Kingdom is about a zombie pandemic set in historical Joseon, where Prince Lee Chang (Joo Ji Hoon) teams up with Nurse Seo Bi (Bae Doona) to figure out the cause and treatment to the pandemic, while trying to navigate the political machinations by Lord Cho Ha Ju (the terrifying Rye Seung Ryong) to oust him from his position.
So I got Netflix this year and it has really changed my tv watching habits. American and UK shows are now so much easier to access, and coupled with the pandemic preventing any travel, I ended up marathoning Sex Education seasons 1-2, Ozark seasons 1-3, Peaky Blinders season 1, Mindhunters season 1-2 and recently also the entirety of Glee after hearing about the tragic passing of the wonderful and talented Naya Rivera. Itaewon Class was the first korean drama I watched on Netflix, but Kingdom is the first real Netflix original that I've watched. It had rave reviews, but you need to be in a certain mood to watch a sageuk zombie show. Well, I'm glad I at least waited for 2 seasons, because it was amazing and extremely addictive and I watched all 12 eps in about a week.
Kingdom is probably one of the objectively best shows to have ever been produced. All the Netflix money really shines through in the production quality. The quality and scale of everything was just magnified, which really aided the show in creating the tension and urgency necessary. The cinematography was also GORGEOUS. Paired with a good director with a clear vision, each shot is elevated to enhance the story.
The plotting and pacing of the show was also solid throughout. This is one of the few shows where I did not spoil myself prior to watching, which means plenty of time I sat gobsmacked and the new twist the writers pulled. I remember being utterly breathless as I watched that entire sequence of Lord Ahn Hyun dying, and then coming back as a zombie. I was awed by the bravery of the writers to continually be willing to kill off main characters to advance the plot, which really helps to keep the tension as NO ONE is safe, and helps to prevent things from being repetitive.
I also appreciated the writer clearly having had a clear vision for the story she wants to tell, with little easter eggs littered throughout the show for you to go back and pick up on after certain things are revealed - for example the parasites being the cause of the disease. Even things like the temperature being the cause of the zombie activation rather than night made sense, and kept things exciting.
Court intrigue may be utterly boring when not well executed, but in Kingdom, it is inexplicably tied to the zombie pandemic issue and the main character, so it mattered to us. And the deft way in which things are revealed to us - from the first reveal of the King being a zombie, to the reason why Lord Cho wants to keep him alive, the house of pregnant women, to the secret the Queen harbors, helped viewers (and the characters) to slowly put the pieces together of the horrible plot brewing in the palace.
I have never watched Joo Ji Hoon much, but I was thoroughly impressed by
his Prince Lee Chang - stately, righteous, courageous, and my heart
broke for him with every setback he faced. Bae Doona doesn't have the best sageuk accent, but she was otherwise reliable as the kind, smart and brave Nurse Seo Bi. Rye Seung Ryong is no stranger to playing the big bad, and here he was always so quietly calm, which makes him even scarier. Kim Hye Jun as the Queen was slightly shaky, but she really improved in season 2 with less lines and more focus on her bitchy facial expressions.
Kingdom once again proves that Korea has the ability to produce such high quality shows comparable to, or even surpassing, the standards of Western shows. Needless to say, I CANNOT wait for season 3 of Kingdom, especially with the addition of the always incredible Jeon Ji Hyun! In the mean time, it's time to watch season 2 of Secret Forest!