All of Us Are Dead star joins new K-drama adaptation of hit webtoon

When you hear All of Us Are Dead, you probably picture the blood, the screams, the high-schoolers running for their lives through zombie-packed hallways. But Cho Yi-hyun?

She ran straight through that chaos and into the spotlight. Now she’s heading somewhere totally different, the brightly colored, webtoon-shaped world of Head Over Heels, a new K-drama adaptation that promises awkward crushes, fresh starts, and just maybe, a little redemption.

And standing next to her is Choo Young-woo. Yes, that Choo Young-woo from School 2021, arguably the least-loved entry in the long-running School series, a drama that might’ve been met with shrugs but still worked as his launchpad.

Now paired with Cho Yi-hyun, fresh off the global hit zombie K-drama All of Us Are Dead, he’s stepping into a story designed to tug at K-drama fans’ hearts and keep their keyboards busy once again.

It’s not just another adaptation. It’s a meeting point of two rising stars, a hit webtoon, and the kind of youthful energy that can either light up a screen or fizzle fast. So… will Head Over Heels soar or stumble? Let’s dive in.

All of Us Are Dead’s Cho Yi-hyun and her new on-screen partner

Cho Yi-hyun might have started as just another face in the K-drama crowd, but All of Us Are Dead changed everything. As Choi Nam-ra, the class president with a cold edge and a heart struggling to stay human, she stood out.

Fans latched onto her mix of vulnerability and strength, and suddenly she wasn’t just “that girl from the zombie show,” she was one to watch. Since then, Cho’s been navigating her post-All of Us Are Dead career with careful choices, picking roles that let her flex beyond horror and high school walls.

Enter Choo Young-woo. If his name makes you tilt your head, you’re not alone. He’s best known from School 2021, arguably the runt of the School litter. While previous seasons like School 2013 or School 2015 left strong impressions, School 2021 came and went with more sighs than cheers.

Still, it handed Choo a spotlight, and to his credit, he ran with it. Now he’s pairing up with Cho Yi-hyun, a reunion that feels like a second chance, not just for him but for both to prove they’re more than their early hits or misses.

What makes this pairing especially interesting is how much Cho Yi-hyun carries the All of Us Are Dead brand into every new project. That series became a global touchpoint, making her a recognizable face far beyond South Korea. The question now is whether Head Over Heels can capitalize on that momentum.

What’s Head Over Heels all about?

At its core, Head Over Heels comes from a hit webtoon packed with everything K-drama fans love: awkward first loves, emotional growth, and characters you want to root for.

The story follows a group of young adults tangled in romance, friendship, and the messy process of figuring themselves out. It’s not some larger-than-life fantasy or action piece.

This one thrives on the small, relatable moments, the kind where a glance, a misunderstanding, or a quiet confession can carry the weight of an entire episode.

The K-drama adaptation is aiming to stay faithful to that tone, focusing on everyday heartbeats rather than huge plot twists. It’s being produced for tvN, a network known for crafting character-driven hits, and the creative team behind the adaptation has promised to balance humor, heart, and just the right pinch of melodrama. Prime Video will handle international distribution, betting on the series’ global appeal.

Cho Yi-hyun is set to play the lead female character, a young woman navigating love and self-discovery, a role that puts her All of Us Are Dead intensity into a more emotional, personal space.

Choo Young-woo steps in as the male lead, the kind of role that could either cement his reputation or challenge him to break out of his usual mold. Together, they’re expected to bring to life a story that leans on emotional beats rather than big-budget spectacle, letting the actors’ chemistry carry much of the weight.

Why the young casting matters, especially after All of Us Are Dead

In a market packed with veteran actors and heavyweight names, sometimes it’s the younger faces that bring the real spark. Cho Yi-hyun and Choo Young-woo together offer a fresh kind of energy, the type you can’t fake with polished experience.

And here’s the thing: it’s not just about putting two popular names side by side. It’s about what they each carry into the project. Cho Yi-hyun brings the weight of a global hit like All of Us Are Dead, where she proved she could hold attention even amid chaos and gore. That series gave her the kind of recognition that few actors her age can claim.

Choo Young-woo, on the other hand, comes from a series that never quite lived up to the School legacy. School 2021 is widely seen as one of the less beloved entries, but it still gave him a stage and a starting point. His path has been more about steady climbing, trying to turn mixed reviews into stronger performances and bigger roles.

Pairing them in Head Over Heels is clever. It mixes two different kinds of appeal, one proven with All of Us Are Dead, one still evolving, and taps into fandoms that already have history with both actors. It’s the kind of move that can generate buzz before a single episode airs, pulling in viewers not just for the plot but to see these two rise, either together or apart.

What are fans expecting?

The moment the casting news dropped, social media lit up. Fans of Cho Yi-hyun were already primed for her next big role, eager to see her shift from life-or-death survival stories like All of Us Are Dead to something more grounded and romantic.

For Choo Young-woo, the reactions were a little more mixed, some curious, some cautious. After all, School 2021 didn’t exactly leave a strong mark, and there’s a sense among drama watchers that Head Over Heels might be his real shot at redemption.

Industry watchers are betting on the combination of webtoon popularity and the leads’ fanbases to drive early success. Webtoon adaptations have become a proven formula in K-drama, offering a built-in audience hungry to see their favorite panels come to life.

But that same built-in audience also raises the stakes. If the adaptation stumbles, if the tone feels off, the chemistry falls flat, or the storytelling drags, fans will be the first to call it out.

Still, with Cho Yi-hyun’s sharp screen presence shaped by her All of Us Are Dead experience and Choo Young-woo’s chance to prove himself, Head Over Heels is shaping up to be one of those dramas people will watch closely.

Maybe for the romance, maybe for the character growth, maybe just to see if it lives up to the hype. Either way, the buzz is already here, and that’s half the battle won.

Wrapping it up

Head Over Heels isn’t just another entry in the endless lineup of K-dramas hitting screens. It’s a crossroads moment. For Cho Yi-hyun, it’s a chance to keep proving she’s more than her breakout zombie role from All of Us Are Dead, showing depth in a softer, more emotional setting. For Choo Young-woo, it’s a moment to rewrite the narrative, stepping out of the long shadow of School 2021 and into something fresher, more promising.

With a beloved webtoon as its backbone and two rising stars leading the charge, the drama has all the right pieces lined up. The question now is whether it can weave them together into something that not only grabs attention but holds it. Fans are already watching, expectations are building, and the pressure is on.

If Head Over Heels can deliver the chemistry, the heart, and the right kind of magic, it might just become one of the season’s most talked-about series and a major win for Prime Video, which is set to bring the K-drama to international audiences.

For now, all eyes are on the upcoming teasers and updates, because when you bring together a hit webtoon, the weight of All of Us Are Dead, and fan-favorite actors, you don’t just quietly drop a show. You make people lean in.