It's Okay to Not Be Okay (2020)

Extremely Strong 1st Half Which Slightly Fizzles Out in its 2nd Half...

This was my first K-drama that I watch while it was currently airing. To be honest, I've never heard of this K-drama before. I was just randomly browsing through Netflix, saw the notification bubble, clicked it out of curiosity and the title "It's Okay To Not Be Okay" piqued my interest. So, I clicked on it, read the synopsis and watched the trailer. It seemed interesting so I gave it a try and BOY, am I glad that I did! The production was stunning! The animated opening was beautiful! The cinematography was interesting and caught my eye for being adventurous. By the middle of the first episode, I was hooked! With her stories, Go Moon Young is like a female Tim Burton, who I was completely in awe of back in the day when I was in high school. She also reminded me of Jo Yi Seo from Itaewon Class with her antisocial behaviour though I do prefer Go Moon Young more. Moon Kang Tae is extremely attractive and the most attractive male lead of a K-drama that I've seen thus far no doubt. The chemistry between Kim Soo Hyun and Seo Ye Ji is electric! The acting is all-around top notch! The story is intriguing and engaging! I loved how this is a drama with a mystery in its background about the unsolved deaths of the two leads' parents and the reason for the mental illness in each family. Without a doubt, the best drama that I am currently watching at the moment! Hopefully, the drama is able to maintain its momentum throughout the rest of its episodes!

Upon watching Episodes 3, I continue to be impressed! Everything is just so good! The story. The acting. The production. The visuals. The costumes. Ugh. The back-and-forth banter between the two leads is just perfect! And I love how they can help each other to grow to become more fully themselves. And that last scene at the end where Kwon Gi Do is on stage having his voice heard whilst avoiding his father's campaign workers while Gang-Tae looks on longingly at his freedom and utter joy. STUNNING! To stop being so repressed and to just let go. To be free and have fun. I can only wish...

On a side note, I'm having a hard time trying to put my feelings of this drama into words. Everything is just so good! It's easier for me to criticize than to praise as I can point out plot points or story elements that don't make sense. However, if everything is consistently good from episode to episode, I don't really need to point out anything.

Upon watching Episodes 5 and 6, I felt that Gang-Tae's transition from being nervous and suppressed around Moon Young to being happy and loving seems a bit rushed. Same with Moon Young being cold and calculating to being warm and affectionate to Gang-Tae.

Watching Episodes 7 and 8, I kinda felt like this series is losing steam as it was pedal to the metal in the beginning but was unable to keep that momentum, which is understandably hard to do. The episodes are still entertaining, but I wouldn't say that they're compelling unlike the first few episodes.

Upon watching Episodes 9 and 10, I realized that the horror-fantasy elements that were present in the first few episodes kinda disappeared for some reason and the series became just a standard drama, though still a good one at that.

Episodes 11 and 12 were quite riveting as the mystery surrounding Gang-Tae and Sang-Tae's murder gets revealed and the romance between GT and MY is shown to be ill-fated. I hope that GT is realizes that it is not MY's fault that her mother killed his mother. We can't blame the actions of one's parents on them. And it looks from the preview of the next episodes that he doesn't blame MY. I truly hope that MY's mother will be caught and that MY and GT will have a happy ending... I'm so sad that there is only 2 weeks (4 episodes) left. I'm going to miss waking up late on the weekend and watching this drama right after I eat lunch :'(

Episode 13 was very slow and a bit dull to be honest. Only the last scene was interesting as it was shown that the nurse was the mother, not the patient. What an unexpected twist! I've always thought that the nurse was kinda weird and a bit off. But if I remember correctly, the nurse never interacted with MY. For someone who is willing to kill another to keep her daughter, the fact that she is able to distance herself from her daughter whenever MY visits the hospital doesn't make much sense. Either way, I'm hyped for the next few episodes! We're in the home stretch now...
Episode 14 was also quite slow and dull to be honest. I felt that there was a lot of filler as they drag out the confrontation with the mother. Also, there were a few questionable plot points, such as why GT decided to leave ST unprotected at the house instead of stay with him and MY at the cursed castle where he could protect them both. Also, why wasn't there any police at the cursed castle or any protecting MY, GT or ST? There weren't any police even looking for the mother, which didn't make any sense. And why didn't GT call the police after the mother kidnapped ST? Anyways, there's only two more episodes to go. I'm still interested in seeing how this series ends.

