All of Us Are Dead; or, Too Cruel for School Listen carefully. You know how to play tag, right? We're all hiding here to get away from someone. But now... you're it. All of Us Are Dead is the latest South Korean zombie series which premiered on Netflix at the end of January, 2022. Based on a webtoon series created by Joo Dong Geun, the 12-episode drama delivers a high level of zombie insanity within the school setting. Yet, the viewing experience is not without flaws.
Release Info
Directed by: Lee Jae Gyoo, Kim Nam SuStarring: Park Ji Hoo, Yoon Chan Young, Jo Yi Hyun, Lomon
Language: KoreanOriginal Title: 지금 우리 학교는 No. of eps.: 12
Synopsis A former worker of a pharmaceutical company, Lee Byeong Chan (Kim Byung Chul) currently works as a life science teacher at Hyosan High School. In order to protect his son, the scientist has developed a deadly virus which basically takes control over its host and amplifies primal instincts. In other words, those infected are driven by the sole will to survive. Unfortunately, one of the students gets bitten by Lee Byeong Chan’s lab rat. This turns the Hyosan High School into ground zero for a zombie virus outbreak. Students in distress will have to fight their way through in order to stay alive.
The School Job I have to say that I am fairly open to the zombie genre in general and I do not mind suspending my disbelief when clichéd situations kick in (*#Alive and Peninsula flashbacks*). However, All of us Are Dead, albeit extremely fast-paced and entertaining, did not click with me in a lot of places.
My major issue with this drama is its inconsequentiality. Zombie flicks are always driven by a set of specific rules and All of Us Are Dead is no exception from that. The problem arises when these rules are bent or done away with just to push the story further. For instance, the virus is transmitted by the act of an infected person biting a healthy person. It is said in the show that zombie transformation lasts approximately 10 minutes, but sometimes it is just 30 seconds and voilà! Some characters get to say a whole monologue in their last moments or they are able to sacrifice themselves in a glorious battle, others; unfortunately, catch one breath and become red-eyed monsters.
One more example (without giving away major spoilers): By logic, it is safe to assume that a character infected with a mutated strain of the virus would transmit that particular strain, but this does not always work out either. I understand that the screenwriters wanted to avoid getting cornered by these zombie rules, but some of these critical moments in the drama were so baffling that I was unable to suspend my disbelief. In addition, not giving the main heroes at least some nutrition plus water and expecting them to jump, kick, and fist fight all the time is unforgivable.
Still, there are many things I appreciate in All of Us Are Dead. The episodic form allowed to develop the mystery of the virus: what were its origins and how it mutated. This in turn had a great impact on the philosophical side of the story: nihilism vs. struggle to survive, school abuse vs. parental love, children distrusting adults, and the needs of the many vs. the needs of the few. All of it is present on the screen and it is awesome to see how these themes play out in the drama. What is more, All of Us Are Dead gives a thoughtful commentary on modern-day issues connected with the pandemic.
In terms of action, this show just does not let go. It takes many cues from Train to Busan (2016), and even references the movie, yet the drama does not go to extremes. That is to say, we will not see here zombies amassing on top of each other and creating huge living walls out of themselves. These zombies are more straightforward: they react to sound and relentlessly try to grab a bite.
With regard to heroes, there are so many of them that it is really hard to identify with and cheer for particular individuals. They just do not get fleshed out properly. Still, the main focus is on On Jo (Park Ji Hoo) and Cheong San (Yoon Chan Young). Personally, I think the love subplot works okay in the drama, but the characters which absolutely rock in this regard are Su Hyeok (Lomon) and Nam Ra (Jo Yi Hyun). Nam Ra in particular is awesome because of her story arc which is very similar to the trope of a misunderstood monster, like Frankenstein. Additionally, my fave characters are the supporting ones, like Ha Ri (Ha Seung Ri), Jun Sung (Yang Han Yeol), Mi Jin (Lee Eun Saem), and Min Jae (Jin Ho Eun) #ArcheryTeam4Life! I have also enjoyed a subplot centering on Eun Ji (Oh Hye Soo), but sadly it went completely nowhere.
As for the performances, the majority of young actors and actresses did awesome. I am sure that this drama will kick start acting careers for most of them. Park Ji Hoo obviously shines as she gets most of the screen time, but I also loved Jo Yi Hyun, Lim Jae Hyeok, Lee Eun Saem. They gave the most vibrant performances. With regard to veteran actors, Kim Byung Chul dominates the screen as the mad scientist, Jeon Bae Soo is heartbreaking as a father trying to save his daughter, whereas Bae Hae Seon delivers a reserved but memorable performance of a National Assembly Member. Forgive me if I have not mentioned your favourite artist, but the cast of this drama is so damn extensive!
