Arthdal Chronicles Part 2: The Sky Turning Inside Out, Rising Land (2019)

Wickedness overload

Oh boy, Song Joong Ki literally has such a divine pretty face here. He did prove in this part what an elite actor he is. After part 1, the story unfolded naturally similar indeed to what I was expecting. Evil deeds and barbaric killings s one after another will make you sad and infuriated. Just so we are lucky to have not lived in their times and we have human rights laws to protect us now. Yeah, right I know it was fictional tho! Well, there was one single scene I had a quick smile but I will not reveal it like you might wonder when was it. Your curiosity will heighten every episode and new characters are joining the journey of Eonseom. You will interestingly enjoy part 2 this time. There were so many names acting as support in this drama and yet you will not be lost each time they appeared in a scene as to what role they were playing.

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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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This is my review of all the parts in one review.

Part 1 : 8/10
Part 2 :6/10
Overall : 7/10

Arthdal Chronicles is a cool fantasy drama with vitalizing commentary on what and who can be considered as civilized.

It has a talented cast and amazing visuals but I rate a somber 7 for a couple of reasons.

The good: Great story arcs and great initial fantasy building with the Arthdal world and its surrounding communes. Loved the pull and tension of the different species and aspects and rates of civilization.

Part 1 is definitely the better one and best representation of what Arthdal is.

The poor- 1.I found the continuing story arc of the pull and tension of the main characters very unsatisfactory especially the male lead protagonist . His scenes and story line became rather burdensome for me as a viewer as the main story arc was abandoned for him. We know he is special and was even born on an auspicious day yet his story-line was developed as tiring and lacking pace and vision.

This then affected everyone else and made the lore of Arthdal and its auspices now poorly executed.

2. The pacing and direction or maybe editing was lacklustre . Focusing was off and part 2 just dragged along story line wise. The plot twists became contrived too.

Overall- this show takes a chance and I love shows that take a chance . For what it is , it did okay but not decently if you ask me . It was bursting with potential and slid away .

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Political intrigue with a lil bit of unionism snuck in too :)

~Review of Part II only~

And here the plot thickens! We have emerged from the initial shock of invasion and now must deal with the logic of Arthdal. We are introduced to new characters and the storylines are separated for most of these six episodes.

Normally, I don't enjoy multi-perspective narratives because you almost always end up hating one storyline. But this was a rare exception for me – I thought they were interesting and well paced. It's a balancing act you don't see done effectively in cinema often enough.

Also big yay for the unionism :) We love worker solidarity.

As I mentioned in my interview for Part I, one thing I like about Arthdal Chronicles is how it treats spiritual agency. By spiritual agency, I mean the role of the spiritual world (rather than necessarily 'religion' because that's often associated with a man-made institution). This is the first piece of historical fiction I've seen to treat the spiritual world as a legitimate agent and as a political tool at the same time. Too often, historical fiction sees a belief in a spiritual world and then a political cynicism of religion to be mutually exclusive.

However, as seen in the characters of Tagon, Taheala and Tanya, they all have belief (of varying degrees) in higher powers but also will use those higher powers – and their religious institutions – for their own ends. I have a sneaking suspicion I'm probably the only person who's watched this series who cares about this point, but I'm a politics nerd, ok? (But if that does catch your interest, I do recommend reading Provincializing Europe by Dipesh Chakrabarty and where he critiques secular histories.)

Don't get me wrong, Arthdal Chronicles isn't perfect. One big downside for me was I started noticing in this section of the series that the music can be a bit lacklustre at times. I can't remember if it was in Part II or Part III but there were some awkward audio cuts too.

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Finally, a drama in which the bad guys are more than just the bad guys, shaped by their circumstances and the sad realities of a "cold, cruel world." The eternal question is where is the line between morality and survival. To be for others or not to be?
This is an incredible journey of two worlds becoming one. With every corner of the story woven closely together in a beautiful way. The actors are incredibly talented and the special effects really hold up to their own level. Everything is perfect, concept, story, characters, cast, scenes, beauty of nature, animation and many other things. . They absolutely poured their hearts out to bring to life a once-in-a-lifetime story.
Exactly two years ago, I put this drama on my watch list and finally finished it in Two Days. When I started watching this drama I became addicted to it. Episode after episode makes me curious what happens next. My curiosity was on another level. There were also some scenes that gave me goosebumps. After watching one episode, it will make you watch more and more as it continues to reveal secrets. It was a very real depiction of people's fear towards those who are different from them. Especially in those times. The characters that were tough weren't shallow. Each had their own intricacies, and you often find yourself torn apart by their contempt for what they did or sympathy for their stories. Even the main villain, Tajun, I couldn't bring myself to hate in the end. Even Thu Tae definitely deserves to be hated, but miserable, I admired the strength of that woman. Each character has its own unique character. My favorite characters are Eun-seom and Tan-ya. Saya is so complicated but I love her, Ta-Gon and Tae-Ha are both great. Everyone did an excellent job. The ending was unexpected but I hope the second season comes soon

