Reino (2019)

Turns out zombies and sageuks go well together (Review for both S1 and S2)

“Do a zombie series but set it in 17th-century Joseon” really sounds like a clever conceit at best and that’s what I thought when I started watching KINGDOM, but that’s not what it is at all. It turns out that playing completely straight as an old-school zombie flick while deconstructing - or maybe…dissecting? - a sageuk (Korean historical deama) totally works.

If you are not a big fan of sageuks or familiar with the conventions of the genre, this totally works as a zombie flick. As a general rule of zombie flicks, human selfishness, denial, societal dysfunction, and corruption play a role in initiating and spreading the zombie outbreak. Human cooperation, ingenuity, resourcefulness, selflessness, and courage end the outbreak. This is how it works in KINGDOM, too, appropriate to the time, place, and culture. The more things change, the more they remain the same, including how people respond to a zombie outbreak. The only problem is that the drama is a little too fixated on how the zombies “work” well past the point where this is interesting or salient.

If you *are* a fan of sageuks KINGDOM is extra-special. Sageuks are about resolving situations of rampant corruption and political dysfunction: zombies, meanwhile, are metaphors for corruption and dysfunction reaching a crisis point. The best sageuks acknowledge the inherent evil and dysfunction of a society ruled by hereditary monarchs and aristocrats, while the best zombie flicks never let the audience forget that the zombies may be infectious flesh-eating hordes, but humans are the real monsters.

KINGDOM understands the assignment: the first zombie the audience sees, Patient Zero of the outbreak, is the King, put in that state to serve the ambitions of corrupt nobles. The climactic battle in the palace that occurs near the end of so many sageuks? It’s a big fight with zombies that wipes out all the corrupt nobles and their lackeys.

KINGDOM will make you go from “Zombies in a sageuk? Really?” to “Yes, zombies in a sageuk, of course!”

Leia Mais

I absolutely love zombie related shows, I can never get enough of them. I always say to myself Korea makes the best zombie dramas and movies, for some reason I haven't found one I've disliked so far. It's always
hard to find a decent one I like, nothing ever catches my attention but some how the Korean market produces them, they are just top quality.

PLOT/STORY
This gives me 'I am legend' vibes with how the zombie like creatures can't come out in day light, something similar to that. I love the concept of the zombies coming out at a certain time, it's very unique and like I've said, I've only seen this idea once before.

I also love how they jump to different stories throughout the episodes. Like one story we have the crown prince fighting off the zombies and protecting his people and land, while over here we have the Queen is pretending to be pregnant to full everyone into thinking she is. The stories are all over the place but I'm loving how it was put together, it made me very intrigued on what's going to happen next to both parties that are involved.

ACTING/CAST
The casting choice was amazing, I went in blind not knowing who any of these actors or actresses were but wow. You can watch me check out other things they've been in. Everyone is perfect for their roles; and after watching I couldn't see anyone else playing these characters apart from them.

It was so hard to pick a favorite character, they all shined in their own ways. But if I had to pick a character as a favorite it would be the crown prince, not because he is the main character but because he shows loyalty to his people while being prosecuted as this 'traitor'. I just loved this about him, it just shows his true colours.

OVERALL
I'd definitely rewatch, with only 6 episodes (wish there was more) it's an easy and fast drama to watch. I have a short attention span especially watching dramas, but this one never lost my interest. From the first episode all the way to the last episode my full attention was on this drama (which is rare for me). I highly recommend watching for an great experience, you won't be disappointed.

Leia Mais

I decided to watch this show not because I particularly enjoy zombie stories...though the fact that it was set in the Joseon era did pique my interest. However, what truly made me decide to watch it is...and now I'm a little ashamed of myself...Joon Ji Hoon. That's right. I love his acting so much that I've vowed to myself that I'd watch all of his works (except Goong, I haven't been able to bring myself to finish it).

