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The King 2 Hearts: Episode 20 (Final)

War is declared. And even though you really wish they’d run for the hills, our heroes have to be heroes, and they run into the thick of it to put their lives on the line. They say love is war, but damn, have you ever met these two?

SONG OF THE DAY

King 2 Hearts OST – K. Will – “사랑이 운다” (Love is Crying) [ Download ]

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FINAL EPISODE RECAP

Hang-ah gets dragged to the border by Dad, kicking and screaming that she can’t be separated from Jae-ha. Dad spins around on his heels and asks, “And it’s okay to be separated from me?”

Oh, Dad. Now you’re making me feel bad. He says that it took 35 years to see family members after the first war—does she think they won’t end up that way? He says he can wait decades for her if he has to, but his body won’t hold out that long.

Hang-ah starts to cry, as Dad tells her that even if they meet again, it’ll be at his grave. Okay, that’s some hardcore parent guilt right there. What is she supposed to do when you say stuff like that?

He leaves the choice to her – if she really wants to stay, she can. He tells her that South Korea has turned their backs and declared war, and Jae-ha will prove to be no different.

Jae-ha meets the prime minister to ask who the hell approved DEFCON 3. Uh, well if it wasn’t you, I’m gonna say it’s the other guy in the room with the power to do so. The prime minister admits caving to U.S. pressure.

Jae-ha tries calling Hang-ah over and over, growing more panicked by the second. She finally answers, against Dad’s wishes. They check on each other and suss out the situation—Jae-ha needs time to talk to both the U.S. and North Korea to stop this from happening.

The trouble is, North Korea has cut off all lines of communication. Hang-ah turns to her father to ask if he did this, and he reminds her that this is WAR—of course they cut off communication (though it was his superiors, not him personally).

He tells her to come back, but she hesitates, as more tears start to fall. Oh no. “I’ll go to the North. If this is the situation, then North and South have completely split apart. And the only thing that remains is war.”

Jae-ha says that the South always has their end of the line open. It’s the North that cut off their end. Hang-ah knows, and that’s why she’s going: “I’ll open the line.” Oh, wow, what a great mission for the heroine. She says that she’ll convey the king’s position and stop this war.

He protests – there’s no way for the two of them to communicate once she crosses that border. There’s no way to know how bad things will get, so how can he let her go? Hang-ah: “Isn’t your heart my heart?”

She asks if the change in situation will change their hearts. They know the answer, but he still puts up a fight, asking if she’s really going to go, knowing full well that war might break out?

Hang-ah: “I want to see Father for a long long time. And I want to see you for a long time. That’s why I’m going. So that I can see you.” He starts to cry. “Hang-ah-ya…”

Hang-ah: “You’ll stop the war, right? I’ll do the same. If you just remember that, then we’ll see each other again. I love you.” And then she hangs up, before he can even say it back. He just looks down at his phone in tear-filled shock.

They both cry for a moment, and then Hang-ah braces herself. She spins around on her heels as the music turns along with her. She marches through to the North, a woman on a mission.

Jae-ha lingers for another moment in the hallway, and then he wipes his tears and mirrors her walk. I love the double badass turn.

Bong-gu gets the confirmation that the U.S. has approved an attack on North Korea, and calls Jae-ha to gloat about it. I love that till the end, Jae-ha’s like, “Who is this?” which drives Bong-gu crazy.

He passes along the military operation as proof and says that it’s really Jae-ha’s fault for attacking via ICC. That day on the cliff he gave Jae-ha the choice between himself or his people—”You chose yourself. You killed them.”

Jae-ha: “No. YOU did.” Aw, yeah. He says that all he’s done is try to bring Bong-gu to justice, according to the law. Bong-gu laughs that in the end the Koreas will be at war and he’ll walk away.

Jae-ha: “No. I’m going to stop this war. And you’re going to be put on trial.” For all of Bong-gu’s blustering, it’s really Jae-ha who has the upper hand when it comes to poker faces, because he believes in what he’s saying. The report is confirmed to be legit, and the situation escalates as Jae-ha signs off on DEFCON 2 and the country prepares for war.

Hang-ah meets with the prime minister who praises her for her loyalty to country, and then proceeds to ask about what she’s learned in her time in the South, like where are the secret bunkers they can attack.

But when she tells him that they need to reopen the lines of communication with the South, he argues that the king is preparing for war and accuses her of caving to her womanly weaknesses. Oh, because that’s evil, right? Ass.

She narrows her eyes but rises above it and asks the very logical question of why on earth she’d come back home then, if she were just madly in love and ready to forsake her country for a man. I would’ve added a knee kick but clearly you are more civilized than I. But he tells her it’s too late for communication, because both sides have their missiles pointed right at each other. Gah, the art-imitating-life of this situation is so unnerving.

Jae-ha prepares for a public address, and Secretary Eun reminds him that he needs to appear strong before the people. He starts to write his speech, calling out the U.S. for their attack plan, and urging the North to show that they are willing to discuss peace.

He starts to write, “But if North Korea attacks Seoul… then South Korea will by any means necessary…” He flashes back to his moments with Hang-ah, on their 60km trek, and when she held him in her lap. He finishes his sentence with a pang in his heart, “…repay the whole of North Korea in kind.”

Meanwhile Hang-ah’s last conversation with the prime minister has put her father in a sticky position, and he goes entirely in the other direction and presents her with plane tickets for them to flee the country.

He says that war is inevitable now, and even here in the North, they’ll be seen as South-friendly and therefore a liability. He doesn’t trust Jae-ha either, since he heard the speech above.

Hang-ah defends Jae-ha’s need to make an official statement as such, but Dad asks how he could, knowing that Hang-ah is here. He says that a preemptive strike isn’t that uncalled for in this situation. Her eyes widen, “A preemptive strike? Are we going to attack first?” He says nothing has been decided yet. Oh crap.

Jae-ha sits down with his general and asks what kind of casualties have been projected if war does break out. In day one: 200,000 soldiers, 1.5 million civilians. In week one: 1 million soldiers, 5 million civilians. And the cost of course in the tens of billions. He looks up in horror, and the general says these are all numbers projected in 1994, so they can probably double them.

