Feature

[FEATURE] Hotel Del Luna: IU’s Scary But Adorable Moments

tvN’s latest fantasy horror romance drama ‘Hotel Del Luna’ has been making waves and setting high rating records. The drama was the most watched program in the 9-10pm prime timeslot on Saturday and Sunday. The latest episode on August 4 scored an average of 9.1, breaking the drama’s own highest record previously.

With an intriguing story, cinematic scenes, beautiful sets and fashion, and a buzzworthy list of cast members (IU and Yeo Jin Goo placed 1st and 2nd respectively in the list of buzzworthy actors) and cameos (which saw reunion of the Scarlet Heart Ryeo leads and an appearance by a member of I Live Alone), Hotel Del Luna continues to take Korea by storm.

Hotel Del Luna is a hotel for dead souls, run by Jang Manwol (IU), who is the CEO of Hotel Del Luna who has been stuck in the hotel for a millenium, and Gu Chansung (Yeo Jin Goo), who is the hotel’s newly appointed manager.

Having existed for a millenium, Jang Manwol can be said to have seen almost everything. She is eccentric, fussy, extravagant, greedy, and not to mention ruthless. Well, one has to be ruthless when dealing with ghosts, right? IU pulls off the multi-faceted character of Jang Manwol extremely well, and sure enough, because it’s IU we are talking about, there are times when Manwol is scary, ruthless, even horrifying, but yet beautiful and adorable at the same time. We’ve compiled a list below of moments in the drama where IU is both scary and adorable!

  1. When she was berating her hotel staff – looking absolutely adorable in spectacles

Right off the bat, the impression that we are supposed to have of Manwol is the super scary owner of Hotel Del Luna that all the staff are afraid of – we are introduced to this in a flashback of her threatening to remove them from the living world and sent to the afterlife for a mistake they made.

But! Look! At! Those! Spectacles! Sorry Manwol, but you look just like an adorable bunny with those spectacles.

  1. When she was enjoying watching a frightened Chansung being chased by a ghost

Meeting a horrific looking ghost and being followed around by one is a pretty scary thing, and what makes it even scarier is knowing someone else orchestrated it and being entertained from watching the victim get the biggest fright of his life and trying (but failing) desperately to shake off the ghost.

But we can’t ignore that endearing smile gracing Manwol’s face as she watches over Chansung, and it’s a reminder to us that Chansung is special to her. It is reminiscent of a parent watching a child learning to walk on his own two feet and it’s adorable.

  1. When she was casually discussing with Yoona’s parents about their daughter committing a murder

The taking of a human life is a horrific and grave crime, yet this hardly fazes Manwol at all. That she can casually tell Yoona’s parents that she had murdered a classmate and discuss the actions they can take (and their payment to her) over tea – all with a big smile on her face – shows how little regard she has and how little she cares for human life after her long existence in the living realm.

If we were really to look into it however, Manwol admittedly dealt out justice, though in her ‘Manwol-way’ and not through the law. Circumstances aside, IU is looking gorgeous in that red jacket that exudes dominance and authority and with that vibrant smile!

  1. When she was discussing with her staff on how to get rid of Chansung

Being frightened of their own fates after Chansung’s arrival caused the Moon Tree to change, the Hotel Del Luna staff are not beyond manipulating other spirits to get rid of the catalyst to secure their safety and stay in the living realm. As the head of the hotel, Manwol is of course involved in how to drive him out, as she doesn’t want things to change either. While plotting this, we can’t miss the wistful look on her face, as if she really likes Chansung and wishes she didn’t have to get rid of him through this method either.

  1. When she was getting jealous over Chansung

Let’s be honest, there are many scenes of Manwol being jealous over Chansung – whether it’s because of his interactions with other ghosts, or over his ex-girlfriend – and there are probably many more to come. Even if at times she seems scary or masks it behind an even scarier smile, her irrational behaviour when she’s jealous is just adorable, such as when she was comparing how Chansung carried a spirit guest to her room when she couldn’t walk with how he brought a cabbage wheelbarrow to carry her when she was stabbed. Pfft.

  1. Bonus: Manwol from the past

Manwol was ruthless even while she was living, and we can see how she got it from her lifestyle as a thief in the past. Even as she treats her captive prisoner unsympathetically and even threatens to cut out his tongue, we can a small hint of smile on her face which changes her somewhat scary demeanor. Her ruthlessness then is still less unnerving than how she is in the present, untouched by the traumatic events that led to her being trapped in the Guest House of the Moon and the pain of centuries of existing.

As the drama continues to air, we are excited to see more of IU’s scary but adorable moments and how IU and Yeo Jin Goo will play out the story between Manwol and Chansung will progress! Will Manwol finally be free of her past and her chains?

Catch Hotel Del Luna with English subtitles on Viu here! With Viu premium, subscribers can enjoy the latest episodes 4 hours after its original telecast in Korea!

Picture Credits: Viu
Written by: Ruby

–

PATRONISE US: http://www.theseoulstory.com/
TWEET US: http://www.twitter.com/theseoulstory
‘LIKE’ US: http://www.facebook.com/theseoulstorydotcom
WATCH US: http://www.youtube.com/c/theseoulstory

You May Also Like