[Drama 2021] Happiness, 해피니스- Han Hyo-Joo, Park Hyung Sik & Joo Wo Jin

[backstreetboysfan]

Quote

Additionally, “Happiness” took first place in its time slot across all cable channels among the key demographic of viewers ages 20 to 49, with whom it scored a nationwide average of 2.0 percent and a peak of 2.5 percent.

Read more: https://kdramabuddy.com/now-we-are-breaking-up-and-the-red-sleeve-begin-fierce-ratings-battle-as-happiness-hits-new-all-time-high/#ixzz7C49Ebbex

[Latte_Anyday]

Damn. Sae Bom has balls of steel ahahahah. I still don't know how I feel about her gung-ho attitude though(?) I mean I kind of got her reckless actions from first ep. but I really wished she'd  ponder before acting so impulsively.

    The fl has a boyishness to her so it works I guess LoL? Her & Yi Hyun are now in for the battle of their lives! They do make for a good team.

    I don't feel sorry for any of the infected. Min Ji's hubs was scum. The actor has consistently played a prick since "Taxi Driver". Looks like the religious bigot ahjumma is next as she was attacked by Min Ji. 

    I hope the lil girl won't be one of 'em. What illness does the poor thing have!? I liked the hug Sae Bom gave Yi Hyun, that's probably the closest these two have gotten since they "married". Tae Seok is so blase on this whole thing ha-ha. Can't believe Seung Young survived all that. 

    I thought the lockdowns were harsh but Sae Bom's situation make it look like it was a picnic LoL.

[frozentundra]

On 11/13/2021 at 1:55 AM, Latte_Anyday said:

I thought the lockdowns were harsh but Sae Bom's situation make it look like it was a picnic LoL.

Seriously having covid panic flashbacks watching this drama. That scene where everyone rushed in to stock up on food gave me twitches. (No one thought of toilet paper, though...? Lol) 

 

My thoughts on the characters and plot so far (through ep 3): Sae Bom is crazy, okay, I think we know that by now, lol. I feel like she has this breezy, devil-may-care bravado that does empower her to do a lot of things, but also maybe covers up for vulnerabilities she herself doesn't want to face. She can brazenly walk into a trailer of zombies to pull out a colleague. She doesn't seem to care about the consequence to herself. But she does these things without consideration of how they will affect others as well. (How many people were infected after that stunt? Five?) She can brazenly ask Yi Hyun to marry her, but really letting him into her feelings for an emotional intimacy, that...is something that she's glossing over, maybe because she doesn't want to face the lacks she has in that department. She did slightly mention it, though, when she told him why she wanted a place of her own. Her family wasn't close, they always fought, and that seems to have left a wound somehow. My hope of course is that her character arc includes not just standing up for others in moments of injustice (something I LOVE about her character) and doing things for others, but also acknowledging that she needs people as well. Not just an apartment with nice flooring--a home of people. I know Han Hyo Joo can easily pull off this kind of acting, but it depends on where the script goes as well. 

 

As for Jung Yi Hyun, his mother may say he has a temper, but I haven't seen it. I see him more as a rock, lol. People try to have tantrums at him, like the man in 601, but it doesn't make a dent in his feelings and his determination. He's been in love with Sae Bom since she pushed him off the roof and he doesn't know how long it will take for her to return the feeling, but he's not going anywhere. I like that he's decisive and has her back whenever she needs help but never once tells her what to do. He acts decisively but without handwringing and without drama. I feel like that lack of drama makes a great counterpoint to Sae Bom's impulsiveness. I also feel that he is the moral compass to all the interactions with Han Tae Seok. 

 

Han Tae Seok, for his part, seems to be trying to make the best decisions for the greater good, but that means seeing people en masse and even using people (like Sae Bom) if that is what is necessary. Perhaps in a way, he is just as reckless as Sae Bom, as he is using any and every means to find a way to save his wife--no matter who gets sacrificed along the way.

 

The other character I love is the little girl, Seo Yeon. I'm thinking her surgery er...is going to be delayed. She better not die in this drama. Not just because she's a cute little kid and it's easy to get attached, but she's the one and only normal person in the apartment, and I think that is sort of needed to contrast with all of the awful going on. 

 

My two minor complaints about the script are why Sae Bom would pull out an obviously infected person from the trailer (okay, I can sort of see it based on her character, see above), but I also wasn't 100% clear on why she let the woman from 601 out. Or why she needed to let her out? The door wasn't locked to begin with, she could have just walked out of the bathroom. Or does the illness make it impossible to open doors? I know the lady's skull was bashed, maybe she honestly didn't know how, even without the illness. I thought maybe Sae  Bom was doing it to try to get herself out as well. But shouldn't she call for help so someone would be on the other side? I don't know, I guess when you're in that kind of situation, you aren't thinking clearly. But her training should have included something about containing this situation. I guess as a viewer, you have to suspend your disbelief sometimes... Hollywood certainly does this and worse  sometimes. 

