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Netflix's new South Korean dark fantasy, The East Palace, has become a streaming hit. The series is currently Netflix's No. 2 most-watched TV show in the world, with I Will Find You taking the top spot, per FlixPatrol.
Netflix has had multiple international hits, and The East Palace is among them. On July 22, the dark fantasy series reached the No. 1 spot in 17 countries. It only entered the Top 10 in the U.S. on July 21 in the last spot, and has already dropped out of that position the following day. However, it was the No. 1 title in Thailand, South Korea, Malaysia, and Indonesia, among others.
What Is The East Palace About?
The East Palace is set in Joseon-era Korea (1392-1910), when the Joseon Dynasty ruled for over 500 years. The dark fantasy follows Gu-cheon (Nam Joo-hyuk), a powerful ghost slayer who can transform himself into a ghost to battle evil spirits. Gu-cheon is joined by Saeng-gang (Roh Yoon-seo), a court lady who is able to communicate with the dead.
Following the death of the crown prince, whose body is found in a pond, rumors spread about a pond spirit that might have killed him. The royal court panics, and the king recruits Gu-cheon to slay the palace ghosts. Gu-cheon and Saeng-gang work together to investigate the hauntings and secrets hidden within the East Palace.
Many of the dark fantasy elements of the show are based on real-life Korean folklore, and Gu-cheon and Saeng-gang encounter a number of unique categories of spirits. There are the gwi-mae, a type of spirit known for its "sinister" life force, and the won-gwi, a type of resentful ghosts. Others include the ggeomeoksali, spirits known to drain living beings of their "Yang" energy. Because Gu-cheon lacks Yang by nature, he is more fearful of the ggeomeoksali than any of the other spirits.
The East Palace Received Overwhelmingly Positive Reviews
The East Palace premiered on July 17, with eight episodes in total. In a rare feat for a debut show, The East Palace currently has a 100% critic score on Rotten Tomatoes, though there are only 7 verified reviews. The audience score remains high as well, at 90%.
ScreenRant noted The East Palace "hypnotizes you with such gripping drama, you binge the first four episodes in a daze. Even at the halfway point, the K-drama shows no signs of slowing down. Rather, The East Palace further ups the ante with a realistic but nonetheless consequential change-up." And Collider's Kelcie Mattson wrote, "The momentum driving its intriguing start doesn't waver, but the mix of bloodthirsty scheming, supernatural horror, and royal family drama truly kicks off like a rocket launch at the halfway point."
Other critics had similar things to say. Decider wrote, "The East Palace has enough intrigue, stunning cinematography, and committed worldbuilding to hook viewers on the first episode and immerse you in its twisting tale." RogerEbert.com says, "Ultimately, The East Palace in all its genre-bending, demon-slaying glory, does a fine job as a fun genre K-drama."
The East Palace is streaming on Netflix.
