King the Land (2023)

ILOVEIT

this is by far one of my favorites dramas. I loved every single second of it and definitely will watch it again with the same joy.
I loved the characters and how the express something so beautiful as friendship and loyalty towards your loved ones.
also, loved how sarang fought for the things she knew she wanted and how she was strong enough to let go what wasn't giving her happiness anymore. I loved how won was always open to learn from others and how his past didn't affect him as a bad person and how he never felt down for his sister and the fight his father put him into.
it's seriously a lovely story

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A Story to dream.

This TV series has meleted my heart. It is a wonderful rom/com that makes you dream.

The story is not to complicated but brings up a several real life aspect such as: Family, Frienship, Love, boundaries, work skills, work relationships.

If I have to rate it following some topic words I would describe like this: Humility, Determination, Kindness, Love, dedication, self growth.

The chemistry between both actors it’s insane and I loved every second of their relationship.

Everything makes you dream, everything it is very elegant, sophisticated and a lot of attention has been dedicated to details.

I’m going to rewatch very soon because it has become one of my favourite of its genre.

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good boy down bad

started this drama on a vacation in december 2023. i was mostly alone on that trip and wanted something light and fun. this 100% fit that bill, except it turned out to be really cute and good and i had to share it with my husband. he joined me on episode 5.

the female lead, cheon sa rang, is so cute i want to scream. the male lead was selfish and rude in the beginning (gu won go to therapy) but the growth!! he started simping so hard and being absolutely pathetically in love, which is very appealing. this man cares for nothing besides cheon sa rang and it is a whole mood. on paper he has all the power, but then he's out here tripping over himself just to get her to look at him and is big sad when she doesn't. she is so independent and powerful, and he basically devotes his existence to serving her; we love to see it. her best friends are also amazing, i love them.

the music in this drama was top tier. the synthwave "outrun the night" vibes of "Confess to You" by Lim Kim were perfect in every scene. i liked seeing awful bosses get what was coming to them, and i think the show overall made a thoughtful critique of unjust labor systems. at the same time, the best solution it was able to offer was "put nice people at the top," which isn't much. still, this drama made me happy and hopeful and i love it for that. plus it is very pretty to look at and the conflict is low level so i just got to vibe while watching and that is mostly what i come to kdramas for.

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and when I tell you this is the kdrama I loved the most in 2023...then WHAT

This is the perfect rom-com to watch if you need a couple of hours of relaxing and happy times.

Let's start with the main couple: in my opinion Lee Jun Ho and Im Yoon Ah have a beautiful chemistry and they worked really well together, they really looked like a strong and beautiful couple.
Gu Won is such a precious guy I wish I could put him in my pocket. I love that's he's not the usual kdrama chaebol who starts off as a tsundere and doesn't start to change until halfway through the series, he's actually an adorable dork from the start, and he's such a pushover for Sa-rang it's actually so sweet how he would do literally anything for her and to win her heart. And he's such a nice guy to anyone in the end, I mean the guy took under his wing mr. No because he wanted to help him during his first day of work and Gu Won actually acted out of his promise to make him his assistant, and then they became best friends! I love the relationship they have.

I feel like Sa-rang is a bit more stereotyped to other general female leads in dramas, what with her being a strong independent woman who doesn't fall at the man's feet after two seconds but, she's also super kind and caring which I appreciated.

But to me, what really makes it in this drama are the side characters. I must admit that I often struggle to enjoy secondary characters and other couples, I often find them annoying and irritating, especially some of the FLs' friends, but I am so glad it was not the case here. Pyung-hwa and Da-eul are such supportive friends, and they're so funny too! Ro-Wun is literally like a prince, and No Sang-Sik was a pleasant surprise too. I love the little group they formed as the "six siblings", I really enjoyed their scenes together.

I noticed this drama has A LOT of negative reviews, especially regarding Gu Won and how he doesn't do anything except courting Sa-rang and how he doesn't care about his position in the hotel and I'm so confused??? Did you not watch all the scenes where he actually goes out of his way to get to know his employees and their wishes, continuosly pushing the hotel council members to do better and appreciate their employees more?

