King the Land (2023)

It had its moments

I started this drama in December 2023 and have only just finished it in November 2024. The reason it took me almost a year to finish this, is because despite its strong start, it was painfully boring in the middle and dragged on too much. I'd actually decided to drop it on ep 12 after suffering through 3-4 eps and finally giving up, but yesterday I suddenly felt like finishing it, and although the last 4 eps were nothing special, they were decent enough and I got through them.
Now as much as the story was a let down after ep 8 imo, the two leads are so, so well casted and adorable and I love them together. She is so sweet and admirable and he is brilliant and had good character development. It's a lovely story, albeit one that drags on a bit but with two leads who I was rooting for the whole time and who I loved to see interact with each other. Although I initially dropped this, I'm actually quite glad I finished it! The soundtrack was really lovely too!

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I really enjoyed this drama for its simplicity and fun. It didn't try to trick you or throw a curve ball your way it just was an enjoyable love story between two people. I was grinning pretty often while watching the two main characters interact. It was also enjoyable to see the ML's visible growth throughout the series as a person. The setting being in a hotel was also a personal favorite of mine. If you have ever worked in the service industry a few topics are covered that really hit home. Honestly there isn't very much to say. If you are looking for a lighthearted romcom with no extra frills I think this is a great choice to check out. Sometimes that's what we all need something lighthearted to make us smile.

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sweet, delight, fun…

I have to say it clearly: I constantly find myself returning to a certain series. This is my safe space. It’s classic in every way but also has its own unique charm.

We all love rom-coms. Yes, of course it's nice to watch special productions, interesting plots, and big-budget shows, but don’t we sometimes need something that relaxes us, makes us laugh, and doesn’t upset us?

Sure, we do! And this K-drama is one of those. It consistently brings a smile to my face. Ah, how I love the sweet moments!

It follows the classic story of a CEO and an employee that we all know. However, Junho really makes this story special. He fits the CEO role perfectly, and with his voice and face, he is undeniably attractive. Watching him makes the whole series incredibly appealing.

I can never understand the negative comments. The chemistry between the main characters is fantastic, and the development of their love story is realistic and beautiful. Why isn’t it liked? Is it because there aren't constant misunderstandings and fights?
Of course, it's not groundbreaking or original, but it adds a sweet twist to a familiar story. The plot isn't complex for us; there are plenty of cute and charming moments between the two leads. In fact, the sexual tension between them is quite palpable. What’s wrong with a couple that understands, supports, and loves each other unconditionally?

Episodes 1 to 5 were definitely my favorites. In most K-dramas, even when the characters are clear about their feelings, they still doubt them. I never understand that and always find it silly. In this series, you don’t have to wait for a ton of episodes to feel the love. The male lead is confident, and the woman he loves reciprocates that trust with the same assurance.

I also enjoyed the side characters’ storylines. They were always supportive and genuine, which was lovely to see. I watched it with a constant smile on my face because of its fun story, and I found it quite funny too—I laughed out loud quite a bit!

The male character is always supportive and kind. Oh, he even asked for the woman’s permission for that first little kiss! And it wasn’t one of those cringe-worthy first kisses, lol.


In short, it started beautifully, had its ups and downs, and ultimately gave us a lovely ending.


I definitely recommend you watch it!

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a romcom for the ages… or something more?

Coherently marketed as a romcom, the show definitely did its part to make sure to fulfil that aspect. The cinematography was beautifully portrayed and the romance, I feel, was very maturely shown.

I was afraid they would drop the whole she-smiles-a-lot-he-hates-fake-smiles timeline but I was glad they pulled it out as much as possible. The drama was very wholesome in the way that both Gu Won and Cheon Sarang went through so much self-realisation because of each other, and how even the side characters were able to have resolved endings. I just hoped we were shown a little bit more about Sarang and her friends, Daeul and Pyeonghwa, and how they became friends and any nostalgic memories from then.