 

(Sorry for the novel!)

[larus]

Park Hyung Sik, Han Hyo Joo, And More Become Trapped In Growing Uneasiness In “Happiness”

 

Drama Preview

Nov 13, 2021

by L. Kim

 

Things are about to get tense in “Happiness”!

“Happiness” is an apocalyptic urban thriller set in the near future inside an apartment building that is stratified by social standing. The high-rise apartment is sealed off when a new infectious disease emerges, and the drama depicts the fear, psychological battles, and desperate struggles for survival that ensue.

The drama stars Han Hyo Joo and Park Hyung Sik as long-time friends and elite police officers who get caught up in the chaos, and Jo Woo Jin as the man from the Armed Forces Medical Command in charge of finding the cause of the disease and stopping its spread.

Spoilers

On the previous episode of “Happiness,” Yoon Sae Bom (Han Hyo Joo) and Jung Yi Hyun (Park Hyung Sik) noticed the seriousness of the infectious disease that began to penetrate deeply into everyday life. It started to spread in their apartment, and it was revealed that the pill NEXT was being sold at the gym. In the midst of a crisis where there may be additional infected people, the apartment was sealed off, raising questions about future developments.

The newly released stills show the apartment residents gathered in one place. They’re overwhelmed by anxiety because of the sudden news that the building has been barricaded. Everyone is extremely sensitive, and Yoon Sae Bom, Jung Yi Hyun, and Kim Jung Kook (Lee Joon Hyuk) appear to be in an uncomfortable situation.

 

 

Spoiler

 

On the other hand, Han Tae Suk (Jo Woo Jin) has a strained encounter with a mysterious man, and they exchange an icy contact that leaves viewers pondering about this new character.

Spoiler

The next episode will depict how the apartment’s residents’ lives will change due to the barricade. The way people bring out their selfish desires in a time of crisis will be another reason for fear.

The drama’s producers commented, “The struggle for survival will officially begin. In this extreme situation where the apartment has been sealed off, viewers will be able to see the bare faces of various people as they collide with each other. Please tune in to see what kind of choices the people in danger will make.”

Episode 4 of “Happiness” will air on November 13 at 10:40 p.m. KST.

 

https://www.soompi.com/article/1498370wpp/park-hyung-sik-han-hyo-joo-and-more-become-trapped-in-growing-uneasiness-in-happiness

[Not Yixing]

I've seen a lot of criticism about Sae Bom but I like that the way they've written her. I think it's actually a nice change of pace to have an impulsive and rash FL as opposed to the impulsive ML we always get. I like that they've written Yi Hyun to be the meticulous one. 

 

People seem to forget that Sae Bom and Yi Hyun view the 'monsters' as human. That's the explanation behind a lot of their actions - it's also the reason why Sae Bom reasoned with the woman in the bathroom and somehow was able to get out. 

 

I'm kind of getting World War Z vibes with the zombies not going after sick people - I don't think the woman would have attacked the little girl. It also reminds me of sweet home where the monsters are able to 'think'. It brings me back to my earlier point where they still view them as human. I hope the other episodes explore this because it's quite interesting...

 

I'm assuming episode 4 will bring the action, I can't wait!!!

 

[frozentundra]

4 minutes ago, Not Yixing said:

I've seen a lot of criticism about Sae Bom but I like that the way they've written her. I think it's actually a nice change of pace to have an impulsive and rash FL as opposed to the impulsive ML we always get. I like that they've written Yi Hyun to be the meticulous one. 

 

I like her, too! She's quite different from other female leads. 

[nrllee]

Okay. I need to retract my earlier post about the unlocked bathroom door.  Apparently (someone who is more knowledgeable about zombies highlighted this to me) zombies can’t open doors?  So they can lunge at doors (like the cadet from earlier) and try to break it down but they can’t twist the door handle to open it.  
 

But I am still not sure why SB opted to let the zombie wife out of the bathroom.  She was safe in the shower recess unless the woman head butts the glass and breaks it (again she doesn’t know how to open the door)?  
 

She does seem to have the penchant to dash headlong into situations instinctively without much forethought about consequences.  I guess the writer is using her character as a foil against YH’s.  He is the more considered and deliberate of the pair.  What I like about their dynamic is that he’s never berated her for acting the way she does or try to get her to change?  He just accepts that that’s how she is?  But checks in on her anyway?  
 

