Newtopia is a Korean zombie romantic comedy about a separated couple trying to reach each other during an outbreak in Seoul. It combines a relationship-driven reunion story with zombie peril, stylized action and slapstick; whether that mix feels more romantic or more suspenseful depends on the viewer. In South Korea, the series premiered on Coupang Play on February 7, 2025. Availability elsewhere varies, so check your local catalog.
Where to watch Newtopia
Coupang announced the Korean premiere on Coupang Play, with episodes released weekly on Fridays during the series’ run. Coupang described the service as one offered to Coupang Wow members; confirm current membership terms with Coupang Play before subscribing.
Rotten Tomatoes currently lists Prime Video as a viewing option for Season 1, but that listing does not establish availability in every country. Check the live Prime Video catalog in your region before making a subscription decision. Rotten Tomatoes’ Newtopia: Season 1 page
What Newtopia is about
Jae-yoon is doing military service when a zombie outbreak disrupts Seoul. His girlfriend, Young-joo, crosses the city in an effort to reach him. Director Yoon Sung-hyun described the story as being structured around the two moving toward each other; the English wording is a translation of his Korean remarks in Coupang’s January 8, 2025 production-presentation report.
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The series is based on Han Sang-woon’s 2012 novel Influenza, published by Munhakdongne. It is an adaptation of that novel, not a story presented as an original tie-in book. The source information does not establish the availability of a current English-language edition.
Is it a zombie horror series or a romantic comedy?
It is built to combine both. Coupang uses the blended label “zom-com” in its promotional framing; that is the platform’s description, rather than a formal genre category. Romance supplies the central goal—the couple’s attempt to reunite—while outbreak danger, zombie action and comic details supply much of the series’ other texture.
Rank #2
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The balance is a matter of taste, and not every response to the blend has been positive. South China Morning Post critic Pierce Conran wrote, “For all its slick and stylised mayhem, Newtopia does not possess one iota of tension,” in a review dated April 11, 2025, reproduced on Rotten Tomatoes. That is one critic’s assessment, not a neutral description of how every viewer will experience the show.
- Try it if a couple-centered reunion plot and comedy amid zombie peril appeal to you.
- Expect a stylized presentation: Coupang’s production feature says the team used a 2:1 aspect ratio, balanced compositions and a centered vanishing point to guide the visuals.
- Consider whether comic interruptions suit your taste in outbreak stories; the series deliberately mixes comedy with suspense, romance and action.
How the series builds its style
The production’s visual plan connects the characters’ movement through the city to the frame: Jae-yoon descends from a high-rise while Young-joo runs through Gangnam toward him. Cinematographer Baek Yun-seok said the crew aimed to preserve recognizable everyday locations while using vertical and horizontal movement as a guiding principle. These are descriptions of the production team’s intentions, not an independent technical evaluation. Coupang’s January 21, 2025 production feature also discusses the framing, zombie design and music.
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The zombies were designed with different movement styles, including running, crawling and mutant variations. Choreographer Jeon Young and director Yoon Sung-hyun described decisions involving movement, sound levels and brightness; the production feature also points to comic details in effects and props. Music director Choi Dong-hoon, known as Primary, said the score used contrast and smaller ensembles to keep the story from feeling too heavy and to maintain its rhythm.
Cast and credits
Park Jeong-min plays Jae-yoon and Jisoo plays Young-joo. Coupang’s listed cast also includes Im Sung-jae, Kim Jun-han, Kang Young-seok, Bin Chan-wook, Hong Seo-hee, Kim Sang-heun, Kim Jeong-jin, Lee Hak-joo and Tang Jun-sang. Yoon Sung-hyun directed the series; Han Jin-won and Ji Ho-jin wrote it.
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In Coupang’s January 8, 2025 production-presentation report, Jisoo said she wanted to portray a character who makes choices and grows with agency. The English rendering is translated from the Korean source.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What reception figures can—and cannot—tell you
When accessed on October 8, 2026, Rotten Tomatoes’ Season 1 page showed an 84% Tomatometer from four critic reviews and more than 100 audience ratings. These are platform snapshots, not a representative survey, and both the scores and counts can change. Four critic reviews are a small sample; the reviews shown on the page differ on whether the series successfully balances romance, comedy and zombie tension.
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Coupang said on February 10, 2025 that Newtopia set a record for the highest first-day viewer count among Coupang Play series. That is a company-reported comparison; the announcement did not provide an absolute number or an independent audit. It should not be read as a verified audience total.
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