Unnie's Wednesday Write Up: Globally Fan Girling

It was just over 4 months ago that Dongsaeng & I started The Crazy Ahjummas.  I can't believe it.  It seems like forever ago & at the same time it seems like just yesterday we were adding our first posts.  Wow.  Going from no readers, besides us & a few friends who wanted to support us, to over 41,000+ views.  That's a big leap...for us.  I still don't get why you guys care what we think about K Dramas but I am not complaining, honest!!  I love knowing that there are people out there that enjoy my opinion?  Writing?  View point? Insanity?  All of the above?  I feel like a super star.  Which is cool because most of the time I just feel like a frumpy old mom.  Then I come on here & see that someone left me a comment on one of my posts or see how the views of my posts jumps every day & it totally rocks!

Our first few posts we were still trying to find our voices.  I will be interested to see this blog in the future & read back through & see how we've changed, if we've changed.  Then I came up with the bright idea of doing K Drama reviews of the shows we were each watching.  Our first reviews?  The King 2 Hearts & Rooftop Prince.  That was fun.  But it was also a lot of work....honestly those K Drama reviews are killer hard.  They take at least 3 hours to accomplish.  But it always feels so good to see people reading them.

{{Seriously though I just don't get why you guys like reading us?  I think it's just cause you love the Kdramas themselves so much you can't get enough & you have to read every review out there.  How close am I with that guess?}}

It was during the reviewing of The King 2 Hearts & Rooftop Prince that we starting noticing the growth on the blog.  Obviously you guys like K Drama reviews.  Each new K Drama brings a new group of readers.  Hopefully, we're keeping some regular readers, that stick with us through all of our reviews & who will tune in for our "Ahjumma Articles" {{Monday Morning Therapy w Dongsaeng -MMTwD & my Wednesday Write Ups -WWU's}} but we welcome the newbie AddiKts as well.

Along with the growth we made new friends too.  Especially during our reviews of The King 2 Hearts.  Our first readers & commenters on the blog became great friends.  We've never met them in person but we feel like we have.  One reader in particular & I bonded over our love of "Dimple".  She lives in Indonesia.  We found we have similar personalities & someday I hope to meet her in person.  How awesome is that?  If I go on vacation to Indonesia that I have a place to stay. LOL  Just kidding Fransiska!  {{hehehe...don't tell her AddiKts but I'm totally NOT kidding.  ;)P giggle}}

This last Saturday morning I woke up to the most awesome gift ever from her!  Chincha!!  I was so excited I went running downstairs with my iPad in hand to show CA & the kids.  Okay back up a little.  On last week's reviews I talked about this a little but here I am totally going to let my inner fan girl brag!

So Fransiska, months ago, bought tickets to go to the Lee Seung Gi Fan Meeting in Singapore.  Which is exciting all on it's own.  {{Sad face here that my favorite k stars don't do fan meets in the US}}  But then she told us that she was also chosen to be a part of the more intimate fan meet w/ fewer fans as well & that she would get to shake his hand & meet him & get his autograph as well.  And I was totally happy for her!!  {{And only a lot jealous too.}}

Well, the time of the fan meet came & Siska boarded the plane from Indonesia to Singapore & I got to follow her tweets & FB posts which helped me live vicariously through her.  I barely slept that night for excitement.  And I wasn't even the one going!  I am kind of worried when I finally get my BB concert tickets if I will ever sleep again!  O_O

Then Saturday morning finally dawned, the first thing I did was reach over to my nightstand & grab the iPad to see what else she had managed to capture.  And that's when my inner fan girl took over!  And I did my best impression of Seo Yi Soo freaking out on her bed in A Gentleman's Dignity!  Lots of; "Omo!!!  Omo!!! Omo!!! Omo's!!!!!"  issued forth & I was giddily giggling like a lunatic.  And then I noticed that CA was not laying next to me.  Typical for Saturday.  He knows I am NOT a morning person.  Like seriously!  I am NOT a morning person & Saturday is my one day to sleep in so he usually does his best to make sure I wake up on my own on Saturdays.  Which means running interference for the kids.  Our dog, Nikki, {{aka mommy's shadow}} gets to come & go as she pleases though because she mostly just lays by my feet or in CA's spot on the bed & sleeps with me, quietly.  Well, you can imagine the look on her doggy face as I had my little Seo Yi Soo-esque freak out in bed!!  At this point I jumped out of bed & ran downstairs.

This is what I showed my CA & the monstrosities.

Is that not the coolest thing you ever saw?!?!

