The show comes from director Kim Seong-hun, and it will be about a
prince going on a quest to “investigate a mysterious outbreak that leads
him to a brutal truth that threatens the kingdom.”
Kingdom will premiere on Netflix around the world in 2018.
I kind of bristle at the thought of trying to paint Korean history with a Western lens since Korea shouldn’t need to be shoe-horned into Euro-centric definitions of history, but I suppose if one must make a comparison, the Joseon era is perhaps most like the High Middle Ages in Europe. I also suppose I can’t fault the wording in the article, since people unfamiliar with Korea wouldn’t know what “Joseon” means but could perhaps easily grok that “Medieval” means “historical” – I hope they’re not expecting knights in shining armor, though.
Anyway, the most important thing to note (which the article ignores, alas, because apparently the AV Club cares little about Dramaland) is that Kingdom (both the webtoon and the drama script) is written by my beloved Kim Eun Hee. Most will know her work from from Signal, although I’ve been been a devotee ever since Harvest Villa – so you know at least the script will be good because even the worst drama she’s done has been tolerably decent.
Plus, if it goes straight to Netflix, that means she can go as dark and twisted as she would like without fear of repercussions (and if you’ve seen her dramas, you know she can go there).
Also re: Monster (and forgive my fangirl soul for even saying this) –
I feel like PKW is finally settling back into his acting ability. I’ll admit I’ve been blindly biased, but some of his acting felt a little forced. But happily he seems to have found that balance between the intense over-acting and subtle-yet-expressive that I love about him. I’m chalking up the slightly rough start to him being out the biz for two years. And also those terrible hair extensions.
My schedule keeps changing on a daily notice the past couple of weeks so it’s impossible to really make plans for anything, which has made me feel extra exhausted because I’m all, “Oh, I can finally tackle that project tomorrow night!” only to be like “HAHAHA no just kidding” later on.
We’ve finally hired a couple of people who seem not only competent but actually sincere that they’re planning to stick around. I’m still suspicious because I’ve been burnt so many times. I spend so much time training someone only to have them go “lol no bye” a week later that training makes me extra exhausted because I think that I’ll probably just have to end up doing it all over again in another few weeks.
THAT SAID I think my schedule for next week is actually going to remain as it is and this time there’s no nonsense like closing one night and opening the next morning. ALSO more than one day off in a row. What kind of madness is that (shhh, don’t question it or else the bubble might break).
I didn’t make any “end of year” lists this year and I have no resolutions for the upcoming year, so I’m declaring this a free-for-all for the next few hours if anyone wants to ask my opinion on anything related to 2015 and/or hopes for 2016.
The Obsessive Dilettante 