A breezy, high-concept Korean zombie rom-com with a strong hook and enough energy to make the first season easy to sample. It works best as a genre mashup: part breakup comedy, part survival thriller, part star-crossed… Read more
Newtopia
Where to watch: Buy
TV Show · Sci-Fi & Fantasy · Action & Adventure
Fri
Created by: Han Jin-won, Ji Ho-jin
Starring: Park Jeong-min, Lee Hak-ju, JISOO
Overview
Jae-yoon, a late military enlistee, and his girlfriend, Young-joo, break up over the phone over growing misunderstandings. But a zombie outbreak rocks the world. A national emergency is declared, a plane crashes in the city center, and Jae-yoon and his unit get trapped on top of a Seoul skyscraper. Young-joo risks the zombie-filled streets to find him. Can their love survive the apocalypse?
Created by
Han Jin-won, Ji Ho-jin
Cast
Park Jeong-min, Lee Hak-ju, JISOO, Im Sung-jae, Hong Seo-hui, Kang Young-suk, Lee Ju-won, Kim Sang-heun
Curator Review
Verdict
A breezy, high-concept Korean zombie rom-com with a strong hook and enough energy to make the first season easy to sample. It works best as a genre mashup: part breakup comedy, part survival thriller, part star-crossed romance. The tone can be uneven, but the premise, Seoul setting, and short-form momentum make it appealing if you like playful apocalypse stories more than grim horror.
Best for
Viewers who like zombie stories with romance and comedy mixed in
Fans of fast-paced Korean genre series
People looking for a short, bingeable apocalypse show
Viewers who enjoy high-concept premises over deep mythology
Skip if
You want serious, tightly plotted horror
You dislike tonal shifts between comedy and danger
You prefer long-running series with extensive world-building
You need consistently polished writing across every episode
Overview
Newtopia has a very easy sell: a breakup call, a zombie outbreak, and two lovers trying to find each other while Seoul collapses around them. That premise gives the series a built-in engine, and the show leans into the absurdity with a light, often playful tone that keeps it moving. It’s more interested in momentum and chemistry than in reinventing zombie lore, which helps it feel accessible even when the emotional beats are simple.
Worth noting
The mix of action, comedy, and romance is the main attraction, though it can also be the source of the show’s unevenness. Some stretches play like a sharp survival thriller, while others lean into broad humor or melodrama. If you enjoy genre blends and don’t mind a few tonal wobbles, the setup is strong enough to carry the ride.
Bottom line
As a one-season series, it’s an easy commitment and a good fit for viewers who want a compact binge rather than a sprawling apocalypse saga. It’s not essential viewing, but it is a lively, crowd-pleasing variation on the zombie formula with enough charm to make it worth a look.
A smart, offbeat horror-comedy about a couple trying to hold their relationship together amid undead chaos.
Themes
zombie outbreak, romantic reconciliation, apocalypse survival, military setting, urban disaster, miscommunication, love under pressure, national emergency
Topics
zombie comedy, romantic thriller, apocalyptic survival, Korean drama, action adventure, ensemble cast, fast-paced, tonal blend, Seoul setting, bingeable