One thing I would have to nitpick though, (even though this is a romcom, nothing else) is that even though I absolutely adore some simplicity in plot in contrary to some of the fast-paced thrillers I usually watch, the lack of pace for most of the occurrences in the drama made it almost too strenuous to wait another week to know what happens next, especially when the "plot twists" are predictable, and I almost felt 0 drive, in some weeks, to watch the episodes when they were out during the weekend. I can comfortably say that Won and Sarang definitely carried the entire show for me, personally.

The side "points of conflict", namely Gu Hwaran, Won's step-sister, felt a little underwhelming and annoying for the most part (which I get is the point as she's technically the antagonist of the show, even though she is snapped back to her senses by the end) - and the subplot about Won's mother didn't intrigue me as much as I thought it did, mainly because I predicted that was the case - I just hoped the points of conflict actually steered the plot aside for a moment so that the viewers could get a break from the rosy lifestyles they seemed to be having throughout the show, but that's just me being negative nancy about it again :)

The story focused mainly on the character and relationship development of our two leads, which is definitely nice, and is obviously the selling point of a romantic comedy. Needless to say, it was a brilliant watch nonetheless, a pretty drama with blossoming romance and just pure happiness. If you're in pursuit of a semi-laidback romcom with memorable scenes and overflowing chemistry, then this one is definitely for you!

The OST album is also one of my favourite complete albums from a k-drama, My favourites being Perhaps Love by MINSEO and Confess To You by Lim Kim!!! All the songs are memorable to the point that you find yourself humming along whenever any of them come up in the actual drama!

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This drama was a perfect rom-com which is rarely made.

Its such a fun and romantic drama and the OST is soo good too
Highly recommended!
Trust me all the people who love pure romantic comedy, this drama is for you. Its so beautiful. The leads have awesome chemistry their love almost looks real. The emotions are potrayed in such an excellent manner that you can feel them from your heart. Also their smile is so infectious it brings a smile to your face.

This drama has low ratings only because of Arab culture controversy but I believe they really did not mean to hurt the sentiments of anybody, they just wanted to add another funny scene to the drama.

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This was a quintessential and perfect romance kdrama

Coming into this show after a long drought of good romance kdrama left one apprehensive but hopeful. Yet as soon as the show found it's footing it was hard to let it go. It established it's characters strongly and from the first episode you knew who you liked and who you loved. There was hardly any acting black hole in the show and every joke was placed well, even those that were not to my humor wereat he'd well with a plethora of those that were. Overall I think this was a great kdrama and a good way to get back into the genre. Wishing the best for all the actors and crew involved.

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Delivers what it promises

This drama is the perfect rom-com for me. The story is cute and inspiring, the casting and acting are great, and most importantly it delivers plenty of funny and heart-fluttering moments as a rom-com should. The plot isn’t overly complicated, but it’s still well paced and logical, not making it boring as in some other dramas that focus only on the relationship of the two leads. Plus there’s an element of mistery to the past of the ML which keeps you intrigued.

*Spoilers ahead!

Things that I particularly enjoyed:
• despite the cliches, the relationships feel more mature, realistic and healthier than your usual kdrama
• not your stereotypical one-dimensional characters (for example the rich father doing the most to split the main couple)
• portrayal of wholesome friendships
• the FL taking her own path rather than having her destiny dictated by the ML (typical Cinderella story)

Things I particularly disliked:

• not so happy ending for some of the second leads (Sang-shik who ends up still alone and Da-eul who stays with her joke of a husband)

Overall this drama kept me engaged from start to end and managed to make me feel connected to the characters which is a must to keep my interest as a viewer.

