King the Land

Not Good Enough

Korean Drama " King The Land " is a romantic comedy with two strong leads.

The drama has a smooth start, with a story that brings back nostalgic feelings for the old Korean romantic comedies that ruled the last decade and even before that. The romance is sweet and the banter between the leads is adorable and entertaining. The friendship was also an enjoyable factor.

However, everything went downhill when the two leads got together, which happened early on. Thus, the drama was left to deal with romantic dates, traveling abroad, and some family drama, which at least kept things interesting here and there but was too predictable to be able to save the drama.

Other than the boring plot, however, the performances kept being strong, and the main couple had chemistry.

So, overall, two and a half out of ten.

Read More

!!!OVERRATED!!! , all HYPE because of the CAST.

I've watched this drama because of all the hype surrounding it. I watched it while it was airing.
I've never been a big Yoona fan and haven't seen any drama with Junho before so I've kept my expectations low. That was good for me, because it was dragged on.

CONS / what i disliked:
- i think cliche rom-coms shouldn't be too dragged on. 16 eps were too much.
- i didn't like that every single ep had KISSING SCENES. i mean it was ok, but when there are too many you kinda lose the excitement.
- the flight attendant couple was 100 times better, while sarang and gu won felt a little rushed and idk TACKY/cringey
- some characters were horribly annoying
- i don't know what kind of boss gu won is but he seemed to do everything but work
-random events that felt like filler events: arab prince, thailand trip - they tried to make the drama not seem boring by adding so many events and "action" but it was MESSY ngl
-fake leads, idk they seemed a lil to FAKE for me? don't get me wrong i loved Business PROPOSAL and What's Wrong With SECRETARY KIM- cliche rom-coms, but idk something felt like a LIL TOO MUCH for me
-it felt PATHETIC how the BAD COWORKERS became her best friends overnight

PROS/what i liked:
- again, flight attendant couple>>>
-sarang's grandmother
-sarang's friendship with the girls

Easy to forget, overrated, all hype because of the cast.
NOTE: I know I've said I've never been a big Yoona fan, but this doesn't mean I don't like her. She just isn't one of my favourites. So don't mix my words.

Read More

Nothing new offered

I know the male lead Junho as an actor not as an K-pop idol he was an intense actor in Just Between lovers drama. This drama doesn't do justice to his acting skills.

The female lead Yoona Iam not a fan of her neither as an idol nor as an actor. I really don't like her acting. Being beautiful doesn't mean you are a good actor though I don't think that she is the one of the most beautiful idols.

The story Cdrama viewers would have seen multiple dramas with the same plot. There is nothing new to offer but at the same time it dint provide the enough excitement while watching.Same old story Rich man/poor woman cliche.

I really don't understand the concept that how only the friends of the FL tend to get hell amount of problems in their professional life. The FL characterization is the worst. The sister of the ML there is no proper ending to her.

Nothing exciting!!

Read More

Fluffy Cute CEO Romance with no plot!!!

ML Gu Won is a heir of a Hotel chain owner and head manager of the Hotel, ofc he has his share of childhood trauma eventually fell for a beautiful staff SaRang (FL).
This is a typical CEO romance, both leads are visual treats. extraordinary screenplay, has beautiful vacation, date nights, nice kisses and amusement park scenes.
If you liked CEO romance like Secretary Kim or Business proposal then it's a must watch for you.

Now if we look into the story, the love between the leads are just perfect but there are many flaws if we look into peripheral things like the ML is achieving things one after another but never showed him actually working. While he is in hotel, either he is busy thinking about SaRang or running after her. He won the political game yet they never showed that he is well connected with other board members. On what basis he is achieving success is not clear.

same goes with the past trauma of ML. His mother just left and comes back years later and things get normal just like that. I mean there should have been more to overcome his trauma but they dint pay much attention to it.

The sister is unnecessarily cruel, however her kid is super cute I enjoyed his interaction with Sarang.

