If you want to see a gorgeous couple doing Be Melodramatic level PPL, and classic rom com tropes from back in the good old days, this is your drama. There is NO let me repeat NO Noble idiocy because they actually talk about their issues and grow into a couple you know will last the long haul. Most importantly, this is a rom com where no one dies.

Hopefully, this will be the start of a new era of rom coms coming back to the basics; be funny with some romance.

light hearted, fluffy, sweet, very good chemistry between the leads... you just want to root for their happiness. much needed when you feel down with current events. yes, a bit of a tropey evil half-sister, but... mostly believable cuteness.

who doesn't like cuteness? if you don't, go watch The Glory. this is the polar opposite.

Standing by my first impressions, Junho and Yoona just light up the screen every time they appear together - they are just effortless together so despite the paper thin script, I’d argue that this pairing alone is worth checking out if you’re nostalgic for a classic tropey k drama rom com without the most frustrating traits, i.e. noble idiocy, the big misunderstanding, controlling chaebol CEO “hero” who disrespects the heroine at every turn while nursing secret feelings etc. Junho’s take on the chaebol CEO is so green flag and when the man falls in love… it’s just… all sighs and swoons. If you love Junho and Yoona or there’s just a possibility you might, don’t fight it and give this a go, it may just melt you into the mush your jaded drama lens had hardened. While I did have my issues with the (lack of) script, considering the myriad of interesting issues this drama lightly skated over and the easy way conflicts were resolved that in a way I felt did a disservice to our OTP’s heart wrenching gazes - I accept and love this drama for what it is, even with all its faults - that’s how much I loved watching Junho fall in love with Yoona over 16 episodes (well actually it took him a lot less than that).

Report card:
Acting: Average at best with a very below average script
Fan service: romance and skinship, check
Character development: poor to non-existent
Plot development: more holes than Swiss cheese riddled by a machine gun bullets
Conflict: weak and tedious, with no drama
Conflict resolution: magically wiped away in an instant like a premium paper towel
Secondary stories were bland and uneventful.

KTL was not a story about an independent career woman living her dream job in a toxic work environment but a Cinderella needing or finding her Prince Charming. It was pure fluffy fairy tale with no real world implications or insight. If you just want skinship fantasy without any bumps in the road, then this is junk food for your soul. If you want a drama that seriously explores societal and cultural work place and relationship issues, KTL will only deliver massive plot holes and frustration.

If Kdramas are dishes at a buffet table, then King The Land is definitely in the dessert section, a Pavlova-style meringue that is crispy on the outside, but fluffy, soft and marshmallow-like on the inside, melt in your mouth with sweetness but practically no substance. It is charming and fun in the instance, then floats away leaving nothing behind but perhaps a few calories at your waistline.

My thoughts echo a lot what has already been said here.

Yoona and Junho had sizzling chemistry and this show was so funny and cute, especially with those sound effects.

However, the writing was very average. The show constantly teased us of impending conflict then we soon realise it's not nearly as bad as we think.

I would like to see these two in another drama sometime in the future with a better and deeper script 😀

If you would like to watch Junho and YoonA being JunHo and YoonA being pretty and quite empty headed otherwise, sashaying on the dramaland fashion show runway looking incredibly yummy for 16 hours, this drama is for you. Lots of kissing, hugging, pda, PPL, no melodrama, no trauma, no tension, where no one really works, with some superficial (very very superficial) lip service to service industry and class struggle and lots of misogyny. Basically sixteen + straight hours of romance with a sprikling of comedy at times. Enjoy!

I just love it so much! Junho is the best!

If you're one of those people who says all they want is a pure and simple romcom with no serial killers, triangles, or noble idiocy, this is the show for you.

Upon watching, you may discover that maybe you weren't precise enough when you stated this desire, and that you also want complex writing, social commentary with some depth, and angsty conflict. Or you might confirm that yes, indeed, all you wanted was a simple romcom. If the former is the case, you'll likely tire of this one before you get to the end. But if the latter turns out to be true for you, then this is the drama you'll likely watch and then re-watch for years to come.

Also, must love Junho. But that's pretty much everyone right now, no?

Glad Yoona & Junho had fun 😅

This show is for you if you're a hopeless romantic. You'll love the heartwarming feelings that positive tropes stir and that the typical negative tropes are overhauled or avoided.

If you desire deep contemplation, I openly admit you won't find it here. However, if you need a respite from the real world, this is a sweet escape. You'll swoon at the leading couple and smile at their supporting cast of family and friends.

The only things that will weigh on your mind watching this are:

1) With those looks, that voice and in those suits should Lee Junho be held criminally liable everytime he makes you stop breathing?

2) How is it possible that Junho and Yoona are acting with such insane onscreen chemistry?

