Koreans and Corsets: How Kdramas Are Like Jane Austen Novels

A few weeks ago, Outside Seoul's Amanda wrote this post, where she briefly mentioned the similarities between kdrama leading men and Mr. Darcy from Pride and Prejudice.  Then, a couple of days ago, one of my good friends finished watching her first kdrama (I'm so proud!), and her initial response was that it felt like a "long romcom, but not an American romcom--more like a Jane Austen movie."  These two comments, combined with the fact that I  recently saw Austenland in theaters, have really brought my attention to the many ways in which kdramas mirror Jane Austen novels.

That, and this scene from The Master's Sun this week:

Surely, surely I wasn't the only one who immediately thought of this:

Yes, that's my second North and South reference in a week.  No, I'm not sorry. Sure, it's Elizabeth Gaskell and not Jane Austen, but Gaskell's like a more political Austen anyway, so it all flows with the overall theme here.

Now, I'm not saying that these dramas copied Jane Austen. They come from completely different times and regions of the world, but I wonder if the similarities of a (relatively) reserved culture encourage parallel stories.  Any theories?

Reason 1: The Darcy Effect

As both Amanda and my friend Rachel pointed out, kdramas are filled with extremely wealthy, handsome, emotionally constipated men who act all harsh on the outside but really have fluffy marshmallow filling on the inside.  They often put on a cold exterior as the result of past pain (painful breakups, dead girlfriends, painful breakups with now-dead ex-girlfriends, etc.), and they are fiercely loyal once you crack that shell.

Sound familiar?

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Sorry, ladies.  That lake scene is the closest you'll get to a shower in Jane Austen's world.
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That's right. It's Mr. Darcy, quite possibly the most famous ascot-wearing, insult-hurling leading man ever to grace the page (or the screen).

Darcy might be the most famous of Austen's leading men, but he's not the only one who has his ascot wound a little too tightly.  For every Jun Pyo or Joo Won, you've got a Knightley or a Colonel Brandon just waiting to profess his love.

Fun fact: Every single Jane Austen heroine marries up in terms of money and/or social status.  Yes, even Emma Woodhouse, who doesn't need money.  She literally marries the only guy she knows who matches her standing.  Yes, even Anne Elliot, who marries the guy she initially dumped because he was too poor.  Guess what? He has money now! (And sure, love conquers all.  But he also has some serious money.)  

Reason 2: The Poor Heroine

Emma aside, most Austen heroines aren't very wealthy.  They aren't starving, but their families are usually pretty strapped for cash, which puts them just outside of socially acceptable reach for their fancy lovers.  Toss in some (gasp) lawyers as cousins, and they're prime targets to have a few people whisper behind their backs at local balls.

It's sad when your male relatives inherit all of your stuff, isn't it, honey?

Kdrama leading ladies take this idea to the next level.  They aren't just poor; they're run-away-from-loan-sharks-and-sell-your-shoes-for-bread poor.  While Austen's characters have to be at a minimum social level to make the romances work, these characters usually have to be extra, extra strapped for cash in order to make them jump through plot hoops like fake marriage or getting married to a prince.

What Austen's heroines and the ladies from drama-land lack in style, they make up for in spirit.  Our favorite heroines can banter with the best of them, and they dazzle their men with strong hearts and wit instead of diamonds.  Even the doormats (like Fanny Price or the girl from Playful Kiss) have some character strengths that set them apart from the people around them.

Reason 3: Love Is in the Air

So these girls aren't the best social catches in the world, but somehow every single male in the entire plot is in love with them.  Remember how ALL of the members of A.N.Jell were in love with Go Mi Nyu even though she had kind of a stupid personality and some of them didn't even all know that she was a girl?

Yeah, I like to pretend that never happened, too.

Well, this magical aura of love also persists in Jane Austen's realm. Lest we forget, the botched proposals in Austen's novels aren't limited to the bumbling Collinses of the story.  We also have the Henry Crawfords, the Wickhams, and the Willoughbys.  These dashing bad boys all fall for the poor girls first, even if it doesn't work out in the end.

Your ponytail and faux-Orlando Bloom face aren't fooling anyone! Except for maybe Elizabeth.

While most of these guys aren't exactly second male lead material, almost dying from a cold after you ran around in the rain quoting Shakespeare and whispering "Willoughby" sounds very kdrama-esque indeed.

