Air Dates: December 12, 2019 – February 16, 2020

Episodes: 16

Where to Watch: Netflix

Genre: Romantic Drama

Starring: Hyun Bin and Son Ye Jin

Crash Landing On You is about a South Korean heiress who is in a paragliding accident.  She is forced to make an emergency landing and finds herself in North Korea.  A North Vietnamese military officer finds her while on duty.  Worried for safety, he agrees to help her find her way home.

Of course, that proves to be more difficult than either one of them thought.  As they start to develop feelings for each other, the idea of succeeding becomes more and more bittersweet.

Hyun Bin as Ri Jung Hyuk

Ri Jung Hyuk dreamed of being a famous pianist when he was young.  So his brother, Moo Hyuk chose a career in the military to follow in their father’s footsteps.  But when Moo Hyuk is killed in an “accident”, Jung Hyuk gives up his dream and becomes a military officer.  He is quiet and a bit aloof.

The men under his command respect him but keep their distance.  The women in the soldiers’ village flirt and vie for his attention.  His life feels lonely and disappointing, until he runs into a South Korean woman while on patrol.

Son Ye Jin as Yoon Se Ri

Yoon Se Ri grew up as the illegitimate daughter of a rich businessman.  Her stepmom raised her along with her 2 stepbrothers.  None of them have ever had any affection for her or treated her like she belongs.  Because of this, she has spent her life trying to be successful and prove that she is a worthy person.  She creates her own company called Se Ri’s Choice that sells fashion and beauty products.  Even though her life has lacked love and suppport, she has lived  pampered and spoiled.  After a paragliding accient, she wakes up in a tree in North Korea.  The land and people are rough and far removed from so many of the luxuries she is accustomed to.

But in the company of the North Korean captain and his troops, she learns about love and acceptance.  And she begins to gain a new perspective on what’s really important in life.

The chemistry between this couple is no joke.  And as they get to know each other, they discover that fate may have played a major hand in bringing them together.  But how do they build a future where it will be impossible for them to contact each other once Se Ri returns home?  Can they overcome cultural differences and a divided homeland to find happiness?

Kim Jung Hyun as Goo Seung Jun

Goo Seung Jun is our con man with a conscience.  Seung Jun cheated Se Ri’s brother out of a large sum of money and tried to marry Se Ri to take her portion of the family money.  When he is caught,  Seung Jun hires someone to help him relocate and hide in North Vietnam.  In the beginning he is rude and selfish.  But as he starts to learn about love and friendship, he becomes quite sweet.  This is one of those characters designed to break all of our hearts.

Seo Ji Hye as Seo Dan

Dan is the unfortunate second lead.  The families have arranged for her to marry Jung Hyuk.  But it isn’t all a random arrangement.  Dan has had a crush on Jung Hyuk since they attending the same school when they were younger.

But Jung Hyuk never noticed her and isn’t even aware they have a past.  Dan knows she is in trouble as soon as she sees Jung Hyuk with Se Ri.  She does everything that she can to keep them apart and force Jung Hyuk to follow through with their wedding.

North Korean Soldiers

Because North Korea’s conscription is so long, it is natural that men serving together would become family.  This group of guys is so fun.  They find out that Jung Hyuk is helping Se Ri to get back home, and jump in to offer help and support.  At first, they don’t know what to do with a modern South Korean woman who is strong-willed and independent.  But as they all get to know each other, they become protective brothers to her.  Their different friendships are so cute.  Each one has their own special relationship with her.

Women in the North Korean Village

These women all live in the village used for military families.  That means they are all married to the men who are serving.  Which doesn’t keep them from flirting with Jung Hyuk!  When he announces that Se Ri is his fiancee they are all shocked  At first they hate her for being their competition.  But she wins them over  with beauty and style advice.  Eventually they accept her as part of their community.  This also brings them closer to each other.

North Korean Insights

The scenes that took place in North Korea were fascinating.  It’s so interesting to get an idea of what life is like there.  I couldn’t even imagine what it would be like to live in a place like that, so I really enjoyed getting a small peek into it.

Cast Chemistry

The whole cast is phenomenal.  The chemistry between the leads was so sweet to watch.  But the supporting characters are also amazing.  It’s a large cast, and I feel that we get to know a little bit about each character individually, which I loved.

Beautiful Scenery

Visually, this drama is stunning.  From the small villages of North Korea to the beautiful lake side of Switzerland, it is all a gorgeous backdrop for  the story.

Seung Jung/Dan Ending

I think most fans agree that Seung Jung’s death was heartbreaking. They could have easily found a way to let him settle in North Korea with Dan.  He fought so hard to straighten out his life and become a good man.  I would have like to see him rewarded for that.

