#kingdom: ashin of the north

[eggsaladstain]

doing my annual kingdom rewatch and remembering that ashin did nothing wrong while cho hak ju deserved everything he got and that's on that

#kingdom #kingdom: ashin of the north #jun ji hyun #kdrama #netflix kdrama #ryu seung ryong #memes

[swdefcult]

ashin cold af

#jun ji hyun #ashin #kingdom #kingdom: ashin of the north #zombies #horror

[world-smitten]

Kingdom: Ashin of the North Review

SPOILERS

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Just finished Kingdom: Ashin of the North, and it is definitely my favourite part of the Kingdom series. I didn’t think Kingdom could wring strong emotions out of me (besides the usual rage at selfish nobles), but there were parts that really resonated with me.

On paper, several plot beats are predictable - I knew that Ashin must have tried to revive her dead family with the flower, I knew that on some level, the Joseon soldiers were involved with the death of her village. But the movie delays this info, made me doubt my own intuition long enough for it to reveal the truth in the most heartwrenching way possible. That shot of Ashin crawling towards her crippled father, realising that he has been imprisoned in the most degrading circumstances, trying to free him, denied of a proper reunion as he begs her to kill him, is one of those sequences that’s branded on my brain. Kingdom is full of those moments (the queen clasping “her” baby to her chest even as the zombies drag her off the throne), but this one has a certain emotional punch, which elevates it above anything else the show has offered me. And of course, the truth of Ashin’s village - cliche and a bit grimdark, yes, but executed so precisely with the full weight of the tragedy behind it that I felt my heart break for my poor girl.

And the filmmaking is so cruel! - the way the camera swings around the picture of Ashin’s happy, living village (and I was thinking, is this a hallucination? has she finally gone mad?), only for it to reveal that her village really is alive, and that Ashin’s madness has been a slower, crueler process from the moment she begs Min Chi-rok for vengeance. And speaking of which, I love what they did with Min Chi-rok’s character. He shows up S2 as a cool, competent soldier - and by clearing the very low bar of not being a craven, grasping fool, I got really attached to his character. But this movie reframes his character completely. He’s still Min Chi-rok: competent and cool, but now competence is pragmatism, and cool is rigidity; his cruelty to Ashin derives from the same attitude of the noblewoman who spat on her father - the Jurchen are lesser and to treat them as such is the natural state of the world. There isn’t any malice in his actions - how else should he treat the poor and those he perceives as racially inferior? How else should Ashin, a poor Jurchen woman, act, besides invisibly, her suffering and labour quietly out of the picture? It's cruelty that takes itself for granted (I'm using the word cruelty a lot, don't know how else to describe how Ashin suffers). Seeing Ashin transformed into a shadow - this really was an effective portrayal of how oppression wears down the spirit. 

A lot of that is because of the actresses, as usual. This is an excellent tag-team performance between Kim Si-a and Jun Ji-hyun. Kim Si-a has so much potential - her scene with Park Byung-eun was amazing (how can she already be this skilled so young??). And Jun Ji-hyun - so publically glamourous I forget how totally she throws herself into her characters. Again, I cannot get over the moment where she realises what has been done to her father. I didn’t think Kingdom, of all shows, would make me shed a tear, but I’ll allow it lol.

That’s not to say that I’ve never liked Kingdom - I like the show, a lot, it’s the rare zombie-action property that I actually engage with (helps that S2 ends with the zombies gone, for now...). But Kingdom was always about the action, about slick filmmaking and gorgeous costuming, about ingenious worldbuilding and politicking. Everything was great, but I always felt at a distance from the characters - I felt that the plot moved too quickly for me to fully “marinate” in the personal drama (ironically that’s why the Queen is the character I look back on most fondly, she’s such a compelling figure, she draws you in). But here, I was hooked. The movie starts slowly, and keeps at that careful pace, making little marks here and there until the full, sorry picture emerges. I like my Joseon folks, and I don’t even want Min Chi-rok dead, but honestly? Kill ‘em all, Ashin, if that’s what makes you glad.

