King2Hearts (2012)

woahhh this is one of the greatest drama I have ever seen of Ha Ji Won yeah I saw her in also other projects but I defindefinitely loved this role of her over all
Music, story, acting (NO COMPLAIN)
I wish there was ait more of romance (well this is my personal thoughts because I like a lot the Shoujo genre of stories) but I think howthey developed the story was anyway good because if the putted to much of cheese sceneseother viewers may be they would find it a bit disturbing so to bring it to the likings of all the way it is is good
It's pretty much rare to see role's like the female badass character they almost on all series make only the male guyall cool etc bt here the female's role was really great
I remember watching the entire series in a 2 days marathon and I have rewatched it agan recently
I cant get over of this beautiful love,war story

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Thrilling plot (not over the top)

The plot of this was fantastic. It was riveting with good twists and turns without becoming ridiculous like so many fast-paced, thriller-type kdramas. Toward the end, I started thinking that the show was going on for 2-3 episodes too long, but I liked where they took the plot in the end. What keeps me from rating this 5/5 stars is the women in this show. Hang Ah was great when she was being a soldier, but as soon as she was dressed in civilian clothes, she became the most annoying, chipper, 1950s housewife. I found the princess character annoying too. Thankfully, the male characters made up for the women, and I loved the plot.

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This drama manages to earn the name "drama", there's a lot of dramatic tension in this. I enjoyed the way the show mixed elements of a fairytale romance, military war games, political power struggles, arms dealers and the actual threat of an outright war. This expert mingling of plot lines kept the show very entertaining as there was never a shortage of storyline. The love story is well developed as the two leads are a couple for the majority of the drama, their angst and separations always had a political cause not personal, this was a shift from the usual plot devices in romantic dramas. I didn't detect any noble idiocy in this drama, the two leads thought out every problem and made well informed decisions.

SPOILER ALERT: What I particularly didn't like about the plot was the killing of Eun shi gyeong, was it necessary to kill him? I found his death particularly annoying because it didn't actually result in the definitive capture of the villain, his death felt pointless and a waste of a good character especially after show developed a love line with shi gyeong and the princess, had this romance been fully realised, it would have nicely rounded off the bromance between the king and shi gyeong; this bromance was so well depicted only to have it cut short with his death. END SPOILER

Overall this drama is about the making of a good king and this story was well told. Lee Jae Ha started off as a bratty, irresponsible, playboy prince, and ended up a strong, resolute and mature king, I liked that he retained his sense of fun to the end.

The casting and acting was spot on (except for the foreign English speaking actors, these were horrendous and had too many lines in my opinion ), there were no weak links in the central cast. I absolutely disliked Ha Ji Won in Secret Garden (to the point that I vowed never to watch her again), but I loved her in this role, she embodied Kim Hang Ah's badass toughness and soft femininity perfectly.
This was my first time watching Lee Seung Gi, he was very good and damn near stole the show, but not quite in my opinion because of Ha Ji Won, Jo Jung Suk, the queen dowager and Hang Ah's dad. The acting is superb in this drama.

The music is ok, I liked the ballad but was not a fan of the dramatic orchestral music as I found it a bit overdramatic; the story was engaging enough to not focus on the music.
The cinematography is fantastic though, this is one beautifully shot drama.

I'm not a great rewatches, but I'll give this an 8 rewatch value, I've rarely seen a drama as polished as this one.

My overall score is 9.5

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Remember that dramas do not have to be realistic nor historically accurate. This is not a romcom so be prepared for some suspense and a light spy thriller. It has been awhile since I've watched this drama. I originally watched it because I liked the idea of a modern Korean monarchy and I had watch "Princess Hours" years ago and recently rewatched it too. This is the drama that i was introduced to Jo Jung Suk and there was something about him that I couldn't get enough of. His character was serious, empathetic, and lovable. I had also seen Ha Ji Won in "Secret Garden" and loved her strong female character. This drama continued her portrayal of a strong, intelligent, and emotional female character. She was basically a badass, she was fighting bad guys in a short shirt and boots and then later pulling out a sniper rifle in a skirt with an injured arm and leg. It was great to see her character being the strong and decisive one instead of relying on the lead male character. That doesn't mean the lead male was wimpy, you could see the growth progression of the character as the series went on and by the end he had started to become a strong leader. I really wanted the guard and princess story to evolve and have a happy ending but I understand why it ended the way it did, lets just say I was crying with her. As an American I did a little chuckling at the portrayal of Americans, it's not far from reality though. Watch this drama and the great acting that is in it you will enjoy the ups and downs that it gives you. Will John Mayer get justice or won't he?

