Happiness (2021)

Good idea, awesome cast, weird execution

The characters:
I wanna start off by saying this is supposed to have a badass female lead, yet Yihyun is always saving her. Hes supposed to be more docile than Saebom, who is widely known as the hothead of the couple (and this is proven by things like his refusal to use a gun and the fear everyone has of her temperament), yet hes always upfront with his violence as a solution for every problem that arises. They talk about her temper and being afraid of what she could do to others but she literally doesnt even have the oppurtunity to show us that, it felt like a poor attempt at a strong independent FMC.
However the side characters made the show for me, i've never been so angry at a group of people before, they were all driven to insanity by their different vices and they showcased, brilliantly, human nature in a crisis situation.

The acting: INSANE. everyone in this ate their role up.

The message: the only thing left in this show was them literally showing us a IN BOLD LETTERS "sociopolitical anti-capitalistic critique of the world and human behaviour during the pandemic", and in the end they really didnt accomplish much with this.

The setting: the whole building layout made no sense, it felt empty and unnatural to me. the fact that there were only a handful of neighbours added to that strangeness, compared with the fact that we never get a good look at outside this apartement complex and how the world deals with the virus.

The plot: the big bad villian was awful, they could easily have defeated him earlier, it was unnecessary and annoying. The other residents succumbing to madness was a a much better plot that should have happened sooner, AND should have been the real threat.

Plotholes? : Soomin was also immune, but they dont explain why he could smell the different bloods and felt the urge to drink human blood but Saebom never did feel that and what was the actual cause of the production of those specific antibodies? beacause Saebom had an unspecified disease but Soomin had diabetes? they tell us about the 2 years she was in an hospital, even though that is hinted to be the reason she developed the antibodies.

The romance: barely there, dont watch this for the romance its a zombie drama, they are super cute tho.

The ending: lackluster. we had 0 resolution for most of the side charcters i was heavily attached to: the siblings, jungguk and his wife, seoyoon and her mom, the divorcees, han taeseok and his unborn child, etc etc etc

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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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De Happiness só tem o nome

Demorei muito para dar uma chance para ele até porque esta temática de pandemias, quarentenas, pessoas infectadas que viram zumbis e comem gente já está mais do que batido no mundo das séries e dramas e estava longe de ser meu gênero preferido.
Mas como este drama marcou a volta de Park Hyung Shik após dispensa do serviço militar e haviam opiniões positivas e negativas, fiquei curiosa em ter minha própria visão e resolvi dar uma chance.
Já no primeiro episódio facilmente o enredo da série me prendeu e já se tornou atraente e foi me prendendo a cada episódio. Falando de “Happiness” que, por incrível que pareça, de feliz só teve o final mesmo. Happiness é sobre comportamento humano acerca de situações que causam incertezas, e poder e amor.
A história está focada em mostrar a batalha pela sobrevivência contra o que eles chamam de raiva humana no prédio de Hyun e Sae Bom interpretados por Park Hyung Shik e Han Hyo Joo. Aliás eles entregaram muito bem seus papéis na trama!
A premissa tem como objetivo uma abordagem focada nas ações e reações dos moradores, nos conflitos sociais e na ética de classes diante do cenário que se encontram. É o puro retrato do comportamento humano através de doenças infecciosas e isolamento social.
O nome Happiness é uma analogia bem irônica, já que o principal aspecto do drama é ver as pessoas buscando sobrevivência e proteção a qualquer custo, mesmo que isso prejudique o outro. É uma história de suspense e drama, que vale ser assistida

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Unconditional love must be nice

As someone who fell in love with kdramas because of the beauty factor (and I don't mean just the physical aspect), this wasn't an easy watch: while there are quite a few beautiful souls, this is mostly about human weakness and human failure under pressure, in difficult circumstances.

The main couple's love relationship reminded me of Flower of Evil. They are rock solid both for each other and in the face of a lot of troubled waters.

The story is not the most original one but the pace is well maintained through the series and there aren't any annoying plot holes.

The biggest pleasant surprise was the OST though. I don't think I picked so many songs for my spotify playlist from a single kdrama in quite a while.

I really enjoyed this drama and I think I will remember it with pleasure for a long time.

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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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So this was my first zombie/Apocalypse/ whatever this drama should be labeled under and I really enjoyed it! Of course, I don't have anything to compare it to, but I think it sets the bar up high.

I went to the comment section before writing this review and honestly, it surprised me😂, but the comment section should never surprise me😂.

Several people mentioned that they didn't like it because the characters were selfish/infuriating. The characters didn't seem to care about the virus and whatnot...and I totally agree with them, but I don't think that made it bad. I think it showed that humans will show their true colors under certain circumstances. I also think it showed how people can change over time.

