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First of all, if you are not familiar with the late medieval history of Central- and Eastern Europe, you should know that it was very complex and diverse, with many nations, factions, religions, full of heroes and battles, intrigue and treason. The most serious threat to this part of the world was the Ottoman Empire, the strongest military power of that time occupying countries, massacring and enslaving whole provinces. So choosing the proper allies (or even betraying them in the right moment) was a question of life or death.

All of these offer a great basis for 'Game of Thrones'-like TV series, but with real historical background.

The Hunyadi (Rise of the Raven) TV series is set into this context.

The title character, John Hunyadi (1407-1456) was a nobleman later becoming the regent of the Hungarian Kingdom. He served two years in the army of the Duke of Milan upon King Sigismund's order, he fought the Hussites and adopted their tactics. All these experiences helped him to build up a well organised army, and gain success against the Ottomans. His ultimate victory was at the siege of Belgrade in 1456, which stopped the Ottomans' western expansion for about 70 years.

One of the greatest pros in this series is using many languages altogether, most of the characters speaking their mother tongue. Which is not just very unique in the whole film industry, but gives a lot of authenticity, and it is highly respectful toward the diverse cultural heritage of Europe.

This TV series is based on a long and quite popular historical novel series, "Hunyadi" by Mór Bán, with 12 already published books and 2 more to come later.

And yes, unfortunately this leads to the downside. The Hunyadi TV series was perfect if one season would just treat one or two books of the novel series. But I suppose there was no chance for that, and they rather put it altogether into a 10-episode-long, single season series. And that's sad, because this leaves not much time to get to know all the characters, or understand the exact political and military situation of those times.

Of course there are fictitious parts in the series, but most of the story line is based on real historical events, most of the characters are based on real historical figures, and there are many small details which are actually historically correct.

This series is not without errors, but the subject and the multi-language approach makes it very unique and a "must-see" to anyone interested in medieval history.

It's fun to watch a series about yor neighbours and especially historical one which is more or less on point. Well, emphasis on more or less.

And doing that exactly from the town that was historically of high importance for the main character. Town of Celje (Cili), town or the Counts of Celje especially Ulrik II. Who is actually depicted in this series.

It's a bit sad that our Hungarian friends didn't invite any Slovenian actor to play Ulrik as they did for the Serbian counterpart (although he is not serbian actor) with Serbedzija. But ok.

So far so good for a non Netflixian production and money. Without any real big financial backer, this series does actually a great job.

Still think that a good and tenacious fact checker can't be that expensive, so they should have hired one, but ok.

I'll give it a go. After first three episodes i am intrigued. Let's see where the Raven takes us!

Big congrads to Hungary and Ostereich (ORF).

I've only seen the first three episodes so far.

The film series is an attempt to show the struggle of a people against a conquering enemy.

The period when the Turkish Empire tried to conquer the Kingdom of Hungary.

The action takes place from the late 1420s to 1456, when a Hungarian nobleman, János Hunyadi, takes up arms against the Turkish armies besieging the southern border of the country.

He defends not only his own land but the whole country at a time when the country is in turmoil.

The film follows the life of this man.

I am not a film expert, I cannot tell you about the direction, lighting, cinematography, etc.

But I would recommend it to anyone who loves history and wants to learn about the medieval history of Central Europe, and especially of Hungary.

What makes the film special is that the characters in the series speak in their own anglophone languages, Hungarian, Serbian, Turkish, German, etc., giving a sense of the multilingual world that characterised this part of Europe at the time.

The series stands out both in its story and execution. From an international perspective, it is a true high-budget quality production. It is worth noting that the story is based on a historical fiction novel series, so the plot is not entirely historically accurate, but the series does not aim to be a documentary either. Regardless, the events are mostly historically accurate. At several points in the plot, modern elements also appear, particularly in terms of the series' strong female characters.

A special merit is that the female characters are truly strong, and this is not due to today's cheap, forced narratives in modern western entertainment. Throughout the plot, every important female character undergoes severe traumas, and rising from these, each of their personalities changes in a unique way. Therefore, we can consider this a positive example of "strong female characters."