The class divide is interesting.  Nothing like a zombie apocalypse to level out the playing field.  The fact that the classes were segregated meant that all the patient zeros had to be from the floors above.  The fact that the renters couldn’t access the gym facilities (and have spare cash to buy the supplements) meant that only they would’ve turned into zombies.

[backstreetboysfan]

8 hours ago, frozentundra said:

 

I like her, too! She's quite different from other female leads. 

I like her as well, plus the leads have great chemistry as well.

[backstreetboysfan]

Quote

tvN’s new drama “Happiness” took first place in its time slot across all cable channels with an average nationwide rating of 3.3 percent and a peak of 4.1 percent. The apocalyptic thriller starring ZE:A’s Park Hyung Sik and Han Hyo Joo also achieved its highest ratings to date among the key demographic of viewers ages 20 to 49, with whom it scored a nationwide average of 2.2 percent and a peak of 3.0 percent.

Read more: https://kdramabuddy.com/now-we-are-breaking-up-ratings-rise-for-2nd-episode-jirisan-takes-1st-place-in-time-slot/#ixzz7C9zIO06m

[ferily]

I also have been seeing so much criticism and hate towards the female lead and I don't understand why she's getting all the hate? The way she rushed into the container to save her coworker, I thought that was very brave and courageous of her despite knowing the risks of the infected people. Plus we see Sae Bom take the initiative to prevent other residents of the apartment from locking them in. I agree with you @Not Yixing and it's nice to see a female lead who is impulsive and rash compared to what we usually see with the male lead.

 

@nrllee I think Sae Bom let the wife out because she probably sensed that the wife wasn't has crazy like the other infected people that she encountered. The wife didn't attack Sae Bom immediately before she ran into the shower so she must've thought that the wife just wanted to get out. That or she also was trying to save herself, but seeing how she immediately took action to run after the wife and make a call, I feel like it's the former.

 

Overall though, I'm really REALLY enjoying this drama so far and the whole lockdown within the apartment spices things up now. Episode 3 was just a prelude for what is to come with the residents of the apartment. I hate the whole hierarchy within the apartment though, with the renters and buyers. Episode 4 is just the beginning of the apocalypse we are about to see within the apartment and it looks like next episode is when residents will really take action to defend themselves.

 

Really enjoying Park Hyung Sik's character and acting in this drama too  Ah it's so nice to see him back to dramaland hehe... I really like Han Hyo Joo's acting too and thing all of our characters are nailing it.

 

PS...Andrew is sus. The guy in the gym is sus.... At this point, I'm going to be sus of everyone. Also the grandma, WHY DON'T YOU SAY ANYTHING...Ugh now we know there's going to be an outbreak in that apartment. Sigh, then again I understand why she hasn't said anything too but still as the viewers we KNOW it just means bad news. 

[Sleepy Owl]

Having watched ep 3. I feel like both Sae Bom and Yi Hyun are taking the situation and the disease kinda lightly. As for Yi Hyun I do understand since he has just seen one infected guy in the car trunk (although that must have been enough for him to understand how dangerous that disease is), but still he still does not know as much as Sae Bom knows having stayed in the facility. She saw the patients, she was explained very well about the disease and how it is not curable right now, at the same time how dangerous it is. It does not only infect the other person, it can actually kill a person on spot, just like we saw the murder case in ep 1. 

 

Plus Sae Bom is actually a very reckless person here. She is too reckless for a person being in an anti-terrorism squad. Her actions in ep 3 showed that she acted impulsively without thinking about the consequences of her action. I for one, actually liked that she was about to be locked in the truck. Not because I was annoyed by her reckless actions, but liked that the military personnel knew that they cannot take a risk, and knew that once the infected would come out what the consequences would be. 

 

Also I am still unable to understand the whole bathroom scene there. That crazy dude pushed her in the bathroom and closed the door. She went inside and closed the glassed door to protect herself from the infected wife. Okay, till here I kind of understand. What I don't understand is, why she opened the door for the infected wife? I thought she was going to sneak away, but no, let her free. Secondly, the husband had called someone telling he has an infected person at home. Why not call them before? Did he do it since the FL saw his wife? I am not sure. 

 

What I am sure about it is, both her actions in the apartment and the one entering the truck actually put a lot of people in risk of getting infected. We already know the wife scratched that old lady and she is now infected. Thing is, if such actions would have been done by a side character, that would lead to the virus being spread by their MISTAKE (I know since I have watched enough zombie movies and dramas). So I am not gonna really see her actions as valid, even the one where she went in to save her partner in the truck. Not when I know she is part of anti-terrorism squad, and also knows a lot more about this virus. 

