King2Hearts (2012)

Tra i migliori drama mai visti, una serie che davvero merita.

Questo drama entra di diritto tra le pochissime serie - si possono davvero contare sulle dita di una mano - a cui ho dato la massima valutazione, 10 stelline.
L'avevo in lista da molto tempo - suggerito come consiglio per chi aveva apprezzato come me serie quali "Descendants of the sun" e "Crash landing on you" - ma data la difficile reperibilità (assurdo che tra tante serie-immondizia propinate su Viki una perla come questa non sia invece disponibile) l'avevo lasciato nella lista e quasi dimenticata lì. L'aver visto recentemente serie quali Law Cafè e Korean Odyssey mi hanno fatto apprezzare così tanto Lee Seung Gi da aver riscoperto questo titolo nella sua filmografia e aver trovato la voglia di faticare un po' per vederlo (sottotitolato in italiano e in inglese, ma posso dirmi non pienamente soddisfatta della qualità di entrambe).
Che dire...è stata una full immersione di 20 episodi da un'ora l'uno, che mi hanno fatta sorridere, divertire, commuovere, piangere come una fontana ed emozionare come pochi altre serie hanno saputo fare.

Passiamo però ora alla recensione vera e propria. Si tratta di un drama abbastanza datato: siamo nel 2012 e a livello di qualità delle riprese, montaggio, annessi e connessi la differenza con gli standard attuali si nota. Del resto la tecnologia fa passi da gigante a ritmi vertiginosi, per cui anche solo una manciata d'anni si fanno notare. Per essere comunque di oltre una decade fa, la qualità è decisamente superiore ad altre serie prodotte negli stessi anni.
Quanto al genere, lo definirei un drama romantico che si sviluppa tra intrighi politici e giochi di potere, con un' ambientazione a tratti militare che gli garantisce un buon livello di azione e dinamicità. Tema fondamentale che vuole andare di pari passo con la love story è quello del difficile rapporto tra la Corea del Nord e quella del Sud, pur rivisitate rispetto alla situazione reale (la Corea del Nord è uno stato democratico popolare a stampo comunista, la Corea del Sud una repubblica monarchica e quindi con tanto di famiglia reale).

Molte sono le tematiche che vengono trattate: proprio perchè sono molteplici, e la durata della serie per quanto apprezzabile ha comunque un suo limite, va da sé che singolarmente non vengono approfondite con la serietà di un film d'essai. Nessuna grande riflessione esistenziale, ma una serie di tematiche - anche importanti -trattate e sviluppate nella misura giusta per un buon drama. Troviamo in primis il tema della famiglia, delle responsabilità legate al ruolo (nella prima parte della serie sottolineate sia dal precedente Re, modello virtuoso, che dal giovane Principe, così desideroso di sfuggire al pesante onere al quale la vita lo ha destinato); c'è il rapporto tra i fratelli, quello figli-genitori, l'amore verso il proprio Paese e la lealtà verso i compagni d'armi. Ma non solo, trovano spazio anche temi più delicati, quali l'aborto, la disabilità. Si parla poi di fiducia, di tradimento, di sacrificio, sensi di colpa, forza di volontà e determinazione. C'è davvero molto, insomma, sul piatto.

L'aspetto forse migliore della serie è che mi ha dato davvero la possibilità di provare una vasta gamma di emozioni, anche estremamente contrastanti: se nella prima parte prevalgono i momenti più spensierati, a tratti divertenti, dove qualche questione e problematica già c'è ma sembra non risentire di toni troppo cupi, a un certo punto arrivano anche le lacrime e la commozione, le situazioni maturano e si fanno via via più pesanti e importanti.
Non è una serie dove il contesto resta in disparte e osserva l'evoluzione del rapporto tra lui e lei, ma, al contrario, il loro rapporto si trova a fronteggiare, episodio dopo episodio, una fitta serie di ostacoli complessi che coinvolge aspetti politici e militari sempre più di maggior rilievo.

