Review: Happiness

THE SHORT VERDICT:

This is the zombie show that I didn’t know I needed, in my life.

Show is basically sharp, thought-provoking social commentary, dressed as a zombie drama, with a healthy dollop of (absolutely delightful!) contract marriage on the side. Not everything makes sense, but just roll with it, because Show’s social commentary feels like the main course, while all the other details that may not add up, feel incidental, almost.

Park Hyung Sik and Han Hyo Joo are absolutely wonderful in this, both individually and together, and just the two of them, make this watch more than worthwhile.

I highly recommend this, even if you’re not typically into zombie shows.

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Review: My Unfamiliar Family

THE SHORT VERDICT:

My Unfamiliar Family is a drama that feels familiar and yet fresh at the same time, to my eyes.

It feels like a lot of the things I like in family dramas, condensed into a more efficient 16 episodes rather than a sprawling 54 episodes, presented with more polish, and sprinkled with a harder dash of reality, than the average family drama.

Show has more surprises up its sleeve than the average kdrama, which makes this almost (but not quite) feel like a soapy watch experience. Yet, at the same time, there is a solid amount to unpack with this show, which makes it feel meaty and serious.

Altogether, Show feels kind of spicy and interesting, while managing to remain raw, heart-hitting and thought-provoking, at the same time.

An unusual combination of drama flavors that makes for a refreshing watch.

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