What do Kdrama’s King the Land and See You in My 19^th Life have in common?  First, they premiered on the same date in July 2023.  Second, the male leads are both rich heirs to companies that include a hotel – and have missing/dead mothers who ran the hotels.  Third, as this King the Land vs See You in My 19th Life Head-to-Head review proves – both series are worth the watch.

King the Land stars 2PMs Lee Jun-ho (The Red Sleeve) as Gu Won, son and heir of the King Hotel Group.  Im Yoon-ah, also known as Yoona from Girls Generation, is Cheon Sa-rang, the best employee at the hotel.

• Series Title:  King the Land (Korean: 킹더랜드)
• Starring:  Lee Jun-ho, Im Yoon-ah
• Written by:  Choi Rom
• Directed by:  Im Hun-wook
• Network: JTBC
• Where to watch in the US:  Netflix
• Year Released:  2023
• # of episodes:  16

Shin Hye-sun (Mr. Queen) stars as Ban Ji-eun in See You in My 19^th Life, a person who remembers all of her previous lives.  In this life, she is a member of MI Hotel’s strategic planning team.  The director of MI Hotels is the boy she knew in her 18^th life, Moon Seo-ha, portrayed by Ahn Bo-hyun (Her Private Life), heir to a wealthy family.

• Series Title:  See You in My 19th Life (Korean: 이번 생도 잘 부탁해) 
• Starring:  Shin Hye-sun, Ahn Bo-hyun, Ha Yoon-kyung, Ahn Dong-goo
• Written by:  Choi Young-lim
• Directed by:  Lee Na-jung
• Network: tvN
• Where to watch in the US:  Netflix
• Year Released:  2023
• # of episodes:  12

King the Land vs See You in My 19th Life Head-to-Head Review — !!Spoilers Ahead!!

It’s interesting that shows with similar elements often air around the same time. Take for example shows like Babylon 5 and Deep Space Nine, dramas set on Space Stations, that aired in the early 90s.  Once Upon a Time and Grimm – both about fairy tales.  True Blood and Vampire Diaries – about, you know, vampires. Maybe ideas simultaneously bubble up through a collective consciousness until someone (or multiple someones) finally make them into a drama. (I’m sure someone has done a study on that.) King the Land and See You in My 19^th Life have enough similarities that I thought it would be fun to do a King the Land vs See You in My 19th Life Head-to-Head Review.  Having said that, there are a lot of differences as well.

Best Male Lead

Even though Lee Jun-ho and Ahn Bo-hyun both play wealthy heirs at hotels, their characters could not be any more different.  Lee Jun-ho proves that not only can K-pop stars act, but they can be amazing actors! (The Red Sleeve is definitely on my watch list!)

Gu Won starts out with a cool demeanor. (Not quite cold but definitely a bit chilly.) This is in large part due to his mother’s mysterious disappearance when he was young, not to mention the treatment he receives from his mean-spirited, half-sister. He’s out to prove himself but is not too serious about his role as the chairman of the King Hotel. At least not until he is forced to interact with the King Hotel’s top talent, Cheon Sa-rang.

While initial sparks fly, the more Won and Sa-rang get to know each other, the more Won’s heart thaws. Sa-rang has no problem telling Won when he’s does something wrong and how his decisions impact the staff. Just as importantly, Won takes her words to heart and makes changes to himself and the hotel for the better. Somewhere along the way, he becomes perfect boyfriend material – trips with friends, roof-top dinners, limos, supportive of his girlfriend and her lifechanging decisions.

Ahn Bo-hyun needs to do some period dramas.   With his height and brooding good looks, he is meant to wear period costumes as is evidenced by the scenes of Moon Seo-ha in his past life. Ahn Bo-hyun brings depth to a character who survived a horrible accident and lives everyday with the consequences. Not only did the accident cause his own hearing loss but he also copes with the loss of the young girl he loved. The scenes of Seo-ha sitting alone in his house or at the bottom of the pool, speak to his struggles. Like Gu Won, Seo-ha also grew up without a mother. His initial interactions with Shin Hye-sun’s character, Ban Ji-eun, are a bit awkward as he doesn’t know what to make of this strange young woman. Over time, he comes to appreciate not only her peculiarity but the new outlook on life she shows him.