Episode 15 was underwhelming with quite a few plot points that don't make sense. The mother is angry that MY doesn't listen to her because of GT but MY thinks that her mother is dead. So, how can she listen to her mother when her mother is literally hiding underneath a different face? That doesn't make any sense. The mother's reason for killing GT's mother makes no sense either. All GT's mother did was suggest that MY go get help. She didn't try to take her daughter away or try to report to the authorities. There must have been teachers or other adults who saw MY's antisocial behaviour and talked to her mother about getting her help. If MY's mother is triggered that easily, she must have killed several people before which she hasn't. So, it doesn't make any sense. And anyways, I'm pretty sure that MY would be completely fine with GT killing her mother since her mother did kill his mother and she actually wanted to kill her anyways. But no, save the mother so that the mother could kill MY or GT. And anyways, how did MY get there so quickly without a car? The climax where GT and MY truffle with MY's mother was also quite underwhelming. Hopefully, the season finale will be better.

Episode 16, the season finale, was good. It wrapped up all the plot lines in a nice way and showed ST seeking independence from GT, allowing him to live for himself.

All in all, this Kdrama was entertaining. The cinematography and production design were excellent. The characters were well-developed. The acting was all-around good, especially Oh Jung Se who portrayed the autistic ST perfectly! His performance was Oscar-worthy! The story however was lacking. The first half of the series was strong! It was unique, interesting and fascinating. There was a fantasy/horror edge to it. However, the series delved into a standard melodrama in its second half and all that potential was wasted. The drama was good, but nowhere near what it could've been if it leaned into its macabre, fantastical element which would have differentiated it from the other Kdramas out there. Crash Landing on You, the first Kdrama that I watched, still remains as my favorite K-drama so far...

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One of the best Kdramas out there, imo

Never in my life have I ever watched a drama as it was airing. Never. I always waited until it was completed because I'm one impatient fella~ But this drama got me so curious since before the first trailer came out. Kim Soo Hyun, one of my fav actors, was officially casted for a drama role since his military discharge and Seo Ye Ji had caught my attention since 'Lawless Lawyer'; her voice was golden. So when the first trailer came out, I remembered being so intrigued with the couple's visuals and chemistry, I never stopped waiting for the 1st episode to come out already.

The show's over but I still need more! I've literally turned into an addict! I'm not satisfied with 16 eps. I can't believe it's over... I walked into this drama only knowing bits and pieces, and now, I walk out of this with a heavy heart, missing it like crazy. This was such a well-paced and life-learning series.

The story, from the get-go was nothing I've ever seen before. I don't remember watching anything quite like this. The added effects, animations and the cinematography tripled my excitement, and the uniqueness of how each episode title relates to the story of that particular episode increased my anticipation for the next ep. Each episode also has a lesson to teach us, and every week, the episodes keeps getting better and better. There's not one episode I've watched with dry eyes.

Also, from the first trailer itself, they tell us something about butterflies. This was the ONE thing I was so DESPERATELY curious about. They explain it in the later episodes, but butterflies are the main imagery of this drama. So beautiful, yet they hold an underlying despair.

"Don't let the past trap you, or you'll end up like me."
"The past can trap me? Then I can just open the door and get out."
"No, you can't. You won't be able to see the door."

I feel like every one of the characters in this drama has their own "mental illness", you know? Either subtly or quite obviously, and I'm excited to see whether they try to overcome it or learn to live with it. Most especially Goo Moon Young. Also, remember that "your eyes can tell stories your mouth never could." This was Moon Gang Tae His eyes ... they tell a thousand stories.

