Are “Influenza” And “Newtopia” The Same?

Okay, confession time. I thought I was emotionally prepared. I read the synopsis. Lit a candle like it was some sacred rite of K-drama passage. I whispered to myself, “Brace yourself.” I even made popcorn. The good kind. The kind that forgives your emotional damage.

And then Newtopia pirouetted onto my screen like a dramatic K-pop comeback. Instead of the soul-pulverizing horror I braced for, it threw glitter in my face. Then giggled. Then dropped a romance so slow-burn it made candle wax look impatient.

From Bloodcurdling To Butterflies: The Genre Whiplash Explained

I sat there. Popcorn mid-air. Thinking—what on this infected earth did I just walk into?

Yeah, that’s Newtopia.

And yes, it was supposed to be called Influenza. Same bones. Different lipstick. Like ordering a black coffee and getting a triple-shot vanilla caramel swirl with emotional whipped cream.

Naturally, I spiraled. Like any self-respecting K-drama scientist would. So now, I’m dragging you lovingly into this tornado of confusion with me.

Newtopia is inspired by Influenza, a novel by Han Sang-woon that hits harder than your second existential crisis of the week.

Psychological horror? Check. Emotional unraveling? Oh yes. Hope? Ha. Hope packed its bags early.

Then Newtopia struts in, latte in hand, and says, “But what if… we kissed during the apocalypse?”

Influenza: The Book That Sent Me Into A 2 A.M. Spiral

This book? It’s not just zombies and shrieks. Influenza is the deep dive into the human psyche that no one emotionally signed up for—but desperately needed.

It’s about a young soldier stuck in a high-rise in Seoul during a zombie outbreak. Classic set-up, right? Wrong. Because this isn’t just fight-or-flight. It’s fight, freeze, panic, doubt every decision, spiral into hopelessness, and maybe lose your grip on reality a bit.

There’s no love triangle to distract you. No comic relief sidekick. It’s just one man, his mind, and the echoes of humanity slipping through the cracks.

It’s psychological horror dressed in quarantine gear. By the end, my brain felt like it had been microwaved in dread and garnished with literary brilliance. My heart? Somewhere on the floor.

Newtopia: When Your Rom-Com Crashes Into A Zombie Apocalypse

This show said, “What if we took heartbreak, undead mayhem, unresolved feelings, and made it a vibe?”

And weirdly? It works.

Instead of non-stop fear, Newtopia gives us messy exes navigating second chances while dodging death and decoding their feelings.

Instead of non-stop fear, Newtopia gives us messy exes navigating second chances while dodging death and decoding their feelings. One moment, I’m on edge. The next, I’m screaming, “You better confess before the zombies do!”

There’s chaos. There’s kissing. There’s crying. And at the center of it all—jeong.

That magical Korean emotional glue that makes people forgive, hold on, and show up even when every rational neuron is waving a red flag.

It’s why these characters don’t just survive. They reconnect. They ache. They argue mid-chase scene. And sometimes, they fall in love while bandaging a bite wound.

Once I learned about jeong, every dramatic pause made sense. Every backhug. Every “I was wrong, but I still came for you” moment. That’s not just script. That’s soul.

And yes, I spiraled again. My inbox was safe. But my heart? Oh, she was texting ghosts from 2018.

Influenza vs. Newtopia: What You’re Really Signing Up For

Feature	Influenza (Novel)	Newtopia (Series)
Tone	Psychological horror	Horror + Romance + Comedy
Style	Gritty, intense, despair-heavy	K-drama charm with emotional chaos
Plot Focus	Mental breakdowns + survival	Exes reuniting through mayhem
Zombies	Absolutely horrifying	Scary, but occasionally absurd
Romance	Who has time for love?	All-consuming, slow-burning, chaotic
Humor	Not even once	More than you’d expect in a zombie tale

And the zombies?

In Influenza, zombies are dread in designer decay. They represent everything unraveling.

In Newtopia, they’re terrifying—but sometimes, they’re just inconvenient distractions from a perfectly timed confession.

In Newtopia, they’re terrifying—but sometimes, they’re just inconvenient distractions from a perfectly timed confession. They aren’t the big emotional payoff. They’re what happens between emotional payoffs.

Final Verdict: From Screams To Swoons, You’ll Feel Everything

Influenza is for when your soul needs to scream into a void and your brain wants to crumble slowly.

Newtopia is for when you need feels, frights, and one big “will-they-won’t-they” wrapped in undead chaos.

Same apocalypse. Different heartstrings.

So, are Influenza and Newtopia the same?

Absolutely not.

But are they connected like two exes who swore they were over but still memorize each other’s coffee orders?

100%.

Let me know—are you Team Psychological Spiral or Team Apocalypse Make-Out? Comments are open. My spiral is ongoing. Join me.

And hey, if this gave you a chuckle, a gasp, or a craving for instant ramyeon at 3 a.m.? Share it.

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