Rispetto ai protagonisti, buona parte delle 10 stelle di questo drama sono dovute alla presenza di Lee Seung Gi, attore versatile e talentuoso, che qui riveste i panni di un personaggio dalle tante sfaccettature e in perenne evoluzione. Conosciamo un Lee Jae Ah solare e immaturo, a tratti superficiale ed egoista, che non aspira a diventare Re e che al quale anche il titolo di Principe sembra andare stretto. Osserviamo la sua crescita, lenta e credibile, gli errori, la frustrazione, la vergogna, il modo di reagire che va via via responsabilizzandosi e maturando, lo vediamo sfoggiare un'arroganza di facciata, che poi diventa scudo e poi ancora non basta più, fino alla presa di consapevolezza della necessità di cambiare, di diventare più forte, di farsi carico del pesante fardello che non ha mai chiesto ma che a un certo punto deve scegliere di portare. Il tutto senza mai snaturare la sua natura, lasciando in lui quei tratti caratteriali che lo contraddistinguono sin dall'inizio. Tutto questo portato in scena da un bravissimo attore, espressivo e carismatico ma al tempo stesso incredibilmente profondo. Non è la prima volta che apprezzo i ruoli interpretati da Lee Seung Gi, a cui riconosco la rara capacità di rendere un protagonista affascinante e carismatico pur arricchendolo di sfaccettature che striderebbero con lo stereotipo dell'eroe maschile forte-freddo-autorevole-coraggioso-distaccato. I suoi personaggi - Re Lee Jae Ah compreso - sanno esserlo al momento opportuno, ma sanno anche ritagliarsi dei momenti buffi e divertenti, con spaccati quasi da sit-com, a volte infantili e capricciosi, ma senza mai minare la credibilità o il fascino complessivo del personaggio (mi viene ad esempio in mente l'abbigliamento a dir poco eccentrico in Korean Odyssey o la sfilata delle mille tute dai colori improponibili in Law Cafè... ci fosse stato un altro attore, il protagonista sarebbe probabilmente caduto nel ridicolo). Tanto di cappello quindi a questo attore che riesce ad essere credibile, apprezzabile e soprattutto intenso a 360 gradi (e mi auguro di rivederlo presto in qualche nuova produzione, già che dal 2022 sembra un po' sparito).
La protagonista femminile... Sicuramente è stata caratteristica, sicuramente aveva un taglio insolito e modalità relazionali poco comuni ad altre serie, probabilmente per evidenziare la differenza culturale tra le due parti. C'è qualcosa che però non mi ha convinta fino in fondo: a volte il modo di parlare e l'atteggiamento - più che qualcosa di voluto per sottolineare l'appartenenza a un contesto diverso - mi hanno portata a pensare di avere a che fare con una protagonista parecchio tonta. Certe reazioni ed espressioni erano davvero poco credibili per una delle migliori spie/agenti speciali nordcoreane. Tanto impavida e letale in campo, quanto davvero poco astuta e arguta. La definizione di "ingenua", anche a livello delle relazioni sentimentali, trabocca un po': senza esperienza è una cosa, facile da ingannare al pari di una bimba è un'altro. Nella prima parte sono svariati i momenti in cui la scaltrezza le manca in modo assoluto, ed è davvero stridente vista la caratterizzazione del personaggio.

Ho poi apprezzato molto i personaggi secondari, dal defunto re al segretario capo - figura davvero complessa e di spessore, una di quelle che ho sentito più "vere", - dalla Regina Vedova alla Principessa, al vice comandante delle guardie (Eun Shi Kyung, nonché figlio del segretario capo e che, con la principessa, imbastisce un apprezzatissimo pairing secondario), al cattivo di turno, l'assurdo ma credibilissimo John Meyer.

Rispetto al romance, le scene davvero dedicate sono esigue: pochi i baci, totale censura sulle scene intime - si deduce che ci sono, ma non vengono minimamente accennate - eppure mi sento di dire che la love story è comunque molto emozionante, perchè tra dichiarazioni, battute e battibecchi, giochi di sguardi e sorrisi la chimica tra i due protagonisti sembra riuscire a compensare l'assenza di scene più esplicite.

INIZIO SPOILER!!
Ci sono due cose che non mi aspettavo, una che ho apprezzato e l'altra no: temevo che il tema della fiducia/tradimento sarebbe rimasto come un'ombra tra la coppia per buona parte del drama, invece ho apprezzato che la questione non viene tirata per le lunghe e i dubbi dissipati relativamente alla svelta: ci sono ostacoli sempre maggiori sul loro cammino, ma la fiducia reciproca non vacillerà praticamente mai.
Ciò che invece avrei preferito non ci fosse, è stata la dipartita di Eun Shi Kyung: inizialmente il personaggio mi sembrava un pesce fuor d'acqua, ma con l'entrata in scena della principessa e il delinearsi del secondo pairing l'avevo davvero preso a cuore, anche perchè la coppia era nettamente diversa da quella principale ma altrettanto interessante. Se la morte del precedente re e relativa consorte l'avevo un po' messa in conto fin dai primi episodi (del resto drama si intitola "The King", per cui un protagonista eternamente Principe non avrebbe avuto senso), la triste fine di Shi Kyung sinceramente non me l'aspettavo, per via del pairing secondario che si frantumava e perchè erano state poste le basi anche per lo sviluppo di una sincera amicizia con il Re. Sarò sincera, dopo esserci rimasta di stucco, per un po' ho anche sperato fosse stata una messinscena, fatto spacciare per morto con qualche motivazione e poi fatto ricomparire più avanti. Ci ho sperato fino all'ultimo, quando la principessa accenna all'imminente appuntamento al buio... salvo poi dover accettare la triste realtà e cercare di dare comunque un senso alla scelta di toglierlo dai giochi, sicuramente molto sentita e toccante.
FINE SPOILER!!!