Jae-ha sits, literally the weight of the world on his shoulders. He thinks back to hyung’s dreams of peace and reunification, Shi-kyung’s dying pleas to never give up, and Bong-gu’s words that if a single life were to be lost, it would be on his hands.

Hang-ah in turn thinks back to Jae-ha’s promise during the WOC: “Trust me, and I’ll trust you,” and Jae-kang’s question in presiding over their engagement about joining their strength in a time of war.

Her doorbell rings with a delivery. A mysterious man drops off a package and she asks if he’s from China since his accent is different, but he disappears without a word. She opens it up to find Jae-ha’s I’m-sorry-thank-you-I-love-you skincare set for her (aw) with an envelope buried underneath: a copy of the U.S. military strike against Pyongyang.

This is exactly the leverage she needs. She takes what she knows to the prime minister, but only offers to give him the date of the attack if he’ll reopen the line to Seoul. Awesome. Jae-ha is headed to the border to try and speak to someone from the North, and she asks to be the one to go.

He scoffs at her gall to negotiate with him, so she gets up and breezes that she heard about the preemptive attack, “But it’ll be too late.” He offers to let her go as a representative to start the talks, but only if she gives him the date. She says she’ll give it after she comes back from the meeting, since she’s not about to throw away her bargaining chip. Ha.

The prime minister says he needs something too then, and presents her with the only copy in existence certifying her engagement to Jae-ha (that seems like a big leap, but it’s the gesture that’s important). He tells her to rip it up: “What do you need an engagement for when you are going to meet your enemy?”

She doesn’t hesitate and rips it to shreds. Now he has proof of her loyalty and she has access to meet with Jae-ha. The prime minister adds a caveat, to make sure she gives him the information promised—he’ll be holding her father as hostage until she hands over the brief. Damnit.

Jae-ha arrives first and waits for the Northern diplomat to arrive. Hang-ah calls her father to check in, and he assures her that the prime minister won’t do anything hasty (he’s totally lying through his teeth), and the two men watch the meeting via live feed.

Hang-ah walks into the room and Jae-ha lights up to see her. He approaches her warmly, but she remains distant and formal. She puts out her hand for a shake and he sees the earpiece in her ear.

He takes her hand but he sinks when she just shakes it and goes to her seat. She asks everything she’s supposed to—is he really preparing to join hands with the U.S. and go to war?

Jae-ha sits through her barrage of questions silently, which is doubly infuriating for Hang-ah who’s desperate not to lose this chance to show the prime minister Jae-ha’s true intentions.

He finally sits back and asks casually if she knows that they’ll be attacked on May 24. The prime minister freaks out, and Hang-ah’s father hands over the brief to prove it. It’s less than a week out.

Meanwhile Hang-ah flips out that he gave away her bargaining chip. But Jae-ha is still smiling, calm as you please. “What’re you doing May 24? Going to war?” Hang-ah finally loses the cool exterior, “Comrade Jae-ha!”

He just keeps going, “I’m getting married. To you.” Hahaha. Okay, that’s crazy but kind of brilliant. He’s going to set the date of the attack as his wedding day?

The prime minister barks into Hang-ah’s ear for her to get out, and Jae-ha sees her flinch. He looks up at the camera and orders him to say it directly, and stop using Hang-ah as his shield. Love it.

It works, and the prime minister calls to speak to him directly. He shouts that they weren’t behind the terrorist attack, and Jae-ha shouts back that threatening Seoul is the definition of terror.

He calms down. “You die. And then we die. The U.S. hits you, you hit us, and then if China gets involved… do you think that even one person will be left standing on this land?”

The prime minister scoffs at his solution—if they get married, does he think the U.S. will just pat their heads and wish them well? But Jae-ha makes it clear that he’s not talking about sneaking off and eloping, but standing with both countries behind them.

A wedding is cause for congratulations and if North and South officially present a united front, the whole world will rush to congratulate them. In that situation, on that day, can anyone launch a missile at them?

“I’m not doing this so that South Korea can live alone. I’m saying let’s get married and live together.”

The prime minister says he’ll put it under advisement and orders Hang-ah to leave the room. But Jae-ha presses the Big Red Button and suddenly soldiers from both sides charge into the room, guns drawn.

Oh noes, Young-bae and Dong-ha, guns pointed at each other? I don’t like this one bit!

Jae-ha barks into the phone that he has five minutes to make a decision, “Or shoot me.” He figures that even if they say no, he’ll be dead anyway, so why not just die here? He hangs up.

Then they have to sit like that in the room for the five longest minutes ever. Jae-ha: “Young-bae-ya, you’re a sniper, right? Aim so that I go in one blow.” He points to the center of his forehead. Young-bae’s eyes dart back and forth, Dong-ha tenses up, ready to shoot him if he shoots. Hang-ah looks back and forth between them all.

The prime minister paces back and forth. Hang-ah’s father pleads with him to decide. Time’s up, and Jae-ha calls. Has he made a decision?

There’s no answer on the other end. Jae-ha takes the silence as a no. “Then, war?” He orders Young-bae to shoot. If their leader wants war, shooting the king is the way to start one.

Young-bae hesitates. Dong-ha, “Just try and shoot.” And then Young-bae adorably trembles and stutters, “I-I-I j-j-just can’t …”

But then Hang-ah stands up and grabs Young-bae’s gun out of his hand. She walks over and sticks it in Jae-ha’s face. Dong-ha raises his gun to her head. OH SHIT.

She says (at the prime minister), “Do I shoot? Why, do you think that because it’s the person I love, I can’t shoot? I can kill this comrade. And die with him.”

Well, now we know why Romeo and Juliet weren’t given guns. Because then shit like this happens. Everyone just put down the deadly objects!

Jae-ha looks up at her, his eyes full of love, and her eyes soften, “I’ll follow right behind you.” She cocks her gun. Dong-ha raises his to her temple…

And then in the last possible second before my heart bursts, the prime minister tells her to put down her weapon. Everyone starts breathing again, including me.

