I really like historical productions that take what they portray seriously and offer quality. The success of the new version of Shogun would encourage them to greenlight projects that were surely waiting in some executive's office. I don't know if that was the case with this series that I'm going to recommend, but it's almost certain that what happened with Shogun influenced the acceleration of this series' production.

I think the series has a very personal value for its two main creators. Both are actors. One is not very well known and the other is quite famous. Thomas Pa'a Sibbett is one of them. His name didn't ring a bell, although he has appeared in a few films. The other is the famous Jason Momoa. What they have in common is that they are both from Hawaii, so this project is in their blood.

They should be proud of what they've achieved. The season is about to end. Last night I watched episode eight, and episode nine looks like it's going to be incredible. Episode eight is quite emotional, sad, and exciting. The fact that the creators are from Hawaii means they put more passion and love into everything. They have paid attention to detail, the type of clothing, weapons, tools, and the era they are portraying. They have surely had a good number of advisors and experts in Hawaiian culture to tell us this exciting story of a place that is now part of the United States of America.

The casting has also been a great success. Although not all of the actors are originally from Hawaii, several of the main characters are from New Zealand, but they have physical characteristics similar to those of Hawaiians and are convincing in their roles. Actress Mainei Kinimaka is Hawaiian and has previously worked with Momoma, both in a film and in the series See. Another positive detail is that in most episodes, the native language of that region at that time is spoken, so the actors had to recite their lines in that dialect. The fact that this type of series is successful in the US market is an achievement, because Americans have never liked reading subtitles.

Me gustan mucho las producciones históricas que se toman en serio lo que retratan y ofrecen calidad. El éxito de la nueva versión de Shogun les animaría a dar luz verde a proyectos que seguramente estaban esperando en el despacho de algún ejecutivo. No sé si fue el caso de esta serie que voy a recomendar, pero es casi seguro que lo ocurrido con Shogun influyó en la aceleración de la producción de esta serie.

Creo que la serie tiene un valor muy personal para sus dos principales creadores. Ambos son actores. Uno no es muy conocido y el otro es bastante famoso. Thomas Pa'a Sibbett es uno de ellos. Su nombre no me sonaba de nada, aunque ha participado en algunas películas. El otro es el famoso Jason Momoa. Ambos tienen en común que son de Hawai, así que llevar este proyecto en la sangre.

Ellos deben estar orgulloso de haberlo conseguido. La temporada está a punto de terminar. Anoche vi el episodio ocho, y el nueve parece que va a ser increíble. El episodio ocho es bastante emotivo, triste y emocionante. El hecho de que los creadores sean de Hawai hace que pongan más pasión y amor en todo. Han cuidado los detalles, el tipo de ropa, armas, herramientas, y la época que están retratando. Seguro que han contado con un buen número de asesores y expertos en la cultura hawaiana para contarnos esta apasionante historia de un lugar que ahora forma parte de los Estados Unidos de América.

El reparto también ha sido un gran acierto. Aunque no todos son originarios de Hawai, varios de los personajes principales son de Nueva Zelanda, pero tienen características físicas similares a las de Hawai y resultan convincentes en sus papeles. La actriz Mainei Kinimaka es hawaiana y ya ha trabajado anteriormente con Momoma, tanto en una película como en la serie See. Otro detalle positivo es que en la mayoría de los episodios se habla la lengua nativa de esa región en ese momento, por lo que los actores tuvieron que recitar sus diálogos en ese dialecto. El hecho de que este tipo de series tengan éxito en el mercado estadounidense es un logro, porque nunca les ha gustado leer subtítulos.

The series is set in a time when the Hawaiian Islands had not yet been colonized and had their own rulers and wars. Alliances and conquests by the strongest. It is inspired by real historical events that I was completely unaware of. Hawaiian history and culture were something I had never read or researched, so this has been an impetus for me to start immersing myself in that culture. Customs, gods, traditions, kingdoms, historical figures, warrior heroes, prophecies... a whole rich cultural universe that I didn't know about.