Take the cleaning couple, if they weren't given the opportunity through the sickness to try and kill the doctor and take his apartment...No, no they probably wouldn't have.
If there wasn't the sickness would they need to worry about stealing people's food and water.... again no.

Some might argue that it was because they were in a life-and-death situation and that is exactly my point! Everyone in that apartment building could have lived if they had helped each other. But humans by nature are selfish. Did anything most of the characters do make sense? NOPE! But I mean wouldn't you go a little crazy if you were put in the same situation? Logic sort of goes out the window😂

I also said though that it showed how people could change over time. I thought the writer's brother was the biggest jerk in the beginning! But then he showed that he really did care for his sister and even went to lengths to protect her. Would he have changed if not put into that circumstance? Who knows, but I'm guessing not.

Anyway, this is more of a rant than a review but oh well😂 all I can say is I enjoyed it🤭!

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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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As a fan of Han Hyo Joo, I made sure to watch this drama since it's her small screen comeback after W: Two Worlds. Well, it was also Park Hyung Sik's small screen comeback. So a lot of fans are definitely waiting for this series. Although I have been waiting for it, I never read the plot nor watch the trailers. So I seriously have no idea with its story. Since we're seeing another visual couple, I thought it was some kind of a typical romance K-drama. BUT I WAS DEFINITELY WRONG! I was shocked when I watched the first episode. I didn't imagine the story to be like that. But that's what made me interested with the story and continued watching the drama.

Casts:
There are actually a lot of characters but I'll just post here who I think are the main protagonists and antagonists.
- Han Hyo Joo as Yoon Sae Beom
- Park Hyun Sik as Jung Yi Hyun
- Jo Woo Jin as Han Tae Seok
- Bae Hae Sun as Oh Yeon Ok
- Baek Hyun Jin as Oh Joo Hyeong
- Lee Joo Seung as Andrew

Plot: A thriller drama that happened during the New Normal era wherein an infectious disease is spreading. Sae Beom and Yi Hyun was lockdown in their place along with their neighbors. The whole story revolved around how people reacted and survived the disease.

Things I like about the drama
Everything? I guess that's the most accurate answer. But of course, I'll be sharing some details about it. Note, that this review is not spoiler-free. So read at your own risk.

Every scene has a reason
This was in Episode 8. I can clearly remember asking, "So, what's the purpose of the two of them having conversation about Yi Hyun's digestive medicine?" But then a few scenes later, Yi Hyun drank a medicine in front of Joo Hyung and everyone thought it was the NEXT (the medicine that can make you infected). But it ended up being Yi Hyun's digestive medicine because he already has swapped the medicine in the car. I was really amazed when the drama actually answered my question. I didn't expect that the first scene actually means something. I applause the writer for this. There are actually a lot of scenes that I thought doesn't make sense or can be edited out but ended up answering my questions.

A not-so-romantic drama but is giving me all the feels
Come on. Don't tell me you didn't root for this couple? No romantic scenes and cheesy lines (well at least during Episode 1 until the 10th episode) yet they're giving us all the feels and kilig inside. How was that even possible? It's just a proof that their chemistry is so good that we don't even need those romantic lines to feel their love for each other. But of course, when they confess or show affection to each other for sure our hearts blasted.

This is one of the best K-Drama couples of 2021!

The antagonists are so effective
They say that an actor/actress is a great antagonist when you're really irritated with his or her character. The whole story won't be complete without these antagonists. They made the story more realistic. My stress level became higher than their apartment whenever I see them do something bad. I remember a post on my Facebook page, it has reached more than a million reach because of these characters. That's how good they are with their craft that a lot of people got irritated.

The realistic zombie makeup look
Oh yes! An intense spoiler! Koreans are really good when it comes to makeup. You'll really get scared when you see one in real life. I remember a Filipino director praising South Koreans for their efforts in doing makeups. The effort they do here is highly commendable.

Production set is so realistic
My inner Multimedia Artist in me comes out whenever I watch the behind-the-scenes. I really love seeing how the drama that I'm watching was made. Who would have thought that the staircase is not a real one? How about the room in the first episode? The way they made it as if it's a real one is so mind-blowing. Kudos to the production design crew!

Relatable Yoon Sae Beom
She's definitely relatable! She just spits out things randomly but all of us can definitely relate to. But aside from these there are some lines that she said that remained in me.
"Happiness is hard to find."
"You have to look forward to something in order to be happy."
Simple statements yet struck hard.

