Standing out in the zombie genre is challenging, given the presence of classics like “The Night of the Living Dead” and popular series such as “The Walking Dead.” However, “Train to Busan” made a notable entrance in 2016 with its unique setting and perspective. The film intrigued audiences with its “zombies on a train” concept, and within a few months, its prequel achieved a perfect Rotten Tomatoes score and was regarded as one of the best Korean horror films.

“Seoul Station,” an animated film by Yeon Sang-ho, who also directed “Train to Busan” (written by Park Joo-suk), presents a different set of characters facing a zombie apocalypse in Seoul. The story follows Ki-woong (Lee Joon), who searches for his girlfriend Hye-sun (Shim Eun-kyung) after they are separated amidst an attack at the train station. He teams up with Suk-gyu (Ryu Seung-ryong), Hye-sun’s father, but neither is ready for the violent events that unfold.

The critic consensus on Rotten Tomatoes describes the film as “thrilling and relentless from start to finish,” highlighting it as a “layered and vicious entry into the zombie genre.” Reviewers acclaimed the film’s animation style and its dedication to the gritty, gruesome aesthetic of “Train to Busan.” “Seoul Station” is among the rare films with a 100% Rotten Tomatoes rating, despite a significant contrast in reactions between audiences and critics.

“Seoul Station” might have a perfect score with critics, but Rotten Tomatoes audiences gave the movie a dire 39% Popcornmeter rating. Oddly enough, many of the lackluster audience reviews go out of their way to praise the film’s animation, but the actual story didn’t sit right with them. Part of this is because, despite being a prequel to “Train to Busan,” the movie doesn’t actually explain how the zombie virus from the original movie came into existence. Maybe that’s because zombie franchises never really come up with satisfying answers to that particular question, but some still felt like “Seoul Station” barely connected to the original film they enjoyed.

Other viewers had problems with the new characters introduced in “Seoul Station.” Ki-woong and Suk-gyu are both pursuing Hye-sun for their own secret reasons, and neither of the men comes out of the movie looking sympathetic. Some people simply couldn’t stand following morally repugnant characters for an entire movie. Critics were apparently much more willing to invest themselves in the deeper themes that “Seoul Station” explores through its characters.

“Seoul Station” may not have lived up to the expectations of some “Train to Busan” fans, but that really speaks to the quality of the first film. If you watched the animated movie first and found yourself enjoying its gritty perspective of a zombie outbreak in a South Korean metropolis, then it’s absolutely worth circling back to the live-action film. After all, the original might not have a perfect Rotten Tomatoes score, but its 95% isn’t anything to sneeze at.

For anyone who can’t get enough of the “Train to Busan” universe, there’s also a live-action sequel called “Peninsula.” This movie jumps forward in time and offers a look at what’s become of South Korea four years after the start of the zombie outbreak. Rather than following civilians, the movie tells the story of men hired by the Chinese mob to retrieve a truck loaded with $20 million from the overrun country.

It’s worth noting “Peninsula” is very different from “Train to Busan” and that with a 55% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, it didn’t make nearly as strong of an impression as its predecessors. It might not be one of the best zombie movies of all time, but for fans of the genre or the “Train to Busan” franchise, it’s well worth watching — especially because the previously announced American remake has been indefinitely delayed since 2022.