Mediocre and problematic with a big shiny budget

This is my first ever review but this series rubbed me in all the wrong ways and i had to ramble a little to get the bad taste of it out of my mouth. Sorry in advance if it’s a long one.
KTL started sweet and refreshingly enough albeit a cliche and it was comforting food for the soul but then it seriously downhill for me for a multitude of reasons and i’m not even gonna get into the whole Arab prince debacle which was done very badly and offended a lot of people.

Before getting to the thick of it i have to give some points for the production value, cinematography and OST but with a lack of solid script it didn’t achieve much.
The camaraderie in the friend group and the support they had for each other was one of the few redeeming things about this show.
It also realistically depicted the service industry and the abuse workers have to endure on a daily basis.
The intimate scenes were done well but steam even a lot of it does not a worthwhile series make.

One of my main issues is like literally how is the sister the bad guy?
What is it with kdramas and misogyny?
Women can be good and competent but not in real positions of power?
How many successful female CEOs have you seen in any kdrama that wasn’t a scheming evil rival of the protagonist who probably had a nervous breakdown by the end of the series and got what was coming for her?
The sister has worked hard all her life and is managing a big company with different departments, is successful and smart, rightly has acknowledged Sarang’s worth and good work since the beginning and justly promoted her multiple times but then because of her spoiled brother who by the way I haven’t seen any sign of actually working or appreciating his status, is not worthy of becoming the CEO of the company she has worked her whole life for?
Guwon gets a seat at the table out of nowhere just because of his father and gets opportunities at every turn again because of his father but his sister has to fight for her position and honestly her decisions are consistent with that of a true leader not a do gooder.
I don’t care about her rotten personality, her beef with her brother or anything that’s not business wise cause in that regard she’s more than capable and qualified as hell and Guwon certainly is not and this show is questioning her management skills solely on the basis of her personal life. It wouldn’t be a classic kdrama if we don’t have an evil female antagonist.

And for a show which was supposed to be anti nepotism, it did a very poor job. How many times has Sarang enjoyed privileges not provided to any of her coworkers because of her relationship with Guwon? It’s really awful and it cheapens her good work ethics specially the amazing thailand trip courtesy of the company owner’s son attended by said undeserving son.
I understand that Sarang’s character is supposed to be gentle and calming but this paradox of an independent modern working woman and a damsel in distress in constant need of saving from the hero was ridiculous.
She doesn’t have a mean bone in her body and treats everyone nice and fair.
You can’t have your cake and eat it too. Grow a backbone sister it’s 2023.

And let’s be honest, when has working in the service industry been about dreams of making people happy and smile?
Ep 11 felt like a very long sermon by a preacher preaching the many benefits of working your ass off helping others as a noble and good deed which reality check reconfirms is only about cashing your paycheck at the end of the month and making ends meet since literally in the history of time no one has served anyone for the sheer joy of it.
Any improvement in Guwon personality and perspective comes directly from his interactions with Sarang and it’s like he had never seen or comprehend before that there were people who worked in the service industry and got things done for him.
He treats these so called new discoveries as groundbreaking like how blind and clueless were you before true love found you?
With a big budget and enormous sponsors (the very unsubtle product placements get a lot of screen time and oohs and awws) they could’ve done a much better job but alas it was mediocre and repetitive.

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