History Series / Kingdom2019

''Kingdom'' (Korean: 킹덤) is a South Korean television series [[GenreMashup depicting a zombie outbreak in Feudal Korea]], written by Kim Eun-hee (''{{Series/Signal}}'') and directed by Kim Seong-hun (''Film/AHardDay''). It is loosely based on Eun-hee's webcomic series ''The Kingdom of the Gods''. The show was released worldwide by Creator/{{Netflix}} in 2019, followed by a second season in March 2020. A spin-off titled ''Kingdom: Ashin of the North'' aired in July 2021.

''Kingdom'' (Korean: 킹덤) is a South Korean television series [[GenreMashup depicting a zombie outbreak in Feudal Korea]], written by Kim Eun-hee (''{{Series/Signal}}'') and directed by Kim Seong-hun (''Film/AHardDay''). It is loosely based on Eun-hee's webcomic series ''The Kingdom of the Gods''. The show was released worldwide by Creator/{{Netflix}} in 2019; a second season was followed up in March 2020. A spin-off titled ''Kingdom: Ashin of the North'' will be released in 2021.

''Kingdom'' (Korean: 킹덤) is a South Korean television series [[GenreMashup depicting a zombie outbreak in feudal Korea]], written by Kim Eun-hee (''{{Series/Signal}}'') and directed by Kim Seong-hun (''Film/AHardDay''). It is loosely based on Eun-hee's webcomic series ''The Kingdom of the Gods''. The show was released worldwide by Creator/{{Netflix}} in 2019; a second season was followed up in March 2020. A spin-off titled ''Kingdom: Ashin of the North'' will be released in 2021.

''Kingdom'' (Korean: 킹덤) is a South Korean television series [[GenreMashup depicting a zombie outbreak in feudal Korea]], written by Kim Eun-hee (''{{Series/Signal}}'') and directed by Kim Seong-hun (''Film/AHardDay''). It is loosely based on Eun-hee's Korean web-comic series ''The Kingdom of the Gods''. The show was released worldwide by Creator/{{Netflix}} in 2019; a second season was followed up in March 2020. A spin-off titled ''Kingdom: Ashin of the North'' will be released in 2021.

''Kingdom'' (Korean: 킹덤) is a South Korean television series [[GenreMashup depicting a zombie outbreak in feudal Korea]], written by Kim Eun-hee (''{{Series/Signal}}) and directed by Kim Seong-hun (Film/AHardDay). It is loosely based on Eun-hee's Korean web-comic series ''The Kingdom of the Gods''. The show was released worldwide by Creator/{{Netflix}} in 2019; a second season was followed up in March 2020. A spin-off titled ''Kingdom: Ashin of the North'' will be released in 2021.

''Kingdom'' (Korean: 킹덤) is a South Korean television series [[GenreMashup depicting a zombie outbreak in feudal Korea]], written by Kim Eun-hee ({{Series/Signal}}) and directed by Kim Seong-hun (Film/AHardDay). It is loosely based on Eun-hee's Korean web-comic series ''The Kingdom of the Gods''. The show was released worldwide by Creator/{{Netflix}} in 2019; a second season was followed up in March 2020. A spin-off titled ''Kingdom: Ashin of the North'' will be released in 2021.

''Kingdom'' is a South Korean television series [[GenreMashup depicting a zombie outbreak in feudal Korea]], written by Kim Eun-hee ({{Series/Signal}}) and directed by Kim Seong-hun (Film/AHardDay). It is loosely based on Eun-hee's Korean web-comic series ''The Kingdom of the Gods''. The show was released worldwide by Creator/{{Netflix}} in 2019; a second season was followed up in March 2020. A spin-off titled ''Kingdom: Ashin of the North'' will be released in 2021.

In the Joseon Era (late 14th- to late 19th-century), when the country was recovering from the [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_invasions_of_Korea Imjin War]], word on the street is that the King is dead. The powerful Haewon Cho Clan is in almost complete control of the government, and its head, Chief State Councilor Cho Hak-ju (Ryu Seung-ryong of ''Animation/SeoulStation''), suspects that the Crown Prince Lee Chang (Ju Ji-hoon) is behind said rumours. The Prince determines that something is seriously wrong with the King and goes to the countryside to investigate matters while being pursued on charges of treason by Cho's force. Meanwhile, in the countryside, physician Seo-bi (Creator/BaeDoona of ''Film/TheHost'' and ''Series/{{Sense8}}'') notices that villagers are dropping dead rapidly, but that will soon be the least of her worries...

