Arthdal Chronicles Part 1: The Children of Prophecy (2019)

WHY YOU MUST WATCH ARTHDAL CHRONICLES!!

I cannot express in words the level at which I absolutely ADORE this show, but I will try regardless, because I have been evangelizing for this show all over every single kdrama related social media platform and have compiled a lot of good reasons to watch it so here they are.

1) WORLDBUILDING: The plot and worldbuilding are absolutely incredible. As an avid reader, I rarely see worldbuilding in shows or movies that compare to a good fantasy novel, but this show has worldbuilding comparable to a Brandon Sanderson book (and that is saying something). It is most definitely a plot driven story and the plot NEVER drags. Some have said it's slow, but frankly it is quite the opposite, the tensions that arise from all the complexity going on is intense.

2) PREMISE AND PLOT: AC is is a historical/ fantasy drama set in the bronze age in an ancient kingdom called Arthdal. It begins by discussing a world where there are 2 dominant species, humans and neanthals who are in all senses more beautiful and stronger than humans are. This is such a unique premise for a kdrama because I've never seen a drama set in this time period nor have I seen a true high-fantasy kdrama yet and here swoops in Arthdal Chronicles into a realm never explored and does it soooo beautifully.

3) THE PILOT EPISODE IS GOOOOLDEN: Arthdal Chronicles probably has THE BEST pilot episode i have ever seen! I loved it so much that I legitimately thought the show could not possibly get any better after so I dropped it for 6 months and that is the BIGGEST REGRET OF MY LIFE, because it GET's ALOT BETTER!!! If you like the premise I definitely recommend you watch the first episode and decide based on that if you want to continue the show. But I've also heard some people say that they didn't like the first episode since there is so much worldbuilding in it, and I'd just say don't worry about memorizing all the tribes and stuff and hang in there for a couple more episodes and you should see everything pick up.

4) CAST: This should probably be higher up in the list, but whatever. THE CAST IS INCREDIBLE! Song Joong Ki was brilliant in this for sooo many reasons that I can't say cause it would be a major spoiler but I legitimately think this is probably his best work (next to a Werewolf Boy cause that was a masterpiece). Kim Ji Won played her role perfectly and I adored how strong and intelligent she was. I was introduced to Jang Dong Gun and Kim Ok Bin through this drama, but they seriously stole the spotlight. Tagon (played by Jang Dong Gun) was so charismatic that it was almost impossible for me to hate him despite how many terrible things he did, and Tae Al-ha (played by Ok Bin) was the most bada*s women I have encountered in a drama, I hated her guts and adored her all at once and caught myself saying "Slay Queen" a little too much (especially after she actually slays some people). The rest of the cast was also so incredible but I really don't have the time to go over all of them so I'll leave it at that.

5) VINCENZO: If you're trying to get over your post-Vincenzo depression (and right into a new one lol) this IS PERFECT FOR YOU. I watched around the time that episode 3 of Vincenzo was out and I loved Song Joong Ki in it so I checked out his other dramas. A good friend of mine had recommended it a while back but I never finished it so I came back and OMG SONG JOONG KI WHY DO I KEEP FALLING IN LOVE WITH YOU!!! I really don't want to say it, but AC might....just might...be better than Vincenzo??

6) DEEPER MEANING: It addresses such relevant and deep issues in humanity and civilization like human greed, the root of corrupt political institutions and tribalism, and the inevitability of capitalist institutions as a stage of the development of civilization (which is just a really complicated way for me to say that the show can be really deep if you pay enough attention to the details, it's still good if you don't though).

Overall, The cast is top notch, the setting is beautiful and the OST (Poem of Destiny by Ailee) is literally the most beautifully intense and unique drama OST out there and everything about this drama is perfect sooo ya... go watch it cause I 1000000/10 RECCOMEND!!

Also...WHERE IS MY SEASON 2!!!!!!!! The emotional trauma I am enduring waiting for this is not acceptable!!

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Refreshing

This drama was a new step for korea and that is much of the reason why it received such criticism within the country. That and the fact that many thought it resembled GOT closely. First, I understand this perspective because the overall feeling and look did seem to be very inspired. If you enjoyed GOT, I would think you would like this one, too. Overall, the plot was very refreshing and unique for a korean drama. It was exciting and suspenseful and I loved to see the incorporation of fantasy and mythology, including fantasy culture and people somewhat based on Korean history. There is a small amount of romance and possibly love triangle (not really developed), but it is mostly out of focus and the show focuses on the loyalty and belonging of people instead. There were some historical type inaccuracies that bothered some, but considering it is fictional and fantasy, I didn't think it mattered personally. Overall, it was a very interesting and enjoyable show!