Both the male leads deal with past trama, heartache, loss and love but I have to give this one to Gu Won who experiences the most growth as a character throughout King the Land. To be fair, King the Land had four more episodes than See You In My 19^th Life so had more time to develop his character.

Best Female Lead

Shin Hye-sun comes to life when playing quirky, odd characters.  Somehow, that quirkiness increases the chemistry between her characters and that of the male leads of her dramas. Just look at the chemistry between Shin Hye-sun’s character in Mr. Queen, while inhabited by Chef Jang Bong-hwan, and King Cheoljong, played by Kim Jung-hyun.

In See You in My 19th Life, Seo-ha is, at first, confused, then intrigued by Ji-eun’s forward and strange behavior. She outshines any of the other woman around him. It’s no wonder. As a resourceful young girl, Ji-eun figures out how to use her past life talents to make money in an attempt to get away from her awful family. Then, she seeks out her niece, Kim Ae-kyung (Cha Cheong-hwa), from her 17th life, who is now a grown woman and moves in with her. With a lot of hard work and effort, she reaches her main goal of being near Seo-ha again. But as she grows closer to the people she loved in her past, Ji-eun’s memory of her past lives put their lives at risk. To save them, she must make a heartbreaking decision.

King the Land could not have a better female lead than Im Yoon-na. She brings beauty, graciousness, intelligence and sassiness in equal measures to the role of Cheon Sa-rang. Raised by her grandmother (everyone’s favorite Korean grandmother, Kim Young-ok), Sa-rang’s dream is to work at The King Hotel.  Like Ji-eun, she works hard to achieve her goal and is awarded with the title of the hotel’s top talent.

Sa-rang is kind to people even if they don’t deserve that kindness, but sometimes her willingness to do what is asked of her at the hotel puts her in a bad spot.  Like the time she becomes trapped on the mountain side and Won comes to rescue her.  Or, when she is called to be part of the Dream Team where she is treated like a servant of the King Group chairman and his family.  Her influence on Won is key to his character growth as she calls out his mistakes and perception issues.  At the same time, she grows to realize that her integrity is more important than The King Hotel and is willing to give up that dream for a new dream of her own – no help from Won. (Maybe he does show up to help, but it is more moral support and an extra pair of hands.) 

The female leads in King the Land and See You in My 19^th Life are multi-layered characters who take charge of their own lives while making the lives of those around them better.  Won and Seo-ha are lucky men.

King the Land vs See You in My 19th Life Best Romance

In King the Land – Won and Sa-rang’s relationship starts out with mutual hostility.  He doesn’t like people with fake smiles.  She doesn’t like his devil may care attitude about the hotel.  Like any good romance story, they are thrown into interesting situations together, like being stuck on an island where they have to “share” a room.  Before long, they are sneaking hugs and kisses as they try to hide their budding romance from their friends and co-workers.  This turns into steamy moments – the cooking scene, the pool scene, and the apartment scene where Won picks up Sa-rang and kisses her – only to have their friends walk in and discover their relationship.  Beyond that, they are a couple who grows both as individuals and together.

Seo-ha and Ji-eun have a different road in See You in My 19^th Life.  They loved each other as children during Ji-eun’s 18^th life and now must find each other again with Ji-eun in her 19^th life.  Since Seo-ha still experiences the trama of losing his childhood love, it takes a lot of effort for Ji-eun to break through to him.  When they first meet, he tells her she may not be the best fit for a position on the strategic planning group. She counters by asking him to date her instead.  Naturally, Seo-ha is taken aback.  She gives him three chances to turn her down.  Their growing relationship becomes more about healing and sacrifice for the person they love.  Their final scene nicely echoes Seo-ha and Ji-eun’s first encounter as he gives her the same three chances to turn him down that she gave him.

Both dramas contain couples who complement each other and, in the end, bring out the best in their partner. However, King the Land really has it all when it comes to romance.

Best Mystery

There are several mysteries swirling through See You in My 19th Life.  Why Ji-eun remembers her previous lives for one.  As memories of her first life surface – she wonders who killed her sister.  Could it have been Seo-ha in his previous life?  Why is part-time worker Kang Min-gi (Lee Chai-min) so interested in her touching the shaman bells?  Who was behind the accident that killed young Yoon Joo-won, chauffer Ha Do-yoon and injured Seo-ha?  All these questions and the slow reveal of answers kept me watching and guessing until the end.