Si poteva sperare in qualcosa di più indimenticabile per quanto riguarda la musica, non ho trovato la colonna sonora che terrò di ricordo nella playlist, ma sinceramente non è poi un problema.

In conclusione, un drama che davvero merita di essere visto, apprezzato e - sicuramente, per quanto mi riguarda - rivisto. Consiglierei la visione anche agli sceneggiatori/registi delle serie attuali, perchè una bella rispolverata di questo gioiello del 2012 li stimoli a riproporre qualcosa dello stesso calibro negli anni a venire, già che la qualità di molte serie proposte ultimamente lascia davvero a desiderare.

Leggi di Più

I apologize in advance for the length of what follows.
This drama hit me like a tsunami of emotions and has left me bruised in so many places I'm in dire need of a strong tonic
I had promised myself to never say this, but rules are made to be broken: King 2 Hearts is the best drama I have ever watched. It is so because it fully responds to what I ask a work of fiction: not just to entertain me, but to make me feel. Deeply.

I suppose it's not for everyone though. It raises issues which require a level of maturity, as well as a huge dose of emotional strength. It plays on prejudices and the rotten nature of politics, sparing no one: the arrogance of the western world, the obtuseness of military regimes, the cowardice of politicians, the corruptive power of money no matter where. But it highlights the best virtues too: loyalty, friendship, courage, honesty, responsibility towards the people we love. This story is the growth of a group of people, from biased to understanding, and most of all is the birth of a king worth of this name.
It's obviously a love story too, but I'm glad this is only partly the focus of the drama. Don't expect a rom-com, or you'll be disappointed. The comedy is there, mainly in the beginning, and it is a clever sort of fun, but it's devoid of the usual comedic tropes, and it always has a black undertone - which I personally adore.
So to me this is a truly romantic drama, in the classical sense of the word, full of awe, suspense and heartbreak. There isn't even an ounce of fluff: if this is what you're looking for, King 2 Hearts is not for you.

Two words about script and direction: the first is one of the most consistent I've come across, never deviating from reality even when the setting is fictional. I am aware some of the scenarios are controversial to say the least, but if you give a look at the way international politics works, you'll see that - alas - it's a lot more plausible than we would like to admit. This said, the writers managed to create an ensemble of wonderful characters who touch the heart, and always thought-provoking dialogues. Direction is splendid, very film-like, playing on grand-angle and close-up shots, on colours, light and dark. The action scenes are believable and thrilling.

Standing ovation for the performance of the entire cast. Everyone has done such a brilliant job, I'm in awe.
Ha Ji Won is wonderful, to say the least. I've read some arguing that a north Korean soldier can't be so girly and trusting in the matters of the heart, but her multiple layers are what make Hang A the incredibly believable character I fell in love with, and Ha Ji Won the awesome actress she is. Besides her doing most of her stunts, she studied the North dialect, voice intonation and poses. The result is a charming mixture of vulnerability and strength which is profoundly feminine.
I'm glad I've really got to know Lee Seung Gi with this drama, because this young man has done an amazing step forward in terms of acting. His performance as the shallow, prejudiced playboy he's in the beginning slowly growing to be a king to be proud of, is mind-blowing. I truly felt all his suffering, doubts, uncertainties, fear… stress. He has gained a loyal fan for his professionalism and for the courage to accept a controversial part which more mature actors had refused before him.
Jo Jung Suk and Lee Yoon Ji have been an incredible revelation for me, both acted so naturally it's almost unbelievable.
Hat off to all the other actors. I was just as involved in their fates as I was in that of the main couple. They all made me laugh, weep (buckets, really), be proud or exhilarated.
Yes, even the villain. It won't be easy for the actor to shrug off the image. He embodies evil in its most horrific, unadulterated form: gratuitous cruelty, the pleasure to see others suffer, vanity and megalomania, all highlighted by a child-like behaviour which is as disquieting as it reduces him to the sub-human this character actually is.

Oh, the music!
A good soundtrack explains the scenes with the notes. When he wrote the score for the 1993 film "The Piano", Michael Nyman said he needed some piano pieces which could speak for Ada, who is mute, and work as a substitute to her voice.
That's what the music in King 2 Hearts does: if you close your eyes and listen to it (I have it all on my i-pod) the music will speak for the scene, and will keep on speaking to you when the show is over. The instrumental pieces are simply perfect and aching. "Two Hearts" begins with the pound of two hearts, hence explaining in a second a title whose meaning I had been pining over for weeks.
Simply beautiful.

