Cute, But Not 100% Hermès: What’s Missing From “King The Land” Premiere?

There’s something about K-Dramas with idol-turned-actors as leads that make us root extra hard for their success. Could it be the unreasonable backlash that idols have to deal with when making such career moves? Or is it the idea of being able to watch our biases be active on even more platforms? Whatever it is, idol-led K-Dramas are some of our favorites, and so we’ve been counting down for the premiere of King The Land, featuring 2PM‘s Junho (also known as Lee Jun Ho) and Girls’ Generation‘s YoonA (also known as Lim Yoon A).

The premiere, though, fell short of the anticipation built from the teasers, which were thrown together with so much more zest than what was offered.

“King The Land” Poster | JTBC

On the fortunate side, the cast did not disappoint. Junho and YoonA gave nothing short of their best acting to date; Even the actors in the supporting roles brought their A-game.

Still, no matter the spectacular lineup of talent, the first episode felt much like a slow burn, perpetually stuck in a limbo of Korean kkonde culture and random club scenes. Granted, there isn’t a lot to set aflame in a single 60-minute episode. Just all in all, “Episode 1” left a lot to be desired. Somewhere between “butt sweat” and the literal “shit ending,” the scriptwriting and the directing came across to be on the tackier side—reaching for comic but landing in cringe.

YoonA in “Episode 1” | @netflixkcontent/Twitter

Korean viewers agreed that the episode “felt old,” despite the scriptwriter being a complete new face in the show business. The lackluster banter between the characters went on to prove that, even with a strong cast, a K-Drama could become so average.

But be not mistaken: As cliché as the setting of a “Hard-Working Princess-In-The-Making” and “Rich Heir Struggling For The Throne” is, K-Drama lovers can’t get enough of these “Opposites Attract” love stories. A real-time viewer rating of 12% is testament to how much we dig Cinderella stories—regardless of how “not 2023” that might be.

| theqoo

• “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.”

There is no doubt that the plot for King The Land lies in the right foundation. The leads are, both in visual and in talent, perfect for their characters. The question is, will the directing come through and help it all blossom into one great rom-com?

Given the classic, oldie-but-goodie premise, there is infinite hope for the future episodes. Perhaps with a more sophisticated execution, King The Land could be the next unforgettable tale. Hence, despite the underwhelming premiere, we’re going to keep tuning in!

Junho and YoonA in “Episode 2” | @netflixkcontent/Twitter

Will “Episode 2” bring us the change in pace we need? Check out the teaser.