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King the Land: Episodes 11-12

From handholding and kisses to pet names and cuddles, our touchy-feely OTP just can’t get enough of each other. But in dramaland, as in life, with all that happiness must come a little heartache. After weeks of spoiling us with carefree fun, the snag we’ve been expecting has finally arrived, giving us a brutal cliffhanger and leaving our lovebirds in a rough situation.

 
EPISODES 11-12

Junho Yoona King the Land: Episodes 11-12

Oh, these episodes. The highs are so high and the final blow is so low. I knew a major upset was coming, but I preferred to cling to the fairy tale and hope we’d make it to Episode 16 with only minor scrapes and bruises. But, alas, no such luck — because my heart is on the floor.

We start with our Thailand team coming back to Korea following their mini-vacation. Before long, Won and Sa-rang are at a bus stop near the hotel, recharging their batteries with kisses. Sa-rang looks around each time she pecks Won’s cheek, worried that someone will catch them. The whole sequence is happiness in a can, but Won delivers this ominous line: “No secrets are forever.” And then, true to those words, the drama proceeds to start bringing the secrets to light — some in cuter ways than others.

Junho Yoona King the Land: Episodes 11-12

Let’s start with the cute. Sa-rang invites Won over to her house one night when Pyung-hwa won’t be home and they can have the place to themselves. Won is quick to grasp the subtext and responds without hesitation that he’ll be there. He arrives with a bright bouquet and a sunny smile and we’re off to the races on squee-inducing moments.

Sa-rang has prepared a homecooked meal, which Won compliments like crazy before calling her jagiya. Eeeee! (Oh my poor neighbors with all the feet-stomping excitement this elicited from me.) After feeding each other at the table and flinging pet names back and forth, they find a cozy corner and cuddle up with some beers. When it’s time for a refill, they amorously argue about who gets to go to the kitchen, until Won lifts Sa-rang off the ground and says let’s go together.

As he carries and kisses her at the same time (A+ on multi-tasking), they decide to forego the beers in favor of some funny business in the living room. But before anything can happen, Pyung-hwa, Da-eul, Sang-shik, and Ro-woon walk in the door — leading to screams of bloody murder and Sang-shik fainting. Why it’s so shocking, I have no idea, but for cutting it off, I can’t forgive them.

They’re all there to reunite the “Bangkok crew” and they’ve been trying to reach Won and Sa-rang all evening to invite them (but, you know, our leads were busy). Now that the secret is out about their dating, all the friends are feeling a little betrayed for being kept in the dark. Ro-woon is the only voice of reason, saying they should congratulate them instead of getting mad (I knew this kid was a keeper). Finally, the second secret comes out when Won reveals his true identity as the chairman’s son, and the jig is up for him and Sang-shik.

Besides the action between Sa-rang and Won, there’s also dramatic action this week, revolving around the hotel’s 100th anniversary. Won is in charge of planning a big celebration event and he wants to focus the attention on the hotel’s staff, giving thanks where thanks is due. He rounds up the oldest employees — some who have worked there for more than 30 years — and hands them the stage to recount their stories about the hotel. Most everyone in attendance is very touched by the whole thing, including Won’s dad, who seems genuinely proud of his son.

Hwa-ran, however, is not moved by this display and can’t stand the fact that Won is in charge of anything, let alone that he might be succeeding. She gets involved where she’s not supposed to by inviting a rich and powerful assemblyman to the celebration, telling him he’s the guest of honor. Won hasn’t made room in the schedule for this assemblyman’s speech, and so, the guy storms out in the middle and Hwa-ran blames Won for making them lose an important investor.

Later, the press praises the event, noting how classy King Hotel is for shining a light on their employees. But Hwa-ran is convinced that good press isn’t enough to keep the business stable in these uncertain times, when other hotels are tightening their belts. At a board meeting, where she’s threatened all the members into backing her, Won is the only person who contests Hwa-ran’s approach to the future of the business. Rather than taking a side, Chairman Gu tells both his children to prepare a report laying out the pros and cons of their distinct ideologies.

Hwa-ran really comes into her own as a villain this week with a couple of diabolical schemes. First, in an effort to regain the assemblyman’s investment, she invites him to lunch at the hotel, where Sa-rang is their server. Anger and abuse are just personality traits for this guy and he yells at Sa-rang for no reason and then complains that she’s undertrained and demands she be fired. Hwa-ran — showing her short-sightedness when it comes to business — tells the manager to retrain the employees and dismiss Sa-rang.

But before the firing goes any further, Won walks in and puts the a-hole assemblyman in his place, which causes the guy to storm out yet again. Hwa-ran screams at Won and then questions his relationship to Sa-rang. Is she really just a valued employee or something more? She glances at Sa-rang with a knowing look and it seems their secret is about to be revealed again.

The last villainy thing Hwa-ran does is to enlist Sang-shik as a spy against Won. Sang-shik appears to have agreed when he asks how far up he can go if he helps her. Whether this is real or a fake-out, I had just been thinking that for someone who cares so much about his employees, Won should treat Sang-shik better. I hope all his mean-boss antics don’t come back to bite him.

Junho Yoona King the Land: Episodes 11-12

After Sa-rang is almost fired, her colleagues take her out for drinks and finally make her feel like part of the team, which is what she’s been wanting. Afterward, Won shows up with an umbrella to rescue Sa-rang from the pouring rain, but they wind up soaked anyway and go back to her house to dry off.

Due to K-drama circumstances, Won comes to the living room in bare feet and an open dress shirt and it’s the moment I’ve they’ve been waiting for. Seeing Won half-dressed, Sa-rang gets uncharacteristically shy and Won finds her unbearably cute. He makes his move, telling her to take responsibility (yowza), and even though the scene cuts away, we can safely say they finished what their friends interrupted earlier.

Two others secrets come out this week that still need development but are worth a mention anyway. One is about Won’s mom, who we learn was a good friend of one of the older employees at the hotel. The friend might have some useful info for Won in his search for his mother. The other is that Pyung-hwa is divorced, and it seems that the pilot who’s been harassing her is actually her ex-boyfriend, who she accidentally married (it’s too ridiculous to get into). But this gives us more information about why she’s so hesitant with Ro-woon — and why she tells him this week that she’s not into him. Boooo!

