It's no secret-- some of the best K-Dramas are based on webtoons or manhwas. Take for example the zombie apocalyptic Kdrama, All of Us Are Dead. The show was based on a webtoon written by Joo Dong-geun called Now at Our School. But were there any changes made in All of Us Are Dead Kdrama?
In this article, we'll point out the things that director Lee Jae-kyoo decided to change from its source material. As pointed out by Director Lee, these changes are
"Similar to the basic story in terms of the original work. The flow of the storyline also doesn't depart much from the original. However, you might get the feeling that the show is different from the original as far as the specific situations that happen to some of the kids as well as what each of the characters are like."
Right off the bat, the most obvious change to have been adapted in the K-Drama is the fact that the students aren't as glued to their smartphones. This is because the webtoon was released between 2009 and 2011, a time when modern smartphones weren't so common yet.
Table of Contents
- How the Story Starts
- A Different Rumor Involving Lee Byeong-chan
- The Zombification Process is Faster
- Choi Nam-ra Has a Different Personality
- Another Person Brings Hyeon-ju to the Nurse
- Different Order of Infection
- How Nam-ra Got Infected
- The Kdrama Has More Romance
- The Origin of the Jonas Virus is Different
- Nam-ra's Ending
- A Different Ending
Here's how All of Us Are Dead Kdrama differs from the webtoon.
How the Story Starts
In the Kdrama show, viewers see Lee Jin-su (played by Lee Min-goo) and Lee Byeong-chan (played by Kim Byung-chul) at the opening of the show.
After realizing something is wrong with his son, Byeong-chan brings him to the school nurse. He gets transported to the hospital where he has become a zombie. It is later revealed that Byeong-chan tested the Jonas virus on his son.
In the webtoon, however, the opening sequence isn't too dramatic. The series starts with Nam On-jo (played by Park Ji-hoo) complaining about the flight of stairs she has to use in school.
RELATED: All of Us Are Dead Season 2: Is Cheong-san Still Alive?
A Different Rumor Involving Lee Byeong-chan
In the Kdrama, the students believe that Byeong-chan was trying to avenge his son's death by murdering the school bullies. This is also because Jin-su was rumored to have died by suicide after all the bullying he encountered from Yoon Gwi-nam (played by Yoo In-soo).
The webtoon, however, shows that there is a different rumor surrounding the father and son. Students speculated that the science teacher cannibalized his family, which explains why they have gone missing.
The Zombification Process is Faster
One of the most important changes that was made in the Kdrama series is the fact that the infected students changed into a zombie rather quickly. When Hyeon-ju was bitten by a hamster, the science teacher injected a mysterious fluid into her.
She also doesn't manage to say a lot before turning into a zombie.
On the other hand, the webtoon shows that Hyeon-ju was actually bitten by three hamsters. The teacher also extracted some blood from her instead of the opposite.
Lastly, Hyeon-ju was able to give a detailed explanation of her experience before turning into a zombie.
Choi Nam-ra Has a Different Personality
In the Netflix series, Choi Nam-ra (played by Cho Yi-hyun) is depicted as a timid and studious student. Even though she is the class president, she does not engage much with her other classmates.
The webtoon, however, shows a different Nam-ra. Instead of this quiet character, she actually has a more lively personality who often converses with her classmates.
The manhwa character is also more compassionate than the Kdrama.
RELATED: Where Have You Seen the Cast of All of Us Are Dead Before
Another Person Brings Hyeon-ju to the Nurse
Another change made was that Hyeon-ju was actually brought to the nurse by the homeroom teacher. In the Kdrama show, Lee Su-hyeok (played by Park Solomon), On-jo, and Yoon I-sak (played by Kim Joo-ah) were the ones who took her to the school nurse.
Different Order of Infection
The zombie action in the Kdrama series starts with On-jo getting lightly scratched by Hyeon-ju before the school nurse gets bitten. But because I-sak and On-jo were actually the ones who brought Hyeon-ju to the clinic, the order of things didn't follow the webtoon.
I-sak was bitten by Hyeon-ju in the webtoon. And since it takes a while for a person to turn into a zombie, it doesn't happen right at that moment.
RELATED: All of Us Are Dead Filming Locations: Is Hyosan a Real City in Korea?
How Nam-ra Got Infected
In the Kdrama, Nam-ra got infected after getting bitten by Gwi-nam while protecting Su-hyeok. But as it turns out, Nam-ra got infected with the virus via an eye injury as she was fighting the zombies.
The Kdrama Has More Romance
The Netflix series hinted at a budding romance between Nam-ra and Su-hyeok and On-jo and Cheong-san (played by Yoon Chan-young). But in reality, the webtoon does not show this.
The only romance in the webtoon is between On-jo and Cheong-san. Nam-ra and Su-hyeok are really just good friends in the manhwa.
The Origin of the Jonas Virus is Different
In the Kdrama, Byeong-chan intentionally developed the virus from mutated mice hormones. He planned to inject his son so he could fight off his bullies.
But in the source material, it is revealed that Jin-su contracted the virus a day after he and Byeong-chan went fishing. The police investigated Byeong-chan for starting the virus. Unfortunately, he kills himself before the police can solve the case.
Nam-ra's Ending
When the Kdrama ended, the students returned to their school rooftop to meet with Nam-ra. She also tells them that there are others like her. The hambies are staying clear of the military so they don't get killed.
In the webtoon, however, Nam-ra gets arrested by the military and transported to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention. She also gets to return to normal.
A Different Ending
The webtoon also has a different ending compared to the Kdrama. In the latter, the students get to see Nam-ra once again on their school rooftop. She hints at the existence of other hambies, which is what viewers expect to see in All of Us Are Dead Season 2.
On the contrary, the webtoon makes the students think the virus has been taken care of. But since the virus actually travels in the water, they learn that it has traveled to Japan and started infecting people there.
Again, these changes aren't too significant compared to the Kdrama. But we're already looking forward to seeing what could happen in the next season.
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