This review may contain spoilers
A nice effort
Let me start by saying that the production value and cinematography are incredible. Zomvivor looks amazing, and that deserves to be praised. The effects and zombie makeup are also top-notch.
The thing with zombie shows is that the zombies themselves aren’t usually the most interesting part. Sure, you can add some twists — as this show tries to do by asking whether the person is still “in there” — but in the end, they still behave like the zombies we’ve all seen before. What makes a zombie story compelling, at least for me, is how the living react: how they handle the situation, their dynamics with one another, and whether they’ll find a way out. Unfortunately, Zomvivor doesn’t spend enough time on those relationships before everything goes to hell, and that’s where it falls short.
It’s the same problem I had with All of Us Are Dead (which I admittedly haven’t finished, so maybe I’m missing something). That show throws you straight into the outbreak and the horrors the students face. People die, and it’s tragic, but not because we care about them. We barely know who they are or how they relate to each other. Zomvivor has that same issue. We’re told that Jean and Poa are like brothers because they grew up in the same orphanage, but the show never shows it. We’re told that San and Ning are dating, yet there’s zero romantic chemistry between them.
The one moment that really worked for me was when Ning looked around the room and saw Lily and Win holding hands, comforting each other; Thi and Thorn sleeping side by side as brothers; and Ning herself holding Non in her lap. That scene captured real warmth and connection.
I understand why the creators chose to throw us right into the chaos. It’s a refreshing change from the usual zombie formula, where everything starts before the outbreak. But personally, I prefer beginning before the fall. It gives us time to understand who these people are and why we should care when things go wrong.
Now, about the characters. First, all the actors gave strong performances. Whether I liked their characters or not, they did justice to the material. I especially want to praise Jimmy, Nat, Janis, Boss, and Tommy. I don’t have time to discuss everyone, so I’ll focus on the ones that stood out, for better or worse.
Poa is, to me, the most interesting of all of them. He doesn't get a lot of screentime, and his story arc needed a lot more depth, but this is how I interpreted the character. Ever since his whole family died in a tsunami, he's been living with this survivor's guilt that has caused severe depression, which has to medicate. Lately, he had been doing a lot better and had gotten off the medication, until the outbreak happened. Seeing people die right in front of him while he couldn't save them triggered that survivor's guilt and depression again, leading him to slowly lose himself and bring others down with him. He definitely got on my nerves a lot, but his character is fascinating. But this is how I interpret him. The show doesn't actually say this out loud. It doesn't have the time to develop him, which is such a shame.
Nat really surprised me. I wasn’t fully convinced by his acting in past projects, but he was fantastic here. I loved Night’s character and Nat’s performance, even if Night didn’t get enough focus in the main storyline.
As for the cheerleader squad, I found them ridiculous and unnecessary. I adore the actors, but their subplot was too silly to take seriously, though I suppose they’re there to lighten the tone once in a while.
And don’t even get me started on the whole San-Non-Ning situation. That’s a conversation for another day
Overall, I’m genuinely excited for a potential season 2. There are interesting storylines in motion, and I hope the writers take the time to invest in their characters, not necessarily through big arcs for everyone, the cast is too large for that, but through small, meaningful moments like the one I mentioned earlier. Those details go a long way.
The thing with zombie shows is that the zombies themselves aren’t usually the most interesting part. Sure, you can add some twists — as this show tries to do by asking whether the person is still “in there” — but in the end, they still behave like the zombies we’ve all seen before. What makes a zombie story compelling, at least for me, is how the living react: how they handle the situation, their dynamics with one another, and whether they’ll find a way out. Unfortunately, Zomvivor doesn’t spend enough time on those relationships before everything goes to hell, and that’s where it falls short.
It’s the same problem I had with All of Us Are Dead (which I admittedly haven’t finished, so maybe I’m missing something). That show throws you straight into the outbreak and the horrors the students face. People die, and it’s tragic, but not because we care about them. We barely know who they are or how they relate to each other. Zomvivor has that same issue. We’re told that Jean and Poa are like brothers because they grew up in the same orphanage, but the show never shows it. We’re told that San and Ning are dating, yet there’s zero romantic chemistry between them.
The one moment that really worked for me was when Ning looked around the room and saw Lily and Win holding hands, comforting each other; Thi and Thorn sleeping side by side as brothers; and Ning herself holding Non in her lap. That scene captured real warmth and connection.
I understand why the creators chose to throw us right into the chaos. It’s a refreshing change from the usual zombie formula, where everything starts before the outbreak. But personally, I prefer beginning before the fall. It gives us time to understand who these people are and why we should care when things go wrong.
Now, about the characters. First, all the actors gave strong performances. Whether I liked their characters or not, they did justice to the material. I especially want to praise Jimmy, Nat, Janis, Boss, and Tommy. I don’t have time to discuss everyone, so I’ll focus on the ones that stood out, for better or worse.
Poa is, to me, the most interesting of all of them. He doesn't get a lot of screentime, and his story arc needed a lot more depth, but this is how I interpreted the character. Ever since his whole family died in a tsunami, he's been living with this survivor's guilt that has caused severe depression, which has to medicate. Lately, he had been doing a lot better and had gotten off the medication, until the outbreak happened. Seeing people die right in front of him while he couldn't save them triggered that survivor's guilt and depression again, leading him to slowly lose himself and bring others down with him. He definitely got on my nerves a lot, but his character is fascinating. But this is how I interpret him. The show doesn't actually say this out loud. It doesn't have the time to develop him, which is such a shame.
Nat really surprised me. I wasn’t fully convinced by his acting in past projects, but he was fantastic here. I loved Night’s character and Nat’s performance, even if Night didn’t get enough focus in the main storyline.
As for the cheerleader squad, I found them ridiculous and unnecessary. I adore the actors, but their subplot was too silly to take seriously, though I suppose they’re there to lighten the tone once in a while.
And don’t even get me started on the whole San-Non-Ning situation. That’s a conversation for another day
Overall, I’m genuinely excited for a potential season 2. There are interesting storylines in motion, and I hope the writers take the time to invest in their characters, not necessarily through big arcs for everyone, the cast is too large for that, but through small, meaningful moments like the one I mentioned earlier. Those details go a long way.
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