Happiness (2021)

The Eternal Search for ‘ Happiness’…

Against its seemingly antithetical title screenwriter Hang Sang Woon and director Ahn Gil Ho’s‘ Happiness’ attempted to mirror similar issues from prejudice, isolation and loneliness which occurred particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic period. The unusual combination of genres highlighted a hellish fight to not only escape from the “infected “( the mysterious disease ravaging the population and leaving the infected in a zombie-like and feral state with few lucid moments ), but surprisingly a bittersweet love story between its main leads also .

The TVN drama presented an odd accumulation of fast-paced thrill and tension through its plot twists as well as tender and bittersweet scenes by taking a moment to slow-down the storyline and allow viewers’ to contemplate and soak in events. Yet like most intriguing fusion-genres in execution ‘ Happiness’ could sometimes not escape certain pitfalls of writing errors and character-drive along the way.

Of course ‘ Happiness’ offered viewers a fairly impressive lineup of acting abilities and most notably our main cast. Actress Han Hyo Joo brought forward Yoon Sae-Bom to life through adding an unlikely sweet charm to her onscreen persona ; a professional counter-terrorist operative whose pursuit of happiness by moving into a new apartment proves only to be a blunder during the events of the series. Sae-Bom’s reactions and interactions with others throughout the series could often feel prosaic during early episodes; initially driven for the “sake of plot “ rather than upon reflection of viewers getting to understand more about the female lead through subtle character growth . Nevertheless as the series progresses Sae-Bom provided to be a major asset to the plot and allowed some time to focus on developed sides of Sae-Bom’s personality from altruism to stubbornness in order to present some focus on the importance of humanity and depth within the female lead.

Costar Park Hyung Sik’s reprisal of an intriguing role was highlighted through his onscreen persona Jung Yi-hyun ; a suave and observant detective investigator who had shared-history with female lead Sae-Bom from their school days and provided to be one of the first key characters to come across findings of the mysterious disease during a case. Yet whilst Yi-Hyun was undeniably an intriguing character he could often suffer from the fate of many main characters through becoming an inherent “ plot device”; necessary to keep the storyline moving, but sometimes lacking in more subtle character development. Naturally Yi-Hyun did have golden opportunities to be explored in more depth during some key moments in the series but this could sometimes lack greater exploration.

As far as the chemistry between our main leads is concerned ‘ Happiness’ admittedly was a bumpy road- good onscreen chemistry between Hyung Sik and Hyo Joo could often fall victim to more staid cliches and setups which did not always weigh up against the more heavy-hitting moments of the series. Naturally later episodes took a little more time out to focus on some subtle relationship development between the main leads but often this was interwoven with more serious scenes and storyline moments also.

the supporting characters of the drama also have an intriguing part in events of the drama from Han Tae Seok ( Jo Woo Jin); a discharged military informant agent to the residents of the apartment ( some of which are admittedly less well-defined than others.)

Ahn Gil Ho plays upon subtle palette changes and lighting tones throughout the mis-en-scénes of the drama - key scenes crafting an important ambience throughout the series through this setup and pragmatic choice of OST, whilst some quintessential moments admittedly lacked the same ingenuity when required.

‘ Happiness’ offered viewers an intriguing concept with a dash of profundity and romance in between its zombie-style thriller setup- it isn’t inherently terrifying , but director Ahn Gil Ho and writer Hang Sang Woon are able to add a touch of suspense and sweetness in an intriguing and pacy storyline. The writing could sometimes wane through the pressure placed initially upon odd tropes, cliches and setups( especially for our main leads) during early episodes.( Alongside the heavily dominant setting of the apartment growing slightly bland.)However later scenes spent time focusing upon the storyline in more depth; brilliantly brought to life by our main cast’s dynamic performances by our main leads and the interwoven cinematography of the director. The ending was admittedly filled with a few loose ends but did deliver a sense of completion for the series. Overall whilst ‘ Happiness’ wasn’t without its more evident writing faults the drama offered an intriguing storyline with contemplation with a good cast and intrigue for viewers, as well as allowing room for philosophical thought towards the true definition of happiness in life.

Leia Mais

Happiness: the state of being happy or the struggle to become happy?

