“It is unexpected. Someone claiming to be Inaishingi, Ago Tribe’s hero, has appeared. The return of the dead is the desire of the living. He will be the most powerful enemy of Arthdal.”
Arthdal Chronicles (2019)
For the first time in the history of South Korean dramas, an ancient, historical story about tribes, deities, heroes, cultures, and wars, was created and produced by tvN and Studio Dragon โ an epic tale that fully captivated the audiences and left them stoked for more.
Titled “Arthdal Chronicles”, the Korean historical drama is set in the fictional land called Arth, where inhabitants of the ancient city of Arthdal and its surrounding regions of clans and tribes vie for power to become legends.
However, three babies who were born on the same day and hour when the blue comet appeared in the sky, were destined by ancient prophecies to be the sword, bell, and mirror who will gather together by fate to destroy the world.
After four years since Season 1 ended, tvN’s Arthdal Chronicles returns to complete the narrative with a great war approaching amid the rise of mankind and civilization under the leadership of King Tagon.
While the Ago Union of Eun-seom marches in battle to liberate its people, Tagon’s Kingdom of Arthdal fights to conquer the world and build his one great nation, Tagon Niruha.
Here are thirty-two things to know about the two seasons of Arthdal Chronicles:
1. The “Most Anticipated Drama of 2019”.
Arthdal Chronicles was awarded with the “Most Anticipated Drama of 2019” at the 2019 Korea First Brand Awards. It was highly anticipated for its unique ancient story, high budget, stellar cast, and impressive visuals.
2. The first K-Drama set in antiquity.
Arthdal Chronicles is set during the Bronze Age and regarded as the first ever Korean ancient drama that is loosely based on the story of Dangun, also known as the “grandson of heaven” and “son of a bear”, who is the legendary founder and god-king of Gojoseon, the first Korean Kingdom in 2333 BC.
3. The production of two seasons.
The first season of Arthdal Chronicles premiered on June 1, 2019 and ended on September 22, 2019. It was then announced in February 2020 that a second season will be produced but due to COVID-19 pandemic concerns and restrictions, the production was postponed.
After four years since the first season ended, Arthdal Chronicles: The Sword of Aramun has been confirmed to be released in 2023 with new actors, Lee Joon-gi and Shin Se-kyung to portray the older Eun-seom and older Tanya. Meanwhile, actors Jang Dong-gun and Kim Ok-vin reprised their roles as Tagon and Tae Al-ha.
4. Screenwriters.
Kim Young-hyun with Park Sang-yeon wrote the two seasons of Arthdal Chronicles. Kim Young-hyun is known for writing some of the hit historical dramas, such as Six Flying Dragons (2015).
She also won Best Screenplay for Jewel In The Palace (2003) at the 2003 MBC Drama Awards, Queen Seondeok (2009) at the 2010 Seoul International Drama Awards and 2010 Korea Producers & Directors’ (PD) Awards, and Deep Rooted Tree (2011) at the 2012 Baeksang Arts Awards.
5. Season 1 director.
Kim Won-seok helmed the first season of Arthdal Chronicles (2019). He is known for directing the hit dramas, Misaeng: Incomplete Life (2014), Signal (2016), and My Mister (2018). He is also the director of the upcoming Netflix drama, You Have Done Well (2023), which stars Park Bo-gum and IU.
6. Season 2 director.
Kim Kwang-sik helmed the second season, Arthdal Chronicles: The Sword of Aramun (2023). He is best known for his works in the movie industry as a screenwriter and director.
He wrote and directed the historical epic action film, The Great Battle (2018), which earned nominations at the 55th Baeksang Arts Awards and 39th Blue Dragon Film Awards. It was also awarded as one of the Top 11 Films at the 38th Korean Association of Film Critics Awards.
7. Season 1 filming location.
The first season was filmed in the city of Osan in Gyeonggi Province, South Korea and overseas in Brunei. It was revealed that the set construction in Osan, South Korea was completed with hardwork and sweat for about eight months before the official filming began.
8. Season 2 filming location.
Jeju Island was revealed to be the filming site of the second season of Arthdal Chronicles when the wife of actor Jang Dong-gun and his kids went on a vacation trip to Jeju and visited the filming location.
9. Season 1’s impact on tourism.
As many viewers were hooked with the epic drama, the filming site in Osan City became a popular tourist spot in 2019. Visitors were guided for free to tour around the “City of Arth” for 40-50 minutes.
The city mayor of Osan, South Korea was also awarded with the “Cultural Tourism Grand Prize” at the 9th Korean Wave Awards and was highly praised for its contribution to South Korea’s tourism.
