Kingdom: A Zombie Invasion in the Joseon Era
Kingdom is a 2019 Netflix original series. It is an adaptation of the webtoon series Kingdom of the Gods written by Kim Eunhee. The thriller is set in Korea’s Joseon dynasty and stars Joo Jihoon, Bae Doona, Kim Sungkyu, and Ryu Seungryong. Kingdom is a zombie flick told in a period setting, giving a fresh spin on the overused zombie concept in modern day television and film.
Synopsis
Kingdom is set in the beginning of the 1600s following the Japanese invasion of Korea, which happened from 1592 to 1598. It revolves around Crown Prince Lee Chang (Joo Jihoon), who is caught up in a political conspiracy as Joseon ministers seek to depose him.
After the King dies, Queen Cho (Kim Hyejun) and her father Cho Hakju (Ryu Seungryong), who is a senior minister, plot to bring him back to life until the Queen gives birth. Their plan is to overthrow the Crown Prince and replace him with their own kin. They get help from the king’s former physician, Lee Seunghui (Kwon Bumtaek), who treats the king with a resurrection herb. The king wakes up but is infected with a disease that has symptoms of immense hunger for human flesh and blood.
Because no one is allowed to see the King, Crown Prince Lee Chang is unable to find out what really happened to his father. Rumors about the King’s death begin to spread, so the Crown Prince decides to look for the physician who treated his father and find out the truth. Accompanied by his personal guard Moo Young (Kim Sangho), Lee Chang heads to Dongnae where Seunghui operates a clinic. When he arrives, he finds the country plagued with the mysterious disease.
With the Crown Prince gone, Minister Cho Hakju accuses him of treason and sends out an order to capture him. Between himself and his people, who will Lee Chang choose to save?
Review
Disclaimer: The review contains spoilers
Kingdom was released in 2019 with the first season having only six episodes. It is an action-packed drama full of excitement and scary moments as any other zombie production, but the atypical winning factor is its period setting. The drama incorporates the political strife inherent in Korean historical dramas with a zombie plot, making for an intriguing production.
Kingdom highlights the huge disparity between the rich and poor, and the consequences that come with such issues. The people of Dongnae are suffering from hunger with no help from the government, the officials, or the high-class members of society. They end up doing the impossible to survive and this leads to higher chances of the plague spreading. The privileged also seek to save themselves, a sad and tragic reality where the less privileged are sacrificed for the sake of those with power.
Crown Prince Lee Chang is accused of treason and the accusation surprisingly turns out to be true. However, even with a threat to his own life, he is able to recognize that he is the one with the power to save his people. He takes it upon himself to offer solutions, sacrifice himself, and even put himself in danger to save those not infected by the plague.
The drama gives us a female hero in the character of the physician, Seobi (Bae Doona) who worked as Seunghui’s assistant in his clinic. She is fearless in the wake of the disaster and is always ready to lend a helping hand. She refuses to run away even when the opportunity arises, and even seeks to find a cure for the disease. Whether or not she finds it is something we can all look forward to.
The unsung hero of the drama is the brooding Yeong Shin (Kim Sungkyu). Not much is known about his character other than his exceptional skills with the rifle. He doesn’t say much either but he makes up for it with his actions, always saving as many people as he can from getting infected by the plague. His mysterious nature makes him a captivating character and one to look out for in the coming season.
So far, the show has kept all the important characters alive. It will be interesting to see how Kingdom progresses in the second season with the zombie plague becoming a full-blown epidemic. We might lose some loved characters, but if it makes for an entertaining show, we are all for it.
Kingdom Season 2 Update
After an exciting six episodes, the ending for Season 1 of Kingdom is a torturous cliffhanger. The good news, however, is the drama will have a second season set for release in March 2020. Will the people of Joseon survive?
You can have a look at the recently released trailer below: