HaEl987
England
This review may contain spoilers
A good prequel storyline
After a long wait for some more Kingdom content, I was eagerly awaiting this special episode and was fairly happy with how it turned out, if not a little disappointed with the number of zombies. It's a slower, more emotional ride than the main series but does a good job developing a backstory.
They managed to successfully keep the same stylistic choices and the quality was certainly on par with the main series. The storyline provides a lot of detail so it's a great prequel storyline but it felt a little dry and a little too long to get to the action. I liked the historical aspect and how we got to learn a little about the Jurchens and the build-up to a war rather than focusing solely on Joseon politics but I would have liked a little more depth on Ai Da Gan [Pajeowi's leader] as he only appears briefly yet is pretty prominent to the story. Certain aspects of the storyline feel a little underdeveloped but it's a 1.5 hour special so, considering the time, they answered the key questions while providing an emotional backdrop. Sadly, this means a lot of action was probably sacrificed and only really appears near the end (maybe like the last third/quarter?). I think it sets up the way for Season 3 quite nicely though, there's lots of characters and information they can play with.
Kim Si Ah showcased a lot of talent as young Ashin, especially during the emotional scenes; the facial expressions and tone really helped draw you in and feel the pain and hurt the character was experiencing. Of course, our beloved Jun Ji Hyun was also excellent, I loved the mercenary feeling she brought to the character near the end - anything goes until the revenge is completed. The zombie choreography is as good as the main series.
Truthfully, it was exactly what it said on the tin, a story focusing pretty much solely on Ashin with a little sprinkling of zombie origins thrown in nearer the end so it's my fault for putting my own expectations onto it. It left those who were hoping for a speedy season 3 but getting a sidequel feeling a little unimpressed with the amount of action. If I were to watch it again, with my now renewed expectations for the storyline and content, then I would probably rate it a higher (maybe 9?) however, this is the rating for my first watch that carried all of my hopes and expectations.
They managed to successfully keep the same stylistic choices and the quality was certainly on par with the main series. The storyline provides a lot of detail so it's a great prequel storyline but it felt a little dry and a little too long to get to the action. I liked the historical aspect and how we got to learn a little about the Jurchens and the build-up to a war rather than focusing solely on Joseon politics but I would have liked a little more depth on Ai Da Gan [Pajeowi's leader] as he only appears briefly yet is pretty prominent to the story. Certain aspects of the storyline feel a little underdeveloped but it's a 1.5 hour special so, considering the time, they answered the key questions while providing an emotional backdrop. Sadly, this means a lot of action was probably sacrificed and only really appears near the end (maybe like the last third/quarter?). I think it sets up the way for Season 3 quite nicely though, there's lots of characters and information they can play with.
Kim Si Ah showcased a lot of talent as young Ashin, especially during the emotional scenes; the facial expressions and tone really helped draw you in and feel the pain and hurt the character was experiencing. Of course, our beloved Jun Ji Hyun was also excellent, I loved the mercenary feeling she brought to the character near the end - anything goes until the revenge is completed. The zombie choreography is as good as the main series.
Truthfully, it was exactly what it said on the tin, a story focusing pretty much solely on Ashin with a little sprinkling of zombie origins thrown in nearer the end so it's my fault for putting my own expectations onto it. It left those who were hoping for a speedy season 3 but getting a sidequel feeling a little unimpressed with the amount of action. If I were to watch it again, with my now renewed expectations for the storyline and content, then I would probably rate it a higher (maybe 9?) however, this is the rating for my first watch that carried all of my hopes and expectations.
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