{{Psssst....Unnie what exactly are we looking at?}}

It's a picture of the autographed picture of Lee Seung Gi!!  AND it's made out to Fransiska, JESS (THAT'S ME!!!) & another reader who loves the Dimple as well, Vira.  Siska stood in line & when her time came she had a piece of paper that had all of our names written on it.  Fransiska - Indonesia, Jess - Wisconsin & Vira (I won't put where she is from, just in case she doesn't want that part known).  His manager, who was breathing down her neck when she approached the signing table, vetoed 3 autographs but was okay with putting all three names on one picture.  She shook his hand & the rest was a blur of her stuttering.  LOL  I can't say I'd do any better though.  I'd like to think I could be calm & rational but come on!!!  Who am I kidding, right?!?!  Especially since I wasn't even there, it isn't like I am ever going to get to see the pic in person or have a copy for myself, & yet there I was Saturday morning in my jammies, thousands of miles away in my kitchen, flipping out!  For the 3 seconds it took him to write my name he was thinking, indirectly about me!!!  OMO OMO OMO OMO!!!!  Lee Seung Gi knows my name!!!!  He has no idea who I am or anything about me & has since probably forgotten the whole thing as he met 100's of ppl that weekend & gave 100's of autographs out but still for 3 seconds I was in the mind of Dimple!!!

Then she shared pictures & video clips & all sorts of stories of her awesome trip!  And even though it was the middle of the night in Singapore she was on cloud 9 & we sat chatting via "What'sApp" on our phones, till it was around 5 am there.  I am sincerely so happy for her!!  What an amazing weekend!!!  Hanging out with other Airens & seeing Dimple!  Heavenly!  She's already trying to plan a trip to Seoul for his 2013 Hope Concert!  You go Siska!!  Again I will probably have to live vicariously.  That's okay though right?  You'll still love me then too, right?  ^.^

Now I will share a few of her pics on this here post.  For those of you who follow the TCA FB pg, you have already seen these.  The videos for those of you haven't seen them are also on the TCA FB page.  I can't upload them here because they aren't mine & they aren't in a YouTube format.

**EDIT**  
The next 2 pictures are NOT Fransiska's pictures.  She is not exactly sure who they belong to BUT she says she thinks we should give credit for them to...
Everything Lee Seung Gi

IF you know who they actually belong to please let us know ASAP!  We want the credit to go where the credit belongs!  And thank them for sharing the amazing Dimple with us all!

Oh Dimple!!!  There you are!!!  It's been way too long!!  When are you going to get another K Drama going?!?!  I miss our weekly visits. :(  Look at you Dimple, you are so cute!!  Thank you Dimple for being such a cool, sweet, gentlemanly kind of man!  You were so nice to my friend to sign all of our names for her.  She said she is more Krazy for you than ever!
Saranghae Dimple!
<3 Nuna!!

Sigh.  What a cutie pie right?!?!  Who cares that I am quite a bit older than him.  I adore me some Dimple!!  Thank you to Siska for the most awesome gift ever!!  It was supposed to be YOUR moment & yet you have such an incredibly big heart that you shared YOUR moment with me & Vira.  You are an awesome friend & thank you for reading & supporting me & TCA.  Saranghae Chingu!  Jongmal Saranghe!!

This week's WWU brought to you by the Amazing Dimple!  Have a great week AddiKts & I'll see you again in my ATM eps 5 & 6.  I just checked The Arang & the Magistrate Viki page & it's up & segmented & well on it's way to being subbed.  Squuuueeeeeee!!!  What will I say this week?  Will I be as obnoxious this week as I was last week?  Only one way to find out.  And if my obnoxiousness bugged you I apologize but I write for me first AddiKts.  And last week I was in a "mood".  ;)P

Saranghamnida,

A Birthday Wish and a Question

A very happy birthday to our very favorite leading lady, Ha Ji Won!

We, Unnie and Dongsaeng, first met her in Secret Garden as the tough and loveable stuntwoman, Gil Ra Im.    She dazzled us with her acting chops and talent right off the bat.  She was no-nonsense, yet could be adorable and sweet.  It was love at first sight with this actress for us.

The love continued as we watched her in The King 2 Hearts, where she played tough and loveable North Korean trained assassin-turned South Korean princess/queen (what exactly was her title when she married the king?), Kim Hang Ah.  Again, she showed great range as she could be scary and fragile at the same time.

And these are just two of her roles.  She has a long list of successes and awards.  These are the two that we have seen so far.  They certainly won't be the last for us though as she tops both of our lists as our favorite actress.  And just think of where those lips have gone?!  Lee Seung Gi and Hyun Bin?!  That's one lucky gal right there!  She's like our hero for that alone!  ^.^

Ha Ji Won - thank you for your hard work and dedication.  You are a joy to watch and we just adore you!  We hope that your birthday is wonderful and filled with love.  We look forward to following your career in the future!

