The King 2 Hearts: Episode 4
by girlfriday
This episode is so full of awesome. It’s by far the best one yet, full of tension, humor, and heart. Warning: you might get whiplash, you might bust a gut, your heart might well up with pride, and then burst into a million pieces. But if you survive all that, I’ll see you on the other side.
EPISODE 4 RECAP
Jae-ha can’t stand being the only one who knows about Kang-seok’s girl-group affliction, and drags Shi-kyung into the room to demonstrate just how serious it’s gotten—the tv channel fixed to the music station, the list of Girls’ Generation (SNSD) airing times hidden under his keyboard, heh.
He dies laughing and then waits for a response… and Shi-kyung says in all straight-faced seriousness, “We shouldn’t talk about it like that. I’m sure it’s really tough on him right now.” Pffft. Jae-ha deflates, insisting it’s funny and that Shi-kyung is ruining the moment, but goes ignored.
The hilarious thing is that it bothers him so much that he stews over it, like it drives him crazy that he couldn’t get Shi-kyung to laugh about it. Dong-ha comes by to alert him that it’s Kang-seok’s birthday, and they’re gathering presents.
Jae-ha scoffs, but then stops in his tracks, “What did Shi-kyung give him?” Oh no.
Kang-seok and Young-bae return to their room to find birthday presents from the southern team. He’s impressed by the watch from Dong-ha, and throws the bottle of vitamins from Jae-ha away, “They might be drugs.”
He then opens the big box, labeled from Shi-kyung. It has a pink laptop inside, and the guys marvel at it. Young-bae turns it on and finds a letter for Kang-seok on the desktop, so he opens it…
A SNSD video starts to play, with the note: “Friends know what’s in each others’ hearts without having to say it, right? I know this is the present you really want. I saw you watching every night, drooling. There’s no need to be embarrassed. Admiring a more advanced country’s culture is a given.”
Oh. Crap. He goes on, saying that everyone will soon be under the influence of this advanced culture, and ends with birthday congratulations, celebrating his rebirth in leading the charge for the cultural wave. “Congratulations on opening your eyes to a new world. Welcome. From Shi-kyung.” LOL.
Kang-seok fumes and breaks the computer into smithereens, as Young-bae flees the scene. He runs into Shi-kyung in the hallway, and the air is icy. He simply turns back, North Korean flag on the wall right behind him, and says that people shouldn’t be that way.
Confused, Shi-kyung goes to see Kang-seok to wish him happy birthday, but gets told to get out. Unfortunately, he gets called away before he can clear up the misunderstanding. Why do I have the feeling that this practical joke is going to escalate into another Korean war?
Jae-ha waits for the inevitable explosion, but when it doesn’t come, he’s confused. He decides to press his luck, and calls Kang-seok over to his desk in class. “I heard something strange from Shi-kyung… that you like SNSD?”
He starts fake-sympathizing with him, but Kang-seok completely loses it and grabs Jae-ha by the collar, practically carrying him up into a wall. Everyone freezes.
Jae-ha starts to stammer that he’s got the wrong guy, but Kang-seok says no one knew except for Hang-ah and Jae-ha, and he’s the only one depraved enough to do such a thing. Well, points for logic.
But he’s out of his mind with rage, and has Jae-ha pinned to the wall. He screams furiously that someone like him wouldn’t know what kind of national pride has carried him through a lifelong military career, and says point-blank: “I’m going to kill you.”
He begins to lift Jae-ha up by the throat, actually strangling him with one hand. Damn, hulksmash.
Only it escalates even further because security has caught the footage, and sent reinforcements. So right after Hang-ah enters the room, the southern general is right behind her… with a gun.
He points it straight at Kang-seok’s head. He’s joined by his soldiers, one of whom draws his gun on Hang-ah. Only then, of course, the northern troops follow in, their guns pointed at the southern troops.
Shiiiiiiiiiit. It actually IS an international incident over SNSD. Suddenly a bird flies in through the window, and perches on a chair. Everyone’s guns shift. My heart leaps out of my throat. If someone gets shot because of that bird…
Everyone’s eyes dart back and forth, and now no one knows what to do. The smallest movement could trigger a bloodbath. Watching all this from the security room is Shi-kyung, who decides on a plan, because his priority is to protect the prince. He calls Jae-ha to cue him to duck for cover when he triggers the fire alarm.
Only when he calls, Jae-ha’s ringtone? SNSD. Hahahahaha. I’m dying. Jae-ha stammers, “I’m a fan too…” Kang-seok roars, and Jae-ha quickly adds, “But not Tiffany!” Hee. Yes, best not to start a fanboy war right now.
He gingerly answers the phone, still pinned to the wall. Shi-kyung lays out the escape plan, but thinking quickly, Jae-ha shouts back into the phone, having a one-sided conversation with himself.
“ARE YOU CRAZY? Why should I apologize? What is this? I ask if he likes a singer and get strangled, North and South have guns drawn over SNSD. What am I supposed to say? Besides, the one who drove everyone to this wasn’t me, it was Kim Hang-ah.”
By now Hang-ah is smiling, totally onto his plan. He turns to her, “Hey is it Jang Dong-gun that you like?” She puts her nose in the air, “No, Brad Pitt.”
He turns back to the phone, still rapid-talking, that it’s Brad-Pitt-whatever-her-standards-are-high, and anyway he won’t apologize and take the blame for this, nuh-uh. “But… belittling our differences… I’m sorry for that…”
He pulls the phone down and looks Kang-seok in the eye to finish his apology, “I wasn’t thinking.” Kang-seok finally loosens his grip. One by one the guns come down and everyone begins to breathe.
Whew. I know he’s the idiot who created the mess in the first place, but at least he was smart enough to defuse the potential trigger for another war.
Meanwhile Jae-kang gets a notice from the UN that they’re reexamining Korea’s entry in the WOC, because of Jae-ha’s latest stunt. He sinks with disappointment—this was to be his crowning achievement in diplomacy.
Mom comes in with a picture of another potential match for Jae-ha, not realizing the tense mood, and Jae-kang misdirects his outburst at her, asking why she never sent Jae-ha to be educated in preparation for the throne.
He screams that she should’ve put her foot down, which is easy to say when you didn’t either, buddy. You guys all participated in letting him grow up that way. He catches himself and apologizes, but leaves Mom stunned. He goes about the rest of his work in low spirits, looking especially weary. He turns to the portrait behind him and asks, “Father, what do I do?”
Back at the base, the team preps for their next test, a 60km run in under eight hours. With legs?
The air is tense even as they work out together, with both sides getting into tiffs over who can run faster and farther, and soon enough they’re playing the blame game over the SNSD incident.
It’s then that Hang-ah finds out about the laptop switcheroo in the first place. She finds Jae-ha in the pool and pushes him back in with a kick, chastising him for the present-swap. He reminds her that he already apologized, but she says he has yet to really reflect on his actions, and locks him in the pool for the night. Ha. It’s just a merry-go-round of petty. Love it.
Suddenly an alarm sounds and soldiers run onto the base by the truckload. Shi-kyung gets a panicked call that there’s been a North-South incident, and to get the prince out of there. Oh no.
He makes his way down the hall quietly, but both he and Dong-ha get held at gunpoint. Jae-ha is still locked in the pool, but sees soldier approaching with guns drawn. He goes the only place he can—underwater—and holds his breath.
But they shoot the door down and burst in, finding him right away. He comes up, hands in the air.
Hang-ah gets called by her general, who alerts her that there’s been an attack. Shaking, she asks who shot first. But instead of an answer she’s given a gun, and told to deal with her southern comrades. “It’s war.”
Jae-ha gets led into a room where his teammates are waiting. He asks what happened, and Shi-kyung turns on the tv, where they see footage of a bombed out facility and reports that South Korea has waged war and attacked the North.
Hang-ah and her team enter the room, ordering the guards to leave. Both teams stand on either side of the room, facing each other. Crap crap crap.
