I started watching this show as something to pass time whilst writing an essay but it quickly grabbed my attention and ensured it would never leave my memory. The concept of the story is very unique and it was really interesting seeing how the show addressed themes of guilt, forgiveness, redemption and death by making some of the main characters fallible to mistakes. The story progressed and though the first five or six episodes were certainly enjoyable, they were more about building chemistry between characters with those "ghost of the week" episodes and giving us snippets of Jang Man-Wol's past. But once we reached episode 8, everything after that was really just 10/10 episodes. I found the last scenes of the finale very difficult to watch to the point where I'll revisit the entire show but never rewatch that final episode.

It also became clear by the end that the show was telling us this very crucial message: death isn't the end but merely one stage of someone's life. Separation by death doesn't diminish the value of love and relationships, but makes living through those moments all the more special knowing that they are finite moments that can end at any point. This isn't an easy thing to make peace with for a lot of people, but Hotel Del Luna beautifully crafts the message that often the journey can be as beautiful as the destination. Things come to an end but can last forever if they're moments that are lived well.

What I really like about this show is that the overarching arc of the story doesn't reach its resolution until very well near the end, with an incredible amount of tension generated along the way, but it also gives what some might call the "calm after the storm". The pacing isn't quick but I feel it's better this way. Understanding Jang Man-Wol's history over a number of episodes rather than too quickly early on protects the intrigue around her. It is also reflective of how we come to understand new people in our lives as real human beings. Hotel Del Luna, in that sense, is truthful to the human experience of fraternity and relationships.

I also really think there's a particular episode near the end that deserves an article of its own. It was one of the best episodes I've watched in a Kdrama show. It also mattered, after so much deliberating and agonising, that Jang Man-Wol came to the decision that she did during that episode. It was important that the writers had gone with it how they did because it ascribed agency and emotional weight to the significance of her decision, rather than a situation where her choices were resolved for her by the truth being revealed to her. That would have made her angst redundant and wouldn't have been ultimately Jang Man-Wol making a choice but it being made for her. The writers were conveying quite clearly to us that this was both her decision and also their way of answering a question that would have been forming both within the heads of the characters and the audience itself from the show's beginning once Jang Man-Wol's backstory became increasingly revealed.

The stories of the support cast are also quite devastating in their own rights. Really, this is one of those kinds of shows.

The acting is extraordinary in reflecting the show's main themes, and I mean genuinely extraordinary. IU is stunning and steals the show in every scene of every episode. Her character is genuinely one of the most memorable characters I've ever watched in TV. Even if you find the show difficult to enjoy, it's difficult to not appreciate just how good she was. Yeo Jin-Goo was also really good as the lead male in the show, and his character had a really good compassionate aura that contrasted well with IU's character. His morally steadfast approach could appear boring once you realised there was no room for growth seeing as he already began as this perfect, loving guy, but it made him the perfect riposte for IU's character. Whenever the two shared a screen, the show never lacked for it. They enjoyed an incredible chemistry that will live long in the memory and made those final scenes all the more beautiful.

The music. Just wow. Find me a better OST from any show, I'll wait! They enriched the tone of just about every scene, complementing perfectly. There are particular highlights from Episodes 6, 9, 12 and 14 that stand out for helping deepen the beauty of some stirring and moving scenes. They were nearly as memorable as the characters of the show themselves.

Can I just reiterate again how marvellous IU was? She might have inspired a new generation in fashion.

All in all, this is one of the best k-dramas I've ever watched, with a finale that will remain glued to your brain for a very long time afterwards.