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Updated Review 2022:

I remember the first time I watched King2Hearts, some ten odd years ago. There's this really great scene in episode 1, possibly my favorite in the series, where the South Korean royal family watch as the Berlin wall in Germany comes down. It's a foundational moment for King2Hearts, as it sets the tone for the rest of the drama. This isn't just a romance. This is a story about a country, two countries, and what could be between them. This is ultimately why I appreciate this drama like I do. There are elements of the story that are clunky in their execution, there are things that are just downright bad, and while I enjoy the romance, it's not one of my favorites. But King2Hearts attempted to do something a lot of dramas don't. Give North Korea a voice and take a serious look at what it might be like if North and South Korea were ever to come together again. Obviously, this was done through the lens of a fictional monarchy and not much time is spent on exploring what life in North Korea really looks like, but it was an earnest attempt to reconcile these two countries, even if just in fiction.

Of course, I can't write a review for this drama without talking about the female lead, Hang Ah. At this point, you've probably seen a swath of people waxing poetic over her and for very good reason. Hang Ah has an incredibly well-crafted balance between the delicate and the fierce aspects of her personality. She dreams of finding love and enjoys dressing up and feeling girly, but she's also principled and supremely tough in the face of danger, and not once is either side compromised for the other. It may be annoying at this point for people to constantly talk about Hang Ah's consistency as a character, but this was such a rarity in Kdrama's of the time, that it stuck with most of us who watched King2Hearts.

It is fair to say that King2Hearts has it's share of very obvious flaws. First, there are the terrible with a capital T foreign actors. I wrote in my original three sentence review (which you can see below this updated review) that watching them was like being tortured and tickled at the same time, and I still agree with that. They are bad to the point of distraction, which is unfortunate as it mars a lot of what goes on in the main villain's storyline. But we will have to chalk up the terrible acting to the fact that there was likely no budget for Kdrama's of the time to hire foreign actors with some actual skill, so they used what they could find.

What can't be as easily forgiven is a villain who is sometimes successful at being terrifying but also sometimes successful at being nothing more than useless. He's very convincingly acted, although again, his character is often undermined by the terrible acting of the foreign actors around him. This could be overlooked, however, if his machinations more consistently successful or even frightening. Sadly for him, his plans are unsuccessful a few too many times, and they fail to consistently inspire fear in the audience thus making it harder for us to understand why we should be afraid of him at all. I will acquiesce that the villain improves upon a second viewing, but I still didn't walk away from the story feeling the level of fear I was clearly meant to. I mostly viewed the villain as pathetic.

Flaws aside, I think this is still an important drama. It's not polished like most Kdrama's coming out today. The drama team would have been limited by the resources that were available to them at the time. But watching with the Korean royal family as the Berlin wall fell made my heart swell with hope for North and South Korea, and I think that was the point. This wasn't going to be a hard-hitting, finely detailed approach to the issue of North/South Korean relations, but an attempt though the storytelling medium to say something of value about the two countries and to express a hope for tomorrow. A hope that one day, peace will reign. And for my part, I hope that will someday be the case.

Original Review:

The villain was pure nonsense, and watching the foreign actors was like being tortured and tickled at the same time. But the scene with the Korean royal family watching the Berlin wall come down in the first episode sold me. Couldn't put it down and was so sad when it was over.

