Our Happy Days

Started watching Our Happy Days mainly because I always liked Uhm Hyun Kyung in long dramas, and honestly I have no complaints about the acting. Both male and female leads did well and their characters were enjoyable enough to follow.

But what really disappointed me was the older couple in the drama. The grandfather and grandmother treated their own son and daughter-in-law like complete outsiders. Not just privately, but openly in front of employees too. It honestly felt weird and cruel. Even the old man’s secretary behaves rudely toward the company’s own CEO simply because his father doesn’t support him properly. The drama tries to present the grandparents like innocent elders protecting the family, but many times they just came across as biased and emotionally toxic.

What made it worse is how obvious their favoritism was. They only truly cared about one grandson while the others felt neglected. Then the drama acts surprised when tension and resentment happen in the family.

Another thing I didn’t enjoy was the second lead couple writing.

The second male lead had almost no self-respect. He kept chasing a girl who clearly loved his younger brother. After being rejected so many times, it stopped feeling romantic and started feeling pathetic. Same with the second female lead. She gets rejected and humiliated repeatedly, but instead of moving on, she keeps emotionally hanging around the leads. Her dramatic “take care of oppa” scene felt more like emotional guilt-tripping than heartbreaking.

I really wish the drama gave the second leads proper growth and self-worth instead of making them suffer endlessly for melodrama.

Still, the acting overall was solid, especially Uhm Hyun Kyung. She carried emotional scenes really naturally and made frustrating moments easier to sit through.

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An easy comfortable watch, i.e. good script, good filming, good family drama, lots of good actors

This drama is a breath of fresh air, showing relatively "ordinary" people doing relatively "ordinary" things, it FLOWS easily and effortlessly.... it is an enjoyable watch. The quality of this drama is on par with any miniseries. THE SCRIPT IS WELL PLANNED AND ORGANIZED, SO THE PACING IS CONSISTENT, THE PLOT KEEPS MOVING FORWARD IN MEANINGFUL AND INTERESTING WAYS.

In the Discussion section, ppl say this is an easy watch, bc there are no snags, sufferings, dragging, gore killings, gore scheming, really nasty smart capable villains just mauling stupid naive "good ppl", etc. The script is masterful, keeping consistent pace, with great cliffhangers and twists, and great dialogues and great meaningful scenes. FL is an independent woman with brains and common sense, so the plot just flows forward without snags.

The drama just flows naturally and easily as "ordinary" life in families. Well, some plots involve some major traumas, but nothing in this drama is ridiculous or crazy. That means - good script, good filming, and good acting.

THE RICHNESS OF THE PLOT IS CREATED BY **** MASTERFULLY ACTED **** "SMALL SCENES" from daily life.

There are plenty seasoned great actors in the drama, which makes it interesting to watch. They make the drama seem real, like we are watching real life.
There are many interesting side stories...
The camera and production are great too, visually it is seamless and interesting.
And the music is really fun, really matches the plot
Last but not least, i love the styling in this drama, each character has unique and consistent styling that makes the character more believable.

Overall, highly recommended so far
This is a classy drama on par with any 12 -r 16 ep drama out there.

THE FLOW
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This drama is normal and pleasant and comfortable and VERY WELL PACED. There is no dragging whatsoever. There is no filler plot. There is no whiny female characters or overly controlling cold male characters. This drama is NOT sexist and actually provides some excellent role modeling for real life.
This drama is rather EGALITARIAN and very fit for modern life.

The start of the drama is cringe bc it starts "as usual" sexist plot - FL is a naive clutz, ML is poker faced snotty.
However, by ep 9, he becomes alive, and that is when I really got into this drama. meanwhile SML and SFL were really interesting quirky characters and it was fun watching them. The villains too :)

Then we have a period of ML-FL flirting and growing - and SML trying with SFL - which is all HILARIOUS
The scenes ML-FL and SML-SFL and any combo are totally hilarious and well done.

Around the middle of the drama, the leads got together, the blush fell of the rose, "the honeymoon was over", and we got deeper into the dirt of the families. The comedy used to introduce the characters and ML-FL flirting wore off and we got into some major traumas and conflicts that the characters had to resolve. So the drama became more melodramatic and serious, resolving those issues. ML is a snowflake and a weak person and FL helps him.

This is where FL's role was kinda ruined bc she became more or less just a support for the ML to handle his trauma... And SML role was kinda ruined, bc he became a victim of SFL's abuse...

But now it is ep 97 and we are entering into the third phase of the drama, when the dirt is exposed, character flaws are exposed, ... and it is time to clean up.... ....
FL was so "protective" of ML that she turned into a slimey liar :) and is starting to pay for it :)
and SML is turning into a guy who questions the truth of what is told to him... SO HOPEFULLY THERE WILL BE INTERESTING GROWTHS FROM THIS

PROFILING OF CHARACTERS:
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There are lots of really amazing actors in this drama, who make the drama seem real. Like we are watching real people living their real lives.
There is melodrama, thriller and comedy. My fav is Grandma from the restaurant :) bc she nicely combines all of it :)

The two main villains are just HILARIOUS. Yes they are disgusting but they acted so well, they are comical relief. And - they love each other and are a perfect couple. Those two veteran actors are AMAZING actors.

