Felicidade (2021)

A decent zombie Kdrama but plot action seems forced

Overall: I enjoyed it, I liked the two main actors their screen chemistry was definitely there. I liked about 90% of the plot but some things could have been written better.

The issues: A lot of the side characters made decisions that made 0 sense. Which makes the plot seemed forced for action.

The girl uncuffing the gym guy when clearly he’s infected (and they’ve seen the video) and she’s already running from another infected person. How is an infected person going to help you run from another infected person?

I also dislike how they let the doctor get away with a lot of stuff like trying to poison everyone else and murdering his wife. Wouldn’t you tell the rest of the group this guy tried to poison and infect them? They just completely let it slide and kept him until the end. Also the fact he tried to trap them outside and get others infected on purpose. The level of shit this man did he deserved the death penalty on the spot. He didn’t have the group’s interest anywhere in mind and that is not someone who lasts very long.

I also hate how they threw in the serial killer randomly in the last two episodes. Like what made him suddenly just “snap”. Everyone knew he had something to hide.

Also why didn’t the main characters ever defend themselves from being accused of killing the pastor? They just let the wife (wannabe building rep) build resentment towards them.

There’s quite a few issues with the show and could’ve been written better. If they redid some things to make it seem more natural I think I would’ve given it a 9-9.5. Just some glaring issues in the characters.

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Excruciating episodes of seeing people go crazy either due to the disease or just them being insane

While the story is continuously progressing, it kind of felt boring and lacking plus I am mostly annoyed because most of the characters seems to be villains. More than the disease, people are worse than viruses or whatsoever. When people become greedy and selfish, no other thing could be worse than that. Watching those long 12 episodes felt like a torture and a compilation of how humanity is dead and I was honestly holding on hoping that everything will end well and fortunately it did end well. So a big sigh of relief that I didn't waste half a day for something not worth it.

To be honest, I'm not really into 'zombie' / 'apocalyptic' type of series or movie so that's why it's really rare for me to review it highly unless it really amazed me. Unfortunately, Happiness fell short on my list but big consideration that everything ended well. It still gave me hope and definition the last episode was the best so far.

Acting wise, the characters did well specially the villains who annoyed the sht out of me. Kudos to the well-executed portrayal. The infected also acted well and the action scenes are also of great quality so I commend that. Background music also blends in well with the scenario keeping the tension going and the thrill.

Overall, I feel like the journey of watching it although a bit painful for me, I still enjoyed it. So if you're into zombie/apocalyptic type of genre you might love this more than I did.

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Bloody, brutal, beautifull... ha ha

This drama really has a little bit of everything showing humans at their best as well as at their extreme worst.. Showing us that some people truly are scary, but in a good way...

What I liked about this drama was that its twists where slightly less predictable than I thought, don´t get me wrong some twits where highly predictable and at some point I found myself telling my husband not only what but how the next scene would be cut, sunds and angles... And well I was not that far from it... Even tough there where a few characters that were annoying at times I kind of got used to them and actually started enjoying watching them develop and humorously adapt to their extremely evil nature.... And was a lot less annoyed at the character portrayed by Baek Hyun Jin here than I was in The Devil Judge.


The message here is not very clear but kind of sweet in a way, and so are the interactions, choices and relationships between the characters. Who are the real monsters? Will you try to eat the person you love if you get infected with a virus that effects your brain? Will a person with rabies just bite any one or do they have preferences too? How much stress can a person take before they loose all sense? what is being the building rep really worth? are some people worth more than others?

The female lead is as cool as cool and fun gets, she has humour, she is strong and she does not take any crap from any one..... The male lead is just too cute, also strong but more willing to take crap, actually he is said to have a bad temper but considering the people around him I am willing to say he is more of a saint than anything else. Even if I do not agree with all his decisions...

The kid is sweet and a fun addition to the cast.

All in all this is a show that will keep you biting your toe nails, make your heart flutter, make you laugh at the evil and have you yelling profanities' at the screen while hiding your face from the blood splatter and those bloody teeth... yuck...

Edit: I forgot to mention that I have renamed this drama zoom zoom because they LOVE zooming in and out...

