Writing-wise, this is one of the best sageuks I've ever seen (and at this point, I've watched a whole lot of them).
I don't know how else to describe it beside it being smartly written. The characters were interesting and flawed, with multiple layers and complex emotions. Their actions were always motivated by solid reasons, and even the villains were clever in the way they plotted their evil deeds (which is not actually the norm in base of my observations so far). I was hooked throughout, and actually found myself being surprised by some of the twists and turns the story took.
The show was like a baduk game in and of itself, with the two opponents constantly trying to outsmart and outmaneuver each other, both when it was the King and his Gidaeryeong, and the King and those seeking to control him, which I really loved given how prominently the game was featured. There was a constant struggle for power going on, with the knowledge that any move had to be carefully considered because a wrong step could lead to catastrophic results (much as it was shown during the very first episode).
Also, there were a lot of different instances were it was mentioned how the characters were blinded because of how they were "captivated" by a certain emotion. Be it a thirst for revenge, or an overwhelming love, or anything in between. Which again, I liked the tie in to the show's name and theme.
Of course, it was visually stunning, like all sageuks usually are, and the OST matched the show well, even if it was not very memorable. The acting was top notch all across, with Cho Jung Seok shining especially bright in his range from tyrannical King to lovesick man, he really excelled in portraying a deeply complex character. Shin Se Kyung's character reminded me a lot of who she'd played in Rookie Historian Goo Hae-Ryung (also a marvelous sageuk fyi), a smart woman, confident in her abilities but somewhat limited by her circumstances.
The only reason I'm not giving Captivating the King the full 10/10 rating is because the romantic spark between the leads was sadly missing. I loved how mature, deep and settled their relationship felt, but the heat that comes with good chemistry was sadly missing. I bought they cared about each other, but didn't feel the attraction. When they kissed, nothing happened.
Either way, it was an amazing show and I had a great time watching it.
THIS SHOW IS GREAT <3
it's not always that I find a kdrama that i like, but this one got me hooked from the first episode. the story, the chemistry, the intrigue...
while there's no shocking plot twist and the plot is easy to guess -- not to mention, that ending that's such a fan service!!-- i like it nonetheless.
anyways, I'm officially in love with park hyung-sik now. (:heart: ω :heart:)
note to self: I'll probably regret binging 8 episodes until 2 am and i have t work this morning ╰（‵□′）╯
Edit 3 days after I finished Happiness:
I still feel bubbly and can't move on from this series, even after watching all 20 episodes of Hwarang (2017) and One Ordinary Day (2021, Kim Soo-hyun).
I only listen to the OST these past days(shout out to Joe Layne - What Lies Ahead and Isaac Hong - Pain).
I swear the last time I felt like this was after Reply 1988, and it took 20 2-hour-long episodes to make me feel that way. So if Happiness can make me feel this way with only 12 episodes is a great feat and they deserve to be on my top drama list!
I need help
Sae Bom & Yi Hyun's fight for Happiness and Humanity when stupidity is scarier than the vicious virus.
Zombie dramas are not uncommon but this ain't your run of the mill Zombie drama ; it is a mere reflection of covid pandemic/epidemic.
It is a zombie themed drama that pour slice of life scenarios into it. It has a great opening that is linked to our current pandemic situation. This drama started by how people overcome and get used to the virus and continued on their daily life.
The basic concept of Happiness (해피니스)is apocalypse and we are having more of it these days, no? But what makes this drama stand out is a different approach of showcasing human behaviour during crisis, more than the apocalyptic situation. Yes, that's how you have to perceive and watch the entire thing keeping that in your mind. Otherwise you gonna hate this drama if you have come here to see thrilling monster apocalyptic consequences, utter dystopia and plenty of gore elements or people smashing zombie brains left and right.
Infact the only headshot we love will be of the serial killer - andrew
Yoon Sae Bom (Han Hyo Joo), an SOU cop is highly decisive, righteous and straightforward as a person. She never tolerates injustice and always ready to counter any challenging situation. Jung Yi Hyun (Park Hyung Sik) is violent crime detective who never fails to get to the root of any incident and is good at dealing with any kind of unforseen event. Han Tae Seok (Jo Woo Jin) an ex-military agent has the topmost hand as a pharmaceutical company executive who is aware of the origins of the virus and constantly strive to defeat the virus.