10. Season 1 production cost.
The production cost of Season 1 was estimated to be 54 billion won in total, or 3 billion won per episode, which was believed to have been spent largely on computer graphics.
11. Grand Prize Award.
Jang Dong-gun who played Tagon, the war hero of Arthdal, was awarded with the “Grand Prize (Daesang) Actor of the Year” trophy at the 2019 Asia Artist Awards held on November 26 in Vietnam.
12. Blackpink Jisoo’s cameo.
Jisoo from Blackpink played the love interest of Saya, the long-lost twin brother of Eun-seom portrayed by Song Joong-ki. Even though her appearance was short, the hashtag #JisooOnArthdalChronicles took over Twitterโs worldwide trends. She also took to Instagram some behind-the-scenes photos on the set of Arthdal Chronicles Season 1.
13. Jang Dong-gun’s transformation.
To attain the visual image of Tagon the great warrior in the first season, actor Jang Dong-gun was revealed to have gained 8 kilograms through bulking up exercises.
14. Season 1 finale.
By the end of Season 1, Tagon is crowned as the first King of Arthdal who then gives his first command as King to conquer the East including the Ago Tribe.
Tae Al-ha who tells Tagon she is pregnant with his child, is brimming with pride as she is set to become the Queen with the same hunger for power to take all of Arthdal.
High Priestess Asa Tanya who is revered by people in Arthdal declares all tribes as one country and gives them the new name “subjects”, her subjects.
Meanwhile, Lord Saya learns that Eun-seom, the Igutu and dujeumsaeng who resembles him and was ordered to be killed, is his benetbeot (twin) and that he is still alive.
In the East tribe of Ago, Eun-seom accepts the honor that he is the awaited second coming of Inaishingi, the legendary ruler of the Ago Tribe, and promises to unite and lead 30,000 tribes from 30 clans to attain freedom from Arthdal and reunite with Tanya and his people.
15. Season 2 plot.
Arthdal Chronicles: The Sword of Aramun (2023) is set eight years later where Tagonโs Kingdom of Arthdal and Eun-seomโs Ago Union will face an inevitable great war. At the center of Arthdal city stands the statue of Aramun Haesulla, the founder of Arthdal who rides the legendary horse Kanmoreu. The follow-up saga raises the question, โWho will take over Arthdal?โ
Will Tagon the great warrior remain on his seat as the King of Arthdal? Will the return of the more powerful Eun-seom win the great war and conquer Arthdal? Will Saya the brilliant son of Tagon reign in the end? Will the kingdom fall at the hands of the power-hungry Tae Al-ha? Or will the High Priestess Asa Tanya with her divine powers end the bloodshed?
The much anticipated moment of the face-to-face meeting of two purple-blooded twin brothers who were separated by birth and who look exactly the same, however lived completely different lives, will also take place in the great war.
16. Webtoon and games.
Studio Dragon, the production company, announced that a webtoon and an MMORPG or massively multiplayer online role-playing game of “Arthdal Chronicles” will be released in 2023.
17. Eun-seom, the hunter.
In season 1, Song Joong-ki played Eun-seom, an igutu with purple lips and back scars who was born to a Saram (human) mother and a blue-eyed Neanthal father.
A symbol of “sword”, Eun-seom’s birth was prophesied to bring disaster as he was born on the day of the blue comet crossing the sky, based on an old Arthdal prophecy.
He possesses superhuman strength, shows great hunting skills, unique speed, and is the only one who can ride the legendary horse Kanmoreu.
When he was a child, he and his mother went on a long journey of escape from Arthdal. Young Eun-seom and his mother arrived at lark and met Wahan tribe who adopted and raised him like their own after his mother’s demise. Although not blood-related, he has a big heart for the Wahans and Tanya, his childhood bestfriend.
Eun-seom grows up like one of the Wahans, wearing traditional Wahan face paint with great hunting skills. However, he is often questioned for his extraordinary abilities such as having dreams, which is considered to be a qualified skill of the highest position among the Wahans.
The Wahan village was a fun and peaceful community until a powerful attack from Tagon’s warriors arrived that caused many deaths with other Wahans including Tanya becoming captives and slaves of Arthdal. Eun-seom commits to save Wahans but is met with perilous situations, facing and escaping death several times.
However, in his quest outside Arthdal, he meets and wins the hearts of multiple tribes with his extraordinary abilities who now considers him the awaited second coming of Inaishingi, the legendary god of the Ago Tribe, becoming the revered tribal hero.
18. Eun-seom, the ruler.
After eight years, Eun-seom is now known as the powerful ruler of the East who has succeeded in forming his own tribal union of thirty Ago clans.