Lessons I got from the drama
It may be a zombie-type of drama but you can actually learn a lot from it. One is, a lot of people are indeed selfish. You can definitely see it when there's a situation like this. Some are making money by extorting other people. Some are willing to kill. But let's not forget that there are still some people who are selfless. Let's learn to choose who we get to be with and who we are going to be when situations like this arise. But one of the most heartwarming lesson I got here is, family will always be your family. I actually got teary-eyed with this short scene.

It somehow reminded me of the story of the prodigal son. After wasting all his money, he returns home yet his father is so happy to see him back. At the end of the day, it's our family who will be with us until the end. It's also heartwarming to know that this old man never left his wife even if she is suspected to be infected. This is what we call true love. And of course, one of the mantra that I put my mind into. "People need something to look forward to in order to become happy." Every time I feel sad, I remind myself to find something to look forward to. In this example, Sae Beom looks forward for the meal that they will receive. It may be a simple thing yet it makes her happy. So, I'm always looking forward for my merchandises. (hihi).

Conclusion
For those who love watching thrilling K-Dramas with a little bit of a romance, Happiness is definitely a must-watch! I consider Happiness as one of my favorite K-Dramas of 2021. I'm really looking forward for Park Hyung Sik's and Han Hyo Joo's next projects and who knows, we might get another drama or movie from them?

For international viewers, Happiness is available on iQIYI, Viu, and WeTV.

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I have watched many Korean apocalypse movies, dramas and series. Happiness wasn't any different to be honest. I was eager to see Park Hyung Shik's acting as he is one of my favourite actors. He did good but I didn't like the female lead's acting, She was showing too much macho character. It wouldn't be that noticeable but because this is a zombie movie, you'll find her character too careless. Overall acting was good, it's worth to watch but the story isn't any different from typical zombie movie. I have just watched first six episodes, they were nice but it didn't keep me up to my toes.

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Happiness is Subjective

I am glad Happiness exists. A big thank you to the cast, crew and production team.
I have always been a fan of Han Hyo Joo.
But a hidden gem to discover was Park Hyung Sik. The role makes the man and he was perfect as Yi Hyun.
A big shout out too to Jo Woo Jin. He oozed charisma as the antihero.

Although the drama fell short due to the ending for me.
The show managed to make itself relatable. One would think such a show would put people off as a pandemic is currently happening but it actually connected us in a way. It took elements of the current pandemic and spun it into 12 hours of entertainment I truly enjoyed.

Two things I would take out is:
a. People hearts are the scariest - we see the best and worst of people in stressful times
b. Happiness is subjective - love? wealth? prestige? What is our definition of happiness? Everyone wants it.

I will certainly re watch this show again. I hope I see then things I missed.

Now for that ending...ALERT SPOILERS (sort of)

Episode 12 should have ended with that gun shot wound. And that is why I rated it as such. Almost perfection but not quite. To be writing about a fan fiction at the end tells you how much I got invested in this show. I used to get annoyed by dramas spending 45 minutes of the episode explaining what happened with the side characters and sadly here we really needed it but did not get it.
So in my mind here is what happened, with my imaginary EPISODE 13:

The episode starts with Sae Bom on her way to a facility. She has flowers in hand. We do not quite know for whom. Her inner monologue acts as the narrator as scenes unfold.

We see a scene with Na Soo Min confirmed to have antibodies and soldiers track others like him with bites or wounds around their bodies unchanged, paving the gateway to the development of a cure as many with antibodies surface.

Han Tae Sook visits his wife. This time, the chains are gone. They mourn the loss of their child who could not be saved, but hope to try again in the future.

Detective Jeong Gook goes visit Seo Yoon who is recovering from her heart surgery. They both talk about being able to see their loved ones soon. Seo Yoon asks about Sae Bom and Yi Hyun and the scene cuts to the present.

But we hold our breaths as Sae Bom reaches the room. It is not Yi Hyun but her mother. She tells her about the man she loves. He kept her together during the ordeal. Sae Bom apologies he could not visit. We brace for the worse for the scene cuts to a graveyard. But we breathe a sigh of relief. It is not Yi Hyun but Kim Se Hoon. The fallen comrades needlessly murdered.

Sae Bom jokes about not bringing Yi Hyun since she knows Kim Se Hoon was not to fond of him.

Sae Bom finally goes home to their apartment. Yi Hyun still brusied and bandage is waiting for her. She runs into his embrace and as per their tradition they go to the rooftop to watch the sunset. Finally saying the words kept in their heart and sharing a gentle kiss.
This is how I choose to see the drama ending.
And the last 2 minutes take place after!

So goodbye Happiness. In your twisted way you made me happy. I will watch out for the writer's future works now too.

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