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This drama is worth watching. There are moments of dramatic intensity, where it's nearly impossible for you to turn your attention away. It has a fascinating story line that covers betrayal, war, corruption, power dynamics, love, friendships and survival. You are taken through numerous battles between different species or tribes and their path to survival or annihilation. There are also riveting plot twists that you NEVER saw coming.

This drama does not give you the opportunity to feel bored. The first episode kicks off with a war. The Neanthals never had a chance whether during the war or the cruel hunt that followed, "the Great Hunt". What also resonated with me was that one young boy, Tagon, came up with the whole vicious plan to annihilate them. Or when he proudly announced to his tribe he was wearing the skull of a dead Neanthal that was skinned from head to toe on his head like a trophy after a hunt. I am not even halfway finished with this drama but he is starting to turn out to be one hell of a psychopath. After the massacre of Neanthal, the Union has become a dominant force but it appears their need for conquest and control was just getting started.

On a lighter note, the friendship that blossomed between EunSeom and Tanya is heartwarming. You could really see the joy and love they have for each other, its an innocent sweet romance. Sadly, no PDA as of yet. Eunseom and Tanya do end up on separate journeys and a new unexpected character is introduced, Saya. Each having to experience their own trials and tribulations to become stronger. Eunseom's suffers on his path, particularly because of him being half Saram and Neanthal. But, you also see him becoming stronger. Whilst still stubbornly sticking to his values even after repeated betrayals demonstrating, yes, some naiveness but also true leadership and genuine loyalty to those that cross his path. However, I would have liked for there to have been more time dedicated to the romance between Eunseom and Tanya instead of the focus on Tagon's romance.

I have always been a fan of Song Joon Ki. Honestly, what is there not to like? But, in this drama he took on the challenge of playing two completely distinct roles and nailed it! Tagon also is a force to be reckoned with. He killed his father and then managed to make an entire nation worship him as a God, all in a matter of a day. At this point, I am patiently waiting to just see his demise at the end of this drama. This is the only piece that may slightly impact my rating. I think the good guys deserve a win and this drama a happy ending.

Xabara, is a character that appeared in the last few episodes but I thought was kick ass! I wish her character had a more frequent/stable role in the drama. Perhaps season 2?

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Watch this patiently to appreciate part 2 & 3

Obviously, I watched this drama because of Song Joong Ki., my second time seeing him in a non-dashing and undesirable look after in "My Werewolf Boy". I believed this drama was either the first or one of the few that produced a reimagination of the lives of the earliest people; It was fascinating to hear their dialect, particularly on the kids' cast, overflowing with talents for them to memorize and pronounce it The build-up of the story was tortoise-like but I had to press down my standards since it was a chronicle, needed a long and detailed narration as precedence. On the contrary, your eyes will be delighted by the sight of nature's beauty and the pride of its cinematography.

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A curse or a gift, it's our choice

This was so fun to watch.
Some things were predictable but I still wanted to see how they would turn out.
It's not perfect but it got better with every episode.

Story
I really like fantasy and this kind of world building. It's simple but interesting.
This part is the beginning where we see how it all started and it did it's job, it made me want to watch more.

Thing's I liked
- Eun Seom and Tanya, they are so cute together.
- The legend of their birth.
- The story went from super dark to cute to super dark again.
- How the heroes never gave up.
- The horse, even the horse was cool.
- I didn't like Tagon and I don't think I will like him till the end but he is an interesting character.
- The supporting characters are awesome and many of them became my favorite characters. Moo Baek showed up for a super short amount of time and I somehow ended up liking him, I hope he switches sides.
- Fight scenes.
- CGI and the world building.
- Costumes.
- Cinematography.
- How there are many villains, I feel like everyone on Saram side sucks. They will destroy themselves before any of the other characters get to take revenge.

Great watch for fantasy lovers.
I'm excited to watch the next part.

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Could've been great

I am not a fan of historical dramas, but this one certainly caught my eye. In the earlier episodes of the first part, I was immediately drawn to the backstory but after a while, everything just seemed incredibly draggy. I kept waiting for something to happen but the story never really progressed even by the end of the third part.

This drama truly had the potential to be great. The set was amazing, the whole idea of the different tribes and the fantasy aspect was really interesting, the casting seemed very well thought out as well, but the drama had way too many pointless fillers. When I finished this drama, I literally said "wait, that's it?" out loud when I finished everything. I felt that it was a complete waste of my time. The OSTs weren't even memorable enough...

