My Top 3 Dramas of 2012 Part 2

My Top 3 Dramas of 2012 Part 2

Ok, after my last post I honestly didn't think it would be that detailed but hey can't help it....so there's going to be 3 parts now as I find I cannot talk about my dramas without getting into the particulars of them. Hehe.

Drama # 2 goes to..........King 2 Hearts!!

Starring Yoon Je-Moon, Ha Ji-Won, Lee Sung-Gi, Lee Yoon-Ji,  and Jo Jung-Suk

If Gaksital had me on an emotional roller coaster King 2 Hearts had me by the heartstrings. To put it bluntly it broke my heart. This was a beautifully put together drama that had everything right, the chemistry, acting plot, and overall feel of the drama. The only thing I disliked was the American actors- or non-Americans, they did an awful job and at times it was laughable but since they were a minor role it didn't ruin the show for me. Thank God!

Starring the pompous prince/future king played by the lovable Lee Sung Gi.

Captain kick-butt Ha Ji Won

 the lovable earnest bot Jo Jung Suk

 best hyung/father figure Lee Sung Min

 Bubbly princess Lee Yoon Ji

and evil/creepy villain Yoon Je Moon

This drama has been on my radar since hearing about from recap blogs like Dramabeans.com What made me watch it in the beginning was Ha Ji Won, yes I am huge fan of her. I haven't watched all her dramas yet but everything so far has been great! So I thought why not, after the disappointing "Nice Guy" drama I was ready to be psyched to watch something again. Glad I did because this drama will have you laughing your guts out one moment and crying buckets of tears the next. As I said before the chemistry is on par, everyone from the lead actors to the supporting ones really had great harmony with each other and it really showed on the screen.

Usually in dramas I tend to be drawn to only the lead couple as they are the most interesting but for the first time I cared a bit more for Jo Jung-Suk & Lee Yoon-Ji's relationship then the leads. Their love was such a poignant, pure kind of love. It was heartbreaking because of what could have been, if not for his death (more on that later) they could have sung their love song together. Their time together was cut to short. I could sit here and blog all night about their relationship but what I do want to say, is that if I could find a love like theirs (and/or Darcy & Elizabeth's) I would snatch it up quickly. They fit like yin-yang where she was the outgoing, bubbly type versus his quiet, stern personality and they made it work...or started to.

When the Princess is watching the video Shi Kyung made for her he said "From the moment we first met I liked you." and then he goes on to say that when he comes back he'll be a better man...at that point I was already balling tears. I HATED that he died, still to this day I don't understand why they killed the most endearing person and all for what..?? Nothing that's what! Earnest bot was a one in a million kind of guy, you got what you saw. He was so honest and wore his heart on his sleeves, making everyone fall in love with the character. Shi Kyung loved and respected his king standing by him til the end. ..
I want to share what he said to the (newly) appointed King Jae Ha, "You don’t need to be swayed by the words of others. Believe in yourself. You are already strong. The king that I’ve seen is very sensitive, and hates sincerity. But he knows the real world only too well, and has deep scars, which keeps him from leaping out ahead. So he wears a mask of laughter. I’m asking you to take off that mask now. Though you have complexes and people perceive you as weak, your highness is, to me, the most powerful king in the world. Please be fearless, your majesty." Beautiful words from a beautiful soul and that's what Lee Shi Kyung was.

Next up is the partnership between King Jae-Ha and Hang-Ah.

Melted like a schoolgirl at this scene..

It wasn't only a romantic relationship but also one based on mutual trust and partnership. They were each others companions first then lovers. Their union from the beginning was always who would have the last line to say, or who could be the most stubborn. You could tell how comfortable the actors were together no doubt about it, theirs was a chemistry that rivaled Ha Ji Won's and Hyun Bin's in Secret Garden.

The process that Jae Ha went through to transition from the conceited playboy to the King that became even greater then his own brother, was such a moving example of what happens when you suddenly have to grow up and be an adult.

But what helped Jae Ha along the way were the people surrounding him that shaped him into the man he became.  He was an arrogant, conceited person and I think he put up that front to hide his fears from everyone. His fear I believe was having to become King, there's a scene after everyone learns of Jae Kang's death where Jae Ha is standing on the bridge shaking and trying to hold back his tears. And then he seems to shake himself and gather all the strength he has to step into the role and that is just the start to his changing and growing as a person.

I cannot forget the character of Hang Ah as she is the most important person in Jae Ha's development.

She was a woman yearning to be seen as not just a fierce warrior but a lady. And with Jae Ha she found love for the first time. What I loved so much about this character is she always put the King first doing what was best for him, anything to protect him and show him how she felt. When she went in front of the public hearing to proclaim her loyalty to the South you couldn't help but applaud her courage. It takes a lot of gumption to go in front of a crowd of a country that hates you because of what you represent and for her especially because of the things they've said about her. Hang Ah is probably one of the most fierce women in drama history and the writers did a great job writing out her character.

King 2 Hearts was a well written all around wonderful drama. I can't say enough of how awesome the roles were from Shi Kyung's loyalty to Kim Bong Gu's evil villainy. The relationships and turn of events were portrayed realistically as with the North/South disputes. So go and check out this drama you won't regret it!

.....I forgot to mention that I watch most Korean dramas on a this site Dramafever.com

* Photo credits from Dramabeans*