Twenty Five Twenty-One: The Best Korean Drama 2022

Twenty-Five Twenty-One (Korean: 스물다섯 스물하나; RR: Seumuldaseot Seumulhana) is a 2022 South Korean television series directed by Jung Ji-hyun and starring Kim Tae Ri, Nam Joo Hyuk, Bona, Choi Hyun Wook and Lee Joo Myung. The series depicts the romantic lives of five characters spanning from the year of 1998 to 2021.

In 1998, Na Hee Do (played by Kim Tae Ri) is a member of the school fencing team at Seonjung Girls' High School, but due to the IMF crisis, the team is disbanded. To continue pursuing her passion, she transfers to Taeyang High School and later manages to become a member of the National Fencing Team. Baek Yi Jin’s (played by Nam Joo-hyuk) family goes from "riches to rags" and are separated due to the financial crisis. He is forced to take up several part-time jobs and later becomes a sports reporter. In time when dreams seem out of reach, a teen fencer pursues big ambitions and meets a hardworking young man who seeks to rebuild his life. At ages 22 and 18, they say each other's names for the first time, and at ages 25 and 21, they fall in love.

What surprisingly good about this drama, is not only about romantic lives of the young teenagers. The story begins when Na Hee Do Na, a once-fencing prodigy, struggles to prove to herself and others that she can reach her full potential after her school’s fencing team disbanded due to the 1997 Asian financial crisis. After Na’s mother and coach urge her to quit fencing, Na embarks on a journey to prove them wrong. The story follows a naive and determined Na as she does everything in her power to become the rival of  Ko Yu Rim (played by Bona), a South Korean gold medalist champion. Na’s younger mentality is showcased when she goes as far as doing illegal activities to get expelled from school so she can transfer to the school Ko attends. Her reckless actions are the core of why she has failed in fencing for so many years. 

Na’s love interest, Baek, also suffered from the financial crisis after his father’s business went bankrupt, leaving him to fend for himself. He secures a job delivering newspapers for his town, where he meets Na for the first time. Baek is also very young and comes off as cold and a killjoy, but unlike Na, he is an over-thinker who believes his mission is to work hard to rebuild his family’s reputation. 

On the surface, the plot of this drama is a love story between Na and Baek, who always seem to run into each other. The two can’t stand each other at the beginning of their relationship as Na is still very young and reckless, however, Baek, who was forced to grow up quickly and carry his family’s burden, becomes drawn to Na’s careless attitude. But actually this drama tells more than just a love story. It tells us about hardships, finding motivation despite how the situation throws us, friendship, family and growth. During the story, Na always tries her best to do everything she could to pursue her dreams and as she progressed gradually one by one, she gets more matured and wins many gold medal as an athlete. She also gets to compete with Ko Yu Rim, her long-time rivals which turns to be her best friend later on. 

It’s a refreshing take on a youthful love story too if we think from the romantic perspective. But this drama doesn’t aim for a picture-perfect ending between both protagonists like other Korean dramas often do. Instead, it centers on the characters’ coming of age. Because the series jumps between the present and the past, viewers get the sense from the beginning that Na and Baek do not end up together. With this in mind, it helps the story dive further into the development of Na and Baek’s relationship. Instead of focusing on a happy ending, it prepares the audience for a heartbreaking, yet realistic end, reminding us that some relationships are not meant to last forever.  The couple hit their breaking points after Baek scored a job as a reporter. In the beginning, he is naive and tries to make things work with Na, but he soon faces an ethical dilemma as a reporter dating a professional athlete. Still, as the couple tries to make it work, they are warned plenty of times that Baek’s career will cause the fall of their relationship. 

Throughout the relationship, there is a lot of growth from both protagonists. Na matures enough to reach her ultimate goal of winning more than one victory against her fencing idol. Baek hits a turning point in his career when he is sent out to New York City to cover the 9/11 attacks. Eventually, he is offered the news anchor position that Na’s mother once held. We also see how the communication in family is important as Na finally reconciled with her mother too.  

