Kimchi Recaps : King 2 Hearts episode 1

Welcome everyone to the recaps of King 2 Hearts.  I’m joined by  Firnlambe, Taleena, Aunnie and Miri and we’re going to be having a crazy time together.   Some of us have seen this before, some haven’t, so come join us for a good time as we  see just what Seung Gi and crew have up their sleeves for us.

K2He1a

Our story actually begins  with the fall of the Berlin Wall.   Papa King lets the next in line watch this historic moment.   The irony is not lost on the King as he is facing a military problem in his own country between North and South.   Oh, if only their own country could reunite once again like the excited and emotional Germans.   This leaves a deep impression on our young heir.   His little brother is really too young to understand the significance.   The one thing little brother can understand however,  is when others are picking on his big brother.

ep1 pen stabbing

Nothing like helping defend your brother against bullies.  Just don’t forget to watch your back. 

Aunnie:  Wow…I’m liking this little boy. Arrogant, yes. Bad-ass, hell yes! Tough, arrogant little boy…who just got stabbed…what the hell!! You yellow-tied little mofo. Sorry for my language…

Taleena: Yeah right?  Why on earth would he do that other than deep abiding resentment of the entitled of the bullying class.

Wendilynn:  Welcome to the villain of the story.  That little boy grows up to become one of my favorite kdrama villains, second only to Harry from Missing You.  Of course, I liked Harry, I don’t like this guy.

Firnlambe: Excuse me–I hate to be the one who points out the obvious, but . . .  you two boys are ROYALTY!!! You should be able to just shout out and have the Korean equivalent of the Secret Service jump in and save the day. So why are you two trying to be mini heros?

Aunnie: That thought never even crossed my mind but yeah…where the hell are their guards?? Shouldn’t they be Johnny-on-the-Spot? Or ChungHi-on-the-Spot, I guess…

K2HI am King

Its been a rough day for our brave younger brother.   His pen wielding  nemesis isn’t through with him yet.  A message is given.

Aunnie: Creepy….”I am king” That doesn’t mean he wants to be frien–Yellow-Tied Mofo!!

Wendilynn:  This is a very telling moment between these two characters.

Firnlambe: Gosh this character just gives me the creeps. The way he’s so calm about it just makes it that much worse.

Aunnie: Agreed, this guy is freaky…he just stabbed a kid and then calmly makes his stake for the throne..how old is he? 13, 14? Too much anger for such a young kid…

ep1 pepper spray

The years have passed and our feisty younger kinglet has found himself in army training as all good Korean boys must go.   Sorry, you do not get special treatment, your highness.

Aunnie: Tear gas…oh crap. My dad says that stuff is no joke…not that I ever thought it was fun and games but still..Poor little royal boy, I sympathize. Oh, Lee Seung Gi is the YOUNGER boy…didn’t realize…

Taleena: Was it just me or did the pounding on the locked door/cut to the glass breaking and Seung Gi gasping portend a less than optimal comfort with a locked door?

Firnlambe: eeeeeh I feel no sympathy for the spoiled little rich boy.

Aunnie: Actually, my dad says when they tear gassed his troop, the first person to break had some sort of punishment so I’m thinking the lock doors was to help make a horrible situation that much worse.

Wendilynn:  Military training sucks to high heaven. I’ve seen interviews from that military celebrity reality show they do and all the boys who go on it have various things that traumatize them.

Aunnie:The one with henry in it?

Wendilynn: (nods)

Aunnie: Now I gotta watch it…

K2He1e

Meet Kim Hang Ah.   Daughter of ambassadors and trainer for the army in North Korea.  She’s the baddest of them all and all the girl really wants is a date.  With a guy who ISN’T scared of her.

Aunnie: She went from badass fighting to skipping-skirt-wearer in a day…haha

Wendilynn: She’s a versatile sort of woman.

Firnlambe: I love her in her badass form . . . but I DESPISE her sing-song voice. Combine that with her sudden transformation into a skipping machine and it just makes me cringe.

Wendilynn: What? Can’t a girl skip after making the boys cry?  😉

K2Hkiss screw up

Firnlambe: Suuure she can, but it just grinds me the wrong way for some reason.

Aunnie: Probably something to do with having seen Secret Garden first where she was just plain ‘ol badass no matter WHAT she was doing. But I gotta admit, it’s a bit…what’s the word…grating to see her go from badass to girlishly wimpy in a matter of a few seconds. I tend to prefer my badass female leads to stay badass but the extremes of her personalities are a bit cringe-worthy although for me it has nothing to do with her voice.

Wendilynn:  I see her acting wimpy a concession on her part for what guys expect girls to behave in their culture.  That whole “I can’t do anything unless a man tells me or makes the first move” crap gets on my nerves. But, its hard on men to date women who can beat them up.