The primary mystery in King the Land centers around Won’s mother.  What happened to her?  Is she still alive?  Why did she leave his family?  Sa-rang tracks down information on Won’s mother, knowing that despite his objections, someday he will want answers.  When his mother does show up, it does help Won fill a hole in his life but otherwise is somewhat anti-climactic.

The best mystery goes to See You in My 19^th Life. The show expertly unfolds the many mysteries throughout the series and left me waiting expectantly with each episode.

Best Cooking Scene

I made the mistake of watching both dramas before all the episodes aired.  In the case of King the Land, there were eight to watch before I had to wait for the next one.  And you know where episode 8 ends.  Won is in the process of cooking an amazing dinner for Sa-rang when sparks on the cooktop fly causing the sprinkler system above it to go off.  Sa-rang drops her wineglass in surprise.  Afraid she might hurt herself, Won races around the kitchen island, grabs her and places her on the countertop.  As water rains down upon them, a steamy kiss ensues.  (I think I need some air.)  The scene is a wonderful culmination of the budding feelings Won and Sa-rang have shown for each other.

See You in My 19^th Life also includes a scene with Seo-ha cooking for Ji-eun.  Like King the Land, the scene shows Seo-ha’s nascent feelings for Ji-eun yet in a tender kind of way.  It is a lovely scene its own right and in any other head-to-head would probably win, but….

King the Land is the winner here.  How can you top fire, water, steam and soaking wet leads?

Best Assistant

The assistants in King the Land and See You in My 19^th Life have very different personalities.  Ahn Se-ha as Noh Sang-sik, Won’s assistant and only friend, is bubbly, funny and full of energy.  Some of his best scenes come during their trip where he must pretend to be the General Manager.  His packed itinerary filled with team events is the opposite of the alone time with Seo-ha that Won is hoping for.  And those T-shirts!  I knew Sang-sik couldn’t possibly take the offer of Won’s sister, Goo Hwa-ran (Kim Seon-young), and turn on his friend. Still, it’s a relief to learn that he turned her down.  He deserved that promotion!

Ha Do-yoon (Ahn Dong-goo) as Seo-ha’s assistant is as efficient as he is brooding.  He is loyal to Seo-ha but is careful to maintain an employee/employer relationship.  Afraid of getting hurt – and hurting others, he is careful with all his relationships.  It’s heartbreaking to learn the chauffer who died in the accident that killed young Joo-won is Do-yoon’s father.   Do-yoon is a person who puts others needs before his own.  He has raised his younger brother alone and forces down his feelings for Yoon Cho-won, Ji-eun’s sister from her previous life.

Both assistants give their respective bosses excellent opportunities to grow but are interesting and unique characters in their own right.  However, in See You in My 19^th Life, Do-yoon’s life outside of his role as Seo-ha’s assistant provides him with more layers.

Best Second Couple

Speaking of Do-yoon, in See You In My 19^th Life, it’s revealed that Ji-eun’s 18^th life sister, Cho-won (Ha Yoon-kyung) has had a crush on him since – forever.  Each time he sees her, he balls his fists as though trying to hold himself together.  He is beneath her in status and doesn’t want to see her ridiculed because of him.  Adorable Cho-won does everything in her power to get him to acknowledge her even though, at first, she thinks he doesn’t like her.  When she finds out the truth, that he cares for her deeply, it hurts her even more that he won’t fight for them.  Fortunately, they both learn that life is too short to worry about what other people think and eventually find their way to each other.  They are so lovely together. It’s too bad there wasn’t more time to showcase their budding relationship.