In summary:
What i liked - set, cgi, concept, cast
What i disliked (and i really disliked this) - the way the story was unfolded to us viewers

Star of the show: Eunseom/Saya, played by Song Joong-ki

Rating: 4.5/10
Watch if you like disappointment.

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una buena historia, un buen guión, unas buenas actuaciones, dan como resultado, a un buen drama.

story / characters: 9.6
⸺ la historia me fascino desde el primer momento en que la vi y considero que la premisa es demasiado buena y en esta primera parte pudieron desarrollarlo de una manera que se sintió correcta, eun seom y ta gon son personajes que tienen historia y profundidad más allá de lo que vemos por primera vez y mientras más los ves, más intriga te da, más ganas de seguirlos viendo y considero que la historia en si es interesante y sigue un ritmo rápido durante los 6 episodios; en cada uno vemos distintos aspectos que engloban arthdal y vamos conociendo cada vez más a los personajes; pienso que lo desarrollaron de una manera en la que la fantasía con el toque de historia y política no se sintió pesado en absoluto, sino que fue bastante manejable; y desde el primer momento tanto ta gon como eun seom, el lado de los villanos y el lado de los héroes, marco sus diferencias y sus identidades de manera clara y siento que hubo una congruencia en cada una de sus acciones. el simple plot te hace tener expectativas demasiado altas y cuando te encuentras con la historia, todas esas expectativas se ven llenadas de manera satisfactoria.

acting / cast: 9.5
⸺ ¿qué puedo decir de las actuaciones?, fueron espectaculares y kim jiwon me sorprendió de manera sorprendente, solo la había visto en descendants of the sun y aunque su actuación en el fue buena, nada comparado a lo que vi en este drama, esto es lo que resulta de un buen guión, de una historia congruente y de una buena producción, fue lo que pensé mientras lo veía, es un tipo de actuación que considero que vale la pena. con song joongki, la verdad es que no hay mucho que decir, decidí empezar este drama por el hecho de que joongki estaba en el, así que las expectativas que tenía respecto a su actuación eran bastantes grandes, pero las pudo superar por completo, es un tipo de actor demasiado valioso, cualquier papel que le pongas le quedará y eso es tener talento. los otros actores me sorprendieron gratamente, no conocía a ninguno, pero pude sentir emociones con sus actuaciones y eso es lo más importante para mí cuando estoy viendo algún drama o película, me emocione con sus actuaciones y quedé bastante sorprendida con el nivel de la producción, los visual fx fueron espectaculares y fue el primer drama que vi con ese nivel de calidad.

ost: 8.5
⸺ el ost fue bueno en general, agradable al oído, pero no son canciones que generalmente escucharía, el drama en general me hizo sentir emociones bastantes fuertes y es por eso que el ost me termino gustando un poco, consta de canciones como: the poem of destiny de ailee, que fue la canción principal de esta primera parte.

rewatch value: 9.0
⸺ definitivamente volvería a verlo, desde el principio hasta el fin y sin saltarme ninguna parte, es un tipo de drama que vale la pena ver y disfrutar, al final las actuaciones y la historia te termina eclipsando de una manera bastante interesante que se vuelve cada vez más fácil dejarte llevar por el ritmo del guión. hay una química bastante interesante entre cada personaje y quisiera verlo de nuevo solamente por eso, creo que lograr una química tan buena habla del talento de cada actor al igual que un buen trabajo respecto a la producción y a la manera en como llevaron el proyecto. hay varias escenas que quiero revivir y sentir la misma emoción que sentí al verlas (SPOILER: en los primeros episodios, la escena en la que tan ya está practicando el baile de su tribu y eun seom la está acompañando es bellísima y me sorprendió enormemente la química que manejaron jiwon y joongki).

overall: 9.1
⸺ arthdal chronicles pt.1: the children of prophecy fue una parte bastante satisfactoria, en la que la historia nos fue revelando datos interesantes y generando una tensión que al final solo nos dejaría con ganas de ver más. siempre será un placer ver a song joongki actuar, por lo que este drama simplemente considero que es obligatorio si eres fan o te interesa este tipo de contenido; pienso que vale la pena gastar horas de tu día conociendo esta historia y es satisfactoria de principio a final, te deja esperando más y con la parte 2 y la parte 3 logras entender cada vez más a cada personaje y crear una opinión propia; considero que los villanos tienen motivos entendibles más no justificables, ta gon ha sido uno de los villanos que más satisfacción tuve de conocer y pienso que la historia a parte de centrarse en la parte de fantasía, también se centra en la intención de cada personaje de estar ahí y eso es bastante valioso para mí. es una historia que merece ser apreciada por el nivel de calidad que maneja y por el esfuerzo que se hizo para llevarse a cabo.

