King The Land is a wonderful romcom. It is light and funny with not too many ups and downs in the lives of the main leads. And perhaps that is it's biggest drawback. If you're looking for a pure romance story with lots of steamy kisses (leads only) and minimal drama otherwise, then this is probably perfect for you. The male lead is the epitome of a perfect rich boyfriend who loves and supports his girlfriend and also her friends. He gets along with her family. He's the perfect gentleman who will fight for her and be there even when she doesn't know she needs him. It's like the honeymoon phase of all romance stories with 0 conflicts between the leads.

The flaws of the story, however, is that despite them introducing some interesting plot points, everything is pretty much subdued. Whether it's Gu Won (male lead)'s struggle to prove his value to his dad, him trying to get along with his older step-sister who wants him to have no say in the business, the mystery of why his mother disappeared, etc - none of it is that big a deal and is all resolved fairly easily or isn't given much time at all. It all comes secondary to the time between the couples. Because of that it feels a bit pointless at times to even have these things happen. And it's not just these that get quick and easy resolutions. Sarang (the female lead) has two friends who also happen to be working in the same hotel's King group - in the sales department and in the airlines. Oh Pyeonghwa is a stewardess and has a younger male colleague who likes her. I was quite invested in how things go for them but besides only getting few scenes and a bland kiss, we don't get much. The other friend also has an interesting story of a pathetic husband who has lost his job but does nothing except order his wife around. There are other work issues involving these friends. Though they had more drama and interesting scenarios, both friends get quick and easy resolutions with their problems and storylines. Makes you wonder why these two smart women were putting up with so much nonsense for so long.

King The Land also had a controversial character - an Arab guest portrayed by an Indian actor that drew a lot of criticism. Personally, I didn't find the portrayal as bad as some of the other viewers. I would have preferred they chose an Arab actor to portray the character who could have also given them some cultural insight that would have avoided any issues. But to really enjoy those episodes, you have to remember this is a rom-COM after all and some silliness is to be expected. I also don't blame people for their criticism considering how common it is to misrepresent or negatively represent Arabs and Muslims in dramas thus making viewers slightly more sensitive.

None of the above was really a cause for me to dislike the drama. I enjoyed it quite a bit, in fact, because of it's light nature and the comedic moments. But there is a recurring theme of toxic authority and forced respect throughout the show especially in the workplace. It's actually quite honest on how people in higher positions misuse their power and take advantage of those working under them. Where the show went "wrong" was when the best staff working at the hotel were shuttled off to the Gu family home and made to work as personal caterers for a month's worth of salary. Sarang went in blindly for this job without knowing what was required of her and when she tried to ask, she was shushed and reminded of the NDA she had signed. This scenario would otherwise be a hotbed for exploitation where it would be very easy to violate the rights of the employees. The whole aspect of this story was unnecessary. I wish more thought had been put on how this was presented. It was also a tacky rich man poor woman romance cliché where the poor woman has to wait on the rich man just to show the difference in their status. There also created a hurdle with this scenario that they simply forgot about. So I failed to see the point of it all.

Hope this review helps explain what you can expect with King The Land. Don't expect for any great revelations or any kind of rollercoaster or overcoming of great hurdles. The male and female lead are progressive and mature by nature and treat each other with respect. Though Sarang being constantly excited about everything is a bit too much at times. I would probably get sick of that first, if she was a real person. lol. But that's me. Otherwise all the actors did a good job. It's a fun drama. Maybe not the absolute best, in my opinion, but a good stress-buster. That's all we can really ask for.