Aunnie: See, personally, I don’t see it as a concession, I see it has a non-psychiatric version of dual personalities that she needs to have in order to survive in her lifestyle. I think the wimpy persona is her actual personality but being in the military means she needs to play with the big boys so her badass personality is more of the “concession” rather than the wimpy. Does that make sense? I’m cool with the wimpy aspect, and I’m cool with the badass aspect but I just have a hard time watching the same person have both personalities.

Wendilynn:  I don’t see it that way.  My daughter did something similar in the first grade. We thought we had a dumb blond for a daughter. She had the laugh, the mannerisms.  I have a smart household and we couldn’t understand where she came from.  WE get a call half way through first grade where they want to put her in advanced classes because she could read 2 grade levels above her age.  Turned out she had been playing dumb so the boys would like her.

Aunnie: When it’s done well, we get wimpy badasses like the woman from “My Love From Another Star” but it was a smoother transition versus Ji Won’s character who just…I can’t explain it well, but it’s like she has the extremes of both types of personalities and they won’t mesh very well. Don’t get me wrong, I really like the drama so far–mostly because of the off the wall humor but I’m having a harder time understanding Ji Won’s character than I am understanding any of the other characters. If that makes sense.

Firnlambe: whoooa ladies lol I feel we should move on lol before you two go into a Kdrama faceoff of death.

Aunnie: That sounds like an awesome title for a blog…but no, there’s no fighting, we’re just discussing the differences in personalities. lol I know, I know, I’m giving you crap lol well..kind of, I still think that’d be an awesome title for a blog.

Firnlambe: twas an attempt at subtly moving on in a funny manner

Wendilynn: rofl

K2H Hyun Bin enlisted

Hyun Bin,  Jo In Sung and a bunch of other heartthrobs have recently joined the military.   Hang Ha and two others are on a mission to compete in military games for officers around the world.  If she’s lucky, maybe one of her idols will be on the team.  Hey.. a girl can dream, can’t she?

Aunnie: I love, love, love, that they added Hyun Bin to the script. Hecks Yes

Wendilynn: I thought this would crack you up.  I love when shows provide inside jokes.  Considering Secret Garden was filmed two years previous to this show.

Taleena: I laughed and laughed and then had to explain the joke to the Dear Husband. I just loved her laundry list of hot K drama stars in the military – as if we aren’t that bad ourselves.  was that Girl’s Generation that sidetracked her fellow teammate?

Wendilynn: Yes it was.

Firnlambe: Oh my goodness . . . I love it when the writers do this in their dramas. In the currently airing Fated to Love You they inserted a joke for Choi Jin Hyuk’s character saying all he can make is pasta (for those who don’t get the reference–CJH was in the show Pasta as a cook).

Aunnie: I admit to feeling “cool” when I get references like that–when the writers put those kind of references in their dramas, that is–and I felt exceptionally smug that I got the Hyun Bin reference this time.

K2He1m

Don’t forget to read the fine print. 

Aunnie: First thing about signing your John Hancock…ALWAYS read what you’re signing. I’m assuming those were not the documents he thought they were

Taleena: Dumb, dumb, dumb! Look at each page.  I am so mistrustful, already I think there is a tracking device or a microphone hidden in his metals.

Firnlambe: But he’s the spoiled rich prince, why would he doubt the orders of dismissal.

Wendilynn: He’s so blase about it.  They could have gotten him to sign anything and he’d have just grinned like an idiot.

Aunnie: Which makes the scene that much funnier but it doesn’t help in making me like this guy.

Wendilynn: Wait…we’re supposed to like him?

Firnlambe: Well crap . . . guess I failed that particular kdrama test.

Aunnie: Not necessarily, there are some Kdrama lead males that I’ve never liked throughout the entire length of the drama. *cough*playful kiss*cough*

Firnlambe: whaaaat his pretty face wasn’t enough to salvage that particular role?

Aunnie: Hahaha, he was handsome for sure, but seriously…I can’t get past the fact that he fell for someone like that. Obviously he wasn’t worthy of my devotion.

Firnlambe: Oh Ye of little faith!!! The manga makes all that clear.

Wendilynn:  Don’t feel bad Aunnie, I didn’t like that character either and I’m not a Seung Gi fan, so I didn’t like this character, either.

Aunnie: Although, I’m not going to lie, I like the William vs. Harry dynamic the show gives to the older and younger brother. You’ve got William who marries, has a child, and for all intents and purpose, accepts his duty and then you have Harry who likes to get naked on balconies in Vegas.

K2He1n

Big brother the King has trapped his little brother into signing on for the world officer competition with the North Koreans.   Little brother is doing his best to wiggle out of it, but he’s been out-smarted.  Our playboy learns he’s not as well loved as he thinks.

Aunnie: wow..52% want you out…that’s a sign. I also like that this older brother just broke ass over the younger one.  Except. towards the end it became very harsh…

Taleena: mannequins? scarecrows? shouldn’t have said anything like that to older bro. it just steals his resolve to stop you becoming a playboy.  OTOH I am getting a very Henry V/Young Hal vibe going here.  Play around so that no one expects greatness out of you or sees you as a threat, then BAM! hit them with your unexpected awesomeness.

