'All of Us Are Dead' Is Based on a Webtoon Comic and Has Big Differences From the Show

Spoiler alert! This article contains spoilers for All of Us Are Dead.

It seems like most everything we watch lately is based on a book or a comic or a graphic novel of some sort, and All of Us Are Dead is no different. The South Korean zombie apocalypse series has been making a splash on Netflix as one of the streaming service's Top 10 this week. But the series has its origins as a web comic on Webtoon by Joo Dong-geun.

As is probably to be expected, the new series takes plenty of creative liberties. Let's dive into some of the key differences between the show and the original web comic.

Like its Netflix counterpart, the All of Us Are Dead web comic debuted with all of its chapters on the same day on Aug. 15, 2021. Though the format may be different, the series overview remains relatively the same.

The comic synopsis reads "Life at Hyosan High School is nothing special... until the students realize they're in ground zero of a deadly virus that turns its victims into flesh-eating monsters."

The students struggle to avoid getting infected by zombies as the virus runs through the school, while still dealing with the personal dramas that come with being in high school.

Many characters from the show have web comic equivalents, including Nam On-jo, Lee Cheong-san, and Choi Nam-ra, among others. But there are still several key differences between the new show and the original comic. Bustle reports on many of the changes, not the least of which is the stronger emphasis on the romantic subplots in the Netflix series.

The origins of the virus also differ wildly. In the show, science teacher Lee Byeong-chan (Kim Byung-shul) inadvertently creates the virus while trying to help his son overcome his bullies. The origins in the comic is far more ambiguous, as someone contracts it from a strange worm found underwater.

And of course, both stories differ in their endings. The 12-episode series ends when Choi Nam-ra (Cho Yi-hyun) briefly reunites with her friends before leaving to help her fellow half-zombie, half-human victims. She knows they must hide from the Korean military, lest they get killed upon being found.

In the comics, Nam-ra has become immune to the virus and she rejoins human society, offering her blood to the Centers for Disease Control in order to help develop a cure. Unfortunately, things don't end there. While the students think the virus has been contained, readers learn that it's entered the water stream and is seeing a resurgence in neighboring Japan.

According to the comic's webtoon site, the All of Us Are Dead comic is fully completed.

While it's currently unknown if the Netflix show will return for a second season, there could certainly be enough source material left to adapt. Despite the creative liberties the series has taken, the ending of the comic sets up the show for a clear storyline in Season 2.

Only time will tell if All of Us Are Dead will be able to continue. Until we learn more, you can stream the entire first season of the series on Netflix.