All Of Us Are Dead Is Worth Watching (If You Don't Mind Its One Big Problem)

Netflix's "All of Us Are Dead" has done quite well for itself. The South Korean zombie series currently has a very respectable rating from audiences and critics alike on Rotten Tomatoes. But of course, hype doesn't necessarily translate to quality programming, and the above strengths don't always cut it for all viewers. At the r/netflix subreddit, u/Pariyama asked, rather straightforwardly, "Is 'All of Us Are Dead' really good?" Their comment mentioned that they had watched the first episode but hadn't been impressed. "I hoped the show would be more similar to the comic," they wrote, "And my boyfriend already disliked the love triangle and assuming female lead and I can't help but to agree." They then asked if the series gets better or if it's mostly just hype.

If the popularity of "All of Us Are Dead" is indeed simply down to the hype, then it's not difficult to understand why. There's certainly a novelty to setting a zombie story in a high school — though it increasingly branches out into the surrounding city. The specificity of the in-universe rules — that they aren't technically zombies, but rather are infected with a virus that removes people's fears and sends them into a blood-thirsty rage — also makes for a fun watch. And of course, there's plenty of blood and ultraviolence and exciting action. Still, a fun premise doesn't necessarily translate into an airtight series. At least not in everyone's view. 

There are without a doubt notable differences between the webcomic — originally titled "Now at Our School" — and the TV remake, from some characters' personalities, who infects who, and even some notable differences in how the plague starts to spread. Granted, divergence from the original source doesn't by itself make a film or TV show bad on its own terms. But the dissatisfaction with the love triangle and the protagonists of "All of Us Are Dead" may point to deeper problems with the show's writing, and it's just one of the flaws that have fans scratching their heads. 

That seems to be what other criticisms imply, as u/green9206 suggested the show would have been much tighter had it limited itself to fewer episodes. There's a similar sentiment over at r/kdramarecommends, with u/Opulescence's comment stating that, though they enjoyed the fact that "All of Us Are Dead" was relatively merciless with character deaths, they "Found the show's usage of sudden shifts in tone from scene to scene distracting." Though only one now-deleted user specifically brought up the bad writing, the other qualms mentioned on the thread could plausibly be chalked up to either a shoddy story, lacking character development, or simply bad dialogue.

Then again, others defended "All of Us Are Dead," with some even arguing that the writing could be overlooked thanks to other strengths. Some even seem to think that the show's weaknesses hold a certain kind of charm. "A solid 6/10, some scenes entertain," wrote u/Tough-Train-4825, "and some scenes are just fun to hate-watch while you boil in frustration."