So, that's how I picked up Kingdom and I must say...boy am I happy I did it. This show is EPIC. It's the most incredible sageuk I've seen in a long time. I loved EVERYTHING about it. The story, the production, the special effects, the brilliant acting, the cinematography. So, if you're pondering whether to watch this or not, my only advice would be DO IT!! WATCH IT NOW!! IT'S AMAZING!! Seriously, I'm sure you won't regret it. Besides, thankfully season 2 is out already on Netflix so I can binge watch it till dawn *insert evil laugh here*

So yeah, go watch Kingdom now!!

Leia Mais

From now on only Korea is allowed to make zombie movies and series. I said what I said. (Lol please don't take it too seriously!)
This show has received a lot of amazing reviews and attention from audiences that aren't typically asian drama watchers and that only proves this show's ability to surpass language and cultural barriers and capture everyone's hearts and keep us at the edge of our seats.
There are many amazing reviews already that express my feelings perfectly but I'll still say a few words for each category, in case whoever is reading this still isn't convinced.

The plot is absolutely AMAZING, BRILLIANT, EXCITING, GENIUS etc etc. It really doesn't get any better than this. The whole story is so intriguing, heartbreaking and incredibly cruel, as it portrays the biggest flaws of humanity. The writer and everyone involved in the production of the series did an incredible job at criticising our day's society through 1) a story about an epidemy that transforms people into flesh-craving monsters 2) set in the Joseon era, centuries before our present time. It's truly outstanding.

The cast is simply brilliant. I believed every actor, every emotion, every expression. I'm ashamed of not knowing these fantastic actors before this drama. I have to check their other works out!
The characters were so complex and raw that I found myself submerged in the story and living their adventures as if I was their companion. That's how realistic they were. Forget about all the stereotypes surrounding heroes and nation saviours: these people are trying to survive, not always in the most selfless way. I loved every single one of them. The fact that the Crown Prince is genuinely doing his best and beyond to help those people and be different from the selfish and coward "important" people is remarkable. I loved his character development; it might seem very small and irrelevant compared to the magnitude of the events, however, he is the one who has the power to save them all. The "small changes" in his character by the end of the season were so meaningful and completely relevant to the plot. I don't think there are any side characters as they all play very important roles and they're all PHENOMENAL, whether I loved them or hated them.

The music increased the tense sensation on my stomach and made me literally jump sometimes. It was so well chosen that I can't give it less than 10 stars.

The more I think about this drama, the more I love it and watch to rewatch it. I'm so glad I chose to give it a chance and I certainly don't regret it. I'll probably rewatch it before the new season stars... that's how obsessed I am!

I'm not a horror fan and I'm still scared of historical dramas thanks to my lack of knowledge and experience with these shows, but Kingdom was able to make my mind work at an incredible speed for two days and every time that I wasn't watching it I was thinking about watching it. Powerful show, in many ways. It deserves the 10 stars and I will happily add it to my favorites list.

Leia Mais

Overall I loved this series. I watched it in the span of 3 days and now I can't wait for a season 2!

Story
The story was in my opinion very unique and not stretched out to the max, like a lot of kdramas are unfortunately. I could best describe this series as a mix between The Walking Dead and Train to Busan, but set in Joseon Korea. The story contains a lot of gore, just like TWD, and focuses on the struggles of the weak vs. the powerful and a crown prince who wants to fight for his people. What I mainly liked about the story is how comprehandable it was. What I usually dislike about Sageuk dramas is how overly complicted the political aspect of the story can be (at least to me). Furthermore, their wasn't any cringey romance anywhere to be seen (which is also unique for a Sageuk, at least the one's I've seen). However, Kingdom had this good balance of political struggles (legitamacy as a king, poverty and dealing with the disease which turns people in to zombies) paired with bloody action scenes and, on the other hand, light moments where beautiful nature is shown and sometimes a bit of romance.
The only thing I kind of missed in the series was more backstory and depth regarding the characters. There are some flashbacks, which make you feel a bit more attached to the main characters, but unfortunately the characters were quite flat and I hope to see this change in a season 2. (However, in the defense of the series: I think 6 episodes would have been to short to give an in depth story on every main character, so for this season I think it was a good decision to build up the story and hopefully a second season will elaborate more on the characters, and even some romance). Also, the reason I keep talking about a season 2 is because I feel like the story simply hasn't ended and it has so much more to offer, so it would be weird for there to not be a season 2 looking at how the series ended..

