Happiness

Annoyingly disappointing

Just finished this today. Extremely disappointed but not surprised. I was easily caught up with the narrative and characters in the beginning, and Han Hyo-joo's performance as a competent special forces soldier had a great unselfconscious swagger of someone with confidence in themseles. and her equally unselfconscious selfcentredness in the beginning when schemng to get the apartment was genuinely amusing. But from about halfway through I was watching more from duty and still some interest in what would happen to Sae-bom than anything else. Perhaps it is because the really strange social setup and peculiar startification of class (?) which comes across as pretty alien even to this British person who has been used to class-consciousness all their life. It just seems *different* and hard to believe that anyone would have put up with it even for a day in such unusual emergency situation. The whole idea that people would be ordered about like that by people with no real authority is genuinely amazing. This seemed MUCH mor emphasised than in any other KDrama I have seen (except maybe THE PENTHOUSE) and I watch a lot. Anyway, tht made it hard to completely empathise with and suspend disbelief. And then the whole coherence of the plot seemed to unravel. Now I completely accept that I may be missing subtleties in the original Korean, but the narrative as supplied by the subtitling started to make no sense at all. I actually put off watching the final ep for several days because I felt it was going to be a let down, and it was worse than I had expected. So, good beginning, gradually declining middle, and totally weak ending. The most disappointing Kdrama I have seen *all the way through*

(I am the sort of person who recently watched and loved 'Hotel del Luna', 'Hometown Cha Cha Cha' and 'Sell your Haunted House', 'Attorney Woo' and 'Mad for each Other' and 'Inspector Koo', just in case that explains my reaction!)

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This is not a zombie movie

This show is talking about a disease and zombies who have been turned as zombies, they can be killed easily with a gun because they are technically human, not dead corpses. Some of them developed immunity against it, some can control thirst, some cannot. That’s why not everyone is afraid of the zombies here, they can be told not to attack either. This show is more about human that are more evil than the infected ones, technically chaotic environment will push human to go crazy over time, getting locked down forever will turn them to be insane too. So many unloveable characters in this show, especially that doctor oh who is very weird in his own way. He likes the mistress even tho he knows his mistress wants money until mistress tried to kill him. I really hate that ahjuma who tries to be building representative, she is truly the epitome of evil. She just likes to stir problems and make other people go against each other. What i do like in this show is the evil ones got punished severely either by karma or other thing. The funniest part is that the ones got infected can live peacefully with other human as long as they can hold their thirst. This is interesting. Especially the granny and grandpa with their son. This show is not perfect, it has plot holes and twist. But it’s still interesting to watch. I like how FL finally realized that she is in love with ML. No one would resist a guy who sacrificed a lot like that.

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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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Blends the story of love and thriller in a well executed drama

Happiness, as the name sounds, isn't all about happiness though. This thriller drama sees an apocalyptic world where virus has created a havoc and residents of an apartment are surviving for their life.

Happiness had a decent story with a very good production and overall visuals. The soundtrack though, was the best part in the entire drama. The music tuned to the perfect rhythm along with the key moments in the series.

Not forgetting about the leads who gave a commendable performance and maintained romantic chemistry among themselves. It might not be a part of my Top 5 drama of the year, but it was a very well made show which blended multiple genres/aspects and delivered a convincing result.

My Rating : 7.5/10

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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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Solid series to watch

Yes, the first 3 episodes were solid with the virus developing at a perfect pace for me then it went downhill with me feeling it was dragging but then picked right back up.
The story is well executed with the right amount of romance mixed in with suspense and drama between the residents. It showed the lengths that people would go to in those situations if it meant surviving and selling anyone and everyone. The affair of the attorney was funny and interesting as I thought the wife would be too naive to realize what her husband was doing with the lady supposedly having an affair with her boss's husband. Love triangle
The actors were solid with the detective my favorite considering what he went through since day one. I respect his wanting to keep the laws as if he were the police. Wished we could've seen what happened to the military guy and his family as they had me crying at their circumstances

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Don't like zombies, but like this!

Full credit to the star power of Park Hyung Sik.... I really don't like anything horror/zombie/gore/jump scare - just not my cup of tea, at all. But I love PSH so I gave this a try solely for him, and ya know, I'm glad I did. Sure the gore was there, but honestly it was well done and not over the top. It was never "gore, just to be gross and shocking", and I appreciated that. PSH knocked it out of the park with his character, which, I fully expected - he never disappoints! But an unexpected gem for me was the FL. I absolutely loved her. She was so badass, but believably so, and stayed true to who she was through the entire series. I can see why ML harbored feelings for her all those years ;-) I'm half in love myself lol. This show is worth watching just for the two main leads alone - they really were terrific!

Overall score: 8.5/10. I want to give this a 10 (because PSH lol) but I've got to take off .5 off the bat for the zombie theme, and then another full point because I thought the whole plot line surrounding Andrew was a little silly... like, what are the odds of not one but TWO run of the mill killers living in the same apartment building... yikes. I think they could have built drama at the end with a different storyline, but it definitely wasn't so bad that it ruined the show. I'm also taking off .5 because I thought they could have built up the romance throughout the show a bit more... that really would have **chefs kiss** the whole thing... some glances, some light touches, more hugs - there was a bit of that, but I wanted more... more to build the romantic tension so that you really felt it when you finally got that kiss. I also would have loved a second kiss in that final scene when everyone was healthy and happy. Kinda bummed that the only kiss we got was wrapped up in zombie stuff.

And yes I know all that equals 2 full points, but I'm adding back in .5 just because I enjoyed PHS so much. Turns out I'll watch anything he's in... even zombies ;-)

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I’M IN LOVE ?

An amazing drama. Park Hyung Sik does an excellent job in the role of a policeman—brave, courageous, and protective of the weak—rather than a sweet boy, as he appeared in Doctor Slump. My admiration for him keeps growing. 🩷

The romantic subplot is well-executed but isn’t the main focus. There’s a lot of action, but the most important message of this drama is how people react in moments of crisis, how they reveal their darker sides when their lives are at stake, and how material things become meaningless in the face of illness—which is the central theme here!

I highly recommend it! 🧚🏻
9.5/10⭐️

I started watching this drama solely because of tiktok edit, and I had no idea what it was about. I haven’t been this pleasantly surprised in a long time.

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Not as bad as others say it is.....

The show had a lot of potential that sadly fell through. Even with the compelling premise and strong chemistry between the leads, the pacing and resolution affected the overall experience. The story felt rushed—especially toward the end. Everything getting resolved in the last 20 minutes didn't sit right with me. That quick wrap-up with the ending being happily ever after, left me with so many lingering questions, especially when big plot points like that fake-out death with the ML five minutes before the ending. You can't give us a fake-out death and then reveal the character is alive just three minutes later! I feel like an additional episode or two would have done wonders for providing more satisfying answers and character resolutions. I still have so many questions, particularly about what happened to everyone else in the apartment complex after they were captured. However, I would love to see Han Hyo Joo & Park Hyung Sik acting as a couple in a drama again.

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Suspenseful but Predictable

I love the acting skills and the first two episodes of this show. But as the story progresses, it starts to feel a bit predictable in some areas. The tension and suspense are well-executed early on, keeping me engaged, and the chemistry between the lead actors adds to the show's appeal.

However, while the premise is intriguing, some plot developments feel repetitive, and the pacing loses its grip in later episodes. The social commentary is interesting, but it could have been explored more deeply. Despite its strong start, Happiness doesn't fully maintain its momentum until the end.

Overall, it's an okay watch with some great moments, but it didn't leave a lasting impact on me. I rate it 5.5/10.

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