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Warriors assemble for Song Joong-ki, Jang Dong-gun in tvN’s Arthdal Chronicles

New character promos have been released for tvN’s upcoming Arthdal Chronicles featuring Song Joong-ki (Descended From the Sun), Jang Dong-gun (Suits), Kim Ji-won (Fight My Way), and Kim Ok-bin (Children of a Lesser God).

The drama is a historical fantasy which incorporates elements of Korean mythology. And like most good mythologies, it’s a story about heroes. Set in the legendary city of Arthdal in ancient Korea, the characters fight for survival, power, and love within the turmoil of establishing Korea’s first kingdom of Gojoseon.

The newly released stills are of Kim Ok-bin dressed in various attire. The role she plays is Tae Al-ha, daughter to a sea captain who leads a crew of pirates and brings back bronze technology from his travels to the far West. Having grown up in difficult circumstances, however, Tae Al-ha becomes very ambitious for power and status. Intelligent as well as passionate, she enters into politics determined to rise above her station and escape the struggles of her present life.

The first video teaser focuses on Song Joong-ki’s character, Eun Som. It starts with a series of quick cuts showing Song Joong-ki racing on a horse, fighting someone while both are still on horseback, and then running by himself through a field. In voice-over, we hear Song’s voice saying: “Starting with Arthdal, I’m going to save the Wahan.” Cut to a frustrated Song Joong-ki who asks an unknown person, “Who am I as Eun Som?” The scene quickly transitions to Song jumping off a cliff into a body of water as the conversation continues in voice-over. Song Joong-ki says, “A monster’s child.” And a woman replies, “Perhaps, that is your fate.” In the next sequence of shots, we see: a knife fight, a close-up shot of Song looking resolute, and Kim Ji-won in distress and being dragged away. As Song Joong-ki narrates, “I’m going to save you again, I’m sure of it,” it cuts to Song racing away on horseback. The final shot of the teaser ends with Song Joong-ki declaring to an unseen crowd, “I am Eun Som, Wahan’s warrior.”

The second teaser is Jang Dong-gun’s version, who plays Ta Gon. The video starts with Jang Dong-gun at a celebration with his troops and a close-up on his face as Jang takes a skull off his head. In voice-over, we hear a man’s voice saying, “I’m proud of you, my son” and we see a forest fire and a woman lying on the ground. Jang Dong-gun narrates, “I just wanted to survive.” We get a series of quick cuts: Jang standing with his men as they prepare for battle, arrows being shot at a village, and rampaging. Jang yells, “Let’s go!” as his soldiers stand at attention next to him. The scene cuts to Kim Ok-bin who says, “You’re going to become a god,” before cutting back to the village as Jang Dong-gun marches through a crowd with his soldiers. The teaser ends with a close-up on Jang as we hear him speak in voice-over, “Warriors of Wahan, hear my voice. We have come to meet you.”

Writing for the tvN’s Arthdal Chronicles are Kim Young-hyun and Park Sang-yeon who have a long history of working together – including on Tree With Deep Roots in which Song Joong-ki made an extended appearance. It will be a reunion for the director as well, PD Kim Won-seok (My Ajusshi, Signal), who previously worked with Song Joong-ki on Sungkyungkwan Scandal.

Fantasy drama Arthdal Chronicles is currently set to premiere next month on June 1, and will be airing Saturdays and Sundays on tvN.

Via Osen, Sports World

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The expectations are through the roof on this one - fingers crossed for it. I heard rumours that there may be a second season ?! - is that true. Anyway I have actually diarised it so I don’t forget 😅

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There is a 2nd season for sure. Filming starts around September I think and it'll come out next year.

I dislike multiple seasons. It feels like it'll never end.
Maybe it'll turn out well. MAYBE they'll start treating their staff better.

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They said it is gonna be in three part witch all gonna air this year. here is soompi article about it :) https://www.soompi.com/article/1321066wpp/arthdal-chronicles-confirms-premiere-date-and-details-for-multi-part-broadcast

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I read it wrong I was about to post that link but you beat me to it.