I really like this kind of story, whereby there are many meaningful reminders: 

1. Pursue Our Dreams 

This story tells us how important it is to have grit and perseverance in pursuing our dreams even though dreams seem out of reach. What we call passion starts from what activity you find fun to do it. This story doesn't always tell about pursuing our dreams, because I remember an athlete who tried to quit fencing because she doesn't find it fun anymore. She wants to quit fencing and learn how to bake - which eventually it resonates with me how someone's passion may not always be the same. We could always find our passion in everything we do, yet before deciding to do it, we should always have grit and perseverance on what we really want to try and try our best to do it, not half-heartedly. 

2. Life Lesson

With the situation throws at the couple, we learn that life can not always go as what we expect. If we lose and getting disappointed, we can try to laugh at our tragedy, so that we can forget and move forward. That's the lesson I learnt during the whole story.

Besides, growth doesn't go significantly, instead it goes like a stair - there will be steady growth and at one point, the growth will increase and you will finally reach the top. 

I hope a lot of K-drama will have more stories like this. 

Cheers

The King: Eternal Monarch Drama Review

The King: Eternal Monarch is a 2020 romantic-fantasy South Korean television series starring Lee Min Ho, Kim Go Eun, Woo Do Hwan, Kim Kyung Nam, Jung Eun Chae and Lee Jung Jin. This drama is written by Kim Eun Sook, who also wrote Secret Garden, A Gentleman's Dignity, The Heirs, mega hit Descendant of the Sun and also Goblin.

This drama is really an awaited come back after two years hiatus of Goblin series and it is also the first drama after Lee Min Ho came back from military. Lee Min Ho was discharged on April 25th, 2019 which means this is the first project he works on.

The King: Eternal Monarch revolves around parallel universe theory, whereby Lee Gon (played by Lee Min Ho), a modern-day Emperor of the Kingdom of Corea, attempts to cross the barrier into an alternate reality where the Republic of Korea exists in the Kingdom's stead. He comes across detective Jung Tae Eul (played by Kim Go Eun), whom he recognises from an identity card he obtained during the turning-point of his childhood, his father's assassination when he was 8 years old. Lee Gon's half uncle, Lee Lim (played by Lee Jung Jin), who assassinated the previous king, Lee Ho (Lee Gon's father), is in hiding and assembling armies from both world whilst traversing back and forth between the two parallel worlds.

The theory of parallel worlds here in this drama refers to another person who would look exactly like you physically, even though the circumstances might be different (as in your name, your family structures even your personality). I believe the idea itself is a very creative and genius to put altogether the pieces into a story. However, as I had expected the story, quotes, fashion trend, catchphrase from the usual Kim Eun Sook drama, I would say, The King: Eternal Monarch is way beyond my expectation.

Is that because of the editing sequence? or the failed story telling?

Well, in whatever reasons it is, I feel the chemistry between Lee Min Ho and Kim Go Eun is not there. The sequence for falling in love with the lost King of Corea is also a bit bland - Kim Go Eun as Jung Tae Eul who starts being so harsh at first suddenly becomes gentle towards Lee Gon.

Other than that, sometimes during the course of the event, the timeline doesn't make sense to me and in the end I give up entirely on trying to understand everything. The drama seemed more concerned with aesthetics and being epic than making sense. The frustrating thing for me is that this drama had an interesting premise and general story. It was the execution that was problematic. I often found myself sighing at what could have been if only the plot had been presented in a more coherent and focused way and the leads had been better developed. Most dramas don’t have enough material to fill the episodes, but this one had too much. We ended up with so many characters and threads that it felt messy and chaotic.

The latter half was a little more focused and better edited, but that could only go so far in solving the issues. Either way, there was potential there that wasn’t realized which is a shame. Despite my criticisms of this drama, I do appreciate that such a large-scale story was attempted.

Hopefully the next drama of Kim Eun Sook can be more of convincing.

Hi Bye, Mama! Korean Drama Review

I've always had a huge crush on fantasy drama about having limited time to live, specially the 49 days time to live. This time around, after many years since the 49 days Korean Drama, we have the same story about someone who has 49 days to come back and live as a human before finally going to the afterworld.

Why is it 49 days? Why it is not 14 days, or maybe just 30 days? Why is it always 49 days?