Love,
The Crazy Ahjummas
Unnie and Dongsaeng


Now....
A question for you, our readers...
This was asked on our Facebook page (and we would LOVE it if you would answer it there too).  We'd do a poll here, but with the new format, that's not supported, so we'll just ask and hope that comments come flowing in.

The question?

What Do You Want to See More of on TCA?

• K-Drama Reviews
• Eye Candy Talk
• Ahjumma Articles (Unnie's Wednesday Write Up and Monday Morning Therapy with Dongsaeng)
• K-Pop Reviews   or
• All of the Above (you love us just as we are with the mix we already have)

We want to write about the things that you like, so share with us what you like.  Your opinions matter.  We really do aim to please.  We're still getting our feet wet and trying to find a stride that works for not only us, but for you, our readers, as well.  After all, this wouldn't be much fun if we were writing what we liked but no one was reading it.  It's all about you.  You matter.  You count.  We are nothing without each of you.  So let us know what you enjoy so we can keep it coming.  ^-^

Dramatic Friday Review: The King 2 Hearts Final Ep {20}

Ok addiKts.  I'm just gonna dive in & try not to think too much about the fact that this is the final episode of an amazing drama.  I honestly think it'll be the only way I am able to get through this review is if I don't think of it as the end.

Did "Bong Gu get his way" as my dongsaeng put it at the end of episode 19?  Because it sure seemed that way to me.  He managed to get the big scary "War" ball rolling didn't he?  North Korea had cut off all communications with South Korea.  The US was getting ready to bomb North Korea & if they attacked North Korea, then North Korea would be bombing South Korea.  And to make matters worse our 2 leads were being separated as well.  Hang Ah's dad arrived to take her back to the North & Jae Ha had been separated by his guards & had his power as King kind of ripped away, all while he was touring the world trying to smooth international relations over & restore peace & friendships w/ South Korean allies.

And man can Hang Ah's dad lay on the guilt.  Major talent at the guilt there Abeoji.

Basically he tells her the last war separated families for decades & he's already old.  He can't go that long or the next time she sees him it'll be over his grave.  Dang!  That is some serious guilt.  Right?

At the same time Abeoji is guilting Hang Ah into going with him the Prime Minister for South Korea, you know the weaselly one, is explaining that it wasn't his fault or choice to wrest away the power to raise the country's security level to Defcon 3.  He tells him that fun job went to the Joint Chief and Kor-US Combined Forces Command but that it was also approved by the President of the United States.  I actually had to stop the show & write that part down...BTW there was a lot of political titles & lingo thrown around. In an effort to make this post easier I am going to paraphrase & rename whatever I want in the interest that I just don't care about those details as much as I do the characters & their reactions to all of the turmoil.  You've been warned.  

Jae Ha is pissed off, pardon the language, because no matter who pushed it through the PM had to be the one who gave final approval & that is a big jumping the gun, going over Jae Ha's head, kind of no-no.   Jae Ha goes out into the hallway & calls Hang Ah's cell.  And even though her father has expressly told her not to answer his call, our Hang Ah is her own person & therefore will do things her way.  But she does it in a filial way, of course.  

She answers the phone & Jae Ha & she are discussing all the events that took place while they were traveling together.  After a lot of North Korea did this & South Korea did that & the US is doing this...knowing all the while that Bong Gu is behind it all, Jae Ha tells Hang Ah not to cross the border & to wait there, that he'll send a car.  And then I wanted to scream at her when she said no that she was going to go home with her dad.  Seriously the guy has mad skillz when it comes to guilt.  

{Pardon me while I have a mini-meltdown for a minute}

I have just about had it with these 2 being separated!  I am so over the drama of this drama.  It has been one  major upheaval after another & I am quite frankly sick to death of it.  I think that Eun Shi Kyeong's death was the last fricken straw!  I mean COME ON!!!  SERIOUSLY!?!?!  Enough is enough!!!

{Thank you for bearing with me through that....it was scary wasn't it?  It was also necessary...I felt like I was about to explode!!!}  

Yeah definitely over seeing MY favorite guy crying.  

Then before we have settled into another separation the new creepy bad guy, US politician, {w/ the crappy American accent} is on the phone with Bong Gu informing him that "it's done."  That the US is in agreement. And an attack from the US on N Korea is going to happen.  

He looks just a little too happy for my taste.  I cannot wait till Jae Ha's serves his head on a platter.

Uh-oh unnie is getting all scary again.

