Zombie blockbuster All Of Us Are Dead has a lot of similarities to a famous survival film of Japanese
All Of Us Are Dead reminds viewers of the following Japanese blockbuster.
As the current hottest zombie drama, All Of Us Are Dead still caused the audience to argue about the character, as well as the resemblance to some previous works. When compared to Train to Busan, All of Us Are Dead surprisingly had more similarities when compared to Battle Royale, a famous survival film of Japan.
The female lead is the embodiment of light and hopes
If you have ever been disappointed with a useless Noriko of Battle Royale in the past, On Jo of All of Us Are Dead is even more frustrating. Both roles are the embodiment of the rare light and hope in the context of disaster. While Noriko in the manga did quite well her mission, On Jo was extremely monotone because of the weak acting skill of actress Park Ji Hu.
The male lead – the unexpected hero
All Of Us Are Dead‘s Cheong San is a testament to the saying “Don’t judge the book by its cover” when he gradually becomes the star of the drama for his great abilities. This is also a similarity with the male lead in Battle Royal, Shuya Nanahara, or in the manga at least. Shuya may not be as agile, strong or good at martial arts as his friends but he never lets the female lead be in danger. He also witnessed his friend who was killed by another student and experienced many sufferings to be beside the person he loved till the end. Unfortunately, compared to Shuya, Cheong San has a more dark and mysterious ending, causing the viewers confused.
The heart-fluttering couples
Besides the controversial couple, both Battle Royale and All Of Us Are Dead made viewers fall in love with an extremely wonderful supporting female role. Nam Ra and Chigusa are both characters with cold appearance, making classmates not dare to approach and even a bit superior. However, both of them have warm hearts, desire to love and be loved, and most importantly, they both secretly love the most dynamic and handsome guy in the class.
Su-hyeok and Sugimura are both the obvious heroes of the movie who are constantly making their way through the toughest hurdles. However, if Su Hyeok and Nam Ra had a relatively beautiful ending, the lives of Chigusa and Sugimura are taken in turn, especially when the love of the Japanese couple only came from one direction…
The villain pair that horrify everyone
Among the students at All Of Us Are Dead‘s Hyosan High School , Eun Ji and Gwi Nam can be seen as the two main villains. Carrying mutant zombie blood, both still have human thinking but possess terrifying superpowers. This pair of characters has many similarities with Mitsuko and Kiriyama of Battle Royale – two born killers that make everyone afraid.
Mitsuko and Eun Ji are both victims of adultery. While Mitsuko has been seen as a sex toy since she was a child, Eun Ji is obsessed with 18+ clips recorded by bullies. But compared to Mitsuko, Eun Ji‘s role in All Of Us Are Dead is quite pale and boring. On the other hand, Kiriyama and Gwi Nam are both bloodthirsty predators that are always ready to wipe out anyone who gets in their way. These are all characters who suddenly realize they have an advantage over everyone when disaster strikes, and instead of helping, they use it to destroy the weak.
Angels that are devils in disguise
Remember the super obnoxious pink-shirt student Na Yeon from All Of Us Are Dead? In Battle Royale, there is also a similar character, the schoolgirl Yuko Sakaki. Both of them deceive themselves as the purest individuals, but they are the seeds of evil.
Na Yeon and Yuko both silently killed the person they considered lowly, evil, one girl used a towel stained with zombie blood while the other poisoned the food. Although the consequences after that were different (in Battle Royale, the male lead Shuya did not die but the male student of All Of Us Are Dead died), this character line has completely changed the game and destroyed the group of students that are said to be the most sustainable and strongest in terms of manpower and solidarity.
Corruption in the education system, causing students to be experimental rats of adults
Both Battle Royale and All Of Us Are Dead portray a rotten, corrupted education system. The problems of school bullying, disrespect, and declining quality of teaching and learning causes a disaster in both worlds. The difference between the two is that, while Battle Royale is the government’s “survival game”, the apocalypse in All Of Us Are Dead stems from a personal revenge. But in the end, the students of both works are the victims of the teacher close to them.
Two endings show a similar reality
The above similarities between All Of Us Are Dead and Battle Royale are only relative. The two still have different settings and character establishments. However, the two endings show a rather similar reality.
The common point is that students can still wriggle out of established rules and find their ways out. Shuya and Noriko are the last two survivors, but in return they have to hide from the government to continue living. The squad of students in All Of Us Are Dead make it to the quarantine camp, but they have to keep a secret – the survival of Nam Ra, who turns into a mutant and is wandering around the danger zone filled with deadly zombies outside.
