I watched the whole thing in a day because it's short. However, I took several breaks to text people back or watch Youtube videos. That would not have happened if it had REALLY captured me. I like the idea of Zombies in the Joseon era, and the production is great, the cinematography beautiful, the acting good. There were definitely some really suspenseful scenes where I barely dared to breathe. But there was not really anything that touched me.
I don't feel like I got to know the characters at all, so I did not get attached to them - not even to the Crown Prince. The only character I enjoyed a bit more was the guard played by Kim Sang Ho, whom I've adored since "City Hunter".
Furthermore, I think a better OST would have greatly improved my emotional investment. Am I gonna watch season 2? Yes. But is "Kingdom" gonna be on my all-time-favorite Drama list? No.
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In a Word, Amazing!
Period piece. Political conflict. Action. Suspense. Plot twists. Cliffhangers. And a dash of humor. This drama has EV-ER-Y-THING! Seriously, I cannot sing high enough praises for this drama. And this is coming from someone who is not into zombies (never really got the appeal; more of an Anne Rice girl myself). In fact, going into the show, I wasn't expecting zombies at all (yes, somehow I missed the giant reflection in the sword) and when it was revealed to be one of the premises, I was kind of "meh" and a little turned off. That lasted for about a millisecond. Not only were those chase scenes some of the most exhilarating moments in the show, but the interpretation and characterization of the zombies, as well as the role they played in the story was, I thought, cleverly done. Supernatural stuff aside, the political aspects of the plot line were intriguing; I'm really interested to see it develop further in Season 2. And the cinematography, scenery, and sets--breathtaking doesn't even begin to describe them.With 6 episodes ranging in length from 40 to 60 minutes, this drama is short. However, the screenwriter did a fantastic job of fitting so much in and providing a solid first season. I wish there was a little more explanation and backstory on some things, but I'm hoping (expecting?) we'll get some of that in Season 2. Overall, definitely recommend! But be prepared for a major cliffhanger in the finale. Meanwhile, I'll be joining the fandom as we impatiently wait for Season 2 to be released.
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I don't think i will rewatch it or watch season two. Only good part is zombies. except for it, nothing :)))))))))
They could have written better story which is more attractive.
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And in a story about survival, like Kingdom (or just any story for the matter) I need to be emotionally connected to the characters in order to root for them. I did not feel like any of the characters stood out to me, no matter how well acted they were.
The story line itself was cool and quite interesting. It was, for the most part, a well put-together show. I had been excited about it since it was announced so in a way it was a letdown that I did not find it binge watchable enough. I did have my doubts about the six episode format and that it seemed to want to expand the story to two seasons before the first season aired, like the just cut the story in half. So I only got one half of the story, which annoyed me a little.
My annoyance might come out because that isn’t how I am used to consuming my kdramas. It was interesting to see kdrama with perhaps a little more Netflix style. There are a lot of dramas on Netflix, but most were not made for Netflix and maybe not quite this binge formula in mind - although a lot of dramas are very good for such a binge. It might be that I am more used to the sixteen to twenty four episode dramas, so I did not feel like six episodes were enough to develop the story. Sometimes dramas don’t find their groove until episode six.
These six episodes delivered a pretty tight, exciting, actionpacked plot - and the action scenes were often great, but would have been greater if I cared more what happened to the characters - and for a zombie show I didn’t feel like the same story line was repeated over and over again, even if good number of the episodes were devoted to fighting or running away from zombies.
The politics of the palace and that whole story line mashed well with the action and the two plot did work quite well together. They did not feel like two completely different stories, which can sometimes happen when you mix genres together. Although most of the time, I enjoyed the politics and the scheming inside the palace more than the stuff that was happening outside the palace.
But because season one only had six episodes there was a lot that needed to be done and set up and I didn’t feel that the characters were getting enough of the time for us to get to know them properly, or develop too much. But we also have not gotten the complete story and in some way it seamed to have just gotten started when it ended. And in a way I feel like I can’t really judge it (too much) before I have seen the second half of this story. But this was the good spin on the zombie story
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This review may contain spoilers
when i first stumbled across this drama , i thought okay, it's just got to episode 6 ,so i was gonna wait till it's finished then watch but then i found out it is gonna be a multi-seasoned drama in Netflix and i was just so happy because it was way past time for it to happen in k drama world. k drama has talented writers , actors and directors and ... it deserves to be seen with its full potential on display ; yes we make romantic series (which is what a lot of people think when you talk about k drama with them) but we are capable of much more and we've seen it in recent years but i think Kingdom is the first to have more than one season and be presented in Netflix with a theme that compels even the more cynical viewers to give it a shot.1-opening credits: yeah it doesn't necessarily mean that just because we got a good one , we have a great series . but almost every good show got a good one with an enticing even legendary music that we don't forward because of how good they are...Game Of Thrones, West World , The Expanse, friends, etc. and Kingdom has a really mysterious with a few Easter eggs and a haunting music. 8/10 ( I'm really obsessed with opening scenes)
2- actors : Bae Doona 's name is almost enough to make me give a show a try ,add in Ju Ji-hoon and i'm convinced . i really liked their portrayal of their characters( Bea Doona really nailed the meek almost shy but a hard ass portrayal of the nurse)(i loved her in Sense8 but really her acting is soo good , not even for one second I thought of Sun while watching Kingdom).also i was not familiar with the queen and the minister's actors but i hate them enough to know that they have done a good job . 10/10
3- characters : most important thing to me after story is the characters (i like when shows have a lot of main characters) and their development. let's count ; we have crown prince, the nurse,THE cook(!), evil minister, queen , that other creepy/mysterious- who- looks- good -but- probably -is- not minister , the admirer, the bodyguard(1 season is really soon for me to remember the names)+some good supporting ,supporting characters.it has enough characters so far but i think we can use more point of views in different parts of the country and also different levels of society who one by one will join the action , in future.