#kingdom #kingdom: ashin of the north #jun ji-hyun #kim si a #i'm feeling a little less sorry about my word-vomit reviews #but anyways this movie was great #revenge IS an option

[buttercuparry]

Netflix canceling Kingdom kdrama is such a pathetic and idiotic move. Like was it not doing well??? It was so good! It had everything! Social commentary, period drama, zombies. What more could you want?? Did you not want to address all that the crown prince and Ashin both stood for? Netflix you are such a dick.

#kingdom: ashin of the north #kingdom Netflix

[whoisthatmovinginthedark]

#she 🏹 #kingdom: ashin of the north

[chaossmith2]

Watched Ashin of the North recently, aka the:

"Aren't you tired of being nice?? Don't you just wanna go ape shit??" movie lmao

#ashin of the north #jun ji hyun #kingdom #kingdom netflix #character art #digital art #artists on tumblr #art #illustration #my art

[doorhine]

@nibeul​‘s got me thinking about Kingdom and having watched Ashin of the North again last month, I felt like making another post about the film.

I feel like we don’t talk enough about how smart Ashin is to have figured out how to use the resurrection plant based on the cave art she found. Like, it just said what the plant could do and illustrated how it infected the deer and tiger, not how to resurrect someone. She just figured out how to administer it and how long it would take to work all on her own with presumably no off screen trial and error before using it on her family. Edit: I think there was an image of the plant on a person’s head to imply that’s where it should be put, but there’s still a lot of gaps in that information for Ashin to fill on her own after interpreting the cave art. Long story short, Ashin is one smart cookie.

Also, I really want to know more about the area where the plant grew and how her community relates to it because her dad said their ancestors used to live in Pyesa-gun, so there’s obviously more for the plot to discuss. I don’t know what went down and I’m not sure if her dad knew what the plant could do but I’m assuming he was taught by his elders before him to stay away from that area not just because of the penalty for trespassing. Having watched it again, I just keep wondering how much Ashin’s dad knew about their history in relation to that area.

#I NEED TO KNOW MORE 😫 #also was the plant purposefully planted elsewhere and that's how it got to those shrine locations seo-bi found? #or did they already naturally grow there? #how many places are the plant found??? #ashin of the north #kingdom ashin of the north #kingdom netflix #netflix kingdom

[munnisa]

Watch "KINGDOM "Making Of" Featurette | Netflix Zombie Epic Action Thriller Series" on YouTube

#kingdom ashin of the north #kingdom netflix #netflix kingdom #kingdom #netflix #korean tv series #drama korea #Youtube #kdrama #zombie

[blanket-bug]

I am now writing for Kingdom and Kingdom: Ashin of the North! It is very illegal how there are no fics for these two!

#yandere x reader #yandere scenarios #yandere #kingdom #kingdom ashin of the north #kingdom x reader #ashin x reader

[thenoonachronicles]

Beautiful Song Hye Kyo and Jun Ji Hyun at the Incheon International Airport for Milan and London respectively 😍

#kdrama #korean drama #netflix kdrama #song hye kyo #jun ji hyun #the glory #Kingdom Ashin of the North

[swdefcult]

ashin cold af

#jun ji hyun #ashin #kingdom #kingdom: ashin of the north #zombies #horror

[dramastream]

IN YOU I SEE OUR DEATH

Night in Paradise (2021) dir. Park Hoon Jung My Country: The New Age (2019) dir. Kim Jin Won Move to Heaven (2021) dir. Kim Sung Ho The School Nurse Files (2020) dir. Lee Kyung Mi Alice in Borderland (2020 - ) dir. Sato Shinsuke Tomorrow (2022) dir. Kim Tae Yoon Squid Game (2021 - ) dir. Hwang Dong Hyuk The Silent Sea (2021) dir. Choi Hang Yong   All of Us Are Dead (2022 - ) dir. Lee Jae Gyoo Kingdom: Ashin of the North (2021) dir. Kim Sung Hoon My Liberation Notes (2022) dir. Kim Seok Yoon

#web weaving #parallels #kdramaedit #jdramaedit #netflix #my liberation notes #squid game #alice in borderland #all of us are dead #tomorrow #my country the new age #cinematv #userbbelcher #tvedit #netflixedit #chewieblog #cinemapix #tvcentric #useroptional #usertelevision #televisiongifs #kdrama #dailynetflix #*g #+ #luni #.death.

