"Kingdom" - Royalty, Political Scandal, and a Zombie Apocalypse walk into a bar. . .
Take Korean dynasty, political scandal, and add zombies to the mix and you've got Kingdom. Originally created by Kim Eun-hee in 2011 and directed by Kim Seong-hun, it premiered at the start of 2019 as Netflix's first original Korean series, setting the bar high for shows to come. The series was highly anticipated, and Netflix quickly jumped into action working with Eun-hee, announcing the filming of the second season before releasing the first. The budget was overspent, with over $1.78 million spent on each episode. Kingdom was nominated for several awards, with Eun-hee winning "Best Writer" and a technical award for visual effects.
Set in 16th century Korea, the plot follows different stories of the elite and lower classes, entangled in an impending zombie apocalypse. The main focus of the series is Crown Prince Lee Chang, the illegitimate son of the King. He has a tense relationship with his stepmother, Queen Consort Cho, who is around the same age as him. He suspects something has happened to his father, as he has not been allowed to physically see him. After being rejected once again, Lee Chang decides to travel in search of the doctor that last treated his father. He is joined by his personal guard, Mu-yeong, who has to choose between his loyalty to the Crown Prince and his family.
Crown Prince Lee Chang
Mu-Yeong
Amid this we have the close-knit stories of Seo-bi, a physician working under the doctor Lee Chang is searching for, and Yeong-shin, a skilled soldier under the doctor's care. Both characters play an integral role in the development of the apocalypse. Seo-bi spends her time attempting to find a cure for the disease through the doctor's old journals, while Yeong-shin is trying his best to convince the people that the apocalypse is here and real. They may be strangers who don't particularly enjoy each other's company, but they are working toward the same goal.
Seo-bi
Yeong-shin
Almost immediately, most of those who are in power are established as the villains, especially the Cho family. Part of the powerful Haewon Cho Clan, this family mainly includes Lord Cho Hak-ju, Queen Consort Cho, and Cho Beom-pal. Lord Cho Hak-ju is the main culprit, fighting the entire series to gain power over the King, doing so through his daughter Queen Consort Cho. Nothing and no one will get in his way, even those most loyal to him. The queen is more of a pawn, growing up in a highly sexist dynasty. She plays into her father's desires, manipulating everyone along the way. While Cho Beom-pal is a part of the family, he is more dense than he is evil, his first day in power thwarted by the apocalypse.
Lord Cho Hak-ju
Queen Consort Cho
Cho Beom-pal
By taking each major and secondary character and throwing them into a zombie apocalypse, we get to see their unique experiences and motivations, and how they act in the face of danger. Unlikely people work together to stay safe, all while preserving the crown. Every character is likeable in their own way, or at the very least understandable. Not one character does something without a reason. Even the queen herself is understandable, despite what she does. The queen is bad from the start, though we still get glimpses of a young girl thrust into a world dominated by men. By the end of the series, she is a shell of her former self, lacking the underlying emotion that once kept her sane. Though it doesn't negate the fact that she is an infuriating character, we can still understand, if even on a basic level, why she does what she does. Each character develops in a way that drives the plot. Whether they fall deeper into insanity or grow into stronger, smarter leaders, there is no character left unread.
One of the great aspects of this series is getting to see the various levels of high society and how they are destroyed by an ever-fascinating zombie apocalypse. The once important hierarchy of royalty is dissolved the minute the apocalypse becomes impossible to avoid. People of all classes are mixed together, much to each other's dismay. The Crown Prince finds himself with a large group of lower-class individuals but gets to prove himself as a prince who cares for everyone. In a rare instance, he is a prince who rules for the people not over the people. Those that are in power, who are supposed to be the strongest and smartest of the bunch are instead the most frightened. They run away and leave those they are supposed to lead, for dead.
As for the look of the show, Kingdom is nothing but easy on the eyes. From the costume design to the setting, every aspect of the visuals seems to balance well with the feel of the scene. The costumes are an immediate reveal of who is and isn't in power. Each setting evokes a different emotion. As the sun sets the tensions rises, and as it rises again there is a momentary calm, before there just isn't anymore.
Throughout both seasons, we find out the way in which the zombies came to be, how to truly kill them, and the conditions in which they survive and thrive. This concept of the oversaturated genre is fresh and unlike any idea I have ever seen. Add in the historical setting and a boatload of action and this series is one for the books.
Kingdom earns a 5 out of 5 zombie heads: I was so engrossed in this series from start to finish, that I would never have noticed a zombie apocalypse happening right outside my house.
“Kingdom.” IMDb, IMDb.com, 25 Jan. 2019, https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6611916/?ref_=ttmi_tt.
“Kingdom (South Korean TV Series).” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 1 Apr. 2022, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kingdom_(South_Korean_TV_series)#cite_ref-3.
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