Different and Enjoyable

I don't normally go for zombie content because I generally think it gets too repetitive and doesn't reflect well on what the horror genre can truly offer BUT I enjoyed Happiness particularly because the zombies aren't what we usually see. You've got your standard virus outbreak causing people to turn into mindless flesh-eating savages but this is only for a limited time, after which they become lucid and can speak, think, and behave like a regular person before their next 'episode'. With each episode you have, the less likely you are to come out of the zombie-like state.

The stakes might seem lower than the usual zombie infections we're used to from other zombie content but I enjoyed this twist because it raises the moral and ethical considerations of killing someone who is infected, which we do see in the show. In a series like The Walking Dead, there's no question about putting down a zombie; it's not a person, they're already dead. But in Happiness, wait out the episode and you'll be able to have a conversation with the person who attacked you. Maybe this isn't what some zombie enthusiasts would enjoy, but I thought it made the scenario quite interesting. One line I absolutely loved was in a scene where the main leads were forced to do something that might attract the zombies toward them so they asked for a weapon but they were told instead, "You said the infected are people too. Sort it out through conversation."

Classism rears its ugly head here as well, with the richer residents continuously insisting they deserve more than the renters on the lower floors simply because they have more wealth. I quite liked this aspect of the story as well. It baffles me personally how someone would think money holds any value in the middle of an apocalypse, especially because they don't truly know when or if life will go back to normal. I just think it made for an interesting commentary on society. At a time when people should be coming together to help each other survive, instead we see humanity crumbling away.

I also loved the OST. It felt quite different from the usual soundtracks we hear and added a lot to the tone of the show.

I give this an 8 because although there was a lot I liked about this, there were some decisions the characters made that seemed a bit out of place and the ending left me wondering about a couple of story threads (but nothing major). Some of the character stories could have been expanded on a little more as well and I also felt that, for a show about zombies, more could have been done with the element of suspense.

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Kept Me Guessing

I genuinely couldn't decide on the culprit almost the whole way through. Maybe that's just me and it went right over my head. I usually find it quite easy to guess whodunnit but not this time; I was changing my mind constantly. Because of that, I enjoyed this one immensely. The acting was solid and I felt engaged for the entire thing.

Revenge stories can sometimes bother me because I can't always put myself in the headspace of a person who would choose to 'get even' because I ultimately see it as pointless BUT this show was fun to watch because of all the twists and turns. It also didn't feel as difficult to get into that headspace this time because of the people involved all being students and peers. Some parts might be a bit too violent for some viewers but if you're okay with that, then I'd recommend this in a heartbeat.

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