Netflix has been offering Kdrama fans many treats especially with this special episode of the series Kingdom.
Kingdom: Ashin of the North cleared all questions which left viewers hanging from the last season. Directed by Kim Sung-hoon and written by Kim Eun-hee, Kingdom: Ashin of the North explores the mysterious origin of the resurrection plant which raises the dead back to life. The special episode also looks at the backstory of Ashin, her revenge, and how she became the person behind the huge tragedy that covered Joseon in ruins.
Warning! This article contains spoilers.
What happens in Kingdom: Ashin of the North Explained
The special episode of the blockbuster period drama takes place right after the Japanese invasion left the southern lands of Joseon in ruins, with another storm "looming" in the northern region.
Skilled at combats and battle, the Jurchens across the Manchurian plains north of the Amnok River started to gather at the basin of the Pajeo River under the flag of the vicious and powerful Pajeowi tribe. With the knowledge that no army in the world can defeat 10,000 Jurchens gathered together, the warriors of Joseon felt threatened by the possibility of an invasion.
Joseon warriors scouted the group of Jurchens living in Joseon land, called "Seongjeoyain." These people lived in Joseon land for over a century and are neither considered as Jurchens nor accepted by the people of Joseon as their own.
Kingdom: Ashin of the North started with a vague hint of the origin of the resurrection plant. A deer feeds on the plant then collapsing in water. It comes face-to-face with a tiger where the deer falls to its death. The tiger later reappears as a transformed zombie monster after devouring the deer.
A young Ashin appears entering the forbidden area of Pyesagun to search for the infamous wild ginseng which is said to resurrect people. She sets on his hunt for the plant with the thought of possibly helping cure her dying mother.
Also Read: Will There Be Vincenzo Season 2? Release Date Status, News, and Everything You Need To KnowHowever, she came to discover an abandoned shrine where mysterious drawings are shown on its wall and the words "This plant brings the dead back to life. But you must pay the price."
The scene already piqued interest from viewers. Lots have concluded that even before Ashin discovered the plant, someone else has found it first.
On the other hand, 15 dead bodies of people from the Pajeowi tribe were found at the border. The mysterious death of the Pajeowi people brought the tribe to avenge them, attacking the Seongjeoyain as they believe they are the culprits.
Ashin returns from her search for the wild ginseng, only to witness her people slaughtered. As the sole survivor, Ashin travels to the Joseon military camp to ask for help. She meets Min Chi-rok, the head of the Royal Commandery, and begs to help avenge her father's death.
Kingdom: Ashin Of The North, a story of revenge
Ashin grows up inside the military camp as a helper. She masters her archery skills in the forest, and just like her father, she was recruited by the Joseon warriors to became a spy to the Pajeowi Jurchens.
When Ashin went to the Pajeowi Jurchens' military camp, she discovered that her father has been kept in prison. Tahab had his limbs cut and is treated as a traitor to his own tribe. Filled with a heavy heart, Ashin ends her father's suffering.
Ashin went back to the Joseon military camp—spoiler alert—only to find out that it was the Joseon commander, Min Chi-rok, who led the Pajeowi leaders to believe that it was Ashin's people who did the mysterious killing in the border. Realizing that the death of her people was a bid to avoid war between the Pajeowi tribe and the people of Joseon, Ashin sets on her revenge.
Why is Kingdom: Ashin of the North the beginning of everything?
The first two seasons of Kingdom told us that the Haewon Cho Clan was behind the King's resurrection. But we weren't really clearly informed on the origin of the resurrection plant.
Kingdom: Ashin of the North unfolds that Ashin was the one who introduced the resurrection plant to Physician Lee Seung-hui. As seen at the end of season 2, Seobi spends years trying to discover the origins of the disease, outlining everything she found out about the resurrection plant.
However, Seobi believes there is still a bigger secret behind the resurrection plant and it is yet to be uncovered. And although it wasn't clearly revealed in Kingdom: Ashin of the North, hopefully, season 3 will confirm all theories and speculations about the true origin of the resurrection plant.
Near the end of the special episode Kingdom: Ashin of the North, Ashin is seen feeding a Joseon soldier to her resurrected people. She goes out to the open and says "When my job here is done after I kill every living thing on Joseon and Jurchen soil, I will join you."
Ashin then appears standstill before a group of Pajeowi people with her bow and arrow targeting their leader. And the special episode ends on that cliffhanger ending that left tons of questions from viewers which hopefully would be answered as the story gets explored in the future.
Kingdom: Ashin of the North is now available for online streaming on Netflix. It is a 93-minute special episode acting as a prequel to the Kingdom series.
Also Read: Kingdom Season 3 Expected RELEASE DATE on Netflix
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