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Amazingly executed apocalypse drama

I really like apocalypse dramas but this one was just really well done.When I first heard about it I was gonna watch it for Park hung silk and Han Hyo Joo, but after I watched the first episode I was so hooked and as every episode came out it slowly became one of my favorite apocalypse dramas and here’s why also NO SPOILERS AHEAD.

Characters
Our Oppa Park hung silk plays the character of Jung Yi Hyun. He is the type of male lead that is mean to everyone else but not for his girl, and he would do anything to protect her.He has anger issues especially when someone comes for his precious wife.
And then we have the amazing Han Hyo Joo playing the character of Yoon Sae Bom. In this drama she is a very bad ass girl boss, she’s the female lead that helps the male lead keep his emotions in check. Yoon Sae Bom is so funny in this drama she helps others and takes action in a crisis

Plot
The reason why I think this drama is interesting is because this infectious disease which is happening by pills but also if you get bitten or scratched then you turn into this creature/ zombie thing. But what stood out to me was that they can switch back, for example the zombie could be biting someone and then all of a sudden they are very confused why they are doing this.But at the same time they’re fully aware that they just ate someone. So it was very interesting in the aspect that people are hiding the fact that they killed someone so that they won’t lock you away.Every episode takes you by surprise.

Romance
I love this couple so much they were so refreshing to see.There dynamic is literally becoming one of my favorites, it’s so realistic and there is just no pressure in the relationship between them. A casual friendship where intimacy isn’t weird, they can depend on each other, don’t hesitate to save each other and know each others family.So in most romance dramas everything is just so up in the air and everything has to mean something.For an example if he calls you pretty, its like ‘omg does he like me, what does this mean’ like he literally just gave you a compliment why does their have to be so much pressure in the and I don’t mean it in a bad way like I enjoy those dramas as well but it was just nice to see this couple progress through the drama.

OST
The soundtrack isn't important but I have to talk about it.Who ever picked the music for this drama obviously did not read the script. The music was always so calming like I have actually heard it in meditation videos and sometimes in the background of you-tubers videos to avoid copyright claims. Like for a drama so intense you could have picked more upbeat music. But in the positive there were some good songs that I liked and some that did fit the action scenes.My favorite song in the entire OST is What Lies Ahead-Joe Layne and it's a slow calm song, so yeah I'm a hypocrite ??.

Note:The title is very misleading so if you like happy dramas with romance and fluffy characters this isn’t for you. But I still recommend it even if you not a fan of the thriller genre.

I totally recommend this drama. And I hope this review helped?.

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I didn't expect this show to play with my heart like this!

Albeit a diamond in the rough, the concept of this drama is so well thought out. The storyline and the post Covid setting have been so relevant to the current global scenario. I think that adds to the thrilling experience of the ride it takes you on. The characters and their crisis-driven actions are beautifully illustrated and it really brings out their fatal flaws with clarity. Moreover, (omg) the main couple has such a wonderful dynamic throughout the show. You will love the energy Hyo Joo and Hyung Sik bring through their characters. It was refreshing to see a platonic take on their profound relationship.

I was a bit disappointed with the ending because it seemed a little rushed and I would have liked to see a more detailed picture of how they all bounced back from the quarantine and this proliferating virus. Yet, this show will totally leave you satisfied in the end, you'll never regret watching it! Also, props to the beautiful soundtrack which provides an immersive experience!

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Happiness can be reveled in many forms...

To some this is a brilliant masterpiece, to others just an average drama of survival.
I followed it from day one and it got me hooked to the point that my Fridays and Saturdays had this as an highlight.

They couldn't have picked a better lead couple than these two, - Han Hyo Joo and Park Hyung Sik - did a great job with their roles and had a fairly great chemistry. But Happiness is more than romance, in fact it focuses on the build up to that, on those hidden feelings one is not aware until the world turns upside down. It's all about survival and finding Happiness in all forms.

"If I lose him, I might really crumble." - Yoon Sae Bom

That and the fact that Happiness is different to everyone. To some that comes by the demise of others, to others it's all about control, to others is fame and likes, and some it's even greed or by getting their hands tainted with blood... And yet for those who are rightful, - Happiness - can be a materialistic thing as a Home or the comfort of loved ones and our parents. But a Home can be more than a House, sometimes it's only warm when shared with the right person, like the case of our main leads.