Okay, and now for the final secret and the brutal cliffhanger. Sa-rang is selected to work at a catered event at the chairman’s house with a “Dream Team” that’s known for never making a mistake on the job — everything must be perfect. When Sa-rang and her team carry dishes into the chairman’s dining room, she finds Won seated at the table beside Yu-ri, along with both of their fathers. Sa-rang does her best to keep her composure, but as she lifts a plate, she hears the chairman tell Won to marry Yu-ri within the year. She drops the plate, which smashes on the floor, and glares at Won with hurt and anger.

I’m literally in tears. Poor Sa-rang. Our heroine has held her own, never worrying about the status difference between her and Won — even when she has to serve him and his family at the hotel — but I can’t imagine how low she must be feeling in that dining room. Without anyone meaning to do it, she’s just been put in her place by having to serve Won and the woman his father deems good enough for him to marry (while wearing an outdated maid’s uniform no less). The whole situation is so ugly, my heart shattered on the floor right along with that plate.

The other thing is, when I saw Won and Yu-ri sitting there, all I could think was: what other secrets has he been hiding from Sa-rang? We know he’s not into Yu-ri, but this encounter made me lose trust in him, and I can easily see how Sa-rang’s trust would falter too. She’s just told her friends that she likes Won because he doesn’t make her feel anxious or disappoint her, but that must be exactly how she’s feeling now. All I know is, I’ll be biting my nails until next week, hoping the resolution to this quagmire is good, honest, open communication — and then more kisses.

Junho Yoona King the Land: Episodes 11-12

 
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I have only two pressing questions
1. Are those abs for real?????
2. What did he mean when he said ‘you have seen it before’? Did I miss a bbmaking scene?

So proud of Go-Won that he finally did work after 7 months in a job! He has come a long way. My heart leaped with joy when I saw him working.

That who dream team was yuck. I mean, how do people consider it a promotion?

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re: #2 - I was wondering about that too. I just assumed it was a translation thing. If it wasn't, when did she see "it" (his abs? more?) before? Only other scene I can think of was when they were in the pool.

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I am with y’all! I wondered the same. I decided it was a meta-reference to, like, Red Sleeve Cuff or something. The thought had me smiling, at least!

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I took it to mean that she already took a good look at his abs before she blushed and turned away... so he meant you already saw them so why you acting so shy... lol.

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*rant*
I am tired of dramas showing women in executive position being terrible with their families. She is a capitalist and cares about profits. Her inviting assembly man wasn't wrong either given that he needs to approve licenses or push papers for the hotel. Corruption is deep rooted and she is working the system.
Did they really have to make her a bad person who is pushing away her own kid? Was that scene required? Why can't she have been a mother who cares about her child. Why couldn't we have a scene where she gave that child a hug. I get why she hates Gu-Won, but why would she treat her own child that way?
The ideological differences (capitalism vs socialism) between the siblings is enough to make a good drama, there was absolutely no need to write that scene.
I am just tired of people portraying career women as women who don't care about their own family or that one has to sacrifice family in order to have a career/senior exec. I am sure many men do it, but never get so much negative press.

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Yes, a thousand times, yes.

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This drama sucks on so many levels, but honestly, the writing of the sister's graph was the breaking point for me. I will be honest - it's one of the misogynistic show I have watched. It tries to make it about service industry women and yet they have made most of the women absolute noncompoop caricatires (all the boses except for Sa Rang's suck such big time).

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They've made the character so one-dimensional she actually has only one personality trait...unlikeable!

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I wondered if he was saying why tell me to button up my shirt now you have seen it all anyway.

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Partial ocean view is not the same as panoramic ocean view!!
I object!

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LOLOLSOL

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Hahahahahaha!! This.

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Ha ha ha ha ha

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While I also think the Dream Team is pretty yuck, I can see how it might be considered a promotion. It's highly selective, likely better paid, and if your goal is to serve people at the highest level, it might be a really good spot to get. One thing I've really liked about this show is it's depiction of the satisfaction people get from serving others at a really high level - knowing what they want or need before they know it themselves. The doorman and room inspector certainly feel that way, and we know that Sa-rang does too when she spends time looking for a lost rabbit or taking notes about restaurants in different areas in case guests ever need them. I love how much she loves her job and how much she strives to be really good at it. But yes, the Dream Team does seem problematic, and even the other member seemed not to love the uniform. I don't know if it has any redeeming factors (I think we'll find out more next week), but I can see why someone would want that job if they didn't have the emotional tangles Sa-rang has with the family.

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Thanks I meant to comment on the lost cuddly toy incident. That incident happened in real life at the Hilton when the child went home without it and they took pictures of the lost toy using the facilities, doing work etc before sending it back to her.

I was shocked the mum let the child cuddle the toy after it had been buried in amongst dirty laundry.

I think a similar incident was shown in Encounter and on that occasion Park Bogum’s character wore a mask, and I think gloves, while going through the dirty laundry which makes sense to me so I was wondering why she didn’t have either.

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Maybe they had already been through the wash?

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Good memory! I was trying to remember where I had seen this incident before.

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if there's something all 2PM members are - it is RIPPED.
: )

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Need the vampire to prove this 🙃

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It should hopefully come soon! The best part of cohabitation is accidentally walking in on someone getting dressed soooo…😉

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Hahaha! It's the whole reason for the forced-to-live-together scenario.

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You said what I was thinking

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Haha! I thought the same about him not being seen to do any sustained work until this week. No wonder chaebols are parasitic even the cute ones!

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I hated her being put in that servile position and I thought to myself along the same lines. That wasn’t remotely a ‘dream’ gig and was organised to humiliate her. GWS that his noona had organised it.

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It also didn’t make sense. These employees have worked their way up in the hotel service industry. They have acquired experience and expertise is dealing with customers and providing the best service. Why would you take these people and make them serve food at your dining table? What a waste. You can get a catering company do the same task.
And these employees are probably losing out on tips, so financially it doesn’t make sense to get excited about this prospect.
I get it that writers wanted to create a conflict. They could have easily had the family host a private event in KTL and have her overhear the conversation.

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The ritual humiliation of workers is an article of faith with most chaebols.