 

Talking about episode 4, it was much better than previous ones. We see things getting serious. We see that the cause of this virus is indeed the drug called "Next" and also the president of the company which developed this drug is also infected. Who else is infected? Han Tae Seok's pregnant wife (I think most of us had already guessed it from his flashbacks. 

 

The residents of the apartment still worry about the price of their apartments, typical human greed and response in such situations 

 

I actually loved how Sae Bom used the gun to make them open the door. That is where I like her, she is different, she is decisive, but then her reckless actions are still something I am not over with 

That Andrew dude is very much suspicious. I am not sure whether the wannabe apartment representative lady has blocked the emergency exit stairs or not. But if she has done, I am sure that will bite her soon. I can imagine a scene where is running from an infected person, the elevator's gonna take time to reach her floor, and now she has to either wait for the elevator, or remove the bricks from the door. In either case, I don't see things in favor. 

 

I got to say, it was smart of Han Tae Seok to make sure the kids were outside. Of course we had to have our Seo Yoon had to somehow stay in the complex. But she is in safe hands. 

 

As most of you, I have had the theory as well that Sae Bom has got the anti-bodies for this virus. How she got is something for the writers to explain (if she really has got), but seeing how much Han Tae Seok worries about her, and how he wanted her to get out of the complex, it is pretty much evident that she is an important person for him. Which means he believes that she can be the answer to this infection, seeing how he wanted her to give blood every 2 weeks, and got her 6 months paid vacation (which I believe is to keep her safe since she is in the anti-terrorism squad who deal with more dangerous situations). 

 

My first line says that both leads were taking the infection very lightly, which I still believe they did in the 3rd episode. But its good to see them take things seriously. With the infected people roaming outside, I wonder how the residents will be getting the supplies of meal and other stuff. Let's see what happens next, but things gonna get more serious in the next week's episodes seeing the previews and I look forward to it 

[nrllee]

22 minutes ago, Sleepy Owl said:

Which means he believes that she can be the answer to this infection, seeing how he wanted her to give blood every 2 weeks, and got her 6 months paid vacation

I think that’s why they hooked her up to that machine in Ep2?  That machine harvests plasma.  So what it does is it takes the plasma out from your blood and returns the red blood cells back into your body.  The plasma is where the antibodies are.  I think they could be using it to manufacture monoclonal antibodies against the LyttaVirus which is what causes the madness?  It’s the same treatment they’re using for COVID patients with some success. Trump got it.  That’s my thinking.

 

How she got the antibodies is somehow linked to her stay in hospital when she was young.  She was 2years behind in high school because she spent 2years in hospital or something.  So somehow that ties in.  Whether it’s the treatment she received or the illness she had and then overcame, it’s the key to her being immune.

[Latte_Anyday]

@frozentundra

Ahahah IKR?! Nice write up you got there too. Btw I don't use toilet paper as I much prefer the bidet - it's cleaner & economically more practical; long term. I didn't do like Sae Bom's neighbor though.. the one with pixie hair that copied whatever she added to her cart. The rest with the manic stock piling thankfully never came to that level here. It's pretty calm and orderly I should say.

    

@Not Yixing

I too am not as bothered by Sae Bom's impulsive recklessness but I do wish she take the time to just think for a moment LoL y'know? And I like the point you brought up that both she & Yi Hyun view the "infected" as human. Therefore they didn't feel the need to treat 'em as animals whatever. If it were me I would've been killed already LoL I'd just surrender to my fate huhuhu~ 

 

This class discrimination thing in Sae Bom's apartment dwelling is sort of sickening. That bothered me more over her reckless behavior or all the zombie breakout combined. Especially after watching "Parasite" where the wealthy kept complaining their chauffeur smelled bad. Idk how true this is in South Korea or how much it's based on fact but it's among many things about South Korea that rub me the wrong way. 

 

[Latte_Anyday]

More awful characters apart from Min Ji's damn hubs, but there's his side chick. Added to that the entitled building rep. whatsherface with the whiny gramps and his useless son/grandson influencer/streamer - I'm not great with names, can't ya tell LoL!??!

    They're suppose to hunker down for a week but I guess zombies can't be contained eh? So now the awful characters are "infected' one by one..

    Poor Seo Yoon I feel she'd be orphaned as the text message sounded like a farewell oh no..

    Tae Seok is really very calm when that Next drug manufacturer lunged at him LoL. I liked how Sae Bom threatened to shoot when they were stopped from collecting their lunch boxes. She's just so ballsy; I like.