Reason 4: Meddling Family

When we asked people which kdrama villain they wanted to be, about a million (or at least five) people said they wanted to be Jun Pyo's mother from Boys over Flowers. I wonder if those same people also find themselves weirdly relating to Lady Catherine de Bourgh.  I mean, she ended up being an accidental catalyst for love, so she can't be all bad, right?

...or maybe she can.
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Whether it's a kdrama or an Austen novel, there are always mothers, aunts, sisters, and cousins getting in the way. (Wait, why are most meddling relations female?  I call sexism!)

Reason 5: Passion vs. Propriety

I know that most of us have had those moments where we are in the middle of a kdrama and the two leads are gazing at each other and pretending not to be in love because of some crazy obstacle that makes them think they shouldn't be together and they could totally fix the whole thing if they just said something--anything--but they're too proud and/or noble and you shout "JUST KISS HIM!" at your screen, but it doesn't do any good because the show still has four episodes left, and...Can you tell how agitated I'm getting just thinking about this?

But let's be honest: Longing stares and repressed sexual tension are kind of the bread and butter of kdrama success.  They're also the driving force behind a lot of the sighing and swooning that happens in Austen novels.  These people aren't even allowed to give back hugs, so when they finally get together, we get an extra dose of stomach butterflies.  C'mon--as much as they drive us crazy, don't tell me you don't secretly love a good old fashioned meaningful glance.

This guy totally knows what I'm talking about.

Any other Janeites out there who stumbled upon the world of kdramas?

12 Things We Learned About Korea From Watching Kdramas

The first Kdrama I ever watched was Lie To Me, and the main reason I began watching it was because I didn't know anything about modern Korea and wanted to learn. And boy did I ever! I've even been teaching all the fans over on DramaFever's Facebook page. Here are 12 things I've learned about Korea from watching Kdramas.

What other fun, exaggerated things have you learned about Korea from watching Kdramas? What about American dramas? Comment below!

To Drop or Not to Drop? 5 Reasons to Abandon a Kdrama

I'm not usually a quitter. When I start to eat, I eat everything on my plate--even if it means that I am immobile for several hours afterwards in fear that my stomach might explode.  I painfully dragged myself through the last few seasons of The Office because I had already committed to see the Dunder Mifflin crew through to the end.  I can count on one hand--okay, one finger--the number of books on my Goodreads list that I started without finishing.

For the record, it was Middlemarch, and I only stopped when I realized that I was 100 pages into it and we were still getting exposition.  Even so, I'm a little ashamed of myself every time I see it in my book list.  It's a sore subject, okay?

So I was pretty far into my kdrama-watching career before it even occurred to me that I could stop watching a show if I wasn't feeling it.  The first time I dropped a show, I felt just a little bit guilty, but also really liberated.  I didn't have to waste 10 more hours watching that show!  I could move on to bigger and better dramas!

Unlike Coco, who is possibly the most fickle show watcher on the planet, I give most dramas the benefit of the doubt for as long as possible.  That being said, here are some of my top reasons for jumping off of a drama ship:

Drop-worthy Offense #1: Lack of Chemistry

Case study: Manny

Up until episode 11, I had been enjoying Manny for the charming interactions between the handsome male lead and his adorable charge.  Then the lead confessed his feelings for the boy's mother, and I suddenly realized that I didn't actually believe for one second that the main couple actually wanted to be together.  The whole scene was kind of awkward, and I lost all interest in watching the show once the focus shifted to the romance.  

Moral of the story? Don't let the adorable Korean children fool you!  Rom coms need some base level of chemistry to work.

Drop-worthy Offense #2: Distracting Previous Roles ("It's Not You! It's Me!")

Case study: My Fair Lady/Protect the Young Lady

This one is completely subjective, and I know I'm going to take some heat for putting such a popular show on this list.  Everyone keeps recommending My Fair Lady to me, and I keep trying to watch it.  The first time, I got 20 minutes into it before I had to stop.  The second time, I got all the way through the first episode, but I lost all will to push the "next episode" button.

Here's the problem: I can't take Oska seriously as a love interest. Yes, I logically know that Yoon Sang Hyun isn't Oska in real life and that I should give him a chance, but no matter how hard I try, he's just Oska to me, and Oska isn't the true love interest. It seemed especially weird when paired with Yoon Eun Hye trying so hard to pretend to be mean.

Although I didn't quit the show, I had a similar problem when I watched Dating Agency: Cyrano after A Gentleman's Dignity.  

Maybe the next time I watch My Fair Lady, I will get through two full episodes, but I'm calling it quits for now.