The traditions associated with the 49 days after death in Buddhism derive from “The Tibetan Book of the Dead,” also known as the “Bardo Thodol.” Tibetan Buddhists use this book to help guide their consciousness toward rebirth after they die.

“The Tibetan Book of the Dead” establishes many traditional beliefs Tibetan Buddhists have regarding the afterlife. They don’t believe that people who die go directly to heaven or hell. Prior to their next incarnation, Buddhists believe they go through stages after death. This belief directly contributes to the ceremonies and rituals Tibetan Buddhists perform for 49 days after a person dies.

Buddhists believe that a person will continue the cycle of birth, life, death, and rebirth until they reach nirvana, or enlightenment. However, they don’t necessarily believe that a person is immediately reborn after they die. A person first goes through an “intermediate state” (bardo) before his next rebirth. Many Buddhists believe 49 days is the longest length of time the intermediate state can last.

This is the key reason they perform religious ceremonies every day for 49 days. Buddhists offer up prayers to improve the odds that a person who has died will experience a positive rebirth. According to Tibetan Buddhists, when a person dies, they actually go through three stages. Prayers help them work through the process.

The first stage occurs immediately after someone dies. This is the stage when what remains of their consciousness accepts death and spends time reflecting on their living experiences. During the second stage, which can last up to 49 days (although some Buddhists believe that it always lasts that long), a person’s consciousness may run into apparitions that can frighten them if they forget these apparitions are not real and can’t hurt them. That’s why loved ones pray during the 49 days after death in Buddhism. They believe a person’s consciousness can still receive and understand the words spoken to them in prayer. Because of this, prayers can theoretically help a consciousness navigate this stage. Without them, the apparitions they encounter might confuse them to such a degree that when they’re reborn, they end up in a body that will slow down their progress toward enlightenment.

It’s interesting to note that the 49 days after death in Buddhism somewhat resembles beliefs from other cultures. While it’s important to remember that no two cultures or religions are exactly the same, according to some Christian beliefs, a soul remains on Earth for 40 days after death before fully transitioning to the afterlife.

Hi Bye Mama! is a South Korean drama about a woman, named Cha Yu Ri (played by Kim Tae Hee) who has been a ghost since she died 5 years ago due to tragic traffic accident. She left behind her husband Jo Kang Hwa (played by Lee Kyu Hyung) and their just born daughter, Seo Woo. Meanwhile, Jo Kang Hwa works as a chest surgeon. He was loving, but, after his wife died, his personality changed. After 5 years, his dead wife Cha Yu Ri reappears in front of him.

To become a human again, Cha Yu Ri carries out a reincarnation project for 49 days. She has to find her own place as a wife and a mother if she didn't die to stay alive within 49 days.

The story is very interesting and meaningful as it reminds us how precious being alive is, how great it is to touch someone we love, do something for them and cherish them when we are able to love. One of the great lesson they taught us is to live our life to the fullest so that we do not have any regrets later on. Love when you are able to love and do not waste our given times with meaningless things.

Every episodes made me cry ofcourse and I can't hold back my tears specially when the story talked about how difficult it is to just hold and talk to someone when you are dead and the other person is struggling to live their life. With Cha Yu Ri sudden death, it was really difficult and such a dark time for her husband and her parents. My guess is that, the 49 days given to her is like a gift from God so that her husband and her parents can finally move on with their lives. Because, even after 5 years after her death, they are still living in the dark with so many regrets and it was hard for them to move on. And this is also another lesson to live by, is to still move on with out lives, to become stronger and believe that someone we love will always live in our heart. Sad but true.

This drama is recommended for those who love emotional fantasy drama and this is also a drama comeback for Kim Tae Hee after 7 years. A must watch in Netflix!

Cheers ~

Crash Landing on You Drama Review

The most popular K-drama in early 2020 is Crash Landing on You, starring Hyun Bin and Son Ye Jin. The story talks about a South Korean chaebol heiress crash lands north of the DMZ due to a paragliding mishap where she meets a North Korean officer and falls in love.