The northern general heads to… the security room? He sits down in front of the monitors… joined by the southern general. OH. Is this a test? Gah, way to scare the daylights outta me!
Hang-ah is the first to step forward and offer to get them out. Aw, thatta girl. But Jae-ha laughs, asking if she really expects them to believe that a North Korean soldier is going to rescue them out of North Korea, in the middle of a war. Well, when you put it like that…
He challenges her to put down her gun then, if she’s really serious. Her hand moves to her holster. She hesitates, saying that they have to be armed to ensure the entire team’s safety. Don’t they trust them?
But even Shi-kyung says no—how can they? He offers the same, that if they hand over their guns, he’ll believe them. Hang-ah moves to take her gun out… and then points it at Shi-kyung’s head. Eeep!
Kang-seok and Young-bae follow her lead. Guns are drawn. The generals watch on pins and needles, figuring that maybe it’s gone far enough, that maybe this is an unreasonable expectation.
Suddenly secret service busts into the room, and the generals are joined by the king. He watches the monitors intently.
Back in the room, Hang-ah orders them at gunpoint to go. Flashback to her orders from the general. She had asked hesitantly if he means that they should shoot and kill their comrades. But no, his orders were to get them out. Sigh of relief. He adds that her window is twenty minutes.
She orders Young-bae to escort Dong-ha out. But Jae-ha refuses to budge, guessing that he’s of no value as a bargaining chip if he’s dead, so his life isn’t in danger. He plops down in a chair and puts his feet up.
Hang-ah’s eyes dart back and forth from her watch, as she starts to panic. She goes over to Jae-ha and says her orders were to transport him, but it doesn’t make any difference to her whether her cargo is dead or alive. She points her gun at his forehead.
He gulps, and then suddenly asks casually, “Hey, what’d we have for lunch today?” Is food always your go-to diversion? He slumps over with a tummy ache, insisting that he’s gotta make a pit stop at the bathroom.
Hang-ah starts to protest, but he just snaps back, “Are hostages not allowed to poop?” He ignores her and walks out of the room, and Shi-kyung follows.
They lock the bathroom door behind them, and Jae-ha’s hands start to tremble as he attempts to work the sink. He asks with genuine fear, “What do we do now?”
Hang-ah and Kang-seok wait outside the bathroom, guns at the ready. They take a while, and when there’s a loud noise, Kang-seok bursts through the door. But Shi-kyung is ready for him, and fights the gun away.
Jae-ha tries to do the same with Hang-ah, but lands on a door hinge, bleeding. She has him at gunpoint. So now they’re stuck in the bathroom, one-for-one.
Jae-ha stands up and asks what the price on his head is. She pleads with him to believe her—she’s not going to take him to Pyongyang. She’s going to help him escape. But he says it’s inevitable that her government will use him to get what they want.
Jae-ha: I won’t. I can’t live that way. You want a South Korean prince to fail to even shoot a weapon in the middle of a war, and be taken as a hostage? After being a public laughingstock, you want me to trade my life for my country? No matter how frivolous I am, how could I do that? How could I look my hyung in the eye? And my people? I can’t go. I won’t step one foot out this door, so do what you want. Kill me or not.
Aw, I’m actually welling up with pride. Looks like princey’s not a total wastrel after all.
The speech moves Hang-ah, and she finally turns her gun around and hands it over, “Will you believe me now?” His jaw drops, “Y-you were serious?” She tells him that they have to be careful not to be detected, and the foursome head down the hall.
Suddenly they’re back to bickering mode, all why-didn’t-you-just-say-so, and I-was-considering-selling-you-to-the-highest-bidder, totally ignoring Shi-kyung and Kang-seok behind them.
She scoffs that no one would buy his useless body anyway, and he stops in his tracks, “It’s just ’cause I’m covered up, but if I flexed, these clothes would rip off!” Big tease. She just peers down, “It looks more like your stomach will pop.” Ha.
They continue down the hall and he sighs that she’d change her tune if she saw for herself, and she counters, “Sure, if you brought Jang Dong-gun along.” Jae-ha: “He’s married! With children.”
In the surveillance room, they don’t have a feed into the bathroom, so based on the last report—that they were at a standstill, guns drawn—the king sighs and calls the test to a close. But the team doesn’t know any of this, of course, and they walk out the door…
They’re met with lights and a wall of soldiers, guns aimed right at them. Jae-ha turns back to Hang-ah, the cold sting of betrayal ringing in his voice, “Till the very end…”
She starts to say no, but he just pulls the trigger, right at her heart. Damn, I did not see that coming. She falls back into Kang-seok’s arms, not hit, of course, since it’s a blank, but I don’t think any of them can register that at this point. A tear falls.
Jae-ha whirls around and raises the gun to his own head. Shi-kyung screams “No!” and jumps in front of him, gun drawn out at the enemy. My heart can’t handle all this zero to sixty!
Finally, the alarm sounds, and the two generals march forward. The sea of soldiers parts and the king walks up. Jae-ha trembles in shock. Jae-kang’s heart sinks: “Did you shoot? You shot.”
Still shaking, Hang-ah raises a hand to her heart, where the bullet would’ve been. Another tear.
The soldiers line up in uniform as the king addresses them. He says this was their final test, and not a difficult one. But there was gunfire, and by his own brother’s hand. He confesses that it was his mistake to place his brother here, and blames himself. Ouch.
He’s not wrong, but to have your hyung tell you he’s disappointed in you so publicly, just ow. Jae-kang apologizes, and then bows deeply, humbling himself. The whole room rushes to bow, while Jae-ha stands there frozen, holding back his tears.
Hang-ah sits numbly, pressing her hand to her heart. Gah, after all that progress! Heartbreaking.
Jae-kang sits, coldly detached, while Jae-ha asks why he took the blame. He matter-of-factly says that he can’t very well bad-mouth his own kid brother. Heh, backhanded way of saying that Jae-ha’s to blame but what can he do?
Jae-ha argues that it was war, so what would he have done? Still calm, Jae-kang says sure, and he was a big ol’ hero, mimicking the gunfire. Jae-ha doesn’t see how anyone wouldn’t go crazy in that situation. But that’s his hyung’s point—that he lost his head, without thinking, “like an animal.”
The generals call to get the final word, and the king says without emotion that it’s all over. The team is finished. Aw, sad. Jae-ha asks if it’s really the end, all because of him. “They’re the enemy! For sixty years, they’re the enemy, they’re the Reds, don’t trust them—who’s the one who taught me all that?!”
It finally makes Jae-kang break his icy calm, “YOU should have risen above it!” He’s a royal—it means he should set an example. He knows that Jae-ha has a lot to learn, but he thought that at the end of the day, he’d be made of something more.
Jae-ha counters that he is, referring to his willingness to sacrifice himself, but that just angers Jae-kang even more, “So you put a gun to your head? Why didn’t you just shoot that one too?”
Dayum. Jae-ha’s eyes go red with tears. He gives a little laugh to cover up his hurt. “The royal family? An example? Fine, I’ll show you.” He says the original test was that 60km race—so he’ll run it by himself and be back in eight hours, to overturn the decision.
He doesn’t even let hyung get a word in, and says he’s starting right now. “Someone needs to take responsibility, right? I will.” He storms out.
The northern team hears about his crazy stunt, and even Kang-seok worries about him. But Hang-ah says coldly that Jae-ha needs to feel a bullet’s wound to get his head on straight.
Jae-ha runs with full gear, followed by a small team to record time and distance. Suddenly Hang-ah rides up on a motorcycle and stops in his path. He immediately breaks out into a smile at the sight of her, but catches himself, and tells her gruffly to get out of the way.
She just points to each surrounding village and area, purposely spooking him out with stories about how they’re filled with people who like to beat and kidnap passersby without rhyme or reason.
He gulps and tells her to lead the way. Ha. I love how both of them need to save face so desperately. He smiles again when her back is turned. Aw.
They run for a while and she asks how he thinks this will reverse the decision, and says that 60km is no joke. He figures, since 2km is the furthest he’s ever run in his life. Pwahahaha. This is gonna be a loooong night.
