There is a lot to unpack with this drama. Part 1 introduces a violent world of Arthdal with warring tribes entangled in a timeless struggle for power. People do not dream. And those who do, are unique and destined for great things. The plot explores complex themes of what it is like being part of a nation vs. a smaller community, loss of innocence, and surviving stigma and harsh realities of life. It's a coming of age story for many characters whose lives are thrown into chaos, and who have to learn to survive and pursue a bigger destiny.

Eunseom's life is disrupted when a powerful army massacres his village setting him on a quest to rescue his friends and ultimately find his identity. Tagon plays a dangerous game of cat and mouse with his father and various factions in order to survive. What I like about this drama is the complexity of each character. There is no black and white but also a lot of shades of gray. Tagon is a ruthless warlord who is extremely cunning and manipulative. But he is written as a sympathetic characters who had to deal with stigma all his life surrounding his birth. What's more, he treats his comrades and the woman he loves with care. Tanya asks naive questions about why bad things happen in life, but doesn't blink when cursing her enemies. And, Eunseom has a violent side he has to learn to control. The writers did not draw many lines between heroes and villains. Everyone has a compelling story to tell. I got a lot of Game of Thrones and Conan vibes, but the drama is unique enough to stand on its own.

Part 1 has good pace and story telling. There is not a lot of action because the plot focuses on character interactions to allow them to learn about each other in order to set certain events in motion. However, the drama would've benefited from better editing. There are some conversational scenes that are too long and draggy or completely unnecessary, especially the ones between members of the Wahan tribe. Other than that, I enjoyed the first 6 episodes and will continue on to part 2.