Kingdom (South Korean TV series)


Kingdom is a 2019 South Korean political period horror thriller web television series written by Kim Eun-hee and directed by Kim Seong-hun. It is Netflix's first original Korean series, which premiered on January 25, 2019. The series is adapted from the webcomic series The Kingdom of the Gods, which was authored by Kim Eun-hee and drawn by Yang Kyung-il.
The series was positively reviewed, and renewed for a second season which was released on March 13, 2020.

Synopsis

Set during Korea's Joseon period a few years after the Japanese invasions of Korea, the first season depicts the story of Crown Prince Lee Chang, who stumbles across a life-threatening political conspiracy while investigating the spread of a mysterious plague. Barred from seeing his ill father, the King of Joseon, by the powerful Chief State Councilor and Queen Consort, Lee Chang takes it upon himself to secretly investigate his father's illness. Shocked by what he finds, he heads to the Southern province of Gyeongsang with his loyal bodyguard Mu-yeong to search for more answers. There he encounters the physician Seo-Bi and the enigmatic Yeong-Shin who are already struggling to deal with a plague that appears to bring the dead back to life as blood-thirsty monsters. Together they all face a life or death struggle to not only stop the spread of the plague but to also save the royal dynasty from being overthrown.
The second season continues to depict Lee Chang's struggle to save his people from the spread of the plague and his dynasty from the machinations of the powerful Haewon Cho clan. As Gyeongsang province is sealed off to trap Lee Chang and prevent the spread of the plague, a series of devastating revelations at the city of Sangju changes the balance of power and the onset of winter changes the behaviour of the undead hordes. While Lee-Chang rallies his allies to secure their position against the undead, the political intrigue in Hanyang continues to unfold as Queen Consort Cho puts a deadly plan into action to secure a male heir that can usurp the Crown Prince. As tensions between the rival factions rise, with death and betrayal on all sides, it seems there are no lengths to which the Haewon Cho clan will not go in order to secure the throne, and so Lee Chang is forced into a risky plan to storm the capital Hanyang and take a final stand before it's too late. As calamity looms among the living, only one question remains; can the Prince save his people in time and end the political turmoil in the capital or will the plague mark the end of the Joseon dynasty?

Cast

Main

Series overview

Season 1 (2019)

Season 2 (2020)

Production

Development

On March 5, 2017, Netflix announced that it had given the production a series order for a first season. Alongside the series announcement, it was confirmed that Kim Seong-hun would direct the series and that Kim Eun-hee would be credited as the writer. Production companies involved with the series were slated to consist of AStory. Director Park In-je joined the production and directed the second episode and onward from season two.
On January 16, 2018, a crew member of the art team died due to overwork. On March 14, 2019, it was confirmed that in the midst of filming the second season, a staff member in the production team died after a car accident. The series overspent the budget, with each episode costing more than $1.78 million. Even before the release of the first season, Netflix announced that they would be making a second season. Filming for the second season started in February 2019, with Director Park In-je joining the production to direct the second episode and onward from season two.

Casting

Actor Song Joong-ki was courted for the lead role but declined. In September 2017, it was reported that Ju Ji-hoon, Ryu Seung-ryong, and Bae Doo-na were in talks to star in the series. In November 2019, it was reported that Jun Ji-hyun will star in the second season.

Reception

The first season received critical acclaim from critics and the audience. The review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes reported an 93% approval rating with an average rating of 8/10 based on 14 reviews. The website's critical consensus reads, "An enthralling blend of blood, terror, and political intrigue, Kingdom is a refreshing addition to the zombie landscape."
Aloysius Low of CNET praised the cinematography of the first season, stating that "shots cleverly linger on certain scenes to draw out the impressive sets, while adeptly tracking the action during sword fights or zombie attacks." Renaldo Matadeen from CBR mentioned in a positive review of the first season, that "Kingdom makes even bolder sociopolitical statements than The Walking Dead does. Sure, the AMC series waxes on about class and elitism, but Kingdom wades deep into governance and the divide between the rulers and the suffering populace." Jonathan Christian from The Playlist complimented the series by adding that "this series is risky programming for people who appreciate the unusual, gory, but imaginative, things in life. Considering the over-saturated state of the market, it is refreshing to see Netflix taking chances." Joel Keller from News AU recommended the first season in their review of the series by stating that "Kingdom dares to show that zombies aren't just a 20th and 21st-century phenomenon, and we applaud that kind of creative storytelling."
While reviewing the first season, Kate Sanchez from But Why Tho? declared in a positive review that "Kingdom offers a period drama, a zombie show, and a tense atmosphere that will keep you watching until you're done with this season. In an over-saturated sub-genre, this show takes common horror tropes and rewrites zombie rules for Joseon Korea in a way that reinvigorates my love of the sub-genre." Michael Pementel from Bloody Disgusting praised the series, stating that "Kingdom is by far one of the most compelling works to come out of the zombie genre" and further adding that "thanks to strong acting, gripping action and drama, gruesome visuals, and an overall powerful narrative, Kingdom is a must watch for horror fans."
On Rotten Tomatoes, the second season reported a 100% rating with an average rating of 8.25/10, based on 6 reviews.

Release

On December 17, 2018, the official trailer for the series was released. On January 25, 2019, the first season of the series, consisting of six episodes, was released for streaming on Netflix. The second season, also consisting of six episodes, was released on March 13, 2020.

Awards and nominations