* DeadlyDecadentCourt: The general politics during the series' time isn't stable, which the bottom of the palace's pond is filled with the corpses of those who were caught in the court intrigue. Lee Chang became a target of this with the birth of his half brother that entailed the possibility of his succession rights relinquished due to his birth from a concubine rather than a consort. Even in the zombie outbreak, the aristocracy and ruling clan still attempt to vie for power and sometimes take advantage of the chaos.

''Kingdom'' is a South Korean television series [[GenreMashup depicting a zombie outbreak in feudal Korea]], written by Kim Eun-hee ({{Series/Signal}}) and directed by Kim Seong-hun (Film/AHardDay). It is loosely based on Eun-hee's Korean web-comic series ''The Kingdom of the Gods''. The show was released worldwide by Creator/{{Netflix}} in 2019; a second season was followed up in March 2020.

* CliffHanger: Season 1 ends as [[spoiler: the defenders of Sangju prepare to pack up after sunrise until the ground starts vibrating as a horde of zombies appears on the horizon, seemingly unaffected by daylight…]]

* DaylightHorror: A prime example of this occurs when Seob-il and Prince Chang learn separately that the zombies [[spoiler: only go dormant in the daytime when the weather is sufficiently warm. In cold temperatures, they remain active all day and all night. Cue an undead horde descending upon the soldiers who had set up a blockade outside of Sangju and were just about to let down their guard.]]

* FacialHorror: In a flashback, we see the people in Yeong-shin's home village having their faces covered in bloody bandages. This is likely a result of UsefulNotes/ToyotomiHideyoshi ordering the invading Japanese soldiers to bring back severed Korean noses for their remuneration claim. It may also be connected to the fact that the village is said to be afflicted with some kind of disease.

* ImprobableAimingSkills: Yeong-shin is a crack shot with a musket he salvaged during the retreat from Dongnae to Jiyulheon, achieving [[BoomHeadshot headshots]] on fast-moving zombies dangerously close to the Crown Prince.
** He later participates in an ambush against Cho's forces and takes out multiple soldiers with [[OneHitKill clean headshots]] using a ''musket'' from relatively long-range.

* TooDumbToLive: Despite having witnessed first-hand the destruction caused by the zombies, an elderly noblewoman ''insists'' on smuggling her infected son out in a locked crate to spare his body from being burned. This is in spite of Seo-bi specifically warning survivors that the zombies seek shelter during daytime and will reanimate in the evening. Naturally, when night falls, the zombie reanimates and wipes out everyone aboard the boat.

* ViralTransformation: Initially averted: the first victim of a zombie is mauled to death, but did not transform into one himself. However, his body remained infectious, so the people who unknowingly ate his flesh later died and reanimated.

* WhamEpisode: [[spoiler: The season 1 finale reveals that the zombies rest not because of daylight, but because of the heat. This is realized just as winter is approaching in Korea... Oh, and the Queen is not actually pregnant, but has a whole room-full of surrogate mothers whom she's counting on to deliver at least one son]].
** [[spoiler: The season 2 finale show that someone is deliberately spreading the resurrection plant throughout Korea and also that the young king is still infected with the parasitic worms]].
* WhamShot: One of the Queen's new maids gasps when she undresses her Majesty and discovers that [[spoiler: she isn't pregnant]].
** [[spoiler: The ending of the season 2 finale shows worms spreading from the young king's bite wound towards his brain]].

* WrittenByTheWinners: The accepted narrative is that Lord Ahn Hyeon bravely stood against an invading force of Japanese soliders with only 500 men and saved the country. [[spoiler: In truth, he and Lord Cho Hak-ju unleashed an army of the undead upon the Japanese invaders, slaughtering the people of the village of Sumang to get enough fresh corpses to set against their enemies.]]

In the Joseon Era (late 14th- to late 19th-century), when the country was recovering from the [[https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_invasions_of_Korea_(1592%E2%80%931598) Imjin War]], word on the street is that the King is dead. The powerful Haewon Cho Clan is in almost complete control of the government, and its head, Chief State Councilor Cho Hak-ju (Ryu Seung-ryong of ''Animation/SeoulStation''), suspects that the Crown Prince Lee Chang (Ju Ji-hoon) is behind said rumours. The Prince determines that something is seriously wrong with the King and goes to the countryside to investigate matters while being pursued on charges of treason by Cho's force. Meanwhile, in the countryside, physician Seo-bi (Creator/BaeDoona of ''Film/TheHost'' and ''Series/{{Sense8}}'') notices that villagers are dropping dead rapidly, but that will soon be the least of her worries...

* YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness: [[spoiler: The Queen murders any mother in her care who has given birth, and also any female infant they give birth to. [[NiceJobeFixingItVillain The trail of blood from an escaping mother raises the Royal Commander's suspicion and leads him to investigate into the conspiracy]]]].

