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

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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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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I know this was a sad time for the Wahan Tribe, but the crying was a bit too much for me. I get very emotional when people cry. It kind of makes me have to watch it twice cuz I have cried so much that I can't see through my own tears. I loved the visual effects of the horses, the fighting, and the Igutu father who was like an animal climbing the trees to keep his family safe. That was so awesome. The white wolf was beautiful! I love the hairdos of the warriors! Song Joong Ki who played Eun Som, I just love him! I don't understand why Korea makes women look so weak and indecisive in their roles. I guess that makes the actress act her part. The fantasy is fantastic!

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The biggest weakness of this series: It's a bit slow, and it takes its time to build the world and the characters. Normally, that's considered a good thing, but I must admit I couldn't get into it for the longest time. I really enjoyed the 1st episode, with young Ta Gon, Asa Hon and their children, the Neanderthal she was in love with, I got invested into the characters and their story just to see them all ... vanish. We got a time skip, and everyone was gone. Ta Gon is still alive, of course, but the actor was replaced by an older one. I felt like someone was throwing me out of a story and into a completely different one. I didn't enjoy Eunseom's and Tanya's friendship/romance, because their characters were too childish and innocent. It was meant to be like this, I know, but it was a bit tiring watching them living in the tribe. So what changed? I don't remember which episode it was, but suddenly I was hooked. I was fascinated by Ta Gon and Taen Al Ha, those characters (and actors) just stole the spotlight. Their performance, their intensity and their political intrigues and mind games were incredible. I also started to admire Tanya, and I saw her growth and potential. Of course, the whole plot about the twin brothers was very intriguing. So I went back and rewatched the first episodes and finally understood that this series is brilliant.

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Awesome

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Arthdal Chronicles was way more interesting than my political science degree

~Review of Part I only~

Honestly, the political drama genre is almost dead to me at this pint. I'm sick of men in suits flouncing around parliament corridors pursued by journalists. I'm also tired of the high fantasy spin on the political drama genre which ends up just being an excuse to objectify women and showcase long-winded battle scenes. So I was thankful when I started watching Arthdal Chronicles for the breath of fresh air.

Part One – the first six episodes of the series – is all about the rich world-building. You're introduced to the characters, their settings, and the key political dynamics that set up the rest of the series.

These six episodes set the key themes for the rest of the series. These revolve around empire/nation building, racialisation, and spiritual agency. The show writers have been careful in their political crafting. They haven't just opted for a simple coloniser versus colonised binary, and instead have woven in layers of nuance right from the opening scene.

The writers also don't seem too keen on didacticism. The colonising act (trying to avoid spoilers here) is certainly depicted as cruel, but at this point the audience already has sympathy for characters on both sides. Ditto in regards to Neanthal, Igutu and Saram dynamics. This way, the characters and plot are able to achieve complexity and depth – the result being a beautifully rich world.

There's also something interesting happening with how the series treats religion/spirituality that means I'm refraining from calling this a fantasy series, but I'll get to that in my review for Part Two.

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