The Historical K-Drama From 2023 That Every All Of Us Are Dead Fan Should Watch

Those who enjoyed All of Us Are Dead should check out The Matchmakers, a historical romance K-drama from 2023 that has a major connection to the zombie how. In 2022, Netflix released All of Us Are Dead, a horror K-drama based on a webtoon from 2009. The story follows a group of teenagers who become trapped in their high school when their science teacher causes a zombie outbreak. All of Us Are Dead received high praise upon its release, earning an 88% on Rotten Tomatoes and a season 2 renewal. Audiences have been waiting for All of Us Are Dead season 2’s release date to be revealed ever since.

Those who loved All of Us Are Dead may be eager to find another K-drama that has the same level of thrills and terror. Luckily, there are countless great horror K-dramas, including Sweet Home and Gyeong Seong Creature. However, not every K-drama perfect to watch after All of Us Are Dead has to be horrifying. In fact, there is one romantic K-drama that doesn’t have the same themes as the zombie series but is connected to it in a big way – The Matchmakers, which is a perfect follow-up to All of Us Are Dead.

The Matchmakers Stars All Of Us Are Dead’s Cho Yi-hyun

Cho Yi-hyun Is A Major Part Of Both Series

For more of All of Us Are Dead‘s cast, viewers should watch 2023’s The Matchmakers. The shows are connected by actress Cho Yi-hyun, who appears in both series. In All of Us Are Dead, Yi-hyun stars as Choi Nam-ra, the class president of Class 2-5. Meanwhile, in The Matchmakers, Yi-hyun plays widow-turned-matchmaker, Jung Soon-deok. For context, The Matchmakers follows a widower and widow who team up for a strange business that seeks to marry “old maids” who are causing problems during the Joseon era. Notably, the series earned a 7.5 out of 10 on IMDb.

Though All of Us Are Dead and The Matchmakers have vastly different genres, Cho Yi-hyun is a great connector between them. For the most part, this is because Yi-hyun is vital to both shows. Nam-ra’s All of Us Are Dead story, her hambie powers, and her romance with Su-hyeok are all significant parts of the plot. Furthermore, Nam-ra’s connection to other, unknown hambies is another important aspect of the show. The same can be said for The Matchmakers. As the sole female lead, Yi-hyun’s performance holds up half of the show with her arc of becoming a matchmaker and forming a bond with Shim Jung-woo.

How The Matchmakers’ Soon-deok Differs From All Of Us Are Dead’s Nam-ra

Soon-deok And Nam-ra Are In Difficult Positions

For the most part, Cho Yi-hyun’s roles in All of Us Are Dead and The Matchmakers are quite different. While Nam-ra is a rather shy and reserved teenager, Soon-deok is a crafty and secretive widow. Where Nam-ra attempts to stay out of others’ lives, Soon-deok inserts herself into the romances of others due to her position as a matchmaker. Additionally, Nam-ra struggles to find her place among her high school peers, whereas Nam-ra seems to have a solid support system. In this way, Soon-deok and Nam-ra sit on different sides of the spectrum when it comes to social status and personality.

Underneath the surface, Soon-deok and Nam-ra do have some similarities though. For one thing, both women are in tough positions. Nam-ra earned the role of class president due to her mother’s money, making her a laughingstock of the school. In this way, she is an outcast. Meanwhile, Soon-deok should have very few freedoms as a widow, yet she works undercover as a matchmaker. If others found out, she would be in serious trouble. Soon-deok and Nam-ra are two women who are trying to break free of others’ expectations to find happiness in their lives.

What To Expect From Cho Yi-hyun’s Nam-ra In All Of Us Are Dead Season 2

Nam-ra Will Take On A New Role

When All of Us Are Dead season 2 hits Netflix, Cho Yi-hyun will continue to play a pivotal role in the series. At the end of All of Us Are Dead season 1, Nam-ra reappears after a brief disappearance and reveals that she has been protecting other halfbies that were abandoned by the government. Rather than returning to her friend group, Nam-ra decides to keep doing her work with halfbies. Notably, Nam-ra seems to have controlled her powers. This sets her up to follow a very exciting storyline in All of Us Are Dead season 2.

Nam-ra went from a person who would ironically be referred to as class president to a true leader in All of Us Are Dead season 1, a story arc that will continue in season 2. Nam-ra will play an important role with the halfbies, and based on the webtoon, she could be a potential source for a cure for the zombie virus. The Matchmakers only has one season, but All of Us Are Dead‘s story will continue.

All Of Us Are Dead

All of Us Are Dead is a horror-thriller series based on the webtoon from creator Jeon Bae-soo. Set in a South Korean high school, a scientist father trying to find a way to protect his son from bullies accidentally creates a serum that uses the fear within humans to turn them into zombies. Set loose in the school, the surviving students and staff find themselves cut off from the outside world and must now fight to survive the infected onslaught – and each other.

Cast

Park Solomon , Cho Yi-hyun , Park Ji-hoo , Yoo In-soo , Yoon Chan-young

Release Date

January 28, 2022

Seasons

1