She looks over with alarm, and he says it’s fine—he’s a prince, so how far could they possibly let him run? He’s sure that they’ll be here to stop them in no time. He needs to set an example, so he’ll run, and then his hyung will see that he’s serious, and then come to stop him.
Er? Drat! I fell for it again!
A car pulls up in their path. “Look, here they come! I must be a genius. Quick, look like you’re running hard. Be dire.” HA.
The officer steps out of the car and alerts them to their 60km destination, and their deadline. He hands over a remote tracking device and orders the men behind them to leave. They’re on their own now. The dumbfounded look on Jae-ha’s face is just priceless. I… have… to do it for real?
They run for a while, and Jae-ha’s already asking if they’re there yet. An emergency vehicle pulls up behind them and he rushes to catch a ride, deflating to find that it’s the rest of their team.
They’re here to run with them, and Shi-kyung apologizes for not coming sooner. Hang-ah welcomes them, happy to get some relief from Jae-ha’s whining. She’s especially happy to see Shi-kyung, which she makes clear, and immediately Jae-ha starts scowling.
Shi-kyung asks if she’s okay after the shooting, and Jae-ha yells at him for bringing up a sore subject on purpose, accusing him of resting up and then announcing that he’d join the race in front of the king to score points. “Did you tell him you’d piggyback me too?” Yes, please!
I love that Shi-kyung is so humorless that he hangs his head in apology at all his ridiculous accusations, not realizing that Jae-ha’s trying to guilt him into piggybacking him for real. “I’m sorry. I did not know your highness’ deeper thoughts. I don’t want to be a burden. I’ll leave you to go it alone.”
Pfffft. I’m. Dying. Hang-ah can barely contain a laugh while Jae-ha grits his teeth, “Alone?” Shi-kyung: “But do not forget—that we are always behind you.” I love this character. So much. Jae-ha grabs his head, muttering, “Stress…”
Meanwhile Jae-kang sits stoically in his office, refusing to sleep. He looks at his watch every few minutes tensely. Aw, look who has hope in kid bro after all.
Jae-ha and Hang-ah run for miles and miles, as the rest of the team follows behind them in the truck. It still makes me laugh that Shi-kyung took him seriously. Jae-ha starts to struggle from his leg wound and Hang-ah stops.
She takes her box of atomic poison needles out, and Jae-ha starts freaking out. She can’t be bothered with his whining so she knocks him to the ground to look at his wound, now bleeding through his pants.
She rips them open (rawr) and then takes out her needles. Jae-ha flips out, asking what she’s going to do, and she just ignores him and uses the needles for acupuncture, of course.
He’s a giant baby about the pain, but soon realizes that she’s taking the other pain away. He looks up at her silently, and their eyes meet. After a long moment, she asks what he sees her as, as in, whadduya take me for?
Jae-ha: “A Red.” She smiles, and he breaks into a little laugh. The snow really starts to come down, and they march on. After a while he’s limping pretty harshly, and she gives him an out, but he says that’d be quitting, and soldiers on.
It gets progressively worse, and late into the night, the guys in the truck start wondering if he’ll make it. They start honking to get them to stop, but Jae-ha tunes it out. All of Hang-ah’s challenges—about his fears, what kind of man he really is—come flooding back, along with his hyung’s hurt and disappointment.
He grits his teeth through the pain and fights back his tears, finally turning back to yell at the guys to stop honking. He marches on.
Daylight. By now Jae-ha can barely stand, as he struggles to make it up a hill using a walking stick. He obstinately tries to keep going even as he bleeds, and Hang-ah stops to get some water in the river.
But just when she steps away, he trips and takes a tumble down to the river bank, landing on some rocks. She runs and tries to help him up, but finds him at his wit’s end, literally at rock bottom.
He screams, “I can’t. I can’t! I can’t! I can’t! I can’t!” He screams like a little kid, asking what more do they want from him, letting loose his inner tantrum. Aw, he really is such a kid sometimes. But this time we really feel his pain.
Hang-ah just stands by without a word. Later they sit side by side on the riverbank without saying anything, and Hang-ah takes out her handkerchief and places it on the ground between them.
Aw, for him to wipe his tears? He turns to look at her, and she smiles. He asks what time it is, and sighs to realize they won’t make it in 25 minutes. And then he asks if she was scared earlier—he means the shooting.
He says he felt the shot too—right through his chest. She looks over at him curiously, and then smiles, as if she’s seeing him for the first time.
She lets out a happy sigh and plops down to the ground, “Today is a really nice day.” She takes in the warm weather and pats the ground next to her, saying he should lie down. “Orders, tests, what’s it all matter in the end anyway? You have to experience stuff like this, to be truly alive.”
He joins her and they take turns looking up at the sky and taking peeks at each other. It’s adorable.
At headquarters, the general asks what on earth they’re doing there—it’s been over five minutes and the radio blip hasn’t moved. The finally get a call from the team with the report that they’re sleeping…together. Ha.
They lie there for a while and then Jae-ha gets up. She says the test is already over, but he says he’s the royal family, and keeps going. Guh, I’m such a sucker for the runner who finishes the race despite losing.
Jae-kang hasn’t moved an inch all night, and he finally gets word that Jae-ha is within view. He sighs, blinking back tears.
Jae-ha and Hang-ah hobble down the road, now with their whole team walking behind them. Jae-ha trips and falls, and Shi-kyung runs to help him up. But Jae-ha refuses to take his hand, asking if he’s laughing at him for failing the test.
But Shi-kyung is like, uh… the test isn’t over. Jae-ha looks over at Hang-ah, confused. She admits that earlier when she said 25 minutes, it was really more like 40, but she thought it’d be better if he just gave up and rested.
He pretends to be mad, calling her a Red, which has by now become a term of endearment for her. But he’s genuinely moved. She reaches out her hand, and this time, he takes it, and lets her help him stand.
They walk toward the finish line together, and the waiting officers clap as they approach.
Jae-ha slings his arm around Hang-ah’s shoulders and they smile.
COMMENTS
So. Good. After everything that’s happened in just four short episodes, that last gesture is so touching, it’s surprising. It helps that they have the strength of North-South tension and prejudice upon which to build the stakes—not just for the shoot ’em up war scenes, but for the simple gesture of him taking her hand as a comrade in arms. It’s just not something that would mean as much in a different universe, but here it signifies everything—that trust and friendship is what finally broke past that barrier. I wouldn’t have been as moved if it were a romantic gesture, because though I think there’s growing love there, it’s more gratifying to see the birth of a friendship between two soldiers.
I love the range in Jae-ha’s character that we got to see in this episode, somehow spanning everything from his petulant, vicious, cowardly side, to the complete opposite, where he showed immense depth and strength and honor. It was hilariously conveyed as pockets of goodness couched in lots and lots of his usual self, but the moments of maturity did surprise me. Jae-kang’s arrival at the base was a huge instigator for that turn, but it’s the talking-to that he needed to make him grow up. They don’t call it tough love for nothin’.
This show moves along pretty swiftly anyway, but this episode had some great plotting—one strong central emotional throughline with a mile-a-minute twist at every turn. A scene will start out humorously, take a sudden sharp turn and become serious, a joke will undercut that tension and settle us back, only to then floor us with an even bigger twist, ratcheting up the tension even higher. And then when your heart is all twisted and you’re sure someone’s going to be a big hero, suddenly there’s another joke and you’re back to laughing. I seriously don’t know which way is up, but I love it. This show is off-the-charts crazy, but in the best way.
The marathon metaphor is nothing new, but I really like the way it’s used here, because the entirety of it is a gesture. It doesn’t really mean anything until Jae-ha uses it to prove something to his brother—that he’s worth something, and that he’s made of more than what people think. It’s funny because he never seemed to care much that people thought so little of him, but it does matter what Hang-ah and Jae-kang think of him. What’s great is that there are so many things he learns in just that last leg of the journey. He comes up against the harsh truth that perhaps he’ll fail, no matter how hard he tries. But it speaks volumes that he wants to finish anyway, and then the thing he learns from Hang-ah is the heartwrencher—that perhaps your comrades are more important than finishing the mission on time.