Acting/Cast
Overall I liked the cast and their acting. To be honest I never really pay attention to acting or notice it a lot unless it's cringingly bad. Also, except for Heo Junho (who's a great actor), I can't remember seeing any other cast members in other series/films, so I don't really feel like I can fully judge the actors yet, but as for now I think they were great.

Music
Music is also something I don't notice unless I find it very bad or unfitting, but in Kingdom that's not the case. There weren't any really memorable songs/osts because it's all instrumental as far as I remember. However, the director has made perfect use of music to build tension to keep you at the edge of your seat.

Rewatch Value
I'm not the type to rewatch series, but since this drama is so short and easily accesible through Netflix, I can actually see myself rewatching the series and that's why I scored it an 8.

Overall
I definitely recommend this drama to everyone who loves Sageuk and zombies/gore. The story is very short, but very interesting nonetheless. The acting and music was great overall and, though I didn't discuss it in depth, I loved the way it was filmed and the locations, like Changdeokgung Palace and Huwon/Biwon (the palace's so called 'secret garden' which can be seen in the trailer), were stunning. The only thing I think could have been better was the character depth, or actually the lack of it. Therefore I give this series an overall rating of 9 instead of a 10.

Leia Mais

I have been anticipating this one for over a year and bless Train To Busan putting the zombie-genre on Korea's map! This concept is literally so fresh, and I am surprised it hasn't been done so much before, because it is so smart putting zombie virus as a form of plague during times of actual plague and poverty. This drama really is stunning and worth the budget being sky-high, the camerawork, costumes and effects are amazing and money well-spent.

The plot meshes zombie apocalypse with intriguing court politics in just the right way, and you think it is gonna get dragged out but instead the last episode just leaves you wanting for more. Also plots and characters that are getting more and more developed in the right pace, because they don't have time for emotions, they just gotta run as fast as they can. I also like having the Crown Prince as a center character, being from the highest class, while some of the real heroes of the story are the ones from the lower classes, like Seobi, the guard and the mysterious tigerhunger really doing the most.

I am so excited for the next chapter, and especially with the undead capable of being out and about in the day now.

Leia Mais

This is a little tough to rate, as I'm watching it after the second season has come out so I'm hoping that they flesh it out a bit. I'm glad I didn't watch this when it originally came out because otherwise I might have been frustrated and not really invested in waiting for the second season.

This first season feels like a lot of set-up. That's necessary, of course, but the show still felt somewhat incomplete. There is a real lack of emphasis on the characters, so you're not really invested in them other than the fact that they're living beings on the screen. There's very little conversation or banter that gives you any kind of hint as to their personalities. None of the relationships are really developed either. It was also odd that it felt like a good portion of the action happened off-screen. For example, when the beginning of the outbreak starts, two characters are in a shed arguing. You see blood spill into the shed, but the only thing you really see about what happened that night is the aftermath, with blood everywhere and stakes and sharp bamboo sticks constructed as barriers. This sort of thing happened with a couple of zombie encounters, where the entire situation mostly happened off-screen. I don't mean to say that all zombie attacks have to occur on screen, but it was odd that seemingly big ones weren't really shown.

I was a little confused about how rushed certain plot points were (the politics in the beginning are a bit fast and might be hard to catch onto), while it seemed to also be taking its sweet time in other parts (plenty of long shots of people riding places, walking in the palace, etc.). I will say that the action sequences and zombie parts of the show are really good. There is so much tension surrounding the zombie threat, as our heroes attempt to get people to take it seriously and yet are not listened to. When night falls, they know (and we know too) that they're doomed. The zombies themselves are terrifying. Their clouded eyes, the strange strangled growls they make, the way they move their bodies as they rise from the ground are all so disturbing. Kudos to those actors for giving it 100%. Basically, everything about the zombies is great, both the sequences that involve them as well as people's reactions and plans to handle them, and fortunately that's a good portion of the show, so the show is definitely good, despite the fact that I'm mostly complaining about it in this review.