He asks Jae-ha if this means he’s really going to help them, and Jae-ha says yes. Hang-ah finally lowers her gun and Dong-ha does too. Jae-ha takes the gun from her hand and hugs her tight.

Bong-gu watches the North Korean news report in shock and demands that the U.S. attack anyway—why not the wedding? The contact refuses because somehow the story determined he should suddenly stop stupidly listening to the crazy man. Whatever, fake America. You are so weird.

Jae-ha gets ready to cross the border on his wedding day, and the U.N. tries to stop him. But the Korean troops help get him through, saluting their congratulations. Aw, that’s cute.

And I frickin’ LOVE that they’re getting married in the DMZ. Hang-ah smiles as she gets ready when she sees two officers North and South laughing together at their post. Dad says it’s too bad their wedding has less fanfare than their engagement and fusses over her hanbok, wishing her mother were here to see her.

She hugs him and says she’s sorry for being such a troublesome daughter, but he says as long as she’s happy, that’s all that matters to him. And then he breaks away from her so that she won’t see him cry. N’aaaaaw, Daaaaad. Okay, I forgive you for the guilt trip earlier.

Everything goes as planned and the U.S. backs off their military strike and offers up their congrats, and then the wedding begins. They each walk down the aisle from either side of the 38th parallel to meet in the middle.

Jae-ha holds out his hand. Hang-ah puts her hand in his, and then he crosses to the North. They face southward and bow.

And then together they cross to the South, and bow facing north. It’s simple, and lovely, and says everything.

And then he picks her up and twirls her around as they beam.

Then sometime later Bong-gu faces trial before the ICC. And the reason you couldn’t have kept him locked up till this point and therefore not make Shi-kyung’s sacrifice moot IS? BAH.

He gets sentenced to life in prison. That’s it? What about the tank of carnivorous snakes?

Jae-ha pays him a visit in jail, and Bong-gu muses that he must’ve been dying to see him like this. Bong-gu: “I won. You went to the brink of war. You were scared.” He chuckles that they’ve experienced trauma now.

“When you hear fireworks, you’ll jump in fear. When you hear sirens, your heart will race. Only Korea is like that. A country that has experienced war. That’s why you will become more anxious. You’ll be scared of what you encountered, and only amass more weapons.”

Jae-ha: “We stopped it. I did. We did. Now we have the confidence that we can stop it. They say that the scariest thing in the world is war. But we stopped it, so what can’t we do? Thank you… for making us powerful.”

He turns to walk away. Bong-gu screams after him that locking him up will do nothing to stop Club M from existing, and attacking. Jae-ha stops for a moment, but doesn’t turn back. He squares his shoulders and keeps walking ahead.

Four years later.

Dong-ha (wearing a much more decorated uniform) comes to find Jae-ha, and he comes to greet North Korean soldiers for the new WOC team. Behind him are Dong-ha, Young-bae, and (YAY!) Kang-seok. Where have you BEEN?

They’re old-timers now, the guys who train the newbies. Jae-ha asks about the female soldier for this team and Kang-seok says she’ll be from the South this time. Jae-ha leans in close to whisper at Young-bae that southern girls are really pretty, and Dong-ha sighs that it’s already too late—Young-bae took one look at her and he’s smitten so bad he can’t even train her properly. HA.

Once it’s just the four of them, Jae-ha greets them happily saying it’s been a really long time since they’ve all been together, and asks them out for a drink. Young-bae adds dejectedly that it’s not really all of them. Aw. Young-bae.

Jae-ha looks down and Kang-seok reminds Young-bae that they already poured a bunch of alcohol over Shi-kyung’s grave—he’s probably already drunk enough. Jae-ha muses that he’d probably have collapsed. It at least warms my heart that they still talk about him.

Jae-shin sits on her wall at the top of the city, and makes a phone call to confirm a concert and says that she can make it there on her own. We pan out to see that she’s sitting up there with her parrot, speaking to it as if it’s Shi-kyung.

She says that she’s supposed to go on a blind date tomorrow. Should she go? She looks over at parrot, only this time it’s Shi-kyung that appears. *Mmmrrmph* He opens his mouth to talk and just that alone makes me cry. Gaaaaah, I don’t know if I can do this.

He tells her to go. She asks if he’s mad and he says no. Jae-shin: “I can’t say that I’ll die old and alone only thinking of you.” He laughs and tells her she shouldn’t do that.

“But you’ll always be in a part of my heart. Like a shadow.” They smile at each other. And then when she looks back at him, he’s gone. It breaks my heart all over again.

We pan over to see that she’s actually at the foot of the wall, in her wheelchair, Birdie at her side.

Hang-ah’s father coos over pictures of his grandson prince, and squeals when he gets to talk to him over video.

Later, Jae-ha rushes to meet Hang-ah for a ribbon-cutting ceremony (for the first joint bank serving both countries) and little princey runs up to daddy for a hug. All the reporters swoon, and then princey calls out for Mom, but uses the North Korean dialect version (omani), which causes a giant ruckus in the media.

The queen mother tells them it’ll blow over, and Jae-ha pretends to be stern, but once she leaves the room, he dies laughing. They’re so cute.

But it turns into an issue (with chatter from Club M) and Jae-ha says he’ll make a statement. Secretary Eun thinks it might be best to leave it alone, but Jae-ha argues that all of his people matter, and he’ll win them over one by one, until they accept Hang-ah.

He gets to work, and Secretary Eun smiles proudly.

Jae-ha and Hang-ah stand side by side, ready to go in for a press conference. He tells her the situation is getting more serious. She chides that saying omani twice will lead to war. They chuckle, ’cause, well, been there done that.

Jae-ha: “We’ve already stopped a war. Hang-ah: “That’s true. Just as long as we don’t give up. The doors open. Cameras flash.

Jae-ha: “You ready?” She says yes. He takes her hand. “I love you.” They smile at each other and with a “Let’s go,” they walk forward in step.