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Tags: featured, Ha Ji-won, Jo Jung-seok, Lee Seung-gi, Lee Sung-min, Lee Yoon-ji, The King 2 Hearts
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1 ally bell
March 29, 2012 at 8:06 PM
thanx
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molly
March 29, 2012 at 8:54 PM
I guess I am in the minority, because I am not enjoying the show as much as I thought I would. I like the actors, but I find the plot aimless and at times boring. To me this is like the Iris story, except this time the SK chooses the North Korean agent, over his fellow South Korean. I love Ha Ji Won, been a fan of her for years, even before Secret Garden, but her character's excessive cuteness at times, is beginning to annoy.
The plot is also a bit draggy. I was willing to overlook a lot of things at first, because of the leads, but seriously, if the leads weren't Ha Ji Won and Korea's Boy Next Door, Lee Seung-gi, the ratings wouldn't have been as high, and they will be getting criticized for the plot holes and script . Oh well, I am still hanging in there.
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topper
March 29, 2012 at 9:00 PM
Well everyone has their own cup of tea so it is fine. And ratings should never affect anyone's justification for rating any dramas anyway. If it tops ratings, well it just does.
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maneeta
March 30, 2012 at 11:39 AM
Ratings doesn't necessarily reflect whether a drama is good or not; the plot should. And that is where I have a problem with King 2 Hearts. Obviously, we are leading up to the marriage between the two. But on what planet, will the very nationalistic South Koreans, allow a North Korean assassin, who has admitted to killing South Koreans, become their queen. Yeah, it is a drama, but that is a huge jump that seems highly implausible.
Then the wacko villain, who belongs in a parody movie like Austin Powers, he is like Dr. Evil Korean redux, he should get a hairless cat, and go around saying buhahaha, to complete the full effect of his villainess *sarcasm*
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topper
March 30, 2012 at 12:08 PM
That's what I meant, ratings should not affect anyone's opinion on the quality, so why is this comment directed at me?
Btw, she has never assassinated anyone before, she's a trainer for the special force and did not carry out an assassination. It's stated in the first episode. And in this drama it is an alternate universe where NK is moving towards peace.
But really everyone has their own cup of tea.
beth2005
March 29, 2012 at 9:29 PM
i can't agree more with you, it's her excessive cuteness that i find Ha Ji Won is very annoying. i will monitor....if it turns out to be better in coming episodes.....but let's see. but for now...i don't even bother to watch the 2nd and the rest yet
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nova611
March 29, 2012 at 10:52 PM
i agree with you molly..it does not go inside my heart, just on the surface level..so far i only read, it does not excite me to watch the wat SUFBB do.
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bjharm
March 30, 2012 at 1:12 AM
Isnt her cute act, just that an act. It is what she thinks men like in a woman, it is a reaction to her being a professional solider and she only turns it on like when she trying her 'charms' on the likes of Shi-kyung.
jomo143
March 30, 2012 at 4:32 AM
I agree with bjharm.
Part of the cuteness is the NK dialect HJW is using.
It's old fashioned, for lack of a better word, so it looks like she is doing cute.
The forced cute with SK is supposed to be off-putting.
JH gags when he hears it, even though he is also being jealous that she doesn't do "aegyo" for him.
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For Nova611
March 30, 2012 at 5:39 AM
Hi @Nova611 and all, I think I get it ,SUFBB is not my cup of tea, that's why we have different taste over these dramas. You like SFUBB and hate The King 2 Hearts while I totally get the message from The King 2 Hearts and found SUFBB as less entertaining for me. The difference between us is, maybe, I am not complaining and ruining the mood of the happy campers at SUFBB's thread here or in soompi. Oh well, now I AM the one who is complaining here. Sorry GF, and thanks for the awesome recaps!
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alice20
April 4, 2012 at 2:26 AM
Negative comments should be as readily accepted as positive ones, as long as they are constructive and thoughtful. Why bash on someone just for having a negative opinion on a show?
daniela
March 30, 2012 at 1:35 AM
Same here! I don't know why, but I feel disappointed.
I did not expect to much from this show, but the villain part it's too long and too boring (in the last episode I ff all the parts), the atmosphere is cold, so communist (I don't need someone to remind me how it was back there).
I will give to this show just one more week to convince me, the preview is kind of interesting.
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Dorotka
March 30, 2012 at 2:31 AM
I didn't feel anything when watching Moon/Sun and dropped it half way. Regardless of high ratings. So if you don't feel anything for this drama, it's fine. Each of us has different preferences. I like it, so far. Not that it is without faults, I agree that sometimes it drags and it would be perhaps better if they cut the episode to the cable 45 minutes format. But I like the characters, that they are multidimensional, and I want to know what happens to them. I just hope I will not be disappointed with the story...
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Jennie
March 30, 2012 at 2:32 AM
I share the same thoughts too. The ratings are high because of the two leads and the subject of the two Koreas is something close to the Koreans. It doesn't make me want to cuddle up and savour every moment of the drama.
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Allie
March 30, 2012 at 5:24 AM
It's not Ha Ji Won's cuteness, it's Kim Hang Ah's, that's her character, she's a great actress who has thousand faces. And I think The King 2 Hearts is an awesome drama so far. I am a mother and I think military life is boring, I mean, we watch drama to get a new fashion trend too sometimes, like, what dress the lead actress is wearing, her handbag etc, but I hooked with this drama. Big Time.
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Cruelsummer
March 30, 2012 at 7:45 AM
I think it's in poor form to discredit the shows ratings by saying it's only due to the leads. Just because you don't enjoy the show, doesn't mean that others don't. I could care less about the two leads, but I truly enjoy the story.
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Raine
March 31, 2012 at 8:11 AM
^ I second that, took the words right out of my mouth
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dea
March 30, 2012 at 7:20 PM
I didn't really get the drama points until someone in soompi posted his / her opinions about TK2H (http://www.soompi.com/forums/topic/373955-drama-2012the-king-2hearts-%eb%8d%94%ed%82%b9-%ed%88%ac%ed%95%98%ec%b8%a0/page__view__findpost__p__17695004). And some scenes which I found unnecessary (the treadmill scene, the SNSD scene at the beginning of this episode) now made lots of sense.
And honestly, it made me really appreciate TK2H more. I applaude all the actors, crew, writer and the PD because this is not everyone's cup-of-tea drama - the NK-SK storyline is quite sensitive; and I can see why lots of actors declined to be part of this drama.
Even if the rating drops, I will still be supporting TK2H because this is the drama that excels not only due to the casts solid acting, unique storyline, great cinematography; but also it's the rare drama which is bravely step out of the comfort zones of the usual / common K-Drama storyline.
But I respect your opinions, not everyone has to love / enjoy TK2H.
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red
March 31, 2012 at 4:25 AM
I can't agree more, this show is flooring me with its dialogue. Finally dialogue with substance, meaning and wit. I like the character explorations who are complexly written and solidly acted. I am so impressed and totally in for the ride, bring it on K2Hs.
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trufflecandy
April 2, 2012 at 2:38 PM
@dea I just had to point this out — I was immensely impressed that even though you did not understand certain plot points (I know how it feels to be confused hence untasteful), you changed your views after reading, absorbing and accepting someone else's explanation.
TK2H is the kind of show that isn't set out to impress the mass, but instead thrives to win the hearts of people who truly know how to appreciate film aka people who:
1) think a lot,
2) embrace dialogue,
3) crave for character development ~which most define as draggy~,
4) and has a keen sight and likeness for metaphors/subtlety/hidden messages.