"Getting an apartment is important, but who you're with is more important." - Jung Yi Hyun

What I really like about Yoon Sae Bom and Jung Yi Hyun is on how equal feet they are when it comes to their action and decisions, how they always have each others back and go to the extreme to protect one another. It shows from the very start that they really like each other, but to acknowledge that sometimes it needs a push or in this case the world they once knew crumbling down. While facing the demons that people can bring to the table in apocalyptic scenarios, and coping to deal with it by trying to maintain order even when most people do not cooperate or are against them. They don't wait in dangerous situations, they take action and run if necessary. They access what is happening and try to come up with solutions or act on the moment to solve it.

Both of them are not flawed, - no one is - but it's nice to see that in a drama there can be balance between the leads, instead of the typical damsel in distress or the tripping and falling down cliché. They are both fierce with their beliefs for justice and find themselves trapped in lockdown with numeral individuals that will test not only them but also everyone along the way.

Yi Hyun trusts in Sae Bom, and she does too when it comes to him. He represents those who are sure of their feelings, while she on the other hand represents those who only realize when its too late... like a wake up call. Perhaps, she knew all along, she just dismissed thinking it would not be reciprocated because they started with a contractual marriage to get an apartment.

However, - like I mentioned above, - Happiness is more than mere tragic romance.
It's all about making tough and egoistic decisions for the sake of our loved ones and mankind.

"I did all sorts of things to lower the number of the infected. Lockdowns, quarantine, killing. I have enough blood on my hands." - Han Tae Seok

It's a matter of surviving lockdown and well facing the worst kind of Humanity in a single building.
Sometimes the true monsters aren't those who are infected, but those who show their real and despicable selves.

"You are the real monsters, not the infected." - Jung Yi Hyun

If we manage to look into the overall picture, the drug, the infected or "zombies" and the whole martial law is what is surrounding and aiding the true plot. This being the residents and how they evolve and act while on lockdown. How the main leads deal with the situation, how the residents try to survive, all the schemes, the deep dark secrets inside of several different apartments, the social classes, the different individuals, their hidden agendas and how doom can change people from better to worst. It was never about only the cure, that is important but it's side plot, it's more about showing the difference between those who are infected and act on impulse and need, and those who revel themselves to the be worse monsters in the end.

There's quite the symbolic value this drama uphold. For example the 'Good Cop, Bad Cop strategy' that Yi Hyun mentions about himself and Sae Bom, can also work for Han Tae Seok and Lieutenant Lee Ji Soo who works with him. And that strategy is used throughout the whole drama too in many occasions. Even when Yi Hyun decides he will be the bad cop, and Sae Bom the other.

"When one plays the bad cop and gets angry and scares people, the other uses nice words to persuade them."

It's seem like a foretelling line, for when the moment comes they act like so without realizing. It's he presence and soothing words, that bring him back to her. And also her impulsive act to save him and his decision in such a dangerous situation that defines their roles. They will do everything and beyond to keep each other safe even if it means to make sacrifices.

This drama has plenty of those. Choices and sacrifices that make the characters become either twisted, or revert from that and gaining the Humanity they didn't have or had lost. An example of that is most likely Kim Dong Hyun, the son of the elderly couple from Unit 302. Who always seek for likes and fame by streaming everything he could get his hands on. And yet as the story progresses he embodies the fear, shame and the selfish act of leaving his parents behind afraid to get infected.

"If you happen to see him. Tell him to come back home. Tell him, we're okay.
That's what a home is. You come home when things get tough." - Kim Hak Je, Senior Resident of Unit 302

Only to return home when what he feared the most happens.

"He'll be able to hold out longer... if he stays with his family." - Jung Yi Hyun

And despite his actions towards his parents, Dong Hyun is welcomed with open arms, as if a "good" son is returning home, now apologetic and more grounded than before. A message for us to cherish those we love, and that they may be our greatest strength in times of need.

