Those who know me will know that I have a soft spot for both post-apocalyptic stories and Korean fiction. Thankfully, the Koreans are very good at making post-apocalyptic fiction. One that I recently discovered is called Sweet Home. And no, it does not take place in Alabama.
The basic premise of the series is somewhat similar to a zombie apocalypse but with a significant twist.
It starts off in a high rise apartment building inhabited by a number of quirky and odd residents. This includes a moody young man named Hyun-su who is considering suicide. However, some very strange events begin to take place.
Some of the residents begin to have severe nose bleeds and eventually are transformed into monsters. And when I say monsters, I mean monsters. Part of the draw of Sweet Home is the horrifying portrayal of the monsters. They are very disturbing. In a good way.
Part of what makes them disturbing is that the type of monster one turns into is based on the inner person. In many ways, the hidden monster that no one sees becomes the outer monster that goes out and kills people.
There is a deep suspicion of anyone who shows nose bleeds and they are locked away. The inhabitants of the building try to band together to survive. The first season is almost completely in this one building.
Our young man, Hyun-su, shows symptoms but is able to control what is happening. He uses his powers, including radical self-healing, to help the survivors in the building. It is discovered that anyone who can withstand the call to surrender to the monster call for fifteen days can keep their monster powers, look human, and keep their minds.
Meanwhile, there is some concerning behaviour within the military as they decided how to deal with the monster epidemic. There is also some suggestion that they know more about it than they are letting on.
I should say that Sweet Home is one of those series where you should not get too attached to characters. Many of the major characters get killed and only a handful of them survive the entire series.
The second and third seasons take us beyond the apartment building and to a stadium where the military is trying to protect the survivors. But its not going well and there is suspicion on both sides.
One of the issues is the existence of the hybrids who look human and can control their powers. Many are not as nice as Hyun-su and even he is starting to have some issues.
Add to that the possible existence of a third group, a new race that is evolving through the process of monsterification and the world is chaos.
I really enjoyed Sweet Home. The monster epidemic is a fresh look at a tired theme. Plus, some of the bad guys were extremely well done. The main villain is extremely chilling.
And the monsters! The special effects are excellent and there are some truly disturbing monsters.
Beyond that, there is a lot of character development. The people we are introduced to in the first season are not the same as they are in the third season (that is if they survived). They grow and learn and build relationships.
A great thing about this series is that it was planned for three seasons and was able to complete the story they wanted to tell. There is a satisfying ending.
If you like end of the world stories and creepy monsters and lots of blood and gore, then you will like Sweet Home. If you also like a really good and innovative story, then you are really going to enjoy Sweet Home.
If you like Korean fiction, another series I recommend is Kingdom.