The plot is also interesting and full of twists. The first three episodes are mainly introductory, but from the fourth episode onwards, the major political events kick off. The story features interesting character developments (e.g., Sultan Murad, Mehmed, Elizabeth of Luxembourg, or Miklós Újlaki) and layered characters (e.g., János Hunyadi or his real rival, Ulrich of Cilli), making it easy to captivate viewers who are attuned to the style of the series.

Since Rise of the Raven features many interesting characters, the main character Hunyadi often takes a backseat, but this does not detract from the quality of the plot; on the contrary, it enriches the narrative with new threads. Because of this, it is strongly felt in the series that it could have accommodated several more seasons. Nevertheless, the 10-episode format also works. The series gets better with each episode, and its conclusion is epic. The visual world is also of high quality, and the frames presented to the viewer often have a painterly quality. The actors are also excellent, and I would particularly highlight Gellért L. Kádár, Vivien Rujder, Mariann Hermányi, Murathan Muslu and Ulascan Kutlu, but the list could go on.

Another great merit of Rise of the Raven is its international style. The characters (more or less) speak in their own native languages, which makes the series' world even more authentic and complex.

Overall, it is an internationally high-quality production that takes place in one of the most important regions and cross-sections of world history, namely Central and Eastern Europe as well as the Balkans, which are often overlooked in the Western entertainment industry. From this perspective alone, the series pays off an important debt. If you love quality historical fiction (or drama) series like Vikings, Rome or The Last Kingdom, I highly recommend it to you.

I was pleasantly surprised by this series. It starts strong, then slows down a bit, but by episode 4 it sucks you in and you can't stop watching. What I liked most is the strong emotions it stirs up and that all sides are portrayed as likeable, yet imperfect humans. And of course there are the battle scenes, the executions that seem that you are right there with the characters. A couple of times during the series I thought the film was pure genius, but I don't want to give away the plot. Episode 10 is epic, I watched it many times. Don't miss it! I hope for a sequel. At least now I know why church bells toll at noon from Europe to Latin America to all over the Christian world.

It was a pleasure watching this series. Not only the story (since I like this historical age), but the actors are very talented. I would emphasise the main character's (Hunyadi János) professionality, but the character of King Ulászló and Cillei Ulrik is amazing also. It's a pity that King Ulászló died so early. His playing is unforgettable, while he is acting one time the young gentleman knight king and then a heroic emperor. Fantastic!

The landscapes are professional also. I'm looking forward to watching the remaining episodes. Well done for everybody, who took part of filming of this series!

From the very first episode, I was captivated by its exquisite opening sequence - the breathtaking scene of Hunyadi riding his warhorse through colossal statues on the plains, synchronized with an epic and grand musical composition, was utterly awe-inspiring!

Most crucially, the pacing is masterfully controlled, with brilliantly crafted dialogue sequences and cinematic-level battle scenes in the finale.

The visuals are incredibly textured, boasting superb audiovisual effects and meticulous attention to detail. Every gaze, prop, and movement serves a purpose - not a single frame is wasted!

This marks my first experience watching Hungarian film/television production. I believe this series stands shoulder-to-shoulder with Game of Thrones, achieving comparable excellence without relying on magic or fantasy elements.

Regrettably, the distributor shows no intention of global release for this series, which may condemn this remarkable work to collect dust in obscurity prematurely.

My comments are solely focused on the television program itself, and I hold no personal stance on any other matters.

Finally, finally, a challenging and satisfying historical series. I was skeptical at first, after so many bad experiences. But this one fits the bill: content, form; you can tell the team put a lot of heart and soul into it. Great! Rise of the Raven can certainly compare to Shogun and Spartacus: War of the Damned. And even if you know a bit more about Eastern European history, the details and context here are truly instructive, and it's not annoying when the director takes unsatisfying historical shortcuts or detours.

The landscapes and locations are well-integrated and cinematically simply fitting and beautiful.

The performances and cast are also well-suited; the Ottomans, despite their antagonism, are not portrayed in a distorted way. The Wallachians fare a bit worse ;-) but I think they're still historically justifiable. The political infighting isn't stereotypical, nor are the relationships; a little less sex and longer social scenes or story building would have been fine, but the surroundings aren't neglected either, and the sex scenes aren't formulaic, but occasionally feature a twist. Hunyadi's character isn't as superior as, say, Spartacus, but despite his human weaknesses, it's still clearly evident from time to time why he leads the country through charisma and integrity, even at the expense of himself or his family.