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I cringed at the Dream Team.

Can we create a poll of how many times he will be wearing a white shirt and then get drenched? Let’s!!!

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I haven't watched ep 12 yet, but the ending of ep 11 with the key note speaker was actually quite sweet and made me remember, "oh yeah, this drama actually has some really good moments." Also, I was right that Gu Won would pull off the anniversary dinner despite us not seeing him make any real preparations for it until the very last minute.

I like how the dad is trying to get Gu Won to work with his sister, just like the rest of us seem to want.

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Also, there is so much PPL that I am officially starting to be unable to tell where the PPL begins and where it ends.

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I mean, wait until the 19th Life post goes up…“This is good for your joints and a broken heart????”

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When Cho-won gave Ju-won that necklace I was legit unsure if it was PPL. Am I too cynical or not cynical enough?

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Er... Ji-eum. Eh, whatever, they're really the same person

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Definitely PPL - the brand name was on the boxes, and it was the same brand as the jewelry Seon-ha gave Ji-eum on the bridge.

There's no such thing as too cynical when it come to PPL! The Tiger Balm was hilarious and unsurprisingly didn't mention its most notorious property, the SMELL. My husband uses it occasionally for muscle aches and I have to sleep in another room.

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Ha, yes, same person only...no? ;)

Yeah, in the last four episodes, there were at least three separate jewelry PPLs and that one supplement PPL for the Ha brothers. There may have been even more that I'm not remembering off the top of my head--but we can discuss that further, should the mood strike again, over on the salient post soon :)

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Hush spoilers for the PPL in 19th LIFE! Some of us haven’t finished yet and would like to experience such awkward, such really awkward integration of PPL first hand thanks😁

Nah joking😉, for a second there I was wondering what drama I was watching? I’m used it to in KING THE PPL but 19th LIFE seemed alright with it until these last two weeks imo. Hope we’ll get to vote on the end of year polls for best and worst use of PPL?

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Stop omg they added a whole scene just for the jewelry PPL it was so unnecessary and added nothing to the plot lmaoooo

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OTT PPL ™️ - not just jewelry PPL in the brand box, but the crystal-studded swans are the Swarovski effing logo 🤢

Q: Is matchy-matchy back? It’s been a long time since girls would wear a set of earrings & necklace like that!

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It is really a bonkers number of them.

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@linarrick we need to tag the beanie who sets up the December beanie equivalent of the advent calendar I can’t remember who it is, do you know who it is? We need to start tracking the categories and potential contenders. The massage chair in Daeul’s house is so out of place because she could never afford it even with a staff discount.

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I wonder if the PPL lined up once they knew who was in the show and it covered the cost of the jolly to Thailand. Maybe the production crew welcomed it to widen their options for future projects as it’s mainly been high end compared to Subway and even worse Kopiko that were properly getting on my nerves because they were in every drama last year.

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Oh, Thailand paid for that 100% and then some.

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Pretty sure @eazal created the RoundUp.
The categories I want to nominate for this year:
Best handholding
Best and worst use of PPL
Best and worst adaptation
Best Suit Wearer

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Love these, I hope they make it in to the 2023 roundup. The adaption category would be good because there are a couple more coming out this year

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Best suit wearer has already a winner...

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At this point the PPL is getting more screen time than some of the side characters or the only purpose of some characters is to be used for the PPL.
I know to a point, PPL is a necessary evil but as an actor I'm sure they must get annoyed when their characters arc is minimal to say the least and overtaken with PPL.

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"A necessary evil," yes! Remember the arc in Be Melodramatic where one of the leads had to use excessive aegyo to get a reluctant actor to do a PPL scene?

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the fine line between drama and PPL has blurred so much its muscle memory for my brain to just immediately disregard it when it comes on omg :'))))

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I’ve given up on doing anything but rolling my eyes at King the Hands, but the most eye-rolling moment yet for me was Sarang’s friends screaming open-mouthed as if they’d just seen a murderer jumping out of the bushes with a knife instead of two adults kissing - right after they’d talked about the possibility of the two dating. And the subsequent interrogation panel of friends with the couple kneeling before them is one of my least favorite tropes.

Does the show have to make Unpleasant Noona quite so unpleasant? In fact, every female antagonist is 100% nasty and exploitative and it’s starting to feel more than a little misogynistic that women must be either unblemished angels or unredeemed bitches.

@mayhemf, so I’m not the only one who thought the Dream Team was extra-squicky. Yes, the highest aspiration of everyone in a service industry is to mutely wait hand and foot on quixotic rich people while wearing an outfit associated with a particularly exploited form of domestic labor/sexytime cosplay. 🙄

On the positive side, I was glad to see that despite losing quite a bit of weight, Junho hasn’t lost his, uh, charms.

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Oh I agree on the unnecessary interrogation, since it only was some “funny business in the living room” *wink, wink*
(Lol, I’m keeping that euphemism, thanks @dramaddictally 😂)

Ugh, that marriage filing. And all the raised eyebrows about being a divorced woman. Yes, it was quite unpleasant and unnecessary, and that ex-bf pilot surely had something coming for him, but… it’s just a divorce. That that should be in any way affecting your professional career is beyond me. Is this over-dramatization or actually a realistic depiction of societal values?

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In the past, divorce was dishonorable and outsiders could view you as a failure, incompetent and of lower class. Divorcees were stigmatized by society since marriage was sacrosanct. However, in recent years divorce in SK has become more acceptable.

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Well, that’s good because we have a character who needs one STAT (Da-eul) so that she and No Sang-shik can go create the family that everyone deserves. There’d be humor and companionship and maybe even, heavens-forbid, respect and equal sharing of responsibilities.

Yeah, I’m on that ship.

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If my memory serves me right I saw a photo of Kim Ga-eun in a wedding dress. Probably Da-eul and Sang-shink are the one tying the knot at the end of KTL, not Won and Sa-rang (yet). That would be nice if they could have their wedding held at the King Hotel.

