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[Ishani's Picks] Here's Why "Happiness - Drama" Isn't Just Another Neo Zombie Horror But A Politically Intriguing Origin Story

Park Hyung-sik, Han Hyo-joo and Jo Woo-jin's highly anticipated apocalyptic survival drama "Happiness - Drama" has officially premiered and to consistently positive response and ratings alike. However, is there novelty to the concept?

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The drama tells the story of the outbreak of an infectious disease that finds its roots in corruption, political foul play and human greed. The world portrayed in "Happiness - Drama" is a post-COVID world where the new normal comprises constant paranoia regarding the rise of new infections but also a complete disregard for the same in favour of hard-earned freedom against restrictions.

Contrasts and divisions are drawn throughout the narrative: some deliberate, others implied and through this chiaroscuro, is born the neo-zombie. Before moving further into the plot, it is important to introduce the characters and the first episode of "Happiness - Drama" does exactly that. Park Hyung-sik plays Jeong Yi-hyeon, a young baseball player who has to retire from sports due to an injury and grows up to be a detective with a nose for the truth and an excellent hunch on how to reach it. Han Hyo-joo plays Yoon Sae-bom, a tactical agent who works in the Special Operations Unit to counter terrorism. Jeong Yi-hyeon and Yoon Sae-bom have been close friends since they were young but in high school, Yi-hyeon once asked Sae-bom to date him and as adults, Sae-bom asks Yi-hyeon to marry her. The two end up "getting married" and move in together. The highschool sweethearts trope is both effective and adorable and it will be interesting to see how the two of them realize the feelings that have been there all along, especially in a world that's at the brink of implosion.

The apartment Yi-hyeon and Sae-bom move into is allotted to them as a rental, courtesy of the National Police Agency. They live on the fifth floor, in flat number 501. However, from the sixth floor onwards, the flats fall under general sales and as such, are barricaded, in a sense, to create a clear divide between tenants and homeowners. The predominant theme of the entire drama becomes evident right at this point. Class struggle, psychological warfare and an inherently human evil that looms larger than the monsters.

The least intriguing part of the story however, is the actual "disease" and that's simply because the drama uses a familiar device to effectively establish a connection with the audience and tap into a core part of their rationale that evokes horror. Years after the COVID-19 pandemic, yet another infectious disease breaks out that turns humans into bloodthirsty monsters but with periods of dormancy. It is predicted to spread through bites and scratches but clearly, there are exceptions, as proven by Yoon Sae-bom. Jeong Yi-hyeon suspects that a massive drug ring is behind this sudden phenomenon whereas Han Tae-seok, a lieutenant colonel played by Jo Woo-jin, believes that it is yet another infectious disease. Either way, the standard message remains the same: humans are far more dangerous than mindless monsters.

What truly transforms this drama from yet another redundant zombie horror to a riveting mystery thriller is the microcosm of the high-rise building where this "disease" is slowly finding its way around residents. A metaphor takes birth here, quite like what we have seen in "Kingdom", with power imbalance, injustice, poverty and human hunger being posited onto the figure of the zombie. "Happiness - Drama" brilliantly sets up the origin story of the bloodthirsty and monstrous human, bringing a new vessel into existence for modern social evils, especially those that have cropped up post the deadliest pandemic of our times.

Make no mistake, "Happiness - Drama" will most definitely give you all the gory thrill of (hopefully) surviving a zombie apocalypse but more importantly, it will present a reality that exists in the not-so-distant future. "Happiness - Drama" is holding a mirror to modern society, plagued by fear, distrust, paranoia, discrimination, violence and evils much worse than zombies. It is a much-needed critique of the world as it is rather than a glorified fantasy of what it could be.

Park Hyung-sik returns to the screen with a vigour and zest unlike anything we've seen before. There's a gravity to his character that will draw you in, leaving you hooked to his every move. At the same time, I have never seen an actor more suited to a role than Han Hyo-joo as Yoon Sae-bom. Not only does she embody her character but she transforms, lives and breathes as Yoon Sae-bom. We're only two episodes in but this might be Han Hyo-joo's best performance yet. Jo Woo-jin is brilliant as always, adding just the right amount of a much-needed edge to the drama that we simply cannot do without.

If you haven't started watching "Happiness - Drama" yet, don't forget to tune in every Friday and Saturday at 22:40, only on tvN. For international fans, "Happiness - Drama" is available for streaming worldwide on Rakuten Viki!

By Ishani Sarkar

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"Happiness - Drama" is directed by Ahn Gil-ho, written by Han Sang-woon, and features Han Hyo-joo, Park Hyung-sik, Jo Woo-jin, Kang Ji-eun-I, Lee Joon-hyuk-I, Park Joo-hee. Broadcasting information in Korea: 2021/11/05~Now airing, Fri, Sat 22:40 on tvN.

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