All of these factors usually seem unnecessary and uninteresting to most casual viewers. It doesn't matter. It sure feels crappy when people bash what you like, but I'm sure the PD and writers know exactly what kind of viewers they are targeting at.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Putting that aside, when I see fellow comrades who share the same thoughts as me (like @red), I just feel like virtually hugging you guys while sharing donuts with white powder all over! ♡♡♡
I finally found something worthy enough to satisfy my cravings the only way History of the Salaryman did :')
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Laura
March 31, 2012 at 4:28 AM
Pray you get lost!
Do you like anyone to come to your party without invitation and tell you that food is aweful just because it is not her favorite food?
Don't be a wet blanket, please.
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holy
March 31, 2012 at 9:45 AM
I second that...I think we can find their comment in the other rival drama, bias is a crazy scary thing huh...mmmm
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An-Molly
March 31, 2012 at 9:57 AM
True...see their comment...
1.1 molly March 21st, 2012 at 7:54 pm
I liked the first episode. It was actually better than I expected. The drama kept my attention and had me in suspense. Lol, I guess I’m in for the long haul. Can’t wait to see were they go from here. There were some nuanced details that assured me that the cast and crew know what they are doing. Yoochun has also improved leaps and bounds. Han Ji Min has always is a cutie.
I usually dislike the first episode of dramas, but RTP was actually pretty good.
Truly enjoying this drama. I was laughing by myself. Kdramas just when I was ready to quit you, you pulled me back in. Also, something I am enjoying about this drama is the music. The OST is really good, plus, the music score for each scene is really well done. Is there a way to get all the background music also and not just the OST?
52.1 molly March 30th, 2012 at 1:39 am
it was Yoochun, lol. That image will follow him forever. The shimmy, omg, the shimmy. too funny.
I just dont like it when people just bashing other drama just becoz of their bias.. :(
Alex
April 3, 2012 at 11:37 PM
The King 2Hearts is the THINKING women's romantic comedy!
Try absorb that.
Thanks GF for a wonderful recap.
Can't wait for Ep. 5.
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Tiffany
June 19, 2014 at 11:55 PM
I completely agree. I'm a little late(alot late) but I started watching this drama because I love Lee Seung-gi and it had such great reviews(especially from Girl Friday) but I'm a little thrown a back by how much I am not enjoying this drama. This came as a shock to me because I usually have similar opinions about dramas that girl friday and javabeans have. To be honest, I didn't really like the first episode but I kept watching because I thought 'there must be something I'm missing seeing as though most people loved this drama'. However, I am now on episode 5 and everyone who had interest has already been hooked at this point and sadly for me I missed the bandwagon. I'm not sure if I should keep watching at this point.
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rojhana
March 31, 2012 at 4:10 PM
no matter what i always enjoy lee seungi's dramas,ALWAYS c:
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Ana Gonzalez
August 22, 2014 at 8:03 PM
I dont know how the King expected them to actually pass that test.
No offense but if someone pointed a gun at me and I had a gun too, Id point mine right back. Friend or foe. You cant actually expect someone to not react like that in that sort of situation.
I have friends from back in elementary school that I consider closer than family, but the moment they threaten my life lets just say Im not gonna go down without a fight.
,And this is me with people Ive known since I was four. These guys come from two different sides that have been apart for ages and theyve known each other for about...what? A month. Less?
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2 DarknessEyes
March 29, 2012 at 8:08 PM
second!!!!! hopefully :) thanks anyway!
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3 Dmko01
March 29, 2012 at 8:08 PM
Ok, now I have to check this show out. Thanks gf!
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4 Ivoire
March 29, 2012 at 8:10 PM
Yay!!! I had been waiting for this. Thank you Girlfriday!!!!
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Ivoire
March 29, 2012 at 8:13 PM
I have been wanting to watch it on Viki, but they're not done subbing it, and I didn't want to miss the important points, so I was waiting for your recap (so I could read it) before I watch this episode. Thanks again!!!!
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slfowie
March 30, 2012 at 7:33 AM
they finished the subbing
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Ivoire
March 31, 2012 at 10:36 PM
Thanks for letting me know.
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5 topper
March 29, 2012 at 8:14 PM
This episode has so much conflict, intensity and heart. This show is flooring me.
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6 Raine
March 29, 2012 at 8:18 PM
I agree! This episode is totally daebak! Was watching it live yesterday and even though I didn't understand a word, I was still really touched. That's got to say something, when images alone can move my emotions. The first half was intense, and then second half was so heartwarming between our OTP.
Off to read recap, thanks so much GF! Been looking forward to reading your recap ever since watching it live last night ^^
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Raine
March 30, 2012 at 5:29 AM
Just want to add that I think the music is really well placed in this episode. Adds to the tension and also heightens emotions during heartfelt scenes.
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7 Salie
March 29, 2012 at 8:29 PM
THANK YOU! :)
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8 Sunmi
March 29, 2012 at 8:31 PM
Personally, the main reason this episode was so good was b/c there wasn't any time wasted on that wack-a-doodle villain and his international posse of terrroorrrr~
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Auntiemame
March 29, 2012 at 9:09 PM
AMEN! That is one storyline that I can do without. Or, at least, do with minimally.
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kungfupigeon
March 29, 2012 at 9:59 PM
I agree. As someone said, he seems more Dr Evil than anything. Truth is, my dog would be a better villain. Seriously, hearing her coming is the save thing as those violins from Psycho. And that's when you hear her. Sometimes she's just appears and next thing you know this beastie is your new shadow
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daniela
March 30, 2012 at 1:39 AM
the villain parts seems like a bad copy of "The Black Night" - too long, too boring!
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dea
March 30, 2012 at 2:59 AM
Seconded! I think the writer is still obsessed with her latest mystery movie "The Influence". The scene involving the villain is over-the-top and too long; glad that we didn't see him on episode 4. But I guess he'll be back soon. >.<
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jomo143
March 30, 2012 at 4:38 AM
Yay! Hopefully the writers got the hint and will continue like this. Very small doses of Club M (for Madman).
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topper
March 30, 2012 at 5:18 AM
Unfortunately this is no live shoot like Moon/Sun, they have shot pretty far ahead from what I read.
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jomo143
March 30, 2012 at 5:27 AM
That's good, too. It means they figured it out on their own. :)
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XTool
March 31, 2012 at 10:50 PM
Totally wackadoodle villain. Too much for me. But I really loved this episode. Loved the plot - all the twists and turns.
In fact, I'm pretty resigned to being totally nonproductive this month as I am loving RTP, too. Major Yoochun fan. It's pretty much kdramas heaven right now as far as I'm concerned.
Thank you, as always, for the speedy and awesome recap.
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9 KRush
March 29, 2012 at 8:32 PM
Love! I'm really enjoying this show! It is much more than I expected from those trailers oh so long ago. I hope they keep it up.
Anyway, again, it IS great to see all these characters doing so well with who they were casted with.
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10 tikaa
March 29, 2012 at 8:33 PM
the story is really goodd. idk why the rating is declining.. and shi kyung,, my o my I want that personal savior for myself too.. can't believe he's the same person in what's up
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11 WWIV
March 29, 2012 at 8:34 PM
your recaps are great, i took a break after seeing jae-ha "shoot" hang ah to surf the net a bit and luckily i managed to catch this recap..... if i had watched the show to the end my roommate might have caught me crying lol
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12 Saima
March 29, 2012 at 8:35 PM
"He says he felt the shot too—right through his chest. She looks over at him curiously, and then smiles, as if she’s seeing him for the first time."
soooo romantic!! Also, didn't understand the preview at all but lsdkfjsdlfjfjjdfkjdf. He confesses his love for her & they are getting engaged!! don't care if it's a faux confession but JH is totally rawr-worthy!
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13 ryuu99
March 29, 2012 at 8:35 PM
a MUCH better episode. ahhhh....this episode was awesome. and it had it all going..!
something i notice is that all the episodes are self-contained in a big way. i don't know whether or not that'll affect ratings, since there's really no plot point to anticipate the next episode. that's a minor gripe. the drama has yet to find the plot that'll make it gripping. we were shown bits and pieces of the overarching plot, but so far the episodes have been self-contained (meaning, each episode has a litttle sub-plot that starts on that episode and ends on that episode as well). there has been no cliffhanger endings or a long-term conflict. everything starts in an episode and ends with that episode as well (like the conflict between the North and South team in this episode).
on that same note, i don't know why the ratings dropped when this episode is much better than yesterday's.