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Legends are realized and good prevails

9/10 is my rating. This is a 2023 South Korean fictional historical fantasy drama with 12;71-83 minute episodes

 
First I provide a Unique Synopsis then Review

 

Synopsis

 

The second season is a return to the fictional historical kindgdom of Arthdal.  While the general timeframe is bronze age, they are dabbling in Iron and Steel so it is on the cusp of those major developments.  The story picks up about 8 years after Tagon (Jang Dong Gun) dissolved the union and forms a nation that is ruled by a monarchy.  Tagon (Jang Dong Gun) is ruling as king and his wife Taealha (Kim Ok Bin) is the queen and they now have a young son Prince Arok (Shin Seo Woo).  All is not well though in the Kingdom of Arthdal as many feel it is a reign of cruelty so rebellion and strife are occurring across the land.  Tanya has now settled into her role as the high Priestess and still mostly does Tagon and Taealha’s bidding although there are early hints that she may have other plans. In this early time for the Kingdom there is already hints of a plot developing between Tanya (Shin Sae Kyeong) , Lord Saya (Lee Joon Gi) and Mu Baek (Park Hae Joon).  Both Tagon and Taealha seem to have their secrets from each other and are planning ways to secure their power independent from each other. Eunsom (Lee Joon Gi) has united the tribes that are not part of the kingdom and has been warring with Tagon’s forces. The sword (Eunsom), the bell (Tanya) and the mirror (Saya) have all settled into their destinated roles and it is building toward a union possibly and some fateful outcome.  This season continues the stories and we see how the destinies of the three play out.

Review

If you liked the first season then this second season will not disappoint. It is more of the characters we all loved, some of them all grown up. If there hadn’t been a 2nd season already out I am not sure I would have enjoyed the first season as well as it didn’t end in such a way they could have just stopped there. But I was fortunate both seasons were already out at the time I was watching them. It s a transportive experience. You really feel like you are spending time in Arthdal or hanging out with Eunsom. When the 2nd season ended I felt like I was missing someone or something. To me that is the sign of all good “take me away” type series. I love so much about this it is hard to know where to start. If you like action the sword and martial art battles are amazing. Like fictional peoples and even new species? All of the tribes in this are fictional although you might find elements that remind you of what you know if this past people or that. But the water people? Maybe Avatar vibes would be closest to that tribe. One of my favorite themes is good versus evil and also where those lines blur a bit. It’s a power struggle some purely for power and some to have the power to protect the people. And there is a romantic element to it although that is not forefront.

I highly recommend this wonderful series and will definitely watch it again in the future. It ends happy depending on which characters you are attached to. And it is tied up just enough to resolve all the major plot points while still leaving an opening for additional season(s).

 

Spoiler

It is hard to adjust to Eunsom/Saya and Tanya being played by different actors. They did an outstanding job portraying the characters but still every actor brings their own unique aspect to the character, which ever so slightly changes the impression and made it seem like a different person. I struggled the most in the first half of the season but, by the second half, I was used to the new renditions and was able to accept them somewhat as aged versions of the characters I grew attached to in season 1. It would have been better to have the continuity of the same characters but it is a credit to the actors that they were able to carry it off enough that most would be able to accept the changes. Lee Joon Gi, if anything, played Lord Saya even better than Song Joon Ki. But I thought Song Joon Ki was better at portraying Eunsom. For Tanya I thought having Kim Ji Won played the innocent more tribal Tanya very well but the transition to the more somber and powerful Tanya played by Shin Se kyung made sense as she had matured significantly and sort of come into her own.

You have Saya who wants Arthdal and the Queen who also wants Arthdal so there is plenty of material for a 3rd season. I am not sure if they do a 3rd season if I will watch it. I like where the 2nd season ended on a happy note and I like the way Tanya and Ensom are ruling Arthdal and all the people of the former Union. So it really depends the trajectory of subsequent seasons. If it is going to send their world into another evil battle, and I would see harm come to Eunsom and/or Tanya, I am not sure I would want to go there. So, it is nice the 2nd season concluded well enough I can make that decision without dropping the story.

#ArthdalChroniclesSeason2

#TheSwordofAramun

#JangDongGun

#LeeJoonGi

#ShinSaeKyeong

#KimOkBin

#ShinSeoWoo

#ShinSeKyung

#ParkHaeJoon

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Song Joong Ki who plays Eun Som and Sa Ya (twins): In the 2nd round, being introduced to Sa Ya, Eun Som's twin, was very good and done well. The only thing I didn't like is that the writers or producer decided to put makeup on him to be weak. They already put on a long wig and the other twin a short wig. That should've been enough for me anyways. Kim Ji Won who played Tan Ya was amazing and didn't seem weak in the first part. I was impressed with the storyline of Tan Ya. Thank you, writers. Jang Dong Gun who played Ta Gon was great. I don't know if he even knows he has another son... I guess I'll find out in Part 3.

