One of the best kdramas of 2021
Honestly, I didn't start this kdrama with big expectations and I just gave it a chance only because Han Hyo Joo and Park Hyung Sik are starring in it. I didn't plan to keep watching it. I would've just given a chance at the beginning and that would be because from the description of the drama, it wasn't something I would usually watch. But oh, how wrong I was. Something that I started with little hope, it was actually one of the best dramas of 2021, and maybe not only.The plot maybe it won't be on everyone's liking and some people won't give it a chance but once you start it, you will love it.
Park Hyung Sik and Han Hyo Joo did an amazing job in portraiting their characters, and not only them. Each one of the actors did a great job giving life to their characters. I went through so many emotions and feeling while watching it. I was angry, I was sad, I was happy. I could see myself being immersed in each episode. I would want more and more after I finished an episode and I would need to wait for the next ones arriving the next week.
The chemistry between Sae Boom and Yi Hyun was over the top. You could see and feel that they care a lot for each other through their gestures and actions, without them needing much to show it. All the moments they had, all the soft intimacy and realizations, they got you through all of them. There are so many moments that I loved between them and indivually as well. They chose the right actors to portrairt the characters. Park Hyung Sik and Han Hyo Joo were truly an amazing pair for this series. They just fit in the drama, they fit their characters and portraited all their emotions so well and I really hope that if it will be another chance in the future, I would love to see them acting together again.
The music was also on point. It is so important to have good music in a series because it helps contributing to the emotions the people are watching feel. I found myself searching so many times for the OSTs from Happiness and listening to them and having the images of the drama running in my head. You can also feel the emotions in the singers' voice.
In the end, I'm not really ready to say "Goodbye" to Happiness but I'm also happy. I didn't expect to love this series this much and to be one of my favorite series ever but here I am. I loved every episode until the end. I would impatiently look forward to the next ones each time, until now, when Happiness ended. I really hope more people will give it a chance, because it's one of the best kdramas. I hope you all will be able to feel the same emotions and feelings through this series as I did.
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Wow just wow
I just finished this drama and wow. I am at a loss of words but in a nice way.Every week I'd be waiting eagerly to watch this drama, every week I'd be at the edge of the seat anxious to see what was up next.
This drama is full of drama, action, plot twists and anxiety. So fucking good im happy i decided to start it.
The plot is well written, there not many plot holes as far as i noticed, the only thing is that i wished they gave us an explanation of what happened during the year time skip at the end, but i figured they did it to keep us somewhat hanging curious.
I loved the casting choices, both good and bad characters were spotless, i loved and hated, i cried and i laughed.
The music didn't stick much to me, idk it was just there, but i cant wait to rewatch this masterpiece!
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Definitely worth a watch!
I literally just finished this drama today and I have to say, it’s REALLY good! It was recommended to me on Viki and after reading the synopsis, I was intrigued. I actually ended up watching most of the episodes in one day. Luckily for me, all except the last two episodes were already available. I loved the casting and the acting was AMAZING. There was a big plot twist that definitely caught me by surprise. Usually I can predict what’s gonna happen in these dramas but I was pleasantly surprised this time around! I definitely recommend this if you like apocalyptic/thriller/slightly dark dramas. Ah! It was just so good! I haven’t watched a kdrama all the way through in a WHILE.Was this review helpful to you?
Love it!
I really wished that I didn't start watching this until it has finished airing, because I would've binged this! I looked forward to new episodes every week. I love the characters (yes, some of those residents are just downright frustrating, but that's the point). Great chemistry between the leads, and I like the strong characteristics they posses, they're one of those incorruptible and sensible characters, and they care for the people around them, even when those people have done bad things, some even did it over and over again.I appreciate that this drama didn't go deep into the politics because it could easily become one of those, and instead it concentrated on the apartment complex and what was happening within it. I found the story to be a bit slow somewhere in the middle, especially with the usual residents acting up over and over again, but it was still very enjoyable.
Overall, I really enjoyed watching this, and I love the soundtrack too.
Rewatch value: I don't rewatch dramas, but MDL doesn't allow me to just leave it blank.
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This review may contain spoilers
Cool
First of all, I must say this is the first-ever zombie drama with a happy ending.“Only thing this drama don’t have is happiness” — this is what I heard most these days. But I cannot think like that. This drama does have happiness. If you watch this drama with a clear mind, you can see that everyone with a good family and a good heart stays happy even during this mad outbreak.
When I watched this drama, I just wanted all the idiots in that apartment to die. When I saw more good people getting infected and dying while those annoying bastards were still alive, my blood started boiling more and more.