And truly, I like it! It’s a lot funnier than I expected for a show set in North Korean and starring a North Korean soldier. Hyun Bin’s straight-laced character absolutely cracks me up when he’s faced with Son Ye Jin’s hyper, almost manic energy. Their chemistry is already intense, especially their comedic chemistry, and I anticipate that to transfer over to romantic chemistry quite smoothly.

I didn’t immediately like either Se Ri or Jung Hyuk — Se Ri came across as spoiled and cold, while Jung Hyuk, being a soldier, seemed very stiff and formal. But as they interacted, they won me over, and I already love them both. Se Ri is strong and intelligent, enough of both to cast off her worthless family and create her own success, and she’s also hilariously quick-thinking to the point that she out-smarted a North Korean officer. And Jung Hyuk turns out to be a bit goofier than he seemed, the way he held onto his pride even as he stood on that land mine and suffered Se-ri’s taunts. I can’t wait to see them become closer, and watch as the more vulnerable, human sides of them emerge.

After several episodes, where they both started to care for each other, I can tell Hyun Bin's character in this drama is so warm and gentle. He can't help himself from falling for Se Ri. As I can tell, even thou Se Ri seems to be strong, yet she has that tragic story from her life. I really like this drama due to its important strong point on mental health. A few years back, Se Ri struggled with life, thought it would be best to commit suicide in Switzerland while travelling. Instead of wanting to die, she found the will to stay alive, the courage to stay strong and keep moving on. Such a good insight. 

You should watch this drama, I really recommend this drama guys ~

Crash Landing on You Upcoming Drama - Hyun Bin & Son Ye Jin

tvN’s upcoming drama “Crash Landing on You” has shared its first teaser poster of Son Ye Jin and Hyun Bin.

The drama will tell the story of chaebol heiress Yoon Se Ri (played by Son Ye Jin) and North Korean officer Ri Jung Hyuk (played by Hyun Bin). They fall in love after Yoon Se Ri is forced to land in North Korea during a paragliding trip due to high winds and Ri Jung Hyuk who falls in love with her while hiding and protecting her.

The first teaser poster features Hyun Bin and Son Ye Jin in front of a bonfire under a night sky full of stars. They gaze deeply into each other’s eyes with a romantic atmosphere in the air. Viewers are already looking forward to their on-screen chemistry as they portray forbidden love between a South Korean woman and North Korean soldier.

The actors filmed in Switzerland and Mongolia, and the teaser captures the breathtaking landscape of these beautiful countries as the two characters crossed paths with each other. Then the second teaser video unveiled the comical first meeting between them, which prompted much excitement.

The new teaser video shows the moment Yoon Se Ri and Ri Jung Hyuk meet for the very first time, where she literally crash lands into him. She calls out for help as she’s stuck in a tree and though she’s glad to see a soldier at first, she takes in his attire and realizes he’s a North Korean soldier. He gets ready to fire on her when she falls on top of him, allowing her to have a safe landing.

Wanting to deny what’s going on, she says, “You defected, right?” but he replies, “You seem to be misunderstanding this situation. You’re in North Korea.” She’s stunned by the revelation as she says, “How did I get here?” The teaser is quite comical compared to the more cinematic first teaser, and give a glance into the great chemistry between Son Ye Jin and Hyun Bin.

Son Ye Jin and Hyun Bin previously starred in the 2018 film “The Negotiation” together, and fans are looking forward to seeing their chemistry once again as leads of this upcoming melodrama.

“Crash Landing on You” is set to premiere in December and is a collaboration between writer Park Ji Eun of “My Love from the Star,” “The Producers,” and “The Legend of the Blue Sea,” and producing director Lee Jung Hyo of “Good Wife,” “Life on Mars,” and “Romance Is a Bonus Book.”

Hotel Del Luna Ending Final

Ever since 49 Days, I think Hotel Del Luna is one of the meaningful drama about life and death. It's truly remarkable to be able to have this kind of drama every once in a while. And thanks to my dear friend, letting me know this drama exists and for sure, I do recommend this drama.