 
COMMENTS

There were a lot of things I wanted for the finale that I didn’t get, and a lot of things that still felt satisfying anyway. The main trip-up for me is the Shi-kyung/Bong-gu war which hit its high at the end of Episode 18 and then fizzled out as soon as Shi-kyung died. It’s not really his death so much as the consequence of it that went so wrong. Had he died to put Bong-gu away, had Bong-gu remained in custody during the almost-war (which by the way was completely feasible and would in no way change the way the final chapter went down), and then be prosecuted, it would have all made sense and I wouldn’t have to tear my hair out. Because how do you even explain that he was brought to trial in the end if the first time took that much effort to get him in cuffs? HUH?

Mishandling that actually took a lot of the villain’s steam away, which I have to assume was inadvertent (because who would do that on purpose?). Sure, Bong-gu was the evil one who set the war into motion, but once that happened, the immediate threat became the world powers and I forgot that Bong-gu even existed. Despite the simplicity of containing an almost-war to four characters, I did like the dramatic climax for the couple, in putting their lives on the line. It’s you-have-to-get-through-us-to-get-to-war, and the culmination of everything they’ve built, from becoming comrades, to finding love, to trusting each other, to letting go. That felt both thematically on point and dramatically riveting, even though you don’t really expect a show to go out with a pair of dead lovers and a world war. Hello, hate mail.

What the two-part finale really lacked for me was breathing room on one score—Shi-kyung’s death in Jae-ha’s eyes. Jae-kang’s death, for instance, happened so early on that we had full episodes to mourn his passing and have Jae-ha learn and grow. And yes, Shi-kyung did already make his crucial impact on Jae-ha before he died. But I wanted that emotional beat. Jae-ha would never have become the king he is without Eun Shi-kyung. And though I loved Jae-shin’s moment remembering him, I wanted the same from Jae-ha. It was the biggest way the finale failed to deliver for me. And now I have a giant Eun Shi-kyung-shaped hole in my heart, and the show ended without patching it up properly.

There were a lot of things that this show never got quite right—the overly simplistic Club-M-is-all-powerful mantra, the over-reliance on wooden day players to give exposition, (Seriously, I can barely stand exposition when it’s served by the most talented of actors, and you’re going to give every bit of explanatory dialogue to extras? Foot, meet gun.) the slow progression of Bong-gu who took a really long time to become an interesting or effective villain. The international incidents were colored in the broadest brushstrokes possible, leading to more than a handful of countries whose leaders seemed more like silly dingbats than powerful movers and shakers. It’s not so much that I take offense, but that I would prefer the opposition to always seem bigger and badder (which makes for better drama) only they were more like dumb and dumberer.

But of course, there were many more things that the drama DID get right. It was shot gorgeously (the cinematographer and lighting team deserve like a medal, or a parade), the music swept me up in every moment and made me feel like it was a living, breathing world I was looking in on. And the cast was brilliant. I’ll be honest—I’ve always thought Ha Ji-won was over-hyped, but here she was amazingly tough, vulnerable, and believable, no matter how insane the situation seemed. She grounded everything. Perhaps it makes a great deal of difference to play a character who’s consistent from beginning to end. Lee Seung-gi had less gravitas than her going in, but gained it through his performance, and though his is still not an effortless kind of acting, it was his breakthrough to the other side—past the façade and into raw emotion. He stole the show, hands down (which isn’t really a surprise, since he played the king in The King). Jo Jung-seok played what was probably everyone’s favorite character, but I really think he’s to credit for a lot of that, because so much of who Shi-kyung was came from the physical performance. A great deal of his character’s innocent/earnest nuance could’ve been lost to a wooden actor, or worse, made to seem dumb, which would’ve been a travesty. And everyone else was already good in an established way—the parents, the hyung, and even Lee Yoon-ji, who’s always been fantastic.

When this show was funny, it hit that darkly funny sweet spot where my blackened heart resides. And when it was badass, it made me pump my fist in the air. And then, when it was deeply earnest about a soldier’s faith in his king or the partnership between a man and a woman in the face of insurmountable odds, it actually got through to my gooey earnest center.

You could say this show is about a lot of things, but it’s clear that the romance is the central metaphor – man and woman as two parts of a whole like a war-torn Korea, always at odds, but always kin. And though actual politics is far more complex than a pair of lovers being able to bridge that gap, it’s the idealistic view that they could, in such a world. What grips me most is actually not that larger idea, but the mechanics of what that relationship needs in order to make it to the end – not just love, but friendship, complete trust, and an equal partnership. A hero who saves the girl is swoonworthy, sure. But a hero who confides in his girl and trusts her to save the day is the winner, by a mile.

My favorite part of the show wasn’t actually the romance (though I loved their epic love story, I promise). It was the making of a king. What this show did right was its character development and relationships, and if you look at it from beginning to end, there are actually very few characters who change a great deal. Hang-ah and Shi-kyung are in large part the same (he gains a sense of humor, but starts and ends a hero, and she learns to play a player, but starts and ends a hero). Jae-shin takes a massive dip, but then gets back to her old self (albeit a better version) because of Shi-kyung.

But Jae-ha goes from a worthless thorn in his brother’s side to a ruler who can stop a war. He goes from someone who thinks the monarchy is a sham to a king who believes with all his heart that he is his people and they are the king. And it’s in the shaping of this character where Hang-ah and Shi-kyung are the traditional heroes of the story—they make Jae-ha kingworthy, through their tough love and indefatigable faith. It’s kind of equally admirable and stupid, but that’s why they’re the heroes. In that sense, Jae-ha really IS the people—he’s the most like us, doubting, questioning, pessimistic, jaded. Even till the end he’s the one who doesn’t want to let Shi-kyung go on his mission or let Hang-ah go on hers. Because that’s what a normal person would do. But they don’t let him be weak.

And perhaps that’s the final step he learns in becoming a true leader—to let his soldiers fight for what they believe in, to put the country and the mission before his heart. I still don’t think it justifies killing Shi-kyung (the lesson would’ve been learned without, thank you very much) but to be a true leader, he does have to live with the harsh choices and the deaths of his soldiers on his conscience. It’s the journey in making a king out of a man that hooked me through the heart, and kept me wholly invested no matter what international debacle came and went. And I guess what’s important is that I feel like the payoff for that was there in the end. And it was. Many other things may have fallen by the wayside, but Jae-ha became a king befitting his hyung’s legacy and his most faithful soldier’s trust. And I like that the point isn’t that he defeated one big bad villain (though of course we need his victory over Bong-gu), but that he finds out that he is strong, and forges ahead to fight more battles and more villains with that power.