There are several frustrating moments, mainly caused by despicable characters such as Oh Joo Hyung (dermatologist), Oh Yeon Ok (Resident Representative), Gook Hae Sung (Lawyer), Woo Sang Hee (Joo Hyun's mistress), and let's face it Go Se Gyu and Ji Moon Hee (the SY cleaning couple) too.

"I'll beat up anyone I find annoying." - Yoon Sae Bom

Probably the most direct Happiness we all felt through the drama was by how many times she did this to Oh Joo Hyung.

And there was also a couple of mysterious characters in the plot - Kim Se Hoon and Andrew - who likely contributed to many theories and a plot twist into the story. Sometimes, there are hints along the drama that lead to that, only we aren't able to notice them all or they just show them in the end when that truly happens.

The plot twist of the real culprit was interesting.
I had theories of my own, as I am sure mostly everyone did by some point when it came down to these two characters.

To be honest, the real one felt detached from the plot. Like a mere coincidence that just happened, and it was all in his favor.
It made more sense if it was near my theory that he was in fact the one behind the drug NEXT and that he was seeing the "lab rats" aka the infected act and mostly from the rooftop while on lockdown. And not what they come up to and no reasons for what he did and does. Perhaps it's just his own Happiness in doing so. Maybe that's why they did like so, who knows.

All I know is that the plot has it's holes that much is certain. But again the focus is mainly on the residents and survival rather than where did the drug come from and how the cure works. The acting here is what keeps us wanting for more. And I am not only talking about the main leads. Even the guest roles here where interesting to see. For example Sae Bom's colleague Lee Sueng Yeong interpreted by the brilliant Lee Kyu Hyung (funny how Looney turned out so good that he joined the SOU)

The Production. Now this is what makes this drama different than most. The way it was written, made and filmed. The cinematography so believable that they are in fact in a real complex unit building of rented and fancy bought apartments. The intros with the title Happiness, showing the opposite of that. It almost seem Netflix worth it, with certain foreign like influences here and there but at the same time true to a K-drama. Hard to explain the concept of it. It's interesting, and pleasing to see. What compliments with all of this, it has to be the OST. So many good artists and singers, and amazing songs to match the scenes of this drama. The lyrics also with plenty of meaning. One of my favorites it has to be 'Pain' by Hong Isaac.

This drama came to life because of all of this combined, everyone's effort.
Park Hyung Sik long awaited acting comeback is a success, and him pairing up with Hyo Joo gave us a new kickass ship besides the MinMin and BongBong ship we have had ever since he starred with Bo Young in Strong Woman Do Bong Soon.
More than the ship, I like how he represented Yi Hyun. Makes me look forward to more of his projects with good premisses.

"I realized when you said... that a home... depends on whom you're with. I'll stay with you from now on. Stay with me. Whatever you're like, I'm okay with everything." - Yoon Sae Bom

These two be raising the standards of main leads.

Highly recommend this if you like survival storylines, with a warning that it has it's breaks of infected but that it focus more towards human and inhuman dissociation of the survivors, rather than those who were infected. It doesn't have cliché scenes, it has more schemes and plot twists.

Plus factor it only has 12 episodes, although if you like you will find yourself wanting a couple more. And well by the ending... it fairly need that option. Endings are mostly rushed, and this one wasn't any different in that regard unfortunately.

Still it's a good drama if you give it a go. With an amazing production, awesome acting and a killer OST.

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Good Enough

Korean Drama "Happiness" is a dystopian drama that feels, nevertheless, close to home. The drama doesn't focus too much on the horror aspect, with the zombie-like disease, that could have been easily overused with loads of gory scenes and bloodbath.

Rather, the drama opted for a more character-centric story, with the focus being maintained on the neighbors and their dynamics when a crisis hits home. The addition of the corporation mystery, along with the family drama, were all a nice touch that added more twists to the main plot.

However, the drama missed making the conclusion clear, or more dramatic. Everything was actually too conveniently solved when everyone was straggling to come to a conclusion all throughout the drama. Also, the drama felt like it was missing something, like the story needed something more to leave a bigger impact.

Nonetheless, the performances were great and aided the entertainment value of the drama a lot. The CGI were also well made.

