Why K-Zombies Matter

The approach of K-zombies like 'Train to Busan' and 'All of Us Are Dead' to pressing societal issues proves how they can transform dystopia into engaging entertainment that makes a difference

- DEBASHREE DUTTA

IN A PREVIOUS POST TITLED "From Train to Busan to All of Us Are Dead, the Zombie - Apocalypse Continues to Infiltrate Korean Pop Culture," I wrote that K-zombies outperform their western counterparts in their precise portrayal of cataclysmic events. This is true, no matter how abhorrent and bloodthirsty K-zombies are. Their enormous appeal [as a subgenre] can indeed be attributed to their underlying themes, which call our ethics, impulses and humanity into question in a perplexing scenario, offering insight into our society in its entirety. The approach of K-zombies to pressing societal issues proves how they can transform dystopia into engaging entertainment that makes a difference.

These narratives are intriguing in the first place because of the crisis-related themes and how we deal with them. We believe in them, attributable to a viral outbreak and its comparable effects like the COVID-19 pandemic and our unrelenting battle against a terrible viral disease. In these conditions, the struggle to remain alive is relatable. Being quickly transformed into a zombie indicates that humanity will soon perish, making the zombie apocalypse even more terrifying. The coronavirus is a good analogy for that, yes? It's after all a virus that spreads through contact and affects the person who contracts it. A scarier version of the same thing is what zombie outbreaks are, and their utter dread is best captured in K-zombies.