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requlus

caratland

requlus

caratland
Happiness korean drama review
Completed
Happiness
1 people found this review helpful
by requlus
Apr 17, 2024
12 of 12 episodes seen
Completed
Overall 8.0
Story 9.0
Acting/Cast 10.0
Music 6.0
Rewatch Value 6.0

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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