Another reason this drama intrigued me was the chemistry between Soo Hyun and Ye Ji. I've honestly never seen chemistry more explosive, more beautiful, more visually-appealing, more REAL than these two. And that's saying something. Also, Moon Sang Tae, he's a character I've began to love over the course of the drama. His character development, his kindness, his innocence and just about everything about him was so pure and beautiful. The trio have an amazing relationship with each other and no matter what, they're family.

Now for the music, oh, the music, man. I've got no words for the music in this drama. EVERY SINGLE ONE of them is a masterpiece! Every. Single. One. The aesthetic and the feelings that well up inside of you when you watch the scenes as the OSTs play in the background are unbelievable. Sometimes you can't help yourself from smiling, but most of the time you end up with a few or more tears. Fyi, I've added them all to my playlist ^_^

All in all, this show was a crying FESTIVAL and Moon Sang Tae was MVP! And that DARN DEER omg!
Tbh all the characters were so lovable (except that evil villain ofc)~ And all the side characters were worthy of being main characters. They were the stars of their own story and I just really liked them all~

I'm telling you this with utmost sincerity. You won't regret watching this drama. At the very least, just give it a try. The aesthetic, chemistry, acting, music, Kim Soo Hyun's eyes, Seo Ye Ji's voice, and Oh Jung Se's character. They are all best-sellers for this drama <3

I'm sorry if this review was all over place. It's my first time loving a drama this much and writing a review this long omg

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Overrated

Stop writing fluffy reviews about this drama. It's not that good you'll just have backlash because it WON'T LIVE UP TO EXPECTATIONS. I went to watch this after seeing the unusual 9.2 and was highly disappointed with how cliché this is. The fans of this are too ride or die and idek why. Probably because of the cute graphics that resemble Tim Burton style but besides that and the autistic character there's nothing special about this show, it's tropes galore and honestly Kim Soohyun performance in this in kinda dull. Yes he's a good crier but besides that his character is not captivating.

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OVERRATED

I was really looking forward to watching this drama especially when I heard Kim Soo Hyun was playing the male lead, however unfortunately I was extremely disappointed.
I suspect it also has to do with my high expectations of this drama but honestly not only was the storyline average but also the soundtrack and character development wasn't intriguing.
I feel like it got so much attention because of the good looks of the main characters but I felt that their chemistry wasn't amazing and their relationship was overly complicated.
I didn't feel moved at all watching this and the ending wasn't satisfying. It has an interesting concept however lacked thematic value.
Overall it was an alright drama and there were some heartwarming moments however definitely did not deserve the praise that it had received.

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pure, healing and beautiful

the plot is nothing special, the story is really basic but somehow this is one of the most beautiful dramas I've ever watched, and not just in 2020.
there are 2 things I love that as long as they don't mess it up then I'll give the drama a 10/10 without a second thought. one is a strong independent smart capable diverse female character, honestly they can never go wrong when they have a female character that carries her own weight if not more.
And two is character driven slice of life healing dramas, I LOVE these types of stories, they are just raw and emotional and sad but beautiful enough to make you feel jealous

at a certain point in the drama they handled the mains "complicated" bickering relationship, they focused on Moon Sang Tae's natural jealous feelings because he was no longer his brothers "one and only" and it could've gone really badly if the writers used it for cheap angst but they handled it so beautifully that the developing relationships became 1000x better.