In conclusion:
Is this drama full of chichés? Yes
Is this drama pretty much void of angsty and super dramatic moments? Yeah, kinda
Is that a crime? No. Sometimes, you just need something romantic and funny without any excessive tragedies, and that's okay. If you enjoy lighthearted stories that make you laugh and warm you heart with their simplicity, King the Land is the drama for you.

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Hermès!

Lo disfruté muchoooo. El romance que tiene comienza como enemies to lovers hasta que él termina enamorándose (creí que tardaría más, pero nooo) y me encanta que lo acepta, no lo niega como en otros dramas y se pone las pilas para conquistar a Sarang <3

La amistad entre Sarang y sus amigas me gusta muchoooo, todas apoyándose y cuidándose, las amo mucho. Y cada una con su historia, me encantó.

Es muy divertida, romántico y te deja queriendo ver mássss. Aunque sí creo que pudo haber sido un poco mas corto, porque hay mucho relleno que se disfruta, pero aún así hay cosillas innecesarias.

Lo recomiendo para pasar el rato <3

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Pick it when you need it! It will be a huge comfort for you!

The first time writing a review but I felt the need to write one because of all the negative comments.
I'll list some facts here that made me love this drama

What made it different from other Romcom:
1- Smooth romance without unnecessary breakups or misunderstandings between the main leads.
2- many romantic scenes, almost every ep after ep 8 and they are satisfactory, so wait for it and don't drop it
3- the main leads were clear about their feelings and didn't care about the people opinion
4- their feeling developed quickly without hesitation, non of them tried to avoid the relationship or deny it from the beginning to the end (for example the FL didn't get scared because the ML is from a higher level, and the ML didnt get scared that his family might oppose)
5- Very positive, which you is sth need when you are tired from everyday life, this drama will surely comfort you especially if you watched it before you sleep.
6- strangely the father didn't resist the relationship a lot and he quickly accepted
7- the OSTs are all amazing
8- it resemble a sweet and somehow realistic love story which everyone one dream to experience.
9- The trust and honesty between the main leads is amazing they depended on each others supported and loved each others despite the problems they faced throughout the drama.
( i really love how they didn't break up when their relation was revealed and also when the FL saw the ML with his potential fiancé, she believed him and didnt misunderstand)
10- again solving the problems easily was a positive point for the drama in my opinion because sometimes you get tired from how other dramas complicate each problem and spend many episodes it so this drama can be resting area for you.

But I have to say that I skipped some parts which were mostly about the father and the sister and their unnecessary problems, they really didn't add anything to the story.

So all in all, what I want to say is that when other people think that the simplicity of this drama is what made it bad i believe that it is exactly the opposite, the smooth happy and honest relationship and the sincere acting of the main leads made it a perfect choice for a comforting drama.

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Definition of a true romcom

Some people may say that this rating is too high and maybe it is, when looking objectively. I am not looking objectively. No, I am completely looking at and reviewing this show fully aware of the rose-tinted glasses I’m wearing and could care less.

Yes, there are problems with the show. Sarang could’ve been given better depth as a character and the Arab Prince storyline needed to be completely trashed. This show could be corny, cheesy, and even cringey at some points, but the happiness and joy this drama gave me outweighs anything else.

Like i said, i know I’m viewing some aspects of it with rose-tinted glasses, but this show couldn’t have come at a better time for me. My anxiety was at an all-time high when the majority of this show was airing and it was so nice to be able to escape into the lives of these characters and their relationships.

Won and Sarang’s romance is probably one of the most mature and healthiest I have seen in a kdrama. They never fought over stupid things, always communicated, tried to understand the other’s perspective, and fought for their relationship when circumstances tried to force them apart. Listen, I love drama and messiness too but sometimes when couples break up for little to no reason I’m left wondering why I rooted for them to get together in the first place. I never questioned that with these two, they always proved time and time again why I loved them and why they should be together.