What I enjoyed in this show?
Sarang! She is just like a sunshine spreading happiness with beautiful smile. she is hard working and eventually she realised her dream.
She is strong and her love towards Gu Won is beautifully presented in the show.

The granny of Sarang, ofc she is the best Halemoni of kdrama and here also she just outdid her role.


The makers paid much attention to Sarang's personal growth in the story but kinda ignored (or you can spent less time on) Gu Won's charecter development.

Sarang's friend who's husband is a cheater never get the justification of her situation. she is independent she could have moved on from that toxic family yet they wrapped up her story super fast, this part is pretty annoying!! if the makers can't rectify a toxic story, why bother showing it!!!
the roommate (airhostess)kinda get silver lining so I was happy for her.

however this is supposed to be a fluffy romcom and everyone gets a happy ending, the screenplay is beautiful so we as an audience are expected to be happy at the ending and that all it matters!! But wait does that mean there won't be any original approach!!!

Do i like ceo romance? goddam yes!!
Do I re-watch CEO romance dramas? absolutely yes!
Would I re-watch this one? - ummmm few particular episodes may be!!

P. S - I looooveee the ost though 💜

Read More

It's not worth watching

I don't understand the trajectory the script was supposed to take, first the FL wanted to work in the hotel when she grew up but then has a change of heart towards the end of the drama. The romance between the main leads was too rushed and the characters lacked proper character development throughout the drama. The ML's sister could not convince me that she really hated her brother. The story involving the ML's mother isn't fully explored to the viewers satisfaction. I feel in love with the FL's grandmother she was really sweet. The drama was a let down in my opinion, especially due to the fact that it had the best actors in the industry, it's a pity their talents were not fully utilised. It's watchable if you skip a lot of unnecessary scenes. I appreciate the drama for it's depiction of friendship in a positive light.

Read More

Good for close-ups of Junho, but that's it

"I could stare at Lee Jun Ho all day long cos that man is both gorgeous and a talented actor...." Sums up why people are still watching this show.

The plot is completely shallow... Close-ups of Junho while he's being kind, aloof, sexy, vulnerable, cooking for her, etc. are carrying this show.

However, for me, the complete lack of character or real plot development make it too boring to really enjoy

Yes, Junho is hot. Yes, it has funny moments... but they never give any backstory to why Evil CEO (lady hotel manager) is evil. We're on episode 10 and there's still no hint of what happened with either of their mom's for them to be at odds with each other. At the same time, it's a bit predictable, because it's obvious (I'm calling it now) that his mom will turn up at some point and stick up for Yoona in the darkest hour kind of thing. (I also just don't really find Yoona an interesting or compelling female lead, she reminds me of PMY in FLAW.)

*Yawn* I'm not sure I can finish this one... especially when Love To Hate You is so much better.

Read More

Cheesiest kdrama I’ve ever watched to date

King the land and I have had quite the interesting journey together. I started off really disliking the drama because it felt shallow and extremely overrated. The romance was boring and nothing new, and the story of poor woman and hot chaebol has been beaten to death at this point. I put down the drama for maybe 3ish months because of college and ended up coming back and finishing off the second half in about 3 days during a family road trip. After coming back to the drama, I learned to appreciate how cheesy and cliche king the land is, and as the episodes went on, I began to see it for its own merits and uniqueness. I ended up falling in love with the main couple and the side characters, and I will honestly say I will miss king the land since it was a heck of a ride. There's not much of a plot and they do end up hitting on every cliche under the sun, but my goodness was it fun and cute and made me tear up many a time. If this genre is your cup of tea, you can't miss king the land!