You guys do realize I'm actually the least scary person around.
For one thing I'm all of 5'2" tall (or 157 cm for the metrically minded).
Oh!  So scary, right?  I can kick shins like a MAD woman!
My 5 year old son refers to me as, "My little mom".  True story.  

And when he gets content we know that he has to gloat.  In the next scene we find Eun Kyu Tae talking to Jae Ha about the mad increase in intense behind closed door meetings happening in DC & Virginia.  That's not a good sign.  

No really it's not...see?

Sorry, I just couldn't help myself.  

Anyway....  After Jae Ha hangs up form Eun Kyu Tae he gets a phone call on his personal cellphone from Senior Psychopath Bong Gu.  Who informs him he sent Jae Ha an email & that Jae Ha has to see this.  I wonder if this was the "present" he referred to in ep 19?  Because I didn't see anything other than this & I can totally see him thinking this is a present.  

What is he referring to?  Why he sent Jae Ha an email copy of the document that states when & how the US will be attacking the North.  And to make it even more official it's signed by the US President himself.  {No we don't get to see Barrack Obama's signature}  

He also tries to goad Jae Ha into a fight or to giving up, not sure which, when he tells Jae Ha he gave him a chance to choose South Korea or himself & Jae Ha chose himself over his people.  And that if even one South Korean citizen dies in this, that it will all be Jae Ha's doing & fault.  But Bong Gu doesn't know how to heap on the guilt.  He needs lessons from Hang Ah's Abeoji.  Jae Ha doesn't fall for it & tells Bong Gu that he will lose, that Jae Ha WILL stop Bong Gu & the war & that he will save his people & that all of this is Bong Gu's fault.  And Jae Ha will get justice in the end & Bong Gu will pay.  

Jae Ha calls back the Head Secretary EKT & tells him about the document & to keep it under wraps, seriously secret here.  No one can know.  And that he wants EKT to confirm the authenticity of the document, which he does.  It's legit.  And they should be, just in case, following protocol & putting the country under Defcon 2, in other words up the security even more.  It's time to lock & load, just in case.  

Which will just freak out the North even more & think that the South will be attacking & joining forces with the US imminently.  So the North raises its level as well.  And Hang Ah's Abeoji is panicking now.  He doesn't want to die.  He knows that Hang Ah's arguing with the leaders of the North & that her refusal to give up the secrets of the South, including the hiding locations of the Royal Family & political leaders, & trying to get the Party Members to back down so much, is going to backfire & once again they will be punished by the Party.  So he brings out tickets & tells her they should go "abroad".  Which means live in Germany, where Jae Ha could visit them every once in a while.  That father & daughter need to get the heck out of dodge, before it's too late.  But Hang Ah still believes in her man.  You go Hang Ah!  Don't give up on your man.  Jae Ha will fix this!  I know he will!  

{Just believe in the power of the DIMPLE!!!}  

Everyone is getting really tense by now.  I am tense, Jae Ha is tense, the military on both sides are getting tense, and we're all waiting for the sirens to go off.  Jae ha sits down with a Military leader & gets the 411 on how bad it will actually be...And here I will let screen shots tell the story.  

Basically it would be catastrophic.  He flashes back & remembers all the people, including Eun Shi Kyeong & his brother King Jae Kang telling him about the delicate balance & how they can't just stand back.  It's a constant battle & they can never give up the dream of peace.  

Hang Ah is also flashing back & remembering that she needs to believe in & trust in Jae Ha, just like she did at the WOC fight between the US & the Koreas.  She pushed that button because she believed in Jae Ha.  She was terrified but she had faith.  She has to dig deep & find that again.  Then the doorbell rings & when she gets there it's a "NEW neighbor" dropping off the traditional I'm new in t he neighborhood so I'm offering my present.  Only it isn't rice, it looks like more pretty girl, personal care stuff, like when Jae Ha made her the facial creams.  Only this looks store bought.  But under the skin care products is a large manila envelope.  She opens it & sees the document declaring the US's intentions to attack North Korea ont he 24th of May.  

Now she has leverage.  She goes to the leader again & says, she won't tell them when the attack will take place unless he opens communications w the South again & agrees to the secret meeting, that they have been trying to get the North to agree to.  And that she has to be the one to meet with Jae Ha.  He doesn't want to but he gives in.  He asks her to tear up the engagement contract to prove her alliance to the Party, which she does easily.  He also tells her he will keep a hold of her father while she is at the meeting so she can't double cross them.  Not to mention that the entire thing will be recorded.  This last part she is ok with.  