We have numerous different definitions and interpretations for the term 'happiness' and we incorporate different definitions depending upon the situations or scenarios. For this drama, the most appropriate definition that comes to my mind was stated by Steve Maraboli that says, "Happiness is not the absence of problems, it’s the ability to deal with them." Don't you think it resonates with the entire drama?

The basic concept of Happiness (해피니스)is apocalypse and we are having more of it these days, no? But what makes this drama stand out is a different approach of showcasing human behaviour during crisis, more than the apocalyptic situation. Yes, that's how you have to perceive and watch the entire thing keeping that in your mind. Otherwise you gonna hate this drama if you have come here to see thrilling monster apocalyptic consequences, utter dystopia and plenty of gore elements.

Happiness is about the happenings inside an apartment building that's been quarantined due to the spread of a deadly new virus, along with other apartments of the complex it belongs to. The virus has the ability to invade the infectee's brain and gain control over it by which the diseased develops monstrous symptoms and crave for blood. There's simply no cure to the virus since it's completely new and, nor is there a way to control the contagiousness. The drama is entirely about community survival because the residents belonging to different class who are stuck in the building, has to patiently wait until the restrictions are lifted. Meanwhile they have to avoid getting infected by any means as well as solve conflicts like fight for food, water, other accessories, finding network and most importantly save themselves from each other. This seems like a better synopsis.

Yoon Sae Bom (Han Hyo Joo), an SOU cop is highly decisive, righteous and straightforward as a person. She never tolerates injustice and always ready to counter any challenging situation. Jung Yi Hyun (Park Hyung Sik) is violent crime detective who never fails to get to the root of any incident and is good at dealing with any kind of unforseen event. Sae Bom & Yi Hyun have been friends since highschool and maintain a healthy friendship through mutual care and admiration. Han Tae Seok (Jo Woo Jin) an ex-military agent has the topmost hand as a pharmaceutical company executive and constantly strive to defeat the virus.

Ahn Gil Ho & Han Sang Won, PD & Jakka of the drama respectively, are very familiar names in the Kdrama industry with a good record of dramas as their accomplished works and this drama is probably the 2nd from this duo, together. Given the concept & context of the drama, the execution and screenplay management is done well, in overall. The writer deserves applause for bringing forward a different approach in apocalyptic story. Sure we have seen plenty of apocalypse but some are more about the survival against the crisis and others are balanced between along with human problems. But let me repeat that Happiness is more about the later. It's a great idea to showcase the human behaviour during the current pandemic that the audience could greatly relate to.

We have got many actors in the drama who are more or less familiar and are good at acting. I am afraid i will end up mentioning all of their names, I will just say that Lee Joon Hyuk playing Detective Kim Jung Gook (Yi Hyun's supervisor) and Park Joo Hee as Lieutenant Lee Ji Soo (Tae Suk's assistant), are my favourites. Acting department did pretty well here but i don't think it had any character with significant scope to showcase their skills.

The plot development is quite good, I wasn't actually amazed by it but sure, it's something to look forward to. It isn't really constantly gripping or something that makes you to seat at the edge except for the last few episodes, ngl. I am in fact pleased how the mood wasn't drawn to be intense and heavy, throughout. There were instances of kindness, humanity, love and care, all of these incorporated at appropriate spaces. There is no crude amount of romance between the leads here, even though they're considered couple, rather, to me, it felt like a slowburn development that was invisibly progeesing through mutual care. However, chemistry between them as best friends or even partners is superb, you are gonna love it. The first 2 episodes are not that great to keep you hooked, so i suggest you to try the next 2. Also, personally, I was with the wrong impression about the concept, so I struggled a bit initially. But it's a matter of time I changed my perceptions and to my cooperation, the show came to me in a different light. The progression is nice and the last 3 episodes are makes you anxious about the further consequences. Those are the best episodes no matter how much frustrated I had become.

There are few aspects that could have been better. I understand what the drama is about but meanwhile, they could have explained more about the virus, the restricted drug, the symptoms, which could have made it even more interesting. They could have thrown some more light on the character dynamics of the the individuals stuck in the apartment, with some background settings; Ik it would have demanded more run-time, so I'm not complaining. The sound production makes it look lame which is not the case. I am not fan of Han Hyo Joo's acting, nor do I hate her but I had hard time resonating with her character Sae Bom at particular instances here. Her behaviour sometimes didn't at all feel like that of an SOU cop. Also, Hyung Sik's acting plus voice felt unfamiliar to me since it's his comeback drama. Anyways, the sole reason I was here was the cast and I am pleased with whatever I was offered through this project.