And unexpectedly for me (because Hungary is what it is), both the female roles are modern and strong (but not generalized), and LGBTQ people aren't neglected either.

It's just a shame that the multilingual approach of the original wasn't replicated in German :-(

I'm looking forward to the sequels, hopefully until the last Hunyadi, who was robbed of his legacy...

A roughly historically accurate series from the 15th century Hungary with monumental battle scenes and traditional male image. During the Osman-Turkish invasion of the Balkan, the vaivode of Transylvania, János Hunyadi tries to expel the muslim conquerors from Europe. Although he has Christian enemies as well (the Habsburgs and their vassal, the sly Count, Ulrik Cillei, who is the "Littlefinger" of the series and Vlad "Dracul" Tepes, the orthodox vaivode of Wallachia), he achieves many legendary victories on the Turks and as the elected Governor of Hungary, he becomes the saviour of Christian Europe and the father of the mightiest Hungarian king, Matthias Corvinus. The castle of János Hunyadi is watchable in Transylvania in our days as well: the Vajdahunyad castle is the most beautiful Gothic fortification in Central Europe.

The Hunyadi series boasts an impressive visual style, with meticulous attention to costumes and set design that successfully captures the historical atmosphere. The camera work and color grading are well-executed, making it a visually well-crafted production... But as for the CGI, let's not even talk about that (considering the billions spent...).

The biggest issue, however, is the dubbing (original audio), which feels disappointing and amateurish. The voices don't match the actors' performances, making the whole experience feel like watching a low-budget Hungarian TV series. This significantly diminishes the overall quality and alienates the viewer from the story. I don't understand why proper post-sync dubbing couldn't have been done.

The storytelling in the first episode was also not engaging enough; it failed to draw me in. Compared to historical films like Henry V or even Game of Thrones, the difference is obvious-those productions captivate you from the very beginning, whereas here, I found myself bored.

Overall, Hunyadi had the potential to be an outstanding Hungarian production, but due to the poor dubbing and lackluster first episode, it failed to convince me. While it meets a high standard in terms of visuals, the storytelling and post-production still leave much to be desired. If the Hungarian film industry continues to struggle with such issues, it will be difficult to compete with international productions. They just churn out films without really considering audience expectations...

If I had enjoyed what Kincsem offered-which, while not perfect, was at least entertaining-then Hunyadi unfortunately feels like a disappointment. Perhaps it improves in later episodes, but after just one, I don't feel the urge to continue watching..

One piece of information is the series Rating Of Hunyadi. Since the series was made with the support of the Hungarian government, political activists unfortunately rated it 1rating, not based on how the work turned out. I watched (I am politically independent and do not live in Hungary) the first 5 episodes. The time moves pretty quickly, it is not a slow series, but it is well built, and the characters develop well even despite the time jumps. The visuals are good, the story is interesting (although I have seen similar ones) but there is serious work in it. I saw a very dramatic battle that maybe Game of Thrones or just the Last Duel gave me. Overall, a good series beats many Hollywood and Netflix series.

Show the life of one of the greatest Hungarian warlord with decent historical fidelity from 1428 to 1456. It does entertaing by great performing actors, scenes, cut. Used languages are according to place of scene, Turkish in Turkey, Hungarian in Hungary, Italian in Italy, etc. Some conversations wink from the actual event referring to the 21rst century life and politics. There are no good or bad players, just showing how the leaders of that age wanted to act by interest of their own and partly their nations. After 2 episodes it's not possible to stop watching. If you liked Rome or Kingdom of Heaven, you will like it as well.

Although the plot is not perfect it worths to watch. In the beginning the story starts pretty slow, but as the show progresses and we get to know the characters and their background it becomes much more interesting and almost impossible to stop watching. I think the fight scenes and the action part is well made and the political lines are just as complicated as needed but beside all this I still have strange feeling as if this would have been better with more seasons. The only thing I would like to ask from all the showrunners: we neked a seques with King Matthias in the main role. We need that!

