Many people believe that the Korean industry relies solely on romance dramas and their devoted fans. However, this is a narrow perspective, as there are many other successful and diverse K-dramas, such as Arthdal Chronicles. This drama, released in three parts in 2019, tells the story of Eun Seom, a mixed-race Igutu with the ability to dream, and his journey to fulfill his prophecy of destroying Arthdal.
Despite its growing popularity, Arthdal Chronicles often goes unrecognized as many viewers focus on the action and cast rather than the complex storyline. Here are a few reasons why everyone should watch this drama: Outstanding Dual Performance by Song Joong-ki
Why This Underrated Netflix K-Drama Deserves a Spot on Your Watchlist
Song Joong-ki is one of the most versatile actors in the Korean drama industry, and he delivers an exceptional performance in Arthdal Chronicles. He portrays two virtually opposite characters, Eun Seom and Saya, convincingly, showcasing his acting skills.
A Story About Political Intrigue
Arthdal Chronicles may not seem political at first glance, but it contains a hint of politics early on when humans exterminate the Neanderthals. As the story of Ta Gon, who resolves to become Arthdal’s ruler no matter what, unfolds, politics emerge and evolve among the characters. The drama displays the evolution of characters from nobody to influential figures, and the political intrigue adds to the drama’s substance.
A Battle Between the Prophesied Child and the Self-Proclaimed God
The drama features various compelling characters, but Ta Gon and Eun Seom stand out. Ta Gon is a tragic figure who grew up without his father’s approval and turned ruthless to become the King of Arthdal, while Eun Seom desired nothing more than to free his tribe from Ta Gon’s clutches. This epic drama portrays the struggle of two people with their own ambitions, whether selfish or selfless.
Arthdal Chronicles is a masterpiece that deserves recognition for its complex storyline, outstanding performances, and political intrigue. The second season is set to premiere on Netflix in September 2023, and we hope to see an epic end to this drama.
There is often an opinion that the popularity of romance dramas and the dedication of their fans are the only things keeping the Korean industry afloat. However, many people believe this based on a single perspective since many more diverse K-dramas are just as successful, if not more so, than romantic dramas. Although not as in-depth as Game of Thronesone such apparent example is Arthdal Chronicleswhich similarly deals with politics and prophecy.
Arthdal Chroniclesreleased in three parts in 2019: Part 1: The Children of Prophecy, Part 2: The Sky Turning Inside Out, Rising Landand Part 3: The Prelude to All Legendstells the story of Eun Seom, a mixed-race Igutu with the ability to dream. Due to his prophecy of destroying Arthdal, Eun Seom and his mother endured extreme hardships until she sacrificed herself by handing him over to the Wahan tribe. Years later, however, when Ta Gon, the ruler of Arthdal, enslaves the tribe, his journey to prophecy begins.
Despite its increasing popularity in recent years and the fact that it has been seen by many fans of Korean dramas, it often goes unrecognized as many people miss the substance of the drama due to their focus on the action and the cast rather than the complex storyline. So, here are a few reasons why everyone should watch Arthdal Chronicles.
An Outstanding Dual Performance by Song Joong-ki
It’s not surprising that we believe Song Joong-ki can play two different roles in a single drama because he’s one of the most versatile actors in the Korean drama industry. Regardless of the role he’s given, he goes above and beyond the fans’ expectations. Many fans recognized him from the popular film A Werewolf Boywhich likely boosted his image among worldwide audiences. Still, the actor gives something unique with each drama, and Arthdal Chronicles is no exception.
In the drama, Eun Seom is a survivor who grew up in a tribe and later had to go through all kinds of torture, from slavery to discrimination for being an Igutu, whereas Saya is Eun Seom’s twin brother who grew up in Ta Gon’s care since childhood and became a strategist who cannot be distinguished as good or bad. Both of these roles are virtually opposites in character, but Song Joong-ki was able to portray them both so convincingly that it’s clear why he was cast in them.
A Story About Political Intrigue
Arthdal Chronicles might not seem political at first glance, but it contains a hint of politics very early on when humans exterminate the Neanderthals. However, as we go deeper into the story of Ta Gon, who resolves to become Arthdal’s ruler no matter what, politics emerge among them.
Most Korean historical dramas take place during the Joseon period and, as such, feature a decent amount of political intrigue, but what Arthdal Chronicles showed is beyond the scope of any drama. The characters evolve momentarily in front of our eyes, from nobody to influential figures in just a few episodes, and the drama displays that meticulously.
In one episode, we witness Ta Gon scheming an unbelievable situation to ascend to the throne, but you quickly find that those you don’t expect are also plotting their survival. Even without the political intrigue, the drama may have been one of the best historical action dramasbut the addition made it tenfold better and possibly the best ancient story we’ve seen from Korea in a long time.
A Battle Between the Prophesied Child and the Self-Proclaimed God
Arthdal Chronicles is a drama with various compelling charactersbut so far, only two have stood out: Ta Gon and Eun Seom. While Saya, as Eun Seom’s twin brother, is equally important to the story, he’s on Ta Gon’s side and only appears as a supporting character for the moment, so we can leave him out of the equation for the time being, at least until the drama concludes.
While Ta Gon is a tragic figure who grew up without his father’s approval and turned ruthless in order to become King of Arthdal, Eun Seom was raised in a small tribe and knew nothing else. One committed every horrible crime imaginable, from murdering several innocents to oppressing desperate tribes, while the other desired nothing more than to free his tribe from Ta Gon’s clutches.
When you think about it, fans liked Ta Gon almost every time he showed some brains and brawn until Eun Seom experienced hardships and united the tribes. Ta Gon deceived the entire Arthdal by claiming to be Aramun Haesulla, while Eun Seom, unaware, became the Inaishingi as the prophesied child. It is an epic drama of two people struggling for their existence, but each has their own ambitions, whether selfish or selfless.
The second season of Arthdal Chronicles is set to premiere on Netflix in September 2023, and hopefully, we’ll see an epic end to this masterpiece once and for all.