The drama has only 2 OSTs and loved both of them. "What Lies Ahead" by Joe Layne is a country song which has trenchant values, defining the title of the drama. It's all about the anticipations and strategies about one's future, requires to achieve real happiness but little did they know that Happiness comes with hardships. "Pain" by Isaac Hong is a track that yearns to escape from pain, that has trapped them witnin an infinity loop. Other than these 2, Happiness also features several tracks from Joe Layne as background scores at several instances. I am honestly not satisfied with the sound production. Given the premise, Happiness could have produced and utilised some good instrumentals as it's background score or even theme songs but they got very of them composed. In fact, those few are good yet underutilised. This influences the screenplay in a way that the drama feels slow, when it actually isn't.

Since 90% of the runtime takes place witnin the apartment, there ain't much scope for cinematography but the CGI involving the virus infected individuals and their behaviours was upto the par.

Again, Happiness is a live-action drama of human psychology and their socio-cultural behaviour during crisis, or let's simply relate it to the current pandemic. The world has changed a lot since the outbreak of a deadly virus. Despite the difference in our status or classes of different categories, we all were exposed to similar threats of health as well as livelihood. And that's how we got to see how people respond differently to the same situation. People were scared, sceptical and inundated by informations and mental health of a large group of people went into shambles, adding financial problems to the lump of other crisis. Some were craving even for a single meal wheras as some were dealing with it sitting at home, as if nothing has happened. The pandemic in fact lengthened the difference between rich and poor even more. We witnessed people fighting over something like toilet paper. On contrary, we also got to ser different group of people coming forward to help each other and pledging to overcome the crisis together. Human psyche is inherently flawed, beset by biases that distort information. It is seen as incapable of dealing with complexity, probability, and uncertainty, and tending to panic in a crisis. This is everything you'll get to see in Happiness.

The entire piece is thrilling and awes you with its suspense at several points but it might not feel compelling which is okay because it's more important that you understand the undeaying messages which the show wanted to convey.

Overally, Happiness is a good drama which experimentally shows the social science pov of human behaviour and the underlying psychology. Please keep in mind that it's 10% apocalypse and 90% about demeanor of so called social animals, namely human beings. It's definitely worth the one time watch and I would surely recommend to give this a go, at least for Park Hyung Sik.

Leia Mais

What is Happiness? just feeling of joy or satisfaction of getting what we seek for?

Happiness is irony... title suggests something, drama itself never really follows the same path. Thinking about it, happiness is a vague concept... maybe like love. So not for everyone but the enjoyment, characters, the story provides might give happiness, not all-time but little glipms. It wasn't on my radar... honestly I jumped on the train without even reading synopsis or tags just for HHJ and PHS. And yes I was tricked as zombies were the last thing I was expecting from 'Happiness.'

It's not horror...at least I wasn't scared, there aren't many jumps scary moments as I found zombies a little funny (or it's just me who's weirdo). The story is pretty basic which doesn't give 'HELL! what happened?' moments, as most of the part I found pretty predictable even the biggest 'twist' I saw that coming miles away, so in the department of suspense, it's not that great. There are soooo many irritating, dumb characters (more than likable characters)... annoy you to death, will make you want to strangle, punch, kick their ass (well don't worry about this department our FL is master in it). Leads aren't 'perfect' so their decisions aren't always right, sometimes very reckless, they make a lot of mistakes. These are some shortcomings of the drama, if you have less endurance for any of these this isn't for you.

Happiness serves many very classic drama tropes, with done right! Lacking in some departments it gives more than what was promised manages to surprise even with cliches. With very less likable characters.. it makes you get emotionally invested in them, rooting for them, getting charmed by them.

The romance was the last thing I was expecting... honestly I'm no fan of forced romance in thrillers when it's just there for nothing other than a drag. But I'm completely sold for this couple... Gosh, the way they look at each other, their caring gaze, holding hands, hugs, I'm satisfied more than enough... I don't need big proposals, confessions, kisses, them just doing anything, talking with each other, fighting with zombies together being normal is satisfactory. And them being so natural... is the chemistry that I seek even in rom-coms.