I also loved the majority of the side characters. Both of Sarang’s besties were great and I liked how they both had their own individual storylines outside of being Sarang’s friends and supporting her romance with Won. Pyeonghwa and her noona romance with Rowoon ftw! I also liked Sang-sik, he was very chaotic as Won’s secretary and I liked their begrudging bromance. Sarang’s halmeoni was also a standout and her relationship with both Won and Sarang was lovely. Also, even though I’m supposed to hate her, and I did, I liked Hwaran as a villain. Mainly because she didn’t bore me in her scenes like so many do nowadays.

In terms of Won and Sarang individually, I mentioned earlier how Sarang didn’t have as much depth to her character as Won did. While this is definitely true, I still really liked Sarang. I liked how hard-working and kind she was, but wasn’t a pushover by any means. She remained true to herself and her beliefs throughout the whole drama and never tried to change herself for other people. I loved her ending and how she started a hotel herself and it worked out because of her as a person, not because of any outside factors. Won was also like the best kdrama boyfriend ever. He actually tried to see things from Sarang’s perspective and actually changed the way he acted and did things accordingly (Shocking, I know). He never tried to pressure her into anything and always wanted what she wanted, never want he wanted for her. His character growth was great and I loved his arc because although Sarang helped him appreciate the people around him, you knew that it was always in his nature he just needed the guidance he never got.

Junho & Yoona had great chemistry too and were genuinely wonderful in their respective roles. I can definitely see why so many are obsessed with their pairing now, lol. They had so many moments that were clearly them improvising that really made Sarang and Won’s relationship believable. Some couples come across as very rehearsed when your job as an actor is to seem the opposite.

This show was just really enjoyable for me and is highly rewatchable. I would say this show is my guilty pleasure, but I really don’t feel guilty about it at all.

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King The Land is a new-breed of kdrama rom-coms even with a generic plot

KTL: Welcome to King the Land, where we invite tropes in, but they must leave as different creatures from how they arrived. What we’re trying to say is that we only fly green flags here. Disclaimer: We do allow for umbrella scenes, slo-mo walks, falling into each other’s arms, identity mishaps, silly meet-cutes, and staring longingly while a banger OST plays. We do NOT allow for miscommunication between partners, time skips, noble idiocy, misogyny, nonconsensual kisses, forced separations, social status as a barrier, or mere pecks on the cheek. [This is what I found on a reddit written by some user, it perfectly summed up my thoughts on the show so i decided to put it here]

The show gives you exactly what it promised the Romance and the Comedy and both in balance enough that you don't bother thinking about the painfully generic plot..

Lol before starting I thought this show was gonna be some wannabe 'Business Proposal'+ 'Whats Wrong With Secretary Kim' fiasco but boy was I suprised, pleasantly at that, Gu Wo has to be the most Greenest Flag Chaebol male lead k-dramaland has ever seen. I’m just so happy that this drama didn’t do the “let’s keep them childish and immature until the last 2 episodes.” Or “let’s have them break up and make up every single second” troupe.

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Perfect love story ❤️ worth the watch!!

Nice drama from beginning it flow no boring moments, love the storyline of the bully big sister and the rich little brother Gives an insight showing that not everyone born into wealth is happy. Some are hurting from the same pain most of us without money are going through.Also, I love the development between the two main leads it's. Natural not forced Lol, episode 5 is so wholesome. I love the chemistry, and I can't get enough of the main leadsHands down, one of the best kiss I have ever seen in a drama I hope they won best kiss at the awardsEpisode 11 was so moving and heartfelt with a touch of laughter.

I am ready for 2 more episodes.

Episode 12 is one for the books. I couldn't stop laughing 😆 I won't ruin it for everyone by Telling you why it was funny, but it started out with a bang lol 😆 😂 😅 you will love it.Oh wow, just when I thought I had seen it all in this drama episode 12 came in with a big splash.

episode 16 was the best most happiest ending I have ever seen in a drama, it was so satisfying that I would definitely vote for another 16 episodes. This drama made me change my mind about marriage. lol 😆 it was that good.loved ever second. ❤️

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Nice, but no cigar. Chunks of borrowed storyline?

So.