It was clear right from the beginning that there is no such happy ending between Jang Man Wol (played by IU) and Ku Chan Seong (played by Yeo Jin Goo). They both know one day Man Wol has to leave and go to afterlife. To be honest, there was a bit of spoiler that Man Wol has died because she committed suicide after killing so many people, yet I do not see that background story. It's just that her time stopped and she's been living for 1,300 years and never aged.

Man Wol has been punished for her entire life because of her past. She has to attend to ghost who just died and still want to linger in this world with their unfinished business before the time comes for them to go to afterlife. Because once you go to afterlife (crossing the Sanzu River - or we used to call it as the bridge that separate the living and the death), you will forget all the memories during your living time and that's where the reincarnation theory will take place.

Man Wol could not let go of her past and instead dwelling upon it, tried to take revenge before she go to her afterlife. That revenge energy hold her to get punished in the world between the living and the death. Even after 1,300 years, she never once let of of Chung Myung who betrayed her and still want to take revenge on him. So irony, that human life is like that, maybe for some there are still some unfinished business during our living time, yet we still hold onto them - making our journey to the afterlife a bit complicated.

The subject of death is not an easy one to talk about, much less create lovely stories around, but I loved the tales of the hotel’s guests and the lessons they taught. For me, Hotel del Luna wasn’t so much about death as it was about concepts like peace, forgiveness, kindness, good and evil, and appreciating life while you can. Even though it took Man Wol thirteen hundred years to learn how to understand and forgive, she was eventually about to heal once she was willing to let herself be vulnerable, and by healing she enabled herself to move on and be happy. It’s a simple lesson, but an important one, and seeing her become capable of letting go is a help to me to be able to believe by letting myself be vulnerable, healing will take place and letting me be happy instead.

Hotel del Luna has taught us, it’s that parting is inevitable, but that goodbye is never forever. Life and death are a circle, and every ending is also a beginning. And it's our duty to start living and appreciating life as it is, be kind and always learn how to forgive and cherish life.

Hotel Del Luna 2019 Korean Drama Review

"Don't judge a book by its cover" is a pretty well-known saying and I think it suits the Korean Fantasy Drama, Hotel Del Luna. Naturally, a scary, old, dilapidated building isn't worth a second glance because come on, there's nothing to see but cobwebs and ruined walls. But this particular building begs to disagree because it holds a grand secret that's definitely shocking.

The 16-episode series give viewers an exciting new look at shabby buildings because the torn down establishment located in the heart of Seoul is actually an extravagant, Victorian-styled hotel complete with an outlandish interior, luxurious rooms, and expensive champagnes (because what's a hotel without a nice drink, right?) that is open for business as soon as the sun has set. I might just catch a plane to go there right away if not for the, er, scary catch: the hotel only caters to ghosts! The youthful-looking actress, IU, will act as Jang Man Wol, the CEO of Hotel Del Luna. Her character is a bossy and ill-tempered woman who has done something terrible in the past so she is being punished with immortality and is tasked to run the hotel. Try as she might though, she can't seem to  remember what her grave sin was (spoiler alert: she committed suicide);  but she has accepted her fate and continues to manage the business.

Because of her extravagant spending, the hotel is doomed for bankruptcy. This is where Yeo Jin Goo's character, Goo Chang Sung comes in handy. He is hailed as the youngest assistant manager in a multinational hotel company. He's a perfectionist and is good at what he does but is secretly faint-hearted. Jang Man Wol uses this to her advantage and sends a ghost to scare him and persuade him to work for her. Goo Chang Sung takes up the position of General Manager in Hotel Del Luna and ends up nagging Jang Man Wol a lot. 

I think it's safe to assume that this drama will have lots of funny, bickering scenes of the two main leads and I'm already loving it! Days before the show's premiere, new posters have been released and one of them appears to be a character relationship chart which shows Lee Tae Soon and Lee Do Hyun as somehow connected to IU's character. Meanwhile, it shows Park Yoo Na and Cho Hyun Cheol as having a close relation to Goo Chang Sung. Other actors in the character map were Shin Jung Geun, Bae Hae Sun, P.O., and Kang Mina. Seo Yi Sook and Kang Hong Seok will be playing gods in the drama as well as actor Jung Dong Hwan who plays Manager Noh.