The story begins with the reign of Kamehameha I, who managed to unite all the islands, but we start a little before his rise to power. There will surely be another season, because there is still much to tell about the history of this king who had such an influence on the subsequent history of Hawaii. Although the main character is not that figure, but rather the warrior Ka'iana, who existed in real life and traveled outside the islands, absorbing knowledge of the civilized world of the time and also bringing firearms to win Kamehameha's wars. I recommend not looking up too much information about the real character, so as not to find out too much about what will be shown in the series.

Like any historical drama, it has all the ingredients to be exciting. I've seen people on Twitter comparing it to Game of Thrones and Shogun, but it's actually a series with its own personality that's also visually appealing, thanks to the beautiful landscapes and the recreation of the period. White men are also a threat, and I think we'll see more of that in a second season.

An interesting detail that amuses me is that the series will be very well received by women and homosexuals, and that Momoa and other big, muscular actors show off their muscular behinds. But here the women don't show much, so there's only eye candy for women to enjoy those muscular men and their naked behinds.

A highly recommended series. Let me know what you think in the comments.

La serie está ambientada en la época en que las islas hawaianas aún no habían sido colonizadas y tenían sus propios gobernantes y guerras. Alianzas y conquistas por parte de los más fuertes. Está inspirada en hechos históricos reales que yo desconocía por completo. La historia y la cultura hawaianas eran algo sobre lo que nunca había leído ni buscado información, así que esto ha sido un impulso para empezar a sumergirme en esa cultura. Costumbres, dioses, tradiciones, reinos, personajes históricos, héroes guerreros, profecías... todo un rico universo cultural que desconocía.

La historia comienza con el reinado de Kamehameha I, que consiguió unir todas las islas, pero empezamos un poco antes de su ascenso al poder. Seguro que habrá otra temporada, porque aún queda mucho por contar en la historia de este rey que tanta influencia tuvo en la posterior historia de Hawai. Aunque el protagonista principal no es ese personaje, sino el guerrero Ka'iana, que existió en la vida real y viajó fuera de las islas, absorbiendo conocimientos del mundo civilizado de la época y llevando también armas de fuego para ganar las guerras de Kamehameha. Recomiendo no buscar demasiada información sobre el personaje real, para no enterarse demasiado de lo que se mostrará en la serie.

Como cualquier drama histórico, tiene todos los ingredientes para ser apasionante. He visto en Twitter que la gente la comparaba con Juego de Tronos y Shogun, pero en realidad es una serie con personalidad propia que además es visualmente agradable, gracias a los bellos paisajes y a la recreación de la época. Los hombres blancos también son una amenaza, y creo que lo veremos en mayor profundidad en una segunda temporada.

Un detalle interesante que me hace gracia es que la serie será muy bien recibida por mujeres y gais, ya que Momoa y otros actores grandes y musculosos enseñan sus musculosas nalgas. Aquí las mujeres no enseñan mucho, así que solo hay caramelo para los ojos de las mujeres, para que disfrutaran de esos hombres musculosos y sus culos al aire.

Una serie totalmente recomendable. Dime qué te parece en los comentarios.

I wasn’t actively looking for a historical epic, nor was I in the mood for a series soaked in war and conflict. But the moment I saw Jason Momoa in the lead, portraying a character rooted in Hawaiian history and cultural resistance, I knew I had to see what this was all about. What I didn’t expect was how deeply this show would pull me into a world filled with identity, sovereignty, and the painful price of rebellion.

In the late 18th century, Chief of War transports us to the very core of the Hawaiian conflict between unification and independence-long before it became a paradise of the world tourist destination or a state of the United States. It is not the Hawaii you think you know. The show opens a raw unfiltered window into a past where native chieftains were not only fighting amongst themselves, but had to contend with the encroaching foreign powers that brought along their guns, greed and ambition to conquer.