I have already re-watched half of the drama and am going through a second (third?) complete marathon. If I gave this a lower re-watch value I'd be a hypocrite. And, believe it or not, it improves on second watching.
There's so much more I'd like to say about it, but I fear I've been wordy enough. I feel a last word of… warning is needed though: be prepared to feel strongly. If what you ask a drama is to entertain you or divert you, don't watch King 2 Hearts; only approach it if you're ready to grow so much attached to these characters, seeing them go will give you an almost physical pain.

Leggi di Più

Originally, I expected this Drama to turn out like all the others; just a love story that hits all the major cliches and ends when the two main characters finally get together. After the first episode, I became OBSESSED with this show. It was amazing.
The cinematography was perfect, the story was well written, and the actors fit their roles well. The best part about its drama was definitely the characters and their relationships.
I love how the writers developed each of the main characters, but not so much that they were predictable. They grew along with the story, changing for the best, but also remaining true to their original selves. Character relationships grew in complexity and each one of them served a different purpose throughout.
There are very few dramas or TV shows that add so many sub-plots within the story. Normally, there's just one main plot line and two or three smaller sub-plots that rarely appear in all the episodes. However, this drama had quite a few and managed to show the watcher how it was progressing in every episode. I think that's what really made this show shine.
Lastly, I really loved the emotional value of this drama. It made me laugh, cry, scream at the screen and tear my hair out in frustration- all at once. Kudos to the writers for managing that.
There were a few parts I thought could have been done better; for example, a few character motives didn't quite make sense- but overall the King 2 hearts is really a masterpiece. There is no doubt that I am going to rewatch it.

Leggi di Più

1) The reason I watched this:

I was mainly attracted by the cast then the story seemed intriguing enough I just went for it without high expectations or anything.

2) Storyline/Plot:

Generally speaking the story was about royalty nowadays and north-south Korean peace process through love, pain and many other mixed feelings. The Korean nation, the king, the love realtionships, loyalty, friendship and action therefore you can say that the story got it all!

Positive points:

*The different theme: When you watch too many dramas of the same genre you would get tired of all the Korean romantic stories that share the same plot but this was unusual; script writers gave a unique story: I haven't seen anything like it before.
*The South and North Koreans never ending troubles; this existed before in some dramas like "Muyang the spy", it's not a new theme but it was greatly expressed here. Well, a non-Korean person may find himself not interested in this sort of theme but everyone ould like to watch the peace process and the two nations reunion.
*Royalty nowadays was a great background. It's true that "My princess" shared the same background but "King2Hearts" was way too interesting.
*The romance was cute but not shallow. The romantic development was always captivating especially that there's two different love stories to follow.
*The action was set up in a good way; those scenes were exciting to watch. Writers were brilliant for inserting action in this story because that genre is able to eliminate any sort of balnk moments.
*Involving other countries like China, the U.S and even Japan in the drama made the events complicated in a good way.
*Politics: it wasn't heavily present but when it existed it was well doe especially the diplomatic talks.

Negative points:

*I wouldn't say it's a negative point but I wanted the main couple's love story to go deeper since there was lack of drama in that aspect.
It's true that there were many obstacles but I felt like they got together so soon. Anyway, it wasn't bad but I wanted everything to go deeper in this drama.
*Beside that, everything was cool except something that happened near the end but it would be a spoiler if I mention it.

Story: 9.5/10

3) Acting/Cast:

*Lee Seung Ki : I've seen him in two dramas before but here he was amazingly different. At the beginning, he may sound childish but in some point he felt like a total grown up plus his character development was greatly done. I fell for his role and even his speeches were nicely spoken plus he delievered great emotions.

*Ha Ji Won: I like this actress because she have a great way in portraying her roles. Here, she was different from what I saw before. Being a couple with Lee Seung Ki may seem like a huge age gap but events didn't allow to think much about that side. Then there's her North Korean accent: that was really annoying to hear at the beginning but I got used to it as the drama went on. I specially liked her actions scenes and her convincing acting.

*Jo Jung Suk: i haven't seen him in anything before before but I fell for the character ever since his first meeting with Lee Jae Ha and everything that happened later on, he was so cool.

*Lee Yoon Ji: Special likes for the princess; I liked her character and her relationships with everyone.

*I didn't hate Jhon Mayer like I hated his stupid psycho artist Tara or whatever, I still want to kill her!! But I have to admit that they were great actors and performed their parts greatly.
*The remaining cast were awesome; thumb up to the WOC team and the queen.

*The chemistry and relationships between the cast members was cool uncluding other countries cast; it was cool to hear English, Chinese, Japanese and even French here.
* I rarely give 10's to any drama's cast or acting department but here I was deeply impressed.

Cast: 10/10
Acting: 9.5/10

4) The ending:

I really hated one event near the ending that I even considered it a negative point earlier but that doesn't deny that we had the ending that we wanted.
The ending a nice closure to a great drama.

