Happiness (2021)

Who is the real monster?

[I'm sorry for my poor English, I hope it's good enough for you to read without any effort]

First of all, this drama is HUGELY underrated. I've rewatched it 5 times, and I'm planning to watch it again very soon (so if you're wondering if it worths a rewatch, it's definitely a YES!).

It's not a zombie story, it's not an horror story. It's more like a story about people trying to fight against prejudice, poverty, injustice, weakness, illness, fear.
Every single character has its own role in the story: no one is unuseful, no one is replaceable. Rich and poor, healthy and ill, good and bad, kind and rude, old and young, brave and coward,... And nobody is 100% how they seem, they only reveal their own nature when they or those who they love are in danger.
You'll soon discover that the main characters in Happiness are the people, not the monsters.

Let's focus on the title. I decided to watch it only for its title, without reading the plot. It's not a "happy" story, but every character is looking for its own happiness. Some of them think that true happiness is purchaseable, some others just look for their place in the world. The truth is that nothing is certain: every thing we want may not be what we really need, or it may be that something we take for granted is what we really want.

I've loved the cast! It was my very first drama with Park Hyung Sik, and he literally blinded me with his incredible talent. Han Hyo Joo is stunning as always, and their chemistry on screen is fabulous: their presence is absolutely balanced. I was genuinely happy to see two strong, brave and kind main characters: no damsel in distress or charming prince, they're equal.

Last but not least, I've also loved the music! Joe Layne was a huge surprise, and I still listen to his OST almost every day. Pain and Enigma are on my playlist as well.

What other can I say? Don't focus on the "horror" side of the story, just enjoy it!

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Amazing power couple leads in a self-contained world with morally grey characters.

I watched for the amazing main leads, they were absolutely awesome, an absolute power couple! Sure, the actions of many of the other characters seemed stupid, but in such a high-pressure environment, it's inevitable. I was really sad about some deaths, especially when some really didn't deserve it, that made me say, but perhaps that's just how life is.

It felt like this apartment complex in lockdown was like its own self-contained world, each character reflecting the different types of people and choices that would realistically happen in the larger world, but on a smaller scale. Meanwhile, at least our leads weren't stupid, and I loved them for being calm, rational, intelligent, and an awesome pair! Honestly, MVP goes to Han Tae Sook, his character was seriously awesome in my opinion. In a sense, without his decisions and his intelligence, maybe things wouldn't have turned out as well as he did.

No one's ever black and white in this story, and I love how this show doesn't push ethics in our faces. I think there's definitely a lot of ethical issues with the way people handled things, the obvious and not-so-obvious issues, but each character was never either black nor white, even our leads, because they were willing to see the world burn for each other lol (well, not really, kinda towards the end, but even if they did just want to watch the world burn happily and do nothing about it, I'd be on their side HAHA). And honestly, it made me truly think about this world as a whole - we can blame people all we want for making certain potentially bad decisions, but we never know what drives them to do what they do, and sometimes, that could simply be love for your wife. Selfish as it may be, I honestly can understand these motives.

Then there are the absolute devils that deserve to literally burn with no way of redemption. >.> No pity for them. Sometimes the 'normal' humans are the monsters, not the zombies. No surprise there.

Then again, there's also no need to think too deeply imo, just like how it doesn't push ethics in our faces, it can make us viewers think about issues, but it's really not THAT heavy. I've watched others with much heavier exploration of humanity, although I can't remember any off the top of my head.

Anyways. I don't think it's perfect, but scores are always subjective. I'm giving it a 10/10 because I highly enjoyed it. Romance definitely wasn't the focus, at least, it wasn't pushed in your face, but with the way the two leads cared for and thought of each other, it was just as romantic as kisses. Romance was more prevalent in the last two episodes for sure, but it was there throughout, and I genuinely love such a tacit, understanding pair that would protect each other so naturally. Anymore romance drama in this sort of show would've ruined it. Sure, maybe I'd have liked a bit more romantic moments, but I prefer this than those where the writer ruins a romance by causing unnecessary conflicts between the two leads - that ALWAYS ruins it for me, ESPECIALLY when they're meant to be intelligent, calm, and reasonable ADULTS.