The hype all indicated that KTL was going to be a really great watch. And LJH is definitely worth waiting for. I duly waited for this drama to finish airing so that I could watch at my leisure without the need to wait for next episodes to arrive.

In all...........I'm sorry, but when I had finished watching, I was quite disappointed. The lead characters were good but somewhat two-dimensional. The scripts were also fairly flat most of the time, and the storyline left little opportunity for the actors to put across any real depth of character. The two girlfriends of the female lead took forever to pull themselves together enough to stand up to their respective bullies - which was neither helpful to, nor reflective of, most women in such situations these days. There were enough k-drama cliches to feed the entire cast and crew cliche cake for a year, and enough tedious PP to make a profit after paying their wages for the duration of their next shoots. I did watch to the end, but only because romcom is my guilty pleasure, and kdramas generally do that SO well. There was definitely some rom and some com in here, and those swoon and chuckle moments kept me ticking along.

Now here's the thing I can't get past. All the webinfo (Google, Rakuten Viki, Netflix and MDL) tells me that this is a 2023 release, and nothing shows that it's a renamed or remade series. Also, I began watching only three days after the last episode aired. Therefore it's highly unlikely that I am REwatching KTL itself , right? However - I have seen substantial sections of this storyline before. Some kdrama I saw before this (possibly six months to a year ago) definitely had amazingly similar situations within its storyline. I don't think the following will be spoilers....

1. The rise of the female lead through the ranks quickly through competence, while her colleagues are mean/jealous. This is probably a situation in dozens of kdramas so I can let it go. But then..

2. At the BigBoss house dinner, an incident happens to her which is pretty much identical in setting, activity, dialogue, action and reaction to the one in KTL. Here it starts to bug me more but I carry on.....and then....

3. The child's lost toy. All details are the same here as in the drama I saw before. A) when everyone else gave up the search, she won't. B) She has the same out-of-the-box idea to look in the same specific place for it. C) She must hurry because the family has to leave shortly. D) When found, the toy even turns out to be the the same type of animal AND the same colour as that used in the drama I saw before.

There are more similarities too, but the toy incident served as a full confirmation to me that I was indeed watching regurgitated drama lumps.

I've searched my extensive watched list and the internet, but I'm unable to name the drama I originally saw that contained these storyline lumps. The similarities are substantial enough and numerous enough, though, that I came out of it feeling quite cheated. It feels like I was served reheated waste food instead of the freshly-cooked meal promised by the hype. It's fortunate for me that the child's toy incident came late because if it had arrived earlier I would have been tempted to quit and move on. I might have missed LJH in the kitchen, and that wouldn't have been good.... :)

Bias aside, I really think highly of LJH as an actor and like what I see of him as an individual too, so I hate leaving a negative review for a drama of his. Unfortunately there was little in this storyline to showcase his remarkable acting skills, so this time even his charismatic presence as lead didn't camouflage the numerous and blatant shortcomings this series has. That really saddens me.

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liked the actors did not love the storytelling

I really wanted to love this drama but the story was just too thin for me. Too many characters, too many subplots and too many aspects were touched upon, but not densely told. That's a pity because I really liked the actors. The female lead was very likeable, a nice person through and through, you could imagine being friends with her and begrudge her all the happiness in the world. I would have liked to have had more insights into her inner conflicts and thus get to know her even better. However, there was little opportunity to suffer with her during the plot in order to get closer to her. The male lead was not only very attractive on the outside, but above all a great partner for the leading lady. Any woman who finds such a partner, who is not a bit fickle and remains level-headed and steady even under family pressure, can count herself lucky. Perhaps a few rough edges would have done the main roles good. The actors in the supporting roles were also, without exception, of high calibre and delivered as far as the story allowed. Unfortunately, however, all potential conflicts were only touched upon here as well. I would have liked it better if the story had concentrated on a few conflicts in order to dive into them fully. In my opinion, this is well done in "One Springnight", "Something in the rain" but also in "Call it love". If it should be a romance at the workplace, "Romance is a Bonus Book" or "She would never know" set the standard for me. I was hoping to find a drama that I like to watch every now and then. Too bad, that is not the case.

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