It made me really sad because the gym guy, the cleaning lady, and Se-hun (Apartment No. 1501) died.
But I’m really happy that Apartment No. 302 (the old family and their idiot son), Apartment No. 401 (the sister and infected brother), Jung-kook (the detective), So-yoon (the lawyer’s wife), and the supermarket girl became safe without any problems. And of course, I am 1000000000% happy for our cute couple 😘😘😘
I am not happy about Yeon-ok (the apartment lady), the so-called doctor and his mistress, the lawyer, and the two beggars who came to the apartment for cleaning. I know they did not have a happy ending, but it is not a bad ending either 😠. I wanted to see all those annoying bastards dead. When they acted like crazy, it made me happy, but in the end, when I saw those two bitches in court wearing good clothes, it made me even angrier 😠😠.
This is a really good drama, but I don’t know why—something is missing, so I cannot give it a full 10 points. The drama had sad parts, but it did not make my heart ache. The only time I felt like crying (but didn’t) was when Sae-bom was watching Yi-hyun’s video. This is not the actors’ fault; it is the writer’s fault. The scenes change very fast, so we don’t have time to feel sad. I think this is a weak point of the drama.
While watching this, I automatically compared it to Sweet Home, and because of that, this drama loses points for me. Sweet Home made me cry even when small supporting characters died, because it was more dramatic. I like that this drama had a happy ending, but the ending felt a bit rushed. If they had given us one more episode with a detailed ending, it would have been much better. I wanted to see how the apartment people were doing, how the government made the medicine, how they gave it to the zombies, and how the zombies became normal again. I want to say again—it could have been the best if they ended it like this.
As for acting, I don’t have much to say—10000% points. Everyone gave their 100%. I don’t think I need to talk about the main couple’s acting; they are already the best. Even the small characters gave their best. The two zombies from the nearby apartment (the white-shirt guy and the guard) were really cool and good actors. And the apartment lady—when she went out of her mind—wow, that was amazing. Her acting felt real.
Overall, this is a good drama that never feels boring. If you start watching it, you will finish it in one go. Even with a few weak points, it is really good and exciting.
So don’t wait—just start watching. Fighting 🎉🎉🎉
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This is NOT a typical drama you'd see.
I'll write a review without spoilers so dw if you read this before watching or whatever.Also, considering you've already read the storyline above, I'll just get straight to the points not mentioned above.
This drama is a GEM. I mean yeah I prolly say that for every drama I've written a review for but seriously.
I'll start with the leads? They're so cool. I mean prolly the ideal couple you want in a drama. You know we fans have kdrama lead ships kinda stuff? Where we ship leads like Ko Moon young and Lee Rang? yes. In this drama, you need nothing except these two leads. Of course there were side characters too but I'll only talk about mains coz they outshine everyone.
They're both badass and awesome. Remember how kdramas make our blood boil and main leads only add to it by "leaving the matter"? NOPE. Mess with them if you want a kick on yo a**. I can go on for hours but I'll stop hehe.
Secondly the story. The story never gets old. There will be no scene which makes you go like- "Ah man too long" or "this is getting boring at this point". There are twists and jumpscares at every point you'd want. Also the story is so perfectly balanced. Not too much of zombie stuff n not too much of romcom.
And lastly the OSTs? The OSTs weren't as good as other dramas such as iotnbo or hdl or goblin or dots but still the background music went on at the right time, giving that extra push you need to cry out in the scenes and yeah that's it.
Make sure to check this drama outtttttt!!
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Hell is other people.
Happiness is a tv show about the inherent horror of having to quarantine in close proximity to other people! Initially, I refrained from putting this show in my To-Watch list because I thought watching a show about quarantine while I’m stuck in quarantine for the nth wave of the covid pandemic, might be a bit too much on my psyche but I am glad I ended up watching it. It was worth it. Weirdly validifying too. Like, yeah, I have to deal with jerks in my quarantine too. Thanks for acknowledging my struggles!!!Let me give you some rundown: this is not a zombie apocalypse show, nor is it a survivalist show. This is a show dedicated to the complex and unexpected developments of human behavior and psyche when people are forced to stay put in one place due to a crisis. A study of humanity in high-stress situations which is also sprinkled with jump scares, actions scenes, zombie attacks, and so on, yes, but those are the conditions that provide for the real goal of the story: The plague is humanity!
