chérie liquor

In its final hours, Hotel Del Luna seamlessly wraps up its enchanting story with an ending that aligns perfectly with the rules of the afterlife game it created. 

Closure finally arrived for Manwol and Chungmyung when tapping into the past memories of present-day Yeonwoo and Songhwa. Chungmyung was waiting for Manwol (just as I suspected) with a monogrammed hairpin only to be caught by Songhwa when she heard rumors that he was friends with the infamous band of thieves. He's forced to capture Yeonwoo and the remaining pack, immediately revealing the fact that Yeonwoo will be executed. When he lets him know he'll soon after pay for this betrayal with his life, Yeonwoo instead asks him to go on living as a traitor so that Manwol can survive. 

Chungmyung went into Songhwa's bridal chamber knowing Manwol was waiting there to fulfill her promise to stay alive and make him pay for the pain he caused her. His falsified hostility from the previous episodes vanishes as his parting words are relayed, "I'll keep you in my heart and become the moon that never falls to watch you from afar." [내 너를 가득 담아 지지 않는 달이 되어 지켜보마.] Of course at this point in time, Manwol is blinded by pure rage and can only chalk this up to more manipulation and sweet talk, but his vow led him to become a firefly that would continue to watch over her for the next millennium.

This same blind rage comes into play when Mago gives Manwol the hairpin she never received before she gets to know the truth. She begins to crumble into a manic, paranoid state in which she believes for a moment Chansung is Chungmyung's reincarnation after all as a long-game cruel punishment from Mago. In a bone-chilling conversation with a phantom version of her past self, she addresses her disgust for allowing love to impair her not once but twice now and channels that into a powerful curse, nearly getting Chansung killed indirectly. His intervention leads her to hash things out with Chungmyung and send him off one last time and our tale of tragic, unfulfilled love comes to a close.

The chapters of the beloved Del Luna staff reach their conclusions as well. Seo Hee's daughter was left to die in favor of a son and her resentment was absolved after seeing the family name die off and seeing the strength of a single mother. Scholar Kim is revealed to be the author of a strew of beloved novels that were listed as anonymous for hundreds of years and his reputation was restored. Hyun Joong's younger sister passes away and before going with her to heaven, he forgives the old classmate who accidentally killed him. 

The hotel was always meant to be a stop along the way to nirvana (or the next life) for the guests and staff alike. Manwol as the one placed in charge of the hotel for all this time was responsible for seeing them all off first but was never meant to be permanently immortal. As reluctant and unwilling as they may have been, both Manwol and Chansung knew she had to go since she was no longer the person who was living in torment, but finally found the peace she was in search of all along. Manwol left Chansung in tears but was joyous and free as she pranced across the bridge overlooking the Samdo River (similar to the Sanzu or Styx). Chansung's allusion to his own Baekdu Mountain painting being him and Manwol meeting and being in love in the next life was a sorrowfully beautiful final scene for them. It committed to the rules put in place throughout the plot while kindly not leaving the audience so distraught and drowning in tissues with an optimistic look into the future.

Every week this drama managed to keep me glued to the screen with its intriguing characters, gorgeous costuming and cinematography, and dedication to teaching viewers lessons in empathy, forgiveness, strength in vulnerability, and varying degrees of love. It's been a pleasure meeting CEO Jang Manwol, Manager Gu Chansung, and the other charming members of Hotel Del Luna's hospitable staff. 

Maybe we'll meet again at the Hotel Blue Moon! xo