Kingdom made me fall in love with K-dramas all over again. The entire show was one hell of a ride. I mean zombies in ancient Korea? Take my money. When season two ended, I was left with a lot of uncertainty. They ended the show with a mysterious woman staring at the chaos of the zombie outbreak, smiling bitterly.
Now, what’s up with that? Who is she, and why is she there? What does her presence at the end mean? Is she responsible for whatever the hell happened in the two whole seasons? Yeah, a whole lot of questions.
Thankfully, Netflix has decided to save us the time and trouble for coming up with theories. The show will release a brand new sidequel episode titled “Kingdom: Ahsin of the North,” which will answer all our questions from the show.
Kingdom: Ashin of the North is all set to release on July 23rd, 2021, on Netflix. The sidequel will star Jun Ji-Hyun, Kim Shi-A, and Park Byung-Eun. The episode will follow Ashin and her role in bringing about the events of Kingdom. In addition, the episode will also explain the origin story of the resurrection plant ‘Saengsacho.’
Here’s everything you need to know about Kingdom: Ashin Of The North.
1. When Is ‘Kingdom: Ashin Of The North’ Special Episode Releasing?
Kingdom: Ashin of the North will hit Netflix on July 23rd, 2021. The show producers kept the release date a secret for quite a while, especially after a small part of the shooting location was burned in January.
But bless Netflix Asia. The official Youtube channel for Netflix Asia has finally dropped the veil and announced in a teaser that the “Kingdom: Ashin of the North” special episode is set to release on July 23rd, 2021. After that, it will be available on Netflix for us to watch and obsess over. I will come screaming here after it’s out.
2. What Is The Plot Of The Special Episode?
Season 2 ended with Prince Chang and Seo-Bi hearing about the resurrection plant being sold near the northern region. The final scene is of a woman (read: Ashin) smiling mysteriously. But from the way she’s smiling, I feel that Ashin is spreading the zombie virus on purpose. But, why?
“Kingdom: Ashin of the North”
The identity of the mysterious person Ashin and the origin of life and death are revealed. A special episode of ‘Kingdom’.
Twitter Translation, English Translate
Again, bless Netflix for the sidequel. The episode will explore the real identity of Ashin and wherever the hell the resurrection plant ‘Saengsacho’ came from.
Little Ashin can be seen walking inside a dark cave with cave markings about the resurrection plant, from what I saw in the date announcement video. The clip features a text, “To revive the dead, a price must be paid” (eerie. I know). The episode will explain Ashin’s role in the events happening in Kingdom.
I can’t wait for the sinister tale of how things came to be in Kingdom.
3. Who Are In The Cast?
K-drama actress Jun Ji-Hyun appeared in a cameo at the end of season 2 of Kingdom (as Ahsin). I expect her to be present in the special episode too. I can’t wait to see her on-screen after Ji-Hyun eonni’s five-year break. I miss seeing her after “Legend of the Blue Sea.”
Other than Ji-Hyun eonni, only two other cast members are confirmed for now. Park Byung-Eun will come back as Min Chi-Rok, who encounters Ashin in the icy-cold Northern regions. He then becomes the head of the royal Commandery and assists the Crown Prince in seizing the throne.
The other is little Kim Shi-A, who will play young Ashin (geunyeoneun gwiyeobda). Other cast members are not revealed yet, but then I am sure that whoever joins the cast will be a welcoming addition to the sinister tale.
4. What To Expect From The Special Episode?
The date announcement video offered glimpses from the upcoming sidequel that left me with more doubts than answers, not gonna lie. But, thankfully, the official trailer came and answered some of the burning questions that were driving me crazy.
The trailer begins with a bunch of villagers looking nervously at something in the forest. Then suddenly, that mysterious figure (apparently a tiger) starts chasing the villagers, who began to run for their lives.
Then little Ashin appears. Her father warns her “not to go there” (I’m assuming that ‘there’ refers to the forest). She then tells him about how she found a plant that could bring back the dead. It is later on revealed that Ashin is looking for that plant to use on her ailing mother.
The trailer is also filled with many gruesome scenes, with the dead coming back to life and causing chaos in the village. Finally, the trailer ends with a new character (read: Ashin) overlooking the chaos of the village.
Netflix released a bunch of posters on July 14th, 2021, for promotional purposes, and they are eerily gorgeous. There are five posters in total.
- One features Kim Shi-A as young Ashin.
- Another appears to be the resurrection plant in full bloom.
- The next is filled with dead bodies lying around in a forest.
- The next is of a woman facing a bunch of resurrection plant shrubs.
- The final one is of a close-up shot at a zombie tiger’s eye.
The posters have an eerie vibe but manage to express precisely what the show is about.
Kingdom: Ashin of the North will release on July 23rd, 2021, on Netflix.
6. About Kingdom (2019)
Kingdom is a 2019 South Korean political fantasy drama thriller series written by Kim Eun-hee and directed by Kim Seong-hun. It is Netflix’s first Korean original. The series is based on the webcomic series The Kingdom of the Gods by Kim Eun-hee.
As of now, the series has two seasons. A special episode of the series, titled “Kingdom: Ashin of the North” is set to release on 23rd July, 2021 and will be centered around the supporting character Ashin played by Jun Ji-hyun.
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