Sa-rang’s two best friends in King the Land, are flight attendant Oh Pyung-hwa (Go Won-hee) and Kang Da-eul (Kim Ga-eun), a working mom, who is a manager at the King Group duty-free store, Alanga.  Both Pyung-hwa and Da-eul have interesting stories but it’s Pyung-hwa’s slow burn romance with fellow flight attendant, Lee Ro-woon (Kim Jae-won), that I enjoyed the most.  Though he is her junior, he clearly has a crush on her from the beginning.   Da-eul is concerned what others will think of her if they find out she is divorced. (What a surprise it is that her “ex-husband” is the obnoxious pilot who keeps hitting on her.) Ro-woon takes his time with Da-eul, slowly showing he cares for her before finally telling her.  I could not have been happier when Da-eul finally realizes he is the guy for her.

Da-eul and Ro-woon of King the Land simply had more screen time together both before and after becoming a couple.  My vote might have changed with more scenes between Do-yoon and Cho-won.

King the Land vs See You in My 19th Life Best Tear-jerker Moments

King the Land is a feel-good show that doesn’t call for many tear-jerker moments but there is one involving Won. It occurs after he sees his mother for the first time in years. Won leaves her in the room where they chatted and begins to walk down the hallway.  Slowly, he breaks down until he is sitting on the floor sobbing. Even better, he goes back into the room where his mother is waiting and gives her a big hug because he has missed her.  Oh Won-i!

In See You In My 19th Life, as Ji-eun holds onto the shaman bells she remembers some of the events surrounding the death of her 1^st life sister.  In her memories, it looks like Seo-ha’s previous self is responsible. As a result, it’s a shock to find Seo-ha trying to comfort her as she comes out of the memory. Through a flood of tears, she blames him for her sister’s death and tries to hurt him.  Once she realizes this, she is all the more devasted that she attacked him.

Both of these scenes are winners as they dig into hurtful memories from the past and express the grief these characters feel as a result.

Best Ending

Not all romance Kdramas end in a wedding, so I love it when they do.  Though a few hiccups are teased (I’m talking about the end of episodes 12 and 15), King the Land ends with Won and Sa-rang’s breathtaking wedding complete with dazzling flower arrangements and elegant decor in the King the Land venue. Dressed in a dark tux (and matching vest!), Won’s gaze is filled with love for Sa-rang who looks stunning in her sleeveless wedding dress. And what about those end credits scenes showing Sa-rang critiquing each of Won’s potential groom outfits until he appears in the perfect suit?  Honestly, the man looks good in everything.

In the end of See You in My 19th Life, Ji-hae says goodbye to the people she loves. Then she makes the difficult decision to remember all her first life.  Only then will she forget her past lives and save the people she loves. But this comes at the expense of losing her memories of them.   Seo-ha promises he will not let her live her 19^th life without the people she loves in it – including him.

After the full events of her first life are revealed, Ji-hae is back at her old job at the car test track. She experiences “chance” meetings with her family and friends until finally, Seo-ha calls her in for an interview.  Though she is confused why he would want to work with her given her background, Seo-ha echoes back her words from their first meeting.  If she won’t work for him, she can date him instead.  Everything ends well. But…. as in Mr. Queen, I wonder if Seo-ha will miss the Ji-hae he’s come to love. The quirky young woman with memories of her past lives.

I want a sequel to See You in My 19^th Life though.  Remember when Kang Min-gi told Ji-hae how rare it is to live a life where the people around you also look like the people from a past life?  He says he is on his 23^rd life.  What is his story?  When will he have the chance to forget his past lives?  Can we have a See You in My 23^th Life?

The ending of King the Land ties up all lose ends and gives Won and Sa-rang a beautiful send-off.  It’s hard to beat that.

King the Land vs See You in My 19th Life Soundtracks

The soundtracks for both dramas nicely fit each show and are filled with songs to add to my Kdrama playlist.  For See You in My 19^th Life, my favorite song is I’ll Embrace Your Past sung by Ahn Bo-hyun himself.  Other lovely songs include Silence by Sun Woo Jung-ah, the string guitar ballad, Star (Colde) and DOYOUNG’s Here with Me.

King the Land is filled with beautiful love songs like Get To You, sung by Jung Seung-hwan, Confess To You (Lim Kim), You are My (Hynn), Fall In Love (Jeong Sewoon), and Kim Woojin’s upbeat Dive.  I also like the addition of Taeyang’s haunting Eyes, Nose, Lips which debuted back in 2014.

My rating for King the Land:  4.5 sips

My rating for See You in My 19th Life:  4.4 sips