* BittersweetEnding: How Season 2 wraps up, with [[spoiler: the plague being contained, the Haewon Cho Clan being ousted from most positions of power, and most of the main cast surviving to lead more fruitful lives. However, Prince Chang goes into self-imposed exile, Mu-yeong was killed in the process, his wife left a widow and unable to raise their child, and said child being raised by the state as the heir to the throne, never knowing about his parents. And to make matters worse, there's the implication that someone is trying to start a new outbreak, and it turns out that the young prince ''isn't entirely immune from the plague'' as there is still one parasitic worm in his body]].

* TokenGoodTeammate: Of the Haewon Cho Clan, the only good member of the prominent Cho clan is Beom-pal who's a pretty kind guy and actually does wish to help people rather than use them as tools. Unfortunately, he's a doormat for bad advisors and he's loyal to the clan, including the evil Cho Hak-ju, so ends causing as much death as his crueller relatives (he's responsible for a lot of deaths at Jiyulheon and his acting on Cho Hak-ju's orders leads directly to Mu-yeong's death).

* SmugSnake: The Queen is this ''in spades'' when she's not occasionally giggling. Hell, she's not even [[spoiler:flinching at all when the zombies that she released deliberately are just an inch in front of her, ready to devour her mercilessly!]]

* ThanatosGambit: [[spoiler: Lord Ahn Hyeon is seemingly killed in a futile attempt to reach the Crown Prince after entering a trap set by Cho Hak-ju during Season 2. However, the public circumstances of his death was a plan organised to prove the existence of the resurrection herb and thereby implicating Cho in a cover-up of the King's death. When Cho Hak-ju orders the transfer of the captured Crown Prince and his allies to Hanyang, Seo-bi resurrects Ahn Hyeon as a zombie during their attempted jailbreak]].

* TheDungAges: This isn't quite evident in more urbanised, royal cities like Hanyang (i.e., modern-day Seoul), and the setting is Early Modern Korea rather than the strictly medieval Western Europe, but remote provincial towns like Dongnae are positively ''filthy'', with people wearing constantly soiled clothes, wet, thickly muddy alleys, and open sewer channels, one of which even features a small child openly ''defecating'' into it. (The actual act isn't shown on camera, of course, but it's obvious what the kid is doing.) Prince Chang can't help but hold his nose.
* EliteMook: What Yeong-shin used to be, the Crown Prince is told that the only people who shoot on the level of Yeong-shin are the Chakho, a special unit of soldiers used for hunting down wild tigers.

** Lord Cho Hak-Ju also gets a dose of this when [[spoiler: a zombified Lord Ahn Hyeon bites his cheek.]]

* GoneHorriblyWrong: The resurrection herbal spell performed at the beginning of the show was intended to bring the emperor back to life. It backfires by raising him as a zombie and ends up causing a zombie outbreak.

* LaserGuidedKarma: Both [[spoiler: Cho Hak-ju and the Queen end up on the receiving end - the former has his cheek bitten off by the zombified Ahn Hyeon (he gets cured of the parasites, but dies nonetheless later on) and the latter allowing herself to be devoured alive by the zombies as she refuses to surrender her throne to the Crown Prince]]. Given their highly immoral actions throughout the series, their gruesome deaths are well-deserved.

* PoliceAreUseless: The nobles and guards ditch Yeong-shin who they had jailed and tossed the keys to him almost out of reach. To be fair, the guy was largely responsible for the outbreak...

* WrittenByTheWinners: Deliberately done by [[spoiler: Prince Chang himself to prevent the future Joseon kings from learning about the zombie plague that happens throughout the series. In a more benign line of reasoning, he commanded his followers to write his fate as being killed (alongside the young king's parents' fate) during the Korean-Japanese war to make sure that the young king will never know the truth.]]

* HeroicSacrifice: Lord Ahn Hyeon’s lead guard stabs himself through a chain linking two gates to prevent a horde of the undead from entering a canal being used as an escape route. While the undead can chew on him, they can’t get through the gates.
* HumanPincushion: [[spoiler: Before he dies, Lord Ahn Hyeon is shot with a hail of bullets. After he is zombified, he tanks another volley of arrows and bullets.]]

* ArtisticLicenseHistory: The Gyeongbok Palace in UsefulNotes/{{Seoul}} (then Hanyang) was burned down during the Japanese invasion, which happened shortly before the show's timeframe. Here it's shown in its modern-day form, which started reconstruction in 1989 after being left in ruins for over three centuries. May not apply because [[spoiler: it was revealed that Korea changed the course of the war by weaponizing zombies against the Japanese invaders]].

** Lord Cho Hak-Jo also gets a dose of this when [[spoiler: a zombified Lord Anh Yeoh bites his cheek.]]