So, just watched two episodes of Newtopia (yeah, it’s already live on Prime). Honestly, I was all set for a wild zombie romp, tuned in with the excitement of watching Jisoo vs. Zombies– just to be a little disappointed. I will talk about that in this review, but there might be plot spoilers.
So you know- probably go and try it before reading this? To hint a little- the first episode might make you check your watches if you’re going for brains and brawn. The setup to that point takes around 40-45 minutes.
Jisoo is the highlight of this new kdrama that’s for sure!
She is funny, her own self, and navigating the zombie chaos as a newbie in the genre. Make sense, given how long it took to characters to figure out they were under zombie attack and not some kind of riots, she is handling it pretty well.
But before I explain how, let’s focus on the plot first a little.
Newtopia Plot is a Romcom with Zombies, not the Other Way Around
What I mean is, that Newtopia’s plot isn’t around the zombie outbreak- at least that is what it feels like in the first two episodes.
Instead, it’s about the love story of Young-Joo (Jisoo) and Jae-yoon (Jeong-min).
Zombie is just a part of the Newtopia plot, more likely to make the distance between the couple more dramatic.
Let me tell you how!
So, Jae-Yoon is drafted for military service and he has still 18 months left to discharge. On top of that, he hasn’t even graduated yet or has a promising job in the pipeline- all that starts coming between the relationship (the first 50-minute drama I was talking about).
Young-Joo is surrounded by peers making her question the relationship, while she has her doubts, it feels like she still wants to make it work- I guess both of them too. So once they break up on the call, Young-Joo decides to go to the barracks and talk face-to-face.
That is when the havoc happens. After a plane crash in the middle of Seoul, a zombie outbreak halts her journey.
For Jae-Yoon, the struggle to survive and fight back remains within the building where they have a secret base. He is accompanied by Aaron Park (Kim Jun-han), Ra In-ho (Im Seong-Jae), and Oh Soo-jung (Hong Seo-hee). Together all three decide to go back to the base, except Mr. Park, the legend, as Seong-Jae calls him. He decides to stay and hold the hotel grounds.
So, in all the bitterness caused by zombies, all that gore- you get moments where you will laugh out loud.
But to be very honest, at this point, the laugh-fest for me had too many breaks. I mean I didn’t laugh that much as I was hoping to be honest.
So tough luck for creators I guess!
Prime Focuses on Quality Production, Newtopia is the Evidence
Prime Video has recently been focusing on the quality element very well. The same goes with Newtopia. The production quality overall is decent with great colors, beautiful frames, as well as direction.
But all that won’t stop me whining about the lack of fun in the plot. Zombies come with gore, I get it. But gore isn’t enough, or simply putting a beloved pop star. It needs a story that keeps you grabbed and wants you to wait for the next episode and for now, Newtopia lacks that.
The second episode was better than the first one, so it could be a sign. Maybe my Newtopia review for the third episode will not be so negative.
We will see that.
The screenwriting was done by Han Jin-won, yeah, the screenwriter who wrote Parasite. With him was Ji Ho-jin who wrote A Shop for Killers.
So, that makes me feel hopeful that even if the starting missed a little, in-between the Newtopia plot might pick up and deliver.
For now, a fan can only hope!
That’s all I have to say for now. I will publish more Newtopia reviews targeting other episodes as they are released.
Sign up and you will receive them straight to your inbox. No need to go hunt for critics reviews the old-fashioned way- sounds great, right?
Newtopia Review FAQs: Release Date, Streaming & More
I get you might have some questions, so before I actually wrap up the Newtopia review, let me answer them for you!
When will Newtopia come out?
Newtopia’s first two episodes are already out on February 07, 2025, on Prime Video. Episodes 3, 4, and 5 will release on February 14, 21, and 28. Rest are yet to be announced.
How many episodes does Newtopia have?
There are going to be eight episodes of Newtopia. All of them will be released on Prime Video.
Will Newtopia be on Netflix?
No, but you can definitely try it on Prime Video.
Is Newtopia a movie or Series?
The Newtopia kdrama is an eight-episode series on Prime Video starting on February 07, 2025.