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I would like this too! I think Manger No would make a great partner and stepdad! Sadly I don’t think this ship will sail

Seems like there will be a romance between Kim Su-mi and Sang-sik. I wouldn’t mind this but I’m trying to understand why she has an aversion to him? When she thought he was Won she was attracted to him, so is her aversion to him because of class, lack of wealth? I don’t understand why she feels she can’t like him? He is not her boss either

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Yes! It did feel a bit overdone. It would have been more realistic if she was previously in a relationship with the captain and she was unaware he was married. Then you can understand an ensuing scandal (unwittingly) tarnishing her reputation.

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The drama I'd last watched prior to King the Land was Dr. Cha, where it seems that everyone was all-in on our titular character getting a divorce, so coming to King the Land and seeing one of the characters not get a promotion because she's a divorcee is too much whiplash for my little brain. As if being a working woman wasn't hard enough.

On the other hand, it does make me wonder if Hwa-Ran keeps stalling her husband on their divorce because she expects her father to be similarly chauvinistic about her future as the head of the conglomerate once he learns of her impending divorce. If I were Won, I don't think I'd want to "win" the right to run the conglomerate based on such a patriarchal technicality.

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When the Thailand-crew-minus-two was discussing the possibility that Sa-rang and Won were a thing in the car, it was adorable when Prince Flight Attendant expressed empathy for Won for being rejected before the two could even start dating—with a stealthy (adorable) glance in the rear-view mirror towards the object of his own affection.

I mean, I think the fact that Ro-woon, the (male) hoobae, is consistently the voice of reason reinforces your point about the role “femininity” is playing. He seems to exist in this world, where people do normal things, like talk to each other and stuff. If he weren't there, I'd find it way easier to call everyone a silly-billy and move on.

But it remains true that the women, including his sunbae (who ideally would be more worldly-wise, as befits her position) are consistently making misguided decisions, from noble idiocy over non-issues to obsequious groveling when the human-in-power in front of you keeps asking you to stop, over and over! I mean we’re not even talking about our horrible dead-beat husband...yet. Sa-rang is the exception, but she can’t really do any wrong (again to your point, @elinor).

ETA: Sorry for the messy comment deletion. I didn’t feel that I made the point I wanted to make and allowed myself a do-over. @dncingemma said she does, so I can too :)

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Thank you for accurately verbalising the title of Prince Flight Attendant. I knew there is a right name for him somewhere, and there, you said it.

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Re: the Unpleasant Noona
Can I just say that it boggles the mind that she invited the cantankerous politician to speak at the event without first confirming with Won that the guy will actually have a spot on the agenda?

How can she presume to squeeze the guy into the evening line-up when she doesn't have control of the microphone or the program at any point, and Won has already told her repeatedly that he doesn't intend to invite any of the people she wants to curry favor with? This does not compute. . .

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I think she just delusionally thinks that she has more control over the event than she does. Won straight up told her he wasn't going to do that, so really the fault for offending the assemblyman falls entirely on her. There were other ways to butter him up if they really need him for permits and things, so she didn't have to promise him a position that wasn't hers to give away. To me it just further illustrates the fact that she's not really that good at her job, and she's mostly relied on threats and sucking up to people in power to get her this far.

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Yes, it makes her look incompetent, which is part of my frustration with the whole thing.

Our hero deserves to have a rival who is as politically adept and smart as they are cunning and manipulative . . . otherwise, she's just a cardboard cutout of a nemesis who doesn't deserve the label. It makes her so much less compelling as a villain, which gives Won fewer opportunities to actually showcase what he's capable of.

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(it’s too ridiculous to get into)

A summary worthy of the whole drama, @dramaddictally, the whole drama.

I’m still here, but man, they’re pushing it!

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Yet, we are still here!!
That whole fake marriage was awful. Why couldn't she have married and divorced him? Does that make her less worthy of the hoobae?

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Archaic divorce laws strike again! I knew that divorce was stigmatized but I didn’t realize it was to this extent. Is this normal or (like most other things in the show) exaggerated? It was a bit of a ridiculous situation, but it seems wild a. that she couldn’t get it annulled, and b. that it somehow is public knowledge and/or anyone’s business at all. Maybe her crappy ex goes around telling people and sabotaging her career? Ro-un was a standout this week, from his casual acknowledgement of his crush and his rescuing Pyung-hwa from that terrible after-work drink situation, to being the most normal around Won after they found out who he really is.

Without anyone meaning to do it, she’s just been put in her place by having to serve Won and the woman his father deems good enough for him to marry

I don’t know if this is accurate, honestly. I sort of think when the evil sister started to suspect that Won thinks of Sa-rang as more than an employee, she might have orchestrated the whole thing to make sure Sa-rang would overhear Chairman’s plans for his son. Hwa-ran has already proven herself incredibly classist, so it would make sense to me that she would want to put Sa-rang down and hurt Won in the process. The situation didn't make me lose faith in Won though. I think his arranged marriage had probably always seemed so abstract and like it would never actually happen, especially when he and Yu-ri are very up front about how disinterested they are in each other. So I don't really blame him for not considering it a barrier, and not even realizing he should mention it to Sa-rang. The whole situation does suck though.

I don’t believe for one second that Sang-shik will actually betray Won. If anything, they will do a little fake-out and it will look like he has, before they pull back the curtain the whole way on a previous conversation where they arrange the whole thing together. He's not my favorite character ever, but if he was going to betray Won I can't help but think he would have done it way earlier and not put up with his grumpiness for so long. Especially not when things are actually starting to move.

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It does show the difference in the way divorce is viewed on gender lines for the ex boyfriend who did it as a joke there are no long term consequence but for the woman it is used against her like a piece of paper makes her unable to complete the tasks her job entails.

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I haven't watched the episode yet but as a person from an Asian country, divorce is much worse for the women than it is for men. Its a social stigma which has only recently started to become normalised here. It impacts women more severely because society mostly blames the woman for the divorce

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I’m also not doubting Won. He might have just forgotten all about the unresolved marriage business with Yuri, with all the things happening left and right (vacationing, 100 year party etc). Still, the scene must have felt devastating to Sa-rang… But hold on, did Sa-rang listen to their conversation at that birthday party and know about the forced engagement? Or did she just see them together, assuming them to be close? Ugh. Somehow thought she KNEW, but I guess I was mistaken! *clutches heart*

“Ro-un was a standout this week”
Agreed! Which is why I’m waiting for his sprinklers scene. Come on, Pyung-wha!

