After the runaway success of the "Squid Game," Netflix knows that South Korean shows are worth taking a risk on and bringing to a wider audience. Thus, it did not second-guess in taking the shows "Hellbound" and "All Of Us Are Dead" on the home and mobile screens.
"All Of Us Are Dead" is another South Korean show that has become a worldwide phenomenon and made more waves than the hit series Squid Game.
"Shooting straight into the top 10 overall most-watched shows in two dozen countries, it managed to maintain its position for at least three weeks before dropping out," Digital Spy stated. More than that, it debuted as the number one most-viewed show on Netflix, setting a new first-week record for a Korean title.
Thus, it was not a surprise that season two is already in the works, reported to be released in 2024.
However, parents are a bit disturbed by this show that has caught the attention and time of their teens. With zombies, deaths, and a lot of blood, they question if the show, though it features teens and high schoolers as lead characters, is indeed appropriate for their teenagers to consume.
Appropriate Age of Viewers
The show "All Of Us Are Dead" is about Hyosan High, a high school that became a "ground zero for a zombie virus outbreak," where the trapped students must fight their way out before they turn into zombies, as Netflix summarized.
Netflix suggested that the show is appropriate for audiences 16 years old and older. According to Common Sense Media, high school students are old enough to handle the blood and gore of the show. Yet, debates on the exact ages of viewers of the series are appropriate continue to grow louder.
"The series features heightened violence and gore, including fight scenes and some body horror. There's also at least one scene of sexual assault, in which some high school boys force a teenage girl to make a video topless," Common Sense explained as to why they rated the series for viewers 15 years old and up.
Further, the series is reported to be available with "English overdubbing" and profanity words like "f--k," "a--hole," "bitch" and others are used time and again in each episode.
Kids love it while parents are torn
However, more than its zombie genre, in which blood and horror are expected, it also tackles serious issues that parents think can pose a danger for their teens' mental health.
As the Rolling Stones wrote, "Even before Hyosan High becomes ground zero for the world's zombie outbreak in All of Us Are Dead, its teen inhabitants are struggling to survive. Severe bullying, threats of suicide, wealth inequality and a suffocating pressure to succeed make Hyosan High - and Korean society - a kind of hell."
Based on reviews from Common Sense, most kids have labeled the show as the "best zombie show ever." Almost all kids rated the show with four and five stars and think that it is a good show and a must-watch.
However, in the parents review section, the group is divided. Some parents think the show gives off great messages, role models, and a high educational value.
The other group disagrees, stating that the show has too much violence, too much sex, and too much swearing. One parent even instructed other parents not to let their kids watch the show "at any age."
"I love zombie programs and films but the focus on this is to purely satisfy the appetite of disgusting perverts who get their kicks from seeing young girls being abused. On top of this there is severe bullying with suicide made fun of. It's a horrible, horrible program. The writing is terrible and slow with not an ounce of humour. Do not give this the time of day and if you are a decent, responsible parent you will keep this away from your children," the parents expressed.
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