The King 2 Hearts

20 episodes 

Given Synopsis (viki.com):

The drama stars Lee Jae Ha as a young crown prince of modern-day South Korea that is governed by a monarchy. Although he shuns politics, he is thrown in the midst of a political turmoil with Kim Hang Ah, a female North Korean special agent. Will the unlikely duo overcome their initial animosity to find common ground? “The King 2 Hearts” is a 2012 South Korean drama series directed by Lee Jae Kyu.

*Beware of spoilers*

Review:

      I finally got around to watching this and I enjoyed it so much. The storyline and the dynamics of how it played out were all well done beautifully. This story revolved around a fictitious Korean royal family.  They were basically figureheads that only took care of certain diplomatic/military issues and had to work together with the prime minister. I really liked how this drama took that into consideration. It felt very political and professional throughout the whole drama because they emphasized how the characters were used to that sort of life and had grown up with the responsibilities given to them. I liked that it was professional when it had to be and only cute and relaxed when the protagonists were enjoying their free time together. 

      I really liked the character development of Lee Jae Ha (the prince) and I enjoyed the multiple sides of Hang Ah's personality. Of course, Lee Seunggi and Ha Ji Won did a fantastic job playing their parts and it was so nice to watch them. A lot of people were annoyed of  Lee Seung Gi's personality in the beginning because he was snobby, spoiled, and mean to others. However, I didn't mind. I liked that they showed this "I'm the prince and no one can touch me" phase because it showed how little responsibility meant to him and how little he cared for others and it allowed us to see what he truly thought of himself and how he matured to fill in the shoes of being the king.
     The characters were all very quirky and distinct. The female roles were extremely smart and strong spirited. I was not annoyed at anything about this drama because I could see the characters building up to be better characters. I was annoyed by the antagonist of this drama, John Mayer, because he just continuously ruined things and traumatized people. His acting was great though. I truly thought that this man needed psychological help.
     Other than the love line between our protagonists, I was also extremely invested in the minor couple (the princess and Eun Si Kyung) I honestly thought that Eun Si Kyung was one of the most charming characters of the show and that he was truly compatible with likable princess. He was this stiff, awkward, loyal guard that was really devoted in what he did and he was very formal. The princess was more free-spirited and outgoing. When the princess faces trauma, I fell in love with the way that Eun Si Kyung disregarded the fact that she was sitting in a wheelchair and continued to like her in this very formal way. I really liked them together. I was infuriated at the end and was in denial with what happened to Eun Si Kyung. I always figured that the writers could totally alternate the situation around and make things work. An emergency room scare would have worked out fine. However, at the end, they show the princess moving on. All I could think about was: if I was her...how will I move on from a guy that perfect? How will I move on from someone that truly loved me unconditionally and never demanded more than I offered? 
      I truly enjoyed it: the acting, the storyline, the sarcastic humor, the characters, etc. Everything was palpable and the characters just felt so real. I truly enjoyed it.