There is no denying The Witcher has long held a place of its own in the prestige corner of Netflix’s catalog, even if it has been something of a turbulent one. It has not been immune to its share of narrative missteps or to being at odds with critics, but then again, few live-action fantasy shows on the service have made it beyond two seasons without the Henry Cavill factor to carry them over the line. Now that he is gone, however, the franchise has had trouble keeping its balance and the streaming giant needs a new flagship to replace it.
One could make the case that what they’re looking for will be an import from South Korea rather than something of their own making. Consider The East Palace. This K-drama is as much an adult fantasy as The Witcher, with all the dark structural similarities, but where you would expect European medievalism there is instead a mythic historical landscape of its own, one that marries East Asian folklore with a more brutal brand of supernatural horror.
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A World of Vengeful Spirits and Royal Intrigue
The East Palace is a world of vengeful spirits and the kind of royal intrigue you’d expect from an alternate, atmospheric take on the ancient Joseon period. In this setting, which recalls the power struggles of the medieval era, viewers are put in the middle of a domain where wongwi rule. These are no ordinary phantoms; they are violent, vengeful beings from a parallel dimension called the Realm of Gwi. For thirty years they have been systematically tearing through the royal line of succession with sudden, brutal killings that have put the crown in jeopardy.
The latest casualty of this supernatural purge is the crown prince. The monarch’s response is to call in Gu-cheon (Nam Joo-hyuk), a spirit hunter without equal who can project his soul into the Realm of Gwi to deal with the trouble at its source. He is not alone in his efforts. There is Saeng-gang (Roh Yoon-seo), a royal maid with a rare talent for talking to the dead. But she has a secret: posing as a servant to get close to the truth behind her mother’s assassination, she is in fact the princess who was left behind.
With its lavish production and some fine practical effects, the series has put together a high-concept world that is easy to get lost in. It has also caught the eye of critics, earning a perfect 100% on Rotten Tomatoes and moving well beyond the usual regional hit. The storytelling is mature and unapologetic, and with its graphic violence and geopolitical complexities it is firmly in the TV-MA category. Fantasy fans will find the gritty sensibilities here to be exactly what they want.
A Strategic Look at Netflix’s New Fantasy Flagship
Looking at the industry context, it’s clear that Netflix has been touting The East Palace for a reason; it is indicative of a change in how the service handles its big-ticket fantasy slate. Where you have Western franchises of old contending with mounting costs, long breaks and all manner of creative retooling, South Korean talent has shown an aptitude for putting on a premium, high-octane show with a good deal of production discipline.
Then there is the matter of the viewer. Those who find themselves wanting the kind of folkloric dread or political intrigue and monster-hunting that was present in the first few seasons of The Witcher will be well served by The East Palace. It is a case in point for how adult-oriented, high-stakes material can win over a worldwide audience without the crutch of a well-known western label, provided the atmosphere is uncompromising and the story is told with precision.
A New Kind of Fantasy on Stream
There is a certain maturity to the platform-agnostic fantasy market now, and the way The East Palace has taken off is proof of it. You see Hollywood still tied up with the expense and logistics of its old guard franchises; in their absence, studios from abroad are stepping in with genre work that is both bolder and more disciplined, and one that does not talk down to an adult viewer. For Netflix, the question is how to put its fantasy side on a firm footing. In that regard, turning its attention to Seoul could be the most astute move it has made.