Whether you’ve had your fill of romantic K-dramas such as Queen of Tears ou Lovely Runner or you’re just looking for something new, Goodbye Earth is a refreshing K-Drama that offers a more thought-provoking plot than the previously mentioned ones.
An adaptation of the work of Japanese novelist Kōtarō Isaka titled “The Fool at the End of the World” (Shūmatsu no Fūru), this dystopian science fiction K-drama, written by Jung Sung Joo and starring famous actors such as Yoo Ah In, Ahn Eun Jin and Jeon Sung Woo, truly explore the darker aspects of reality. From the intense action scenes that keep you on the edge of your seat from the start to the thrilling and nerve-wracking suspense, all these elements make this a K-drama worth watching. Fortunately, all 12 episodes were released simultaneously on April 26, so no need to bite your nails while waiting for the sequel! We needed a story to devour in one sitting and “Goodbye Earth” satisfied that need perfectly.
The original novel is a collection of stories about people trying to make sense of the end of the world a few years before an asteroid destroys it. However, the series follows Jin Se Kyung and her tragic story. Despite the trauma she suffered from the arrival of an asteroid ending all life on Earth, Se Kyung keeps her promise to protect her loved ones while planning to hunt down her attackers and anyone who gets in her way. path.
Nevertheless, the plot freely and frequently presents different perspectives of other characters while touching on the idea of the reaction of certain individuals, communities and social classes to the end of not only the world but modern society as we know it. Children become more independent. Political and religious leaders form their alliances. Villains and criminals seem to gain the upper hand as cult leaders wreak havoc and unexpected characters appear from time to time to spice up the drama. All these aspects create an interesting plot similar to The Walking Dead without the zombies, humanity is simply its own enemy before the asteroid hits in 200 days.
Viewers eagerly await the countdown to an inevitable ending that begins slowly. All the while wondering what would happen to themselves in such a drastic situation. A constant question that arises again and again as the story progresses. Perhaps this unique tension alone helped make the K-drama dominate the ratings.
People fear selection, a system that dictates who can survive and who will find refuge from asteroid landings. On the day of the evacuation, many people’s fears come true and panic ensues as the harsh realities of their final days take hold. Se Kyung’s journey takes place alongside her religious group led by Father Baek and a military group that intervenes to bring order among the chaos, leaving the citizens in a suffocating embrace.
Se Kyung soon finds herself involved in a dark mission that makes her question her faith as she uncovers more disturbing details about Father Baek’s past and his activities, while also discovering a mysterious training facility and learning more about the secrets that lie behind the face of the military and the walls of this sinister building. However, despite the dark twists of fate, the series is not afraid to lean into romance and even sheds light on Se Kyung’s personal life.
In the story, she is actually a lesbian, and this LGBTQIA representation is not only well received but has also become the topic of conversation on Twitter. Especially with the steady rise of BL content, it’s refreshing to see a woman headlined as a lesbian, highlighting a different romance. Despite all this, Se Kyung maintains her untamed strength both mentally and emotionally and carries out her mission to protect the children at all costs.
Overall, “Goodbye Earth” was judged to be a very refreshing thriller the likes of which the Korean entertainment scene has not seen since “Sweet Home 2”. Despite his drug charges that tarnished his reputation, Yoo Ah In’s acting remains transcendent and he is a beloved face among the cast by international fans. The characters were well chosen and even the young children played their roles quite well and certainly painted a picture of how the end of the world can devastate everyone, no matter their age or social status.
For some, the story may be too intense if you are more interested in a slice-of-life romantic K-drama. However, “Goodbye Earth” is a K-drama that offers a lot to discover and is a quality representation of a beautiful story once again written by a famous Japanese author. It’s nice to see Korean entertainment adapting art from other countries that we might not have seen if it wasn’t for the intense popularity surrounding Korean content as of late. However, one thing that has irked fans is the fact that the asteroid itself is an ever-present threat but doesn’t actually come into play.
The open ending left some viewers looking for a specific answer for the closure unsatisfied. This makes sense too, since the asteroid is the center of chaos throughout the series, one would expect it to fall at any time. If you still can’t decide if “Goodbye Earth” is worth watching, see what fans are saying on Twitter.
“Goodbye Earth is a film with deep psychological elements. I’ll first talk about the character of Jin Sekyong, a stubborn fool who fights evil when the world is about to end.
We’re all citizens receiving news about the end of the world, but from the opening moments of episode 1, we see a character experiencing too much loss and trauma at once: his students have been injured or are no longer around , her long-time lover was far away, and she saw him in danger, the priest she respected was taken away for unknown reasons. With a girl, no matter how strong she is, she will be filled with anxiety and insecurity.
The last remaining children and Yoon Sang are the bright spots that the screenwriter gives to Sekyong, meaning that she must make a choice: the safety of her students, even in her final days, or her own personal happiness.
You can see the image of 3 butterfly tattoos appearing in episode 2: perhaps the screenwriter wanted to depict the image of the 3 remaining children in his class, who were his biggest concern in his last days of life, and this concern is also the biggest obstacle between her and Yoon Sang, who only wants to be by her side right now – the image of butterflies often appears in Yoon Sang’s dreams.
It is an omen of a difficult and happy ending, and she is the one who chooses this, protecting to the end the children who will never be able to become adults.
You have to remember that Sekyong is Catholic, which means that simply wanting to kill someone is already a grave sin. Who cares about sins in the apocalypse anyway, right? But this girl confessed to the priest who lied to the whole community about her sins, just because she wanted to keep the children away from the danger zone, maybe have the chance to continue having a better life. So it was Sekyong who opened fire in the church, because she couldn’t control her emotions towards those who wanted to harm her students. And in the end, she was the one who made the decision to commit one last time, even though she was married at the time, and there were only 10 days until the end of the world.
Truly, she is a fool, a resilient and defiant fool. This may be a bit extreme, but I understand the message the screenwriter wants to send: even if there are only 10 days left to live, if the crime still happens, it’s an extreme crime, someone has to take justice , even if it is. Just a girl, and who to protect: protect children, the people who are among the most in need of protection in this world.
Ahn Eun Jin chose a storyline that is not easy at all, the psychological elements and knots in the character’s emotions need to be resolved, unfortunately this happens at the end of the world. Really, very unhappy.
And personally, I think she did a very good job, because until now, I’m still haunted by the ending, with the character’s eyes full of tears of hatred and sorrow.”
If you’re looking for an adrenaline rush and want to revel in a good gripping K-drama, then Goodbye Earth is exactly that. An exceptional K-drama with a very suspenseful plot that promises a perfect moment for devouring popcorn in the middle of the night.
What do you think ?