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felisa
March 29, 2012 at 8:40 PM
The rating actually increased a little bit from the third episode.
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alice20
April 4, 2012 at 3:06 AM
You could say the overarching plot is about how does the team does in the WOC (after all, that's why they're all training for). You COULD say that, if we all didn't already know that Jae Ha and Hang Ah will get married.
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alice20
April 4, 2012 at 3:07 AM
*how WELL the team does in the WOC.
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14 felisa
March 29, 2012 at 8:38 PM
This episode is truly the best! Loved everything about it.
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15 moibelle
March 29, 2012 at 8:38 PM
Yayyy...i keep refresh and refresh the page.....thank u...thank u....thank uuuuuuuuuu..............
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16 byj_angel
March 29, 2012 at 8:38 PM
Thank you so much, GF! I am so loving this drama. I am a certified Ha Ji-won fan ever and now a Lee Seung-gi fan convert!
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17 jae
March 29, 2012 at 8:38 PM
thanks girlfriday! can't wait for next episode!
king2 heart, daeabak..
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18 Anne
March 29, 2012 at 8:40 PM
This episode made me so emotional its kind of embarrassing o_O But seriously...Idk why but this episode did NOT help me in getting to like Jae Ha's character. I was actually hoping for him to do more to earn her forgiveness. I mean yeah, running 60km is no joke but still...he shot her. Had it been loaded, then she would have been killed! I think it should take a lot more to earn her forgiveness not physically wise, but maybe emotionally and mentally he needs to grow up more and show that he's really sorry. I mean, he didn't even muster up a proper apology to her. It's like all is well and forgiven and they just continue along ...EVEN IF HE SHOT HER!!!!
Okiee idk why I'm being this emotionally attached to this show...
o_O
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topper
March 29, 2012 at 8:46 PM
It was not a thought out action but instinct when under threat and betrayal. He did hold the gun to his head. It fits with his view previously that he will never be held hostage and rather be killed.
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Mystisith
March 30, 2012 at 1:15 AM
It was fear and adrenaline, and i'm sure he is the most shocked and sick of all the team members after the incident. I could totally picture him throwing up his guts.
And then, he can't change what happened. He can't torture himself for decades. All he can do is trying to make things better, to fix things. It's a starting point: A bad one, a painful one. It's a reality he will have to carry the rest of his life, even if they fall crazily in love one day Honestly. I wouldn't like to be in his shoes...
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Quiet Thought
March 30, 2012 at 5:34 PM
A good point raised by Topper and Mystisith: this isn't a drama about a snotty chaebol family and a plucky store clerk, or a cold-faced doctor and sugary-sweet nurse. This is a drama about soldiers, trained to kill each other by two armies who've fighting small, brutal skirmishes and threatening to make bloody war for sixty years. The king wanted to prove to other countries that his soldiers could be trusted to participate in a dangerous military exercise without killing someone. Ja Hae's reaction to betrayal was to pull the trigger, but Hang Ah understands that it might have been any of them doing the killing. They've all been indoctrinated to pull that trigger, and they have to learn not to.
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Dewo
March 29, 2012 at 11:39 PM
Maybe it's just like old saying: all fair in love and war so... all forgiven in love and war. ;)
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Birthday Girl
March 30, 2012 at 1:21 PM
I agree. It would take a lot to forgive a person if they shot me. And I am surprised, THERE IS NO WAY he could limp 60km [almost 40 miles] in that short amount of time. I am really confused. Did they move the end point? Someone please explain!
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lazichelle
March 31, 2012 at 5:54 PM
Jae-ha first of all needed to overcome the "60" years of time that he thought of the North Koreans as enemies. I think that's why they had to make him run "60"km even though literally that's just impossible (The director himself once would have been in the army, no way he did not know that it was impossible.) So, the whole running/walking scene there just gives you a glimpse of what's going to happen in the left episodes.
He starts walking with a wound. (---SPOILER--- the wound symbolizes the death of his hyung, the king ---SPOILER---) Hang-ah is the only one who could walk with Jae-ha (Shi-Kyung and others can only just watch from the back) (and the king.. you know, he's just watching from really far) When he falls and cries and just screams like a little kid, Hang-ah is there for him and lets him take a rest. He, in the end, finally makes it.
I think it's just going to be like that in the episodes from now on. Hang-ah is going to be with Jae-ha and always help him mentally and physically to overcome the difficulties, such as John, the EVIL, to become a king. She is the only and perfect match for Jae-ha. She is physically strong, but even more strong mentally.
That's a part of a review I read from a DCK2H. I just sort of translated for you guys, but not sure if I actually did say what I meant to say.
oh man. i just lovee this drama.
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dea
April 1, 2012 at 7:19 PM
^ Honestly, I also think it's impossible for JH to limp for 60km in 8 hours; it's totally crazy. But this is a drama, there're lots of things that don't make sense in a drama.
60km basically symbolizes the 60years that they've been enemies. I wonder if there's a meaning behind this 8 hours?
Episode 4 sums up what we can expect the King 2 Hearts. The writer is a genius, she makes us to think while watching this drama. Ahhh Stress... (Jae Ha's favorite word) hehehe..
Thank you so much for the translation. We can also read more about the meaning behind this marching scene here [Spoiler Alert]: http://asian-drama.org/the-meaning-of-marching-scene-in-the-king-2-hearts-ep-4/
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mihinikki
March 30, 2012 at 8:59 PM
Ok, I get that he 1. Thought Hang ah betrayed him 2. He was in a crazy life-or-death situation, 3. He is so not used to using his brain and heart for anything important, and 4. He was determined not to betray his country, BUT whhhhyyyyyyy must kdramas make our heroes do horrible things to to the heroines? How do you end up in a romantic relationship with someone who SHOT you? I was seriously traumatized and still am. I might, just might, be okay if Jae ha uses his body to shield Hang ah from bullets later on.
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woot
March 31, 2012 at 1:22 AM
BUT whhhhyyyyyyy must kdramas make our heroes do horrible things to to the heroines? How do you end up in a romantic relationship with someone who SHOT you?
Watched City Hunter yet? You'll see how
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mmm
March 14, 2013 at 8:33 PM
kim nana did not know who city hunter was so that situation was different.
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19 slfowie
March 29, 2012 at 8:43 PM
I am going to watch this... I was dreading this episode looking at the preview.. but it is totally different, one question why isn't the ratings so high? Moon and Sun was a good ( fine.. alright) show but it reached 40 , this i believe is much better so why!!! just 14%?
one question does the king know he is dying?
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lazichelle
March 29, 2012 at 8:52 PM
all the drama ratings are like that in spring in korea..
as you might know, the new school year starts in march in korea and im guessing people go out more often instead of watching dramas.
so,, we could say that this drama has DAEBAK rating if its gets over 20% ratings.
oh and the king doesn't LOL.
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slfowie
March 29, 2012 at 9:27 PM
the king.. well he told him mom that they should have send princey to be " educated in preparation for the throne", but guess he was talking bout the fact that princey is next in line since the king has no children.... but I am really looking forward for next week and i hope they get married soon or at least have more interaction..
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Dorotka
March 30, 2012 at 2:22 AM
Part of it can also be because of the competition - for example Rooftop Prince is a strong drama as well. While Moon/Soon had basically no competitor....
On the other hand, I personally wouldn't too much relate ratings and quality...
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jomo143
March 30, 2012 at 4:51 AM
I agree with you.
The only thing I worry about, and I don't think it'll happen with this show, is when they pull ratings stunts to pull in viewers.
Characters do sensational but illogical acts that don't move the plot along.
Spy Myung Wol, the horror, kindly provided their audience with week after week of examples. It could be a study in why it doesn't work.
