https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-silmarillion-illustrated-edition-j-r-r-tolkien/1141258421?ean=9780063280779
Do yourself a favor, read the wonderful world Tolkien left behind instead. Many interesting stories and lore Tolkien left for us, only to be forgotten.
It's.. not good. Admittedly I must be frank in that I have not read the original webtoon so I do not know the source material at hand. However, the adaption by itself is so disappointing I could not help but completely be urged stop watching by episode 8 and had to force myself in finishing this show.
I would however, credit it to giving an original idea to the origins of Zombies. Here, its not so much about a government experiment gone wrong or nature doing its thing but rather instead a desperate father wanting to save his son. However, I also found it rather lacking when I learn that we never truly understand the father other than he created the Jonas Virus simply to.. Superhero his son. I mean, the complexity and the need to make his son stronger or better is there with the bullying situation, however the question still begs in that why not simply be a better father? If he was smart enough to create a virus, couldn't he have figured out a better way to deal with bullies knowing the political system wasn't going to support him? Why not flesh out his character more, such as the reasons for him to even becoming a teacher in the same school that is allowing these bullies to thrive? There is so much they could have done with the father alone, that I feel completely lost when he quickly goes from the world is ending there is no cure to please figure it out with the data on my laptop.
Now for the students, to the actors credit they have performed well but I felt like the plot involving them was very weak especially when it came to the side characters.
Examples would be:
Na-yeon, in that I felt there should have been more done to flesh her out and her need to be completely right to the point of infecting another student just to feel vindicated rather than Nam-ra simply pointing out she did something and everyone turns on her and she just screams her sob story and.. leaves killing the teacher in the process.
Seon-hwa was a completely underused character. Here is an adult who could have led and acted as a leader to the group and provide leadership yet she simply is there and then.. gone. Like what was the point of her even showing up if she was going to be offed in a single episode?
Ha-ri and the archery team. They are so badly used I could not help but feel underwhelmed whenever they are mentioned. A good example would be when they are introduced, they are essentially rammed straight into a zombie horde after having gone through the main gate, yet only 2 of them somehow surviving reaching the main building through the front yard which is swarming with zombies with an ample supply of arrows. That and the fact they are completely okay with killing zombies without remorse feels so weird especially how the story presents itself. I feel like they could have been fleshed out more and could have been used better than simply being there. A major issue I have with Ha-ri most of all is the fact she is the only person in the group with a weapon and capability of dispatching zombies, yet her skills are hardly used such as in Episode 10, where they try to break out. Here they could have simply created a barricade for her to reduce the number of zombies inside the building before breaking out yet for whatever reason they completely ignore or do not entertain that idea and simply go for another student saves the day by sacrificing himself trope..again.
Like the whole story could have been the archery group becoming the combat group and helping the main group establish a perimeter or a safe area and provide security and tension rising such as the moral implications of killing another person, zombie or not. I just cannot express how disappointing Ha-ri's arc and quite frankly it was completely not needed at all.
The martial law commander..I mean, seriously? He made the most soundest tactical decision by limiting collateral AND structural damage by wiping out almost 40% of the zombie horde in 4 precise tactical missile strikes, which could hardly be called a bombing run yet somehow he feels so guilty in making this decision he decides to..kill himself? Most shows/movies would opt for a complete saturated bombing of the entire city to ensure that the outbreak is completely gone yet here we have the most logical and the most precise if not the most efficient way in removing zombies, something similar to, if not, a reference to one of the ways the infected were dealt with from the movie World War Z (the stadium scene at the end). I mean anybody would agree this was the most safest way to get rid of the outbreak and he somehow makes this decision by himself without the president or NSC being involved? I wish they could have simply had it where the President and his council was opting to simply bomb Hyorang out of existence whereas the the commander chose the tactical strikes and ended up having to resign over the whole unneeded drama of "Oh i feel so bad in doing this me shoot myself" that feels so out of the way story-wise regardless.
Ji-Min/Nam-ra/Gwi-Nam:
I think this was the deal breaker for me. Like first of all, Gwi-nam should have been offed completely and should have not been dragged through the entire show. I feel like the true villain should have been Ji-min and I wish they did more to her than Gwi-nam.
From my perspective, Ji-Min could have been the central villain, in that when she discovers herself to be immune/mutated and has super powers, she decides to enact her vengeance on the people who wronged her by killing her bullies first, and then goes on this mad rampage of killing the rest of the survivors and then infecting those she felt was of her kind, the students who were bullied and resented their bullies creating this new horde and threat growing within the school.
I mean the ending would have been perfect her being the main villain. The missile strike obliterating the high school with Ji-Min as she watches the school literally burn down and having her wish be fulfilled while dying in peace knowing she has achieved her vengeance together with her horde, a poetic yet somber farewell to those who were bullied.
Nam-ra could have been the outcast, having been unintentionally bitten trying to save a fellow student in the group who was an indirect bully and rather than joining Ji-Min, instead supports the main group and acts as their protector and helps them escape ultimately. Nam-ra's character and development itself was completely poor and I felt like half the things going on in the show could have been completely negated had she been used more than being this weird awkward damsel-in-distress role that occasionally somehow uses her powers.
I mean seriously, how bad of a script/plot can you get if you write in a character like Nam-ra, but then not even use her hardly at all like Ha-ri? Instead we have Gwi-nam, who manages to just drag his dull character and force himself throughout the show providing this completely unneeded villain/stalker constantly being tossed off of buildings yet somehow has his entire bone structure intact for whatever reason.
Like there are so many things wrong in the show, like the fact they go through the need of a toilet, but not go through the motions of trying to secure food/water supplies or the potential thought of arming themselves?
