Had a Promising Start

This series started in such an exciting, groundbreaking way. If you ever ask me about my favorite episodes in a drama ever, the first few episodes of this show would probably be a runner up. At the start, the concepts were promising, the characters were interesting, and the cinematography was amazing. The cafeteria scene was freaking epic. Now, THIS is a freaking zombie show! I thought to myself. I can't wait to see more thrilling scenes with zombies and action and tension! Well sadly. The show was exciting until it wasn't.

Characters: 3/5
As the series went on I could not bring myself to root for anyone, especially the main leads. They were just very stale. Even Su-hyeok, who I found very charming at the start, eventually became boring to watch too. I think Gwi-nam was the most memorable character. He may not have been one of the, 'good guys' but he was DEFINITELY interesting to watch. All these characters, who we know nothing about like their motivations or fears , a guy with seemingly no desire other than to kill WAS fun to watch. Dae-soo, the archery girl, and the delinquent were likeable, but also lack depth like the others. The detective showed some promise, but he eventually fades into the background. Characters are also introduced despite changing nothing about the story. Like why was the vlogger even there...

Story: 1/5
Now, my main complaint, the story. It was puzzling, that in a show centered around HIGHSCHOOLERS in a ZOMBIE virus the emotional intensity that was portrayed cannot be felt at all. Even if the characters cried, argued, or fought, I felt so detached as a viewer that I just didn't care. Deaths were also very anticlimactic and had no impact. Some were even stupid. Clearly the dad did NOT need to fire a second light for the zombies to go away!! They set up this whole epic rescue mission of the dad just for him to die by locking himself in a court with zombies. Like why!! Anyways, the big chunk of teenage melodrama should also be discussed. I'm not the type to hate those types of stories, but if you don't care about the people involved, it becomes tasking to watch. Arguably the most boring part of the show.

Like alot of things, it's not all bad. I did still enjoy some parts of the story. Nam-ra's arc was nice and I liked how she developed. The scene of their campfire at the rooftop with Dae-soo singing was heartwarming. There were fun parts but the excitement eventually dies down a lot, and any tension that might have been previously felt in the story was eventually gone and depleting in the last few episodes. I have no energy to talk about the ending.

Acting: 5/5
I don't have much to say about the acting. Everyone did great! I'm not familiar with the main cast, but I think that the actors did really well with the script they were given. The zombie extras did great in being zombies. Notably, I liked Yoo In Soo's performance. I'm looking out for his future roles soon!

Cinematography: 5/5
Again, nothing much to say. As I expected from Netflix, this show definitely looks amazing. I like how the camera angles were shot, especially in the cafeteria scene (yes, i really like that scene) and also the library scene. Generally I just think the cinematography is great. Sidenote, I love how they shot this in a 16:9 ratio too. It fits the theme well.

So, the cinematography is great, the cast did amazingly, but the biggest downside is the writing was not well done at all. Anyways, I don't despise this show, and deep inside I really wish it still succeeds. The actors and the crew clearly put a lot of hardwork into this series, and I'd hate for it to go to waste.

Overall, "All of Us Are Dead" is a show that could have been something much, much bigger. I feel more sad than disappointed, because this COULD have been a great show. I'm left pondering with a lot of what-ifs. What if this happened, what if they did this instead of that and a lot of other useless thoughts. I really wish this was a show I could have enjoyed.

Rewatch value is also probably a 2/5, because I'd definitely still watch the first 3 episodes again (only).

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Do not watch this movie if you are looking for a light-hearted romance film.

"On Your Wedding Day"

From the title alone, I knew what I was getting myself into when I watched this movie. I usually am not a sucker for sad films, especially those involving romance, but in an uneventful weekend I stumbled into this gem and decided to try something new. Since why not? And I didn't regret it!

First things first, the acting. I originally got interested in this movie because of Kim Young-kwang, and he did not disappoint! His acting was super charming, and he did well in bringing out the playful nature of his character. Park Bo-young did great too, as well as the rest of the cast.

I loved the production and feel of this film. The music/OST did not stand out much to me at all, but it was able to do it's job, especially in the emotional scenes.

So, the acting, production, and music discussed, what else can we talk about? Aha, the story. Browsing through this movie's reviews, I commonly see people giving lower ratings because of the ending. While you may be thinking I'll be presenting a full, written-out essay of objections to counter their claims and prove they're wrong.. I agree with their sentiment. Wholeheartedly. You see, I mentioned I knew what I was getting into the moment I read the title of this movie. Yes, I knew, but nothing could have ever prepared me from the tears and sobbing that would follow. To the person reading this, I only have one piece of advice to give you if you ever plan to watch this: *Do not watch this movie if you are looking for a light-hearted romance film.* Because that is not what you will be getting. All factors considered, this is a film shrouded in reality. It is a realistic story, albeit not a realistic *love* story. As cheesy this may sound, in real life, we don't always get happy endings. And that's okay, because that is how life is. Getting past the initial feelings of dismay from not getting the idealistic ending, which most of us have likely hoped for, I quite like and am content with the ending. It has provided a nice sense of closure not only for the viewers but also for the main leads.

I think that this was a wonderful film and experience. It has given me laughs, joy, warmth, and sorrow. I haven't cried over a TV show let alone a movie in a while, so this was a nice surprise. I really recommend you watch this, whether to just pass some time or don't have something to do, since it will definitely leave you thinking and reminiscing for days to come.


As a last sidenote from me.. in most cases I tend to be a realistic person, or at least I thought I was before I watched this movie. I knew what was going to happen next, but my mind, uncharacteristically, kept on hoping that things would not end the way that I knew it would from the start. Weird, maybe I'm more of a hopeless romantic than I thought..

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