And that’s why I really, really wanted Jae-ha to walk away from Bong-gu’s jail cell with this one retort: “I am king.”

BOOYAH.

 
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I'm sitting in my living room (it's a beautiful day outside) drinking coffee…I don't know what to do with myself. Been searching Mysoju, DramaCrazy, Viki, Youtube…for something to fill TK2H's shoes but so far nothing :(

*sigh*

Anyone else going through this?

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btw, i feel sudden sadness reading the last parts of your comment.. we can't stay like this forever we have to move on..but as of now i find it hard yet to do so.. i'm slowly weaning off myself, little by little..till my madness is over..
TK2H you are tattooed in my heart permanently... :)

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Anyone here from London or has a plan to go to London this June? I'm not from England, but I want to share this news that some/all of you might already know. ^^

Just a reminder that Seung gi is one of the torch bearers in London Olympic this June. Airens organize a project to support Seung gi in London.
Check out the facebook account.
http://www.facebook.com/seunggi2012olympics
And the admin's twitter.
http://twitter.com/#!/mufceva

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Oh another announcement.
Another project to celebrate Seung gi's 8th debut anniversary.
http://tryp96.wordpress.com/2012/05/27/video-message-event-for-lee-seung-gis-8th-debut-anniversary/

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Sorry, I keep coming here and share links.
It's hilarious.
http://tryp96.wordpress.com/2012/05/27/lee-jae-has-art-of-seduction/

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and with that let us vote for the ah-ha couple here:)

http://k-popexpress.com/poll-sweetest-love-team-2/

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This was the first korean drama that I actively kept up with while it was still on air, went for an extensive rewatching marathon over, spoke repeatedly about, joined the discussion on db and honestly began from episode 1 and followed it all the way through to the end.

But it was mindblowing. The soundtrack, the acting, the chemistry--I could go on. I'm afraid it spoiled me for any other show. The only thing that truly disappointed was that I felt, in the most biased, prejudicial way possible, that the episode ratings were a pretty disappointing reflection of how good it was.

It left me quite pathetically, lost and wondering to myself--WHAT THE HELL HAS YOUR LIFE COME TO THAT A KOREAN DRAMA COULD MAKE YOU SHUFFLE AROUND THIS POINTLESSLY WHEN ITS OVER?! It left me wishing that LSG and HJW could come together, make another show--but even with the same cast, director, writer, it wouldn't be the same. Because quite simply, it was this show that left the imprint. Bittersweet, but a reminder that it was time to come back to real life, no matter how beautiful and heartwrenching it is to leave the clouds.

But for all those of you who are going through cold turkey like me (because quite honestly, I can't bear the emotional investment again--once is more than enough), check this out http://koalasplayground.com/2012/05/26/the-cast-of-the-king-2-hearts-attend-end-of-drama-celebration/#more-25186

Thanks for making my day with your comments after every db recap--they were some poignant, some side-splittingly funny. I will seriously miss this show! :d

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been a DB follower since long ago but never felt compelled to comment..but K2H is just a masterpiece..i cannot help but comment

as every1 here, I would also love for LSG and HJW to do a project 2gether again but I don't think producer would want to cast them as K2H has low ratings (beats me why) and they lean more toward re-casting those leads in high rated dramas as they hope the success can be repeated

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Love reading all your comments...

I have started rewatching from Ep 1 last Sat and got my husband hooked on it, now at Ep 9.

Am amazed at how I'm still so caught up in the drama as if I'm watching for the first time!
I find HA so cool in the first few episodes, cannot forget the scene whereby she had JH on the floor and told him that she is trained to kill him at sight. Can't stop gushing to my HB how cool she was.
Then there's the scene whereby JH stopped the car after hearing that JK has died, and faced the traffic below in ep 8, how he tried very hard to restrain himself and suppress his grief and then turned to Sec Eun to give instructions. And the scene after where he let himself tear in the privacy of his room while removing his bow tie... I'm so moved by LSG's acting in those scenes.

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My heart is still aching. I still tear when I listen to TK2H OST. And I'm playing it in repeat mode...

I can't let go. Eotteokhae?

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Gosh I came back here just because I'm missing this drama. King 2 Hearts look at what you did to me! :)

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Oh btw, talking about symbolism. It was raining at the ending scene for ep 19 and the beginning scene of ep 20. I think the writers want to tell us that a disaster is coming. And u can just feel the gloomy and horror feeling when JH arrived at the army HQ.

Just sharing my thought. :D

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sorry I keep coming back and posting, but I really need to do it. Today I picked any K2H episodes randomly, and ended up rewatching ep. 9.

And there I saw Bonggu and his minions and Tara, discussing the princess. One thing that made me giggle was when I saw Bon Bon *all alive and gothic as usual*... doing her side job: styling Tara's hair with curling iron. Oh my. I dont know why, but that very sight somehow looks hilarious to me.

Bon Bon: a killing machine by night, a personal hair stylist by day? Pfft.

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This drama was so AMAZING... I think I haven't realised yet that it is already over! It's like I'm still waiting for the next episode!
The storyline, the actors, the characters, the soundtrack... I loved everything in this drama!
For sure, the only annoying thing is the death of Eun Shi Kyung (because for me, they all have suffered enough with Bong Gu). Nevertheless, it's still a damn good drama!
And for me, it shows perfectly that Lee Seung Gi has turned into a pretty great actor! When you watch Strong Heart or 1N2D, you understand that he is much more mature in his acting! Now I like him even more!
Well, I guess it's one of those drama to ABSOLUTELY see! =)

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Withdrawal symptoms to the max. Can't look forward to Wednesday as there won't be a new episode.

Ahhh...stress!!

