Battles At The Dawn Of Time Do Not Make ‘The Arthdal Chronicles’ ‘Game Of Thrones'

Did the various people who conquered large expanses of the world have a superior civilization or just superior resources? Is homogeny best for the survival of the entire human race or does diversity promote its success? These are the questions asked in the Korean saga drama The Arthdal Chronicles, simultaneously being shown on Korea’s tvN channel and Netflix, as a Netflix original production.

The script by Park Sang Yeon and Kim Young Hyun, screenwriters of the 2012 drama Deep Rooted Tree, takes viewers back to the dawn-of-time kingdom of Arthdal, where tribes compete to claim all the resources they can, sometimes using technology such as forged metal weapons, as yet unknown to their neighbors, to decimate other cultures.

Because it’s a saga about the struggle for power, it might be natural to compare The Arthdal Chronicles to Game of Thrones, which attracted over 17 million viewers. The recent finale of Game of Thrones left its very dedicated fanbase with a hunger for more dramatic sagas about fantasy-infused power struggles, but the screenwriters of The Arthdal Chronicles have created something different—a distinctive world that examines the complex forces behind creating civilizations.

The kingdom of Arthdal is ruled by San Woong, played by Kim Eui Sung, who appeared in Memories of Alhambra, My Fellow Citizens and W. But the kingdom’s hero is his son, the warrior Tagon, acted as a young man by Jung Jae Won, who played Cha Si An in Her Private Life, and as a powerful adult by Jang Dong Gun, last seen in the Korean version of Suits, as well as Gentleman’s Dignity and the film Rampant. Tagon is a brutal warrior who believes that his people, the Saram, have a right to rule all the world they can see. That means fighting endless battles, sometimes vanquishing opponents that are strong but also savagely eliminating those who are powerless.

One of their first enemies is a people known as the Neanthals, a people with blue blood and the ability to dream. Although they manage to vanquish these powerful people, a child of mixed race survives. That child, Eun Sum, is played by actor Song Joong Ki, who became one of Asia’s biggest stars when appearing the drama Descendants of the Sun. Eun Sum is raised by a tribe that distrusts his otherness, but it is his unique combination of strengths that will lead him to power.

This project provides Song a chance to reunite with actress Kim Ji Won, who also appeared in Descendents of the Sun. Kim plays Tanya, a woman born under a cursed sign, but destined to lead her people. As she lived in the village where Eun Sum was raised, they are very close.

Kim Ok Vin, last seen in the drama Children of a Lesser God, plays Taelha, a woman who loves Tagon and also power.

The drama is helmed by Kim Won Seok, who directed several award-winning dramas, including Sungkyunkwan Scandal, Misaeng, Signal and My Mister, which recently won a best TV drama award at the 2019 Baeksang Awards. Kim Won Seok previously worked with Song Joong Ki in the historical drama Sungkyunkwan Scandal.  

Stunning camera work makes The Arthdal Chronicles a visual pleasure to watch, capturing sweeping panoramas that place fledgeling humans in the context of a wide world waiting to be explored—and possibly conquered. The saga will air in three parts, each presenting a defined story arc, with the first two parts appearing sequentially and the third part being aired later this year.