About Rating! Don't pay attention to the rating for this series. Many people down it because the Hungarian government supported the film and the opposition gave it a 1 rate. Watch it for yourself and decide if it's good or not. What's good is that there are a lot of scenes like this, the costumes, many nations, many languages, a lot of drama, intrigue, sex, epic battles, especially from part 5. Good acting. What's a little disturbing is the big time jump and time passes quickly, so one-one character disappears. Overall, a professional job from Hungary. I think it's near as good as King or Last Kingdom, and even the visuals and 1-1 characters are better than the Turkish or Hungarian, Serbian side.

As a fan of historical films and series, and as a Hungarian, I've been waiting a long time for a series that finally brings our history to the screen in a similar fashion -so I'm genuinely thrilled about Rise of the Raven.

While it's not a perfect show, it has plenty of strengths that make it well worth watching, especially for those interested in Central and Eastern European history. The pilot may be the weakest episode, but the finale - Episode 10 - is easily the strongest. That's why I recommend that if the trailer or the premise caught your interest, but the first couple of episodes leave you unsure, give it at least until Episode 4 before making up your mind.

The first three episodes focus more on the private lives of the main characters, while the political and military conflicts unfold slowly in the background. But from the middle of the season onward, the story truly finds its stride - with richer political intrigue, battles, and unexpected twists.

The show's biggest weakness might be its pacing, which likely stems from the challenge the writers faced: compressing John Hunyadi's eventful life and the era's political complexity into just 10 episodes due to budget constraints. (Fans of similar historical dramas - imagine trying to tell the full life stories of Ragnar Lothbrok, Uhtred of Bebbanburg, Henry VIII, or King Taejong in just 10 episodes... You get the idea!)

There are a few other minor flaws as well: some weaker dialogue here and there, occasional theatrical overacting, and a handful of historical inaccuracies. (One of the most notable is the use of a German translator for Sigismund of Luxembourg, despite the well-known fact that German was his native language - a detail that drew criticism from Hungarian viewers.)

That said, I honestly can't stay mad at the show for its imperfections, because the effort behind it really shines through. And its strengths - like the strong performances, the visual production, well-crafted story moments, and professionally executed action scenes - more than balance things out.

If I had to rate the episodes individually, most would be either a 7 or an 8, but I wouldn't hesitate to give the final episode a solid 9. Overall, I'd give the series a confident 8 out of 10.

On a personal note, I'm genuinely happy that a Hungarian historical series of this quality has finally been made. So thank you to everyone involved in its creation! :)

I'm really rooting for a second season-hopefully centered around King Matthias, who led an equally eventful life like his father - ideally told over even more episodes. :)

This series aims for grandeur but lands in mediocrity. While the cinematography and set design are decent, the storytelling is flat, the characters lack depth, and the acting feels uninspired. Hunyadi, the supposed hero, is nothing more than a lifeless fitness model - no charisma, no passion, no complexity.

The show desperately mimics Game of Thrones with forced political intrigue and unnecessary nudity, but it lacks the depth and grit to pull it off. Battles are serviceable but forgettable, dialogue is bland and emotional moments fall flat. The forced romance is rushed, and the "epic" narrative feels like a shallow history lesson rather than an engaging drama.

For a government-funded attempt at historical prestige, this is an expensive, well-dressed disappointment.

I've seen two episodes but the direction, editing, set design and contemporary landscapes are quite good. Time goes by pretty quickly in the series because it wants to show about 40 years from Hunyadi as a child to the Battle of Nandorfehervar. The characters are not bad, but not well-developed, although it's very difficult to show character development in 10 episodes, but the view is the Turkish Sultan's harem at Buda Castle, the battles are well-developed, so the beginning is particularly enjoyable for me. Maybe there are a lot of sex scenes in it, but I don't have a problem with it) The Turkish Sultan, Count Cillei, Hunyadi and his lover Mara are particularly strong characters. Hunyadi is a bit raw and undeveloped, but in real life he was a raw, hot-headed man who loved womens.

This series is about a true hero. Not a fictional superhero like Captain America, Batman, or some made-up character - but a real man: Hunyadi János. His courage and actions saved Western civilization at a critical time in history. He was the father of Corvin Mátyás, one of the greatest kings who ever lived. Hunyadi earned even his enemies' respect - the Sultan himself forbade any celebration after his death. To this day, church bells ring at noon around the world in his memory.