Just a thought: TK2H is made more memorable with the death of Earnest Bot. The pain of loosing him not only made Jae Ha stronger, it made Jae Shin independent as well. When I first saw the translation of Jae Shin's song, it didn't make sense but once I saw it again after his death, it totally make sense.

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I want to write this, since I've promised^^ yes @crazyajummafan this is what I've promised :)

Do you remember, when Jae Ha went to North Korea, we were shown that he visit 3 place?:
1. Chicken Farm
2. Noodle Restaurant
3. Kae Seon Youth Park

Random? No! :)
1. Chicken farm: I've made an explanation before in episode 12 comments that Chicken Farm is such an important commodity which was proudly mentioned by North Korea. Even the late Kim Jong Il apparently had scheduled visit to their chicken farm, just googled "Chicken farm North Korea" and there is article about how proud they are, various visit from KJI to chicken farm. It just a proof of how important chicken farm in North Korean life. So..visit them is one obligation, no?

2. Noodle restaurant
This is an assumption of course, but noodle is staple food in North Korea. More over, how they present is different with South Korea one, its what symbolically said, pure and authentic, North korean noodle is. While I googled this, I even stumbled upon this article: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/blackberry/p.html?id=482697 which comparing Noodle and Choco pie, interesting it is.
As an addition, based on recent year data, number of noodle restaurant in pyeongyang was increasing, due to economic growth. I forgot where I look at this article, pardon me.

3. Kae Seon Youth park
This is my favorite segment among the three. Kae Seon Youth park was under reconstruction in 2009, the rides was placed with all-new-ride and was designed and produced by italian company. This fun park is North Korean answer toward Disneyland which they think is capitalism. Just check this article:
http://m.cnngo.com/explorations/life/inside-north-koreas-amusement-parks-possibly-happiest-places-country-113961
And now, to explain a bit why Kae Seon is such a luxury in pyong yang (Or North Korea is):
http://thethemeparkguy.com/park/pyongyang-fun-fairs/photos
In the 2nd article, you see no light at the night and the comparison between (new)Kaeseon park and the old fun park. Why no light? Truthfully, there is an article of Indonesian who visit North Korea which mention this but it's in Indonesian so I couldn't put it here. The conclusion is, North Korea decide to save energy, thus after sunset the electricity was cut off, which lead in no light in road nor heater in home. (also result in increasing death during winter). If you happen to see North Korean picture from satellite in night, you'll see that North Korea is pitch black, except pyongyang. I don't know if the author of the article (happiest place in NK) is joking or not, but it's quite understandable if people think it suspicious.

Btw, I've found new article: http://www.americaninnorthkorea.com/2011/11/06/u-s-imperialists-visit-the-pyongyang-fun-fair/
Notice how similar the pirate in the one in the drama, this brought smile to my lips, this drama, do this job well.

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Hearties!!! Please vote for TK2H as many as you can. We are losing...

http://www.seouldrama.org/EN/entry/AwardsStatus.aspx

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And the Princess' Man has 97, 465, 595. K2H is still at 180, 273+. KEEP CLICKING!

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Okay hearties, I don't know how accurate it is.

It's from the princess man's facebook. They said, "The hearts posted on the website do NOT function as a vote. The total counts don't affect the judging results. It's just for fun and to see if the public care about the submissions."
http://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=296073437145199

But, as @yellow buttercup said, keep clicking, just in case.^^

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According to this website the number of hearts doesn't count. The REAL voting starts one July.

http://6002sky.wordpress.com/2012/05/03/info-rooftop-prince-entered-seoul-international-drama-awards/

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If anyone is still reading this, can you tell me which episode is it that he realizes he is in love with her?

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I'm trying to get over K2H, so I started watching SEGA and I'also trying to watch A gentleman's dignity.Same writer as SEGA. Some of the romantiC scene kindna resemble SEGA but I don't see a real chemistry between the main actors and the dialogue are not as crisp , fast and natural as SEGA.Somehow Hyun bin delivered the dialogue so much better.But its also a little entertaining so i'll persevere till HJW, HB and LSG come up with a new drama.How about putting the 3 in one drama?. It will be DAEBACK

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news today ...Seunggi at KB Job fair
http://tryp96.wordpress.com/2012/05/28/12-05-29-kb-job-fair-press-videos-lee-seung-gi/#more-1404885833

can't help thinking wuri King Jae Ha officiating the event. Too bad our queen is not there.

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'I'm sorry', 'Thank you' and 'I love you'.
3 simple phrases and yet they mean so much, especially from a man. I had just written a comment about these 3 phrases in 221.2.5.3.1 in page 5, and while hanging out the laundry, lol, I realised why I love them so much.
These 3 words mean a lot in any relationship and as I had already explained why they were important, I will not repeat myself. However, what I also love about them is the order in which they were given.

It starts with 'I'm sorry' - always the most difficult, but oh so necessary in setting the stage for the other person to listen to whatever else you have to say, and to show sincerity and humility - so important in any relationship.

'Thank you' - appreciation for all that the other party has done. So often forgotten or taken for granted, but so edifying and encouraging to know that what you have done has been noticed and appreciated.

When these 2 phrases have been said first, the confession of love is more sincere and genuine and it means so much more. It's easier to say 'I love you' than sorry and thank you, I feel, because one is an admission of wrong and the other a sign of indebtedness. Love is about being humble enough to say you're sorry when you are wrong and to appreciate the other person enough to say thank you.

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Tara Rushton is based in SINGAPORE!!
She's on our S'pore Strait Times newspaper today,Wed's Digital Life segment saying that she uses SingTel's exclusive SONY Xperia P cellphone.( SingTel is Singapore's Telcom company).She's on full last page.
Looking real sweet & gorgeous in a leopard print dress .
Tara Trivia-
27 Australian ( half british) .Left Sydney & hv been in S'pore since 2010 & loves staying here. "If u are passionate & hv great ideas,S'pore is d place to be.Things will happen for u & that's what I love 'bt S'pore."says Tara.
She co-hosts Tiger Goals on Sundays(weekly TV show on SingTel's TV channel) which gives results on Barclays premier league.She's now filming Hot Picks Malaysia wt cable channel AXN.She also writes a monthly column wt a local magazine , FHM ( mag tt guys love cos always hv pics of 'ditzy voluptous' girls on front cover).
"Her acting has also taken her to S Korea where she was involved in the korean drama , King 2 Hearts."She comments that her korean is very minimal & enjoys acting but prefers hosting.
Well , waddya know , who would have guessed that she was right here in Sunny Singapore!
Calling TARA Rushton ! Tara, if you're reading this , I'd like to invite you to meet s'pore hearties at Plaza Singapura , tomorrow , Thurs, 31 June at 12.30 lunch!My treat . Please come!