Recommendations In spite of obvious, script-driven shortcomings, All of Us Are Dead is a generally pleasing thrill ride. I give it a strong 7/10 because of the action, amazing performances, and the final episode which wraps things up in a heart-warming way. Many viewers complain that the series ends with a cliff-hanger, but I dare to say that, to me, it is a complete ending but with a possibility of continuation woven into it. In view of the fact that the series had a strong opening on Netflix, I am positive that the announcement of a second season is only a matter of time. Thank you for reading. Stay safe and avoid these manic lab rats!
Overall score: 7/10
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The Silent Sea; or, 2021: A Lunar Odyssey Not a damn thing works smoothly in this station. I have been looking forward to The Silent Sea drama since the first information about the shooting schedule dropped in December, 2020. Still, I had to endure an additional month of waiting after the Netflix premiere at the end of 2021 because of personal stuff and work. Well, as they say, better late than never. This is my review of The Silent Sea.
Release Info
Directed by: Choi Hang YongStarring: Gong Yoo, Bae Doona, Lee Joon, Kim Sun Young
Language: KoreanOriginal Title: 고요의 바다 No. of eps.: 8
Synopsis Near future, the world is plagued by shortages of water and food caused by environmental changes. Doctor Song Ji An (Bae Doona) can’t get over the death of her sister who tragically died in a mysterious accident on Balhae Base research station on the moon. The Republic of Korea’s Space and Aeronautics Division asks her to join a team of specialists led by Captain Han Yoon Jae (Gong Yoo). They are sent on a mission to retrieve top-secret samples from the now-abandoned Balhae Base. Upon arriving there, the team realises something is amiss. That is to say, something, or someone, is lurking within the premises of the base.
Fly Me to the Moon The Silent Sea was based on a 2014 short film The Sea of Tranquillity (I couldn’t track it down) by Choi Hang Yong, who also directed all 8 episodes of the drama. Interestingly, the executive producer of the show was Jung Woo Sung, the star of Steel Rain (2017) and The King (2017). The screenwriting duties were given to Park Eun Kyo who penned in the past Neverending Story (2012) as well as Mother (2009).
This drama is science-fiction at its purest. Fans of the genre will undoubtedly notice that The Silent Sea borrows tropes and concepts left and right from such legendary juggernauts of modern cinema as the Alien franchise (1979-1997), The Abyss (1989), Leviathan (1989), and Ad Astra (2019). There is room for thoughtful critique of modern problems plaguing the social order, but this aspect does not eclipse the willingness of filmmakers to provide the audience with a dose of thrills and chills.
In my opinion, The Silent Sea feels very much like the Lost (2004-2010) TV series, but instead of the island setting we get the moon. The first episode of the drama, albeit visually outstanding, is a bit overwhelming because its main focus is setting up the action and introducing (lots of) characters. Onwards the second episode, it gets easier to dive into the mysteries concerning the Balhae Base as well as the motivations of the main protagonists: Captain Han Yoon Jae and Doctor Song Ji An.
I have read online a lot of criticism about the plotline of the drama, especially the climax and dramatic reveal of (no spoilers) what actually was going on, but I personally found the whole thing enjoyable. I especially appreciated the themes of political corruption, company wars, and unethical research. The only thing that put me off; however, were CGI effects concerning one of the characters. From the visual standpoint, the effects looked good, but there was still some degree of uncanny valley which made these sequences look awkward.
Still, I love the marvellous production design. The Balhae Base looks incredible and the moon’s surface is fantastic, whereas the space suits are awesome. With regard to performances, it is always a pleasure to see Gong Yoo in the heroic role. This time, there is an added bonus because Gong’s character has an epic tattoo on his neck. Bae Doona is always wonderful as the female lead, but I was hoping for more character development in this case. Throughout most of the drama, we see Doctor Song either as bitter or depressed.
As for the supporting cast, I absolutely love Kim Sun Young as Doctor Hong. I have said this already on MDL and I will say it again: To me, she IS the Space Ajumma! In addition, I greatly enjoyed the appearances of Lee Moo Saeng as Chief Gong, head of the security team, and of Lee Joon as Lieutenant Ryoo Tae Seok, the head engineer. In general, the cast members have great chemistry, which also transpires in these sweet promo materials from Netflix, here and here.
Recommendations After Space Sweepers (2021) and now The Silent Sea, South Korea has proven once again that they can do top-notch entertainment, even in the form of a miniseries. I sincerely hope that there will be a second season; however, we have to bear in mind that the drama came out in-between two other major Netflix players: Squid Game (2021) and All of Us Are Dead (2022). It’s reassuring to see that Netflix cares about the K-Drama audience, but I hope the quality will not be overshadowed by the quantity. The Silent Sea deserves an additional season because there is still the potential to develop the story further, but I would not like to see this drama last as long as Lost, The Walking Dead, or Stranger Things. Sometimes shorter is better.
Overall score: 8/10
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