The ending: 8.5/10

5) My impression (How did it affect me):

*I really enjoyed this drama, so much that I feel some sort of emptiness when it ended.
*I always love the unique different stories and I found that in this drama's storyline. Special likes to politics since I love it.
*The cast was amazing one of the fewest drama's cast that I genuinely loved.
*I had all sort of feelings while watching this: great impression.

My impression: 9/10

6) Overall:

*If you like watching royalty stories then you would like this.
*If you're looking for an interesting story the this is for you.
*If you like romance combined with action and politics then you would like this.
*If you like Lee Seung Ki/Ha Ji Won then you need to watch this.

Overall: 9.5/10.

Leggi di Più

King2Hearts is not your typical K-Drama, and succeeds in going places where most of the drama's I've seen wouldn't dare. It's hard to pin this down as one specific genre. It goes from political action-thriller, to intense revenge thriller, to star-crossed romance, to opposites attract rom-com... Each episode left me curious, excited, and completely clueless about what to expect next. There are very few moments that could be considered typical, and whenever I was able to successfully predict what would happen next, something else would come along and leave me in complete shock. This is drama done right!

I decided to watch King2Hearts because of the 2 leads. Both Ha Ji Won, and Lee Seung Ki, have starred in dramas that are among my all time favorites. I just knew that they would be impressive together, and I was absolutely right. They both do what they are known to do well in this, without creating characters that seem recycled. Lee Seung Ki is used to playing obnoxious/spoiled characters that learn to change their ways/grow up. Jae Ha is no different, but the range, and maturity, of the role really shows what an impressive actor Lee Seung Ki has become. Ha Ji Won knows how to balance sweet with tough, which I loved about her character in Secret Garden. As North Korean Kim Hang Ah, she goes from cartoonishly girly and naive, to fearless and intimidating. I preferred when she was kicking butt, but also loved her vulnerability, and was amused that her biggest challenge was being feminine. Together, they had amazing chemistry from the start. They basically become a living metaphor of the North-South Korean conflict, and their romance is exciting, frustrating, sad, and inspiring to watch. In spite of the grand scale of their relationship, it's still portrayed realistically. During the first episodes, when I wasn't sure If I would like this drama, I already knew I'd at least love watching their love story.

Big fans of romance should know that even the supporting characters have a beautiful love story. Jo Jung Suk and Lee Yoon Ji were so great together, that I cared about them as much as I cared about the main couple. Their characters, their romance, and their specific story arcs, were strong enough to justify their own separate drama. That's the beauty of King2Hearts. There are absolutely no weak storylines, or weaklinks in the cast (except for some questionable english speaking roles, but that's easily overlooked, and normal for K-Drama).

The villains in this drama are the stuff nightmares are made of. In the beginning, I didn't know what to make of Club M's crazy John Mayer, and I was more confused, and amused, than scared. Now I realize that Yoon Je Moon was just slowly laying the foundation for a truly memorable psychopath. It was thrilling watching him go head to head with Jae Ha, and wondering what crazy thing he'd do next. He's certainly one of the best Drama villains I have ever seen. Creepy BonBon also deserves a mention as being the first non-Korean I've seen in a K-Drama who not only didn't suck, but was actually really good. Samanda Daniel plays the perfect twisted side kick, and definitely more than held her own.

The writers, and director, really did an amazing job of creating a realistic modern Korean monarchy, and making an accessible North Korea believable. The overall plot focusses on telling a great story more than doing what fans would want, or expect. I appreciated that, though some viewers may be more upset by certain choices by the writers. The direction is top notch. Not only is it beautifully shot, but the director's choices really added to the emotional impact of many scenes. There's one scene in particular, between Jo Jung Suk and Lee Yoon Ji, that was especially touching because of the direction. The pacing is also just right, knowing when to keep you on the edge of your seat, and when to slow down and take in a moment. The music greatly supports each episode as well.

Rarely do I give dramas a 10, but I couldn't justify anything lower. I look forward to rewatching it now that I know what to expect, and to revisit some of my favorite scenes (I've already rewatched some scenes several times). I think it would still be exciting the 2nd time around, even though I know what's going to happen, because it's all executed so well. I would highly recommend King2Hearts, unless you're specifically looking for something lighthearted, or simple. I'd also recommend being open to an ending that falls a little outside of the traditional 'happily ever after' mold. Even if you're not convinced in the first few episodes, I'd give it a chance, and keep watching. That's exactly what I did, and now I'm adding this drama to my top 5!

Leggi di Più

I was actually having second thoughts whether to spend my precious time watching this action-rom-drama flick or see a super cheesy rom-com drama. But gave in anyway to my first choice because I decided to witness the lead actress' acting (I really adored her in Secret Garden).