So Jae Ha arrives & has no idea he is about to see Hang Ah.  He arrives in the room & sees the surveillance he is under.  Then Hang Ah arrives & offers to shake his hand & acts coolly towards him.  What'd you expect?  For her to run to him?  They are being watched & what's more, she is being fed her lines by the leader.  Jae Ha notices it all, her earpiece, the camera above & her attitude & he immediately knows what's going on.   How does he figure it all out?  Because he is Jae Ha & he is awesome!  I absolutely loved this incredibly intense scene.  I thought Lee Seung Gi was so incredibly cool.  

He refuses to answer her questions trying to get him to alleviate the fear of the North.  Instead he addresses the camera directly & immediately gives away the date of the expected attack by the US, because he is done screwing around!  He asks the leader questions about why he is using Hang Ah like this.  Why they aren't just  trying harder to understand each other?  He then asks Hang Ah what she's going to be doing on the 24th?.  That he wants to get married.  It comes out that if they do the big public wedding sending out invitations & everyone world wide sees that they have picked this day to finally join North & South Korea via marriage that they won't be able to attack.  

Then he tells them they have 5 minutes to say yes to the marriage or they might as well kill Jae Ha right then & there.  Then he presses the big red button calling in the guards from all sides & it's a standoff.  An attack on the king is the same as an attack on the South.  And what's the difference between dying now or dying later.  He'd rather do it right away so he looks at the guard from the North, one of the guys from the WOC days & reminds him that he's a sniper & that he should make sure to take out Jae Ha with one shot, right between the eyes.  All the guards have pulled their weapons.  

Then Hang Ah, who understands him best stands up & takes the North Korean WOC guys gun & aims it directly at Jae Ha's forehead.  If he's going she's going to go right behind him.  Because as soon as she shoots Jae Ha the other WOC South Korean guard is going to shoot her.  

What else can the North leader do?  He capitulates.  At the last possible second of course.  

Holy sigh Batman.  That's some good writing that is.  

And the marriage is on.  Thank goodness.

This really irks Bong Gu.  He calls up his contact who has had it & is about to lose his job & tells Bong Gu, it's over.  With the marriage about to happen who is going to attack them now?

There's a brief moment, on the day of the wedding when the US troops try to stop Jae Ha & his motorcade at the gate/border but he gets through.  Hang Ah is getting dressed in her Hanbok & her father is beside himself giddy, so cute!  I think I sense a happy ending nearing but I am almost afraid I'll jinx it. ^^

Then it's time!

DIMPLE!!!!

Oh.  My.  Gosh!  It has been an incredibly long time since I last saw you!!  I have missed you so much!

Let's never go through this again?  Ok?  Good.  So whatcha been up to lately?  Oh.  Yeah, you're right, we can talk later.  

And of course we have to see Bong Gu get tried & found guilty.  That felt so good.  Chincha!

Then he's in jail, for the rest of his life, I might add.  {giggle}

And Jae Ha comes to visit him.  They have witty repartee which basically ends with Jae Ha walking away after thanking Bong Gu for helping to bring together North & South.  And Bong Gu gets all psycho & starts yelling about Club M still being there, new leader, same mission statement...blah blah blah blah who gives a crap.  

Then it's 4 years later.  Okay so I gotta admit, I'm a little miffed that we didn't get a honeymoon moment at all.  I'm not looking for an actual scene but a good kiss & a little door closing would have been nice, but whatever.  4 years later they have a little Crown Prince running around & saying Mother w North Korean accent & freaking out the South Korean peoples.  Princess Jae Shin, is about to go on a blind date & is talking it over w/ Eun Shi Kyeong.  No he's still passed away.  But she's talking to him & he urges her to go on & find happiness.  Aww even in death he is absolutely honorable man.  Grandpa is uber cute when he gets to see his grandson on the big screen TV via video chat.  There is a new group of WOC candidates & there is warmth & camaraderie between the originals, including Jae Ha. Life goes on.  That is how the story ends.  With our 2 wonderful leads walking hand in hand together to face the press.  Life goes on.  

That's all addiKts.  We made it through an incredibly compelling & exhausting emotional roller coaster of a drama.  Definitely in my top 3 favorites list.  As much as I loved this drama & as much as I have fallen for Lee Seung Gi & Jo Jeong Seok I am not going to miss the emotional upheaval week in & week out.  

I have loved reviewing this drama though & I will miss the amazing writing & the amazing acting.  It was an all around awesome drama.  Thank you for being with us through this drama, for supporting us & for reading & liking our recap/reviews.  I hope you keep coming back, even if we aren't reviewing a LSG drama.  

I send all my love out into the blogosphere & the around the globe tonight.  Looking forward to more reviews & dramas & K love in the future.  