[buttercuparry]

Okay I am rewatching Kingdom. So you know how Yeong-shin goes to visit his village of Sumang. And when goes to the graves of those fed to the war by Lord Ahn and Cho-Han-Ju, he notices incense burning in front of their graves. Who lit that? Was it Lord Ahn? In his supposed "remorse", did he keep visiting their graves. Or was it Ashin? The one who introduced the mayhem to Joseon kingdom. Like I didn't catch this. Because if it was Ashin! Oh if it was Ashin who keeps visiting the graves...

Like Sumang was sacrificed for the "greater good" just like her village was. I am not saying she feels sorry for introducing the resurrection plant to the elite of the kingdom but perhaps this was an acknowledgement. An acknowledgement that this kingdom eats its own. And sacrifices its own to sustain its life force. And once again history repeats itself and it would keep on repeating and people like her father and her clan would keep dying and dying and dying.

#kingdom netflix #ashin of the north

[thepersona]

A non-romantic K-drama starter pack

If you're interested in K-dramas but don't know where to begin, and aren't interested in (or would like to take a break from) romantic storylines, then this is for you!

P.S.: Some of these dramas may contain romantic side plots that don't necessarily define the main storyline. List not sorted in any particular order, and only includes completed dramas.

Gifs not mine!

Stranger (2017; 2019)

A political crime thriller full of red herrings, "Stranger" (Season 1) follows an investigation into the murder of a man who has bribed countless officials from multiple levels and branches of government. Led by stoic prosecutor Hwang Shi Mok (Cho Seung Woo) and feisty detective Han Yeo Jin (Bae Doona), this well-paced, well-acted drama is full of twists and turns that will make you suspect everyone at some point.

Kingdom (2019; 2020)

Historical political drama meets zombie thriller in the 2019 hit "Kingdom" (Season 1). The story follows Crown Prince Yi Chang (Ju Ji Hoon) as he investigates an outbreak of a mysterious plague that turns average citizens into rabid monsters while fighting to keep  his rightful place as heir to the throne. The hit series has led to a second season and a prequel TV movie "Ashin of the North" (2021).

Signal (2016)

Featuring a mysterious walkie-talkie that links the past to the present, "Signal" is one of the most beloved police dramas of the last decade because of its refreshing take on the genre and the top-notch performances of its three leads: Kim Hye Soo, Lee Je Hoon, and Jo Jin Woong. 

The Uncanny Counter (2020)

"The Uncanny Counter" is a comedy-drama about four "counters", or grim reapers who have been lent superhuman abilities by a group of spirits. Their main job is to stop demons who possess violent criminals that become more powerful by consuming the souls of their victims. Funny, colorful, and action-packed, the show features wonderful performances from the main actors: Jo Byeong Gyu, Yoon Joon Sang, Kim Se Jeong, and (my personal favorite) Yeom Hye Ran. The hit series has been granted a second season.

Racket Boys (2021)

If you need a feel-good drama that's not too heavy on the tears, crime, and lovey-dovey tropes, then this may be for you. "Racket Boys" is about an underdog middle school badminton team that dreams to make a mark on the national level and beyond. The rural setting and endearing ensemble cast, led by the talented Tang Jun Sang, allow for lighthearted moments but are never too cartoonish. A puppy love storyline exists between the leads, but it's very wholesome and innocent, and given far less importance than the struggle surrounding the national tournament.

Squid Game (2021)

International smash hit "Squid Game" is about a mysterious organization that selects individuals with impossible debt to participate in a series of children's games to have a shot at winning 45.6 billion won. The catch: only the winner gets to live. Features an amazing ensemble cast led by Lee Jung Jae, Park Hae Soo, and impressive newcomer Jung Ho Yeon.

Dear My Friends (2016)

A slice-of-life comedy drama featuring a stellar ensemble cast of the most accomplished Korean actors and actresses over 60, "Dear My Friends" follows 40-year-old writer Park Wan (Go Hyun Jung) as she chronicles the stories of her mother, her aunts, and their families. There are two romantic side stories here but the overall plot is more invested in how your friends can become your family especially after you reach a certain age. Think "Golden Girls" but in Korea. Praise-worthy acting from everyone involved, especially the main quintet: Na Moon Hee, Kim Hye Ja, Go Doo Shim, Park Won Sook, and Oscar winner Youn Yuh Jung.