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ahh, sorry if I over stepped.

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Not at all. Thank you for posting it first :).

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cc: @anyo1387, @kiara,

@silje sal, Thanks for the pointer to the premiere date and season format. It sounds a bit odd to me. On the other hand, perhaps it is being formatted this way to allow plenty of time for post-production. (I'm looking at you, HWAYUGI.) Or perhaps the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Actors and Crew Animals is watching out for the welfare of the horses. Heol.

I'm glad ARTHDAL is airing in its entirety this year. I had been looking forward to KINGDOM for a long time, and was let down that it was chopped up so that we got through the set-up only to have it stop dead in its tracks after six episodes. One-week cliffhangers are bad enough, but this killed the undead momentum for me. (On the other hand, I was live-watching a passel of dramas including CROWNED CLOWN when it aired, so my attention was not all there to begin with.)

I'm conflicted over movie-drama hybrids. One of the things I've come to love about Kdrama is the depth of character development that it affords, which is not possible in films. On the other hand, the time limitation of cinema makes for tauter pacing, and prevents the kind of wheel-spinning, meandering subplots, and filler that often plague dramas. Finished scripts prior to filming tend to preclude the horrible eleventh-hour wipeouts that plague so many dramas.

Fingers crossed that ARTHDAL will be a satisfying watch. Having recently watched JUMONG, KINGDOM OF THE WINDS, and THE STORY OF THE FIRST KING'S FOUR GODS to get a feel for the legendary distant past, it has a lot to live up to.

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I guess I did read about a Season 2 but that was 2 months ago.
https://www.reddit.com/r/KDRAMA/comments/asce1n/asadal_chronicles_will_be_doing_seasonal_format/

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I don't think that there is necessarily a 'second season', but more like the total number of episodes they've filmed for the entire drama will be divided in 2 (3??) parts throughout the second half of the year, making it seem like multiple 'seasons'.... It's going to be on Netflix, and breaking it up is just Netflix's way of trying to get more money out of one drama

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I am not happy about this. this is why I was scared about Netflix getting into korean drama. I have always been glad we gett the whole story at once and do not have to wait just to get the conclusion of the story. what to do, this have tampered my expectation for this drama...

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From the latest still and teaser, knowing I will witness on fire Song Joong Ki in a small screen and our Kim Won Suk PD nim directing this makes me can't handle this and please june why you can't come faster?

I heard they will only air the first season for 6 episode, and will air the following season around late Dec - early June. How much they want to torture me with only the first part being aired in June? Haha

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That...is one good looking cast.

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You got me at Warriors Assemble. I thought we are going to have an ENDGAME discussion lol.

I love Kim Okbin but her whole look and attire seems too modern for a warrior queen from the Bronze Age.

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Lol, I must admit, I was thinking about Avengers at the time

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When Cap said "Avengers Assemble" the whole theatre went crazy, clapping and cheering.
I've never experienced anything like that in a movie theatre.

Perfect headline <3.

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Am I seriously getting Endgame spoilers in a blog on Korean dramas? Really?!
I'm kidding. I saw the movie and it was EPIC.

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I love me a good warrior as well. I'm waiting to see what they will do with that worldbuilding culture, and how they will tweak modern and Joseon culture to create rituals, ideas of femininitey, masculinty, etc. Just hoping it's good.

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I’ll wait until what other Beanies think of this one before I try it. But if you ask me now then it looks like it will be a no from me now.

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The writer/director/actor combo is too good for it to be garbage, but someone needs to fire the costume designer. Those nomadic clothes look cleaner and better pressed than my Sunday Easter dress.

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Thanks Nam for my Saturday morning with coffee laugh out loud!

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Hopefully not a spit-take! Wouldn't want to dirty up your own Sunday clothes and have you looking like a real nomad.

