Yet another zombie series? You’ve got to be kidding me! Raise your hand if, like most other Netflix series addicts, that was your first thought after hearing of the new Korean release, “All of Us are Dead!” And you truly have a point there, you know. I mean, it’s about time they abandoned the old-school virus out-break and zombie avalanche plots, right? And then devoted some time into brewing something interesting and a bit more innovative, don’t you think so?
Well, if that’s your sole reason for neglecting this new zombie release, you may in fact be missing out on a potential fun series. Now you may put up a frown and say something like, “Alright, since you think you know better, why don’t you just point out the reasons that make this series worth watching OR not?” Believe me, when I say, that’s exactly in line with what I plan on doing, RIGHT HERE AND TODAY!!!
In this very article, we shall discuss the critical areas of the series, “All of Us are Dead” and in light of all that, come up with a reasonable verdict on it.
Background of the series
All Of Us Are Dead is in fact based upon a webcomic titled, “Now at Our School”. It’s a Korean drama series with the theme set in South Korea’s city Hyosan. The series is all available for you to savor on Netflix. As for the webcomic, you can also read the translated version of it on the play store app ‘Webtoon’.
This K-drama is written as well as created by Chun Sung-il. Meanwhile, the directors are Lee Jae-kyoo and Kim Nam-su.
Quite surprisingly, the actors are almost all newbies with little prior experience. Yet they’ve been trained specially to appear inch-by-inch as brutal zombies who eat humans as snacks and suck their blood for dessert; or for other varying roles in the series.
Here’s your ride in case you wanna have a peek at All of Us Are Dead webcomic.
Main Cast
The director contracted quite a few talents from the endless batch of candidates available. As it happens, a lot of main characters within the series are still new to the showbiz arena. However, their acting abilities scream against my former words. Whether it be crawling around the corridor as a zombie or desperately screwing zombie brains with lethal arrows, the protagonists pulled it off perfectly!
In the series, there’s quite a variety of personalities available from the kind of people found on earth. We’ve got the righteous, the crooked, and even the ignorant who personally greet death to their freaking doorsteps! There are those who commit homicide for petty vengeance and then the ones who sacrifice themselves for the ones they love.
Here’s your ticket to knowing more about the individual characters.
The Storyline in a Nutshell
The lives of a South Korean high school students change forever once an infected rat bites a girl. The zombie virus then gets hold of the girl and as expected, it starts spreading like a prairie fire! Can the unprepared students manage to break free from the zombie blockade and escape from the nightmarish school? Even if they do, till when can they support their struggle for survival? Also, what effects does the gruesome incident has on the character development of the students in question? Will they start squealing like cowardly rats or face off the zombies after a hearty roar, just like that of a ferocious tiger?
What precautions would the government deploy to throttle the spread of the zombie virus? And how will the military respond? Will they just sit back and watch as innocent lives are replaced by ravenous monsters on an unprecedented scale? Or will they strengthen their hearts and call in a few tough decisions with the bigger picture in mind? I’m on a no-spoiler quest here so you may need to dig out the answers yourself!
One of the most critical questions here may be the following: Is the series’s title just for show or do the main characters are really all dead by the end of the story? In the filmmaking industry, the term plot armor is used to describe storylines with undying characters. The cast within such storylines never dies no matter how big a mountain of suffering falls upon their shoulders and how vast the sea of perils they find themselves in. Over time, the suspense factor gets removed from such series. Where’s the suspense when the protagonist and his lackeys appear to be freaking IMMORTALS?
However, that’s not the case with All of Us are Dead. In fact, there are moments when you feel an urge to scold the writer for being a ruthless wretch without an ounce of mercy. Like, you’ve got to be kidding me! Killed that guy as well? EVEN HIM?!! So yeah, this season can appear a bit BRUTAL for the unexpecting as well emotionally driven hearts. BE PREPARED FOR THAT!
How Are the Fans Reacting to this Show?
The show was massively hard-hitting for quite a large audience. The main reason behind it may in fact be the novel character development we get to witness throughout the plot.
The audience particularly loved the way such a gruesome tragedy shapes the lives of teenage students and molds their individual characters. Whether it’s a heart full of trust or one filled with a desire to betray, the apocalypse sheds light upon it all!
From gut-wrenching pain to blooming love with butterflies in your stomach; from the terrible anxiety regarding what’s to happen all the way to the blissful feeling when you finally reach a safe harbor; the main characters get to experience everything, and grow with it!
Although there is one thing that has forced the audience to sit with their heads tucked between their elbows and eyes crying tears of reluctance and regret. As it happens, the unexpected deaths of some of the fans’ most-beloved characters really broke their hearts. But I guess it’s also one of the major reasons why this series struck the heartstrings of many!
Cinematography and other Elements
Honestly, the camera effects were spec-freaking-tacular! The coordination behind the intense and ever-changing scenes thoroughly impressed me. The zombies are in no way similar to flimsy puppets splattered with red ketchup. Rather, they seem more like real-life monsters with bulging veins and intestines dangling out of their stomachs. To share a little secret with you, I was really forced to go ‘awww’ when a zombie pasted its cruel face right on my laptop screen all of a sudden.
The series is almost void of any explicitly sensual content. Yup, there might be a couple of kisses here and there but that’s as far as it goes. It was quite beyond the scope of my imagination since the main characters are a bunch of green teenagers with overloading hormones you know! So yes, feel free to munch on snacks while watching this series with your family. Be warned though! This series is in no way suitable for young kiddos and such. Ideally, the audience from the age group 18 and above is the series’s target. Hence, keep in mind to let your little tykes stay away since the show, as said earlier, is both bloody and brutal!
Verdict: Worth Watching or Not?
The single most hated point of this series (for me and many others as well) was LENGTH! 12 whole episodes (each one hour long) is no joke! The fault lies with the lots and lots of emotional melodrama and unnecessary flashbacks. Without them, the season’s runtime can be cut down to within 7 to 9 episodes. Personally, I’ll suggest for you to skip a few scenes where the unwarranted emotional vibes and nonsensical talks are running high. It can practically save you a couple of hours and guess what? You won’t lose out on even an inkling of the main storyline and events.
A major plus point is the variety of leading characters. They’re almost a dozen you know! This came as quite a relief from the traditional series where no more than three characters share screen time for an entire season. Although the entire series is available on Netflix for binge-watching, I’d suggest you to consume it in tiny, easily digestible sizes. A continuous assault of dangling limbs and blood-red razor-sharp teeth for 12 freaking hours can be exhausting for your pitiful eyes you know!
What’s funny is how, in some places, zombies can appear to be voracious beasts with ears of a rabbit and noses like that of a hell-hound. While in other places, they can literally spend hours being on the lookout for a lucky survivor who’s hiding right underneath their noses! Then there’s that downright idiotic character worrying about privacy leaks when a massive army of zombies is roaming the city at large!
In the final analysis, All of Us Are Dead never fails to impress you when it comes to thrill and action. Yup, on certain occasions, the characters impressively pull off stunts that literally make your heart jump to the throat. The series also displays tiny measures of comedy and romance besides a never-ending and often a bit tiring stream of action and brawls. Last but not least, although the season does not employ any innovative concept when it comes to zombocalypse and such, the sheer effort put within the storyline and production categories alone is enough reason for you to give it a try!
I set my freelance writing journey on fire in Jan 2021. Throughout my endeavors, the niches I fancied writing about sum up to three. They’re: Fitness & Lifestyle, Showbiz & Entertainment, and last but never the least, Personal Finance. In my leisure time, I enjoy either hitting the gym or diving deep into the abyss of best-seller books.