Se Ri’s Family

In my opinion, Se Ri’s family were the only weak link in the characters.  They were villians, but not even close to being bad enough to compete with Cheol Kang.  They just kind of fell flat for me.

Unrealistic Event

I know that Dramaland is not real life.  And I don’t mind suspending my belief for the fun of the story.  But there are definitely some far fetched scenarios.  From paragliding through the middle of a tornado to tiptoeing back through the DMZ.

Overall, I felt like the ending was strong.  Obviously, with the exception of Seung Jun.  After all the talk about fate and destiny, they resisted the urge to wave some magic wand and give them a happy life, just like any other couple.  The ending has a bittersweet feel.  They do get a happy ending, but it has it’s own unique twist, just like them as a couple.

It is a little sad to think that Se Ri will never see any of the wonderful friends she made during her time in North Korea.  But when I think of our happy couple, walking the shores of the lake in Switzerland once a year, all is right in my heart.

I really loved this drama.  It has a great cast with amazing chemistry.  So much so that fans have had a hard time moving on now that it is finished.  This drama is strong all around.  There is plenty of romance, some political conspiracy, and lots of comical moments that lighten the mood and give depth to the characters.  The cinematography provides some beautiful scenery, from North Korea and Switzerland.  I guess it does ask you to suspend your disbelief from time to time, but the charm of the story makes it worthwhile.  Definitely give this one a try.  I think you’ll be happy you did.  I give Crash Landing On You a 5 out of 5 ramen.

🍜🍜🍜🍜🍜

Air Dates: July 13 – September 1, 2019

Episodes: 16

Where to Watch: Netflix

Genre: Romantic Fantasy

Starring: IU and Yeo Jin Goo

For me, this one has everything. Hotel Del Luna is the perfect, spooky, fall show. First of all, I don’t know how you can take about this show without talking about the costuming and cinematography. It is just gorgeous to look at. The soundtrack is hauntingly beautiful, with plenty of familiar names, and even includes a surprise unreleased song by IU herself. The cast has a strong chemistry, not just with the romantic leads, but on all levels of relationships. The plot is a sweeping story of love and revenge that travels through centuries.

Hotel Del Luna is a hotel for the dead, who are unable to move on to the afterlife because of unfinished business here on earth. As new “guests” check in to the hotel, the hotel staff, who are also ghosts in limbo, try to help them take care of their issue so that, with the help of the Grim Reaper, they can send them on their way. The stories cover many motives and emotions. Hotel Del Luna is ultimately a place of bittersweet goodbyes, as problems resolve and death becomes final.

Jang Man-Wol, played by IU (Scarlet Heart Ryeo, My Mister) unwittingly became the hotel owner 1000 years ago, by drinking a potion given to her by one of the twelve faces of God. Since that time, her life has been suspended between life and death. Her unfinished business involves the man she loved, who betrayed her all those years ago. She is bitter and temperamental. She doesn’t get involved with the hotel guests and their stories unless the guest is rich and she can gain some profit by stepping in. Her hobbies are buying expensive clothes and jewelry and drinking champagne. Then one day, a new, human manager arrives on the scene. He helps her to learn how to feel again, and eventually leads her to the end of her long-awaited story.

Man-Wol has allowed greed to cover up the hurt she has carried through time. It is easy to pity what she has been through, and how it made her into the woman she is. As her full story begins to unfold, the others who were part of her past begin to appear before her in their new lives. With a little help from the hotel bartender, their memories reveal pieces of the story that had been unknown to Man-Wol until now.

The new manager breaks down the walls that Mal-Wol has spent centuries building up. Slowly she begin to trust him, and eventually love him. He also encourages her to open her heart more to her guests and help them, not just when there is personal gain. As she moves closer to her own final death she learns what is like to live again.

Koo Chan-Sung, played by Yeo Jin-Goo (The Crowned Clown, Absolute Boyfriend) is the man who becomes the manager at Hotel Del Luna because his father sold him to Man-Wol in a negotiation for his own life. The hotel has always had a human manager to handle earthly business matters, so Chan-Sung is one in a chain of many, but he is also very unique. He has been sent specifically as the one whose final duty is to send Man-Wol herself on her journey to the afterlife and close the doors of Hotel Del Luna forever.

Chan-Sung’s calm and loyal personality is the perfect foil to Man-Wol’s distrustful tantrums. I often found myself laughing out loud at their lively conversations, which helped to balance out their awareness of how their story would eventually need to play out. Despite his initial hesitation, Chan-Sung’s feelings for her develop quickly and deeply. His truest desire is for her to find her final peace, even knowing it will cost him his own happiness.