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http://lsgairenint.tumblr.com/post/23993691141/lee-seung-gi-transforming-from-the-national-younger

Lee Seung Gi transforming from the 'National Younger Brother’ to the ‘National Man’ because of ‘The King 2 Hearts.

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I am rewatching this drama and it is much much more enjoyable the second time around ! I have actually been repeating those best cuts from each episode...and I am madly in love with this drama!!! I can't start watching another drama again. I am giving myself around 3 times of rerun ...then will see if I can already move on.

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Hoohooo It's Wednesday...

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omigosh!!

My lovely and beautiful fellow Hearties have been frequenting this thread and I've been away. whaaaaaaaat?! How could I commit such an atrocity?! :D

1. I have some good news to share with ya'll. I'm now a board certified professional!! woot woooot!! I totally forgot about my results due to being enraptured in the delicious whirlpool that is TK2H!! <3

2. Here's Seung-gi sharing his thoughts on acting with an enviable ensemble cast. Poor puppy was despondent in the month of February that he'd be the weakest link of the lot. gahhhh!! Hearties, this boy needs a cyber hug from us. He'll pretty much suffocate with our affection (obsession, whatever). *cough cough*

I love that he's smart to know that a role like LJH will be difficult to come by again in his career. And, favourite quote of his:

"If I insisted on the actor’s path after getting a bit of praise and thinking ‘Ah, now my acting eyes have been opened,’ it’s likely that I’ll regress quickly.” -LSG

Why is he soo bloody perfect?! And, Seung-gi 'a bit of praise'...why do you lie!! :P

http://www.allkpop.com/2012/05/lee-seung-gi-comments-on-acting-after-the-king-2-hearts

3. Wanted to share some fanvids:

a. I've shared this before but it's just THAT good. I showed it to my coworkers and they were so enthralled that it was hilarious. We are hopefully going to marathon this baby sometime in the forthcoming weeks!! :D

Their words: "This guy is so effin gorgeous!!" heeeeeee. And, other compliments that CANNOT be mentioned here!! :D

Uri puppy has definitely blossomed into perfection, ne?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TWlGa3D7MeM

b. I positively flushed down to the tips of my toes while watching this one. It's the usual fare but the song + slow tempo of scenes (whatever the term is) lends a beautiful effect!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jaWUq0zqZMo

4. And, my Singaporean Hearties have loadsa fun on our behalf and please do share pictures.

Much love! <3

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Hello there, i love reading all your insights/opinions/comments here. You definitely said it all. TK2H really left a mark in our hearts that's why we can't stop expressing our thoughts and feelings about this drama. Well, it's a proof for having 1,500++ comments now and still counting.. :)

I also wanna share this vid i stumbled upon, a totally different Shi Kyung (Jo Jung Seuk) showing he's really an awesome & versatile actor.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZEFazLkHX9U

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Lee Seung Gi, our King!

http://kpopfever.com/2012/05/lee-seung-gi-looks-like-a-king-no-matter-what-he-does/

Long Love Jeonhaaaaaaaaaa........

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i was just going to sleep... and saw this clip on Soompi TK2H forum.... i think LSGi/hearties will love this. Enjoy!

http://vimeo.com/40883950
(have no idea what programme this is.. posted byzenti. credit: beedance07 and lsgfan)

Good night!!

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Dear Wednesday,

*sobs uncontrollably*

Love,
rearwindow

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Aaaah, it's the end of May and the first Wednesday without TK2H.
couldn't stop thinking about it T_T

Wanted to share some lyrics from the OST of the Japanese movie, "The Girl Who Leapt Through Time". I think it really applies to my obsession over TK2H and my favourite JK/SK pairing ;

"I’ll seal the days that I spent with you into my chest
So that I’ll be all right even if I don’t recall them
Even if I were to fall in love with someone else someday
You’d always be special and important to me
And this season would come around again"

*sigh* can I safely say that I've moved on now? :')

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hearties are you still here? :)

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I so want to do a photo essay using the title: The King's Power.

I got inspiration from seeing some wonderful posts, mostly on Jae Ha and Hang Ah's trials and triumphs, from Baidu Tieba. Alas, my technical skills, esp. in graphics, failed me!

Here are some examples I was thinking about:
With the King's one move - pushing the panic button - guards and agents from both sides stormed in with guns drawn and the N. Korea top guy just jumped up and said "What did he do that for?!"

The S. Korea top guy, with entourage, scrambled after hearing the King's about to enter N. Korea to get Hang Ah back, "Oh, why can't he stopping making trouble?!"

When the King was at the detention center, he heard Hang Ah's voice and started running toward it, then all the others ran / chased after him.

After the meeting with Bong Gu, the King asked Shi Kyung to tear Bong Gu apart. So Shi Kyung and Dong Ha ran like mad to chase after Bong Gu, only catching a glimpse of him yelling and cursing like a REAL lunatic at some distance...

It's like when Jae Ha makes a move, he leaves a trail of debris behind him, like a hurricane passing. The king's power, literally.

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Is anyone excited for upcoming Bridal Mask with joo won?
It strongly resembles one of my top (city hunter) and i'm still craving for some more action esp after withdrawal from K2H.
Well, i'll definitely be tuning in, and if dramabeans decides to do recaps ( seems like they're looking forward to the show ), i hope to see some of you there!

