After saying goodbye to the "Kingdom" series, finally, after five years, a historical drama that suits the 'K' brand has appeared on Netflix. It is East Palace, a Korean-style occult fantasy that is actor Nam Joo-hyuk's comeback work after his military discharge and also brings together Roh Yoon-seo, Cho Seung-woo and Jang Young-nam.
The Netflix series East Palace is a drama that depicts the story of Gucheon (Nam Joo-hyuk), who has the ability to cross between the world of ghosts (鬼) and the living, and the palace maid Saenggang (Roh Yoon-seo), who keeps a secret, as they are summoned by the king (Cho Seung-woo) and unravel the curse that has settled in the East Palace. Set in a fictional past kingdom reminiscent of Joseon, it positions itself as a mystery occult thriller historical drama that tracks mysteries tied to the palace and ugly truths while moving between the ghost world and the human world.
In particular, East Palace is Nam Joo-hyuk's new work presented three years after the 2023 Disney+ series Vigilante and is his comeback project after military discharge. Nam Joo-hyuk, who enlisted in the military in March of the same year, had to watch the response to Vigilante, which was praised for its action, from his unit because he was serving at the time Vigilante was released. He later said he received the East Palace script while he was in the military, felt a fateful déjà vu, and chose the project.
Through the pre-release online screenings up to episode 4, Nam Joo-hyuk in East Palace shows a stable skill set as if erasing concerns about the gap period. If he honed the impact-focused modern action in Vigilante, in East Palace he captures attention with more flamboyant movements in period action wielding a sword. His emotional line, expressing the mental anguish that inevitably follows from moving between the ghost world and the human world, is also commendable.
Above all, the chemistry with Roh Yoon-seo is stable. Facing the ghost world, where they must risk their lives, as well as a stern human world in which it would not be surprising for threats to be posed, and especially the palace where without power you must die to leave, Gucheon and Saenggang align their paths over stories tied to life and the death of a mother. Between friendship and love exchanged through shared life-and-death experiences, the inevitable flutter of emotions that must bloom after overcoming hardships and adversity makes one look forward to the two lead characters' next moves.
Here, the fact that Nam Joo-hyuk, born in 1994, and Roh Yoon-seo, born in 2000, are not only visually but actually similar in age and breathe together acts as a viewing point without discomfort. Recently, Korean works have drawn criticism for particularly treating chemistry between actresses in their 20s and actors well into their 30s or 40s. Given that it adopts a relatively niche genre of mystery occult thriller, the production's clever choice was to remove as many uncomfortable viewing elements as possible.
Moreover, although East Palace is a complex genre work with fantasy elements set in a fictional country, it selectively shows the level of historical accuracy of a traditional period drama. In Saenggang's portrayal—an ongju who nonetheless has the status of a palace maid and converses comfortably with Gucheon—there is somewhat flexible verification centered on character relationships, while in visual aspects such as rites and clothing the production focuses on actively following tradition. Because the platform Netflix is aiming not only at Korean but also overseas viewers, the intuitive visual elements seem to preserve Korean aesthetics while the drama's emotional line emphasizes modern elements.
Perhaps because of that, Roh Yoon-seo also shows stable acting rhythm despite this being her first period drama. She naturally immerses in and develops the social status limits of a character who loses her mother under the influence of the curse and ghosts and moves between ongju and palace maid. Veteran actors such as Cho Seung-woo and Jang Young-nam also help immersion by exuding overwhelming charisma in the mystery's inscrutability and the stillness that does not end even as they dig into the ghost world.
It has been five years since the "Kingdom" series concluded with "Kingdom: Ashin of the North" in 2021. Various hits and breakout works have emerged, but the historical drama genre that could demonstrate the stature of the orthodox 'K' brand had not appeared, leaving some regret. Nam Joo-hyuk's comeback work East Palace seems poised to fill that spot. The combination of curiosity and tension that carries a twist within the mystery toward the end, flawless acting from veteran and new actors, and the harmony of modern emotional lines within visuals that preserve Korean charm is interesting.
Coming on the 17th, eight episodes will be released.
[Photo] Provided by Netflix.
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