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What societal or political messages are expressed in "Arthdal Chronicles"?

Firstly, you must know that the writers built different societies that don’t exist in our natural world for Arthdal Chronicles. These societies have totally different belief systems. One has an unusual language (Think Klingon), and each of these societies have different religions, hierarchies, customs, and metric systems for success. When I say that the writers have built these societies from the ground up, I mean it. Thus, you will have to think to watch Arthdal Chronicles, because the action is presented from the point of view of the new societies. What these new societies would think and how they would react to each situation is how the action is driven. This is not your regular Joseon adventure fantasy. Secondly, if you don’t like to think when you watch a Korean Drama, you want a simple format served in a simple way, then you need to skip this one. Thirdly, Arthdal Chronicles has a very interesting storyline.

What many of the different Clans mirror from our society in this drama is prejudice, and a readiness to destroy persons they don’t understand. Ambition is in any society, because you can’t get rid of competition. Also, what is mirrored is that technological advances give some societies greater advantages over other societies. This mirrors real life. Are you going to choose to be benevolent or do you seize the opportunity to subdue and rule? The need for land expansion is always a cause for war, historically. This is a political message presented in Arthdal Chronicles.

Let me associate some of the societies with things we might know and understand.


Nweantal Clan—A Clan with persons of extraordinary strength and speed. One Nweantal can take down 15 men. This clan is peaceable and just wants to be left alone. You don’t bother them and they won’t bother you. They have blue blood thus their mouths are blue. They have cat eyes and are born with a funny scar on their backs. Their language sounded like they weren’t speaking Korean. It sounded like a made up language similar to Klingon. If I were to associate this Clan with something I know, it would be the Klingons from Star Trek.

Arthdal Clan—From what I could see, the Arthdal Clans (Saenyeok Tribe, Hae Tribe, and Hwinsan Tribe) are the more advanced Clans. In espisode 1, these Clans commits genocide of the Nweantal Clan after a failed alliance. They are aggressive people and use their power to wield authority to achieve submission. If I would associate these Clans to something I know, it would be Mongols or (with great sensitivity meant) Caucasian conquest of new worlds.

Yiareukeu (Wahan Tribe)—These are people of the earth, who are not looking for a fight. They just want to observe their ways, express their religion, and stay away from trouble. A very superstitious lot, these are a less developed people. The Yiareukeu thought it strange when someone thought to learn to use a horse for riding. This was something they did not do. If I were to associate them with something I know, think early American Native Indians, with their closeness to the soil and the natural earth.

Our main protagonist is Eun-Sum (Song Jong-Ki). He is half Nweantal and half Arthdal. His blood is purplish blue as a half-bred. Separated from his mother early on, Eun-Sum is raised by the Yiareukeu Clan (Wahan Tribe). One interesting scene is when he came up with the idea to ride a horse. Horses weren’t used like that. Eun-Sum has a twin brother (Saya) who was stolen by a warrior of the Saenyeok Tribe. He lives among the Saenyeok Tribe. Amazingly, Joong-ki plays twin 20 year olds, Eun-Sum and Saya, and he is pulling it off, even in his late thirties.

I love this storyline in Arthdal Chronicles, as it dares to be totally different from what I have ever experienced before in Korean Dramas. If you are adventurous, like puzzles, don’t mind thinking deeply, you might enjoy Arthdal Chronicles.

Side Bar—If you are not a Star Trek Fan, you won’t know what a Klingon is, so Google search it.

Arthdal Chronicles is a great Action Historical Fantasy Drama.

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I watched this series months ago, but never wrote a review, since I was at loss of words. Part 2 is most likely my favorite, because of Ta Gon and Tae Al Ha. Those characters and actors are just incredible. They aren't the good guys, but you can feel for them, and I enjoy how both play their games, how both have a strong will to succeed. Ta Gon is a truly tragic character. Both are, their upbringing and their fathers made them who they are, and that's why they are a good match. We got great fight scenes in those episodes too. Not to mention episode 12 which was one of the best of the whole series when everything came together, the tension was insane.
Again: Brilliant.

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déçue

J'avais bien aimé la première partie de cette première saison, mais j'ai l'impression que le scénario s'essouffle (ça ne laisse rien présager de bon pour la suite).
Le postulat de départ me semblait vraiment novateur, il y avait quelque chose d'original. Mais on perd ce côté là dans cette seconde partie, pour retomber sur une lutte de pouvoir plus conventionnelle.
Les décors, les costumes restent superbes.
Et le jeu d'acteur de Jang Dong Gun et de Song Joong Ki sont bons. Toujours le même coup de cœur pour la performance de
Kim Ok Bin (je découvre cette actrice avec plaisir).
À voir si vous avez commencé la série, mais sans plus

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