Read More

this drama makes u feel happy,joyful with a beautiful love stry like we dream about our love life

some people really acted like silly and giving bad comment ...when this dramas plot r made for love and fun...all things are their is fictional...so we don't have to be serious bt enjoy it and get entertainment...tbh...I loved it very much...lee jun hui and I'm Yoon ah companionship is very beautiful...they were so natural that's make me feel it's real...all comedy scenes specially Arab prince scene was horrible..I laughed so much...and other scene were amazing 😍...and this drama s ost also good to listen...over all it's the best romcom drama of 2k23 that gave us the vibe of 2016..

Read More

Perfect classic romantic drama

9.5/10 is my rating. This is a 2023 South Korean romantic comedy series with 16, 60-77 minute episodes.

First I provide a unique Synopsis then reviiew.

Synopsis

Cheon Sa-rang (Im Yoon-ah) has finally landed her dream job as a concierge at the King Hotel. She has a smile that was made for the role and her beauty and above average capability has her climbing the ranks at the hotel rapidly. Although her aspirations and goals are on path, Sa-rang often finds herself squarely in the cross hairs of Goo Won (Lee Jun-ho) the handsome chaebol who is set to inherit the conglomerate.

At first the two only find the other annoying. But they soon realize there is way more common ground in common as they each pursue their dreams in the hotel world.

Review

This was very good and perfect for anyone that likes a slow build, well developed, heartwarming and enduring romance. The lead couple had perfect chemistry to the point if you discovered they were dating in real life it would not be a surprise. It has a happy ending and all major plot points are resolved.

Spoilers*
Lee Jun ho plays a chaebol that is sensitive and caring and very sweet. He has a gruff exterior but it is a very thin veil for a vulnerable but very kind person. Once he fell for her he did not change his feelings or interest from that point despite family and social pressure.

Even those who tried not to like Sa-rang were unsuccessful. Her amazing competence and unflappable concern for the customers and all those her around her won over virtually everyone.

I loved that she reached the dream team level and realized that it was not all about providing an experience and making people happy. From the classic maid uniform to the tone of that highest privileged experience of serving the Chairman and his guests, it was clear that it was about the elites flashing their elevated status by having the best wait staff at their beck and call. It paid extremely well but she did not think it was worth prostrating your pride on the alter of social narcissism. It was disillusioning for her. So when she decided to quit the King Hotel and create her own experience it made sense. But I was not a fan of the cliff hangar where it made the viewer think she was going to break up with him for his or her own good. I hate that trope and it just so happened that was the episode I was ending on for that night. It was a good and surprising twist but not one I was fond of.

I loved Sa-rang’s grandmother, Cha Soon-hee (Kim Young-ok) is a character that is always in lead girl’s camp, strongly supporting her in all she does. Soon-hee plays the elder in many dramas but thus very cantankerous exterior was a new twist on her usual much more amiable roles. Social status did not intimidate her or overly impress her and she felt her granddaughter was invaluable and not someone to be won with mere money and social status. Her relationship with Won was endearing. Although she made it hard to win her favor, once she decided he was the one she was proud and happy to have him as her grandson in law. It was cute he tried so hard but also that he seemed to genuinely care for her and felt like her trials were reasonable as he understood it reflected the deep caring and love she had for her grandchild.

I did not feel like the story between Won’s parents made a lot of sense. She was supposedly his great love where he was willing to buck social traditions, and be with her, but the minute she did something his father seriously disapproved of not only did he abandon their relationship, but he stole her son and cast her out. They never showed who the wife of his daughter was (his other wife and someone that was socially acceptable) and that might’ve helped explain how that whole situation went down. It just did not make sense that somebody who loved another enough to go against society would so easily give up on them. Later when she comes back, he doesn’t seem to have any remorse over what happened in the past, and instead sort of doubles down on the way he is with his son until the very end when he does have a slight reversal. On has a brief touching encounter with his mom but, other than her attendance at the wedding, we do not get to see the mother and son grow closer. Overall the way that played out did not do justice to the build up to that point. .