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Please help bring Arthdal back if you enjoyed it

http://chng.it/v8FDMDtn5d

I 100% loved this show. Great and compelling acting. Yes, the CGI could use some work but honestly its some of the best I have seen compared to other Kdramas. The plot of twisting and had enough time to build into it and not just jumping from twist to twist, plot idea to plot idea. I know there have been complaints that it was 'slow' but I think that is based on how fast typically Kdramas run especially being only 1 season when this was obviously meant to run much longer. I actually enjoyed the slower pace and built of anticipation.

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Amazing! (Info in review - Read before watching to avoid disappointment)

Amazing, binge worthy show. Highly recommended! (See info below to avoid disappointment)

**INFO **

**Parts 1,2 &3 of Arthdal Chronicals each have ×6 episodes, totaling ×18 episodes which make up Season 1 (Netflix).
** There have been concerns around the shows renewal & numerous scandals. However, in early 2020 they tweeted confirmation that the show had been renewed for Season 2. (See quote & link below). There has been no further confirmation or official updates as far as I know. So it's all still a bit wishy-washy on the details & there's still a chance it might never happen.

Since Season 1 (Part 3) ends on a cliffhanger, I suggest you maybe wait & see if the show continues before you invest hours of your life. Fingers crossed it will be ?

https://mobile.twitter.com/netflixarthdal/status/1227864083375906816
Arthdal Chronicles
@netflixarthdal· Feb 13, 2020
"We are currently preparing to launch filming for a new season of 'Arthdal Chronicles' by the second half of this year. We are still in the process of reviewing factors such as the director, the cast, etc." #ArthdalChroniclesSeason2

Thanks & hope this info helps!

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A must watch for fans of historical fantasy

I watched this as a season which included parts 1-3 so this is about that first season or 18 episodes.

9/10 is my rating. This is a 2019 South Korean Fantasy Historical, Action, Tribal Romance with 18, 80 Minute episodes.

First I provide a Unique Synopsis then Review

Synopsis

It is tribal warfare in the mythical land of Arth. As warfare and power struggles inevitably happen in the battle for resources, legendary people emerge. Two brothers, raised on opposite sides of the battle, are enamored with the same woman. Will those that are good overcome those who only desire wealth and power? Can the weak rise in power enough to protect those they care about? Is the tribal way of life gone forever?

LEAD CHARACTERS

Tagon (Jang Dong gun) is the son and military strategist of the leader of the Arthdal Union. He is also Igutu [a mixed blood child between the race that has beast like abilities Neanthal) and the humans] but it is a very well kept secret.

Eun seom and Sayaedit (Song Joong Ki) are identical twin brothers who were taken when the Neanthal were wiped out. Eun seom is raised by his mother and Sayaedit is raised by Tagon.

Tanya (Kim Ji won) Her and Eun seom grow up together after Eun seom joins her tribe upon his mother’s death.

Review

This has a tribal otherworldly feel akin to “Avatar.” Overall a very good fictional historical series. For those familiar with “Avatar” there are a but if those vibes but also some “Clan of the Cave Bear” as well as “Game of Thrones” reminiscent elements but it is uniquely its own at the same time. It reminds me of “Avatar” just in how innocent and close to nature the Wahan tribe are and the way their gods and clan mother are such a central part of the tribal identity. The elements that remind me of “Clan of the Cave Bear” are the fact there is this other race of people and hostility between the two but there are those that are mixed and experience difficulty because of having blood of both peoples. It reminds me of “Game of Thrones” because there are characters that are neither completely good nor evil and you definitely should avoid getting too attached even to central characters. I think the cultures that are built are believable and the characters are very well acted and developed. If it was a stand alone season I would have to say it ends happily enough but without major plot lines resolved. You would definitely expect another season based on how it ends. If you like this genre I would say this is a very good addition.  I might rewatch it at some point because it is good but also very complex. In terms of recommending it, I would recommend it to anyone who are fans of the actors as they do a wonderful job with the characters. I would also recommend it as a representative of the genre and just as another great South Korean series.

#JangDongGun

#SongJoonKi

#KimJiWon

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