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Ah, @jls943 , yes, when I said "without meaning to" I meant without Won or his father meaning to hurt Sa-rang. I wouldn't put it past Hwa-ran either.

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Oh yes, strong agree. Thanks for clarifying!

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Yuri: she seemed to change character when she said Won belongs to me. For as little interaction as we've seen, the strength of her claim seemed a bit surprising.

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@dramaddictally thank you for the weecap. The part that had me in stitches was the slow realisation that Won had been treated like one of the gang but he us actually the chairman’s son. The reminder of the exclamation mark get to the back quote was just too funny.

The hug in the street following the roasting from Daeul suggests that Won and Sangshik are friends and the cold shoulder in the office is just show. Sangshik is too clever and loyal to fall for Hwaran’s plan so it’s good that she has revealed her plot so he can play double agent and help Won stay one step ahead.

I think the whole meal re the future M&A marriage arrangement was a fake out as Won and Yuri had already spoken about Yuri finding a man she actually liked. So my theory is they are going along with it to help both family businesses grow and then break it off at an agreed time to keep the parents off their backs and it shuts the sister up too.

I also think Sarang would have held it together in that situation and not dropped the plate as she is very professional when it comes to her job and has put up with a lot. She would have broken down afterwards.

The scene with Hwaran and her son was the worst of the worst I don’t get why he would not be choosing quality time with his dad over his mum as she doesn’t appear to have been nice to him at any point in their interactions on the phone or in person. I almost feel he was conceived out of necessity to secure the inheritance as the oldest and only grandson of the conglomerate. I wonder if either parent is interested and who his guardian is whilst he lives abroad? He was able to slip away unsupervised and travel half way across the world without being missed and his parents were not alerted before he turned up in person.

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Ugh, I know, I felt so awful for that poor little boy! Hopefully his dad has more time for him, although with a divorce and an affair, maybe not.

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+1 on the fact that I would never have believed Sa-rang would have dropped that plate. Never in a million years. She has no reason to doubt Won, and she's too professional. I was disappointed by that direction given to Yoona.

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This x100.

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My impression is that Hwa-Ran's husband is pushing the divorce because he has a new GF in the US and wants to drop their son on her in SK.

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That’s an interesting angle I assumed theirs was a marriage of convenience that was no longer convenient therefore he wanted to end it asap and get with someone who was offering a better deal. I didn’t think the child would be a bargaining chip from his side but that may be why she was so keen he went back so maybe he could be a thorn in the dad’s side to slow down his exit plans.

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The ending scene was what I was waiting for in terms of the shoe dropping. However, given that there are only a few episodes left, I think this will be dealt with relatively quickly, as there are other issues to tie up, such as Gu Won's Mom, succession, etc... and this show has been more on the light hearted side.
There is a part of me that suspects Sang-shik acted independently here to get Sarang onto the dream team knowing this family get together was happening, thinking that breaking up Sarang and his boss was the right thing to do to save his boss from grief if the relationship got too far ahead or he thinks that a love struck Gu Won would be too distracted to win against his sister. There is ZERO chance that he ends up being an evil wrestling heel, where he turns on his friend and boss. BTW, Ididn't much care for the possible love connection between Sang-shik and the bratty concierge.
Lastly, the thing I can't figure out is how I feel about Gu Won's father. On the one hand, it seems clear that he did something to Gu Won's mother and he's shown his ruthlessness. But these last two episodes have shown that he is also a human being, which makes me wonder if there is redemption coming for him. The sister will remain a villain to the end, is my prediction.

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I noticed from when he shared the grandmother’s traditional meal that his father had this other side and wondered if they were ok when the sister wasn’t around and that’s why at the start she was trying so hard to get Won to stay at the hotel and telling her dad that he couldn’t be bothered to be with them.

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As @elinor mentioned before, there is a very amplified and disconcerting characterisation regarding most of the female characters in positions of power. They are vicious, highly unethical and don’t turn down an opportunity to exploit others for personal gain. Re the noona, she is such a cardboard cut out of a villain that it is difficult for me to determine whether that is the reason she is so boring and/or the actor playing her is not a strong performer.

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I think the only decent boss is the one in King the land but it didn’t stop the colleagues from being catty when ever they got the opportunity. The women in the duty free shop had been that way too until Daeul had given them a clear message on a couple of occasions that it wasn’t a rite of passage that once you climb the ladder you get to treat the hoobaes the way you were treated.

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I have observed bad (borderline abusive) bosses being a very common k-drama trope. These leaders are often men because the industries being featured are usually male dominated. But I suspect, like in other places, the hospitality and service industries might have a higher percentage of female participation and therefore female leadership. So perhaps, we are seeing female leaders but with the bad boss trope still in effect.

I am holding on to Sarang's boss and Da-eul as examples of how it should be done. Even Won didn't start with the best attitude either but with understanding his approach changed.

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Agreed! I even caught myself being slightly surprised that the KTL manager is actually a nice person and cares about her employees. Considering the front desk manager and even the fitness studio senior Sa-rang has been working with before, I just expected another tropey boss.

But yes, I’ve seen even bosses actually raising a hand against employees, absolute and unwavering hierarchical thinking (ugh, what was up with that hospital leader in Dr. Romantic for example?!? The awful management of that coffee company in Something in the Rain? The list goes on.), that leaves me pondering whether we’re stuck in the 80s again. It’s disheartening to see.

Seeing more bosses who are actually nice persons or women not being nasty to each other but rooting for each other by would feel refreshing! But there actually might be a slow progression… I was pleased to see Sa-Rangs colleagues were happy for her (supposed) career leap, by being selected for the dream team. (Though it actually felt far from a promotion to me!)

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I agree about Sarang's overreaction. I thought she would have been too professional and too mature, would have known Won's sincerity, would have known that a chaebol's son has to play along with these matchmaking games that the rich like to play to have such a dramatic reaction like dropping a plate due to being shocked or hurt. It didn't ring true for me. That was purely to create unwarranted drama. That, plus the whole ridiculous Dream Team, made that whole setup/scene leave a sour taste in my mouth. If the Dream Team's other members had been Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, Larry Bird....now that would have been comically epic!

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😆 love the flash back to the golden era of basketball!