Give it a watch if you enjoy some zombies, mystery, a virus, contemplating human nature (although, really, it wasn't overly heavy), and a speck of romance that's obviously there through their mutual understanding and friendship with each other and the last two eps. It was enjoyable and honestly, if you can just focus on the two leads and be happy with them being the logical and intelligent ones (and the adorable kid Seo-Yoon) most of the other characters' stupid/misinformed/interest-fueled actions isn't that big of a deal. I enjoyed watching the complexity of human nature in them actually.

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Happiness is NOT what the Drama makes me feel!

Even though I rated this drama an 8, this is mainly because of the great acting. Boy can these people be scary as zombies....absolute terrors.

Let me start with the storyline...which is the major let down for me. I have no regard for any of these characters because even though they acted their socks off, writernim refused to tell their story properly. Hardly any back story...enough for me to care about what happens to them. I believe this was a disservice to what could have been a great drama.

There were a few plot holes and even updates that left me like: what? e.g. the cashier from the supermarket was already infected, why then did the creepy infected dude go after her when she went to get the guy's phone from outside? They allowed us to know that the infected know each other because their blood smells disgusting. bSo why?

Also, we already know that once you're infected you can't die unless you get shot in the brain...so why did they ML collapse as if he died? Now if the story told us he really died, I would've rated this show a 1 for breaking its own rules.

The acting was pretty phenomenal and I really enjoyed the OST.

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An unexpected delight

I almost didn’t watch Happiness. The horror genre is not my thing and I don’t enjoy being scared silly. However, the rating was so high, and I really liked Park Hyung Shik in Strong Woman Do Bong Soon, so I gave it a try.

Turns out that this is a fantastic show which just got better with each episode. If you are hesitating because like me, you don’t really like horror, as long as you can handle some gore and a few suspenseful moments, go for it. The main theme is the analysis of how people react when put into the extreme position of a lockdown. Do you help each other? Take advantage of each other? Steal from each other? Kill each other?

The show has so many unexpected twists and turns that it was highly entertaining throughout. I wish it had a few more episodes actually; the ending felt a bit short and left some open questions as to what happened to some of the characters. That’s really the only reason I didn’t rate it a 10.

All the actors did great, but the two main leads were just extraordinary and made Happiness truly special. Apart from everything else, this drama offers a great portrayal of a loving relationship. The main characters are both so supportive of each other, it is a joy to watch. Also, please let there be more shows with strong female leads like this. Many shows start out with a spunky girl who, after a few episodes, becomes weak and forgets she has a black belt in karate. Not in this case. Our heroine stays strong and committed and does kick butt until the last episode.

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A somewhat original take to the usual zom-dramas.

1. Originality: I would say this quite original in its concept, the stakes are raised by having them getting quarantined in their apartment complex with no real help in sight. This is similar to how Train to Busan raised the stakes, by getting the characters stuck in, well, a train. Like the movie, it also deals with human nature, prejudices and divides coming into play it apocalyptic situations, however unlike Train to Busan though it also branches out to the politics of creating a cure and the greyness at play within relief efforts. I also loved the concept of the "disease" happening in episodes, so the patient comes back to their "self" and have to accept and go through their guilt. I felt it was a great way to comment on the COVID epidemic too.

2. Setting: The setting while done well, felt too easy. Like, none of the characters tried making a run for it, even with zombies all around them?

3. Characterization: I do not always feel the need to agree with the main characters to like a fiction. That being said, there were quite a few moments where I felt the main characters could have solved miscommunications within the people with just more and clear communication. They were very rigid with having things go their ways, even when a patient was visibly a threat. I agree with humanising a patient but that shouldn't be done with clear threat to others. Also, I guess since it was a series instead of a movie, too many decisions felt naive, a little too many times.

4. Conflict and Plot: Again this critique comes from this being a show but almost all apart from a few handful characters were just frustrating to watch. I understand the politics, and I understand that every human is grey. But these people were way too dark of a shade for me to tolerate them.