"mystery" wise I do think they lacked a little, but it's becasue they didn't use it for cheap thrill and looming danger but it was the base for their healing.
even throughout their "inevitable breakups" it was never about their selflessness or selfishness but it was another natural step to overcoming their past and struggles.
I was worried after ep14 that things might get off track but they stayed true to their story and I'm really pleased about where it's going

side character wise, again they lacked in delivery, the side stories and the effects they used to deliver the stories were beautiful and heartbreaking but I felt like they weren't 100% invested in their stories and they felt like mere time fillers, like Yoo Seung Jae never got any character depth and even though Jo Jae Soo was Moon Gang Tae's best friend for 10 years I couldn't understand how they all miraculously ended up in ok town (I'm sorry I don't know the name of their location xD)
that didn't make their unexpected friendships and familial bonds any less meaningful, but I wish they gave them a little more thought

the editing is beautiful, moonyoung's fairy tales and the use of fairy tale resembles, the ost and moonyoung's OOTD's just made this drama more enchanting and amazing~

I never rewatch stuff but it's only ep15 and I already miss them so much that I'm crying so I'd like to rewatch this again and again and again ;D

watching the ending I'm even happier now, this drama didn't use the past connections and the trauma as the main dish, it was always just the spice.
like in itaewon class the revenge and past trauma was the last big fight and the end was just a cleanup but this, it was always about the "cleanup" and I'm really satisfied with everything

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This year's one of the best drama!

Whoa! my reaction when I started to watch this drama, I wasn't sure before how it will turn out but it was amazing thank god I listen to my insticts and watched cause it was pretty amazing.

But it's not for anyone I say because you will love or hate it.

The plot was very interesting and addictive and main thing it's originality. I love the character development it was one of the best thing of this drama because you see every character is developing in their own way in every episode and it was refreshing to see. I also love those stories or I can say fairy tales.

Acting was topnotch, and ost was incredible (it's in my fav songs list).

Overall this drama was amazing and worthwatching !!

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Started off strong . . .

I'm not going to lie, I have a strong Kim Soo Hyun bias and have been really looking forward to his post-military duty drama comeback. I think the concept of the story was intriguing, the cinematography: excellent, the cast: spectacular, the soundtrack: addictive, but the execution didn't quite reach the desired effect. I do give a lot of props to the writers for writing stories within the story. The illustrations and moral messages of Moon Young's fairytales were so poignant and beautifully written. I'm grateful for this drama because it introduced me to the talent that is Seo Ye Ji. She is gorgeous, her acting is top-notch, and her voice is absolutely mesmerizing.

The story started off so strong and made me jump to my tv at 9am every Sat/Sun morning to watch this drama as soon as it was released...sadly, a little past the midpoint it fell victim to the k-drama slump and lost its momentum. There was also a huge question left unanswered: how the hell did Moon Young's mom survive all those years?

The drama does take an interesting look at mental health since essentially everyone in this drama have their own varying conditions but it's also very insulting to healthcare workers. Never have I seen more incompetent, irresponsible, and gossipy caregivers. I certainly wouldn't trust this staff to look after my family members. The staff handle altercations so carelessly that it's a wonder they haven't been shut down yet.
Anyways, Gang Tae and Sang Tae's relationship is absolutely heartbreaking. This pair of brothers depend on each other so much that it actually caused a slump in both of their mental health developments. Fueled by love, guilt, and responsibility, Gang Tae sacrifices all of himself and more for Sang Tae however, this is a double-edged sword since the result is that Gang Tae has no life of his own and Sang Tae is smothered by Gang Tae's mothering. Enter Go Moon Young. She is the exact opposite of selfless Gang Tae. She's bold, selfish, unapologetic, and demanding with everything around her. If she likes something, she will stop at nothing to own it. . .which includes Gang Tae.
The beauty of their relationship is that Moon Young forces Gang Tae to act for himself and learn that it's okay for him to be a little selfish. In return, Gang Tae teaches Moon Young to not only think about her own needs. They also have a wonderful group of friends who at times, act as their enablers and at other times, help to raise them up when they crumble.

Overall, it was very enjoyable and it's an delight to watch these 3 characters love, hurt, and grow together as friends, siblings, lovers, and people.

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BEST KDRAMA EVER!!!

Well, this is my very first review on this website and in general cause I've never written one so please bear with me if I start swooning over something while reviewing it lol. Let's begin!