This series is a worthy tribute to his legacy: engaging, powerful, and highly enjoyable. I recommend it to everyone who loves history, real heroes, and quality storytelling.

First of all the camera work is brilliant. Good chatacters ,lot of drama, good actors and epic scenes, battles. Which I really liked the directors respected the resisting nations Hungary,Turkey Serbian,and did not ptesent them as any demons. They both has good and bad chatacters and respect their intentions. This is very rare and unique ín today's history films. Respect for county and actors like Hungary, Turkey German ,Erdély ,Serbian etc. I saw it director's cut where all nations spoked own language,and this idea was very cool ,and professional work. This is high quality work . Congratulations for Hungary. I hope its will contineu. For me 10/9.

I think it's better than the Witcher, but it's not as good as Vikings. Regrettably the main character is a 5% body fat creatine guy, and eroticism is overdosed. The Sultan's life is centered about sex, for sure. It's worth looking up the historical characters a bit to better understand the story, as the screenplay often jumps between Buda, Hunyad Castle, Adrianople, Vienna, Celje, and Milan. It is difficult to catch up with the characters if there are more than a dozen of them and the screenplay is racing, the series try to tell 25-30 years of history in 10 hours. It will be a big hit in Turkey I believe.

I just saw the premiere of the first two episodes in Hungary, and I highly recommend it to history lovers. This series brilliantly showcases the history of the Balkans and how the connection between the Hungarian Kingdom and the Habsburg Dynasty began through marriage and alliances. It provides a gripping portrayal of the era, full of political intrigue, epic battles, and legendary figures. The cinematography and storytelling are top-notch, bringing history to life with stunning detail. I'm looking forward to seeing it in English so more people can enjoy this incredible historical drama.

Brilliant.

This film is unique even in Europe. It's a huge, big-budget mega-production created by professional filmmakers, and I'm sure it's one of the best European series of recent times. For years now, the biggest American blockbusters have been filmed in Hungary with the most famous American stars, and it's clear that Hungarian filmmakers and actors have learned everything from them.

This film was made with the largest amount of state support to date, yet it didn't become a propaganda piece. On the contrary, the creators even caused quite a bit of trouble for the government, which ended up cutting some scenes from it. The original version is, of course, available. From the beginning, it was made for an international audience, and while it follows global trends, it remains completely unique.

The story is full of twists and excitement; it constantly feels like fiction, even though it largely portrays real historical events. At first, many people approached it with prejudice, labeling it just another sword-and-sandal movie, but if you watch all the episodes, every character unfolds beautifully and truly evokes emotions.

Unfortunately, many Hungarian viewers rated it poorly after the first two episodes and complained about the excessive sex scenes. But in reality, the issue was more that they didn't expect a modern-style film-they expected something more "Hungarian."

In typical Hollywood films, audiences are used to getting all the excitement and tension at the very beginning, only for the film to fizzle out by the end. But this series avoids that mistake. It builds from the ground up, slowly, episode by episode, and becomes increasingly thrilling, culminating in a true climax that absolutely meets expectations-just as a heroic epic should.

Until about the middle of the series, the focus is more on the supporting characters, which adds a deep emotional layer. The main character's journey unfolds gradually and only takes center stage midway through. We witness real character development: he transforms from an average soldier into a true military leader, while still remaining a positive and likable figure.

The entire series is of very high quality-at least when listened to in the original language. The translation and dubbing will be crucial for its international success. This is not just Hungarian history-it's also Central and Eastern European history, and it's presented in a way that's enjoyable and immersive even for those who aren't Hungarian.

To anyone who gives this series a chance, I can promise: you won't be disappointed.

While Hunyadi impresses with its costumes (which are well-designed and accurately reflect the era's aesthetic) and cinematography, it ultimately falls flat.

The lead actor's weak performance makes the protagonist unengaging, while some side characters are far more interesting. The script is dull, failing to create a compelling historical drama, and the excessive intimate scenes feel out of place. Though the action is decent, the show leans too much into romance instead of focusing on its rich historical material.

A visually strong but ultimately boring series. Considering its 25 billion forint budget, it feels like just another propaganda piece.