Seoul Station - Reviews

 There's a stench in the air and it's not the typical irregular showering homeless population: it's the stench of the undead.  Or so the synopsis would have you believe. What you find when you watch this - should you choose to do so is a tale of a dimwitted young woman who:

• Leaves doors open for pursuers to constantly be on her tail / right behind her. 
• Tells her boyfriend off then calls him for comfort. 
• Walk the streets at night alone in a look at me outfit. 
• Follows a homeless man whose mind is wavering in favor of going with the police. 
• Ran away from home to live on the street and become a w****. 
• Ordered her boyfriend to get a job but doesn't consider getting one herself. 
• Cries while her boyfriend gets beaten. 
• Yells her attacks instead of utilizing surprise.

Considering the above this anime does take the zombie-apocalypse serious and all the events depicted are as possible and probable as any other, if not more so. 

So while this did focus on a young woman with a world of personal problems, it was likely the creators intent to have someone down in the dumps constantly be in peril. There are plenty of sci-fi movies that follow this norm.

And to keep a sense of reality the emergence of those who rise from the dead would need to take place when it's the most inconvenient. Here's an emerging adult who's struggling to pay rent, has romantic and familial relationship issues, has a secret past, and just wants to be taken care of and loved. Then along comes a barrage of sickness / zombies. Threatening a distraught woman alone at night on the streets.

What she to do? Especially when typical safe places are out of the question.

The above.

I was pleasantly surprised at the quality of this film. For starters, the film is incredibly well made, with dialogue and facial expressions perfectly representing raw and real emotions. Everything the characters do is realistic, as it perfectly highlights the issues faced by the apocalypse from a universe where that idea has not been developed. Furthermore, the story does a great job at handling both the use of zombies and incorporating government responses, which creates well executed conflict. The final twist genuinely gave me goosebumps from the sheer shock. That is mainly due to the great level of character development. I also like how the ending doesn't go for the stereotypical route of 'group of characters that are left to defend the Earth' . The only big complaint I have is that, despite the realism with the lack of knowledge on the threats posed on them, the lack of use of weaponry feels like a missed opportunity that could have really elevated this film. Overall though, the film is still really great and is a hidden gem.