Korean TV has seen an enormous rise in popularity due to the worldwide success of the Netflix original Squid Game.
The streaming service was undoubtedly hoping for a similar reaction to their newest Zombie drama, All of Us Are Dead – and they got it!
The South Korean film industry has an impressive history of producing compelling Zombie movies. In 2016, Train To Busan revived a flagging genre and received widespread critical acclaim. It also made bank at the box office, earning $98 million worldwide.
Fans of the genre will also be aware of the brilliant Korean series Kingdom. Interestingly, that was adapted from a webcomic (The Kingdom of the Gods) too.
So it seems Netflix has hit on a winning formula: find a zombie webcomic and adapt it for your audience.
What Is All of Us Are Dead About?
All of Us Are Dead is written by Chun Sung-il, and directed by Lee JQ and Kim Nam-su. Netflix premiered the series worldwide on 28th January 2022.
In the first season, a failed science experiment at Hyosan High School leads to the outbreak of a zombie virus. The virus rapidly spreads, turning students and teachers into zombies.
A group of students, who manage to stay uninfected, find themselves trapped inside the school.
They have to fight for survival while also dealing with the challenges of adolescence, such as friendship, love, and the struggle to fit in.
As the situation becomes more desperate, the students use social media to broadcast their ordeal, gaining the attention of people outside the school.
This leads to a mix of support, as well as sensationalism and exploitation. The students are then faced with tough choices and moral dilemmas as they try to stay alive and find a way to escape.
So can they survive and contain the zombie outbreak? Watch the show to find out!
All of Us Are Dead Official Trailer
Is All of Us Are Dead Worth Watching?
Fans of Squid Game will recognize Lee Yoo-mi (Player No. 240), but the series features a host of young Korean talent. The show is remarkably well cast, and the main players keep the drama flowing.
All of Us Are Dead is fantastic, with convincing special effects and importantly, faster-moving Zombies like the ones in World War Z rather than the glacial paced crawlers in The Walking Dead.
While zombie shows and movies are quite common, All of Us Are Dead brings a fresh perspective to the genre by setting it in a high school and focusing on a group of teenagers.
This setting adds a layer of vulnerability and relatability, especially for younger audiences. The show also explores the implications of a zombie outbreak in the digital age, where social media plays a significant role.
The show takes the time to develop its characters, giving them depth and complexity. This investment in character development makes the audience more emotionally connected to the characters' fates.
All of Us Are Dead doesn't just provide thrills and scares; it also offers sharp commentary on various social issues.
The series touches on topics such as bullying, the pressures of academic achievement, and the impact of social media on society.
By weaving these themes into the narrative, the show encourages viewers to reflect on these issues in the real world.
Overall, All of Us Are Dead a compelling and thought-provoking series that stands out in the crowded zombie genre.
How Many Seasons Of All of Us Are Dead?
It will be determined by the series' popularity. Right now, K-dramas are incredibly fashionable, and zombies are ageless, so we don't think the show will have trouble finding fans.
We don't expect the series to follow the webtoon panel for panel, but there are at least 130 chapters for the writers to draw inspiration from.
With that much narrative on hand, we already know that we are getting at least two seasons of All of Us Are Dead.
Whether we will get anymore is up to the Netflix Gods but fingers crossed…
All of Us Are Dead Cast
In All of Us Are Dead, there are five major characters: Chung-san (Yoon Chan-young), On-jo (Park Ji-hoo), Nam-ra (Choi Yi-hyun), Lee Soo-hyuk (Park Solomon) and Yoon Gwi-nam (Yoo In-soo).
The cast includes several well-known Korean actors. Park Ji-hoo shines in the zombie apocalypse Netflix original series, she's best known for her work on the Award-winning Korean movie House of Hummingbird.
Starring along with Park Ji-hoo is Yoon Chan-Young, the actor 20-year-old South Korean actor, his first big show was When a Man Falls in Love.
The third lead actor in All of Us Are Dead, Cho Yi-hyun, is well-known to K-drama fans on Netflix. The 22-year-old made her acting debut in Witch’s Court, before playing Jang Yun-bok on Hospital Playlist. She also played a small role in the popular series Inspector Koo.