The aspect of the show that is most developed is the political situation, which to me is the most boring part of many sageuks. It's more interesting here because of the very unique situation that they are reacting to. I hope that with the political situation set up they can not focus as much on it in season 2. As I said, there's so much action and plot-related things happening that the characters are very paper-thin, but I think they show promise and I hope in season 2 they get more time to get fleshed out. I think the twists that happen at the end are good and intriguing, but honestly if I had watched this show when it first came out I don't know how invested I would've been in a second season. I'm glad there's a second season, as now I can see whether they follow up on the good stuff they set up.

Leia Mais

Such a fun reimagining of the zombie genre! I love the idea of setting a zombie apocalypse (of a sort) in a historical period because it increases the sense of unknowable and unimaginable horror. There are no medical or scientific explanations available to break down what is happening, and it can't be summarized by the characters as a viral epidemic, etc. I'm not saying those types of zombie movies don't have their own strengths, but I really enjoyed seeing the historical Korean monarchy paired with zombies, it was scary in a way I hadn't been expecting.

The cast is great. I don't think that the acting is necessarily the biggest draw here (Historical. Zombies.) but I think that they do a good job of making you care about the people involved. Of course, Bae Doona is her usual awesome self.

The writing and directing is very good, keeping a breakneck pace while also keeping the stakes digestible enough that it feels personal. The survival of this specific group of people is the focus of the first season, which gives room for the scope to be expanded in season two. I think that the twist is very well done, the zombies are well done (their strengths and limitations are well matched to the show, they're not TOO powerful and do have some weaknesses, but they also very much feel like a threat).

Overall, a well-made and enjoyable horror tv show that will be entertaining for people that like gore, action, some horror and also a solid historical setting. Definitely worth checking out. It may sound gimmicky to pair zombies and period dramas (some Pride and Prejudice and Zombies type shit), but actual I think that the setting is used really smartly to actual increase tension and horror, while still feeling like it's speaking to modern issues.

Leia Mais

Likes: Zombies. Joo Ji Hoon wielding a sword. The awesome action scenes.

Dislikes: S1 is too short!! Only 6 eps. Plus there’s a ginormous cliff hanger which you’ll have to wait until S2 to find out what happens!

I do confess, I’m a zombie fan. I dunno why. Maybe it’s the whole going back to basics bit…the simple need to survive. Or maybe it’s the more clear cut good vs evil. Or the fact that I’m usually at the edge of my seat when I’m watching a battle with the zombies. I dunno…I just love it. From 28 Days Later to the Walking Dead to Train to Busan and everything in between, I just can’t get enough.

The thing I like about Korean zombies is they’re FAST compared to American zombies. Just like in Train to Busan, there were so many scenes where I didn’t realize I was holding my breath until the scene was over and I could sigh with relief. The scenes were shot well. The editing was great. The cast can act. Everything just came together beautifully.

Leia Mais

It was really hard rating this drama. It was highly anticipated as a Netflix original Korean series and after watching the trailer I could see that the budget was high. To tell the truth I wanted this series to be a hit. Why? I wanted people who don't give a chance to series from countries like China and Korea to know what they are missing.

I read multiple comments saying that the series had more politics than it should have and I completely understand their point of view, but I also disagree. I think that the drama didn't want to be just a source of entertainment. In my opinion the writers wanted us to see that even in a life-or-death situation, the politicians - no matter being in the Joseon era or in today's society - will only think about their own personal gain. But if there are no people to ''obey'' does having power really matter? It was great to think who are the real monsters and see in what extremes can people go to survive. I loved the fact that it showed the corruption among the people in the palace and the courage of every day individuals.

What made this different from all the dystopian films and series was the fact that it didn't only have dramatic scenes but it also had comedic elements. The cinematography was great, so was the music. The only minor problem for me was the acting. Don't get me wrong it wasn't even near to being bad, but I expected more from such well known actors - also more screen time for Bae Doona-.

All in all, it is definitely worth watching and I would recommend it to non Kdrama watchers for sure.

Leia Mais