I would say that this K-drama is way beyond my expectation. From acting, to cinematography, music scoring and drama plot, it's like I'm watching a well-made (super) long movie. The lead actor was able to play his role well- he could smoothly shift from being cocky to I-mean-business acting. This, combined with the sweet-bad-ass acting of the lead actress, makes the drama more interesting. Even their lines/dialogue (translated in English sub of course) have depths and will surely capture a viewer's emotion.

Two thumbs up for this k-drama-- for bringing out message of courage and love.

Leggi di Più

This is an honest, spoiler-free review.

Looking for the next drama to spend my time on is no easy feat when there are so many to choose from. However, this one caught my eye because of all the positive reviews. Let me tell you, anyone who says this is their favorite drama must be a masochist at heart because no one said it would be so PAINFUL. That is the best word I can use to describe it. Things keep going so horribly wrong in every consecutive episode that it feels more like an unfolding nightmare descending into ever-increasing fractal chaos than a drama. This show is INTERESTING, I’ll give it that-- like watching a high speed car collision in slow motion, or maybe like seeing the Hindenburg burn to the ground and crash in a blaze of glorious horror. Somehow I couldn’t turn my eyes away from the disaster I was witnessing. From episode 1 to 20 I was hooked and unable to tear myself away from this source of my frustrations and insomnia for the past two weeks.

---Story: 9/10

The writers did an incredible job. The pacing and cinematography were excellent and everything was awfully believable. I use the word “awfully” because these writers do not paint the world with an idealistic or rosy hue. Even the people we are supposed to root for are flawed and foolish and sometimes corrupted. The world is a harsh setting of hostility and suspicions and misunderstandings, all of which are far too believable. One of the characters even states outright that justice does not exist, only power and money. So as far as realism goes, they certainly appeal to my inner cynic and go straight to the worst possible outcomes and intentions. This is actually what I consider to be one of the greatest strengths of the show.

The plot is engaging and well-structured and it felt like they knew where they were going with it from the beginning. My criticisms of this show are not related to all that, as much as it is about the HEART and the feeling that I’m left with at the end of each episode. It’s a feeling of surprise and frustration mixed up with corrosive curiosity to know what happens next because HOW can they possibly save the situation NOW? (I had a hard time going to sleep these last two weeks because my brain kept running around in circles… sigh.) It’s a sign of good storytelling I think, but also a bad sign because there was really too much frustration going on.

Personally, there was one critical area where I feel they let the ball drop. One thing that kept this show from being stellar in my eyes. I just can’t get over the fact that from the first episode they consistently pit the main characters against each other rather than letting them get along. There’s a psychological fact that for every bad/hurtful thing a person does/says to someone, it takes around 5 good/positive things to make up for it in people’s minds. The truth is, our brains are hardwired to remember the bad things and it takes a LOT to outweigh those so you remember mostly the good. But this show did NOT do that. I kept feeling like there were too many nasty things the characters were saying/doing to each other and not enough good things to keep any positive sentiment afloat. The moments where it seems they have forgiven each other come after too few reassurances, after too many insults and slights. And not just for the main leads, though they were the top offenders—most of the side characters had these moments as well and not enough attention was given to the actions they did that put them in people’s good graces again. It left a bad taste in my mouth and that is why I docked a point.

From the very beginning they are shown to be basically incompatible, completely different in every way from their background to their personality and values. From the first few interactions they have in the first and second episodes I could tell that this relationship was doomed from the start and my intuition was proved right OVER and OVER again with each insult and deception. They had maybe 6 positive interactions in the entire training period and now I'm supposed to believe that… they’re suddenly in love? Ahahaha NO. Let’s just say that these two are NOT my OTP. There’s way too much bickering, arguing, and crying about what they’ve said to each other and not enough fluff and good feelings to hold it together convincingly.

The main leads are ridiculously foolish and terrible at communicating (in spite of being generally smart and competent adults) and I can't tell you how many times I was yelling at them in the first 6 episodes like "NO YOU FOOL, HE'S A LYING JERK" or "NO YOU FOOL, SHE'S TELLING THE TRUTH!" I really just wanted them to sit down with a marriage counselor and learn how to discuss their feelings and differences without shooting themselves in the metaphorical foot every single time.

Speaking of which, I lost track of how many horrible things they said to each other. From episode 2 and onward I kept yelling at the screen, “Oh no! Tell you me you didn’t just SAY that. Tell me this is all just a nightmare and you’ll wake up soon. OH MY GOD IT WAS REAL! HOW DO YOU RECOVER FROM THAT?!” I can't see how you can repair a relationship that has gone through SO MANY deceptions and heartbreaks in only the course of less than two months. Maybe my heart is softer than theirs and cannot withstand that level of purposeful jabbing and backstabbing. I know if I was in Hang Ah’s shoes I would have cut off all thoughts of EVER being in a relationship with Jae Ha after the very first time he insulted her (in episode 2 or 3, if my memory can be trusted). That was already too far, at least in my opinion. But then there wouldn’t be a show, would there?