Drop-worthy Offense #3: Overplaying the "Unlikable" Card

Case study: Twelve Men in a Year

Misleading poster aside, the premise to Twelve Men in a Year sounded so fun: she dates one man for every astrological sign! It seemed like a light, fluffy show that I could watch in a breeze. 

Then I watched the first episode and realized that the female lead was kind of a terrible person.  Now, almost every single drama starts with one of the leads being completely unlikable, so I was almost willing to let it slide. Then I realized that I would be really, really angry if I watched the whole thing and she never got any better.  

Internet to the rescue!  Pretty much every single review of this show indicated that the unlikable lead never progressed as a character.  I put this show into my imaginary kdrama trash can and never looked back.

Drop-worthy Offense #4: Too Much of the Same Thing

Case study: My Girl

This is kind of an unfair category.  Everyone who has watched more than a handful of dramas learns pretty quickly that kdrama cliches are everywhere.  That being said, there are only so many versions of poor girl/rich guy that a person can watch before you hit your breaking point and need something new.

My Girl was my breaking point.  After 4 or 5 episodes, I noticed that I knew the outcome of almost every single scene before it happened.  While some dramas take the familiar formula and play with it just enough to keep things interesting, My Girl wasn't one of those dramas.  It came out in 2005, so I can't really blame it for having so many copycats, but I watched it too late in my drama career to have the will to get to the end.

(*Whispers*) Guys, as much as I love LMH and PSH, is anyone else nervous that Heirs is going to have this problem? 

Drop-worthy Offense #5: I'm Good Here

Case study: Flower Boys Next Door

This might sound crazy, but every once in a while, I stop watching dramas even when I really, really enjoy watching them.  Yes, now that I've typed that, even I think it's crazy.

So why do I do it?  These dramas usually get dropped in episodes 14-16, right after the couples get together, and right before the writers drop in their random plot twists to stretch out the final few episodes.

If any of you have watched Finding Mr. Destiny (With Gong Yoo! On Netflix! Watch it now!), I think it's kind of like that girl who never finishes the last bite of her cookies: I just want to end at the most satisfying moment possible.  With FBND, I was perfectly happy once the main couple got together.  When they tried to introduce the creepy stalker plot at the end, I decided that I was too sleepy to worry about such nonsense, so I stopped watching.

I did the same thing with Scent of a Woman. Coco accidentally told me the ending before I was done, so I got to a happy stopping place and skipped the last few episodes.

So who else drops the occasional kdrama?  What are your reasons?  Anyone who stays to the bitter end, no matter how much you hate it?

(Not Really) Fashion Face-Off Friday: Kdrama Proposals

I think that our last Fashion Face-Off, the Battle of the Facial Hair, might have been the closest contest we've ever had.  As of this minute, Hyun Bin wins for his character in The Snow Queen, but it's been pretty back-and-forth between him and Cha Seung Won in City Hall this entire time. Can I take this as a sign that we wouldn't mind a little more scruff on our leading men every now and again?

I spent last weekend at my little brother's wedding (I can't believe he's married! Awww, but also weird?), and it put me in the mood to write about kdrama nuptials.  Now, most wedding fashion that appears in these shows doesn't actually make it to the altar.  I feel like the prettiest gowns and suits are usually wasted in those dramatic "Omo, he's marrying the wrong person!" or "We're gonna get married, but in a terrible twist of fate, we need to wait five more episodes!" kinds of scenes.  So instead of writing about wedding fashion, I want to devote this week's face-off to something that isn't clothing, but still requires a lot of style: kdrama proposals.  

Many kdramas leave us with the couple staring off into the sunset and allow us to assume that they will live lives of blissful commitment.  Other dramas fast forward to show us wonderful snippets of future married life.  Other dramas are terrible, stingy buttfaces and don't really give us much romantic closure at all.  But every once in a while, we get to see the actual engagement unfold, and the proposals are usually tailored to match the characters.  This week's contenders might not all be the best kdrama proposals (at least in my opinion), but they are a diverse selection that will hopefully meet everyone's unique tastes.

Obviously, there will be some spoilers here.

Contender 1: The "It's the Thought that Counts" Proposal (Protect the Boss)

I'm terribly biased in favor of this show, and Noh Eun Seol and Cha Ji Heon are one of my favorite kdrama couples.  So when Eun Seol shows up to a romantic candlelit dinner and Ji Heon croons a cheesy ballad to her by way of expressing his feelings, you would think it would be heart-melting swoon material, right?