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Golden era indeed, especially to a boy who grew up in Chicago. I can't watch the kind of basketball played in today's NBA.

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I am getting my hackles up about Dramabean commentators' attacks on this underrated, plucky little rom-com that is struggling to survive despite constant PPLs, so I am going to defend two things in these episodes.

1. I think Junho and and Yoonah are really good together, have great chemistry, and I want to credit Yoonah's acting as well as Junho's. I especially appreciate Yoonah's response to Junho's ardency, which she has portrayed as having a hint of caution to it. Yoonah's slightly disbelieving air even when she proclaims herself incredibly happy is quite realistic and sets up her betrayal at the end of episode 12 quite well. The lack of development of her character's backstory in comparison to Junho is a MAJOR flaw in this drama, but that is not either of the actors' fault. Still, I'll even give the writing a little credit. because episode 12 was pretty good, and you began to get the accurate feeling that this romance between the idle rich son and the service worker is truly ill-fated, and even the scene starring Junho's abs inspired a little unease, since it hinted that there will be understandable accusations of sexual harrassment by a manager of his employee.

2. The off-again, on-again theme of the exploitation of female workers was on full display in episode 12, and Sa-rang's forced recruitment to the "elite" staff of maids and butler providing personal service to the hotel owners (presumably at the behest of the sister, who is aware of Junho's feelings) was a good scene of just how deep the patronizing contempt of the family for their workers goes. Now, I kind of doubt Junho can overcome that without temporarily letting go of Sa-rang. Either that, or he has to give up his quest to get the workers respect from management, quit the family, marry Sa-rang and take over the grandma's restaurant business. That could happen, but it will be interesting to see what course the show decides to take on this issue.

Just given the uneven quality of the writing, I think probably the Mom will somehow return to make the Dad see the light and so we'll be spared any sort of agonizing soul-searching on the part of Junho, even agonized, shirtless soul-searching, but you never know!

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These are good points, and Yoona is acquitting herself quite creditably. And I agree that the sister, who is no idiot, has figured out the lovebirds' secret and is exploiting it. It's easy to focus comments on the nonsense because there's so much of it, and yet here we all still are.

HOWEVER.

The show could completely redeem itself by flipping the table and going all-in makjang. Unpleasant Noona is the hero after all - she and Sam-shik (who is the real illegitimate son of the Chairman) have discovered together that Won and the Chairman have been embezzling hotel funds to the point of bankruptcy, and now she’s the only one who can save the business and all of the employees’ jobs. Her “son” is actually Won’s out-of-wedlock child and she’s been paying for his education and care in the US and trying to shield him from the knowledge that his father abandoned him. Sarang’s late mother and Won’s vanished mother are *the same person* but only the doorman knows. Sarang and halmeoni are accomplished con artists who target wealthy men for romance scams, and the bad-tempered Assemblyman is their accomplice in a set-up to win Won’s sympathy. Pyung-hwa’s pilot ex-boyfriend still loves her but is being blackmailed by Ro-woon, who is a stalker with a violent past, and trying to sabotage Pyung-hwa’s career and relationship is ex’s only way to protect her and keep her away from him. Da-eul is an alcoholic who suffers from paranoid delusions and the endless domestic labor is actually occupational therapy to keep her from kidnapping her daughter again. Everyone dies when the hotel collapses due to shoddy construction and possibly fraudulent accounting. The end.

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🤣🤣 were you the ghost writer for the dramas within the dramas on search WWW, Business proposal and Fanletter Please.

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Or the See You In My 19th Life drama, LOL

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Is there a reason you are providing Junho with not one, but two incestuous relationships?

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Why not? There's plenty of Junho to go around. But I didn't phrase it clearly and didn't even consider that Noona and Won were the parents, just that she'd taken on responsibility for her little brother's little mistake, presumably made with some poor exploited hotel staffer who placed her starry-eyed trust in the wrong man. You clearly have a better imagination for this kind of thing than I do!

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Yes, I think I do have a good imagination for this sort of thing, because like Yoona, I've seen Junho's abs before.

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I gotta know, @elinor, did you have that idea prepped prior to @hacja's comment...or did it simply flow out of you naturally like a form of verbal ambrosia???

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@attiton my theory is this drama has been written and is waiting to be picked up by one of the platforms so in the meantime is adapted according to the need to raise the bid price. All makjang’s have ridiculous key elements and they just rotate them according to the way the wind blows all that was missing was the amnesia of a key character and random death of the child in a truck of doom hit and run in front of the Won just after he had decided to reclaim him and raise him with his first love.

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Fauxcest or *ahem* i-n-c-e-s-t is a staple of makjang! @elinor is just following the genre’s tropes 👏👏👏

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😂 lol, this is pure gold!

But yes, I also thought along these lines before: “ Sarang’s late mother and Won’s vanished mother are *the same person* but only the doorman knows.” I mean HOW ELSE to establish the childhood encounter trope more easily than this?!

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When it was first told that BOTH Gu Won and Sa-Rang had "missing" mothers, I thought the same thing: that they are (half)siblings.

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I'm getting Doctor Cha flashbacks

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@elinor you made day! I can’t stop laughing! 🤣

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Well. I love it and would very much like to get a Bean for watching @elinor’s version 👏🏽

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agonized, shirtless soul-searching

I've lost track of how many times the leads have gotten wet, but there hasn't been an old-school shower scene yet, has there? That's the traditional setting for such soul-searching.

As a practical matter, I understand that shower scenes are usually in the first episode or two because that allows the actor to spend some pre-production time getting in the best shape he can manage before the shooting schedule affects his workout time and diet. The filming was probably not entirely linear, but Junho saving it until episode 12 is just gratuitous showing off.

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@Elinor Interesting fact about the early episode shower scenes- that does make some sense. Presumably Junho has had to keep working out in preparation for 2PM's comeback concert given their "tough beast-like image" which I recently learned from Wiki. So no late night ramen with Yoona during midnight filming.

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The last thing I'd want is Yoona having to starve herself or excessively work out, but I did slightly regret that the pool scene with the women had them wearing a full sleeve, full body swimming suit. Not even a modest one piece? That would have been enough for me!

Yes, they are willing to service the female audience, but what about us older males, who are not looking for pinup images, but are just aesthetically oriented to the female form?

