All Of Us Are Dead- Full Season 1 Review With Spoilers

 

Cheong-san surrounded by zombies

Created by:  Chun Sung-il, Lee Jae-kyoo, Kim Nam-su

Based on:  Now at Our School webtoon by Joo Dong-geun

Written by:  Chun Sung-il

Directed by:  Lee Jae-kyoo, Kim Nam-su

Starring:  Park Ji-hu, Yoon Chan-young, Cho Yi-hyun, Lomon, Yoo In-soo, Lee Yoo-mi, Kim Byung-chul, Lee Kyu-hyung, Jeon Bae-so

The Plot 

Cast of All of us are Dead

Zombie apocalypse in a school. This is the basic crux of the show and the team executes it really well. A high school teacher accidentally creates a zombie virus that he names the 'Jonas virus' and this causes all the mayhem at his school. 

Originally, Mr. Lee Byeong-chan created the virus as a way to empower his often bullied son. But the actual results were unexpected. As we later on come to know, the virus actually stops the host's heart and activates his/her brain stem to control their body. As such, the host becomes essentially a walking dead. 

Trapped in this nightmare are a few school kids. They are: Nam On-jo, Lee Cheong-san, Choi Nam-ra, Lee Su-hyeok, Yoon Gwi-nam, Lee Na-yeon, Lee Byeong-chan, and others. How these kids escape from the zombie infested school forms the plot of the first season of the show. 

One of the major selling points of the show is the fast-paced plot that keeps viewers on the edge of their seat. Most of time the kids and other characters are escaping from zombies and this keeps the atmosphere intensely tense as we all root for the humans to make it out alive. 

The use of various school supplies in unique ways is commendable. Another commendable aspect are the peaceful pauses in between the high stakes tension. For example, once the kids are on the rooftop they relax a little and sing a song. Again, when they are taking refuge in the music room, they decide to video tape themselves talking. 

These small moments of normalcy and respite from the action allows viewers to take a breather and connect better with the characters. Thanks to this the audience roots for actual characters rather than a bunch of humans. 

However, the plot is predictable in many parts and when you have 12 episodes in a show, it's easy to predict where the story beats will fall. However, even then the plot keeps the action moving and has enough twists and revelations in it to prevent the show from being boring at any time. 

The Characters

Nam On-jo, Lee Cheong-san, Choi Nam-ra, and Lee Su-hyeok

The characters are normal school children with distinct personalities. There are 6 characters who stand out from the rest. They are Nam On-jo, Lee Cheong-san, Choi Nam-ra, Lee Su-hyeok, Yoon Gwi-nam, and Jang Ha-ri. 

Personally for me, Yoon Gwi-nam and Jang Ha-ri were the standouts. Gwi-nam because he was the villain who was seemingly impossible to kill till Cheong-san sacrificed himself. 

Ha-ri was another fave of mine simply because of her archery skills. I have a soft spot for archers and you can bet that I will root for the archer character everytime no matter the show/movie. Also, as Park Mi-jin says, she's just 'so cool.' 

The show ends with two main questions- what's going on with Nam-ra and who are these friends like her that she was talking about? And the biggest question- is Cheong-san alive? 

With a recent season 2 renewal, the show will be coming back to hopefully answer all our questions. 

Final Verdict

Ha-ri my fave

All of us are Dead is a must-watch if you are looking for an edge-of-your-seat zombie thriller. The characters will make you root for them and the ending with Cheong-san will make anyone cry. Even if it's a little predictable, it's definitely worth a watch.