The other minor plot flaw was how much it showed her roommate and friends unfair treatment at work without significant satisfaction is seeing them flip the script. I mean the airline stewardess revealed who the ex was and kicked him in his sensitive parts (which he well deserved) but you never saw her make that next level. There was significant screen time devoted to jer desire to become purser and how she was continually passed over unfairly. The romance with her friend and fellow flight attendant was bonus level but it would have been good to see some positive resolve to her unfair work situation. Her other friend had a dead beat husband who she got back at but it never seemed like she had the relationship with him she deserved.

When Won’s sister gets in a verbal altercation with her soon to be ex husband and he slaps her, I was shocked and not okay with that scene. It played through like she had it coming but I personally do not think partners should be physically violent with each other, She slaps him back and that was slightly satisfying but still, men should not hit women in general. Now if it is some psycho woman who started things, and he has no choice, then defending himself is acceptable. But that was not the case, he was angry she bought his girlfriend off and slapped her. Men are built more robustly than women and have greater muscle mass so they should protect not harm.

#KingtheLand
#ImYoonAh
#LeeJunHo

Read More

Perfect ROM-COM

Don't listen to the bad reviews unless you're looking for a complicated plot with twists and turns. I absolutely loved this Rom-Com because it was exactly that - a Romantic Comedy that's heavy on the romance with some comedy provided by the supporting characters. It's a very satisfying watch for those looking for a simple, uncomplicated plot where romance is at the premium and misunderstandings at a minimum. In many ways, it's a typical Cinderella plot complete with a parent trying to push ML into marrying a girl of the parent's choice (aka business marriage). But unlike dad, ML cares more about his woman than the business. Bravo! Loved this guy! Every threatened misunderstanding is quickly cleared up in the next episode because ML has a backbone and isn't about to let his dad chose his wife, and FL is a sensible girl who has confidence in their love as well as herself. Nothing shakes this couple once together, and it's delightful to watch. The only thing I would have changed is ML handing the King Hotel over to his sister and he and FL running the hotel she was banished to and he later bought. I would have preferred that to her buying her own B&B, but you know, women have to be independent of men these days. But, anyway, this is a wonderful light-hearted Rom-Com with plenty of swoonworthy moments. You don't have to worry about being annoyed by scheming SFLs or tyrannical parents getting the upper hand, because ML isn't the type to put up with it. He's perfect although he's a bit grumpy at first...but I have a weakness for grumpy MLs...if he had had glasses, I would have actually swooned.

Read More

Yes, I know many people think this show is over-hyped with all the rom-com cliches that it could find. Sometimes, I listen to the keyboard critics (like when I passed on “The Heirs”), and sometimes I don’t (like I did in this instance). But I am glad I did not listen, not only did I find “King the Land” enjoyable, I found a newfound appreciation for Yoon Ah, whom I wasn’t really too keen on when I saw her last in “Love Rain.”

Are there other pairings with better chemistry than Jun Ho and Yoon Ah? Sure. But I will recognize Gu Won’s and Yoon Ah’s effort in portraying two people who couldn’t be more opposite of each other. One who constantly smiles as she sees the silver lining in every situation, and has the tenacity to tackle challenges despite setbacks. While the other has a persistent cloud over his mood, because of his mother’s mysterious disappearance that he sees as abandonment.

Despite his lack of emotional intelligence, Gu Won tries his best with what he can, and after meeting Sa Rang, he learns to become more attuned to the needs of others. I also loved how the rest of the cast contribute to Gu Won’s character development, from “The Six Siblings” to Sa Rang’s Grandmother, they all shape his world view that allowed him to develop programs that are considered progressive for his hotel business, treating his employees and regular customers as “kings” in their own right despite their status.

To say that this drama is without its flaws is a lie. Could the product placement be less ubiquitous? Yes. Could the drama use fewer tropes? Maybe. But in the end, when Sa Rang realizes that the genuine pleasure of serving people isn’t necessarily being in the most prestigious lounge serving top-tier customers but in the every-day common folk, do we see the fundamental principle of this drama.

Read More