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The story was slow at the beginning because it needs to establish the character's direction and growth for the future episodes but after it reached a certain point in the plot (the death of a certain prominent figure), it starts to pick up the pace

The one that actually made me stayed was how they protray loyalty in this drama...some drama shows how people betrayed friends for personal gain but in this drama, it showed the grey area of loyalty to friends of different background and loyalty to the country and its people...the finale scene just before the closure was a thriller

The chemistry between the main characters were flunky and maybe a bit awkward at first but I think it was intentional to show the difference between two different people from technically different countries with different ideology, can help to understand one another by giving in and not succumb to ego

This doesn't last long though, which is good, as the story progress, you can actually see the character growth of the main heroes/heroines. You can see they starting to understand one another and actually shore up each other's weakness and becoming the unstoppable duo...

The side couples had better chemistry and is a breath of fresh air whenever they are on screen...at first, the main couple were kinda awkward to watch so the side couples were kinda what you want to look at but once the main couple had each other's back, you starts to enjoy both of the couple's romance arc

The villain in this is top notch, a definition of villain and not some common thug...His sense of moral is what made him the devil incarnated due to his obsession with being at the top of every living things...

This drama definitely require some patience, maybe after episde 4 or 7, the story actually shoots up in a hyperbolic way...

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Phew. This drama was hell of a roller coaster! The first few episodes confuse you greatly, making you unsure whether this is supposed to be a comedy or a melodrama. The production of the first few episodes were all over the place. I thought I was thrown back to the early 2000s or something, but then suddenly a couple of episodes later, it smoothes over and you can recognise the "more modern" production. It was weird like that.

Initial confusion aside, this drama tends to go from a wtf lows to a "deabak" highs in a short period of time. I don't think one could call this drama boring. It has too many elements to be called such. There is fight for justice, badass characters, loyalty, conspiracy, politics, romance etc. It has practicallly everything and on a high note too.

The conspiracy and politics are real in this one. I don't think I've ever seen it on such a scale. But it's to be expected. It's on a worldscale after all.

Romance is a true Romeo and Juliet. Both intense and heartbreaking. Half of the time, the leads confuse you so much that you want to smack them, another half you root for them to just be happy.

But this drama is lonely. Very lonely. To be fair, I don't advice watching this while you're in low spirits. It might just bring you down more. It's not a common kdrama angst. It's a bit more scarier, and a bit more complicated. There are so many plotlines that get you invested in, and each one puts a heavy weight on you.

So, watch it when you're in need of something a bit different, if you like conspiracy or intense highs. Watch it if you enjoy strong female leads. Like badass strong. But make sure to watch it for the right reasons. Don't come watching this to cheer you up.

My rating is 8.5 because...it's lonely. It's heavy. And I watched it when I wasn't in the highest spirits. I felt a weight of it for the length of it. But it's definitelly a drama that stands out from the others. And despite what it did to me along the way, it was worth watching it.

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Don't miss out!!

So first I decided to watch this drama because I wanted to watch something that was underrated and that no one ever talks about. I'm sure they did back when it came out but now it has been hidden by other more recent dramas. Going into the drama I did not expect much but I was not prepared for how much I would love this drama. To the point that I dreamt every night that I was watching the next episode haha (I had a problem).
I didn't have a problem with Ha Ji Won's character change in personality sometimes because underneath that hardened solider she was also just a normal woman that wanted to fall in love and get married. I especially loved it when she made her voice all deep and intimidating. Of course Lee Seung Gi was great as well and as this is an older drama his acting has gotten a lot better since and it was already good in this. A natural born actor.
The story is a roller-coaster of ups and downs and emotions. So be ready with your tissues! You are going to need them and be prepared to have such hatred towards the antagonists that you won't know what to do with yourself.
This drama has the most meaningful and impactful wedding I have ever seen in my life!! There is lots of meaningful moments in this drama that will really move you.
Hang Ah (the female lead) is such a sparkplug and is now my favourite female character in all dramas I have watched. All her fighting scenes and intimidating restriction scenes are so perfect I could watch them over an over just because of her sparkplug characteristics.
Even if you might be 9+ years late to watch this or you are hesitating because it isn't spoke about in this day an age anymore please don't overlook it because you will sorely regret it when you find out just how great and beyond it's time King2Hearts is. Please give it loads of love when you watch it.