You know that feeling when you're watching a singing show and one of the contestants has a hilarious personality, so you're really rooting for them to win, but then they open their mouths and it's so painful that you have to change the channel?  That's kind of what happens here.  My reaction went from "Awww, he put 'I love you' inside of a fortune cookie!" to "Why is this happening????" in about 0.2 seconds.  Poor Ji Sung has kind of a cringe-worthy voice, but at least he has a nice heart!

If you're someone who values effort over execution and secretly applauds the William Hungs of the world, this proposal is for you.

Contender 2: The Big Gesture Proposal (A Gentleman's Dignity)

I never really understood the allure of proposals that happen in front of gigantic groups of people.  Making me come down to the field in a baseball stadium? Blech. Putting my face on a Jumbotron for the whole world to see?  No, thanks.  

I have to admit, though, that I'm a huuuuuuuuuuge sucker for anything that involves a massive choreographed dance number.  Maybe it's my childhood dream that my life would transform into the movie Newsies:

Why yes, that is 17-year-old Christian Bale belting his lungs out.  And be-eyepatched Trey Parker, before he became old and gross.  And the guy from The Mighty Ducks. Okay, okay, his name is Aaron Lohr, and yes, I do remember that from eight-year-old Vivi's mild obsession with this film.

Choreographed dance numbers have become an increasingly trendy way to propose in recent years, so it's no surprise that A Gentleman's Dignity matched Yi Soo's highly stylish outfits with an equally stylish proposal.  No matter how you feel about Kim Do Jin as a character, you gotta give the guy mad props for planning this whole thing and then tacking on a throwback to episode 1, as well.

Aside from Newsies aficionados, this proposal also suits those people who enjoy announcing their love to the world.

Contender 3: The Heartfelt Speech Proposal (King 2 Hearts)

Poor Hang Ah had two big-gesture proposals early on in this series, and both of them ended up being hoaxes.  It's only fitting, then, that the real deal would come without any fuss as they stand next to some military vehicles.  It might not be the fanciest proposal in the world, but who needs balloons when you get lines like "I'm going to shower you with kisses every morning"?

We're focusing on substance over style here, but those conveniently falling blossoms don't hurt the mood, either.

Contender 4: The Lazy--I Mean, "Low Maintenance"--Proposal (Secret Garden)

Gil Ra Im is a pretty low-maintenance kind of girl.  She usually prefers comfort, practicality, and kicking butt to anything frilly, so bringing her to city hall and announcing immediate marriage might be the best bet for her personality.  After all, she has already declared her disdain for chocolates, wine, and all other romantic fluff.

On the other hand, "Because I said so" isn't the most compelling reasoning I've ever heard to get married, and I simply can't bring myself to believe that anyone--Gil Ra Im included--actually hates a good box of Lindt truffles.  Impossible!  

Estonians have this phrase, "laiskvorst," which directly translates to "lazy sausage." I personally feel like this is kind of a laiskvorst proposal, but hey, maybe it works for some people. If you've got a no-nonsense attitude and prefer to circumvent all of the obnoxious wedding planning in favor of getting right to the honeymoon, then you've found your dream proposal right here!

Contender 5: The Classic Fairytale Proposal (City Hall)

Roses? Check. Candles? Check. Waltzing? Check. FREAKING TWINKLE LIGHTS? Check. It might not be new or exciting, but sometimes they're classics for a reason.

Yes, she WILL dance with you through life.  She's not a crazy person!

I just noticed that 3/5 proposals here come courtesy of Kim Eun Soook.  Does this give us a hint for the future of Heirs?

And, just because you all read through this so nicely, I will share what might just be my favorite ending love scene of anything ever created:

Okay, so Richard Armitage doesn't technically say the words "Let's get married" with his voice, but I don't even care because he SAYS IT WITH HIS EYES.

So which proposal scene best matches your style? Did we miss one of your favorites?  Vote and comment below!

Which Kdrama Had the Best Proposal Style?
	Protect the Boss
	A Gentleman's Dignity
	King 2 Hearts
	Secret Garden
	City Hall
	Uh, what are we voting on again? I got lost in Richard Armitage's eyes.
pollcode.com free polls

It�s Korean snack time!

Summer is over and it�s time to head back to school and work. To make this transition a little easier it helps to bring some delicious snacks with you. Instead of grabbing your trusty American snacks, spice things up by trying a Korean snack. In order to determine which Korean snacks are the best, I headed over to K-town to pick some up. I had a hard time deciding because once I see Korean stuff I want to buy it all, but I finally narrowed it down to 5!