I really enjoyed this show, even though I hate gore and thriller stories and never touch zombie stories. They really scare me because to me nothing is worse than twisting into a monster that no longer has the ability of human thought and control. It’s just terrifying to watch a human distort their body in all the wrong directions, snarling and groaning and making grabby-hand gestures, okay?! But this show was so graceful about it. Because it showed all the ways that humans can lose their ability to think and control their worst urges and instincts while looking perfectly normal. You really don’t need to be a zombie to suck the life out of the people around you! The real zombies are the bad company! (I love all these ah-ha! takes I can have about this show! lol) I just love how this show displays just that.
You should check this out if you can handle:
1. Zombies
2. Humans acting like monsters
3. Seriously. There’s some heavy psychological deterioration displayed in this show
4. Effortless chemistry and romantic dynamic that is super subtle and not overly-emphasized
5. FOUND.FAMILY. (YAAAAAAASSSSSS!)
6. Quarantine shows
7. Thrillers, horror, jump scares, gore and blood
8. People being stupid
9. Regressive narratives (no one is really having a personal growth here in that cathartic way that hallmark-level romcoms will provide with convenient monologues and stuff)
Summary: The story follows three characters: Yoon Sae Bom, a special task force member who after a difficult childhood is desperate to have a home of her own™, Jung Yi Hun, her best friend, and an ex-baseball player who is now a detective and is desperately and secretly in love with her, and Han Tae Seok, a Machiavellian out-hire in the military in charge of containing and managing a new and bizarre disease spreading through Korea. Long story short, people are becoming zombies. Sae Bom and Yi Hun have just moved into their new, fancy little apartment and want nothing but to live a happy life but all that is put on the back burner when their entire apartment complex gets quarantined for being the epicenter for the disease. What comes after is just…human horror!
Plot: If you’ve had the displeasure to come into contact with a little story called “The Lord of flies” then you’ll have a general idea of just what this show is trying to achieve. A definite nod and modernization of that same premise, this show is the most current concept out there, dedicated to all the terrible ways that quarantining and having to stay in closed spaces with other people can just suck the life out of you! The show puts a bunch of characters with personal motives and unique kinds of hidden skeletons in one apartment building where as time goes by, everyone just transforms into a more exaggerated version of their initial vices or rise to the occasion to reveal hidden depths. It’s all about the study of human behavior. Because from the get-go the story presents the zombie situation as a disease, then the show is not about blowing zombie heads off for brownie points but instead, it constantly goes to lengths to highlight the humanity hidden behind their situation. This distinctly differentiates it from a zombie apocalypse story. Because it’s not an apocalypse. I think the whole thing is an allegory. Although the show mentions covid by name, really the zombie disease is also covid. From people who refuse to follow health protocols to those who want to get out of the quarantine even though they have nowhere to go, to the essential workers who have to go out against their better judgment, to those who are just looking to make profits from a dire situation, it's all so familiar and real. The show goes to some dark places about humanity and if you can handle those stuff, it can be so interesting.
And to top it all off, even though this is not a romance show, there is such a dynamic chemistry between the leads, and their harmony with each other and their deep love and care for the other is what carries the show. It’s just a sweet treat in the heart of an upsetting story. At the same time as this, I'm also watching a show, explicitly marketed as a romance and that's just giving me nothing while this show's barely-there romance plot is so profoundly lovely.
I also want to add that the side characters are all so interesting and the more you watch them, they all reveal more of themselves and become more defined in a way that encourages you to care about some and just hope the others die in the most violent way possible... (Plot twist: the viewer becomes a zombie in the process of watching jerks do jerk-stuff!)
Lastly, the show does a great job of highlighting class divisions and social caste systems. I’ve come to notice that Kdramas are particularly good at telling stories about class and this show is another good example of it. There are so many detailed nods to it here and there and it was morbidly delicious to watch it all unfold.
Acting: Everyone did an amazing job in their roles. The show had clear main characters and those guys were awesome with Han Hyo Joon and Park Hyung Sik having some of the best chemistry I’ve seen all year but the show is also an ensemble affair so it matters that the supporting cast members are good in their roles as well. I think they achieved that for sure. This might seem like a super random shoutout but Hong Soon Chang was a delight in his role as the elderly neighbor. His character was not even particularly likable but his manner of speech and body language were just so natural and interesting that he felt like an actual person you can meet in real life. I really enjoyed his screen time.
Music and production: The music was very good. It helped elevate the emotions of that every moment without being too predictable The zombie attack theme was so heart-throbbing but also it wasn't just the same horror movie beat. The music also stopped in all the right places so as to add to the gravitas of certain moments. The production was also very good. It just looked very nice and cool and I don’t know, I liked it.