This cast has a large group of great secondary characters, which is part of why I loved this cast so much. So many of them deserve mention here. Within the hotel staff, we get to know three characters. There is the bartender, the room manager, and the bell hop. Each one of them have their own stories, which unfold slowly through the course of the show. Kim Sun-Bi is the bartender, played by Shin Jung-Keun (Encounter, Mr. Sunshine). He was an unfairly disgraced scholar looking to redeem his damaged reputation. Choi Se-Hee is the room manager, played by Bae Hae-Sun (Wok of Love, While You Were Sleeping) whose baby daughter was killed by her selfish in-laws. She is waiting to witness the death of the final living heir to their family line. The bellhop, Ji Hyun-Joong played by P.O. died trying to take care of his blind sister. He is now waiting to be the one who escorts her to the afterlife. He also has a cute love story with Kim Yoo-Na, who is played by Kang Mi-Na. She is the ghost in the body of a human who is also the manager in training. Her role in the hotel is mostly to remind Chan-Sung that if he steps out of line, he can be replaced

Chan-Sung has a group of friends who give the cast a bit of humanness. Sanchez, played by Cho Hyun-Chul, is as devoted a friend as Chan-Sung himself, even after losing the love of his life. And Park Yoo-Na (SKY Castle and The Package) as Lee Mi-Ra and Lee Tae-Sun (Suits, Prison Playbook) asYeon-Woo both played a major part to the story during their past lives.

And representing from the supernatural realms are Seo Yi-Sook (The Banker, My Secret, Terrius) as God Mago and Kang Hong-Suk (Doctor Prisoner, What’s Wrong with Secretary Kim)  as the Grim Reaper. We are told God Mago has twelve faces. We don’t meet them all, but we get a good taste of about six. Each one is over the top and it’s fun to see the quirkiness she brings to them. The Grim Reaper is a man of few words, but his dark, benevolent presence gives a good gravity to his scenes.

I’ve already said that Hotel Del Luna is a place of bittersweet goodbyes, so the ending really shouldn’t be a surprise to any of us. Having said that, I am a sucker for a happy ending so I did have one created in my active imagination. (Attention Hong sisters, in case you need help with your next one.) Since Man-Wol wasn’t actually dead, I thought they may just turn her “human clock” back on and let her live out her days with Chan-Sung, but no one consulted me and that is not the ending we got. Even so, it was tragic and well-done. In the big picture, their sad ending is better suited. Chan-Sung completes his mission of seeing Man-Wol off and closes the Hotel Del Luna forever. But not before making sure that all of the hotel guests and staff also find their own endings.

The only piece of the story that seemed a little off for me was the final story of Man-Wol and her revenge story with Ko Choeng-Myung. Of course, in the end, we never have the full picture without getting all sides of the story. It turns out that he only betrayed her to save her life and as a promise to her adopted brother, Yeon-Woo. While Man-Wol has waited for him to show up at the hotel, he has been there by her side the whole time, as a firefly, watching over her and waiting for her forgiveness. You would think that after waiting 1000 years for him, there would be more to the conclusion than a short scene that lacks any of the unfulfilled love they felt. She tells him that she is finally empty, and you can feel that she mean it. I mean, sure it’s been 1000 years and she has finally found love again with Chan-Sung but doesn’t the man at least deserve a hug? I did like the finality of their scene on the bridge. Choeng-Myung holds his hand out to her and she is face to face with the choice of just going with him, since she knows she will be going soon anyway, or keeping her promise and going back to Chan-Sung and the Hotel Del Luna. In the choice between Choeng-Myung and Chan-Sung she still picks Chan-Sung.

The last two scenes have gotten a lot of attention. First is the scene at the park with Chan-Sung, Man-Wol and our three hotel staffers. For those who need your happy ending, this is it. I have read a lot of debate about whether it was actually happening or just Chan-Sung’s imagination, but really does it make a difference? Even if it isn’t happening right this second, it is obvious that these people are tied together by fate. At some point, a scene like this will happen. Isn’t that enough? And then in the last seconds we see The Hotel Blue Moon with a cameo from the new owner, Kim Soo-Hyun. People were sure this was a clue to a promise for a second season, but the Hong sisters have denied any such plans. At any rate, this scene tells us that the story does go on and the dead continue to hang out and seek closure.

As I already said, I feel like Hotel Del Luna has a bit of everything. It’s well produced and the stories are fun. It has just enough spooky ghostness to put us in the mood for fall. There is romance and revenge. There are crimes to be solved and adventures to be had. It does have its share of bittersweet moments, so I guess if you are the kind of person who absolutely needs everyone to live happily ever after, this might not be the one for you. But other than that, this one is well worth the time.  As I said, I loved it, so I’m giving it 5 out of 5 ramen.

🍜🍜🍜🍜🍜