Title : Arthdal Chronicles, Asadal Chronicles, The children of prophesy
Episodes : 6
Genre : Fantasy, Historical, Battle, Drama, War, Kingdom, Hero, Prophesy, Mystery, Politics, Curse
Story : 6 out of 10
Characters : 8 out of 10
Cinematography : 8 out of 10
The Arthdal Chronicles is a huge project, however, the first season was a bit too complicated.
Story
Arthdal is an ancient land occupied by various tribes. And there are three “kinds” of humans who can be recognized by the color of their blood. There are those who have blue blood and they are feared due to their violent nature, the people who have red blood and those who had parents of both “kinds” and have purple blood.
Eun Som has purple blood. His mother raised him hidden in the woods until she had a dream to bring him among the people. However, as soon as she reaches the Wahan tribe, she dies. Eun Som becomes the clown of the village, always being the ridicule because of his curiosity and naive character. But Eun Som’s destiny is more complex : He is one of the cursed children and it is said that he will bring only disaster to Arthdal.
Tan Ya is one of the few of his friends. She is the daughter of the chief of the Wahan tribe, and she is a cursed child as well. She is supposed to be able to communicate with the gods and have visions, but so far, she didn’t have any and that puts pressure on her.
Ta Gon is the hero of Arthdal. He is well-loved by the people as a war hero and he triumphs in every battle. However, he is more ambitious than that, as he wants to become king of Arthdal.
The three’s paths cross when Ta Gon invades the Wahan tribe’s land and takes everyone as his slaves, including Tan Ya. But Eun Som escapes, follows the captives to the city where they are being held and plans to free them all.
The story isn’t easy to follow, especially during the first episodes. Things do get better after episode three, as the main characters start their own stories and they outshine the rest. But still, there were too many characters, many tribes, and a new universe that you have to get to know and understand. I guess the way they presented it didn’t really help the viewer understand it and that was one of the main flaws of the drama. Another thing that I should point out is that the story only gets more interesting towards the end. And it has a faint taste of Game of Thrones (but just a faint one).
Other than that, it has the premises to become an entertaining drama. After getting more familiar with the land of Arthdal and the key characters, the story unfolds more smoothly. Still, the first season of the drama was just an amuse-bouche for what is there to come.
Characters
Eun Som is the boy who’s destiny is to doom Arthdal. However, he is loyal to his tribe, clever, quick and a good fighter. He loves his family, although they didn’t treat him as one of them. That’s why he is willing to give his life for them. Song Joong Ki has the babyface to pass for a teenager, bringing to life a more green side of his character. Also, his action scenes were perfect, as well as the whole performance.
Ta Gon is a man thirsty for power. That’s why he uses his abilities, his fighting skills, sharp brain and connections to plot his way to the throne. And he will not let anyone stop him. Jang Dong Gun has the looks of a war god and his skills with the sword were admirable.
Tan Ya is the next chief of her tribe. She is friendly and compassionate, but also, she can be cruel when it comes to protecting her people. Kim Ji Won presented a more emotional and dramatic side of the drama and she nailed those scenes.
Cinematography
The cinematography of this drama is one of the reason why one should watch it. They used the landscapes and the CGI’s perfectly. The costumes and makeup are top-notch as well. My only complaint is the way they divided the drama into three seasons, so one should wait a few weeks for the next season.
Overall
My overall rating is 7 out of 10. I can’t say I loved the story so far, although the last episodes were thrilling. However, as this is the first season, I can’t dismiss it yet.
K&J Reviews 
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