The older and more powerful Eun-seom will be played by Lee Joon-gi who resolves to become the legendary hero Aramun Haesulla, marching towards Arthdal to confront Tagon and fight fiercely for freedom. He is also destined to meet his long-lost twin brother, Saya.
19. Saya, the twin brother.
Separated from his Saram (human) mother, Neanthal father, and twin brother Eun-seom during birth, Saya becomes the adopted son of the great warrior Tagon.
Saya was raised in secret and confined at a tower in the city of Arthdal by Tagon and his lover Tae Al-ha. Although he isn’t aware of his twin brother’s existence, he often dreams about Eun-seom and Tanya has always been curious about these strange visions.
Isolated growing up, he longs to escape the tower life but unexpectedly meets Tanya, the Wahan girl in his dreams who becomes his personal maid. Getting to know her closely, Tanya becomes Saya’s new friend to protect and share moments with. He also journeyed with her as she transforms from a slave to a priestess.
Saya has a long hair, has read plenty of books, which sharpened his mind and ability to solve intricate problems, growing wise and knowledgeable as a person about life and the world.
He is resourceful, discerning, and provides great insights about the kingdom. He was also given a leadership position in the Royal Administration.
While Saya symbolizes the “mirror” who is prophesied to go up against Tagon, he plots a strategy for his father to become the first King of Arthdal.
He was also personally empowered by Tagon to be the heir and successor, trusting his leadership and capabilities to help him earn the crown and own the world.
However, Saya remains a dark and mysterious character whose true allegiance is unclear. He has a cunning personality and like Tagon, he uses violence to attain what he wants, threatens Tanya, and is not afraid to fight against anyone, not even the fierce Tae Al-ha who raised him into adulthood.
20. Saya, the military commander.
After his father’s rise to the throne as the first King of Arthdal, Saya becomes the military commander whose solid experience in the battlefield within eight years of time shows in his outward transformation.
From his 20 years of confinement in the tower to becoming his father’s trusted comrade in the Royal Administration, Lord Saya transforms into a real warrior and a knight in shining armor. He is fully clothed in a well-made suit of armour with a helmet, breastplate, gauntlet, and an epauliere, riding a horse in all his nobility.
In the great war, commander Saya is also destined to meet his twin brother, ruler Eun-seom who is as strong and charming as him but completely different from his psyche, upbringing, perspective, and values.
21. Tagon, the war hero.
Jang Dong-gun played Tagon, the son of a tribal leader of Arthdal Union and the leader of the Saenyeok Tribe, Daekan Force, and later the hero of Arthdal. He was revered as a war hero when he impressed with his cunning strategies and battle skills while leading his people to victory in war when he was a teen.
Over the years, he has grown to be a dangerous warrior who is always ready for battle with his ambition and thirst for power. His ultimate mission is to be the King of Arthdal as he and his troops brutally attack other clans to take over their lands and make tribes their slaves in the city of Arthdal.
Unbeknownst to many, he is an Igutu, a mixture of Saram (human) and Neanthal whose true identity remains a secret between him, his lover Tae Al-ha, adopted son Saya, and his enemy, Eun-seom. As his greatest weakness is the revelation of his purple blood, he silences anyone who uncovers this secret.
22. Tagon, the first King of Arthdal.
After proclaiming himself as the reincarnation of the legendary hero Aramun Haesulla, Tagon becomes the first King of Arthdal with the greater desire of expanding Arthdal to the rest of the world.
In the second season, he calls himself the order and balance in Arthdal. As his next target is conquering the East, he wages a great war for absolute power, at the same time feeling paranoid and anxious as he faces his most powerful enemy, Eun-seom.
23. Tanya, the next Great Spiritual Mother.
In Season 1, Kim Ji-won played Tanya, the daughter of the anointed successor of the next Great Spiritual Mother of the Wahan tribe who died when she was born on the day of the appearance of blue comet in the sky.
According to Wahan prophesy, a child born on that day will break the shell accompanied by death, and be marked as the symbol of “bell” who will end the world.
Destined to be the next Great Spiritual Mother, she trains everyday but often finds herself struggling to master the spiritual dance. Even having a dream, which is a powerful symbol of being the anointed one, is making her frustrated and doubt her fate but later learns every dance move by heart with the help of her childhood friend, Eun-seom.
Tanya’s innate skills of visions and spells emerged when she and her people were taken captives of Arthdal. Once a slave, she transforms into a revered shaman among Arthdal people, even Tagon. It also confirmed her identity as a direct descendant of the Great Mother Asa Sin.
Although her heart longs to go back to lark with her people, she accepts the honor to be anointed as the High Priestess of Arthdal in order to protect the Wahans. It is believed in Arthdal that Eun-seom is dead but Tanya still hopes to see him one day while she gets closer with Saya who resembles her childhood friend.