As I said leads aren't perfect, they have their limitations/shortcomings. Sae Bom comes as very cool at the start, I loved her in prior episodes.. but then her characterizations aren't according to her profession as much I love strong female leads who can fight well... I get a little irritated by actions without consequences and the 'I think I'm doing always right' attitude. Even though I love her coolness and personality but, indeed, it's not true to what she should do as special forces are well-trained, very disciplined... so recklessness is the last thing you expect from 'special force officer' coz for god's sake they are trained for sensitive, life-endangering situations.

I loved her in action scenes, at a times she was more practical than Yi Hyun which was needed.. and yeah she's cool throughout. Yi Hyun is an almost ideal guy sweet, nice, sticking to morals, loving husband.. who can become a bad cop for his wife. He's so precious.. he's the lead guy where you won't get SLS (oops sorry I forgot it's a thriller, not romance). But he's being just being morally right wasn't always pleasant (that gave me 'Boy you don't have to be nice always' moments)... I loved when he gets angry and does things that viewers crave (satisfactory).

I'll admit I'm charmed by Han Tae Seok who's undoubtedly my fav character of the series, I have a soft corner for grey characters and he's total badass he's that person who doesn't give f*ck to right or wrong.. but still do things right, the only guy who can situation in the right way. He's interesting charming, with a good foundation of back story and with desperation.

might not be the greatest thriller... but it's satisfactory, entertaining, and keeps you on the edge of the seat even with the ordinary plot but interesting characters giving you happiness.

Leia Mais

Find Your Happy Place

Contrary to the title, this isn’t a fluffy dramedy/rom-com that’s filled with rainbows, sunshine and lots of happy folks with warm smiles and joyous laughter. Well, not exactly. Happiness is about the onset of a zombie outbreak. At first glance, the story appears to be the antithesis of happiness but there’s more than meets the eye. Different viewers would have their own takeaways from this drama but personally for me, my interpretation of “happiness” in this context lies in cherishing what you have amidst the chaos that threatens to take away that which you hold dear, and those whom you so love. For this very reason, this surprising gem became a sort of happy place for me as I began to develop a fondness for the drama and the characters in it, despite the macabre premise.

The director of Stranger, one of my all time favourite dramas, Ahn Gil Ho helms this production. The plot is based on the original screenplay by Han Sang Woon. Of his previous works, I’ve only seen The Good Wife which is a decent adaptation of the original US series. The drama is set in the near future that makes references to the post-Covid pandemic. Principal photography took place primarily at the extensive e Pyunhansang apartment complex in Gyeonggi province’s Okjeong city, which is used as the fictional Seyang Forest Le Ciel apartments in the drama.

Happiness focuses on a couple who find themselves under lockdown in their brand new apartment complex during the zombie outbreak, termed “Madness Epidemic” by the authorities. The ML is a Violent Crimes detective of the Seyang Police Station while the FL is a Special Operation Unit (SOU) police squad and counter-terrorism operative. Central to the plot is how these two individuals work with a shadowy governmental agency, Disaster and Crisis Response Center, led by a very mysterious SML, who coordinates the military in the zombie crisis containment and medical researchers’ efforts in finding a cure for the epidemic.

In addition to the character study into the best and (mostly) worst of human nature in the face of impending doom, the narrative contains elements of social commentary and presents a somewhat satirical depiction of a deeply hierarchical society, particularly through the class distinctions between the affluent owners living in the upper levels and the general public in rental housing of the lower levels of the apartments. Themes of apocalyptic dystopia and high-level corruption while tropes concerning childhood connection, contract marriage, and friends to lovers are all present in this drama, among others which I won’t mention further to avoid spoiling. Additionally, jump scares feature quite a fair bit in a number of scenes.

For what appears to be a moderately budgeted drama, I have no major complaints in terms of the production values, design and quality. The fight choreography is quite impressive and so too the presence of the military elements and use of firearms in the action sequences. The makeup for the zombies, including blood and gore, appear well rendered. As most of the story takes place at the apartment complex, there isn’t a sense of the scale of the outbreak, which purportedly occurs nationwide and also across the world. This means there are no massive numbers of extras posing as zombies and running riot all over the place, like scenes in Train to Busan or the sageuk-zombie fusion, Kingdom.