Now it's time for my dongsaeng's 2 cents....

Dongsaeng, take it away gurl!  

Sarang,

Dongsaeng's Two Cents:

And then there were none.  No new episodes of TK2H to look forward to week after week.  I really truly enjoyed this drama.  I loved Lee Seung Gi and Ha Jiwon together, even with their 10 year age difference.  It was most definitely a roller coaster with a lot of ups and downs and even some bumps along the way, but oh, what a ride!  Have I ever told you how much I love and adore roller coasters?  I don't think I'd be such a drama addiKt if I didn't.  It kind of comes with the territory, don't you think?  

I like how the show resolved.  Except I wanted Bong Gu dead.  Life in prison was too good for him.  That's just more time for the crazy to fester and grow.  Oh well.  There was some sort of grim satisfaction to see him sitting in a cell all by himself with the knowledge that he lost (even though he claims to have won).

The wedding scene was beautiful.  I loved the barricade scene where Jae Ha nods at the guard who then nods back in return and opens the gate, all while the U.N. soldiers flip out.  Haha!  I loved the symbolism in having the wedding there at the border between the North and South.  I was choked up through the whole scene, not just because of the sweet love story between two characters that I absolutely adore, but at the peace and unification of nations.  Well, not official unification - they are still separate nations even four years later, but unification in spirit.  It was lovely.

And that's where I'll end it for now.  Unnie is waiting on me to finish up and it's late for her.  I could go on and on and on, but frankly, after the marathon crunch of watching and reviewing these final episodes of these two shows, I am drained.  I just don't have much else to say.  I loved this show.  I hope you loved it as well.  I hope that you have enjoyed our reviews.  It has been an adventure of epicness for both Unnie and myself.  We've enjoyed getting to know some of you better and hope to be able to reach many, many more in the future.  We love this stuff and like knowing that we're not the only weird ones out there that do ;)  So, thank you for visiting us and stick around to see what comes next!  We're not going away and we hope that neither do you!  Thank you all from the bottom of our addiKted hearts!

Dramatic Friday Review: The King 2 Hearts ep 19

So, we begin this episode from where we left off in 18.  A birthday party for the chief lady-in-waiting/staff lady.

Oh, wait no.  That's not where we left off at all.

We left off here.
On a rock.
By the ocean.
Eun Shi Kyeong pointing a gun at King Jae Ha.

And a crazy man loving every minute of it.

 "Oh no!", we all said.
Did he really flip sides?
Has he truly turned against Jae Ha?

Are you new here?
Of course not.
He's Eun Shi Kyeong after all!
Of course he has a plan!
And is loyal.
To the end.
But I'm getting ahead of myself.

There is a rather tense, yet touching speech.

Bong Gu starts by telling Jae Ha not to be too angry with ESK - it took a lot of effort to flip him.  Then he accuses Jae Ha of not really trying to keep ESK, that he just came along with the title.  "Buying people with money like I do or using your title, what's the difference?" he asks of Jae Ha.





Eun Shi Kyeong admits there were moments when he doubted the king.

Moments like when he agreed to abdicate the throne.
Or when he refused to send him (ESK) to act as double agent and infiltrate Bong Gu's organization.
But only those two times.
Because he (JaeHa) never let himself wallow in grief.  And even when reality pointed to a 99% chance of failure, Jae Ha still looked to that remaining 1% and without fail always found a solution.  "I'm not loyal to him because he is the king, it's because even without hope, he doesn't give up."

He then (dramatically of course) turns the gun on Bong Gu!  Go Eun Shi Kyeong!  I knew you wouldn't fail us!!!!  You are THE MAN!

 Reinforcements come in and we have ourselves a good old fashioned standoff.  Guns are pointed everywhere and on everyone.  Tensions are high.

Hang Ah is positioned as a sniper up above it all.

And she has psycho-b!@#$* Bon Bon in her sites.

We get a flashback scene about the code that was decided on back before ESK left.  It revealed his location which is how the ICC and other reinforcements found them there on that rock.  Smart boys those two!  They make a great team!

ESK commands every one to lower their weapons, which they do.  Bon Bon though, as she is lowering hers, raises to shoot.

Bad choice, Bon Bon.

She is taken out by Hang Ah, and then is fired upon repeatedly for what I have to say is a death scene befitting of the character - overacted to the bitter end.

 But, good news is that she's dead.  As a doornail.  Buh bye psycho lady!

 Bong Gu is arrested by the ICC.

Things are looking great!
The bad guys are either dead or under arrest.
Every one is happy.

