# Hwarang: The Poet Warrior Youth (2016)

> Elite young warriors of ancient Silla train in martial arts and morals while finding love and friendship amid the politics of the Three Kingdoms period.

Canonical page: https://ember.film/tv/58613

## Facts

- Seasons: 1
- Episodes: 20
- Episode runtime: 60 min
- Status: Ended
- Genres: drama, history, romance
- Created by: Yun Seong-sik
- Network: KBS2
- Cast: Park Seo-jun, Go Ara, Park Hyung-sik, Do Ji-han, Minho, Jo Yoon-woo, V, Sung Dong-il
- TMDB rating: 8.0/10
- IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt5646594/

## Ember's analysis

- Pacing: measured
- Intensity: mild
- Complexity: accessible
- Violence: mild
- Tone: romantic, earnest, melodramatic, playful, warm

## What critics say

Audience reception is positive, with the series praised for its romance and cast but faulted by some viewers for thin storytelling.

## Synopsis

Hwarang: The Poet Warrior Youth (2016-2017) is a South Korean historical drama series created by Yun Seong-sik for KBS2. Set in ancient Silla during Korea's Three Kingdoms period, it follows an elite group of young warriors trained in morals and martial arts. The engine of the show is the tension between rigorous training, loyalty to the kingdom, and the young men's growing friendships and romantic entanglements with women of the court. Park Seo-jun plays Moo Myung, Park Hyung-sik plays Sam Maek-Jong, Go Ara plays Ah-Ro, and Kim Ji-soo plays Queen Jiso, with Choi Won-young and Minho among the principal young cast. Each episode is built from training sessions, court politics, and romantic plotting across a single twenty-episode season. The series is a traditional k-drama production with a blend of romance, action, and coming-of-age sentiment, delivered in a warm but earnest register with bursts of humor. Its atmosphere is romantic and melodramatic, with period costume and palace settings. Fans of Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo and Mr. Sunshine will find resonance in its mix of historical courtly romance and martial spectacle.

## Shows like Hwarang: The Poet Warrior Youth

- [Six Flying Dragons (2015)](https://ember.film/tv/56659)
- [The King 2 Hearts (2012)](https://ember.film/tv/42154)
- [The Red Sleeve (2021)](https://ember.film/tv/109757)
- [The Murky Stream (2025)](https://ember.film/tv/148741)
- [Fight For My Way (2017)](https://ember.film/tv/61915)
- [Jumong (2006)](https://ember.film/tv/4503)
- [Emperor of the Sea (2004)](https://ember.film/tv/13259)
- [School 2017 (2017)](https://ember.film/tv/63104)
- [My Country: The New Age (2019)](https://ember.film/tv/79080)
- [Reply 1994 (2013)](https://ember.film/tv/52569)

---

Site overview: https://ember.film/llms.txt