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From what I've already seen of this show (teasers, etc) I think the characters' appearances are much too anachronistic for ancient Korea––the tribesmen are too clean and the nobles' clothing look European. I understand why the costume designer(s) had to come up with their own stuff due to the lack of surviving material culture from Gojoseon but some things are just obvious. One character is even supposed to be a Neanderthal (in 1000-2000 BCE???) I mean, I know it's historical fantasy but. Really.

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Soooooooooooo glad Netflix has this one! Bring on the worldbuilding!

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It is always nice not to have to sweat out the availability of cable dramas.

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This is like Korean GOT with fewer characters!

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Yup kind of a poor man's GoT with smaller cast and less competent stylist / costume designer. Sorry for being shallow, but they seem to have given Song Joong-ki the hairdo of the meek pre-makeover secretary in a romcom. Seriously though: the guy is an excellent actor and I hope he's finally getting a role worthy of his talent. But I'm not hopeful.

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I too did not like Song Joong ki's hairdo... does not suit him at all. Maybe they will throw in a better wig mid season! But nonetheles this drama seems a liitle bold! Hope SJK outdoes his mane through his brilliant acting chops.

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Excited but wary..

But I'll trust the casts and crews..
🙏🙏🙏

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The costumes look hideously mismatched but I like their hair game, no more side bangs, proper weave on Jang Dong Gun.

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This looks so SILLY! So they have no reference for ancient Korean clothing and hairdos. Aren't there any records from China? Japan? Anywhere a few thousand miles closer?? This is definitely Netflix not kdrama.

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People seem to be blaming Netflix for decisions such as the weird costuming choices, and that just... makes no sense. Yes, this will be streaming on Netflix, but it is a Studio Dragon production and will be airing on tvN. Studio Dragon does almost all tvN and OCN dramas. All of these silly decisions are being made by the same people who make the silly decisions for every other drama. Netflix can be annoying with the way they release dramas, but they’ve even gotten better about that. I really don’t think you can blame them for creative issues when they are just the streaming service.

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@mindy,
I agree with you about the goofy design choices. IIRC, the most glaring one I can remember was in MY SASSY [JOSEON] GIRL. There was an electric lamp with a green glass shade on someone's desk. Not a brass candle reflector, an electric lamp. It was probably a compact fluorescent at that. LOL!

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I have high hopes for this drama because of the director/writer duo. I’ve loved everything they produced. I really didn’t expect costumes to be a hinder, but it is. They look ridiculous. Why do everyone have a perm? Since when did East Asians have natural curls? Maybe slightly wavey, but we are seeing success perms here🤦🏻‍♀️.

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@geliguolu, I noticed the perms, too. Jarring, to say the least. I can understand hair being bleached by the sun, but shouldn't it really be black and straight at this point in history?

Fingers crossed that they don't have any German shepherds in the show. (I'm looking at you, CROWNED CLOWN.) The breed wasn't developed until the late 1800s. At the other end of Eurasia.

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Thanks for the update on ARTHDAL, @tccolb. Given the writers and how much I enjoyed their SIX FLYING DRAGONS and TREE WITH DEEP ROOTS, I'm looking forward to a solid production.

I do agree with Beanies who've pointed out that everyone looks too clean for ancient times.

The horses are too big and modern. They should look like Mongol cayuses. ;-)
http://www.dramabeans.com/members/pakalanapikake/activity/776654/

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I'm sorry............... askdjaklsd this looks horrible. I'm a huge, huge fan of the cast and the director and the writer but the costume design is blinding me to everything else. Everyone looks like they're from a different show and what the heck is with Song Joong-ki's hair??! I think this is the ugliest he's ever looked, seriously.

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b-but.. I thought it only make sense that he would look ugly, but so should all the casts. I think they need to be more scruffy and brawny too.

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Their costume is throwing me off. Nobody bothered to do some research before they started filming? Or they did not have enough budget? Dang, I was hoping this will be as big as Mr. Sunshine but I guess not.

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