5. 5. Emotional/intellectual payoff: I only have three things to say: a. guy falls first and harder, look! a loser in love b. best friends to spouses to lovers c. couples who are violent together, stay together! 100/10 i will be binging edits for the next several days they are my parents.

6. Theme: As covered in Originality, the overall theme of critiquing our humanity, or lack thereof, in wake of any crisis is very intriguing subject - I always love stories exploring it.

7. Treatment: Given my critiques, it does feel stretchy in the middle. It could have been a 8 or 10 eps drama and would have told us the exact same story.

You would think I hated this series, but honestly despite all my above complaints I still binged the series and was obsessed w the main couple -- so make of that what you would.

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Great Drama!

Titled "Happiness," this drama was anything but happy. It revolves around people turning into zombies following a post-COVID outbreak. The story takes place in an apartment building that is placed under quarantine after the residents become infected. As the days progress, the residents descend into madness, committing increasingly atrocious acts. The plot moves swiftly, and the actors' performances are outstanding; I found the villains utterly detestable.

Despite being misled—expecting a typical romantic drama due to the title—I thoroughly enjoyed watching it. Although there were only a few romantic moments between the main characters, I still found the drama very captivating.

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Another take on zombie hype train. Was caused by narcotics, by a disease or by something else?

Loved this one. Another take on zombie hype train. Was caused by narcotics, by a disease or by something else?

Actors looks good and acts well, even the ML and FL had a good on screen chemistry. Visuals are really good too if not great. OSTs fine too.

I like the fact that although this is a paranormal fiction, the creators managed to showcase human nature really well. That humanity is capable of both cruelty and selflessness.

The show didn't revolved around just zombies, darkness and death. It was about the people living and surviving in a chaotic world, trying to find even a bit of happiness. So I think it has an apt title.

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Certainly not just another me-too zombie production

From a 2h zombie movie on a train in “Train to Busan”, expanded to a 12h drama at a sprawling high school campus in “All of Us are Dead”, I was wondering if there will still be novelty in another 12h zombie drama in “Happiness”, other than staying alive in a zombies-flooded apartment (vs a monster-flooded apartment in “Sweet Home”). I was proven wrong as I enjoyed “Happiness” as much as I enjoyed prior contemporary zombie productions.

Using zombies or mad person disease as the backdrop, the drama smartly weaved in current topic of inherent danger of fast tracked (and thus not as fully tested) medicines/vaccines developed to curb disease pandemic, together with humanity, social class, contract marriage and psychopath in an intense, action-packed drama.

The drama conveys that happiness is not mere material gains (such as possession of bitcoins, jewellery, being the apartment representative), but to be able to love and be loved (such as the two leads, the girl and her mom, the siblings), and such happiness is the motivation needed to stay sane and fight adversities, zombies and psychopath.

This is my first drama starring Han Hyo Joo and Park Hyung Sik and I really enjoyed their performance and their on-screen chemistry, and will be on the lookout for their future works, and perhaps also watch some of their past works.

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A better romance than a lot of romances!

Someone on MDL recommended this as a good romance. Wait! It doesn't have a romance tag, and it's a drama about zombies! I'm so glad this was recommended to me and that I watched t.

The two main characters are friends from high school and get married so they can get an apartment in a new apartment community. We saw the progression of their relationship in each episode and I loved watching it. You could see how and why they started liking each other and they always had each other's backs.

Park Hyun Sik as Yi Hyun - this actor is very gifted in the way that he shows his affection for FL's that he plays opposite of (Soundtrack #1 is another great example). He bulked up for this role and was excellent as the detective that always wanted to do things the right/legal way.
Han Hyo Joo as Sae Bom - Strong FL, she had a strong sense of justice and didn't take anyone's BS. Her relationship with the little girl was so sweet.

All of the actors did a great job, and there were so many actors that I have seen in other works. I have to say, this drama had a plethora of unlikeable characters. Just when you think they can't be any more self-serving or terrible, they surprise you and do something worse. This drama talked a lot about the class system, determining your value by what you had. Disasters bring out the best and the worst in people and boy, did it bring out their worst!

The music was very good, suspenseful when needed, and otherwise blending into the background. I also appreciated the graphics at the beginning of the episodes.