There was some cringe with FL in early episodes, she was .. hm.. immature... and ML was poker faced snotty snub and that was just boring and ugly...
and luckily, FL dropped the cringe, she turned a very capable woman, and ML starts to be more than just a pokerface around ep 10, and that enlivened the drama a lot.
How those two play off each other is just HILARIOUS. They are a very endearing and fun couple.

ML-FL and SML-SFL and any combo of those 4 interacting is very fun to watch.

SML role was kinda ruined for a while... Seems like the role might recover... ... SML starts as a rather selfish and cruel person at work but in blind love with stone-wall porcelain doll SFL, And that is really fun to watch. She is so stuck and so beautiful and so uptight, she is endearing and comical.
HOWEVER...

Eventually, the SFL shows her fragility and selfishness more and more, and SML keeps pathetically and desperately chasing her.... but... SFL takes him for granted too much and eventually goes overboard, and ... SML starts questioning her!!!!!! I AM HOPING HE GROWS A SPINE

ML actor has a knack for acting friendly scenes, he is very charming and endearing, and FL bounces off him in most hilarious ways' and SML and SFL are acted perfectly. So it is fun to watch

After ML woke up and ditched his poker face around ep 9, FL can act more. FL actress has many facial expressions and really has fun acting off ML, and is great for comedy. I am enjoying watching her bc she is so lively and energetic.

There was soooo much comedy in earlier episodes.... I loved the senior home, bike ride home and the restaurant 4-some scene. The arrows were HILARIOUS :) The bike ride home was HILARIOUS :) (That's why I want to feed ML and send him surfing, he gotta keep up with that strong lady.)

I loved grandma and grandpa in bed. It is nice that Uncle and Aunt also love each other, and have a good bed life too. I like how the drama is showing love in many different ways.

ML is excellent in "friendly" and "cuddly" scenes, that is where he really shines and is super cute and charming. The serious snotty poker face scenes just are NOT for him. Then he is just a scrawny little nothing. The drama should let him go free with displaying good times and affection and humor.

ML is a masterful actor also for very melodramatic scenes, like confrontations in ep 94 were absolutely AMAZING acting. His eyes were flaring fire. The change in the eyes was WOW acting.

I love watching the Grandma next door :) she is fun

THIS DRAMA PROVES THAT RIDICULOUS COMPLICATED PLOT IS NOT NEEDED - SIMPLE IS GOOD
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This drama is nowhere near Crazyville of dramas with ridiculous actions and plots like First Man or Pearl in Red.
THIS DRAMA USES MASTERFUL ACTING TO SHOW SMALL BUT MEANINGFUL AND FUN SCENES FROM DAILY LIFE.

For example, female villain goes snooping in a room in her friend's house. Friend's son - who is a young and trendy urban fashionista - walks in - and the villain has to somehow excuse herself and leave... The villain is not very smart nor sophisticated ... but is a very colorful character... so she offers a bribe and comments on what he is wearing, shares her passion for French fashion - in broken wrong French - and flirts with him on her way out, while he is totally flabbergasted yet happy to accept the bribe. That ONE SCENE takes maybe ... 5 minutes? But is super highly memorable and made me laugh. Acted so well. With precision.

FASHION NOTES:
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In terms of looks, this is a well done drama, everyone is styled perfectly, so it is a PLEASURE to look at them. I love the "perfection" look of SML and her classy outfits, hair and jewelry, and I love the vibrant energetic look, smile and white teeth of SML who just exudes good health, and I love his clothes, looks really good on him,

and today I was studying fashion, ML looks good in light blue shirt and shiny leather jacket.

FL is actually cute and her clothes fit her character. Well some of FL clothing is really grungy enginnering style... But she had some scenes in dresses, or better clothing, esp the living funeral slinky top with a fake collar was AMAZING on her.

The main villans have amazing flashy wardrobe. THe male villain wore pink suits that made him appropriately look like a mafia boss from 1930s from the richest parts of Los Angeles... his lady has amazing luxury sleepware....

Grandpa looks amazing in pale pink traditional clothing.. He also has indigo-color traditional clothing ... which... imo.. needs to be worn by someone younger to really show its beauty.

love the navy vest and blue-gold tie of SML's dad.

YoungerBrother of SFL has amazing trendy urban wardrobe. But out of his multitude of amazing sleek metrosexual clothing... what looks the best on him, a guy with very dark shiny black hair and black eyes - is black and white. He had some amazing "modern version of traditional Asian clothing" open short collar-less pitch black jacket, with baggy pitch black pants, and very white soft t-shirt underneath, showing in the front and peeking from under the jacket for about 20 cm. WOW astonishingly good look! Also, he looked great in a black suit and white shirt and ... some kind of black tie. WOW. So simple but looks the best. Now I understand why Asians like to wear black.

Grandma from the restaurant next door and her boyfriend totally demonstrated the power of clothing... When they get dressed in red and pink, and very youthful outfits, they look so young, they look great!

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