“Kingdom: Ashin of the North” explores the history of the infamous resurrection plant and the tragedy that happened to the north side of the Joseon empire that instigated the events of the first and second season of “Kingdom.”
The film follows a girl named Ashin (Kim Shi-a/Jun Ji-hyun) who belongs to a tribal village located in the northern part of the Joseon kingdom. They were dubbed "Seongjeoyain" because they were innately Jurchens living in Joseon. However, both Jurchens and Joseon do not acknowledge them
The southern part of the Joseon kingdom is recovering from the Japanese invasion, rendering the northern part of the empire vulnerable to invaders. Reports said that Jurchens have consolidated their powerful group called the Pajeowi near the area, forcing the Joseon kingdom to stay on their toes.
Meanwhile, a group of Pajeowi men searching for ginseng are found dead inside the forbidden Pyesa-Gun forest. Deputy Commander Min Chi-rok (Park Byung-eun) fears that this tragedy might spark a war between them and the Pajeowi; so he tasked Ta Hab (Kim Roe-ha), Ashin’s father and the head of the Seongjeoyain settlement, to spy on them and spread false rumors about their death in exchange for their tribe’s governmental representation from Joseon.
As Ta Hab travels to Pajeowi, Ashin sneaks off to the forbidden Pyesa-Gun forest to retrieve the resurrection plant that will heal her ailing mother.
Little did she know that while she was away, the Pajeowi attacked their village and massacred everyone without mercy.
Distraught and alone, Ashin vows to take revenge on the people that wiped out her tribe.
“Kingdom: Ashin of the North” is an enthralling tale with a very overt political commentary. It is not just thrilling, it is also trying to send a message on class conflict and social inequality experienced by ethnic groups.
For the longest time, minority groups are the victim of oppression, prejudice, and discrimination. And because of this intolerance, peaceful communities get destroyed leaving a lot of children traumatized.
Though, “Kingdom: Ashin of the North” is not the kind of film that shouts stop the bigotry. It, instead, takes a more creative (albeit bloody) and subtle approach to illustrate that despots, oppressors, and bullies never win.
Moreover, the film has this feeling of despair and sadness that is hard to ignore. Jun Ji-hyun and Kim Shi-a’s gutting performance delivers the dolefulness that the character Ashin feels throughout the narrative. They are the reason why Ashin is so compelling to watch as she evolves from a nobody to a cold-blooded bow-wielding antihero.
In summary, “Kingdom: Ashin of the North” works as a nice starter for casual viewers and "Kingdom" fans. Despite some flaws with the pace and the plot, the film succeeds in what it needs to do -- offer up a plethora of possibilities for the future of the series.
3.5/5