In spite of all that Hang Ah goes through (and boy does she go through a lot), I think it's Jae Ha who gets the short end of the stick in this story. Yes, he starts off as a manipulative, lying, selfish, arrogant jerk who likes to laugh at other's expense, but the writers really put him through the wringer and kept turning his world upside down in literally every other episode. I can't quite bring myself to feel TOO sorry for him though because at least half of those things are what he brings on himself through his own foolishness and arrogance. Yet somehow I've become attached to all these conflicted, petty, contradictory, REAL characters and I wanted to see how it would end. There is certainly plenty of room for them to grow and change.

---Cast and Acting: 10/10

Amazing performances from everyone! They all got their characters spot-on, especially the main protagonists and the villain. Perfect performances all around, no complaints here. They did amazing with what they were supposed to do. Even that creepy gothic assassin lady. :P
Just one tiny nitpick that I’m not even going to take half a point off for… the “Westerners” or foreigners in the show had a few lines that sometimes made me question the choice of wording (perhaps those parts of the script weren’t written by a native English speaker?) but for most part they did a convincing enough job. Those are probably what I would consider the only weak links of the casting department, and I’m not sure if it was entirely their fault, so like I said before: nitpick.

---Music: 7/10

Nothing really stuck out to me here, which is a good thing. Normally I notice the music only when it is really inappropriate to the mood or just strange. So the music was fine to me! It fits with the tone of the show.

---Rewatch Value: 6/10

As I’ve mentioned in a previous review, I don’t rewatch because I have too many new shows to watch and not enough time to spend looking back on what I’ve already seen. Ain’t nobody got time fo’ dat. However, I recognize that there is a lot of rewatch value with this drama because you will notice little details and see the foreshadowing for later events that were set up in the first few episodes. The pacing is good enough that rewatching won’t feel boring, I think. I do think there are better things to do with your time than rewatch this, though. If you want to relive the pain, go for it.

---Overall: 7/10

Even though there are so many other reviews, I felt like adding my own two cents because I don’t feel very positive about this drama. What can I say? I didn’t like this show and I can’t add it to my list of favorites. It wasn’t really to my taste—which, admittedly, is more toward cute/happy/fluffy romcoms and King2Hearts was NONE of those things. However, I am glad I went outside my comfort zone for once and I highly appreciate the work and craftsmanship and depth that went into its creation. It’s not the perfect show but it exceeded my expectations in most areas and was certainly entertaining. In spite of all I have said here, the story truly did keep me riveted from start to finish. If not for the things I mentioned previously, this would have been a 9/10 for me.

If you are looking for a VERY dramatic and emotional show that will make you chuckle and weep and regularly grind your teeth in helpless frustration, this is the drama for you. I got something out of this and I think you will too if you give it a chance.

Leggi di Più

This drama has hands down one of my favorite Kdramas. I haven't seen all that many, but this one is really up there.

The story is very unique, and has twists that keep you on the edge of your seat throughout the entire 20 episodes. It also has a political aspect to the drama that I haven't seen in any other Kdrama. The political angle is also something that I hadn't seen before, but thoroughly enjoyed. The only part of this drama that I did not like what the actual military strategies used in one episode (just because I felt like they weren't as effective as they could have been.)

The Cast was perfect. 10/10 no questions asked.

The music was also top notch, but not something I will probably listen to in the future. For that reason I gave it an 8/10.

I'm not much of a rewatcher, but this drama is good enough to rewatch it in a year or two.

Overall, I give this a 10.

Leggi di Più

This drama is amazing. It starts out like your regular kdrama. The difference is that this is about a prince and about the north/south relationship. Anyways though the acting is amazing from everyone right from the start. The thing that I love so much about this drama is the relationships between the characters. Even though they are the royal family I liked how the family members act just like a regular family that loves and supports one another no matter what. Also the way the story developed between the two leads was great. It didn't follow the clichés that many kdramas tend to follow. There isn't much I can say that hasn't been said by other reviewers without giving out spoilers but their relationship was just so amazing. If you want to watch a poor defeated woman who will let the man or anyone else step all over her then this is not for you. But if you want to see a woman who is strong and doesn't allow anyone to disrespect her then you have to watch this. I don't want to make it sound like this show is just about her because it isn't at all but this is one of the few kdramas where I have seen such a strong female character. At the same time the character development for the male lead is AMAZING. He starts out as your regular kdrama male but the writers developed this character into everything a viewer could have wanted and more. The communication between these 2 characters is something I have never seen in any other kdrama. They rely on each other without any of them being weak. And I won't even get started on the side characters because if I don't I will never stop. But it was the best kdrama out there. Please watch it everyone if you haven't already.