24. Asa Tanya, the High Priestess of Arthdal.
After eight years, the older and more powerful High Priestess of Arthdal, which will be played by Shin Se-kyung, commits herself with the greater responsibility to stop the bloodshed in the approaching great war.
25. Tae Al-ha, the power-hungry politician.
Actress Kim Ok-vin played Tae Al-ha, Tagon’s long-time lover who is an ambitious politician and daughter of the chief leader of the Hae Tribe, a group that is skilled with science including the use of bronze and weapons, which contributed largely to the kingdom of Arthdal.
Although knowledgeable, Tae Al-ha’s interest rests not upon science but on political power. Using her beauty, fierceness, and cunning personality, she becomes Tagon’s lover and power-hungry comrade with the ultimate goal of becoming the Queen of Arthdal.
26. Tae Al-ha, the Queen of Arthdal.
After eight years, the fierce and power-hungry Tae Al-ha remains Tagon’s political ally and queen in the kingdom of Arthdal.
As the great war approaches, her greatest desire remains the same, the power to have all of Arthdal.
27. Season 1 ratings.
According to Nielsen Korea, the first episode of tvN’s Arthdal Chronicles (2019) recorded a nationwide average rating of 6.729%. Season 1 garnered its highest record of 7.705% on its fourth episode with a finale rating of 7.373%.
28. Season 1 reception.
Although the first season of tvN’s Arthdal Chronicles (2019) received negative remarks such as poor use of CGI, slow-paced or boring storyline, and similarities with the series, Game of Thrones, other viewers praised it for its epic ancient narrative that involves tribes, deities, politics, and cultures.
In addition to the favorable reviews, the first season was also commended for the intriguing plot, costumes, cinematography, unique characters, performances, and the exceptional dual portrayal of Song Joong-ki as Eun-seom and Saya.
29. Lee Joon-gi, the older Eun-seom.
Singer-actor Lee Joon-gi was cast to play the older Eun-seom and Saya in Arthdal Chronicles: The Sword of Aramun (2023) after Song Joong-ki pulled out to reprise his role due to conflicts in schedule.
Lee Joon-gi is recognized as one of South Korea’s most handsome and outstanding actors. He is also known as a top action star for his skills in martial arts, taekwondo, and action stunts. He gained recognition for his drama roles in SBS’ Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo (2016), tvN’s Lawless Lawyer (2018), and tvN’s The Flower of Evil (2020).
So far, he has achieved 44 wins out of 66 nominations including “Best New Actor” at the 2006 Baeksang Arts Awards and Grand Bell Awards for his performance in The King and the Clown (2005), “Outstanding Korean Actor” at the 2013 Seoul International Drama Awards for his performance in Arang and the Magistrate (2012), and “Top Excellence Award” at the 2013 APAN Star Awards for his performance in Two Weeks (2013), and more.
30. Shin Se-kyung, the older Tanya.
Actress, singer, and model Shin Se-kyung was cast to play the older Tanya in the second season, Arthdal Chronicles: The Sword of Aramun (2023) after Kim Ji-won pulled out to reprise her role due to conflicts in schedule.
Shin Se-kyung ventured into the world of entertainment as a child actress and achieved awards for her performances in MBC’s High Kick Through The Roof (2009), SBS’ Deep Rooted Tree (2011), MBC’s When A Man Falls In Love (2013), SBS’ Six Flying Dragons (2015), and Rookie Historian Goo Hae-ryung (2019).
She also impressed with her role in JTBC’s Run On (2020) and was listed for two consecutive years in Forbes Korea Power Celebrity, ranking 26th in 2011 and 14th in 2012.
31. Number of episodes.
The first season of Arthdal Chronicles (2019) consists of 18 episodes and was divided into three parts:
- Part 1: The Children of Prophecy (Episodes 1-6)
- Part 2: The Sky Turning Inside Out, Rising Land (Episodes 7-12)
- Part 3: The Prelude to All Legends (Episodes 13-18)
Arthdal Chronicles: The Sword of Aramun (2023) consists of 12 episodes and will be released on a weekly basis for a total of six weeks.
32. Network and OTT.
The first season of Arthdal Chronicles (2019) aired on tvN cable channel from June 1 to September 22 and was also streamed globally on Netflix.
Arthdal Chronicles: The Sword of Aramun (2023) has been confirmed to premiere on September 9 on the same network and will be available for international viewers on Disney Plus.
Meanwhile, Season 1 is available for a rewatch both on Netflix and Disney Plus.
By KORB Blog Team
Cover images: tvN, Studio Dragon
KORB 