the characters have have good enough reasons for their actions so far and it's not hard to understand them even if you look down upon their actions (THE cook comes to mind) . also i know what greed is and how it's a driving force especially in historical dramas and how power fells good but since i don't have any purpose in life, i don't have that much greed i don't understand fully how can people like the minister and queen sleep at night; power ! am I right?(i like my villains with a purpose more than just wanting power and wealth ) . I also like how the prince is not the saint that we see in price protagonists in historical dramas that are royal to a stupid extent to their fathers ; he remind me a little of Rhaegar Targaryen , they both knew their fathers are terrible rulers and wanted to make a move to change it ,be it through a coup or not.
another thing that i enjoyed a LOT was how the governor who fancied Bae Doona transfomed from a scared little shit to a little less scared one who didn't immediately run away when he could.
4-story: it has interesting and mysterious story up until now ,. it's a zombie one so it's a thriller . it's a little too soon to judge it over all.
IT WAS A GOODDRAMA THAT I ENJOYED A LOT.(i need at least 2 seasons for a drama to become my favourite)
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Cinematic masterpiece worth binging
In search of answers for his father's illness, the Crown Prince and his guard, Moo Young, set forth to locate the last physician who might be able to treat his father. But the two end up stuck with Assistant Physician Seo Bi and a mysterious man named Young Shin in a village plagued with a terrifying disease - zombies.This drama instantly drew me and each episode kept its' momentum. The twists around the zombies and the characters were unexpected and made me root for our heroes even more. I also like that the show was not only about survival, it has an allegory of human instinct, that people could bond together in time of crisis but can deviate for their own needs. Kingdom is stunning in it’s production quality. Every single scenery shot looks magnificent, with a lot of breathtaking scenery, aerial views, fast-moving and slow-moving camerawork. They used fog, shadow and lighting perfectly. It's a cinematic masterpiece!
If you're wondering whether it’s scary…Although there was blood, violence, head-rolling @.@ …it's not a jump-scare type of horror, more like a thriller. Kingdom 2 is everything I wanted from Kingdom 1, it’s the true climax of one story. So if you're in the mood for an engaging watch, just binge both season altogether!
Find me on Instagram: @kdramajudge
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Story: This is the first historical zombie drama I have watched (Idk if I can classify GoT as one lol) and the whole zombie plot was unique to me. I could give this a 10 out 10 but it still felt lacking in terms of the story of the characters. It will probably be expound on the next season but since I'm only rating for this one, I'll give it a 9.5.
For the politics, it's a scenario I've seen in many historical dramas before but it's surprisingly well-executed here, so i'm not gonna criticize no matter how common of a plot it is. There was parts of the politics that were fairly new to me so it wasn't completely predictable.
Acting/Cast: The acting were great for both the alive and the dead characters lol. There were some humor thrown from here and there and it sometimes come out as awkward so i couldn't really rate it a perfect 10. I guess that's like a signature moment in kdramas but I think it would be better if they just create an entire serious atmosphere throughout.
Music: Not much about the music since it didn't have the famous osts we know but I rated it a 10 for the fact that it sounded like a GoT intro lol
Rewatch value: Would definitely rewatch this again once season 2 is about to come out
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First, I like to warn anyone who might want to pick it up - it's graphic. If you have a weak stomach, move it straight to the "not interested" list. They delivered amazing, beautiful, but gruesome pictures that made me uncomfortable with the content, but also in awe with how beautifully shot they were. No doubt the production value was the best part of the drama. It's clear to me a lot of thought was put into directing and editing, as well as set and costume design. The zombies... ladies and gentlemen... These were some good zombies. I was extremely impressed by the actors portraying them. The movement they presented was true perfection.
The acting was amazing for some, good for others. At times it was hard to judge since some characters (The Queen B) were annoyingly boring and unnecessary. Overall: A+. Especially with such a large "supporting cast" of all the background people and zombies. At times, dramas cast average skilled people for these roles, with hopes no one will notice. Here, everyone did their part well.