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20 JenJen
March 29, 2012 at 8:44 PM
This episode was so full of awesome-ness. <3 Thanks for the recap.
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JenJen
March 29, 2012 at 10:44 PM
ahhh I find the honking scene so beautifully done that I keep rewatching it.
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21 imoan.naomi
March 29, 2012 at 8:44 PM
Even though this isn't really a new character for SeungGi, I love JaeHa so much. Sorta the way I love my own annoying-childish-and-refuses-to-grow-up younger brother...
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alice20
April 4, 2012 at 3:18 AM
I like how he kind of fleshes out the spoiled chaebol trope, and makes him more real. It's like, I thought Jae Ha was a spoiled asshole to begin with, but then he explains his way of thinking, and I see how it can make sense coming from that lifestyle.
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alice20
April 4, 2012 at 3:19 AM
Or maybe it's the writers I should be praising? But he's also doing a great job. That crying scene... I was there, man.
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22 saranghae_12
March 29, 2012 at 8:47 PM
This episode was so delicious! It has all the right flavors in it. It will be another long week til ep 5 where the engagement will happen.
I love the OTP but I also love the bromance between the Jaeha and his hyung as well as with Shikyung. Jaeha's 'stress' cracks me up all the time.
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23 lazichelle
March 29, 2012 at 8:47 PM
after watching the trailer for the 5th episode, i just cannot do anything. OMG. this drama is just the best ive watched in years. it not only makes me laugh, but also makes me think.. i just keep finding more stuff from every scene every time i re-watch an episode.
I CANNOT WAIT FOR NEXT WEEKKK~!!!
+ i'm truly impressed with LSGi's acting. In this episode, he was in like 95 percent of it. he was focused and he knew what he was acting. oh gosh. why is he so good at everything???!
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24 stars4u
March 29, 2012 at 8:48 PM
This ep was a roller coaster ride!!!
Awww... I can't wait for them to get married.
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25 qwerty8
March 29, 2012 at 8:49 PM
This show is golden! I love Jae-ha's character a lot. This and Rooftop Prince are definitely my favorite shows right now.
The whole SNSD thing is cracking me up. I remember reading news about K-pop in North Korea, the country actually has some underground SNSD dancing classes lol. Meanwhile in South Korea's army camp.... http://youtu.be/fCpQ8L-OMW0 the army fanboys are soooo hilarious!
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jomo143
March 30, 2012 at 3:59 AM
It's interesting that I never thought about girl bands in relationship to the Army in SK.
Of course they are the pin-up girls, of course they would be a huge part of entertaining the troops.
No wonder the audience is so devoted. It just never occurred to me why the girls' fandom went beyond teeny boppers.
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reeen
March 30, 2012 at 4:39 AM
that video with the army fanboys is sooo adorable!
I wonder what North Korea thinks of the King 2 Hearts... looking at all the cut off pictures and statues of their leaders they're probably not too pleased...
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jomo143
March 30, 2012 at 4:54 AM
I am sure they don't mind having HJW represent them.
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Mystisith
March 30, 2012 at 5:32 AM
LOL!
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s
March 30, 2012 at 7:34 PM
I'm not certain the people can WATCH this show in the first place, mind you.
So it's a moot point.
Mystisith
March 31, 2012 at 5:05 AM
And still, i keep finding the idea amusing! Moot point or not. Am i not granted a laugh?
One thing i know about oppressed populations: In every terrifying dictatorship, there is always a small number of Resistants refusing to curb their back. Believe me, i bet my two hands some North Koreans are watching the show, using ingenuous ways (satellite connections, DVD's on the black market, smartphones or anything else i can't even think about). It happened in Irak under Saddam Hussein's reign, it happened in France during the nazi occupation. Censorship is only partly effective in Syria or in China. Hermetic borders don't exist.
The more you tighten your grip, the more people want to escape. It's a reality as old as the human kind.
reeen
March 31, 2012 at 7:46 AM
exactly. I remember reading that some are able to somehow watch South Korean media (on DVD smuggled through China?) and besides, I'm sure the higher ups are quite aware of anything South Korean.
daniela
March 30, 2012 at 7:49 AM
I don't think they watch the drama. I remember the communist period of my childhood = 2 hours/day of TV and just praises to the great leader :))))
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reeen
March 31, 2012 at 7:49 AM
I'm not talking about the average citizen (although they might have illegal access to some media from outside North Korea), but I'm sure there are people whose job is to monitor South Korean media - of course you might argue that it's questionable whether that extends to TV dramas.
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amy
March 31, 2012 at 12:23 PM
http://www.allkpop.com/2012/03/the-similarities-and-differences-between-reality-and-the-north-korea-portrayed-in-the-king-2-hearts
26 Celest
March 29, 2012 at 8:52 PM
I am loving the tone, pacing, chemistry, acting and tension in this drama. It's can go from funny to dead serious in three seconds flat AND still makes sense. I especially loved the beginning SNSD debacle. You can feel and cut the tension with a knife yet there's a slight humor to it.
The chemistry between JH and HA is definitely getting there but I think that LSG totally excels in the scenes with his brother the King.
The only quip I have about this show for now is actually JH's character. I'm finding him incredibly annoying and irritating sometimes. I guess LSG is supposed to play him that way, but one of these days I hope that LSG can actually pick a character I really like. I absolutely hated his character in Brilliant Legacy and was indifferent to his character in Gumiho.
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ryuu99
March 29, 2012 at 9:13 PM
i love his character. both his Shining Inheritance and Gumiho characters are just ignorant, but Jae Ha isn't. right from the first episode, you can tell his character will be annoying but has sense. like when he said "don't call me comrade" during their lunch. i love that everyone else was in on this WOC thing like it's a normal thing, but he suddenly made the underlying tension break through the surface. or his argument about them being puppets of the people. he's not stupid. he is playful and annoying, but he's witty and he's very aware of the things that he say or do.
and i just love how Shi Kyung is the anti-Jae Ha. he's earnest and sometimes could not read the Prince's fake ramblings, but he also makes it up by unintentionally owning the Prince in his own game. hahaha.
and you prolly think that way because the King and Prince argue about things that have more depth and gravity, and relates to themselves as family and public figures. JH and HA ramblings are mainly for their cutesy romance budding slowly. i feel that way, too.
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bjharm
March 30, 2012 at 1:16 AM
hmm someone is the bad guys eyes and hands in the camp, now wouldnt it be fine if that person was....Shi-kyung..?
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ryuu99
March 30, 2012 at 4:12 AM
nahhh...that's impossible because
*SPOILERS**read backwards if you wanna be spoiled.
.riap s'gnuyk-ihS eb lliw ro\si retsis s'aHeaJ
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Ani
March 30, 2012 at 6:14 AM
YES! Better not backpedal on that one ryuu99.
27 iyra
March 29, 2012 at 8:53 PM
seems like jae ha is finally growing up...
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28 sita
March 29, 2012 at 8:57 PM
thaaaaaaanks!
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29 LSGfan
March 29, 2012 at 8:59 PM
You're amazing Girlfriday!
Wow, such a great summary of what went down with the impt details and context, especially for lots of people who don't get this type of genre and humor compared to usual K-dramas.
Like there are several Korean-speaking viewers who don't really get it (usually older, my parents being one! although my dad was drawn into the drama based on the scene of Hangah beating up Jaeha, and the North-South storyline! doesn't really get the humor lines in between)
Would be so awesome if someone in Korea translated your recap into Korean onto K-portal sites. Has that happened before?
So excited for next week's eps.
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30 Osi
March 29, 2012 at 9:04 PM
Funny, intense, sad. All in one.
Seeing jae ha so trembling, I really want to give him a hug. Seung gi sure improves a lot. It's like he's really trembling, not acting trembling.
I use jae ha's catchphrase now.
'ahh stresss'
Waiting the whole week to watch ep 5. Canit wait.
Thank you GF for recapping this awesome drama. You're so awesome.