Live (2018)

"Live" is a slice-of-life, police procedural drama that tells the story of rookies and veterans at Hongil Station in Seoul, where there is no shortage of petty and violent crimes. The crimes featured examine the decisions that South Korean cops have to make especially in dangerous situations wherein the gray areas become even grayer. There are romantic storylines between the four leads but they never overshadow the cases. Wonderful acting, especially from Bae Sung Woo and Bae Jeong Ok who play the veterans Oh Yang Chon and Ahn Jang Mi, respectively. Also stars funny man Lee Kwang Soo and the angelic Jung Yu Mi (Train to Busan).

Vincenzo (2021)

Born in South Korea, adopted into an Italian family, mafia lawyer Vincenzo Cassano (Song Joong Ki) flies back to Seoul after falling out with his adopted brother following the death of his boss/father-figure. His mission is to retrieve gold hidden beneath the dilapidated Geumga Plaza before it is ultimately demolished by the evil Babel Group that constantly harrasses its tennants to move out. Teaming up with the feisty lawyer Hong Cha Young (Jeon Yeo Been, Vincenzo uses mafia tactics in his war against the conglomerate that thinks itself above the law. What sounds like a heavy premise is offset by the physical and witty comedy provided by the charismatic leads and supporting cast. There is romance between the leads (who share great chemistry nonetheless) but it is by no means the driving force of this story. They could have recasted this with two male leads as more of a bromance story and the outcome would be quite similar, but Jeon Yeo Been gives a unique, quirky flair to her character that makes her difficult to replace.

Hyena (2020)

I know I said this wasn't a list for romantic K-Dramas but hear me out. There's romance but it's not what you think (the leads kiss a grand total of 3 times, twice in the first ep then once a little later). "Hyena" explores the world of corporate lawyers who serve the South Korean 1%. It's a dog-eat-dog world where the most conniving and least picky hyena reigns supreme. The hyena in question would be the brilliant renegade lawyer Jang Geum Ja (Kim Hye Soo). Sparks fly as she goes head to head with the by-the-book, elite lawyer Yoon Hee Jae (Ju Ji Hoon), whose ideals are constantly challenged as his world unravels around him.  The cases are challenging and the solutions that the leads come up with are intriguing. Romance doesn't drive this drama, but the chemistry between the leads is undeniable. 

#stranger #tvn stranger #cho seung woo #bae doona #hwang shi mok #han yeo jin #kingdom netflix #kingdom #ju ji hoon #yi chang #signal tvn #tvn signal #signal 2016 #kim hye soo #lee je hoon #jo jin woong #the uncanny counter #jo byung gyu #kim se jeong #yoon jun sang #yeom hye ran #racket boys #squid game #dear my friends #live tvn #live 2018 #live kdrama #vincenzo #vincenzo cassano #hyena

[peculiarbob]

Here’s a list of all the Kdramas/Korean movies that I watched in 2023 + some of my thoughts (spoiler free)

The Glory

-Gonna be honest, I only started watching because Kim Hieora and Jung Sung Il are in this show.

-But I ended up really liking it. The bullying scenes were horrifying, the characters were memorable, and overall it was very well made.

Stranger

-HWANG SIMOK! I love him so much! BAE DOONA! I love her so much!

-I loved all the characters and all the twists

Stranger 2

-This season was good too. Seeing the dynamics and relationships between all the characters change was so interesting

Unlocked

-IM SIWAN! The reason why I watched this movie <3

-Is it the best and most unique movie? No. Was it pretty good and entertaining? Yeah!

All Of Us Are Dead

-Even in the zombie apocalypse they’re not free of bullying.

-My heart broke many times. Those poor kids didn’t deserve to go through all of that! (Except Na Yeon. I still don’t like her.)

The Glory Part 2

-Not the typical type of revenge. But I think it’s a very fitting ending.

Physical 100

-This show inspired me to start taking better care of myself.

