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Kingdom (2019)
'You speak almost no words, but your heart screams. And somehow I hear it...'
TV Review: Kingdom Series 1 & 2
9/10
Kingdom is a Netflix Original Korean TV Series first shown in 2019, based on the webcomic series by Kim Eun-hee called 'The Kingdom of the Gods', and wonderfully adapted for TV by her too. With just six episodes in each season (between 36 and 56 minutes), this part crazy zombie horror, part historical political family drama, is a fantastic choice for a binge watch, especially as season 2 directly follows on from the events of the first season.
Set in the beautiful landscape of 16th century Korea during the Joeson period, a few years after it was invaded by Japan. Season 1 follows Crown Prince Lee Chang (Ju Ji-hoon) who has been accused of treason by the heartless Queen Cho (Kim Hye-jun), his concubine mother who is no older than he is, and her merciless father, the Chief State Councillor Cho Hak-ju (Seung-ryong Ryu), who is also leader of the Haewon Cho clan, they are slowly trying to pilfer power from the king. Planning on replacing the Crown Prince with a legitimate heir, they confine the smallpox suffering King to his chambers and are keeping him 'alive' with a mysterious plant, while not permitting any visitors, including the Prince.
Together with his steadfast servant Mu-Yeung (Kim Sang-ho), the Crown Prince travels in search of the physician who was invited to treat his father at the royal palace, so that he can try and get some clear information on what has happened... Along their voyage, they become acquainted with dauntless physician's assistant Seo Bi (Bae Doona, who you may recognise from Sense 8), the incredibly naïve and selfish Cho Beom Pal (Jun Suk-ho, who bears an uncanny resemblance to Rob McElhenney) and a young enigmatic gunman named Young Shin (Kim Sungkyu).
The Crown Prince and his scooby gang must navigate their way through political plots and hordes of the deranged undead whilst trying to unlock the secrets of an outbreak and saving the good people of their nation.
The cinematography throughout both seasons is spectacular, with a mixture of vibrant surroundings and authentic costumes, the show makes fantastic use of its high production budget to make the set come to life. The directors really manage to use real horror and emotion to create a sense of dread and impending doom. There is gore aplenty and the zombies are terrifying, don't think snail pace falling to pieces Walking Dead zombies, these guys are a cross between what you would see in World War Z or 28 days later, there's no rest as these zombies with an unusual twist are running non-stop. Another thing running constantly through both seasons is the theme of social inequality, scenes such as burying the rich and burning the poor, and the lower class being starved intentionally by the crown, there is much political intrigue, similar in a way to Game of Thrones, more so in the second season.
"Life is the same. The people are still hungry, and the country is still in ruins. But I believe you can bring about change. Am I wrong?"
The writing is fast paced, and the plot is multi-layered, with a mixture of shock, drama and a dark comedy that I've now come to expect from Korean writers, each episode adds a layer of suspense and intrigue. Some storylines are quite taboo, especially one which runs through the second season and can be difficult to watch. The characters have great depth and interesting stories, combined with some impressive acting you become emotionally involved in their situations which for me is always a sign of great writing. My personal favourites being Mu-Yeung, his mannerisms and expressions are fantastic to watch, Seo Bi, the heroine and the brains of the outfit, and Queen Cho who is haunting but brilliant.
In all honestly this is one of the best shows I've watched in a while; it was entertaining and fresh with twists and turns to keep me on my toes. With season 2 ending on an enigma, there is a possibility of a third season, though nothing has been announced at this stage. If you haven't watched this gem yet, then you're missing out on some amazing television.