Thanks to my love for all things supernatural and fantasy-related, I'm already dying to watch the show! I'm also wondering if like in Goblin, their lives are intertwined in the past. Oh well, the only hope of finding out is to tune in once it premieres!

Song Joong Ki Files For Divorce From Song Hye Kyo

Song Joong Ki and Song Hye Kyo got married in October 2017 after starring together in the hit drama “Descendants of the Sun”

Song Joong Ki has officially filed for divorce from Song Hye Kyo.

On June 27, Song Joong Ki’s attorney Park Jae Hyun officially announced, “Our law firm filed for divorce on behalf of Song Joong Ki at the Seoul Family Court on June 26. Additionally, we would like to convey Song Joong Ki’s official statement.”

In his statement, Song Joong Ki apologized to his fans and explained that he hoped for an amicable divorce. The actor’s full statement is as follows:

Hello. This is Song Joong Ki.

First, I’d like to apologize for delivering this unfortunate news to the many fans who love and care for me.

I have begun the process of filing for divorce from Song Hye Kyo.
Rather than denouncing one another and arguing over who is to blame, I hope that the divorce process can be wrapped up amicably.

I ask for your understanding in regards to the fact that it is difficult to discuss the details of my personal life, and I will recover from my current wounds and do my utmost as an actor to repay you through great productions in the future.

Thank you.

Following Song Joong Ki’s announcement that he has filed for a divorce, shortly afterwards, Song Hye Kyo’s agency United Artists Agency (UAA) Korea responded to the news on behalf of the actress.

A representative of the agency stated, “We find it unfortunate that we are greeting you with unhappy news. After careful consideration, actress Song Hye Kyo and her husband are taking the first steps toward a divorce.”

“The reason [for the divorce] is differences in personality,” continued the agency, “and because the two were unable to overcome their differences, they were forced to come to this decision. We respectfully ask for your understanding in regards to the fact that we cannot confirm any further details out of respect for the two actors’ personal lives. Additionally, we urge you to refrain from making scandalous posts and speculative comments.”

Such a surprising news this morning. I remember how spectacular it was when the two of them announced their marriage two years back. Yet, with such a classic excuse of "the differences in personality", the two decided to end their marriage. I don't know what's the meaning of marriage for them or everyone elese, but for me, it is such a holy thing, a promise and vow to God that two person is willing to stay and being committed in the relationship, hoping for a long lasting marriage.

These days, it was so easy to get married once you feel all the butterfly feeling, but staying in marriage is difficult. Sometimes such news like this gives me clarity that it's better to be late to get married with the right person rather than rushing to tie a knot but gonna last only for a couple of years. It was really a waste of time - not withstanding that it can turn out to be a mistake to learn and such, but sometimes it's such a pity that it has to end that way. Even though we know, there is no such a perfect person or right person, but rather than someone who can be your companion, who can talk about everything and care of each other. Sometimes, marriage is about to "let" each other, as in give up certain standards or need for the sake of his/her happiness. But how many times are you willing to let the other person "win"? Marriage in the end is all about lifetime and a lifetime is a very long time.

Arthdal Chronicles First Impression

In the mythical land of Arth, various tribes vie for power and claim over Arthdal, one of the greatest ancient cities ever built. Arth is a realm home to heroes, where conquest and survival are the motifs of this fantasy world. 

Before kings and nations existed, dominant tribes of mankind (saram) joined together to form a union, giving rise to civilization and creating Arthdal (Aseudal) which would become the cornerstone of human advancement and technology. In the hopes to extend the alliance to the Neanthals (a superior race gifted with supernatural-like abilities),  Sanung Niruha (Kim Eui Sung) leader of the Saenyeok tribe and Mihol (Jo Sung-Ha) leader of the Hae tribe, fail to persuade Raknruv, leader of the Neanthals who wants nothing to do with human ambition, affirming his position with his tribe's belief in maintaining a harmonious relationship with nature. 