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Omg, it’s true! The shower scenes are always near the beginning! 😝

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Gu Won actually working on the anniversary event?! I thought they spliced in scenes from GOOD MANAGER/CHIEF KIM. Then he goes to shower gifts on Grandma right before the big event? Who puts an icepack over their suit coat?! It is the little details that show big inconsistencies that sidetracks my viewing concentration.

There is a stark contrast between Hwa-Ran’s competency/business savvy, Gu Won’s naivety, and the Chairman’s sudden sentimentality. Korean corporations are well known for interlocking directors and powerful political allies who need to be honored and appreciated as much as a toddler needing attention. Gu-Won’s event program was a worker’s rights and morality rally but a potential business disaster. Gu Won’s ego and lack of common sense (or ability to listen to his sister’s suggestions) has to be his downfall. He got away with his event planning way too easy.

But most viewers are just in for the OTP fan service, including the GETTING CAUGHT cliffhanger in Episode 11. Again, the expanded friend group does not get caught up with the obvious relationship baggage to have a true heart-to-heart. Gu Won’s next mine field is a plan to increase revenue without cutting costs. Instead of working diligently on the project, he takes Sa-Rang to the sea. It must be nice to snap a finger and all things work out perfectly. But the Dream Team assignment turns into a nightmare for Sa-Rang, both professionally and personally. In the show’s exploration of class distinction, Sa-Rang got a jolt of reality. But this being old school, it will all be a “misunderstanding” and assumptions of him being a playboy will evaporate because Gu Won is the golden boy -- nothing bad happens to him. I think his Superman persona is actually hurting the plot.

Others pointed out that in the old rom-com playbook there has to be a break-up, angst, and reconciliation arc. But the chairman was the one pushing the wedding date so we get the possibility of Gu Won giving up his inheritance for Sa-Rang?

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I think his Superman persona is actually hurting the plot.

@welh has given me the opening to be brave and ask something I’ve been wanting to ask.

My Korean still stinks, and will forever, frankly, but I feel like I want to ensure that I understand something.

We do have two lead characters named something like, “Lots of Love” and “Hero,” right?

PLEASE, I’d welcome it if someone more knowledgeable could right-size my understanding of the implications of our main characters’ names.

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Oh wow, that’s interesting, it would be great if someone could confirm this.

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I am not an expert on Korean language though I am trying to learn it, from a dictionary standpoint Sa-Rang means "love" and Won means "circle" or "Korean currency" (since the first coins were round).

However, some drama writers cleverly put in hidden meaning or personality trait in a character's name. Directors often use english phrases on character t-shirts to emphasize the character's mood or intent.

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Agreed, though, Gu Won (구원) and Cheon Sa-rang (천 사랑) as full names have slightly different meanings, I do believe??

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@Seon-ha, my Korean is no great shakes either, but I believe 구원 (Gu Won) means Salvation (saving the hotel? Saving Love? That seems to imply more effort than he’s shown so far!).

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Gu Won can mean Salvation. Cheon Sa-Rang can mean With an Angel.

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Ah, that latter one is probably way more accurate…and why he has her saved as an angel emoji in his phone.

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Brutally honest here.
This drama suuc..kss . (The abs saved this episode). Glad its on Netflix and I can fast foward and skip boring parts which is most like everything.

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So, I’ve been slow to admit it, but I have to now: King the Land is annoying me more than it’s entertaining me.

I consider Junho a true star. Love his acting, love his passion to excel, love the way he energises a set. He dresses up really well in anything; he makes me want to try whatever he’s eating. But this drama is becoming less and less subtle in its mission to make this a 16+hour eulogization of him. The ratio of plot to let’s-film-Junho-in-slo-mo-again has reached levels that I am struggling to tolerate. I appreciate the need to nod to his fans (of which I am one) but seriously? It’s beginning to feel like an extended casting video to highlight his range of “stunning chaebol looks”. It’s got to the point where I am, uncharacteristically, beginning to feel sorry for Yoona because she is becoming simply a faceless ornament to allow Junho’s adoring PD and team to indulge themselves.

On top of that, Sa-rang’s character is becoming irritatingly inconsistent for me. Her reaction to half-unshirted Won just didn’t make sense: at the end of episode 11, she was ready for sex; suddenly, ep12, she rushes off and giggles like a 5-year-old seeing his chest for the first time. What now? If it was not the time and place to carry on where they left off in ep11, at least her reaction should have been mentally fanning herself and telling her mind to behave. And then he offers himself on a plate to her and she doesn’t get her hands all over him??? I get that they’re going to tease us till ep 14/15 but, please, not at the expense of just making your female lead look like an idiot. Furthermore, dropping the plate at the end of ep12. What now? The drama has shown us that Sa-rang is a consummate professional, even highlighting this seconds before the drop through her polite and assured greeting to Won’s father’s guest. She and Won have been making out regularly for the last however many weeks; Won’s already explained how potential-fiancee fits into the picture. So why would she be shaken enough to make this error? Such a blatant “plot” (and I use that term loosely…) device at the expense of consistent character had me grinding my teeth.

My favourite bits of ep12 came in the first 10 minutes and, once again, centred round Ro-un. His comment on meeting Won as a drinking buddy to drown their unrequited love sorrows gave me a pang (they didn’t even need his glance in the mirror; KJW’s delivery of the line was done so well) and then his quick acceptance of Won as Won with a “hyung-nim” was pure delight. Get over the hang-up with your divorce, Pyeong-hwa, cos he’s not going to care anyway, and he’s a star!

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I get the feeling the show couldn't believe their luck when Junho agreed to star.
They then rubbed their hands in glee and decided to unashamedly and unapologetically milk Junho for all he was worth to the detriment of the show's development of characters and plot.
The PPL is also unashamedly excessive, it really has become its own plot point and takes up over half the run time of the show.

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You know, I think you're on to something here... It is toe-curlingly obsessed with showing off their ML now: why not the mission from the get-go? And if so, my hackles are rising.