Leggi di Più

King2Hearts is an amazing drama for people who want some kind of action put into a great twisted and turned story and awesome soundtrack to actually make you feel the tension. The cast is mind blowing, especially the villain doing the best acting. The plot is quite amazing, the way its directed for us is beautiful. Whoever wrote the story for this series, is a genius. The action and romance filled with complications of being from rival country. They portrayed a great underlying scene of the marriage of The South Korean prince to A North Korean Military Officer.
Lee Seung Gi and Ha Ji Won have always been strong at acting. Seung Gi's ''My Girlfriend is A Gumiho'' was okay, but in this he definitely proves himself as an actor. Music's completely hooking with the "political" background plot. Re watch Value for me is quite high as I would love to watch it over again, when no interesting dramas premiere.
Overall, its good if you want to sit on your chair and flow with the story as it unfolds, translation : It keeps you hooked to your place! ;)

Leggi di Più

Action packed mixed with romance, drama and politics. Then let's put some cherry on top - the theatrics from the bad guys.

This drama had so many interesting elements which made me wish it could actually happen in real life, but then again, this is dramaland and there are so many loopholes in dramaland which you would rather not have in real life.

First off the action:
I love watching Ha Ji Won kicking ass on screen. Whether it is in a movie or a drama I love seeing her as a strong woman who can make men drop on her their knees with their balls shrinking from their behind. There's no difference here, as Kim Hang Ah, a general's daughter she is - strong willed, stubborn, military trained sniper/assassin and yet still smoking with femininity. She is a woman with a high caliber. Literally and figuratively speaking. Then there's our male counter part Lee Seung Ki. This guy is awesome on screen. He's not really good looking but man... he is oozing with charm and sex appeal, I don't know where he gets it. I loved his character as Lee Jae Ha for several reasons - he is a dork, irresponsible and has an easy go lucky personality - which would make you think (what makes that likable?) but then these characteristics makes him normal and realistic in terms of being a rebellious prince - second in the throne. He had so much issues on hand but it gave his character so much room for improvement. If you end up watching this, you'll know what I mean. Setting these two main characters aside, let's not forget the supporting actors and the bad guys.

Another character favorite of mine is Jo Jung Suk as Eun Shi Kyung. He suits the role as a national guard who protects the royalties. He was great in his portrayal and how he stands up to Lee Jae Ha's being a pain in the ass to everyone. But what I liked most was his chemistry with the princess. The spoiled sister Lee Jae Shin acted by Lee Yoon Ji. She was awesome here, although initially her character is the happy spoiled princess she's supposed to be, she actually becomes more than that and becomes a vital character in the drama.

Finally we have Yoon Je Moon as Kim Bong Goo aka John Mayer. (Gaaaad... can't they think of a better name than that? Why name a bad guy after a singer?) Aside from the cheesy namesake, this character was crazy as a bastard. He has a deep grudge against the royalties and has planned out everything up to the very last detail. I like the way he has portrayed his sick character, it was so believable and his being an antagonist works like magic.

Now let's go with the Romance, Drama and Politics:
In every drama there is always the conflict of romance, but in every politics we seldom see romance as a highlight. Here these three elements are mixed together perfectly. Nothing is over shadowed. I wish I could talk more about that without spoiling the drama, but unfortunately it will be a spoiler, so I would rather not dwell in that. Check it out yourself to see how they blended so well.

This drama is re-watchable if you like ass kicking and bickering from our main characters. The sound track was alright, it did match up with the scenes and was appropriate in every episode but it just did not stick into my head. Over all I highly recommend this drama for those who likes the genre I have mentioned on top.

Leggi di Più

King2Hearts pulled me into a place that I never thought that a drama could take me--from crazy happiness in one moment to abject sorrow in the next. Despite what may seem to be a roller coaster of emotions, King2Hearts delivered each of these changes with such a finesse, and at times, I didn't see my sorrow coming until it showed up.

From the beginning, the story of King2Hearts gripped me. While not being completely in love with politics, I do enjoy shows which deploy controversial situations, real or imagined, in which the characters must overcome obstacles not only personally, but in the outside world. In King2Hearts, this struggle shows in parts as miniscule as one man's journey to maturity and as grandiose as the ever-vulnerable balance between war and peace. I never would have thought that the expression "All's fair in love and war" would be used with such precision.

The acting in King2Hearts, then, grounded the precision. Without the fantastic acting of pretty much all of the main characters, the story would just be a story. Yet, I was moved by how much the actors made the characters relatable, their struggles palpable, and their pain just as unbearable for the viewer as it was for them.

The great story and great acting were only bolstered by an OST that is dramatic, thrilling, and hits the right notes.

Overall, combining these three elements (story, acting, and music), King2Hearts breaks the barrier between screen and viewer; that life-or-death feeling transcends to us and how we react to the situations involved.

As a result, I can only say that I will rewatch King2Hearts again and again. I probably will never tire of it.

Leggi di Più