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hearties from singapore what happened to your gathering this thursday? :)

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Good morning dear Hearties here, there, and everywhere!
Happy to know am not alone missing our beloved K2H drama. Am not quite weaned from it yet, so I'll stick around for a while with you guys, hope you don' mind?!
Heard HJW will be in Los Angeles June 5. Link to this news below.

http://amazingyeoja.blogspot.com/

Take care all. Nice weekend everyone!

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I was just watching epi 6 again and I noticed something I hadn't before.

After the fateful and sweet "Ah Ha moment hug", when a confused-because-he's-in-love-after-all Jae Ha goes to Hang Ah's room and tells her they need to break the engagement, she counters with "I will do it. I will marry you. Our hearts are one. It'll be hard, but together, anything's possible." She adds, "If I can be with you, I'll be happy even in prison."

Fast forward to epi 18, and a despondent Hang Ah is in a prison in China. It is there that Jae Ha "visits" her, wrapping his arms around her and comforting her.

This is just more evidence of the forethought they gave to this drama. I'm catching more of these evidences the more I watch it. I don't know when I will tire of it, but it hasn't happened yet.

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Need a good laugh? Go to this link below. Our LSG is featured here as well.

http://thundiesprattle.com/2011/10/23/hairy-distractions/

Guaranteed to ease your Thursday blues away.
Enjoy!

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have you guys seen this? aww LSG is lovable for sure
http://tieba.baidu.com/f?kz=1005127658

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Please don't hate me for tell this, today (1 June 2012) seung Gi is holding concert at Nippon Budokan Hall (the time I write this, the concert has began)...
And you guess what?

Airen heard that he rehearse song as this:
1. I'll Give You All (Na Julkoya)
2. Aren't we friends (Chingu Janha)
3. Time for love (jap.ver)
4. SLAVE(!!)-this alone already make me excited since I really-really-want- to see him sing this LIVE!
And just recently, someone tweet she heard 'Kaseumi Unda' (a.k.a Love is Crying) (JAE HA'S THEME In TK2H!!!!)

OK! I'm seriously envy with the concerts attendee now! MBC!!

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Oh my gosh the ending. <3 It's so satisfying that it's a happy ending. I'll miss this couple. The bickering, the kisses, the hugs, the sweetness and all. :3 The wedding made me teary-eyed while thinking, "At last! After going through so much hardships, here it is. The wedding." Cheers to that! <3

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Dear hearties
I posted these links in soompi thread, so just if you are intrsted to watch our king in an old interview for brilliant legacy cast. its english subbed

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4lY-hpMt0f4&feature=related (part1)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iMLB0dmxb7s&feature=relmfu (part2)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WkXxv_fDqvg&feature=relmfu (part3)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=untQP3J9sAc&feature=relmfu (part 4)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SE8hb8kzMsc&feature=relmfu (part 5)

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@Maria: THANK YOUUU!! <3

You mentioned HJW cried while promoting her movie in Japan. Did this happen after TK2H wrapped up?

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Citing from Gtangerine post @soompi forum, thread The king 2 Hears, tips from @purple1n2d in twitter:
:D
The King 2 Hearts Fun Facts and Recent News:

1) PD Lee blamed on himself for making TK2H’s rating drop because he was the one who in charge of ep 1-8′s scene editing. He feels his skills on scene editing has turning backward and he needs to go back to film school to learn it again.
(Heee, don't feel bad PD..)

2) TK2H production company says they will publish special director cut edition TK2H DVDs if there are more than 2000 audiences signed up for purchasing it.
The last I know there are more than 1,800 people have signed up for the DVDs already.
(Has the 2K goal been reached Hearties?! So egggcited for 'tis!)

3) For LSG’s Concert in Japan, people said LSG was going to invite HJW as a special guest, unfortunately she needs to do a magazine photo shoots in Mexico at that time so she can’t make it.
(The Mexico photo shoot is so untimely!!! Arggggh#-o)

4) The Broadcasting Rights of TK2H has been sold to Japan and Hong Kong. Japan will start showing the series in August (Hong Kong unknown the showing time, but HK paid the highest price for the right) so if luckily we could see AhHa couple together again when they promote TK2H in Japan if not sooner.
(Kyaaah! wish they could indeed promote together!!!)

5) On ep 19 AhHa dating/kissing scene was filmed on 22nd May, which is 2 days after LSG mentioned his new ideal type had changed to HJW. So he must be blessed to film the additional kiss scene with his “REAL IDEAL TYPE WOMAN” on set. The funniest part is the dating/kissing scene weren’t on the original script. Upon fans’ strong request (some Korean fans even called the production company for more kissing/bed scenes before ep 19 aired), PD Lee called back AhHa couple and decided to add such scenes to satisfy TK2H fans!
(I just love 'tis trivia!!! Haha! :x :x :x )

6) Princess Jae Shin admits herself being a fan of HJW. She felt hard to breathe when acting with HJW and it’s more nervous than acting with LSG or Jo Jung Sok. She said HJW was really nice with great personality and often asked if she’s eaten and given hugs to her.
(Woaah, princess it wasn't at all evident that you were nervous in acting with your in-law for you were great in acting out your role as well! :-bd)

compiled by Gy of koreandrama.org

-koala

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Hello everyone~! Like many of you I'm totally suffering from withdrawal. None of the current dramas interest me. I keep looking out for something, anything, that could possibly top K2H. Now simply waiting for LSG's version of Love is Crying.

Agree with the post somewhere above about the Ride of the Valkyries. The writer did make an effort to tie every little thing together - from the opera Lohengrin (i.e., "The man leaves and the woman dies") to Valkyries, Bong Gu seems to be a fan of Richard Wagner. Wagner was enjoyed by Hitler, and I think it's no coincidence that adult Bong Gu's opening scene was set in Germany (in episode 2). Bong Gu seemed to be running his own Reich like a little Hitler until JH sent him off to prison.

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Hey'all Hearties -

Thought you might like to see this about LSG's Budokan Concert. Note the part about when he sang "Love is Crying."

http://anythingaboutleeseunggilatestupdates.wordpress.com/2012/06/01/06-01-12-lee-seung-gi-mesmerizes-in-budokan/

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