But then the unthinkable.
The twist I didn't see coming.
I know, I know...am I new here?
I should have known that as predictable as dramas can sometimes be, they can still pull a right good twist when they want to.
I didn't see it coming.
Not my ESK.
I truly thought him safe in the storyline.  He had a love interest in the crippled Princess for crying out loud!
Certainly they wouldn't kill him off.
Definitely not.

I hate being wrong.

Just as everything is looking nicely wrapped up and I think we're finally going to get to enjoy nearly two episodes of happy, Bong Gu, handcuffed, pulls out a gun and shoots Eun Shi Kyeong.  SHOOTS HIM!  Just like that - BANG!  NOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

He dies.
He dies a hero, but he still dies.
I'm in shock and utter disbelief.
I can't believe it.

Then there are the inevitable scenes that follow.

Breaking the news to Jae Shin.

Eun Gyu Tae facing his role in his son's death.

I loved the scene between him and Jae Ha as Jae Ha says that they both must be feeling similar feelings - guilt.  But that they can't think that way.  He even gives him a hug.  (Did anyone else notice by the way just how much taller Seung Gi is than Lee Soon Jae? - he towered over him)

 The funeral.

I still can't believe it, but I will leave it at that.  I have more reviewing to do, I can't afford to get emotional right now.  Let's have a moment of silence for the hero, Eun Shi Kyeong, who showed great courage and sacrifice right up to the end and died loyally serving a king, princess, and royal family that he loved.

.....<3 <3 .......


*sniff, sniff*  Wiping tears...and...
Okay, back to the story.  I don't want to, but the show must, and did, go on.

This scene was cute - Jae Ha on the phone with Hang Ah planning a "real person" date.

Granted, life and politics got in the way of that.

Oh wait, so does Mark Twain (get in the way, that is).  Sorry about these next two screen caps.  I just have to mention that while I was watching, something weird was going on.  Some sort of Mark Twain documentary was spliced in.  It would get all garbled and messed up.  Sometimes it would be both audio tracks going at once with the scenes bouncing back and forth.  Sometimes it would be one or the other. Sometimes the Mark Twain would have K2H subtitles.  It was all annoying and very frustrating, but I thought I'd share it anyway, because, well, I can.

Anyway, where was I?
Oh, yeah.  Plans for a date following a PR, but then life and politics got in the way and Jae Ha had to cancel.

But he made up for it.

They had a very cute and sweet date.  Laughing and loving, forgetting the cares of their world for a brief moment.

Very brief.  They pick up an argument from earlier.

Basically, from what I could gather between my interruptions from Mark Twain, Bong Gu is trying to post bail.  There is a lot of political pressure to allow him to do so.  Hang Ah wants to go to the hearing and defend why he should not be allowed bail and that he is a psychopath that will disappear and can't be trusted.  Jae Ha understandably is not too keen on this plan of hers.  He just got her back from being kidnapped/imprisoned after all.

He asks her what she would do if threatened by Bong Gu.

She shows him.
Hey, he asked for it!
She takes him down like the trained assassin that she is.  I laughed!

We also get a nice kiss scene out of it.  I'll make it extra big for Unnie cause she likes this sort of thing.

Hang Ah flies off to the bail hearing.

14 hours in the air, only to arrive and find out that the decision had already been made 20 minutes prior.  The decision to let him out on bail.  She's also told, in no uncertain terms, that the opinions of a North Korean pretty much hold no sway with them.  Ouch!  You would think that they would see her as the person she is (not her nationality) and look at what she personally has lived through at the hands of this man and give her some credibility.  But no.  Guess who has too much influence?  Bong Gu of course.  That's a lot of pull held by one man and he is using it.

 As she is leaving, who should drive up, but the man himself.

Oh, if only she had a gun!  Take him out right then and there.
Save us all a lot of grief.

And grief we get.
Politics.
Politics.
Politics.

Bong Gu is throwing his weight around, using his rotten influence to start a war.

Jae Ha meets with a U.S. official.  Can't remember his title, don't much care.  Eun Shi Kyeong is dead.  I'm still distracted by that and following the political rigmarole just isn't in the cards for me at the moment.  The important part is that Jae Ha learned his lesson from last time.

See?

He says the magic word to begin recording this conversation.

The conversation goes something like:
King- So Washington has already decided what they will do with North Korea?  Will they bomb them?
U.S. guy - It's a U.S. military strategy, we never tell foreigners and we won't tell Korea.  We have no obligation to do so.  But if we do, we do, and if we don't, well, we don't.  No decision has been made yet, but I'll be back.
King - If you attack North Korea, the U.S. will no longer be able to take even a single step into South Korea.