Generally I’m quite pleased with how the story is presented, in terms of the plot development and pacing, sequencing of events in a linear fashion and with minimal disruptions to the timeline i.e. lack of excessive flashbacks of backstories and jumping between different time periods. While there are some similarities with another apocalyptic drama, Sweet Home, the notable differences being the apartment building here is much bigger and the action also takes place outside the building but within the expansive complex that houses several apartment towers. The sheer number of people involved as far as the inhabitants are concerned as well as the external forces outside the complex are much higher. I would say the atmosphere in the drama isn’t as bleak or toxic but instead rather pleasant, were it not for the pesky zombies.

A majority of the characters are quirky and out-of-the-box, which is part of the drama’s charms. I have come to love all three leads and certain supporting characters, in particular a certain little girl. Other characters are those that I either despise or feel perturbed by, but that is testament to the characterization. Most of the supporting characters get their fair share of screen time and story arc. Some characters, however, such as the female soldier who assists the SML in his endeavours and the FL’s colleague in the SOU, unfortunately do not get fleshed out for our benefit. The bureaucrats and chaebols connected to the zombie outbreak also do not make their presence significantly felt until the tail end of the drama, which appears more as an afterthought rather than any crucial aspect of the storytelling.

As far as the acting is concerned, this is where Happiness shines through. The ML Jung Yi Hyun is played by Park Hyung Sik who returns in his first drama appearance since being discharged from military service. Since I last saw him in Suits, he retains that exact same boyish charm and projects the level-headed calm and sensible persona that we have come to expect of his characters. Along with a strapping physique, he certainly looks the part of a violent crimes detective. Han Hyo Joo, who plays the FL Yoon Sae Bom, also makes a return to the small screen this year after last appearing in W in 2016. Among all the lead characters, the FL is quite possibly the most offbeat of them all. Fearless, daring, streetwise and without a care about authoritative structures or social constructs, this is an independent woman who knows what she wants and how to achieve it. She might appear nonchalant and apathetic at times but deep down she has a clear distinction between right and wrong, and has a strong sense of protectiveness over those whom she deeply cares for. All these qualities are magnificently portrayed by Han Hyo Joo.

These two characters are the best part of this drama for me. They’re not perfect, far from it in fact. Their occasional catastrophic decision making counts among other seemingly ridiculous flaws which manifest over time but still I couldn’t help but root for them to overcome all the challenges and dangers that come their way. Their dynamics are top quality where every interaction, even inaction at times, between them truly is a joy to behold.

The SML is played by Jo Woo Jin, no stranger to the industry who has appeared in many renowned drama and film productions over the years. It is a blessing indeed for us viewers that he graces this drama with his presence. The role of the extremely grey and layered Han Tae Seok suits this man to a T, where his understatedly nuanced performance breathes life into the character to further elevate the drama.

Among the supporting cast, special mention has to go to Baek Hyun Jin. This is the third time I’ve seen him this year, after Taxi Driver and The Devil Judge. Known affectionately as the “U-data guy” for his OTT portrayal of a psychotic CEO in Taxi Driver, this actor simply excels in portraying antagonistic roles. In this drama, his character of Oh Joo Hyung is much more subdued in comparison with his previous roles but still does not detract from the lowkey villainous vibes that he consistently imbues into his acting. Bae Hae Seon is another one who has had a prolific year after appearances in Inspector Koo, Hometown CCC, and Great Shaman GDS, of those I’ve seen. She plays the hubristic and self-important “Queen Bee” of the apartment complex, Oh Yeon Ok. Her portrayal here is angsty yet amusing at the same time. Prolific child actress, 9-year old Song Ji Woo who plays Park Seo Yoon, the sickly little girl living on the 5th floor certainly deserves mention for her efforts in the drama.

Happiness introduced me to a number of new musicians who enhanced the production with their evocative music. Joe Layne with the very fitting opening theme and an emotional English-language track, while SAAY, Isaac Hong and Jemma contributed a song each. The original score is composed by multiple award-winning Kim Tae Seong who has form with this genre, having worked on numerous suspense-thriller productions over the past decade.
Eureka (Opening theme) and What Lies Ahead - Joe Layne (조레인)
Pain - Isaac Hong (홍이삭)
Nobody Knows - SAAY (쎄이)
ENIGMA - Jemma (젬마)

IMHO, Happiness is definitely one of the biggest surprises of the year, as far as K-dramas are concerned. It’s not as big budgeted and extensively promoted as some of the more well-known productions and the horror theme involving zombies may have turned off some viewers from trying this one out. But I’m glad I gave this a go and what a fulfilling, entertaining and worthwhile viewing experience it has been. If you can overcome your fear of zombies, do give this drama a chance and, who knows, you might end up being pleasantly surprised as well.

Leia Mais

this could be a better drama

at first when i found this drama i was excited , i like horror zombie apocalypse theme like this, but after going half of it i found the story are really boring , i even almost fall to sleep when watching this drama , they should fire the guy who killed this drama story , althought the idea was really good one with different kind of zombie that can turn back to human , they should explore this much further or maybe look for idea from others movies or dramas like train to busan, all of us are dead etc , at least the zombies there are much "lively" compared to this , the story got really boring to me when it reach around epsiode 6 ... the story become really slow , also i really dislike the char of ML and FL , they both are to naive and stupid , the char they played in this drama are to far from reality , when someone want to kill u would u just let them free to do it ? they let the doctor run free and do whatever he want , also other bad char too , and i so furious when the stupid friend of the ML take side with other but the response of the ML and FL are just....flat , they should be really angry with him or punch him , there are other flaws to in this boring drama that u will find it urself when u watch this boring drama ,also i dont feel any chemistry at all between the FL and ML ,and maybe this just me but everytime i see they both in this drama they both always try look so cool and good with the way they walk,speak,act ,run etc ..their act are so below standard, so i confuse how can this boring drama gt 8,9 lol , i wouldnt recomended this to someone who this is a good zombie drama like other , this is my personal opinion only , all of us are dead are much better than this ,

Leia Mais

Chaos, but in the best way

"Happiness" takes a new, unique spin on apocalypse-themed media as infected individuals experience episodes of bloodthirst rather than being in a constant infectious state. This allows us to empathise with the infected as we can view them as humas as opposed to 'zombies' like in traditional apocalypse-themed media.
Whilst there are a few minor plot holes, I think "Happiness" was executed well. It kept me engaged every week and left me wanting more.

"Happiness" shows how quickly people can reveal their true colours when faced with an unfamiliar or threatening situation. The residents became greedy, selfish and disloyal when faced with the endemic situation of the 'Madman Rabies' outbreak. As the situation worsened, they became distrusting of one another and this ultimately led to the demise of many residents that could have been avoided had they worked together. Many of the residents were frustrating or even disgusting at times but the hatred I had for these characters goes to show how well their roles were played. A prime example of this is Oh Joo-hyung (played by Baek Hyun-jin). I hated this character so much I wanted to enter the show and kill him myself. I think a series able to evoke such strong emotions is a series worth watching.

Towards the end of the show, the romantic tension betweeen the leads was particularly strong. There was a clear build-up of feelings throughout and I think it made for an impactful finale. Park Hyung-sik played the character of Jung Yi-hyun so flawlessly. He really understood the character's intentions and emotions and put on an incredible performance.
The last two episodes cleared up a lot of things, had a lot of emotional value and wrapped up the show nicely (with bonus points for the music choice at the end of episode 11). I would have liked closure on some of the other side characters such as Kim Jeong-Gook (played by Lee Joon-hyuk) and Han Tae-seok's wife and some other scenes regarding the virus so in that sense I feel it was a little rushed.

Overall an enjoyable watch and definitely a recommendation for any fellow thriller fans!

Leia Mais

Absolutely genius drama

I just wanted to write this review because there are many people try to hate this drama without even watching it to the last and they say a strong FL is reckless and stupid. Why is that? That is her character flaw she grew up in a unhappy household. So that is why she is like that. She is a person who act frist and think second. You people probably didn't read any articles and any interviews before this drama released. That is why you never really understand about where she coming from. There are so many hidden things in this drama so watch it frist and then write reviews and rate.

About episode 3
There are many people talking about why yoon sae bom open the bathroom door without thinking? So this is my explanation. Firstly she took the responsibility to talk to that infected person that is why she slowly opened that bathroom door and talked to that women slowly but the husband of that woman pushed her into the bahtroom and closed the door so in that situation she was facing a crisis .so she had to do something to protect her self from that woman. So that is why she opened that door and she know she can control that woman. . That is why she follow up the woman after released her.The infected woman only went after her husband because of anger. And other thing they are talking about is "main leads know exactly what happening and they don't want others to know about it", but that is completely wrong.From the beginning they have signed a secrecy declaration that is why they can't reveal anything to public. Please give attention to the minor details before talking about this drama. Director and script writer knew people will not give much attention to the minor details that is exactly why they added that minor details.

There will be so many plot twists in this drama. Watch the drama until the end and then judge.
Director and the script writer are geniuses and the actors are considered as best actors never let disappointed people. So don't be disappointed with only three episodes
Lastly i have to say don't judge a book by its cover

Leia Mais

WARNING, THIS IS DRAMA NOT HORROR

For those wishing to see gore and horror, look somewhere else. After finishing the series, im still left wondering why it is titled Happiness.

Plot is set after the COVID pandemic and has creepily touched into our real world nightmare - what happens if after all that we faced through this pandemic and all the medication (vaccines) we are taking take an even scarier side effect?

Im just excited to see Park Hyung Sik in his first drama after his military service and he looked even dashier and manlier here. He has become an even more believable and charming leading man. It has also been a while since Han Hyo Joo's last drama and this beautiful actress fits the role perfectly.

Coming in, i thought it was a mix of Sweet Tooth and Alive. The first few episodes were engaging , however, they werent able to keep the momentum and the middle episodes felt like fillers. I wonder if something happened during the production that made them turn around and change the focus of the story, but what started out as a heartpounding scary series turned into a melodrama.

Almost all secondary characters in the apartment are annoying and felt disposable, and I couldnt care less if any or all of them died. Also their repetitious routine of going up and down the apartment to have uneventful tenant meeting bored me and is tiring to watch. Even the main characters sometime feels like bullies and too self righteous.

Im not sure if they sold the drama as a post apocalyptic drama or horror but there was just not enough horror element but instead too much of telenovela drama. I also would have wanted more screentime for the Lieutenant Lee Si Joo because aside from Yi Hyun, she felt like the only character with an untarnished motive, which in honestly, the show lacks.

I think the experience would have been better if it is shown in Nelflix with a one time binge drop of just 8 episodes. The ending was also a bit anti-climatic, i was waiting for the big Zombie attack which didnt happen, at all. But also to be honest i still would have watched 16 episodes with just Hyung Sik doing nothing but being his handsome self.

So again, why happiness? Was it intended to mean as a quest for happiness or was it a commentary of how all people seem to be unhappy with the situation they are in? I am still not sure.

Would i rewatch? Yes definitely. Would i reccommend? Of course.

Leia Mais

The Meaning of Happiness

I really enjoyed watching this drama. Zombies/infectious disease, police/military, romance, family values! This drama hit many of my favorite elements in 12 1 hr episodes..
Acting
The main leads are childhood acquaintances and it’s your standard boy likes girl while girl is ignorant of boys feelings. The male lead really nails the looks of burning intensity. I could tell from the first episodes that he really cares about her even though he claimed not to. The female lead relies upon him and he truly is her source of happiness. Putting two people in a survival situation brings all types of feelings to the surface. I’m glad she didn’t deny them once she understood the direction of her heart.
There were many villains. The infected people or zombie like people actually weren’t the most evil. This how really displays how the evil of human nature can make people more of a mo step than even zombies. We saw many different types of greed surface as the characters are quarantined inside an apartment complex.
Storytelling
I would have liked this element to be more expanded. We spend a lot of time with the charectors in group discussion. There are a few side stories of adultery, drug dealing, and murder. I would have preferred to delve into those stories more and how this virus affected them vs. group discussions in the gym. I loved that these were the traditional zombies and this happened in a post Covid atmosphere….you can see how nonchalant the residents are because of past experience in dealing with the pandemic. For this reason, many people were more cautious but some also treated the virus like they already knew what to do.
Production
This was a nicely done show. I can tell that effort was placed on making scenes as realistic as possible without going overboard. The scenes primarily happened in 2 locations..the complex and the shutdown school…there was a fair amount of blood shed but it limited use of weapons.
Rewatch value
I’d binge this again in a year.

