Daebak K-Rambles

Rating: 1 out of 5 stars

Re-watch value: 0 out of 5 stars

SYNOPSIS

*From DramaList*

Set in the fictional land of Arthdal during ancient times.

• Eunseom was born with a fate to bring disaster to Arthdal. Due to his mother’s struggles to save him, he goes through hardships and grows up. But he’s still an outcast because he’s different from the others in the land.

• Tagon is a war hero of Arthdal. He has paved the way for Arthdal to become a prosperous city nation and he is the strongest warrior in Arthdal. He dreams of becoming the first king of Arthdal.

• Tanya was born with the same fate as Eunseom. She is the next great mother of the Wahan Tribe. But she has difficulty mastering the dance of the great mother & hasn’t had a single dream since the Eunseom appeared in their village.

• Taealha is the daughter of the head of the Hae tribe. She has greater ambitions.

• Saya has been kept confined into a tower because he is an Igutu, a hybrid between a Saram and Nweantal. Ta Gon chose to spare Sa Ya’s life as a baby, in the wars that wiped out all the Nweantals and brought him back to Arthdal. His relationship with Sa Ya is complicated as Igutus are hated in Arthdal. Tae Al Ha has helped Ta Gon raise him.

[Part II] Tagon has now become the most powerful man in Arthdal. He has an affectionate relationship only with Taealha, the daughter of the rival Hae Tribe, because of their shared ambitions.

Tanya, in an attempt to escape from the fortress of fire, where she and her tribe were held as hostages, she goes into a room.  This room looks exactly like what Eunseom had described as in his dreams. There she sees a boy that looks just like Eunseom. What will happen after Saya, who longs to escape his tower, and Tanya, who yearns for revenge against Arthdal, meet for the first time?

[Part III] Tagon has gotten what he wants as he sits atop his throne. However, now his life and throne are threatened when Eunseom begins to gather power among the slaves and peasants of Arth as he starts to fight back against the elite. Although Tagon has so far kept his half-Neanthal heritage a secret from the world, his eyes shine purple, preparing to go all out in fighting Eunseom. Meanwhile, Taealha faces the threat of assassination from an unknown adversary, while Tanya struggles to adjust to her newfound power in Arthdal.

RAMBLING

*beware of spoilers*

No, no, no, no. Absolutely not. Do not watch this show. It sucks balls.

I was lured in last year with all the promos featuring Song Joong-ki scantily clad and riding a horse. Bull shit. It’s not that cool.

This show had a high budget, but it didn’t do the plot any favors. It was so freaking dumb, I can’t believe I sat through an entire season (there were 18 episodes total, and each one was like an hour and 30 minutes long) just for a big cliffhanger and a raspberry blown in my face.

It had the lore, the creatures, the look of greater properties like Lord of the Rings, or Games of Thrones, or even The Shannara Chronicles, if you’ve seen that show. But from the get-go, the story was mired in its own folklore, obsessed with setting up an intricate system of politics, tribes, guilds, alliances, betrayals, and most importantly, religions. So many different tribes had what felt like 20 different and competing legends and prophecies that the show insisted on forcing on you. Whatever plot there was moved at a glacial pace.

Here’s some of my notes so you can see what I was dealing with:

Tanya keeps talking about how you’re tied to your name. Why did she name Eunseom “dream”? That sounds like the dumbest shit I’ve ever heard.

Tanya found the hidden star bell within that sanctum—meaning she’s a direct descendant of Asa Ron. She did that bizarre ritual dance that she couldn’t seem to master in the beginning of the show.

• Aramun Haesulla = mythical messiah

• Neanthal = extremely strong humanoid creature that is one with nature, basically

• Igutu = half Neanthal, half human

Why is there so much damn voiceover! Can the show not rely on the audience having to hear every random person’s thoughts?

So Arthdal is a union of sorts, with clan leaders making up the bulk, and some clans being religious in nature had more sway and power. Tagon wanted to take over the clans and become a king by masquerading as a messiah. Instead he ended up killing all who witnessed the truth about him being an Igutu the night Asa Ron tried to stage a coup. Then he named himself a king and ruled as a dictator.

I mean, what the hell is this show about? Why should I even care at this point? It felt like so much of my time has been wasted. I didn’t sign up to watch The Silmarillion. I hope this show doesn’t get a season 2 and just sits in its own mistake. Stay far away from this dump; it stinks down here.

Did you see Arthdal Chronicles? Tell me your thoughts in the comments below!