This drama wasn't about zombies as much as it was about "What would you do?" Though it made me a nervous wreck to watch it, I really enjoyed it.

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Cliche Yet Not Cliche

I may be biased since Han Hyo Joo is one of my favourite Korean actresses and I'm a sucker for shows with great soundtracks/musicality. While I was initially hesitant to watch yet another zombie drama/movie ever since Train to Busan infected the Korean entertainment industry, this drama isn't actually about zombies. Surprise!
In this drama, the "zombification" personifies an individual's search for happiness. The more extrinsic one's road to happiness is, the more susceptible they are to the virus.
If you don't read too much into the symbolism though, this was a highly entertaining series to indulge in, simply for the impeccable chemistry between the two leads that built up throughout the series, the fantastic supporting cast and characters that added personality to what could've been "yet another zombie show", the anti-hero who made you question your own views on morality (although some parts of his character development confused me), the thrill and suspense that comes along with the genre, and of course the amazing soundtrack and bgm.
Overall, this drama certainly kept me intrigued from start to finish, and while some parts were predictable, it managed to present a fresh take on the "zombie" genre.

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the definition of Happiness

just amazing, and this drama definitely deserves more praise? the story itself it's very fresh but yet relatable during times of COVID19. I think it's a first in it's league because i think so far there isn't any drama of this sorts currently.

Story & Acting
The story itself is relatable to current times, but with more scientific side of things. So apparently theres an outbreak of mad person disease stemming from a pill called NEXT. Infectees will have bursts of thirst for human blood. What happens here is residents of the apartment are quarantined under the pretext of containing the virus. However, it's really such pressures that brings out the ugly side of humans and also the humanity side of to nobles.

Needless to say, Saebom & Yihyun are really a saint having to deal with a whole load of crap and even going lengths to restore order and protect a bunch of inhumane people. At the end of the day, it really shows that some humans t themselves are monsters rather than the infected. I would like to point out some characters, and seemingly their development:
- na soo min and na hyunkyung: honestly, i was pretty annoyed at the start at how shameless the brother was. However, things changed after he got infected. He starts to repent and show care for his sister! There were even times where he stood out to protect him. He was also very human himself, hiding at first to prevent others from getting hurt because of him.
- donghyun: bro, seriously i got so annoyed the way this guy screws things up with his stupid livestream and how he treat his parents. tho subtle, there was definitely some growth in his character. the way he realizes that happiness doesnt comes from fame, but being with his family :) i was touched at how the parents loved him unconditionally despite his state and how he treated them.
- sehoon: one of the characters i found sus at first, but turns out to be a kind hearted man. he didnt deserved to get killed :(
- haesong & soyoon: this lawyer jerk really deserves to get dumped by soyoon who deserved much better, the way he looks down on people and his own wife was blood boiling. glad soyoon made the right choice to dump him !!!
- jungkuk: honestly i was quite disappointed with how his character was midway, but i got to agree he is one of the most relatable characters? his insecurities and fear forced him to waver between siding with the majority and saebom + hyun.
-oh juhyung: wtf this character is just pure villian and stirring lots of shit during the whole lockdown, but got to say his acting was great enough to make me despise him
- apartment rep: idk her name but she's an obsessed woman with authority while tryna look classy but failing miserably. villianious and crazy right til the end
- andrew: no words for this psychotic murderer
- jisoo: omo the pretty and capable lieutanant and saebom's awkward friendship
- han taeseok: i hated and love him, you get it. but ultimately, he loves his wife TT

plot wise, i was hoping them to answer some of the questions:
- so how do we determine who gets infected after eating the NEXT pills?
- also, the govt intervention was minimal ... while the outside doesnt seem to be on lockdown, there doesnt seem to be enough efforts to rescue the residents inside... mostly saebom & hyun saving asses..
- the romance could have more built up actually? like i mean I am happy but they could have gave more development instead of a sudden realization ..

Overall, i really enjoyed the drama, though i thought more explanation could have been done and also, i was hoping for clarifications or enlightenment on why this drama was called happiness? because the happiness logo seems to be fading.. idk but it was a great experience :D

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