Wendilynn: why be awesome when you don’t want the job?

Firnlambe: Yes! Spoiled rich prince needs to have a major reality check. Though I doubt it’ll do him any good.

Aunnie: My theory is when his brother dies, it’ll be a major reality check…’cause guess what buddy boy…you can’t pass on the crown.

ep1 gun shots

Its either join the team or be disowned.  Yet little brother is not done trying every trick he can to get kicked off the team.   Pulling a gun on your team leader though just might backfire…

Aunnie: What the ….why did you think…you shot at your commanding officer!

Firnlambe: Well . . . in Rich Prince’s defense he thought the gun was unloaded.

Wendilynn: He’s lucky he didn’t get arrested for firing that gun. Prince or not prince.

Firnlambe: Ha! That would have been a reporters field day. “Prince arrested for being a Royal Pain and shooting his commanding officer”

Wendilynn:  bwhahahahahaha!!

Aunnie: I’m still amazed that 1) his commanding officer pointed a loaded gun at him and 2) that Seung Gi even pulled the trigger at all–even if he thought it was unloaded. However, I can see how he’d assume it was unloaded because I assumed if the commanding officer was going to point a gun at his prince, it’d be unloaded as well. lol

Wendilynn: I thought it was a great introduction for this character.  Eun Shi Gyung is not someone who is either intimidated by the Prince or a sniveling weasel to the Prince.

Aunnie: I did as well, it was definitely memorable, I’ll give him that. I wouldn’t say he wasn’t intimidated by the prince, given what we’ve seen in episode 2, but that’s foreshadowing. I just think he wanted to show the prince he wasn’t playing–which he did. Loaded gun and all. lol

K2He1o

Getting shot didn’t work, how about insulting your teammates?

Aunnie: This prince should just stop talking. Why would you bring up assassins during a casual summit?

Taleena: Is this Seung Gi pushing, pushing to see how long it takes them to respond?  He is obviously messing with her.

Firnlambe: No, he obviously has a death wish. Even if your two countries are in peaceful terms you should never toss insults the way he did.

Wendilynn:  Well, he’s trying to get out of being there.  IF he can be a turd, then they just replace him.  Shooting his finger didn’t work.  Pissing off the touchy North Koreans is his next move.

Aunnie: I would think pissing off the North Koreans would be the last move. Like, if all else fails, let’s put the peaceful terms our country has spent more than 50 years battling out at jeopardy for the sake of being a wimpy prat.

Miri: That’s why being a little dick here would work.  Or, so he thought.  Nobody wants trouble so they would just replace him, right?  *evil chuckles*

Aunnie: I think I would understand his motivations more if we…actually knew his motivations–or rather, what he was all about. So far we know nothing of his character other than that he’s a stupid, spoiled little prince who got everything he wanted and at the first sign of not getting what he wanted, he just becomes this ass. (For some reason, as I wrote that, I kept thinking of the scene in the Shakespearean play where the inspector is like “Let the records show that I am an ass. So I had to stop and chuckle for a little bit)

Wendilynn:  No, I think you got him figured out pretty well there.  ROFL!!  I love that play

Aunnie: Oh my god, “Much Ado About Nothing” is my FAVORITE Shakespearean play. Absolutely love it. Beatrice and Benedict…amazingly written characters.

Wendilynn: Yes. Totally agree.

ep1 ass kicking

Sometimes, you just have to spank the brat and put him in his place.

Aunnie: Ohh..”I’m NOT your comrade” Shows a deeper side to him than he’s letting on…I like when scripts/characters have that.

Taleena: Oh what a conveniently left mop in the HQ’s bathroom which NEVER happens like that.  Sheesh!  OOH nice ikkyo! that is hard on the wrists! She’s got the moves.

Wendilynn: Admit it, he totally deserves this butt- kicking.

Aunnie: He does, to a certain extent, but honestly…taking into consideration he was tricked into signing (his own stupidity mostly), then manipulated into taking part, AND the animosity between the two countries–I can see where his attitude is coming from. Not that it’s okay really, but seriously think about it. The north is known for being aggressive, I think I would be a bit affronted by being pushed into this as well. I still really liked how he went from being joking, pushing, attitude guy to “I”m not your comrade” in like 3 seconds flat.

Firnlambe: I don’t care how much he felt entitled . . . he deserves this reality check. He may be Prince but this shows him that he is definitely at the bottom of the seniority pole in this group.

Wendilynn: I like that none of these people are butt kissers towards him.  If he’s going to be a prick, they are going to call him on it. Its one aspect of this show I like.

Our little kinglet just got his butt handed to him.  Can  Hang Ah do as the King asked her and whip his little brother into shape?  Join us for episode 2 and lets find out.

If you’d like to read more from Firnlambe and Aunnie check out their blogs. Soju-Like-Kdramas and Aunnie’s World

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *