Arthdal Chronicles

Lore & Background

The series stars Jang Dong-gun and Kim Ok-vin in both seasons, joined by Song Joong-ki and Kim Ji-won in the first season, and Lee Joon-gi and Shin Se-kyung in the second season. The story takes place in a mythical land called Arth, where inhabitants of the ancient city of Arthdal contend with power struggles and love. Eun-seom goes through hardships to bring his tribe back to life and learns of his true origins.

Reader's Guide

Arthdal Chronicles is significant as the first Korean ancient fantasy drama, blending Bronze Age setting with mythical elements. Despite mixed to negative critical reception, it was the sixth most preferred Korean drama among viewers in the United States market in 2019 per a Consumer Research Report by the Korea Creative Content Agency. The series faced criticism for similarities to Game of Thrones, poor CGI, formulaic plot, and slow pacing, but was praised for its intriguing storyline, unique setting, and exploration of tribe, alliance, nation, and religion. The second season, titled Arthdal Chronicles: The Sword of Aramun, is set eight years after the first and replaced lead actors Song Joong-ki and Kim Ji-won with Lee Joon-gi and Shin Se-kyung. The production team was accused of labor law violations in 2019, with reports of crew working up to 150 hours a week; Studio Dragon responded that they abided by their own rules but admitted to 113-hour filming weeks during overseas shoots in Brunei.

Did You Know?

• The series serves as a reunion project for Song Joong-ki and Kim Ji-won, who both starred in the 2016 hit drama Descendants of the Sun.
• Filming for the second season took place in Jeju Island and was completed on May 2, 2023.
• The second season aired on Saturdays and Sundays at 21:20 (KST).

Mythical Roots and a Bronze Age Canvas

Arthdal Chronicles carved out a distinctive niche in Korean television by becoming the first drama to tackle ancient fantasy as its central genre. Set in the Bronze Age within a mythical land called Arth, the series draws its narrative soil from the founding legend of Dangun, the legendary progenitor of Gojoseon, Korea's earliest kingdom. The capital city of Asadal, from which the show borrows its title, serves as the stage where inhabitants navigate political machinations, tribal loyalty, and personal love. Protagonist Eun-seom endures hardship to restore his tribe to life while uncovering the truth about his own origins. The project was developed under the creative leadership of writers Kim Young-hyun and Park Sang-yeon, with direction by Kim Won-seok, and produced through the combined resources of Studio Dragon and KPJ. By grounding its world in prehistoric Korean mythology rather than importing Western fantasy tropes, the series positioned itself as a culturally specific reimagining of what epic storytelling could look like from the Korean perspective.

A Production Marked by Ambition and Adversity

The journey from script to screen for Arthdal Chronicles was long and fraught with obstacles. Season one's pre-production began in August 2018 with a cast workshop in Yangju and a script reading days later, but actual filming did not commence until December 2018, after eight months of set construction in Osan. The production also ventured overseas to Brunei, where Song Joong-ki departed in late February 2019. Season two's timeline was far more turbulent: renewal was announced in February 2020, yet the production schedule was shelved in June of that same year due to the pandemic, pushing the series out of the 2021 lineup entirely. Filming eventually began in August 2022 on Jeju Island under new director Kim Kwang-sik, wrapping in May 2023. Compounding the challenges, the production faced serious labor controversies in 2019, with civic groups alleging crew members worked up to 150 hours weekly. Studio Dragon was reported to the Seoul Employment and Labor Administration, and while the studio maintained it followed its own rules, it acknowledged a 113-hour workweek during the Brunei shoot.

Star Power and the Reunion Factor

The casting of Arthdal Chronicles carried significant fanfare, particularly for its first season. Jang Dong-gun anchored the ensemble as Ta-gon across both seasons, while Kim Ok-vin portrayed the formidable Taealha throughout the entire run. The most talked-about pairing was the reunion of Song Joong-ki and Kim Ji-won, who had previously shared the screen in the 2016 blockbuster Descendants of the Sun. Their collaboration as Eun-seom and Tan-ya in season one was a major selling point for audiences. When season two was set approximately eight years after the first, the creative team made the decision to recast both roles with their adult counterparts: Lee Joon-gi stepped in as the grown Eun-seom, and Shin Se-kyung took over as the matured Tan-ya. This generational shift allowed the story to explore how the characters' ambitions and relationships evolved over time. The series also expanded its multimedia footprint, with plans announced in 2022 for a companion webtoon and an MMORPG game alongside the second season's broadcast.

Critical Divisions and a Complex Legacy

Arthdal Chronicles occupied an uncomfortable middle ground in critical discourse. Reviewers frequently drew parallels to Game of Thrones, a comparison that frustrated both fans of the HBO series and the show's own creators. Writer Park Sang-yeon explicitly pushed back against the analogy, insisting the team had built a wholly original fictitious world and did not aim to replicate any foreign property. Critics also flagged issues with CGI quality, a slow narrative pace, formulaic plotting, and anachronistic choices in armor and weaponry. Yet the drama was not without its admirers: Forbes contributor Joan MacDonald lauded the sweeping cinematography, while Decider's John Serba, despite issuing a "Skip It" verdict, acknowledged the series explored distinct ideas about humanity's hunger for power in a more primitive era. Domestically, viewership fell short of expectations relative to the production's enormous budget, with the season peaking at 7.7 percent in episode four. Nevertheless, the Korea Creative Content Agency's 2019 Consumer Research Report ranked it as the sixth most preferred Korean drama among American viewers, and its streaming availability on Netflix and later Disney+ ensured a global audience.