Based on the hit manga, written by Yasuhisa Hara, Kingdom 2 Far and Away is the latest installment of live action movies from the franchise. The movie was released back in 2022 but has been gaining worldwide popularity with its recent re-release onto one of the biggest live streaming sites on the planet, Netflix.

Is the Sequel Better Than the First?

Kingdom 2 Far and Away gives the audience that fix of grand battles, great choreographed fight scenes, but feels more like a training arc rather than a grand adventure. The pacing is about what one would expect from a movie that is a little over two hours long. At a steady pace so that the writers can tell the story that needed to be told. When talking about the plot, that is where some viewers may like it while others may think the writers could have combined several arcs into one movie to make it more interesting. Not to say that the plot does not keep the view entertained, but this is mostly done by the grand battles that take place. If a viewer has not watched the first movie, keeping up with what happens in the second might be a challenge. These battles take up a majority of the movie and when there is downtime to try and get some character development, it seems to be quick. However, setting and aesthetic are two things that definitely improved from the first movie. Most of the movie is set in a huge desert-like battlefield where new and old characters will be fighting for their lives.

The atmosphere is a little different this time around. There could be several reasons why. One of them being the lack of main characters that were introduced in the first movie, are hardly seen in Kingdom 2. Of course, this is partially solved by replacing them with new characters, some fan favorites to be told.  

Elements Added & Lost 

Kingdom 2 was basically carried by Kento Yamazaki (Shin) and Nana Seino (Kyokai). The addition of Nana Seino as Kyokai was a pleasant addition and seeing how her character develops throughout the movie is one of the better aspects of it. The character also brings a new style of fighting that has not been showcased in Kingdom before and is incredible to watch. Her presence and overall setting of the movie helps the viewer realize that China is vast and has many different people living in it. Kento Yamazaki was brilliant as always, there is a reason the man is so busy. Netflix lovers might also know him from several other projects that Netflix has picked up. His performance as Shin, the boy who wants to be the greatest general is what readers of the manga had come to love.

Warning: Small spoilers ahead!!

On the flipside, Ryo Yoshizawa, who played two characters in the last movie, but is mostly known as Ei Sei. The king who wants to unify China, is hardly featured in Kingdom 2. Of course, the story explains why, yet it might be one of its greatest weak points. The first movie ended with Ei Sei claiming he will be the first ruler to unify China, even if he must conquer the entire land to do so. Yet Kingdom 2 shows Ei Sei for a little bit in the beginning, partially in the middle and finally again towards the end. It makes the overall stakes of the movie feel mediocre compared to the first. With that being said, there is hope for the future of the live action franchise.