Rewatch: I don’t really rewatch so probably I won’t but at least I can acknowledge that the 12-episode run makes it accessible. I usually lose interest in kdramas around episode 12 of 16(Unless they have 20 episodes, then I’m fine!!!). That’s where I pause a lot of them, check out my on-hold list, lol. So, it was a great delight that this show ends right before I could get bored/irritated.
Negatives: Um, I saw some people nag that the show’s premise is not realistic and ask for a scientific explanation of the disease…sweetie, it’s a drama...about zombies!!! It’s not a scientific article! It’s all fake. Zombies are fake, sorry if that’s a shock so…don’t expect realistic science from it?! Idk, I can’t believe this has to be said. The characters do stupid things, they are mean and evil occasionally and bad stuff happens a lot and there’s probably a good amount of plot holes but none of it will really affect your enjoyment of it if you are inclined to like this. There’s also the matter of the ending. I already said this in a comment but this is a petri dish story. A bottle episode, if you will. The plot doesn’t care about the cure, it cares about the humans in that very specific, simulated situation and ends right after the situation is no longer held together. It might feel a bit like the ending is left open without a closure. So just prepare for that.
Overall: This is more like a long movie rather than a short show. It has the same beat and flow as a movie and it’s also just a very interesting story. I wanted to give it a lower rating, a 9 or a 9.5 but ultimately, I really did enjoy watching it. It does infuriate at certain points but that’s kind of the point. I think this show captured our very bizarre and traumatic times by creating an even more bizarre and traumatic allegory and I appreciated that. I also liked that, ultimately it had a heartwarming message. At one point in the story, one of the characters says that they won’t catch the disease because they haven’t done anything wrong, and that is very ironic in many, many different ways but it also brings up an interesting concept; that bad things should and will happen to bad people. Not necessarily. Not really. But it sure does feel good when you watch good people overcome bad things just because they are good.
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A KDRAMA THAT NEEDS RECOGNITION AND A HYPE! YOU SHOULDNT MISS THIS, YOULL REGRET.
bruh, i was notified about this drama and from that moment? i can’t wait! the casts, the plot, the acting, and the film itself, they were all SUPERB! there’s just 3 ep now, the fourth’s coming out later at night and im 진짜 excited. there’s no skip, every details ate amazing, the chemistry between the leads, and how they portray they roles? it’s amazing! i will be looking put for this one, happiness, gives me happiness and chills atst! THIS IS GOING TO BE MY FAVE KDRAMA THRILLER, i can smell it. i am picky in every kdrama im watching but this?? i 진짜 진짜 recommend this to everyone. 여러분, this needs a HYPE! LIKE REALLY, THIS SHOULD BE MORE RECOGNIZED BY EVERYONE! im inlove with the casts, and the movie, so you will. tvn never disappoints.Was this review helpful to you?
It's not all that
Honestly I feel kida like the odd one out seeing so many positive reviews on this drama. The potential was there but the execution was just wack. I know the explanation for the origin of the outbreak isn't the most important part of the show, but I can't ignore it as a scientist. The flip flop between two pretty much opposite hypothesis doesn't even make any sense. Nowadays you can just run tests and pretty easily tell if the condition is caused by a pathogen or if it's drug induced. Besides, if it was a drug, the zombie like condition would just stop happening after the drug has been eliminated from the system. Don't simply throw this stuff at me and then expect me to not care about it.Besides that, the main characters don't make much sense, especially the fl. How can she be a cop when she is the most irresponsible and idiotic motherfucker out there? The scene where she storms in the truck to save her dumbass friend is the most ridiculous thing I've seen in a while and the fact that she and ml just escpae without as much as a scratch, simply so preposterous. I just feel this drama tries so hard to be different and deep but at the same time it creates such unbeliavable and stupid situations.
The relationship between the two leads is also not very believable. We just get a little backstory on them via flashback and that's basically it. They have no chemistry and often times they feel like self-righteous idiots. Maybe the writers would expand on their story later on but by the time I got to the fourth episode I was bored out of my mind. Anyways if you all want a true drama/horror about complicated human realtionships during an apocalypse just go watch a playthrough/play The Last of Us.
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Female Lead is OOC
Female Lead is supposed to be an Anti Terrorist Senior Officer. But, based on the episodes I've watched, all her actions were just careless, irrational and stupid. All she did was being reckless and putting everyone around her at risk. Is that how SOU acted during a crisis? I don't want to live in a country with SOU like that for sure. This alone, makes me don't want to continue watching. She is the focus of the drama, she should be written well. Male Lead however, is written very well, acted careful and smart. Another character, Mr. Han, is also very well portrayed by the actor. DROPPED!!!Was this review helpful to you?
