Title: 더킹 투하츠 | 킹 | 더킹 | 킹 투허츠 | The King 2 Hearts
Genre: Romance | Comedy | Action
Episodes: 20
Broadcast Network: MBC
Broadcast Period: March 21, 2012 to May 24, 2012
Synopsis:
Prince Lee Jae Ha is a happy go-lucky guy second in line to the throne of the royal family in South Korea. While Kim Hang Ah is a strong woman who’s under the special force of North Korea yet still looking for love and hoping to meet a guy she wants to marry. When King Lee Jae Kang, brother of Prince Lee Jae Ha, decided to collaborate with North Korea to join as one team on WCO (Work Officer Competition), Prince Lee Jae Ha was forced to train with the competition and met Kim Hang Ah. It was King Lee Jae Kang’s hope to achieve peace between North and South Korea that he even considered Kim Hang Ah as Prince Lee Jae Ha future bride. Prince Lee Jae Ha and Kim Hang Ah started on the wrong foot but ended up being together. They went through so much challenges but none greater than defeating a psychotic and powerful head of Club whose main purpose seems to destroy the royal family and may succeed.
Characters:
- Lee Seung Ki as Lee Jae Ha
- Ha Ji Won as Kim Hang Ah
- Kang Han Byul as Younger Jae Ha
- Jo Jung Suk as Eun Shi Kyung
- Yoon Je Moon as Kim Bong Goo | John Mayer
- Lee Yoon Ji as Lee Jae Shin
- Lee Sung Min as Lee Jae Kang
- Park Gun Tae as young Jae Kang
- Yoon Yeo Jung as Bang Yang Sun
- Lee Soon Jae as Eun Kyu Tae
- Jung Man Shik as Ri Kang Suk
- Kwon Hyun Sang as Yeom Dong Ha
- Choi Kwon as Kwon Young Bae
- Lee Do Kyung as Kim Nam Il
- Jun Gook Hwan as Hyun Myung Ho
- Samantha Kim Daniel as Bon Bon
- Yum Dong Hun as Park Ho Chul
- Lee Yun Kyung as Park Hyun Joo
- Lee Shi Un as Hang Ah’s First Love
- Ra Mi Ran as the head of Royal Court
- Choi Min as South Korean Instructor
- Yoo Jae Myung
- Fabien
My Review:
I have seen this K-drama when it first aired in 2012 and after watching it again now, its message and story are very apt with the times. I considered this k-drama as classic because the way it tackled the situation of North and South Korea has a touch of reality but full of hope. This is still 100% better than “Crash Landing On You” in every way, although, Hyun Bin and Son Ye-Jin are two of my favorite stars, the story of this K-Drama and how it was tackled was a lot better than the current one.
(1) Lee Seung Ki is not the typically handsome Korean actor I consider to be but his charm on the screen, immense acting talent and the smart intuitiveness of choosing good and worthwhile projects made me love him even more. On this K-Drama and even in most of his K-dramas, he has always portrayed a mischievous and yet endearing characters, this is not an exception. I fell in love with him as an actor on this K-drama and I believe he excellently did a great job and made King Lee Jae Ha’s character come to life rather than if Lee Byung Hun or Jo In-Sung or Lee Je Hoon, who were previous choices before him will do. He was made for this role.
(2) Ha Ji Won as Kim Hang Ah splendidly did her role here as she always does in all of her projects. She’s like the Angelina Jolie of South Korea, who is feminine but can definitely kick ass. This is one of her great projects and I hope she will soon choose better projects than her last 2 ones, “Hospital Ship” and “Chocolate”, that I considered mediocre in storyline and production.
(3) Jo Jung Suk looks so handsome here with his character here providing much needed realism to the story even if it was kinda made me sad. His character’s bromance with King Lee Jae Ha and his love for Princess Lee Jae Shin was deliciously bittersweet.
(4) The supporting casts were superb and provided much needed humour, action and even a dose of evilness to create a realistic twist to the story. Samantha Daniel as Bongbong scared the bejesus out of me.
(5) I love that the story provided light heartedness in the beginning to established the relationship growth between Soth Korean Prince Lee Jae Ha and North Korean Special Force Officer Kim Hang Ah and then, slowly turned the plot to have a more deeper approached on issues using the couple as a symbolism as to how tenuous the relationship is between North and South Korea, how it can be readily manipulated to go into war, the distrust emanating between the 2 countries up to now and the probable solutions that can be done if both countries will truly seek for peace and unification. This is what’s lacking in “Crash Landing on You” and even failed to established chemistry between the 2 lead characters played by great actors in comparison to this K-Drama.
What I do Not Like About this K-Drama?
This is one of the K-Dramas that I considered I won’t change a thing. I have loved it in every episode and the story was delivered in just right mix of fantasy and reality.
Would I recommend this K-Drama? 100% Yes
My Rating to this Drama
( See My Rating System: ) 5/5 Stars
OST:
01. The King – Various Artists
02. Missing You Like Crazy – Taeyeon of Girls’ Generation
03. Love is Crying – K.Will
04. I Can’t Say It – J-Min
05. Only You – Hyun Sung of Boyfriend
06. I Want to Live My Way – Super Kidd
07. First Love – Lee Yoon Ji
08. The King Love and Feeling – Various Artists
09. Hang Ah’s Dream – Various Artists
10. Dead Line – Various Artists
11. Two Hearts – Various Artists
12. Together… – Various Artists
13. Special Mission – Various Artists
14. Sad Sky – Various Artists
15. Smiling Day – Various Artists
16. Sad Love – Various Artists
17. Lovely Yours – Various Artists
18. Breach – Various Artists
19. Close My Eyes – Various Artists
20. Burning Heart – Various Artists
21. Greasy – Various Artists
22. Lazy – Various Artists
23. Black Message – Various Artists
24. Bright Day – Various Artists
25. New Beginning – Various Artists