I am being honest because what brought my attention was Jason Momoa. The fact that an indigenous actor performed a story set in his cultural heritage was refreshing and it was needed. However, in addition to the actor, there was the hope of a story that has seldom been told that dared to talk about colonization, cultural erosion and the unsung heroes of island nations. We have all heard of the European conquest of the Americas, the British Empire in Asia, or the Atlantic slave trade-but the Pacific Islands? The spotlight is seldom put on those stories. The Chief of War makes a difference.

In the middle of the Chief of War is Kaʻiana- a fierce warrior who is torn between his sense of duty to himself and nation. He cannot be considered a stereotypical warrior hero. He is complicated, traumatized, arrogant and conflicted. It is through him that the reader gets to see a land whose cheapest chiefs are in conflict with each other as well as the old power play and at the same time there are interventions of outsiders, traders, missionaries, colonists who wait on the periphery like shadows that will surely devour whatever is left after the dust of tribal war settles.

It is not a linear story; it moves back and forth in time, through memory and vision, pain and pride. The episodes continuously compound one another, gradually exposing not only the risks of political opposition but the personal, familial, and community costs it has on human beings. There are betrayals which hurt and tear your heart, and there are victories where you feel you have won in blood.

There was one scene that has stuck to my memory especially, when Kaʻiana, among the graves of his defeated brothers, is trying to understand the gods, his own fate, and the meaning of honor. It is a moment of silence that is screaming in terms of generational trauma. The scene itself caused me to stop and think about how much we really do not know about native resistance movements that history has either silenced or downplayed.

Chief of War is committed to authenticity which is one of its strengths. Designs of the costumes, Hawaiian language, customary rituals, chants, and even forms of fighting all testify about profound regard to the culture it depicts. It does not make an effort to modernize or westernize as a means of making it palatable. Rather, it confronts the viewer and asks him or her to sit in discomfort, to learn and to mature in the process.

Cinematography is brilliant. Green mountains, volcanic cliffs and turquoise waters are more than mere background, they are characters in their own right, a symbol of spiritual and ancestral power of the land. And yet in this beauty, there is always something strained,--a feeling that something of value is being lost.

The movie Chief of war brought out something in me. It was not only that I was reading a story, it was that I was existing in it. Being a history lover and a person, who believes in the importance of preserving culture, the story spoke to me. It reminded me of the fact that colonization is not something of the past. Its scars have not vanished--in words, in ground, in mind.

After watching episode four I sat in silence for a moment. I was thinking about how in the world cultures were invaded, written over, erased by other powers--and yet there are still people struggling to reclaim their identity. The struggle of Kaʻiana is not Hawaiian only. It’s universal. It is African, Asian, Native American, Aboriginal.

I also thought about leadership- what it actually means to lead people, to sacrifice self comfort of people to their future. Kaʻiana was not always right in her choices. He failed. He lost. However, he cared so much about his people and that is how all his decisions, all his battle calls, all the times he was vulnerable were filled. Chief of War is a daring book in a world that glorifies winning, that wants to celebrate the conquered, the whole, the black and white.

This is not the series you can follow on in the background as you scroll on your phone. It requires concentration. It is worth spending your time. If you are that person who loves rich cultured, gritty, emotion, and applicable in the current narratives of identity, sovereignty, and colonialism, then Chief of War is your book.

However, beyond the socio-political burden, it is merely a well-told, character centered epic. It is all there, spellbinding action, profound emotional journeys, eloquent narration, and memorable acting. It is a slow burn, it is, but when it clutches you it never releases.

Chief of War is not only a period drama. It is a retake. It is a voice of those who were never heard before because their narratives were buried under history books and alien narratives. It reminds that warriors are not only those who fight with spears and swords but also those who fight to preserve their culture, dignity and stories.

I went to Jason Momoa. I remained because of the spirit of a nation. Now I bring the echo of that tale with me.

Thumbnail is designed by me on pixelLab and other images are screenshot from the movie