So, overall, 6.5 out of 10.

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Good start

This started out well, with a stylish opening sequence, a less common take on a monster theme, and a cool FL (Han Hyo Joo, who I almost didn't recognize - I didn't like her much in W, but she's great here), who continues to be cool all the way through! - and doesn't turn into a crying fainting jelly, as so many of them do. It is a fairly silly plot with many holes, but hey, it's a monster show, I can hand-wave that if the pace is good enough to glide me over them. Unfortunately, the storytelling in the middle fell rather flat. There are a lot of side-characters - naturally, as it's the story of the apartment block - but none of them felt compelling: no solid arcs, just randomness and dead ends, and too much time given to the least interesting and most annoying of them. (actually that was almost all of them! and they killed off 15th floor guy, who I kinda liked) The spurious melodrama with these unappealing goons messed with the momentum enough for me to get bored and abandon it on-hold for months before finally finishing it. It does pick up towards the end: the last two eps were better, and the finale tied up some of the essentials, including the romance arc, but that felt unsatisfying to me and I would have liked to have known what happened to other characters.

Still worth watching, but I'd keep the skip button handy.

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Featuring Baek Hyun Jin's insanely dramatic shrieks

Before I talk about the show, let's talk about Baek Hyun Jin and his screams/hollers/shrieks... that little dude is part Velociraptor, right? He makes noises I have never heard a human make on screen or off. It's massively entertaining and only sometimes obnoxious. I've seen him do it a few times in other dramas, but Happiness provided him with a great many opportunities to implement his raptor shriek, and it fit very well with his character's cowardly evil personality.

Happiness was ok. It was, for me, just a tad over acceptable but not epic. As other reviewers have pointed out, there are a lot of minor inconsistencies, plot holes, and confusing logic leaps. There are some elements I just cannot wrap my head around the logic of....like why was this apparently government boss dude the literally only guy in charge of the whole outbreak. I can't think of any government that would work that way, there would be lots of officials involved in an operation of this scale. Also why did the relationship develop between the detective and this military boss dude, that part really seemed to stretch the bounds of logic for me. Why too, if the side character brother also had antibodies was his wound purple and diseased looking where the FL's wound was not, where they multiple times in the script bring up the color of the wound's surrounding area as an indicator of infection.

The direction crew did a really terrible job with consistency, so many shots will have the actors holding a prop in their hand from on angle, but when it cuts over to the next angle the prop is gone or in the wrong hand or different. It's pretty jarring and there are multiple examples of this in every single episode. The attention to detail in this Kdrama was pretty bad, and those things break immersion which definitely reduces my impression of a drama.

The acting was pretty good, there were a few sort of one-note bland characters and it was a little disappointing that they didn't delve into any of the backstory on side characters at all, which made it difficult to connect with them emotionally. The ML and FL had good synergy. The FL especially did an awesome job representing her character's personality consistently, so you truly believed her as a character. The action scenes were pretty well done for the most part, though there seemed to be some inconsistency around when a lead could attack a gun holding person vs when they just stood there at gun/knife point. There was a really awesome scene the ML does (or his stunt double probably) where he in one swift move drops to the ground and grapples the preacher zombie's leg, spinning around it to take him down, it was pretty badass.

Overall, it was a pretty good show, though the lack of consistency in the script and directing limited the potential of the actors. Even so, 90% of this drama takes place in hallways, and it's pretty impressive that you can keep people immersed well enough that they remain watching with such dull scenery.

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finding happiness

The chemistry between park hyungsik and han hyojoo was unbelievable and something I didn't know we needed :') The thriller with slight romance has a parallel to Sweet Home, the genres are pretty similar: neighbors in an apartment complex transitioning into the infected. I was really impressed with the chemistry and duality of the power couple though-- the plot didn't have a lot of romantic scenes, but their compatibility was insane and there was definitely chemistry w/o even portraying skinship. This power couple was probably one of the best I've seen;; she's hot headed and aggressive but smart, while he's calm, rational, and logical. They balance eachother out perfectly :))

Superb acting from ALL casts; the variety and diversity of characters was really a breath of fresh air that I needed; there weren't many cliches and each episode was pretty unpredictable. The cinematography and OST was done extremely well; the soundtrack fit perfectly with the overall vibe.

