Review: KING THE LAND, Volume 1 is a beautiful yet brief adaptation of the K-Drama

King the Land, Vol. 1

Story: Choi Rome 
Art: Spoon
Publisher: Seven Seas Entertainment (Print & Digital)
Translation: Sophie Dong
Publication Date: February 2025
Rating: Older Teen (15+)
Genre: Manhwa, Webtoon

This review contains spoilers for King the Land, Vol. 1.

An electrifying tale inspired by the beloved K-drama romance! Get this full-color manhwa/comic prequel in English print at last–from the artist of Who Made Me a Princess, also available from Seven Seas.

Gu Won’s upbringing was straight from a storybook—he was the prince of his own world, surrounded by opulence and luxury. Yet, beneath the façade of grandeur, his life was a tapestry of loneliness and betrayal.

With a father who pits him against his own sister, Gu Won’s world is icy and devoid of joy—until he meets Sa Rang, the sunny daughter of a humble servant. Her friendship and radiant smile begin to thaw his frozen heart. But tragedy strikes, tearing them apart and leaving Sa Rang orphaned and adrift. As their paths diverge, bitterness and longing fuel their journey onward. Can these once inseparable friends navigate their way back to each other?

To preface my review: I might be the only person on Earth who didn’t realize the King the Land manhwa is actually adapted from the live-action K-Drama, not the other way around. When I first read it, I was genuinely confused about missing plot points and why the series was only two volumes long. The more you know, I guess! Haha…

King the Land opens with a whimsical fairy-tale framing device: a prince who punishes anyone who dares to smile in front of him. This sets the tone for the story’s modern-day counterpart, where we meet a young Gu Won, a reserved and somewhat aloof boy whose cold demeanor has earned him a similar reputation. He’s painted as the metaphorical “prince” of King Hotel, the luxurious property owned by his family. One day, Gu Won encounters Cheon Sa Rang, a cheerful and radiant girl whose warmth immediately sets her apart. Unlike everyone else who treads carefully around him, Sa Rang smiles openly simply because she likes him. This small act of kindness leaves a lasting impression on Gu Won, though it also creates a stir among the staff at the Gu family home. Sa Rang’s mother, an employee at their mansion, feels obligated to apologize to Gu Won on her daughter’s behalf, and Sa Rang quickly follows suit when she learns her mom’s job might be in jeopardy just for their innocent interaction.

Wanting to thank Gu Won for speaking up on her mother’s behalf, Sa Rang spells out “thank you” with rocks and candy. Although she knows she might get in trouble for sneaking out again, she wants him to know how much it meant to her. The two play together, and Gu Won is surprised when Sa Rang asks him to be the princess, just because she always plays the princess when she and her mom pretend together. Eventually, they settle on him being the prince and her the queen. She praises him for studying, sings him a lullaby, and then we segue into a dreamlike sequence from Gu Won’s past.

We see what appears to be an even younger Gu Won running into his older sister, Hwa Ran, asking where his mom is. Hwa Ran coldly tells him to stop crying because “princes don’t cry.” As she walks off, Gu Won finds himself surrounded by fake smiles from their staff pretending to care about him. This scene highlights the emotional distance between the siblings and is especially heartbreaking when you realize Gu Won tried to connect with her.

When he wakes up from his brief nap, Sa Rang jokingly asks if he dreamt about ghosts. He admits he was dreaming of his mom, then quickly backpedals, saying he was just being scolded in the dream. Sa Rang, ever the optimist, ruffles his hair and tells him he needs the “red sun”—a hypnosis technique to forget bad memories. Gu Won wonders why she’s always smiling, and she says, “Maybe it’s because I like playing with you.” When she tries to stop smiling (remembering he doesn’t like it), he assures her, “I don’t mind it when you do it.”

Gu Won opens up about his strained relationship with Hwa Ran. In the next scene, we see them and their father sharing a tense meal. Although he praises them both for their grades, he praises Gu Won just a little more, reminding them that only one can inherit King Group. This toxic family dynamic is starkly different from the warmth Gu Won experiences with Sa Rang.

Inspired by his interactions with Sa Rang, Gu Won tries to reconnect with Hwa Ran by asking for her help studying. She declines, and the coldness between them remains.

