King the Land

I really liked the show.

I am on episode 7 now and I think it's a cute and lovely story line. I can understand people don't like the rich guy poor girl story line, but I did not think that much trough with that in this show.

The female character shows a lot of love for her job and passion, I think that's such a great thing about the show. And the male character changes and is inspired by this female lead and in my opinion is also a nice thought.

Overall I think I did not expect this much hate in the reviews, I am really shocked. A lot of the reviews come from very experienced k-drama fans, so yeah maybe this show is not what u expected and see a lot but maybe for newer fans ore for fans who aren't into k-drama this much it's a nice show to watch!

Im Yoon-ah plays Cheon Sa-rang a hotel worker who is very dedicated to her job and is an outstanding employee serving the King hotels guests for whom she works. Into her life comes Goo Won played by LeeJun-ho who is the son of the owner of King group who owns various businesses including the hotel. He is an irresponsible playboy who is estranged from his family and has no interest in his fathers business. The series is incredibly well acted and with a great supporting cast all dealing with their own various problems. It has received criticism on two fronts, one being it is a rehash of many past dramas but I think that is part of the appeal as it's aim is to warm your heart with the nostalgic tropes. The other being the way an Arab was portrayed which offended many people who have awarded a one score to show their displeasure.

I am unsure why this show has such a low rating but to each his/her own. I really loved this series because with all the hell going on in the world, it was good to be taken away to a funny, romantic/fantasy like world to escape things. It's a bit cheesy but that's what makes it wonderful as I for one am tired of all the violent and depressing movies right now. It's good to just escape.

The main leads to a great job and the message is simply to write your own story, follow ones dreams and love and be loved. It's kind of a throw back to the K-dramas of old which is why I loved it. The supporting cast is brilliant and funny and the twists keep coming. It also provides insight into the corporate world of South Korea and the politics that go on. I wish they would have done a little more with the older sister and had her soften up a bit earlier but better late than never.

If you want to just escape and have good thoughts that make you feel good, then definitely watch this.

A lot of fun humor between Lee Jun-ho and Yoona and between Lee Jun-ho and Ahn Se-ha who plays his assistant. Also loved the line from Jun Ho as he is leaving the palace: 'This place looks familiar' (reflecting on The Red Sleeve). Jun Ho, once again, demonstrates his ability to play any type of character. His immense talent may be one of the reasons for lower ratings as some viewers may have expected him to continue taking on more and more challenging roles, which this is not. Would have been better if the Arab prince was played by someone from the country he is supposed to represent. This is just a reflection of the extremely limited number of roles for foreigners in South Korean dramas. Beautiful, beautiful clothing and set design. The fake wedding was magnificent!!

So in episode 9 there is a depiction of an Arab prince that is not Arab but Indian and does all sorts of things not allowed in Islam, which is the reason for all the hate in this series. You may also notice a lot of reviews from Islamic countries due to this controversie. The rating is not an accurate representation of the quality of the series. However, do not be discouraged to watch this if you are not Muslim! For most people this series will score a solid 7 at least and should rank somewhere between 7-8 probably.

It is an enjoyable serie with good acting and some humor and plot twists and turns. Sure, it is not the most original plot or innovative and apparently not even culturally appropriate but it is an enjoyable watch that will satisfy most RomCom and Comedy Drama watchers. The quality is on average still way above most hollywood series and movies nowadays too.

In short, feel free to watch the first episode as it is fun to watch and a good representation of the overall quality of the series. I am sure you won't be disappointed! Again, if you are Muslim perhaps skip this series as it is not for you and you and you may feel like it severely misrepresents your culture and customs.