So, you’ve probably seen the blood-soaked hallways of Hyosan High by now. Whether you’re a die-hard K-drama fan or just someone who clicked on the Netflix thumbnail because you like zombies, the All of Us Are Dead English dub has become one of the most debated pieces of voice work on the platform. Honestly, dubbing is tricky business. When a show like All of Us Are Dead relies so heavily on the raw, screeching emotional output of teenagers literally fighting for their lives, a bad dub can ruin everything. It can turn a tragic scene into a meme. But if you’ve actually sat through the 12 episodes of the first season in English, you’ll notice something pretty surprising: it’s actually good. Like, surprisingly grounded.
Netflix didn’t just throw some random actors into a booth and tell them to scream. They leaned into a cast that understands the "webtoon" energy while keeping the dialogue from feeling like a stiff translation.
Breaking Down the All of Us Are Dead English Dub Cast
A lot of people think dubbing is just reading lines, but the All of Us Are Dead English dub required a specific kind of vocal stamina. Let's talk about the leads. Harrison Xu voices Cheong-san. He’s the heart of the show. If his voice didn’t land that mixture of "I’m an awkward teen" and "I will die for my friends," the whole stakes of the cafeteria scene would have tanked. Xu brings a naturalism that avoids the "anime protagonist" tropes that sometimes plague English dubs of Asian media.
Then you’ve got Victoria Grace voicing On-jo. She’s the girl next door, but with survival skills inherited from her firefighter dad. Grace’s performance is subtle. In the later episodes, when the grief starts to outweigh the adrenaline, her voice carries a specific heaviness that matches Park Ji-hu’s physical performance. It’s a seamless blend.
Who else stands out?
- Su-hyeok (voiced by Ludi Lin): You might know Ludi Lin from Power Rangers or Mortal Kombat. Having a "name" actor in a dub can be hit or miss, but Lin’s deep register fits the "Bare-su" fighter persona perfectly.
- Nam-ra (voiced by Abby Trott): Trott has a massive resume in gaming and anime (Demon Slayer, Persona 5). She plays the cold, class president vibe with a detached precision that makes her eventual "hambie" (half-zombie) transition feel genuinely dangerous.
- Gwi-nam (voiced by Darren Keilan): Every show needs a villain you love to hate. Keilan sounds genuinely unhinged. There’s a raspiness to his performance that highlights Gwi-nam’s descent into a literal monster.
Why Some Fans Prefer the Dub Over Subtitles
Purists will always scream "subs over dubs." It’s a tale as old as time. However, All of Us Are Dead is a hyper-visual show. The choreography of the zombies—those bone-crunching, contorting movements—is a massive part of the appeal. If you’re constantly looking at the bottom of the screen to read translated dialogue, you’re missing the background details. You miss the way a background character’s eyes turn red. You miss the subtle environmental storytelling in the cluttered classrooms.
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The All of Us Are Dead English dub allows for a "lean back" experience. It’s accessible. For a lot of casual viewers who aren't used to the pacing of Korean speech patterns, the dub acts as a bridge. It’s also worth noting that Netflix has invested heavily in "Dubbing 2.0." They use better equipment, better ADR (Automated Dialogue Replacement) directors, and they actually adapt the script so the mouth movements (lip-sync) don't look like an old Godzilla movie.
Is it perfect? No. Sometimes the slang feels a little "how do you do, fellow kids." But for the most part, the emotional beats land. When characters are sobbing over a lost friend, the English actors don't hold back. They’re snot-crying into the microphones. That’s commitment.
The Script Adaptation Challenge
Translating Korean to English isn't a 1:1 process. Korean has honorifics. The way a student speaks to a teacher (seonsaengnim) or an older student (sunbae) carries weight that "Mr." or "Hey" just doesn't capture in English. The writers for the All of Us Are Dead English dub had to find ways to convey that hierarchy without making the dialogue sound clunky.
They mostly did this through tone. The students sound more formal when speaking to the faculty, but they flip into aggressive, swear-heavy banter when they're alone. It feels authentic to how high schoolers actually talk when there isn't an adult in the room. Or when they're being chased by a horde of the undead.
Technical Quality and Audio Mixing
One thing people overlook is the sound mix. In the original Korean audio, the ambient noise—the shuffling feet, the distant screams, the rain—is incredibly layered. Sometimes, dubs can feel "dry," like the voices are floating on top of the show rather than being in it.
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Netflix’s production team used a spatial audio approach for this dub. If you're wearing headphones, you can hear the English voices reflecting off the "walls" of the gymnasium. It’s immersive. They didn't just replace the vocal track; they re-integrated the new voices into the existing foley and score. This is why it doesn't feel like a cheap overlay.
Addressing the Critics: Is Something Lost?
Look, some things are lost. Korean culture has a specific "vibe" when it comes to melodrama. There's a concept called Han—a collective feeling of grief and resentment. It’s baked into the original actors' performances. Occasionally, the English dub can feel a little too "action-movie" by comparison. The English language is inherently more punchy and direct, whereas the original Korean dialogue often lingers on vowels and carries a more melodic sorrow.
If you’re a purist, the All of Us Are Dead English dub might feel a bit too polished. But if you're someone who wants to experience the terror of Hyosan High without the barrier of a language you don't speak, it's a top-tier production. It’s arguably one of the best K-drama dubs currently on the platform, rivaling the work done on Squid Game or Kingdom.
How to Get the Best Experience
If you’re planning a rewatch or diving in for the first time, don't just settle for the default settings.
- Check your audio settings. Netflix often defaults to "English [Original]," but make sure you haven't accidentally toggled "English - Audio Description," which will have a narrator describing the action. You want "English (Dub)."
- Toggle the Subtitles (but be careful). If you turn on English subtitles while watching the English dub, you'll notice they don't match. This is because the subtitles are a "literal" translation (Subtitles), while the dub is an "adapted" script (Dub). It can be distracting. If you're watching the dub, turn the subtitles off.
- Headphones are a must. The sound design in this show is half the horror. The English voice actors did a lot of subtle breathing and whimpering work that gets lost on cheap TV speakers.
What’s Next for the Cast?
With Season 2 officially confirmed, the All of Us Are Dead English dub cast is expected to return—at least the ones whose characters survived the initial outbreak. This is a big deal for the voice actors. These roles have become some of their most-watched performances globally. Expect the chemistry between the English voices of On-jo and Su-hyeok to be a major focus as the story moves from the school to the broader quarantine zones.
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The production of Season 2 will likely see an even higher budget for localization. Netflix knows this is a flagship franchise. They won't cut corners.
Final Practical Insights
The All of Us Are Dead English dub isn't just a backup option for people who hate reading. It’s a legitimate way to experience the story. It features a diverse cast of Asian-American actors who bring a cultural nuance to the roles that a non-Asian cast might have missed.
If you've been avoiding the show because you're worried the dubbing will be distracting, give the first episode a shot. Within the first ten minutes—basically by the time the first student gets bitten in the science lab—you'll forget you're even watching a dubbed show. The performances are that seamless.
To make the most of your viewing:
- Use a high-quality soundbar or headphones to catch the atmospheric depth of the dub.
- Avoid using "CC" (Closed Captions) with the dub to prevent cognitive dissonance between the text and the audio.
- Pay attention to the performances of the adult characters, like the English voice for the Science Teacher (Lee Byeong-chan), as they provide the necessary gravitas to the show's darker themes.
Watching this way allows you to focus entirely on the visceral, fast-paced cinematography that made the series a global phenomenon. Whether you’re here for the gore, the high school drama, or the social commentary, the English version delivers the goods without compromise.