The next day, which is the day after her birthday, Sa Rang brings chocolates to Gu Won, though they’ve sadly melted. She’s disappointed he couldn’t see how pretty they were, but they eat them together anyway. Wanting to do something to celebrate her birthday, Gu Won grabs chocolates from his pantry and offers them to her. She expresses a desire to spend his birthday with him, but he brushes it off, saying it’s a boring, adult-only event. He admits he has more fun spending time with her, and they agree to celebrate together when the time comes. (So sweet.)

They watch the pool being cleaned, and Sa Rang mentions she’d swim every day if she had one. When she asks why Gu Won doesn’t swim, we get a flashback of him drowning as a (younger) child. His father coldly watches, telling him, “It’s not even deep. You should be able to climb out.” Though Gu Won tries to act brave, Sa Rang reassures him by sharing her own near-drowning experience. She even admits she had to sleep next to her mom to stop the nightmares.

This triggers another memory: young Gu Won crying out for his mom, only to be scolded by his father for not “being a man.” (He’s a literal child, but okay.) Wanting to change the subject, Gu Won shows Sa Rang his room, where she’s fascinated by his globe.

Later, Hwa Ran hosts a pool party, but her “friends” gossip about her and speculate that Gu Won might inherit everything. That night, Sa Rang asks to see the pool. Though Gu Won is still traumatized, he agrees. It’s a nice moment—until Sa Rang slips and falls in, forcing Gu Won to confront his fear.

The next day, he learns that Sa Rang’s mother was fired for “letting her run wild,” and Hwa Ran complained that Sa Rang interrupted her studies. Later, on Christmas, Sa Rang and Gu Won narrowly miss seeing each other in the hotel lobby—a truly tragic missed connection. 🙁

Tragedy strikes when Sa Rang’s mother dies in a car accident on her way to work. At the funeral, Sa Rang overhears guests speculating that her mom worked herself to death for her daughter’s sake. Devastated, she asks her grandmother if it was her fault. Her grandma reassures her that it wasn’t. Eventually, Sa Rang returns to the hotel on her own and breaks down, reliving memories of her mom. Staff comfort her until her grandmother arrives.

Years pass. A teenage Gu Won is asked by his friends what his “ideal type” is. While they suggest typical answers, Gu Won replies: “A girl who can climb trees.” Only the class otaku agrees. He later wonders why he said that, recalling a hazy memory of climbing a tree with Sa Rang.

Meanwhile, Hwa Ran is focused on business, and their father pushes Gu Won to consider college abroad, fueling their sibling rivalry. When Hwa Ran suggests he study overseas, he snaps, saying, “You’re an executive at his company, yet you’re intimidated by a high school student. Are you not confident in your abilities?” Tired of the constant competition, he retreats to his room, dreaming of escape.

Sa Rang, on the other hand, has decided to attend a vocational school. Despite her top grades and scholarship offers, she wants to start working to repay her grandmother. Everyone—friends, teachers—urges her to reconsider. But surprisingly, her grandmother supports her decision. “I know that no matter where you are, you’ll be the best~!,” she says. (May everyone be lucky enough to have someone like Sa Rang’s grandma in their life.)

The volume closes with Sa Rang and her friends beginning their next chapter: college life.

As I mentioned, I didn’t realize King the Land the manhwa was based on the drama, not vice versa. Despite the controversy surrounding the K-Drama, I really enjoyed it and was completely enamored with Sa Rang’s character. I didn’t know if I wanted to be her or be with her. Lol

The comic doesn’t quite capture all the magic of the live-action, but it tries. We get to see the childhood traumas that shaped both Gu Won and Sa Rang, and how those experiences continue to impact them. While Gu Won may have forgotten her due to how young they were, I suspect his traumatic upbringing plays a major role in his memory loss.

I’m a sucker for stories where the FL and ML are destined to be together, so naturally, I adored this one. This review only covers Volume 1, but it’s pretty obvious where the story’s headed (besides the fact that I watched the K-Drama lol). I’m really looking forward to Volume 2—where they’ll meet again, annoy each other, and fall in love. XD

The artwork is absolutely adorable. Spoon—also the artist behind Who Made Me a Princess (published by Seven Seas)—brings a soft, expressive touch to this series. There’s a unique charm to King the Land that feels especially warm, maybe because it’s set in modern day, or maybe because I’m emotionally invested already. The glossy paper quality is also a nice bonus—it really makes the art pop.

Even though I’m bummed the series is only two volumes, I’ll definitely be back with thoughts on Volume 2! I’m sure it’ll be just as whimsical and heartwarming as I hope it will be.