Happiness

Happiness is a 12-episode South Korean apocalyptic psychological thriller written by Han Sang-woon and directed by Ahn Gil-ho, produced by Studio Dragon. Set in the immediate aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, the narrative unfolds in a society transitioning into a fragile 'new normal'. This tranquility is shattered by the emergence of the rabies-like 'Mad Person Disease' (Lytta virus), triggered as an adverse reaction to a failed pneumonia treatment pill dubbed 'Next', causing the infected to cycle between lucidity and murderous, blood-drinking fury.

The story follows Special Operations Unit officer Yoon Sae-bom and violent crimes detective Jung Yi-hyun, long-time friends who enter into a pragmatic contract marriage to secure a lease in the newly constructed Seyang Forest Le Ciel apartment complex. Shortly after moving into Building 101, outbreaks prompt Lieutenant Colonel Han Tae-seok of the Armed Forces Medical Command to place the high-rise under total military quarantine, severing all external supplies, utilities, and communication.

Across its run, the series evolves from an infectious disease procedural into an intense social laboratory and psychological pressure cooker. Trapped within the sealed residential tower, Sae-bom and Yi-hyun must navigate the biological threat of infected neighbours while confronting the escalating cruelty, greed, paranoia, and moral decay of uninfected upper-class residents fighting ruthlessly to preserve their social status.

The central thesis of Happiness lies in its satirical and ironic title: true 'happiness' is fundamentally relational and communal, yet late-stage capitalist societies distort it into an insatiable accumulation of physical assets, social status, and personal isolation.

Through the lens of an infectious disease that mimics vampiric and rabid thirst, the physical virus merely strips away societal decorum, exposing the predatory egoism and class bigotry already infecting humanity. The drama posits that moral resilience, unconditional solidarity, and domestic emotional safety are the only true antidotes to systemic collapse and existential terror.

The Sociological Allegory: The apartment complex functions as a vertical capitalist prison where social capital decays; uninfected homeowners willingly commit atrocities to protect property values, framing wealth as a catalyst for moral bankruptcy.

Produced during the peak of global COVID-19 fatigue in late 2021, Happiness was among the first major television series to directly integrate pandemic trauma, quarantine anxiety, and public health command structures into its worldbuilding.

While achieving modest domestic cable ratings on tvN (around 3.3% to 4.2%), it became a major global sleeper hit on platforms like Netflix and Viki, entering the Global Top 10 Non-English category. Lead actress Han Hyo-joo won the Popular Star Award at the 2022 Blue Dragon Series Awards. The series redefined the K-zombie subgenre by shifting narrative focus from visceral gore to a claustrophobic psychological siege exploring hoarding, class resentment, and institutional distrust.

Critical and audience reception has been broadly enthusiastic, earning strong ratings on aggregator platforms (8.5/10 on IMDb and 8.8/10 on MyDramaList). Critics widely praised the unmatched romantic chemistry and equal partnership between Han Hyo-joo and Park Hyung-sik, the fresh mechanics of the lucid-versus-rabid infection cycle, and the biting social satire confined to a single location.

Minor criticisms focused on the intentionally infuriating, unrepentant nature of supporting villains such as Oh Joo-hyung and Oh Yeon-ok, occasional pacing slowdowns during apartment meetings in Episodes 6 through 8, and a somewhat rushed legal resolution in the final minutes of Episode 12.