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Seung gi is on my top three most favorite actors- but I did not have high expectations oh his dramas. Even if Brilliant Legacy stole my heart - still I wasnt expecting much from watching King2Hearts - maybe bec of the title or the poster that i was thinking it is just one of those seen this heard that dramas. But I was completely wrong- the drama is so unpredictable - I rarely get tensed on watching suspense dramas- but this one really got me. And I must say - Seung Gi’s acting improved a lot in this drama which I think deserved an acting award. I focused on his character and he did not fail the writers and directors on what they wanted to show.

I am not into politics so my viewing point maybe different - (dirt in politics - human greed and selfishness is not new to me)

I focused on the main lead individualism- specifically the making of a worthy king. Started of being a humble boy - acknowledging the position of his older brother - and enjoying what the advantage of being the second son- rather than envious and greed to take his brother’s place. Him being honest and bold - not a genious but seeks wisdom. Him not wanting to be a King from a young age - because he was somome who gave up on trusting people apart from his family - but right after his bro died - he knew what he had to do. Someone who gets stronger during tough times - which I can relate so much. I agree that in the darkest time - the fools think they are of advantage - not knowing that it will actually make the rightious shine more brightly.
I can go on and on and on- There are just so many lessons to learn from Lee Jae Ha’s character alone. And seungi naturally shown the process. Bonuses are that of all the royale family memebers- and ofcourse kim hang ah.

I already love seungi prior watching this but still this made me love him even more. Such a talended man. I respect him as a singer - actor - and as a person.

Random comparisson:
(I watched this right after finishing”Healer” - ironically - even though I also like Ji Chang Wook plus he has better features than Lee Seung Gi - and even though i liked Healer which is - technically better - but both Seungi Gi and King2hearts - won in my heart - at the end of the day it is how the drama and the actors make you feel while and after watching.)

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Story:
Absolutely fascinating, the story about two different people from north and south who fought against all odds for love and their growth to be able to understand each other. The tear jerking moment was there, the love complexity, heart broken, and the political issue that are being played was well displayed.

Acting:
From the start till the end the acting was superb in my opinion. each actor able to express their feeling and dialog with complete emotion.

Music:
Love the instrumental and the opening song that give you a reason to listen to the OST, especially Taeyeon song.

Rewatch Value:
Hell yeah you could still watch it again and again.

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This show is an EPIC MESS.

If you're looking for a North-South romance, you'll be better off just watching Crash Landing on You.

The first few episodes of this show were rough. Just a bunch of barely connected scenes (I legitimately considered the possibility I was blacking out and missing parts of the episodes, that's how little sense they made). They got better later on (either that, or I just stopped expecting the show to make sense), but the later episodes, especially towards the middle were much more enjoyable than the first ones (the WOC ones were my fave).

Honestly, there's always something so compelling about the star-crossed lovers trope. It's hard not rooting for the underdog; for the young couple in love that has to fight against the world to be together. I think with a tighter, cleaner script this show could have been a smashing success.

Well, a better script and a whole new cast of western actors. This show had an insane amount of none Asians playing minor (and not so minor) roles, but not a single one of them could act to save their lives. TBH, they probably could have done better if they'd just casted foreigners off the street (or maybe that's what did and why everyone was so awful).

The main cast did an ok job given the insane script the had to work with. I kinda disliked Hang Ah's characters because she kept switching personalities and turning into a meek, helpless, weak little girl when she was supposed to be a badass Special Forces soldier, trained in assassination methods, torture techniques and whatnot. But I'm sure Ha Ji Won did her best with what she was given. And, at least, she played off Lee Seung Gi pretty well. Special mention also to Lee Yoon Ji, she really did gave her role as the traumatized princess her all.

Overall, a lot more enjoyable that I would have first thought (and it went by surprisingly fast given how long it was), but I still don't know that I would recommend it. There are so many other better shows out there. Just go watch CLoY instead.