-Watching everyone hype up this show so much then watching all the controversies come out in real time was crazy. Looking forward to season 2

Kingdom

-This show was on my radar because that zombie dude from Physical 100 said he did the choreography

-I love all of the characters and the zombies were so freaky

Kingdom 2

-The Queen might’ve been the scariest part of this show

-I love this show, season 3? Maybe?

Kingdom: Ashin of the North

-Han Ho Yeol from DP?!?!

-It was really interesting seeing another side to this story

Silent Sea

-BAE DOONA! GONG YOO!

-I don’t understand why this flopped. I really liked this show!

Siren: Survive The Island

-I was team athlete til the end! (I thought Kim Seong Yeon was hot)

-If there isn’t a season 2 I’m going to fight Netflix

Misaeng

-Im Siwan <3

-I really like this show. It really gave me hope and it honestly inspired me to work harder. I’m also trying to learn to play baduk

D.P. 2

-So many emotions. The ending left me feeling a bit empty. I’ve grown so attached to these characters and now it’s just over.

The Wailing

-I think I need to watch this a second time to really analyze it.

-I really like the sfx makeup

Monster

-Accurate representation of neurodivergent people/mentally disabled people? No.

-Interesting villain and fight scenes? Yes

Hide and Seek

-I really liked the twist and how eerie the vibes were

Memoir of a Murder

-I love unreliable narrators. Not knowing what’s real and what isn’t really puts you on the end he of your seat

-Also I didn’t even realize that was Kim Nam Gil

The Policeman’s Lineage

-I only watched this for Kwon Yul

-Decent story but I feel like it fell short of its potential

Hansel and Gretel

-Solid start but I didn’t realize that it was going in the direction that it did

-Not the ending that I expected but I’m satisfied with it

Ballerina

-Honestly, they were so over dramatic when it came to the bdsm stuff. Like okay, he’s kinky. That’s the least concerning thing about him.

-My mom got me to watch this because she likes Kim Ji Hoon

The Mimic

-Interesting concept with interesting characters

-The ending was so fitting, I’m very satisfied with it

Champion

-Another movie I watched for Kwon Yul

-I really like this movie, it’s very comforting and funny

Mother

-This is a cautionary tale, you cannot tell me otherwise!

-I was SHOCKED! It was just so sudden. I don’t know how to explain it without spoiling what happened.

Sweet Home 2

-Interesting. I’m not sure what I expected from this season but this wasn’t it.

-I found it entertaining but I’m not quite sure if I like how they’re approaching this new thing that they’re doing.

#bob is talking #kdrama #the glory #stranger kdrama #unlocked #all of us are dead #physical 100 #kingdom kdrama #the silent sea #siren: survive the island #misaeng #dp kdrama #the wailing #monster 2014 #hide and seek 2013 #memoir of a murderer #the policeman’s lineage #Hansel and gretel 2007 #ballerina 2023 #the mimic #champion 2018 #mother 2009 #sweet home

[heavensentbabe]

Watching the female character's writing and portrayal for Alchemy Of Souls Part 2 gives me terrible flashbacks to the time I watched Bulgasal: Immortal Souls, where I'd wait for the female character to stop early-simping on the cold 'misunderstood monster boy' and to grow a backbone or become powerful again but till the final episode none of that happened; making me aware of the mistreatment towards female characters whose potential is unfulfilled and instead her biggest strength is her love for our depressed, mean, powerful male lead. Because LoVe cOnQuErS aLL 🤡

Hopefully I'm proven wrong by the end of the season but after episode 23, I think they'll prolong this amnesia dynamic till the very last minute. Watch Jang Uk treat her harshly all the way till the second last episode — then he'll feel bad uwu, just like in Bulgasal. It makes my blood boil, because she's just clueless - it's as if she were written like this to be bullied by her love interest. Ugh I gotta rewatch Kingdom: Ashin Of The North to tend to this distress I'm feeling and remind myself that there are still consistent, strong female characters out there in kdrama.

#alchemy of souls light and shadow #alchemy of souls part 2 #alchemy of souls 2 #Bulgasal Immortal Souls #Bulgasal #I don't think we'll get any Naksu scenes at this point. #might as well just drop the drama before i get traumatized again just like in Bulgasal #alchemy of souls