The taste testing panel included Min, Jackie, and Stan from DramaFever, and me, Coco.

We scored the snacks on texture, flavor intensity, aftertaste, and balance of sweetness/saltiness. Here are the results:

1. Corn Chi

Texture: 7/20

Flavor Intensity: 9/20

Aftertaste: 11/20

Sweetness/Saltiness: 14/20

Total: 41/80

Comments:
Min: �It was kind of bland and too mushy. Flavor was ok, but I wish it were more crunchy.�

Jackie: �Not crunchy at all. Quite disappointing because I thought it would be like cheese puffs.�

Stan: �Mushy and on the bland side.�

Coco: �Not good at all.�

2. Sweet Potato Snack

Texture: 13/20

Flavor Intensity: 13/20

Aftertaste: 12/20

Sweetness/Saltiness: 13/20

Total: 51/80

Comments:

Min: �It�s good and sugary but the hard texture and funky aftertaste make me not want much.�

Jackie: �Very sticky but pleasantly crunchy. Nice mix of sweet and salty. Kind of too savory for a snack.

Stan: �Crunchy and just a little sweet. Could eat lots of them.�

Coco: �Kind of like sticky pretzels. Good for a handful, but not a whole bag.�

3. Corn Snack

Texture: 7/20

Flavor Intensity: 6/20

Aftertaste: 11/20

Sweetness/Saltiness: 7/20

Total: 31/80

Comments:

Min: �Tastes like day old popcorn without butter. Is this a snack for old people?�

Jackie: �Very light and not crunchy at all. Neither sweet nor salty.�

Stan: �Very soft and mushy, but a pleasant aftertaste.�

Coco: �Has a bland taste with a strange not-quite-popcorn texture.�

4. Peanut Balls

Texture: 11/20

Flavor Intensity: 13/20

Aftertaste: 10/20

Sweetness/Saltiness: 13/20

Total: 47/80

Comments:
Min: �Funky fishy taste. The nut in the middle was a nice surprise, but it was not my favorite.�

Jackie: �I definitely like this crunchy snack with its peanut taste.�

Stan: �Crunchy and a little sweet with an odd aftertaste.�

Coco: �Like a peanut-y, fishy version of Captain Crunch. Strangely I want more. Kind of addictive.

5. Ddukbokki

Texture: 14/20

Flavor Intensity: 18/20

Aftertaste: 14/20

Sweetness/Saltiness: 12/20

Total: 58/80

Comments:
Min: �Can�t tell if it�s sweet or salty. The spiciness is good until the aftertaste.�

Jackie: � Very flavorful. The spicy kick is a nice surprise. It has a lasting aftertaste.

Stan: �Crunchy with a pleasant spicy aftertaste.�

Coco: �It�s like dehydrated Asian noodles: sweet, spicy, and sticky.

And the winner is Ddukbokki! Check out your nearest Korean market to try some of these snacks for yourself!

Have you tried any Korean snacks? Let us know how you like them in the comments below.

Partying It Up in the Palace: King 2 Hearts Korean Drama Review

I'm gradually working my way through all of the shows I should have watched back in 2012. After Nice Guy, I went back to something (at least initially) more lighthearted with King 2 Hearts. It seems like this series was somewhat polarizing.   People either loved it, or they kind of hated it.  My answer?  I agree!  With (almost) everyone!  With mad diplomacy skills like these, I deserve to be in the UN, right?  Because I could do a better job than most of the diplomats in this show, that's for sure.

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Loved It

The casting for this series was pretty spot-on.  I was kind of ambivalent about Lee Seung Gi after My Girlfriend Is a Gumiho, and hearing that he was supposed to pay a king in this series wasn't a very strong selling point for me.  I'm happy to admit that I shouldn't have been such a Judgy McJudgerson.  Unlike many drama leads (and what I expected from this character as well), Prince Lee Jae Ha isn't cold and cruel.  He's immature and a little thoughtless, but he's also fun and friendly.  Lee Seung Gi was the perfect pick to bring lightheartedness to the front end of the series.

Ha Ji Won was a natural choice for the character of Kim Hang Ah, a North Korean assassin who finds herself engaged to the South Korean prince.  If you liked Ha Ji Won in Secret Garden, you'll love her here.  If you hated Ha Ji Won in Secret Garden, you might actually like her here.