As for the plot and characters. There truly is not that much to say. It's the old tale we all know: power struggle and fighting for the crown. There is nothing new nor innovative about it. That said, since it's executed so well, it was not boring. Not to mention the zombie apocalypse going on in the background to keep us invested and excited. I was a bit disappointed with how they slowly toned down the shocking scenes to just go with zombies running and killing, since the creepy scenes from the beginning were some of the most memorable scenes.
There were some characters I loved more (Young Shin and Master Ahn Hyung), and some that seemed pointless and not interesting at all (Jo Bum Pal and the Queen) but knowing it's just a first season, I'm hopeful they will deliver more later.
Was I disappointed in anything? Yes. Last episode presented two plot twists that were simply dumb in my eyes, and the longer I think about them, the less sense I see in what was shown. One of them makes a character look too stupid for the position they hold, and the other, to some extent, contradicts everything that happened before it.
Can you watch it as a stand alone without diving into season two? Technically, yes, but it would not be a smart idea. Season one ends on a cliffhanger and more or less middle part of the whole plot (if not just the introduction).
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This review may contain spoilers
I don’t usually watch zombie films and shows because I feel like every plot is the same and widely overdone, but I gave this show look because I’ve seen many of the actors and actresses from previous kdramas. Man did I make the right choice. The production, cinematography, and storyline of this series is absolutely fantastic. Every episode will keep you at the edge of your seat. You won’t know who’s going to die, or who lives, everything is completely unexpected and that’s what I love. The story is original too. In the first season we got a massive cliffhanger and found out the temperature is what’s keeping these zombie killing machines going. Having to wait another full year for s2, oh boy, we’re thrown for a loop and given once again ANOTHER cliffhanger at the end, discovering someone was actually selling a supply of the same flowers we find out where behind the zombie pandemic. This person, who was teased in being the “possible” seller happens to be one of my favorite Korean actresses and uuu boi was I screaming.
Overall, the pace of this show is amazing, nothing is hard to follow, every character has a part to play in the plot, and the actors and actresses who played them were amazing. Even if your not into zombie related shows or films I’d recommend giving this show watch solemnly on the plot and acting alone. It definitely won’t be waste of your time. Give it a watch.
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It’s a kind of concept. The more slaughter and dead body - the better.
I don’t think that the story is addictive and interesting. It’s rather simple and uninspired. The characters are flat. It’s difficult to bond with anyone here.
But it’s watchable because of Joo Ji Hoon. His performance is brilliant! I like his prince who in the beginning of the story is confused and uncertain, but later, after some battles with zombies, becomes a true lead. The other acting is just okay. Nothing special. Definitely it’s too short (6 ep.) to develop plots and characters.
I don’t like the music. It would seem that especially music would create the dark mood and fear in the zombies world, but no. Not in this case.
If you don’t like a story that stopped and doesn’t run anywhere, do not watch it and wait for the next season.
Maybe the next season will be better, who knows.
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Un autre drama à succès qui n'a pas su me convaincre...
Avant de commencer ce drama, j'en avais énormément entendu parlé et bien-sûr qu'en positif... (Le problème quand on entend trop d'éloges sur quelque chose c'est que l'on a bien trop d'attentes...)Je commence donc mon visionnage en me disant que je vais passer un bon moment... Cependant le premier épisode passe... Et rien... C'est plat, on se doute que quelque chose cloche... (Si on a lu le synopsis on sait même pourquoi l'ambiance est étrange.) Lors du visionnage du 2ème épisode, on a la confirmation de nos doutes... Le roi est devenu un zombie assoiffée de sang et chair humaine... Mais toujours pas d'action... Beaucoup de complots politiques mais ça s'arrête là... (Moi qui ai en sainte horreur les scènes de complots politiques, je suis servie !) Le 3ème épisode commence et là... De l'action ! (ENFIN !!!) Mais à quel prix... Des scènes violentes à répétition qui n'apporte pas grand-chose... (À quoi ça sert de mettre 10-15min d'attaques ? À part montrer une extrême violence, ça n'apporte rien...) Finalement, les 3 derniers épisodes suivent le même schéma avec beaucoup de lenteur et des scènes censées être "oppressantes" car on ne sait pas quand les héros seront attaqués... mais qui ne m'ont rien fait ressentir, mis à part un profond ennui... (Je dois être blasée en fait =O !)
Le choix de faire plusieurs saisons de 6 épisodes peut être une option judicieuse comme un vrai casse gueule... (Dans le sens où, on peut fidélisé le public ou le perdre en cours de route s'il n'est pas convaincu par cette première saison.) Visiblement, la plus part des gens y ont trouvé leur compte... Ce qui n'était pas mon cas car bien qu'on ait placé les zombies dans un contexte historique, rien d'original n'a été apporté par rapport à ses prédécesseurs. On se retrouve donc avec une énième histoire de zombies...
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