Leia Mais

I will try to review it with a little spoiler as I can. As it is hard to review it without any.

The plot:
I like the concept that fits to what’s happening now- virus, lock down and quarantine! So relatable, right?

And this might possibly happen if science fails. Though we don’t want that.

But the plot could have been so much better!

The only silver linings are PHS and HHJ!! Been waiting for their drama comeback!

I really enjoyed the first few episode but it got dragging with the lockdown and how they will survive. And how these people changed into being selfish and frustrating Characters.

People in that apartment are the worst. There are very few people that you can commend.

This should be described as the series with 2 selfless main leads with the most frustrating and selfish other Characters!

The Characters I liked:
- Obviously, The leads, although I hate them for caring for others so much.

- 401- Ms. Na, she’s the only person who thanked Yi Hyun for all the sacrifices and all the things Yi Hyun and Seo Bom did for them. She’s the nicest Character!
- Ms. Na’s brother- even this guy seems selfish, he is the only 'infected guy' that didn’t try to break in the apartment as he is afraid of biting someone. And he tried to restrain himself as much as he can. That’s what it should be, right. But not for others.

The Characters I hated:
- That doctor in 601 is insane. He is the most annoying character. I don’t even care if he dies or gets infected but that didn’t happen.
- That 1202 lady who wants to be the representative is the second worst! Hayss! I just can’t justify her actions. She only cares about money!

I hate almost all the people who were locked down in Bldg 101. They were ungrateful and selfish. Those people Yi Hyun and Seo bom tried to protect so much betrayed them. Do these people even think? Like for real?!

Andrew’s character is just so-so. I don’t understand why he like killing. Was it explained? Yeah, he is a murderer, but why? He just enjoys killing people?

The Actors! All them did great! All of them frustrated me while I’m watching! Haha.

The Ending? Nah. It just can’t end that way. It shouldn’t end with a lot of ?????????????????????
Like WTF, how did this, how did that happen! The Writer just leaves it to our imagination! 😅

I actually still have so much to say but just watch it! I even subscribed to VIU premium just to watch this. It’s still enjoyable! Just nah, with the ending and some dragging episodes!

Leia Mais

We Need More of Hapiness With a Season 2

We need to watch more of that chemistry of the main characters including the love life of the Yi Hyun and Sae beom. Their acting is at another level, I really enjoyed watching this series it has more potential than the dramas airing with it, even the apartment people portrayed their character well and good they really made us love and hate them.

The apartment representative is really getting on my nerves, Oh Ju Young too.

We really need to watch more of this.
The drama is very well written and the editing and FX are really good, And the OST are in my playlist.

Leia Mais

A decent zombie Kdrama but plot action seems forced

Overall: I enjoyed it, I liked the two main actors their screen chemistry was definitely there. I liked about 90% of the plot but some things could have been written better.

The issues: A lot of the side characters made decisions that made 0 sense. Which makes the plot seemed forced for action.

The girl uncuffing the gym guy when clearly he’s infected (and they’ve seen the video) and she’s already running from another infected person. How is an infected person going to help you run from another infected person?

I also dislike how they let the doctor get away with a lot of stuff like trying to poison everyone else and murdering his wife. Wouldn’t you tell the rest of the group this guy tried to poison and infect them? They just completely let it slide and kept him until the end. Also the fact he tried to trap them outside and get others infected on purpose. The level of shit this man did he deserved the death penalty on the spot. He didn’t have the group’s interest anywhere in mind and that is not someone who lasts very long.

I also hate how they threw in the serial killer randomly in the last two episodes. Like what made him suddenly just “snap”. Everyone knew he had something to hide.

Also why didn’t the main characters ever defend themselves from being accused of killing the pastor? They just let the wife (wannabe building rep) build resentment towards them.

There’s quite a few issues with the show and could’ve been written better. If they redid some things to make it seem more natural I think I would’ve given it a 9-9.5. Just some glaring issues in the characters.

Leia Mais