I'm slightly salty that the residents who were incredibly twisted and made selfish choices weren't ever properly punished/got what they deserved but the ending makes up for everything :') iykyk

One of the best dramas I've binged in a while; I guarantee it's worth the watch (unless you're not into horror/thrillers)

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Zzzz

First of all if u are looking for some intense zombie drama this might not be good for u
So lets start with the story the story was okk like nothing extraordinary
for the first few ep it was interesting but after that it was tedious and boring like there is something that i still don't understand
Like suppose you are in an apartment filled with zombies like everbody is dying the world is collapsing and u are just there being sassy
Doesn't makes sense right that is exactly what is happening in that drama like i understand they wanted to make our main leads sassy and not afraid of anything type but still it somehow looks unreal
Like how are we supposed to feel horrified or scared if the people in the drama was not feeling it Like that doesn't mean that They are not good actors all of them are amazing actors but i think they are not being used correctly
Not only the main lead but everyone else is also just so ignorent of the whole situation they are ramdomly living there life fighting over food and random stuffs ...
I understand maybe the show makers what to show the greedy side of the humanity but this is exactly not how you do this
The zombie scenes were also fine nothing phenomenal
There were literally times when i was just waiting for some action and zombies
There is nothing special about the characters like u really don't understand them and u just don't feel connected to anyone of them
So the only reason i completed this drama was because of the main leads
Their chemistry Was AMAZING !!!
So overall i would have easily dropped this drama Because there is nothing captivating about this series

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The perfect drama to end 2021 with!

I am in cloud nine right now as I've just finished the final episode a minute ago, while having this drama as one of my most anticipated airing dramas every week.

An apocalypse drama; especially a zombie one is already typical in the drama industry, but it's still one of my favorite genre which is why I chose to follow this one while airing. But what made Happiness so good and stand out on its own way? The theme that this drama wants to bring out can be seen first and foremost from its title itself, the title that made viewers always questioning, "Where is the happiness in this drama? There's only misery and chaos." But I think that's really the point that they want to bring. I realized this during the rooftop scene when they were eating together, that despite the chaos that is happening, it feels better and bearable because they are with the people they loved.

And then the message pulled through even till the end; we have the rude son who finally realized his parents are the most precious people he should care for, we have siblings reconciling with each other after going through the hardship together, we have a parent holding out for the sake of her daughter and of course, we have a platonic husband and wife who realizes they love each other more than they thought they did. From all these events it shows how people, no matter how tough and dreadful the obstacle is, can still obtain happiness where they are.

In term of the plot, I feel like it could have been better but after the finale I think this drama deserve nothing less than a 9/10 despite their flaws. The less logical part was the fact that they didn't really show other residents of the block attending meeting etc and it's just those few same familiar faces all over again, not even some background characters with no dialogue to make it seems more 'merrier' as a big apartment complex.

However, apart from the "Happiness" message that they convey, what I adore most about this drama is the portrayal of some of the characters. Those that come first are of course our power couple, Sae Beom and Yi Hyun who above anything else in this world, would continuously only prioritize each other no matter what. Their relationship is one of the most beautiful I've ever seen and the way they love each other so selflessly is very precious. Tae Seok is another character that I really adore, he was such a morally grey character that you can't really sort him out, yet you know exactly what is his goal and he did everything he could; despite having to go against the rule and moral for his loved ones. I kind of find the similarity between the three of them, which is why I think they work really well together because they all prioritized the people they loved above anything else; even above saving the world. Also special mention Na Soo Min who is the character I dislike at the start but can't help to adore at the end when he tried his best to protect his sister from being infected (and him in the last episode with the gear on are especially adorable)

The drama might appear a little slow in the beginning especially if you watch it for the action-packed anticipation, but I really love the slow pace development on each episode which made the story less dramatic and less over the top compared to other drama, which is actually the perfect portrayal of the way human can still live normally despite the chaos that happened in their life, just like how we continued living with the virus that is still with us till now

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