It’s 2 PM (highly intentional) while writing this article, and couldn’t be more hyped to review the new Korean drama. King The Land has coupled together the universal second-gen K-pop biases– Lim Yoona from the Girl’s Generation (SNSD) and Lee Junho from 2PM.
Yoona was dubbed the “Nation’s Ideal Type” when she debuted with Girl’s Generation in 2007. While Junho captured ladies’ hearts with his iconic move in A.D.T.O.Y (song by 2PM). Now imagine them joining forces…. you don’t have to anymore; they set the stage on fire with their viral performance.
The entire K-pop world lost their sane minds with this 2022 live stage, with fans flooding the comments about their sizzling chemistry.
Subsequently, the fervor increased two-fold when JTBC announced a new K-Drama with Yoona and Junho in May. Naturally, the series premiered with one of the highest recent ratings of 5.5 percent nationwide, surpassing Dr. Cha. However, the first episode also invited a few criticisms. Here’s our analysis of the series and the responses.
King The Land: Official Trailer & Plot
Plot Summary:
Gu Won (Junho) is your quintessential Chaebol, and Cheon Sa Rang is just trying to get a job in the cutthroat economy. By intertwined fates, the two meet with a contradictory circumstance– Sa Rang is appointed at a premium hotel where her smile is her currency to climb the ladder.
On the other hand, Gu Won condemns fake smiles, equating them with greed and selfish motives. It’s the classic rich-meets-poor, enemies-to-lovers, and changes in perspectives trope. However, just from the trailer, one cannot deny how good both looked and complemented each other. Naturally, the hype is justified.
King The Land: Episode 1 Reactions
After the first episode’s release, viewers were left with mixed feelings about the overall plot. The vibe felt like a call back to the 2010s. Some netizens pointed out the apparent cliches, while others enjoyed the light-hearted flow of the story.
There were slight shortcomings in the writing aspect, but Yoona and Junho carried the episode on their backs.
According to a few professionals, the stereotypical portrayal of the hotel staff was simply lazy writing. Also, the humor felt forced and stiff; even Yoona and Junho’s acting couldn’t save a few scenes.
The story was dragged through the run-time, and the pacing seemed inconsistent.
On the other spectrum, viewers enjoyed the chemistry and the initial rift between the main leads. The first episode should never be the benchmark, as it only introduces the characters and the primary dynamic between them.
K-dramas usually have 16 episodes, which means the first quarter of the series will establish a basic structure, and the pace will eventually pick up after four episodes.
So, our verdict is— let us believe in the Yoona-Junho supremacy and wait.
K-Drama History From the 2000s To 2020s
Most criticisms stemmed from the show’s overall vibe that emulated the K-Dramas from the 2010s.
In that era, the female lead was often portrayed as a woman who was fragile and made unrealistically selfless and righteous decisions. While the main lead was a silent, mysterious type who couldn’t express his emotions in a healthy way.
The romanticizing of lowkey misogyny and toxic traits should have been left behind in the past decade.
K-Dramas have come a long way since then, with women telling women’s stories and the rise of the feminist discourse. Now, the female leads are shown in a multi-dimensional character arc, with vulnerability, rage, aggressiveness, and badassery.
The show also feels like every other office romance comedy like “What’s Wrong with Secretary Kim,” “Business Proposal,” “She was Pretty,” and more.
Feel-Good Or Guilty Pleasure
K-Dramas are ultimate dopamine boosters after a long work day. The aesthetics, warmth, hearty and light-hearted stories, food, and romance all compile for a voyeuristic experience.
King The Land can be categorized as not-to-be-taken-seriously, feel-good, or a guilty pleasure. Harsh criticisms of such stories seem a far stretch.
Translated:
- “So we all thought so. The episode felt old and not the most entertaining. I don’t think it’s going to take off. I feel bad for the cast.”
- “It’s a fine line between comic and unpleasant. I don’t think this show can tell the two apart.”
- “Mom liked it.”
- “I wonder what made Junho and YoonA choose this series.”
- “I thought it was great…”
- “It’s been a while since I’ve watched a show that lacks in both scriptwriting and directing. So subpar.”
- “TBH, I’m going to keep watching because I trust Junho and YoonA to have picked a good one.”
- “Is this the butt sweat show? Even the poster is out of trend.”
- “It’s giving 90s K-Drama… But I do wonder if the future episodes will be better. It was stressful getting through the kkonde parts.”
- “I was looking forward to this one, but it’s missing a lot.”
- “I stopped watching mid-episode because it wasn’t that good.”
- “Well… The teasers and the highlights were all hinting at it. Things were feeling kind of old-fashioned and not the trendiest.”
K-Pop Idols As Actors
The other aspect of the backlash can be the magnified scrutiny of idol-turned-actors. Both Yoona and Junho have been in the industry for over a decade with notable acting credits.
Lee Junho won Best Actor at the Korea PD award, making him the first idol actor ever to win the prestigious title.
He also won the Most Popular Actor and Best Actor at the 58th Baeksang Arts Awards for his role in the critically acclaimed “Red Sleeve.” He is the first idol to achieve this milestone.
Meanwhile, Yoona proved her acting chops as the supportive wife who stood by her husband while suffering from a terminal illness in “Big Mouth.”
Their previous roles have been pretty intense. Hence they wanted to shift the gear to an easy-breezy role only to entertain their fans.
And we think King The Land will rise to the expectations eventually, as episode 2 has already recorded a stark rise to 7.1% in ratings.
What are your thoughts on King The Land’s premier? What is your stance on their acting? Is there an issue with the storyline? Let us know your thoughts in the comment section below.