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After a long break from watching dramas, this is the first one I gravitated towards. Mostly cause it's been on my "on-hold" list for the longest time, and I needed something to watch that would immediately suck me in and captivate me from start to finish. To be honest, when I watched the first 2 episodes back a couple of months ago, it did nothing for me. I wasn't the slightest bit interested and, quite frankly, I found Lee Seung Gi's character to be incredibly bratty and unbearable to watch... but that was only my assumption. After picking it back up I was immediately pulled into a wonderful storyline and even better acting, and was so regretful of how I had put it on hold for so long and nearly missed out on an amazing drama.

Starting with my opinions on the storyline... From start to finish, everything was just executed so beautifully, and the best part... I couldn't predict a damn thing. And I can't stress enough how much I value things like that in dramas. Cause lets be honest here, who wants to watch a drama or a movie where you can just watch it and predict the outcome before you've even seen it yet? No one. Because that's no fun. I love nail biters, and dramas that make me think and leave me clinging for more at the end of every episode because it makes watching the drama so much more thrilling. And you know what else? I cried. A lot. I mean the emotion that the actors had shown really just brought me to tears when the going got tough for them. Given my curiosity always gets the best of me and I end up revealing spoilers to myself before I even have the chance to watch it, I still couldn't help but bawl my eyes out at the really sad (AND COMPLETELY UNPREDICTABLE (btw still really bitter about what happened to you-know-who at the end of the drama, sorry for the tiny spoiler but it had to be said YOU ALL MUST KNOW WHAT YOUR GETTING YOURSELVES INTO)) scenes. I also really enjoyed how they managed to incorporate a lot of things that are relevant to the real world: Love conquers all (cheesy but true), how people are so uptight about maintaining dignity and pride, putting your family's best interest ahead of your own, loyal friendships, and many other things that really stuck out to me as I watched this drama.

As for the acting, it was incredible. I felt I was pretty familiar with the casting when I first looked into this drama. The 2 main actors of the drama, Lee Seung Gi and Ha Ji Won, really blew me away with their always awesome acting... But I've gotta say, what REALLY blew me away was Lee Yoon Ji! I mean... Wow. The only drama prior to K2H that I had the chance to watch was Goong, and I don't really remember her character all that much because it's been ages since I last watched it, but I'm glad she's getting the recognition she deserves because she's such an underrated actress, and I'd love to see more from her. I mean as the drama progressed I was much more interested in her fate than I was in the main couple's developing romance. Yoon Je Moon as John Mayer/Kim Bong Goo was such a trip. Usually I always find myself detesting the main antagonist because of their meddling into the main characters' happiness, but I honestly found him so amusing and entertaining... And while he wasn't the smartest villain (cause let's be honest, some of his choices weren't always the best) he definitely provided quite a number of laughs while I watched this drama. The character I was the most disappointed of was Kim Hang Ah... Don't get the wrong idea, though, HJW's acting was really great (not to mention how badass she is), but I just felt like in the beginning she was so strong and independent and knew so well how to defend herself and what was right... And then as her relationship with the Prince evolved, she softened a little bit and just didn't have the spunk she had in the beginning.

The music. Was. Phenomenal. I loved hearing it in the drama, and still listen to it on repeat even though the drama's over. My personal favorites were "I Want to Live My Way" by Super Kidd and "First Love" by Lee Yoon Ji. The first song was only played once in the drama, but it always makes me so pumped up when I listen to it, and it's incredibly catchy. As for "First Love"... No words. Just another example of how amazing LYJ is. I found myself always listening to this song, on an endless repeat, and was just captivated by LYJ's lovely voice. Easily one of my favorite songs on the OST.

As for rewatching it... I'm not really sure if I would. Mostly because I'm not big on rewatching dramas because it takes away from not knowing what will happen next cause, ya know, you've already seen it... It was a great drama with lots of suspense, but as mentioned earlier, it just brought on too many tears and too much heartbreak. Still bitter over some things, and I suppose I always will be, but regardless this was a drama I won't soon forget. I didn't really think I'd like it all that much, and at first I didn't, but once everything started picking up it became too addicting to stop watching. Even if you're not huge on the whole "politics aspect" it included a lot of controversial real-world problems that I always found to be very interesting. It has a slow start, but after a couple of episodes it will grip you from start to finish and I doubt you'll ever regret watching it.

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