Kingdom: Ashin Of The North Review: A Well-Written Prequel To An Exceptional Series

Kingdom was this brilliant show that blended a period drama set in an apocalyptic world. The story, the characters, and the cinematography got me hooked almost instantly. This week we Kingdom: Ashin Of The North, a special episode was released.

It is a prequel to the events in Kingdom and explores the storyline that depicts the origins of the mysterious outbreak of the zombie-calypse! But did this prequel live up to its predecessors? Well, why else am I here if not to answer that question!

Quick Review

Kingdom: Ashin Of The North is an impeccable prequel that truly does justice to the series. Every frame of the episode is intriguing, the murky color schemes, the character interactions, and the way the plot is paced are genuinely a work of art!

Fans of the show were quite excited, and it’s safe to say that they have had a fantastic experience watching this special episode!

Is It Worth Watching?

Kingdom: Ashin of the North | Official Trailer | Netflix [ENG SUB]

Absolutely! It is a must-watch for people who’ve been following this show and for anyone who enjoys a well-written tale. For fans of the show who’ve felt this tension gnawing them from within throughout two seasons, this episode was like medicine of relief. Now they can all finally rest.

Plot

Kingdom: Ashin Of The North focuses on the character Ashin as she traverses through a treacherous journey that depicts the mystery behind the outbreak that caused the zombie-calypse!

I think this episode was paced very differently than the entirety of two seasons, and honestly, that’s not a bad thing at all. In fact, the way the narrative flowed created this slow-burn yet tense kind of buildup in the first half, and the pay-off in the second half was worth it.

Cast And Characters

Gianna Jun, aka Jun Ji Hyun, plays the character of Ashin, and her performance was truly stunning. She is known to be quite careful while choosing her projects, and this was a choice well-made!

Also, keep an eye out for her towards the climax because she will leave you dumbfounded! Don’t worry not giving out any spoilers, but yes, do watch her closely!

Apart from her, there are other characters such as Ju Ji Hoon, Bae Doona, Kim Hye Joon, Kim Seong Gyoo, and many others!

Final Thoughts And Grade

I think I’ve stanned enough for this film (yes! I think it should be called a spin-off film because it’s no lesser than that.) This show just doesn’t cease to surprise me with its story-telling. Just when you think it can’t get any better. You know that scene… Alright, alright, I’m going to stop before I give off any more spoilers and rewatch this epic film (That’s right! I’m not dropping it.)

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.