Common Sense Media Review
By Melissa Camacho
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Emotional, overstuffed dystopian Korean drama falls short.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 16+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
Goodbye Earth
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's the Story?
Based on the Japanese novel Shumatsu no Furu (a.k.a. The Fool at the End of the World) written by Kotaro Isaka, GOODBYE EARTH is a dystopian K-drama that tells the individual stories of residents in a local South Korean community doing the best they can while waiting for the world to end. Once considered the best Korean city to live in, Woongcheon has descended into chaos and is under martial law after it's announced that a giant asteroid is going to slam into the country in 200 days. Middle school teacher Jin Se-kung (Ahn Sun-jin) does what she can to protect students like Park Jin-seo (Kim Kang-hoon), Jeong Ha-yul (Kim Do-hye), Yu So-min (Kim Bo-min), and Kim Min-ho (Sun Ye-jun) from human traffickers and other rising threats as they await their fates, while Army Special Missions Unit Captain Kang In-a (Kim Yoon-hye) attempts to restore order and safety. Meanwhile, Father Woo Sung-jae (Jeon Song-woo) is trying his best to protect his congregation, while Jin Se-kyung's fiancé Ha Yun-sang (Yoo Ah-in), a biotech researcher, decides to head home. As the date of the collision nears, they, along with everyone around them, are faced with many difficult choices, some of which they hope are meaningful.
Is It Any Good?
Sentimental and confusing, this book adaptation is an exploration of what people would do if they knew that they had a limited number of days to live. There are plenty of disturbing scenes in Goodbye Earth, but the series focuses less on the world actually ending, and more on how different people come to terms with themselves and their relationships with others in the limited time they have. It's an interesting premise, but the problem is that Goodbye Earth has too many narratives playing out at once, many of which aren't fully fleshed out. Meanwhile, the constant use of flashbacks is more circular than linear, and quickly becomes difficult to follow. As a result, there's a failure to create the sense of urgency necessary to compel viewers to invest in this story world, or to take the time to see what ultimately happens.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about dystopian stories. Why are people often entertained by films and shows that make the future look so grim?
What are the challenges associated with adapting a book to TV? How much does Good Earth deviate from Kotaro Isaka's novel?
TV Details
- Premiere date : April 26, 2024
- Cast : Ahn Sun-jin , Kim Yoon-hye , Jeon Song-woo , Yoo Ah-in
- Network : Netflix
- Genre : Drama
- TV rating :
- Last updated : November 4, 2024
Did we miss something on diversity?
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by
Suggest an Update
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
See how we rate