Disgruntled but not anguished at the loss of a greater race joining forces with them, Sanung devises a plan to rid the earth of the Neanthals as they now pose as a threat. Needing the fertile land of the Neanthals for the purpose of cultivation, Sanung delivers Asa Hon (Choo Ja Hyun) a translator between the two tribes as a necessary sacrifice, sending her off with gifts laced with a poisonous illness that will annihilate the Neanthals. Little does anyone know however, that Tagon, a young boy and Sanung's own son is the mastermind behind the plot on the Neanthals, aiding his father and winning the favour of warriors and tribesmen. Appointed as a war leader for his strategic planning, Tagon assembles his forces to hunt down any remaining Neanthals.

Appalled by the genocide she played a hand in, Asa Hon escapes with Ragazeu (Yoo Teo) a surviving Neantthal. The two fall in love and she gives brith to Igutu children (the name given to interracial children between a human and a Neanthal) born on the day an azure comet travels across the sky. 

As the hunt to eradicate Neanthals takes the course of several years, neither parent or child is safe and Ragazeu gives his life protecting them. Now a widow and separated from her oldest child, Asa Hon flees to Iark with her youngest, Eunseoum, to a place where the gods of Arth can't exercise their power. Tagon however, finds the Igutu child and spares its life.

After ten long years of searching for a way down the Black Cliff and with a sickly body, Asa Hon crosses the Sea of Tears, a volcanic and deadly no-man's land in order to bring Eunseoum to Iark. Upon arriving she dies with delirium, believing that her son is Armun incarnated, the founding god of Arthdal. 

Years have past, and Eunseoum (Song Joong Ki) becomes an alienated member of the Wahan tribe. His only confidant and friend is Tanya (Kim Ji Won) born on the same day as the azure comet and destined to become the Mother of her tribespeople. 

Their innocent world however, becomes threatened when Tagon (Jang Dong Gun) and his forces arrive in Iark, laying claim on the land and taking the Wahan people as slave hostages. 

Vowing to exact revenge, Eunseoum journeys to Arthdal, possibly fulfilling a prophecy and becoming Tagon's greatest foe, more dangerous than Tagon's own father who detests him. 

The idea that Eunseoum is potentially a malevolent god incarnated on earth becomes basis for a lot of theories but there's facts presented in the drama that confuse the audience as to the existence of Armun or who he even is. As an Igutu, Eunseoum is considered a cursed being that the gods frown upon, which is why Asa Hon travels the perilous journey to Iark, in order to avoid the wrath of the Arth gods. 

Yet, it's also clear that he is most definitely the hero of this tale. Kanmoreu, the legendary horse of Armun, finds Eunseoum and lets him become his rider and that could mean one of two things. Eunseoum is in fact Armun incarnated, or a demigod of sorts. If he is Armun, then the changes that will happen to the innocent and naive Eunseoum will be drastic and fatal. His mixed blood is also a fascinating aspect to the story. The distinctive features of an Igutu being is its blood which runs purple, similar to how Neanthals have blue blood (literally purple and blue blood; they bleed different blood than humans). Purple eyes, lips, and claws that appear as a defensive instinct are features Eunseoum possesses. 

Thinking about this mythical character critically, Igutus and Neanthals seem extremely similar to gumihos and how they're conceived in Gu Family Book. My mind just kept going back to Choi Jin-Hyuk's character since I could see the similarities between him and Ragazeu. Another interesting aspect related to the mythology of Arth is that mankind is incapable of dreaming. Only those strongly connected spiritually to nature or the gods have the power to dream, and that's an ability Eunseoum has, which alienates him further. His birth is also considered a bad omen, since prophecy declares that one born on the same day as the azure comet will bring calamity and destruction.

Tagon on the other hand, I find a little more dissatisfying as a character if I'm being entirely honest. Since the first episode contains a time jump and goes back and forth slightly between the present and the past, we get a blurred idea of who Tagon truly is. Since we don't see Tagon's progression in becoming this cunning leader and warrior, we have to rely on the little the Writers have mapped out for us to follow. Young Tagon had glimpses of the things we're to assume the older version has, despite how underwhelming and anti-climatic Tagon seems to be in the present. 

