The King 2 Hearts

The first episodes of this drama are ok if you ignore the occasional nonsense. Then, half way through it, you have to put up with old fashioned script tricks to keep on watching... (It's a bad omen when you think about all the episodes still remaining ) The last part of the drama, you just keep the fast forward key pressed most of the time to avoid the embarrassment. In the end, I can only think: thank God Korea is a republic. That said, except for the "pseudo americans" and the female lead, the acting is pretty amazing.

The badass woman protagonist stays fierce and strong even while exploring her vulnerable side to love and relationships. Her military and physical strength don't just disappear, and she is the one who saves him from physical dangers (a nice reversal of the damsel/ Princess in distress).

As many have noted the antagonist can be weird and over-the-top and the foreign actors can. not. act.

But, the Korean characters genuinely develop throughout the series and the tragedies had me crying. The love between romance characters and new family members feel genuine because of their growth.

I AM KING...

I actually can't believe I am now writing a review for the whole drama, this whole time this drama has seemed so real and so close to me, that 'closing the book' is like saying goodbye to a whole world full of very close friends.

The plot of this drama has so many dimensions, which are continuous and meaningful, that I can write separate reviews for every one of them: JaeHa and HangAh's romance, North and South, JaeShin and ShiKyung, BongGu and the power, JaeHa becoming the King, the theory of ShiKyung (the research question being, whether such a person can exist in the world, maybe I should write a thesis on this)...^^ While I definitely view this drama as a romance, I think the main scene here is grabbed by JaeHa's becoming the King we see him in the last episode, from his very first steps as a worthless player (whoever thought of him that way...tsk-tsk-tsk) to a magnificently shining, war stopping King of South and North Koreas. The drama provides such a rich character development plot it kept me breathless most of the time... The changes through which JaeHa went through with the help of JaeKang, then HangAh, then ShiKyung... aren't they brilliantly thought of? In my opinion the love story described in this drama is the most beautiful and breath-taking love story...ever, even being not the center story of the drama, the love line didn't fail in JaeHa's every next step, in every HangAh's heroic act... being together or separated, they were perfect and strong...they both took my breath away, and I am hopelessly in love with this couple!

I don't think I possess the right words to describe the acting in this drama, now typing... it seems shallow. Every character in the drama became a part of me during this weeks, every one of them (except for the foreign 'actors' who just...whatever) made my heart skip a beat, hit the air with fists, jump up and down.

Ha JiWon is one of my favourite actresses, and I was sure in her when I started watching this, she did not disappoint me for a second! Her HangAh had so many layers, so deep, so lovable, so heroic, so strong, she is definitely one of my favourite female characters. Lee SeungGi... brilliant as a brat, brilliant as a King, brilliant as a lover who want to protect his loved one (suddenly I am seeing the part when he was holding HangAh in China, like she was the last piece of air in his lungs...). I think he has improved very much in his acting, and JaeHa was perfect, he become the King people will believe in, he brought the drama to the(almost) perfect ending... Jo JungSuk... I think ShiKyung was the most difficult character to portray in the drama. As he was always being called 'boring and not having sense of humor', depending on the actor I think, ShiKyung could definitely be a boring one, maybe an honest and loyal, yes, but not the ShiKyung everybody fell in love with. Jo JungSuk made him perfect. This character will remain in my heart forever, he is one of the main reasons JaeHa made it to the end and the way he made it to the end! I can't help but mention Yoon JeMoon as Kim BongGu, as he never failed to freak and creep me out with his character. BRAVO!

The cinematography and the music of the drama deserve the BEST award of all awards. The symbolic value of the scenes played out by the light and shadows and the gorgeous music pieces never failed to put me deep into the world of the drama, I never doubted the reality of the event, I think I never will...

Long live the King and the Queen!

One of the best dramas....a love story overcoming borders....wish this is true beyond fiction....

In a South Korea with a monarchy the spoilt prince becomes enamoured with a North Korean special forces soldier. An interesting mix of romance and politics over the 20 episodes with lots of murder and intrigue. A megalomaniac boss of a large conglomerate will stop at nothing to destroy the royal family and because of his wealth he influences countries making him difficult to oppose. It stars the adorable Ha Ji-won although in this series she does have an annoying intonation to her voice, the rest of the cast give a Stirling performance although this does not apply to the stilted actors playing foreigners.