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Drama, Fantasy, Thriller • 2021 • 92 min

Kingdom: Ashin of the North (2021)

Kingdom: Ashin of the North poster

Kingdom: Ashin of the North (2021)

Overview

This Netflix special set in historical Korea serves as a prequel to the Kingdom zombie series, tracing the origin story of Ashin, a woman from a marginalized northern tribe whose family and people are destroyed through state betrayal. The Progressive label follows from two clear pulls. The political framing condemns state-sanctioned violence against an ethnic minority, with the powerful treating the powerless as expendable. The protagonist herself is a woman from outside the dominant social order driving the entire narrative. A counterweight worth noting: the film treats family and tribal bonds as genuine goods, not relics, making their loss the moral wound at the center of the story. The mix skews Progressive, but the traditional values underneath give it some weight.

Starring Cast

Jun Ji-hyun • Kim Si-Ah • Park Byeong-eun

Where to watch

Netflix

Rating & Dimensions

Bias Rating

Analyzing...

Progressive

Political: Leans Left

Diversity: High

Family Values: Strongly Traditional

Viewer Rating

7.0

Overview

This Netflix special set in historical Korea serves as a prequel to the Kingdom zombie series, tracing the origin story of Ashin, a woman from a marginalized northern tribe whose family and people are destroyed through state betrayal. The Progressive label follows from two clear pulls. The political framing condemns state-sanctioned violence against an ethnic minority, with the powerful treating the powerless as expendable. The protagonist herself is a woman from outside the dominant social order driving the entire narrative. A counterweight worth noting: the film treats family and tribal bonds as genuine goods, not relics, making their loss the moral wound at the center of the story. The mix skews Progressive, but the traditional values underneath give it some weight.

Starring Cast

Jun Ji-hyun • Kim Si-Ah • Park Byeong-eun

Where to watch

Netflix

Detailed Bias Analysis

Analyzing...

Progressive

Primary

Political: Leans Left

Confidence: High

The film critiques state-sponsored oppression and the exploitation of a marginalized ethnic minority, portraying the devastating consequences of political betrayal and the resulting cycle of vengeance.

Diversity: High

Confidence: High

The movie features a cast authentic to its Korean historical setting. Its narrative centers on a female protagonist from a marginalized ethnic group, who seeks revenge against the dominant male-led state, explicitly critiquing the actions of those in power.

Secondary

Family Values: Strongly Traditional

Confidence: Medium

The film strongly portrays the traditional family unit as a fundamental good, making its brutal destruction the central tragedy and the driving force for the protagonist's extreme quest for revenge. Parental authority, distinct gender roles, and tribal loyalty are depicted as valued norms, with their loss leading to profound despair and violence.

LGBTQ: N/A

Confidence: High

The film "Kingdom: Ashin of the North" does not feature any identifiable LGBTQ+ characters or themes. The narrative centers on Ashin's personal tragedy and her pursuit of vengeance, with no elements related to queer identity or experiences present in the story.

Trans: N/A

Confidence: High

Kingdom: Ashin of the North does not feature any identifiable transgender characters or themes. The narrative focuses on Ashin's quest for revenge and the origins of the resurrection plant in a historical Korean setting, without incorporating elements related to transsexual identity or experiences.

Female Combat: N/R

The movie does not contain any action or adventure elements.

Gender Swap: No

Confidence: High

The film introduces new characters and expands on the backstory of Ashin, a character who was consistently portrayed as female in the preceding series. No established characters from the source material or prior installments are depicted with a different gender.

Race Swap: No

Confidence: High

The film is a prequel to an original South Korean series set in historical Korea. All characters are original creations for this franchise, and their racial portrayals are consistent with the established setting and the original series' canon. No characters were previously established as a different race in source material or history.

Hinduism: N/A

Confidence: High

Not depicted in the film.

Viewer Rating Breakdown

7.0

Viewer Rating

Combines user and critic ratings from four sources

User Ratings

IMDB

6.9

The Movie Database

7.1

Critic Ratings

Rotten Tomatoes

N/A

Metacritic

N/A

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