    And Yi Hyun is with her every step of the way it's really sweet. That Andrew dude I wonder if he has immunity or he's keeping something like a secret or a key to this disease??

[frozentundra]

7 minutes ago, Latte_Anyday said:

That Andrew dude I wonder if he has immunity or he's keeping something like a secret or a key to this disease??

The way they keep focusing on him makes you think there is definitely something important about him. 

 

Every last person there is odd (except the little girl). But boy, that apartment head lady sure pushes all of Sae Bom's buttons. It's like they can't even breathe the same air without setting each other off. 

 

Personally the grandpa gets on my nerves maybe the most... Grow up, dude! You're seventy, it's time you ironed your own underwear. But ummmm he is likely to be bitten next, given the wife whose condition he would rather ignore as long as she gets off the couch and waits on him hand and foot. 

[partyon]

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[nrllee]

On 11/14/2021 at 12:54 AM, frozentundra said:

Seriously having covid panic flashbacks watching this drama

I think that’s the point the writer is trying to bring across.  I found it really odd that everyone portrayed seemed very one dimensional and their reactions to a zombie apocalypse so different to the other movies depicting zombies eating humans.  .  Everyone is just amazingly calm?  So perhaps writernim is just giving us the varied responses to the pandemic but without the mass panic?  
 

- The YouTuber just films it with macabre glee

- SB’s coworker made money from the scoop (initially I thought it was so he could leave his wife and kids with money because he thought he was as good as dead anyway but now I am not so sure)

- snooty Ahjumma just worries about property prices

- YH and SB who battle the zombies and keeps civilians safe but also act as our conscience 

- Pharmaceutical CEO who uses the drug and unleashes it (like some giant human live experiment) to profit

- the child who is just caught up in it and bewildered.  

- and of course the religious bent thrust in there with the old lady handing out tracts and more recently the snooty Ahjumma’s hubby.

 

And the Andrew dude?  It’s got something to do with being a superhero.  The other male cleaner mentioned My Secret Identity.  That’s a TV series in the late 80s.  (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/My_Secret_Identity) About a guy with superhero powers (or a desire to be a superhero).  Masks. Alternate name/persona.   Potentially he idolizes the superpowers these zombies seem to have (just thinking out loud)?  I thought zombies moved slowly but this version here seem to move pretty fast .  Anyway, the cleaner lady mentioned he had a scar and he hid it wearing his mask.  So he’s been living as an outcaste of society for a while until the COVID pandemic hit and everyone wore a mask and he fitted in.  He probably associates more with the zombies than the uninflected.  Zombies are ugly and feared.  So is he (with his scar)?

 

 

 

 

 

[NhicarT]

I think the logic behind SB opening the door is misdirection/distraction. Say fir example if you were in a forest and a bear or even a lion is hunting you down instead of jut flat out running away you will hurl a stone somewhere to catch the bear/lion's attention so instead of going after you they will go for where the stone is thrown. If Saebom tried to make a run for it the zombie will still go after her.

 

Andrew is sus but I'm honestly not sure yet if he is the bad guy. A part of me thinks that he maybe like SB that he got attacked but survived it as well. Hmm like maybe he is the son or relative of the pharmaceutical company CEO.

[yanki222]

What can I say?  I'm liking and enjoying this drama so much, it's so intriguing, story wise and acting wise.  Moreover it's Park Hyung-Sik first drama since discharged from military service (he has matured so much) and Han Hyo-Joo never fail to disappoint, her character SB is well written, fearless and bold that's why Yi Hyun loves her so much, you can tell from him staring at her and he's so sweet to SB.

Yes, I agree Andrew is a 50/50 (is he the guy at the roof-top?), in the next episode preview, didn't he also help to fetch groceries from the minimart?  The gym guy I'm still not sure, he looks like he's only helping to cover up but has not taken the pills himself.  I'm concern for the grandpa and his son as his wife is clearly infected. So the incubation period is 7 days?

 

When SB was trapped in the bathroom/shower, she clearly saw the zombie wife got distracted by her husband's voice on the phone so she asked the zombie wife if she wanted to go out? The wife was not in attacking mode thus SB quickly opened the bathroom door for her to go out so she can escape at the same time. This is very clever of SB.

[frozentundra]

If zombie wife wasn't able to get out of the unlocked bathroom herself, then maybe SB thought she wouldn't escape into the rest of the apartment building? After all...we saw the husband out and about (with his mistress, even), so what was keeping zombie wife inside? 

 

Then again...at the end of 4, they are barricading the doors so the infected don't break in, so...I don't know what the logic is.

 

I did love the picnic on the rooftop, though!