Hotel King (2014)

When I started watching the show, I really had high expectations from it. I was expecting some hard core revenge and some sizzling chemistry between the leads. I was also expecting top notch acting by the cast but except for the support role, it couldn't be found anywhere.

I tried to drag the show on but i irrevocably dropped it after 15th episode.

The lead characters just did not know how to act. Lee Dong Wook may be a celebrated actor, but all he is good at is standing still and staring with cold expressions. Jive him one hint of true emotion and he screws up. And he really cant cry on screen. Every time he teared up, it looked fake and forced. As long as he was acting like a col blooded murderer, he was fine. The moment he starts softening up, his character lost all charms.

Lee Da Hae has gone through so many surgeries that she is just incapable of producing emotions from her face. All she did in the show was whine and annoy TF out of me. Even though her character was immature, it shows that her personality lacks charm and that is why it was difficult to even connect to her character. Other actresses have a certain flair of their personality in their characters that make us like them. But Lee Da Hae was just trying too hard to be cute, which was disastrous. There was not a single moment in all the episodes that I watched, that I wanted to empathize with her. Even when she was doing good in the story, I was annoyed by her.

This was a wastage of time for me and I am glad I dropped it.

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Trama sensível e química perfeita do casal. Por sinal são os mesmos atores do casal protagonista de My Girl, porém numa fase mais madura, e ambos ARRASAM na atuação. São incríveis mesmo (o Dong Wook é bias, mas com muito mérito kkkkk). As personagens secundárias também são muito bem construídas e interpretadas.
A história é linda e triste, do tipo trágica e conturbada, mas que com certeza merece nossa atenção e sensibilidade.
Eu daria mais nota se fosse um drama um pouco mais dinâmico.
Uma versão "director's cut" seria interessante, desde que um pouco mais curta que essa.
Tirando isso, a trama é fantástica, plot lindo e o casal é apaixonante. Eu gosto desses dramas intensos, cheios de conflitos, mas onde o amor deles é tão nítido e sensível que é impossível a gente não torcer por eles do começo ao fim. Tem os detalhes que fogem do padrão também, como o mocinho não ser o boss, e sim a mocinha. Ela é rica, linda, e a princípio parece mimada e insensível, mas com o tempo vemos que não é nada disso, ela apenas sabe que precisa ser forte. Ela se encontra numa situação onde todos ao redor querem que ela caia, e por isso sua única saída é ser durona e até um pouco odiada por alguns. Mas é bem desse jeito que ela nos encanta, a gente chega a admirar mais ela do que o mocinho (que não fica atrás no quesito força e fossa kkkkk). Muito interessante esse aspecto do drama.
O mocinho é o gerente do hotel, é a cabeça por trás de tudo. Ele é muito inteligente, forte e leal, mas foi tão leal que não viu que sua vida cresceu numa mentira, então uma hora o castelo dele desmorona lindamente (algo que também acontece com a mocinha), e ele se vê perdido, como se nada fizesse sentido. Contudo, neste ponto o casal já estará bem envolvido, e um verá no outro o seu porto seguro, ou sua razão pra continuar vivendo e lutando. São dois amantes que têm suas vidas arruinadas por questões diferentes (mas relacionadas), e que acabam se unindo para lutarem por algo que lhes é de direito. Ao mesmo tempo, eles também querem conquistar o direito de se amarem livremente. É um drama emocionante, encantador, triste e lindo.
Pra quem procura algo do gênero e não se importa em ter algumas partes um pouco menos dinâmicas (e isso não indica que são inúteis), fica aí uma boa sugestão.

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I delayed watching this drama as it has exactly same leading couple as 'My Girl', which belongs into my absolute k-drama top 5, so I was afraid of my image being spoilt (I remember attempting 'Miss Ripley': I just couldn't bear watching it). But, long time has passed. So, no more worries...

Lee Da Hae still looks pretty (I'm not into her dyed hair and makeup but whatever), still looks considerably young, only perhaps her breasts are way lower (they shouldn't have her wear evening robes showing it), her character is intense in her quest for her dead father's justice, which is good, still I did not care for her so much.

As for Lee Dong Wook, the physical change that happened with him is way more than Lee Da Hae's breast & dyed hair. He looks like a different guy. I no longer like him, nevertheless I think those who did not like him BEFORE might like him now. To be perfectly honest, I did not enjoy watching his character here. Whether he looked like his vein was going to burst, or he was making his "poker face", I found him more annoying than intriguing. Because I definitely was not THAT invested in his character's drama, or in the whole story of 'Hotel King' (it's NOT the name of the hotel, btw.) and rather thought the 32 episodes instead of the usual 16 unnecessary.

I considered dropping this drama after 4 episodes...

I took a pause before watching episode 5. I tried again with fresh eye. It definitely looks Lee Dong Wook's acting got WORSE, not better. There is so much of orchestra and string music. It all has such a heavy, tiring atmosphere... It's 5th episode out of 32, too early to be storming the viewers with all this BEFORE making them care, first. I still don't know what the main guy's deal is. I only know that he looks ridiculous making his 33-year old face all super strained about it.

I'm afraid I really don't have this much patience. Had this been 12-episode series, perhaps. Alas, no. And I don't need to know the big secret... So, if I'll miss seeing Lee Da & Lee Dong, I'll better watch 'My Girl' for 100th time.

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