'Joseon Exorcist' Episode 1: Another bloody and brutal zombie period drama if you miss 'Kingdom' series
'Joseon Exorcist' is a show made along similar lines to Netflix hit 'Kingdom' - a zombie apocalypse in a historical setting. However, many were wondering if the drama would be as satisfying as the Netflix show before the show premiered. The first episode, however, shows that it will set itself apart.
'Joseon Exorcist' episode 1 has been marked for audiences older than 19 years of age, and the trailer of the show is ample proof why. It is bloody, brutal, and at places even absolutely terrifying. The episode, with almost 70 minutes of run-time, started off brilliantly.
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Saengsi is the monster that the world will be fighting, and very soon, Joseon will face extinction if they do not find a way to fight these human-eating creatures. Prince Chungnyeong (Jang Dong-yoon), of the royal family, is given an important mission to bring a Western priest who might be able to exorcise the evil saengsis that are slowly pervading Joseon, attacking and converting humans into one of their own.
King Taejong, the king who rules Joseon, is ready to put his life on the line while fighting for the people and against these monsters, but unfortunately, his youngest son Prince Gangyeong (Moon Woo-jin) ends up getting attacked by one of the saengsi. To hide the fact that he is bitten, Gangyeong is held as a prisoner, while Prince Chungnyeong goes out to hunt for a solution.
Meanwhile, Crown Prince Yangnyeong (Park Sung-hoon) gets an earful from his father, the king, as he failed to protect his younger brother. However, the Crown Prince doesn't let his father have an upper hand and instead reminds him of his place in the line of succession.
The episode introduces us to the vibrant kingdom ruled by King Taejong, and the trailer also gave us a hint about the secret that he holds. The fact that many years ago, he was the one to seal the spirit of the beast Azazel away. This beast can control minds, bodies and even cultivate the darkness and greed in human souls for selfish purposes.
Will the King be able to save his son after the tragic bite and will Prince Chungnyeong manage to find the priest from the West? That is the question that will drive the initial episodes while the future episodes will be taken over with the question of how the saengsis were let out in the world and who plotted this. Could the people leaning towards Gogoryeo rule have anything to do with this? We would have to wait and find out.
'Joseon Exorcist' will air every Monday and Tuesday at 10 pm KST and will be available to stream on Viki.