We have got many actors in the drama who are more or less familiar and are good at acting. My favorites are the the little girl , shopping mart teller , Lieutenant Lee Ji Soo and Na brother-sister; rest of them go east shit; who started as selfish brother and sister but they mad me laugh without even trying to the way he hid his sister behind when infected comes and the way he resisted to bite ; in the end becoming pivotal to the cure ; which proves the point :
Humanity is the biggest cure for any disease ...
resist not to harm the people even after infected takes a lot of will power and which is what produced antibodies as the virus couldn't incubate enough to infect the brain.
The entire piece is thrilling and awes you with its suspense at several points but it might not feel compelling which is okay because it's more important that you understand the underlying messages which the show wanted to convey. Overall, Happiness is a good drama which experimentally shows the social science P.O.V of human behavior and the underlying psychology. Please keep in mind that it's 10% apocalypse and 90% about demeanor of so called social animals, namely human beings. It's definitely worth the one time watch and I would surely recommend to give this a go, at least for Park Hyung Sik ; many said he widened after military service but his action and fights were very much improved compared to Strong Bong-soon.
MORAL OF THE STORY: Do NOT enter a location when you see people wearing PPEs. (If you are a nurse, you should know this already.)
I applaud the screenwriter for not shying away from killing a major character. There are very few screenwriters who are brave enough to do it, often screenwriters choose the "they happily lived ever after" route.
However, as the intro to this post hinted, I do not approve the sudden stupidity of a major character just to get that character terminally ill. Go Mi Ho was a nurse. She is intelligent and full of wisdom. Where did her intelligence AND WISDOM go in the cave sinkhole episode? Then after that episode, Mi Ho became intelligent and full of wisdom again.
In that one episode, she suddenly acted a hero when it was never part of her character, and after that episode, she never acted a hero either. She is intelligent AND WISE. She took calculated risks. She was no hero, before or after. But in that one episode, she acted a dumb hero which led to her getting exposed to deadly radiation.
Sure. There are people who would have done the same as she did but that is a rare thing most especially when the people escaping a disaster are wearing PPEs, and you happen to know as well as corrupt and evil the operator of that cave. All for what? For that character she saved to only die WITHOUT contributing anything to the plot after he was saved.
That episode. Go Mi Ho suddenly throwing her intelligence and wisdom out the window was only meant to get her terminally ill. No more, no less. It was very weak. They could've have used a contaminated bottled water or fish planted by Choi Do Ha, or some other method other than letting her do something out of her character.
People rarely do something like what she did unless they have a very, very, very strong conviction which Go Mi Ho did not possess. She took calculated risks for her husband, that was the entire driving force behind her. Her saving people begins and ends with her working as a nurse, outside of it she didn't do anything.
Again, good job on not being afraid of killing a major character. But very bad job on how to get that character terminally ill.
From 10 stars, it's down to 8 stars.
Pulls the audience right into the story
"Awaken" was a well-made mystery and suspense Korean drama. It follows the story of "Do Jung Woo" (played by Nam Goong Min) and "Gong Hye Won" (played by Kim Seol Hyun) as they try to solve a series of murders tipped by an unknown personality through codes.
The story was carefully laid-out as in each episode there were numerous twists and turns to keep the audience on edge and continually guessing. This also pulled in the audience into joining into solving the ever evolving mysteries.
I also praise the actors and actresses for their superb acting. They did not come to the show as "another character to act", it was evident that they assumed the identity of their characters and lived the way they would if they were real. From being police officers to being ordinary individuals with lives and worries, they successfully invited the audience to a suspension of disbelief the entire sixteen (16) episodes.
The soundtrack was good and were placed in key scenes which created an even greater impact. Finally, the production and directing were top-notch. They did not shy away from picking the right locations, the attires, and the tools needed to present the world of "Awaken".
An overall 9.5 out of 10 stars from me. I highly recommend this show.
Currently halfway through and I just want to tell everybody already: Go check this out!!!
Edit: Just finished it. It's truly a remarkable series!
Beautiful CGI images, although the keen eye might occasionally spot some glitches and errors, it was truly eye candy most of the time. The story ending feels like the show might be going for some kind of super/genius heroes team, but in a way that really makes you enthusiastic to see what more they are gonna do, after this epic first season story. Looking at the detective arc of the story, I incidentally saw Sherlock-genius schemes forming and was delighted to see this - although I missed much more than I could have thought - all came together in a marvelous way!
Also for the lovers of a good love story there is more than enough to enjoy. Containing numerous twists, brought in throughout the whole storyline. Giving you plenty enough of satisfaction, excitement and anticipation on this area...
There is plenty of more to find out than the above teasers, but then I would be actually spoiling a lot. Those are just some of the many reasons why you should watch it! ;-)
All concluded: A great new sci-fi hero story, with much more up its sleeve than you would expect!