Things are tense.
Threats are flying all over the place.
Everyone is planning on bombing everyone else if anyone bombs anyone.  Follow?  Yeah, me neither.  Eun Shi Kyeong is dead.  DEAD!  Dead and buried.  *Sobbing*  I think it's good enough to just say that Bong Gu is trying to drive a wedge between North and South Korea as well as between both Koreas and their allies.  And I'll mention this now because I'm sure it will come up again in the last episode, but Bong Gu has mailed a "wedding gift" to Hang Ah and Jae Ha.  He tells her that they should look at it together.  Hmmm...guess we'll have to wait and see what it is.

In an attempt at diplomacy, Jae Ha and Hang Ah embark on an unprecedented tour of 22 countries, trying to  mend fences and strengthen relations.

Meanwhile, Jae Shin is presented with a gift of her own.  A safe that had belonged to ESK and which was meant to be given to her if he didn't return.  The passcode is her birthday (aww!  So sweet!).  Inside is a video recording.

 In it he finally tells her that he loves her.

So sad and sweet and touching and depressing all in one.  Oh, Eun Shi Kyeong!  Why did you have to leave us????  Why?!?!

There is a terrorist bombing in Michigan.  40 people are dead.  It is said that North Korea is responsible.  The U.S. threatens back.  Again, everyone is threatening to bomb everyone else.  South Korea goes into high alert "level three" meaning that operation authority of the military is transferred to the ROK-US Alliance.  Not sure what this means, but it doesn't sound good.

If America attacks North Korea in retaliation over the terror attacks in Michigan, North Korea will attack South Korea.  The trust between North and South Korea is now gone.

It is war.

Hang Ah and Jae Ha are separated.  The new commander guy is ordered to do so.

She is to meet her father.

He is taking her back to North Korea.

Jae Ha is left in shock.  Kind of like I still am, about Eun Shi Kyeong being dead.

 And that's where we leave off.  War.  Bong Gu gets his way.  Drat!

I can't believe we're already at the end. Only one more episode.  How will they wrap this one up?  Will we get a happily ever after?  It all hinges on the fledgling friendship between the North and South.  Somehow they have to work together to be victorious and bring peace once again to the peninsula.  Can they do it?  Come on Jae Ha - here's your 1%.  It all seems so hopeless, but you always manage to pull through, just as Eun Shi Kyeong said.  Just one more time, just pull off one of your miracle saves once more, then I'm sure you can live happily ever after....  How about we give it the ol' college try, huh?

Waiting on pins and needles to see what comes next and the exciting conclusion to this crazy ride!

Let's see what Unnie has to add to all of this...  Unnie?

 

 Unnie's 2 Cents:

What can I say? I watched this episode at 1am. I had finished my RTP review for ep 19 & couldn't handle the idea of going to sleep without knowing about Eun Shi Kyeong. As soon as I saw...I wished I'd never watched. At 1:30 in the morning, I was sitting on the couch in the family room, alone, w/ ear buds in so as not to wake my family & sobbing my eyes out. They did it to me again!

{SPOILER ALERT IF you haven't seen City Hunter don't read the next 2 sentences!!!  Hey!! You were warned!!} 

They City Hunter'd me!! It was just like the 2nd to the last episode of City Hunter when the DA was murdered by the bad guys! I sobbed then too. It was such a shock! I couldn't believe it. I am still just shattered by Eun Shi Kyeong's death. And just as I had started to get my emotions under control, they brought it all back out again when Princess Jae Shin watched the video message he left to her. Sobbing all over the place again. Seriously.

There was so much more to this episode but honestly all I can focus on is ESK. I had absolutely fallen in love w/ his character! And I adore the amazing, beautiful man, who played him to perfection, Jo Jeong Seok-ssi, you are an amazing actor. You played Eun Shi Kyeong w/ depth, talent & beauty. Thank you for sharing your talent w/ us all. I look forward to your next project w/ much anticipation.

Honestly, folks it's all I can think about today. These characters were so real to me, the writers, directors & especially the actors, have been absolutely spot on amazing & this drama may have just taken the top spot for me. I fell, even more, in love with Lee Seung Gi {& of course his dimple} while watching this drama. I came to respect & admire Ha Ji Won's tenacity & beauty as an actress & a strong female role model. And Jo Jeong Seok...sigh. Totally up there for me w/ Hyun Bin & Lee Seung Gi. The villain was stupendous, his psychotic pet Bon Bon was terrifying & all the cast at the palace awesome.

I am going to go slightly insane while I wait for the last episode to load & finish subbing. Looking forward to my review of the final episode of The King 2 Hearts.  Until then...

Sarang,