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I think otherwise, I think Junho was in this together from the get go. His popularity was hard earned, he always said he was the underdog of 2PM for more than a decade before his popularity started to skyrocket after his military service. "My time has come, why not enjoy it to the fullest"!! Watching Junho in reality shows and Vlogs, I think he's not the naturally humble type (and I say this in a positive way), he's always aware of his capability, but you know sometimes an actor does need some "luck" to fully bloom, and that's what I meant by "his time has come". It's a pity because when Junho was more "calculating" and restrained in acting, he really shone. He was stellar in Chief Kim, Wok of Love, Confession, Red Sleeve.

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Good point Healer and good on him if this is the case for 'tooting his own horn'.
I am one, among many I'm sure that are only barely hanging on to this show purely for Junho.
I prefer the more "calculating" Junho for sure.

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Great point! Yes, it fits character if it was an agreed strategy. And, like you, KTL will not be entering my list of Junho "must see" recommendations. He's done far better (and that, I think, is where my source of frustration comes from. Let an excellent actor act rather than self-promote.)

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@Healer’s: I’m not into their music but it is interesting that he said he was the underdog. Why? He wasn’t a good (enough) singer? Why wasn’t he popular? He certainly seems a hard worker and ambitious so could it be that the other members didn’t like him for some reason?

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I think it was partly because Junho wasn’t as good-looking as Nickhun, Taecyeon and Chansung (btw, I think none of them is that handsome, their looks are not my cup of tea). Nickhun was also famous for his Thai origin and family wealth. Taecyeon and Chansung took part in more drama projects than Junho during the 201x period, which gained them their popularity. Junho is very very ambitious and very confident, so as talented a song writer and singer as he is, he must have thought he deserved more, hence what he said. Compared to someone very similar to Junho regarding music abilities (and height!!), which is Wooyoung, Wooyoung seems much more relaxing and easygoing, so maybe he didn’t care if he was underrated or overrated?! Jun.K is a full-package, he is the main vocal, producer, rapper, song writer, and it looks like he didn’t care about acting as much as Junho, Taecyeon or Chansung.

I think the relationships between 2PM members are very good. There was a short period that I cared about their music, it was when I first discovered Junho, so I can’t say I am a fan and get their dynamics right. But from what I have seen them in (reality shows and behind the scene videos), Junho was always more serious than the rest.

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Junho, Nickhun, Wooyoung, and Jun.K are all good singers. I’d say I like Junho’s voice the most. Taecyeon’s speciality is his bass voice and rapping ability. And Chansung is, well, the maknae 🙂

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Here's an old article that could probably help explain why he was often overlooked in the past.

https://seoulbeats.com/2012/04/the-jack-of-all-trades-junho-finally-gets-the-chance-to-shine/

Idk but I think it's just the company's chosen way to put the spotlight on Taecyeon and Nichkhun in the early debut stage since they're so handsome. Nichkhun was at the level of even like a random taxi driver knew of him. Usually idol groups then have more activities after debuting and fans get to know the members more personally. Fans also often chooose their bias in the group, based on the quality that that their bias posses. As I saw, this is the stage where Junho and Wooyoung are the bias to quite a lot of 2PM fans. But he was still not popular with the general public.

And 2PM has a period where they went to Japan for a few years to help save JYPE from bankruptcy by going on tours (https://egle0702.tumblr.com/post/709352201768812544/the-hardship-era-when-jyp-ent-almost-went-bankrupt). With scarce activities in South Korea, of course the number of 2PM fans decreased. And just forget about general public, 2PM is probably nonexistent to them. So yeah I think Junho is the underdog when he is in the group and when he entered the acting industry.

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@Healer’s @bewitched: Thank you!

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All the KTL BTS scenes show is good coordination among the actors, cannot find any other reality shows or vlogs where he is not naturally humble. Anyways these things are subjective and everybody has their opinion.
It is better not to speculate on things like - an actor is intentionally stealing screen time, is tooting horn, self promoting & not acting based on reality shows and Vlogs without actual proof. We hardly get to know what goes on behind the screen. It is especially unfair to link all this to his past struggles without any reason.

This must be why celebs hesitate to share their struggles or personal stories. They eventually learn that any real part of their shared story could be used against them for some something or anything.

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I don’t think anyone meant anything ill in saying those things. Those who came here to share their thoughts are mostly Junho’s fans or at least think highly of his ability. All this was to see why we can’t root for him in this project and how we’ll look forward to his next one, not to bash him.

Maybe I’m wrong because I haven’t seen enough, but I have never seen a BTS video where an actor is cold or behaves supeciliously to other actors and the crew. I think it’s in the Korean culture. So usually I don’t infer anything from the BTS videos.

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I could watch an episode of Won and Ro-Un bonding. Hoobae was adorable that he called him Hyung Nim right away.
Agree wholeheartedly that he is the star of every episode.

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This is a really good point

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@kate88hammond: You’re absolutely right. It has become a drama with the PPLs and Junho as the main charactors.

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Could the last scene just be Sa-rang's wild dream, please? Say she fell asleep in the van on the way there and her dream decides to take a wild ride and she woke up when the plate on her dream shattered.

I like the real-life struggles of the working-class shown in the drama so far, but the maid situation (with her literally wearing a maid uniform) is uncomfortable to watch😢.

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I'm so glad I'm not the only one wishing the last scene on Episode 12 was just a dream sequence.

As it is, I don't get why they're both so shocked to see each other at that dinner. I was expecting Sa-rang to excitedly tell Won about getting pulled into the Dream Team, especially since they handle the Chairman's private functions. Yes, I get that she's signed a non-disclosure, but he's the chairman's son, so why would it violate an NDA to tell him?

And since the two of them seem to hang out every evening, why would Won not have already told her that he's having dinner with his father? Even if he didn't know that the arranged marriage would be a topic of conversation at dinner, he would, at the very least, know he was dining with his father that evening.

Maybe there's more that happened that we haven't seen yet, but for a couple whom we've seen constantly texting back and forth, it seems unbelievable to me that they're both shocked to bump into each other in that dining room.

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The writer forgot to bring the script. The director said, we don't need script. "Junho, lets have you model, shirtless, with shirt on, with pants on (ok that's always on)......"

Who is the heroine? Oh YoonA...OK you can go wear that maid uniform and we will create a makjang.....

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And we already know that Won doesn't care about the arranged marriage, so isn't this just tiring for the audience?

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