As far as smart, strong female leads go, Kim Hang Ah is a solid contender for the top of the list.  Let's start with the fact that she's an assassin.  As in, she knows how to kill people.  As a profession.  Every time I started to forget that she was awesome because they dolled her up and locked her in the palace for a few episodes, she would save everyone's lives just to remind us that she wasn't just some docile, pretty face.

When we made that list of smart, strong female leads, I remember having a discussion about how most dramas require the man to save even the strongest women from time to time just to put them in their place.  Not so with King 2 Hearts!  Kim Hang Ah easily did the lion's share of the saving, and Lee Jae Ha knew it.

Oh, you want to kidnap Hang Ah and use her as helpless damsel bait?

That's a cute plan.

  

You assign a few soldiers to babysit Hang Ah?

Did you miss the part where she killed people for a living?

You want Hang Ah to stay safely at home during an international crisis?

No, thanks.

I have to admit that while I liked the casting separately, the two didn't have the best chemistry I've ever seen in a drama. On the positive side, at least Lee Seung Gi has improved his kissing since MGIaG, though Ha Ji Won seems to have gotten worse since Secret Garden.

The chemistry might have been a little off at times, but I liked the overall relationship development in the series.  I appreciate those little scenes where we see these two having fun together or supporting each other through tough times.  You could see that this relationship eventually went beyond attraction and moved into deep friendship. 

Even though I liked the leads for the aforementioned reasons, they weren't even the stars of the show for me.  All of the other people living in the palace were just as interesting to watch.  There was the queen mother, who might just be the most well-rounded matriarch in drama-dom, and then there was her daughter, who reminded me that Lee Yoon Ji really deserves to be the star of her own drama someday.

And then there was this guy:

At first, I was kind of meh about his character.  I figured he was just a boring pretty boy who would come in handy to create some jealousy.

I cannot overstate how fantastic Jo Jung Suk was as Eun Shi Kyung.  His character wasn't the flashiest one in the show, but it had a quiet depth that can't be ignored.  If You're the Best, Lee Soon Shin weren't eleventy zillion episodes long, I would be tempted to watch it just for him.  But seriously, ain't nobody got time for that!

The last thing that I really enjoyed about this drama was the political background.  Out of all of the imaginary South Korean monarchy dramas I've seen (and I've seen several), this was the first to consider what it would really mean to become the king of a small nation in our modern world. It was an interesting look at international concerns from a non-U.S. perspective.

Hated It

Okay, so with so much going for it, what could possibly go wrong?  Most of it boils down to John Mayer, the villainous magician/leader of the worldwide military-industrial complex. (I really, really wanted to tell a "Your Body Is a Wonderland" joke here, but I couldn't think of one, and then the moment was gone.  Curse you, John Mayer!) I get that the drama writers wanted to go for something new and fresh in their villain, but this just didn't work for me.  Most of his scenes just left me scratching my head and wondering how long it would take for him to finish his boring speech so that I could watch some more romance.  Blah blah I am king blah blah.  Seriously, man! Can't you make your evil plans in a more concise manner? 

Also, if you're going to be an eccentric billionaire magician, I expect some high-caliber tricks, not "Pick a card! Any card!"  You could tell that everyone was just clapping out of politeness.  Either that, or fear of his chocolate-eating sidekick. 

Releasing doves?  Really?  What is this--a 7-year-old's birthday party circa 1987?

This isn't really a huge complaint, but after watching some pretty painful American accents (Mr. Secretary of Defense, I'm looking at you!), I hereby volunteer to speak English in any future Korean dramas where they need American people.  You hear that, drama writers?  I volunteer! I can't help you with those awkward bilingual conversations where everyone magically understands everyone else, though.  I'm not a miracle worker, people!

(Spoilers) I felt like the last few episodes dragged onnnnnnnnnn and onnnnnnnn and onnnnnnnn. Considering that John Mayer confessed all of his crimes every five seconds (including in front of UN officers), I don't understand why it was so hard to put him in prison.  If I accept the show's claim that his power was keeping him safe (which is possible), then I'm pretty sure a wedding wouldn't have been enough to keep him in pinstripes (because apparently the ICJ  believes in dressing criminals like 1950s cartoon prisoners).  Maybe this was a case of using all of the good villain-thwarting ideas too early and having nothing left once they got into the episode extensions.

Conclusions

Overall, I think the good outweighed the bad for King 2 Hearts.  Sometimes it was a crazy mishmash of tone, and they probably could have cut a bunch of stuff towards the end, but when a show makes me laugh out loud AND sob like a little baby, I feel like I can recommend it.