our favorite Man Wol outfits.
• The Korean hanbok, or traditional Korean dress for women and men.
• The Filipiniana and the Barong Tagalog, the traditional dress for women and men in the Philippines.

References:

• Hanbok in Wikipedia
• Modern Filipiniana on Pinterest