I did not like this for a zillion reasons. But I will write her what I did like:

The women having friendships that endured and weren’t all about their men.

Yoona and Junho are comfortable with each other and this made their rapport natural. I didn’t get steamy love from them, but I did get a genuine affection vibe!

Yoona’s character career decision in final episode re: what she wanted to do next. I liked her plan for herself (sorry trying to avoid spoilers) .

Grandma scenes.

Junho’s character receiving unsolicited advice from random people about his “girlfriend” problems.

The stewardess friend’s male love interest was sweet. The married friend at work, and her “awesome mom” type of natural consequence for her lazy husband — and her daughter scolding dad for being a lazy ass.

If you love Junho, you will probably like this - his character has a star role, and is pretty funny at times. if you love Yoona, you might like it but be disappointed that she doesn’t really get to do much here.

For me, this was a 3.5/10. Obviously I am in the minority but I really didn’t love this…I had also just finished some really excellent dramas so this one was just boring to me. It’s no Dr Romantic!

This was an unapologetically fun and light drama. The plot will move too slowly for some potential watchers, so fair warning. But for me, any lack of speed was more than made up for by fantastic relationships and interactions between our leads and the people around them.

Junho looked like he was having a blast playing Won, who has exactly the crusty exterior/pillowy soft interior I want in a marshmallow chaebol ML. He obviously comes from a place of extreme privilege, and his journey into understanding the plight of his employees and working to make their experiences better is so rewarding (and quite swoony for anyone who’s ever been mansplained to). He does have a small dose of childhood trauma, but nothing too dark, and he comes to a healthier place by the end without too much time spent on it, but also without an unrealistically complete resolution to all his family’s issues, which I appreciated.

Sa-rang doesn’t have as far to go on her journey, but I was still with her every step of the way as she (and her friends) navigate what their careers are now and what they want out of them. Speaking of, her friendship with Pwung-hwa and Da-eul is so great - supportive and fun - and the show gets them to better, more supported places by the end without solving every problem they encounter. Sa-rang’s Halmeoni is a totally stand-out character. She gets credit for delivering some of the best lines in the whole show, and she is consistently the sweetest parental figure present (for either lead).

I know that hardworking-FL-falling-for-her-chaebol-boss is a trope that doesn’t work for everyone, but it was so well done here. Even though his position is above hers, she never takes any nonsense from him, and he is open to her instruction at every turn. The potential conflict of interest is also resolved by the end, which is a bit of a rarity in stories like this.

In the end, I had so much fun watching this drama. It brought up important issues without getting bogged down in seriousness, it has one of the most deliciously terrible antagonists, it has a main couple who fall so believably in love (and who are more physically affectionate than almost any other kdrama couple I’ve ever seen), and it has side characters that I really cheered for. I laughed, I swooned, I giggled, I squeed, I appreciated Won’s 100% commitment to wearing white pants while on vacation.

I'm not good at writing non-spoilery reviews, so I will just emphasise on everything that @jls943 above has written exceptionally well, and only add very few notes:

Imho this show was a parody of every cliche ever. They started every trope imaginable and then just talked through it very sensibly before any angst hit. It was lovely! And sometimes funny because I waited for so much drama, and they just resolved it by saying everything I have always wished kdrama characters would say!! I sometimes even thought one of them might break the fourth wall any minute, and say: See?? It's that easy!

I love how gentlemanly, and willing to learn Won was, and how firm and assertive, but kind and polite Sarang was.

It had been such a long time since the last time I was so deeply satisfied with a show and its ending. I squeed through it all with a bursting heart!

I am near the end of this drama. It is not a new one for me, I think maybe my 5th or 6th kdrama now. I love it! It is realistic in terms of how relationships develop and couples grow together in the early stages. The sabotage from Gu Won's older half sister is a bit Cinderella step sister in its over-the-topness but otherwise a pleasure to watch. All the cute moments the couple have together as their relationship gets closer is so sweet. I notice kisses are way steamier than other kdramas I have watched. But I find the propriety bits when they come up can feel a bit inconsistent. But really otherwise love it and I am hoping it is a happy ending. I am on episode 13 I think. Just after they have been secretly photographed at Sa-rang's flat.

All I can say is I loved it and it is just the thing for me when I am down. I kept imagining those 2 in real life and just how happy they must be. I hope they are! I love that their relationship built upon mutual feelings and trust as they grew together and that they supported each other all the way yet they were mature enough to let each one experience personal growth too. I loved the close-ups of Junho and the kissing scenes and how good Yoon ah looks now. I just loved the side characters and everything about it. It's light and fluffy and swoon worthy and happy and I need that in my life in good doses like this drama.