Kingdom (2019) Movie Review

 

Kingdom (Original title: Kingudamu) | 2019 | 2h 14m
Genre: Action Epic/Historical Epic/Action/History/War | Country: Japan
Director: Shinsuke Satô | Writers: Yasuhisa Hara, Tsutomu Kuroiwa, Shinsuke Satô
Cast: Kento Yamazaki, Ryô Yoshizawa, Masami Nagasawa
IMDB: 6.7
My Rate: 9/10

Shin and Hyou, orphaned slaves who dream of changing their fate with a sword, must get caught in the battle to reclaim King Eisei’s power, resulting in Hyou’s death. The fight takes place with terrible threats, as well as a diplomatic process to regain the trust of clans who feel betrayed.

Warning:

Contains violence and strong language

 

Kingdom (2019) Synopsis:

Shin (Kento Yamazaki) and Hyou (Ryo Yoshizawa) are orphaned children who work as slaves. They live and work together. Hyou says that they can change their fate with their swords. From there, they continue to practice swordsmanship independently and dream of becoming the greatest generals in the kingdom. Until one day, Shoubunkun (Masahiro Takashima), one of the generals in Qin, takes Hyou to work in the kingdom and leaves Shin alone.

Shin does not give up and continues to practice even harder to catch up and become stronger. However, a shocking event occurs when Hyou returns in a dying condition and breathes his last breath in Shin’s arms. Before his death, Hyou gives a map. Shin immediately goes to the place on the map only to find someone who looks like Hyou there.

Shin finally learns that all this time Hyou was employed as a double for Eisei to protect Eisei’s safety. Eisei is in danger because Seikyou, his half-brother, is trying to seize his power and all the officials are on his side. Seeing this, although still angry about Hyou’s death, Shin still helps Eisei to reclaim his power.

This decision puts Shin in various battles with different levels of difficulty. He finally can use his abilities to face various enemies and real dangers. However, victory is something that must be achieved even though difficult challenges block the way.

Will they succeed in returning the kingdom to Eisei?

 

Kingdom (2019) Review:

Kingdom is a film adaptation of the manga series by Yasuhisa Hara with the same title. The story is set against the backdrop of wartime China, and uniquely, some of the characters are truly part of history, making the story interesting to watch. This film has also been adapted into an anime series with the same title.

It is certainly not easy to represent manga characters into live action. There will be high expectations from viewers regarding the similarity between the live-action characters and the depiction and imagination they have from reading the manga. Because surely, the portrayal will not be exactly one hundred percent the same. I personally have never read the manga, so this review is purely based on the film itself. However, it can be said that this film shows a total commitment that is truly undeniable.

The story idea presented in this film is very interesting. We can witness various scenes themed around ambition, brotherhood, loyalty, and dreams. With scenes that are touching, entertaining, and thrilling. This first Kingdom film focuses on the relationship between Shin and Eisei, which forms unintentionally, and their struggle to reclaim Eisei’s power in the kingdom.

The story background is built on a strong foundation. It begins with the introduction of the main character, Shin, who finds his dream after seeing Ouki, the greatest general, during his journey. Next, another character appears, a fellow slave named Hyou, who changes Shin’s mindset and makes him share the same dream of becoming the greatest general. Until their separation when Hyou must serve the king. The major change that becomes the background of Shin’s life transformation is presented quite clearly, namely Hyou’s death and his meeting with Eisei.

Conflict arises quite quickly, especially after Hyou’s death and the meeting with Eisei. The tension continues to rise with several interesting battles. Internal conflict is seen in Shin, who still cannot accept the reason for Hyou’s death, which turns out to be used as a double for Eisei. However, he also wants to help Eisei reclaim his power. External conflict also arises where Eisei’s power is not very strong, so he must seek help from clans that have long held grudges against the Qin Kingdom. The conflict continues to develop consistently until the climax, where the tension increases.

The resolution is done very well too. We can see the character development of each figure, especially Shin and Eisei. Shin appears stronger in his fights considering he only learned swordsmanship autodidactically. Unfortunately, the final battle between Eisei and Seikyou feels too easy and lacks dramatization, especially after the previous intense fights. Perhaps if there was a bit more resistance from Seikyou, it would be more interesting, since logically, Seikyou is portrayed as quite 'strong' enough to perform tricks to overthrow Eisei’s power.

This film has many impressive scenes and dialogues full of meaning. One of them is when General Ouki asks Eisei about the kind of king he wants to portray. Previously, Eisei was depicted as powerless and only a 'puppet king.' This is important because leading a country is not an easy matter. The welfare of a country or kingdom depends on its leader.

The final scene showing Eisei, Shin, and Ten standing together and expressing their respective dreams becomes a perfect and meaningful conclusion. After all the events they experienced to reach that point, this scene provides a rather smooth resolution.

The acting by the cast is very good, especially Ryo Yoshizawa who can show acting in two different characters and clearly distinguish between them. It is no wonder he received the award for best supporting actor.

On the other hand, Kento Yamazaki’s acting is also quite charming. Personally, I did not expect Kento to show quite intense action scenes. Because some films I have watched before, such as L.DK (2014) and Orange (2015), are romance genre films. Many feel Kento’s acting is too exaggerated in terms of expression and how he represents the character Shin. However, if we look at Shin’s background as an uneducated slave, this fits his portrayal.

This film is made with great totality and seriousness. It is seen from the number of actors used, the setting, costumes, and makeup that also fit the situation in the scenes. The cinematography is also done very well, showing every important detail of movement and expression in the story. The choice of music and sound effects is appropriate and effectively builds the atmosphere in the scenes.

Overall, this film is a must-watch for filmmakers who enjoy manga adaptations with war themes, as well as for action film lovers, because you will find many thrilling scenes in it.

 

Memorable Scene:

Shin almost loses during the fight with General Saji in the king’s chamber due to the imbalance of their strengths. However, memories of his dreams and moments with Hyou make Shin rise again and fight with all his might. This scene shows how our dreams can become motivation when we feel truly down and defeated.

 

Memorable Dialogue:

"We'll go on even if we lose arms and blood."

 

Ending:

Happy Ending

 

Recommendation:

Must Watch

 

(Aluna)