The younger version was more chilling in the sense that he could go from being philosophical, and an admirer of nature to this boy who could quite easily plan and execute an entire genocide. I also wish we could see sparks to a little madness in him, to imply how power hungry he really is. Maybe the thirst for god-like power is yet to come but I hope Tagon becomes a bad guy we can admire or if the Writers can erase the definitive lines between good and evil, to simply give us an opportunistic man who knows he's smarter and better than the rest of them. He's definitely not spiteful as a character but he's also been somewhat boring during the first 4 episodes. And I can only recall one instance when the older Tagon actually gave me moment to pause and reassess the situation.

The men of the series aside, the really interesting characters happen to be the drama's women! Tanya and Taealha (Kim Ok Bin) are respectively very different women with position and power. Taealha is a schemer and wants to aid and own the man who'll claim the most amount of power in Arth, at her side or even in the palm of her hand. 

She's a full fledged schemer and daughter of Mihol, knowing privilege and what it means to play political games, choosing sides wisely. 

Tanya on the other hand, comes from humble beginnings but has been told her entire life that she'll be a leader one day and has to carry a heavy burden determined by destiny. Their portrayals are interesting and the actresses have nailed their characters, breathing life to women rarely found in Sageuks. I personally want to see more of Taealha, because her confrontations and conversations with Tagon are tense and truly represent the power struggles occurring in Arth. 

Now that we have plot and characters out of the way, we can finally move onto the technicalities of the show! As I watched this, I couldn't help but draw comparisons to Game of Thrones, and you could basically photoshop Tagon onto Jon Snow and vice versa but even the entire steady build-up of a storyline involving prophecy and destiny are quite similar. The ambitions this series has however, is quite different since it still feels like a Sageuk but more heavily centred on myth and tribal culture...we're extremely accustomed to Joseon dynasty dramas at this point, eh? 

It's definitely a fusion series, with references and influences drawn from a broader global context. Looking closely, the residence of Arthdal dress similarly to Sumerians and their devotion to their gods is also a homogeneity (if I had to narrow it down to an ancient civilization the Writers are drawing upon). The advances of Arthdal and it being a cultural hub with tribe leaders ravenous for domination seems like they're going for a Babylon feel or Tower of Babel impression, where they'll construct the greatest towers and landmarks, etc. 

There are however, anachronistic incidences that went over the Writers' heads. The attention to detail in regards to the mythology is commendable, but having scenes where tribe leaders form a union in order to construct a kingdom makes no sense if humankind has no notion of what a nation even is or how to conceptualize a kingdom. I also think there may be too much time spent on rituals, and I know it's an important part of tribal culture here but not necessarily central for plot progression. As a three part series, consisting of six episodes per part, there's a lot to cover and little time do so even with each episode clocking in at 80 mins. That being said, they need to move things along in order to thoroughly reveal the lore they've so intricately set in place since at this point, it's still highly convoluted.

I do see where they're coming from because the Asa tribe (White Mountain Tribe) are considered holier in the sense that they're spiritually connected to the gods. Considering that this is the tribe of Asa Hon and may play a major part into Tanya's spiritual abilities in the future, and has connections to the Wahan people, the Writers might be showing more detailed rituals to act as a plot device or creating a framework with deeper meaning. 

My only real qualm with this series is that I wish it had more drama or theatrics, especially in regards to revelations and episode endings. There's no sense of finality or suspenseful buildup which falls short on the entertaining scale. Sageuk is a genre that expertly knows how to form tension and dramatic, climatic endings (I'm thinking along the lines of Six Flying Dragons) but this series just ends on a flat note each time, simply doing its bit and then ending abruptly. I know the aim here is to go raw or go home, but a bit of theatrics and suspense could really amp up the viewer's feelings and interest. Going sleeker and darker would have rocked my world and wouldn't have me on the fence about this, but I can see where this might have been the stylistic choice the drama chose to convey with a specific tone that emotes certain feelings for viewers.

All things considered, Arthdal Chronicles is unlike anything Korean Dramas could have ever imagined to become, with mythical complexities and detailed characters. The intricacies are exhaustive at times but I watch on out of curiosity, even if certain story aspects are easy to predict outside of the mythological. I don't know where the show is headed or what to expect in the long run, and that may be a fun ride, although an uneasy one.