In “A Comprehensive Look at Sweet Home Seasons 1-3“, get a closer look at the Korean drama sci-fi series, ‘Sweet Home’ with plot and character analysis, series highlights, and an explanation of the ending.

This review contains significant spoilers for Sweet Home Seasons 1-3. If you haven’t watched the series yet, we recommend you do so before reading further to avoid any plot revelations.

People enter a phase of evolution called “monsterization’ that threatens to wipe out all human existence as we know it.  Behind the violent transformation lies a small team of researchers and a handful of test subjects know as “special infectees”. And as humans band together and seek safety and protection, an unlikely”monster” will show the world that all is not lost, and traces of humanity still exist, even in the fiercest of symptomatic victims.  But can a small group of survivors find a way to end the destruction and offer a safe, normal future?

 Cha Hyeon Su moves into the Green Home Apartment Complex after the death of his family.  Strange transformations among his new neighbors soon leads to a nation-wide outbreak of what scientists call “monsterization”.  As more residents fall victim to the symptoms, we find that Hyeon Su in not only aware of what is happening, but has the ability to somehow hold onto his humanity despite showing symptoms.   

And as the group is forced to leave their “safe” hideaway, Hyeon Su goes his own way in the hopes of finding a cure. But he stays close by to protect those he has come to care about.  His journey will eventually bring him to a final showdown between those who believe this evolution, beyond “monsterization” and into “neo-humanism”, will beneift the world and those who want to protect the world from it.  

Cha Hyeon Su has lost much in his short life and this has made him something of a loner.  But when he moves to Green Home, he meets people who are willing to befriend him without judgement.  And although his relationship with his own family had been strained before their deaths, this new family that he built teach him about love and friendship.  Their bond as survivors keeps Hyeon Su at their side, even when the rest of the group goes to live in the stadium shelter.  This role was such a great one for Song Kang.  He was able to explore complex emotions in a thrilling story.  I think he was perfect as Hyeon Su.  

Lee Eun Yu and her step brother, Eun Hyeok, live together in Green Home Apartments.  The pair didn’t have much time to get to know each other before the death of their parents left Eun Yu under Eun Hyeok’s guardianship.  But when the people in their building start to experience strange symptoms, her world quickly becomes focused on the need to survive. 

When the group is forced to leave Green Home to find shelter somewhere else in the city, Eun Yu loses both Eun Hyeok and Hyeon Su, who have protected her up until this point.  And while she is sure that the phantom “angel” who rescues her whenever she is in danger, is her first love Hyeon Su, she spends her days wandering their old neighborhood in search of her brother.  But when she finally finds him again, she will be shocked to discover he is not the same young man who she left behind in their old home.

Lee Eun Yu is rebellious and angry at the world.  The death of her parents ended not only her happy family life but eventually her dreams of becoming a dancer.  But when she meets Hyeon Su, she finds a kindred spirit who has been through his own tragedy and is willing to keep fighting.  Unfortunately, she never appreciated Eun Hyeok and all he did to take care of her, until he chose to stay behind and help the other residents escape Green Home.  Go Min Si did a wonderful job developing this character into a young woman who seemed realistic and sincere.  I enjoyed her in this role and I felt like she was a good fit as Eun Yu.

Monsters as Heroes

This drama strays from the common delineation that says humans-good monsters-bad.  Hyeon Su is a fascinating anti-hero.  Even in human form, he is emotionally detached and ready to give up on the world around him.  He is hardly the stuff most heroes are built from.  But this sensitive soul understands pain enough to sympathize with those who are hurting and protect those that can still be saved.  And it is only as a monster that he could have the strength to do anything about it.

New Approach to Zombies

With the abundance of zombie stories these days, this drama offers a fresh look at the evils of monsters.  This is not some random virus or medical experiment that somehow got out of hand.  This is a condition that scientists believe will have a positive impact on the world and ultimately humankind.  Though the difference is subtle, it shifts the focus to a bigger question;  are we as a species destroying this planet, and what would it look like if we took radical actions to somehow “save” it.

Balance of Genres

While this drama is obviously a thrilling sci-fi story, I felt like they did a nice job of developing complex characters and relationships that made it more than that.  The stories of love, family, and loyalty, both from a positive and a more negative perspective, gave this drama a depth that went beyond exciting horror story to include elements of both romantic and life dramas.  

2. Survival of Season 1 Characters:

I think the filming gap may have also contributed to the death of so many season 1 characters.  But even the ones who left Green Home had a surprisingly low survival rate.  There were a lot of great characters from season 1 that I would have liked to see developed more instead of introducing a whole new set of characters that we never get to know that well.

3.  How it All Works:

I know this is sci-fi horror and maybe most people don’t watch this drama for the whys and wherefores, but I would think after 3 seasons we would understand a bit more about the process of monsterization.  How did it happen, what’s up with the vial in the special infectees stomach, and was neo-humanism part of the plan?  How did Dr. Lim lose the ability to turn himself into the monsters he admired so much?  And how did all the monsters suddenly turn into neo-humans simultaneously?   The whole process felt a bit rushed, convenient, and unexplained.  

‘Sweet Home’ Seasons 1-3 ends with the anticipated, although a bit lack-luster, final showdown between Hyeon Su and “Sang Uk”.  After some body shifting, Hyeon Su finally throws Sang Uk into the fire, killing him once and for all.  I Kyeong dies trying to protect Yi Su from her “monster” father, and Yi Su herself dies during the final battle.

With the villains dead and the stadium destroyed, Hyeon Su with the help of the remaining Crow Squad, decide to take the survivors back to their “Sweet Home” as humans and neo-humans make an effort to coexist.  But all is not hopeless as Hyeon Su realizes that neo-humans can regain their humanity slowly through their memories.  This is proven by the slight smile on Eun Hyeok’s face at the end.  The final scene shows Eun Yu, now an expressionless neo-human on the roof of Green Home as Eun Hyeok and Hyeon Su wait for her to regain her human memories.

You should expect plenty of blood and violence with this one.  I definitely would not recommend it if you are squeamish.  And while I enjoyed binging all 3 seasons, I enjoyed some seasons more than others.  I suspect the gap between season 1 and the other 2 seasons may have effected the continuity of the story and its casting choices.   I give ‘Sweet Home’ Seasons 1-3 a solid 8 out of 10.

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