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A bit overrated ROMCOM

It is a very classic rich guy poor girl ROMCOM drama where the guy is the boss of the girl. The guy falls in love first. It's a very lovey-dovey romance drama.
In contrast to the classic misunderstandings, there are hardly any in this drama. No villain or anything. Everything is good and sweet.
To be honest the whole drama is unrealistically sweet. I don't support unnecessary misunderstandings or crazy villains but I feel no one's life is all roses. There should have been some ups and downs in the story rather than it all being rosey.
The plot was dragged way too much. There were so many episodes where we could only see romance and no plot progression at all. There were no details on the hotel business or emphasis on how much Gu Won was working towards the hotel and his dreams. It was all about how much Gu Won was doing for Sarang which also I feel was a bit downplayed in the drama.
I really don't like how they wrapped up Da Eul's story. It was as if the writers did not spend any effort on it. Pyung Hwa's story was nice and sweet, I think they were my favorite couple.
Gu Hwa Ran's story felt very incomplete. No proper closure for her. It's like 2-3 words of 'we are a family' by Gu Won melted her heart and she was all good.
The mother chapter was also wrapped up short and quick. 5 minutes of Gu Won crying and the next instant it was as if everything was always fine and happy.
The forced cliffhangers throughout the episodes were very annoying.
Another point I would like to mention is the romance escalated too quickly. You can't connect with either of the leads. Its like they meet and now they are madly in love with each other.
It is a good drama if you just wanna pass the time and watch something extremely chill and heartwarming . But I think they could have added more to the story than just feeding the audience with romance scenes.
I would say the drama is a bit overrated but if ROMCOMs are your thing then you should give it a try.

PS: I might have been a bit harsh in expressing my opinions. I guess this could be because I had very high expectations from the drama and the review is also one of my ways to express disappointment

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You Only Have One Life to Live, So Be Happy

This Kdrama resonated with me in a significant way. I grew up in a single-parent family visiting my dad in the summers. He would always say to me, "What I want most for you is to be happy in life. If you ever find you are unhappy, figure out why and change it." This story embodied this same wisdom from my father.

I know there were many who found fault with this Kdrama. I'm not going to disagree with any as I respect people's right to their individual opinions. That said....here is my opinion. One of the best dramas in 2023.

First, it has a great storyline. You don't have to give in to parental and societal pressures, you can forge your own path. Gu Won and Cheon Sa Rang were individuals first who knew what they wanted in life, what was important, and made decisions that represented these values. They were authentic to themselves first then came together as a couple. A representation of a healthy relationship.

Second, employees help make companies great so they should be appreciated and rewarded as such. Instead of looking as people in a hierarchal-type of existence, see people in terms of their contribution towards the end goal and reward them for hard work. My favorite scene was when the employees of the smaller King hotel were seeing the space that would become the employee lounge. Also, Sa Rang's work on her own vision and dream of a hotel. I'm so glad the writers and producers gave a space in this story to the dream of a visionary woman.

Lastly, the acting was superb. Whether comedy, drama, vicious drama, action, or heartwarming scenes between friends, family, and lovers, the acting was superb. My favorite Korean actor is Lee JunHo. As always, the commitment he gives to the profession, whether its music, acting, modeling, or just being himself, is of the highest value, is exemplary, and worthy of respect. I also add Im Yoon Ah to this category as I was blown away by her performance. Their interaction was sublime and perfect. I also want to give respect to Kim Sun Young (she was so delightfully vicious, well done!!), Kim Dong Ha (such angst at such a young age), Go Won Hee and Kim Ga Eun (BFF's forever!!), Ah Se Ha (this story would not be a story without his comedic contribution), Kim Jae Won (the perfect boyfriend), Kim Young Ok (I have seen her in so many dramas and she is superb!!!), and lastly Son Byung Ho (he gave the perfect performance for someone who has lots of regrets). The acting in this drama was top-notch.

There have been many good dramas this year...one could almost dub 2023 as the year of great Kdramas. So far, King the Land is my favorite and what I consider the best drama of 2023. Congratulations to the writers, producers, actors, and production staff for this drama. Well done!!! I hope you were rewarded in a King the Land fashion because you deserve it!!!

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