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Vira
April 2, 2012 at 12:55 PM
When I heard the catchphrase "stress" comes out, I really felt de ja vu. Because, the first time I knew this word was when Gary in Running Man said it. "Ah, stressssss". Moreover, it's funnier when Jessica immitated him. "STRESSSSSSS". Then, finally I find that Jae Ha also uses it. It really cracks me up.
One more thing, I want to see more about Shi Kyung. I know that Jae ha is still immature (the way of his thinking), but, I hope they will be a close friend later on. I'm sure of it.
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31 Osi
March 29, 2012 at 9:04 PM
Funny, intense, sad. All in one.
Seeing jae ha so trembling, I really want to give him a hug. Seung gi sure improves a lot. It's like he's really trembling, not acting trembling.
I use jae ha's catchphrase now.
'ahh stresss'
Waiting the whole week to watch ep 5. Can't wait.
Thank you GF for recapping this awesome drama. You're so awesome.
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32 ghaylet
March 29, 2012 at 9:06 PM
Aww, my heart swelled with pride for our whiny prince. Can't wait for next week.
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33 leyzlie
March 29, 2012 at 9:08 PM
thank you GF for the recap.. been refreshing this site for this... I so love the intensity and the emotions brought by the leads... I can't wait for the next episode.. Come on Wednesday!!
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34 pam
March 29, 2012 at 9:15 PM
yesh! i've been refreshing the page since the morning. many many thanks Grilfriday!!
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35 manassuper
March 29, 2012 at 9:15 PM
this episode is DEBAK! THANX girlfriday for the recaps.your recaps are really amazingl.lee sung gi and ha ji won acting has bowled him over and over again.TK2H FIGHTING!
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36 Sarratiger
March 29, 2012 at 9:17 PM
How do you forgive getting shot in the heart quicker than being told that you are unlovable? I guess it's true what they say about stick and bones... and bullets
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ryuu99
March 29, 2012 at 9:23 PM
well it was quite understandable. he felt betrayed, and all of them thought they were at war. also, the North pointed the guns at them first.
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topper
March 29, 2012 at 9:30 PM
I think Sarratiger meant how can Hang-Ah forgive so quickly. My only explanation is that maybe because she's a soldier, and know that if she has been ordered to shoot him instead of escorting him out, she would have done so.
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Ani
March 29, 2012 at 10:22 PM
That's a nice way to look at it, because I really wouldn't have forgiven the bastard to so easily jump to shoot me if I were Hang-ah.
I still think Jae-ha has so much growing to do. A grown man playing pranks like the SNSD shit he pulled was reason enough for me to facepalm and want to make him walk the plank. His hyung is right, Jae-ha really needs to use his head. Jae-ha needs to prove he's made of finer stuff, because I have this feeling that hyung is either dying or will die because it seems to me like he's grooming Jae-ha to be king. Hmmmmm....
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emelita
March 29, 2012 at 11:38 PM
That's logical, Topper. It makes sense.
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reeen
March 30, 2012 at 4:47 AM
I think you're right. Ha Ji Won played that scene where she's told about the war by her general very well. You can see Hang Ah is hesitant but calm and it seems like whatever the order had been she would've done it.
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37 Rachael
March 29, 2012 at 9:19 PM
Thanks so much for the recap!
Gah. Now that this is on Dramafever I'll need to check it out. Encouragement to finish Salaryman this weekend cause I can already tell this is going to be my newest crack.
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38 Joy
March 29, 2012 at 9:20 PM
The intensity of this episode is just Daebak! What's even fantastic is your recapp, like little things that I don't fully understand makes sense to me now. Thank you! :)
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39 Noelle
March 29, 2012 at 9:25 PM
AWWW I can't wait to watch! Thanks for the recaps!
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40 kbap
March 29, 2012 at 9:32 PM
Grah, why must you do this to me, King 2 Hearts? Now I'm completely heads-over-heels in love with this series. Drats. And I was hoping that once in my life I'd actually study and not get distracted. *sigh.
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41 Mena
March 29, 2012 at 9:33 PM
Girlfriday loving the recaps. This is my new crack and I need my next fix nowwww!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Raine
March 29, 2012 at 9:44 PM
same :3 why can't wednesday be tomorrow??
I'm dying to find out about the events leading up to their "marriage". It'd be way too fast if they're getting engaged because of real love (Hang ah doesn't seem happy during their engagement annoucement in the preview either and I feel that Jae Ha is forcing a smile).
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Gaea
March 30, 2012 at 10:09 PM
You know, me think so!!
Why can't tomorrow is wednesday?? i can't wait this long!! *whining like Jae ha*
Oh don't worry I love this drama to the bit and scrap, hoping they won't disappointing us later
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42 almontel
March 29, 2012 at 9:39 PM
so far i like all the episodes...
i was surprised when he actually shot her...i'm glad he got it off his chest that it hurt him as much when he pulled the trigger...
and are we looking for a wedding come next episode?
i'm glad this is moving along fast...
i don't like the crazy magician guy...it freaks me out...
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43 Raine
March 29, 2012 at 9:56 PM
that gun shot took me by surprise too, totally didn't expect it at all x_x I was all calm one second when they were bickering, and then the next second, I was like OH NO YOU DIDN'T!... that scene was great
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44 zemegaze
March 29, 2012 at 10:05 PM
The prince boy soon will owe life debts from all members of WOC team.. His finger might slip too and kill the villain in the end.
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45 ar_arguably romantic
March 29, 2012 at 10:21 PM
YAY no creepy evil villain in this episode! And what a rollercoaster ride this episode was. Jae-ha pissed me off so much throughout most of the episode, but I ended up feeling just a bit proud of him by the end. Maybe he will really turn over a new leaf this time.
"He says he felt the shot too—right through his chest. "--- I totally scoffed at this line. I'm sure she had felt it much more than he had- and the disparity between how the two felt the shot would have been even larger had that been a real bullet. What a piece of work, Lee Jae-ha was- shooting Hang-ah when she was unarmed.
Why do I get the feeling the king has some sort of illness and is really pushing Jae-ha to fill his shoes?
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jomo143
March 30, 2012 at 4:46 AM
Yes, the King's oft spoke regrets about his little bro not being all that is the dying knell, (What's a knell mean?) combined with fact he has no Royal issue.
If he is sick, though, wouldn't all of SK know it?
I remember hearing more about sitting US presidents' health than I knew about my own. The second a health professional gets near a nation's leader, everyone knows.
We'll see soon enough.
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46 fatraspberry
March 29, 2012 at 10:34 PM
LOVE LOVE LOVE THIS EP.
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47 TK2H
March 29, 2012 at 10:40 PM
HI GF,
thanks for the recap.. i'm keep in n out to your blog for reading your recaps n finally its here.... so far i love all the episodes :)
I'm LOLED at JH n SK scene ... where JH ended saying 'AHHHH.....STRESSSS..' one of the bunding that i'm looking forward.
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48 Jia Min
March 29, 2012 at 11:40 PM
Love your recaps! It is very complete and helps a lot!
Loving TK2H to bits! It is so daebak!
Even though I can't understand Korean fully, I couldn't take my eyes off the show during the live streaming at all!
TK2H FIGHTING!!!
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49 wanne
March 30, 2012 at 12:02 AM
Thanks for the recap Girlfriday!!
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50 Ondubu
March 30, 2012 at 12:12 AM
Only when he calls, Jae-ha’s ringtone? SNSD. Hahahahaha. I’m dying. Jae-ha stammers, “I’m a fan too…” Kang-seok roars, and Jae-ha quickly adds, “But not Tiffany!”
LOL XD Yep, we all know his favorite is Yoona..
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jomo143
March 30, 2012 at 4:06 AM
"But not Tiffany" was my favorite line in the show!
It was perfect. He was being earnest. Apparently even mortal enemies understand the rules of MINES.
All of us, including GF and JB, could put ourselves in their shoes for that exchange.
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jumbalaya
March 30, 2012 at 5:33 PM
haha, the potential fanboy war over SNSD was so funny :)
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