First of I wanna say that this is the perfect cast ever. From KSH and OJS's versatility to our underrated queen's crazy acting we totally got surprised! Ngl but like many people I came here to check out KSH but I got mesmerized with SYJ too. The side characters are so amazing too and they've got their own character development and story going on which is pretty great as so many dramas tend to neglect it. If you're tempted by cast you're in for a treat.

Next let's talk about the story. So a lot of people say that this is a very slow drama and there's not much happening here or there's no plot twist or climax or this drama is overrated and stuff. Guys, lol just wanna say one thing that this drama for sure is not everyone's cup of tea. There doesn't have to be a plot twist every 2 episodes for this to be a MASTERPIECE! It's not an action/thriller. This drama is more character driven. There are some flaws in the story but nothing can be perfect! I'm not saying the story isn't good. The story is fantastic imo but the people who come in with high expectations for the story tend to get disappointed. In the great words of KSH this is a “HUMAN HEALING DRAMA” so keep that in mind. This drama has the best characters and the best character development. From the leads to a recurring character. This drama is about experiencing their journeys, their mental breakdown and their healing. You wouldn't be disappointed. I promise. Also take it as a drama lol. Some people start comparing it with real life but this is still fiction and it's here to teach you some morals.

NOW LET'S TALK ABOUT THE CHEMISTRY AND THIS WAS THE SWOON PART I MENTIONED EARLIER!!! I swear to God KSH and SYJ are the most beautiful human beings I've seen in one frame. I saw the poster and the poster alone had so much chemistry that I was like COUNT ME IN! These two have so much sexual tension that I can't help but ship them irl lol. It hurts. For me this is my favorite couple now. It's gonna be tough to see them paired up with another actors in future lol. Hoping for another drama from them. Guys, these two produce so much electricity that they can light up North Korea fr. I love them so much! If you're into the drama just for romance this is the one you're looking for. AND THE KISSING SCENE *chef's kiss*

I wanna wrap this up by saying that there's a lot of fairy tales in the drama that are shown from a different perspective which is rather harsh and more closer to the door of reality. It's ironic cause fairy tales are supposed to be a strawberry world where everything is perfect but this drama tends to take a darker turn on them and show the reality behind them and suddenly you question the way you're looking at life. This drama highlights a famous prover i.e. “don't judge a book by it's cover”. There are so many people out there who need help and just want someone to reach out to them but people are rather judgey and that's the nature of our society. But when the person just can't take it anymore and decides to end his/her life then suddenly there are a lot of people crying for you after you're gone. As someone once said “not everyone wants to die. Some people just wants to be able to close their eyes and feel alright. Some people just want their sufferings to end”. So everyone please just show someone near to you that you care and god knows if that can make a huge difference in other persons life like KMY. She just wanted someone to be by her side. So everyone be happy, happy happy!

Last but not the least, the transitions, editing and the OST!!! This drama is a package and if you're missing out on this i don't know what to do. This is my favorite drama now. Now I'm going cause I wanna rewatch it lol. Oh did I mention that this is a 100% rewatch worthy cause I myself have watched each episode more than 20 times. I'm obsessed and bye now. Thanks for reading xoxo!!

Just a reminder don't be overhyped by anything this is just my pov. Go in with the least expectations and that's how you can enjoy the drama even more haha! ~

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An average drama which is overrated because of powerful chemistry

Let me be honest here, like everyone else I like the chemistry between leads. It is very powerful and not to forget characters are interesting by own. But calling it a masterpiece seems little overrated. It was started and promoted that FL is suffering from ASPD, if it were BPD I will adjust but this disorder is a very strong topic which needs to handle carefully. Do the writers know what SOCIOPATH means? They promoted it like now everyone out there thinks that people with ASPD are cool and badass? Why? Why do you have to ruin it using it as a promotion? FL is already interesting, even without adding such a thing. Let's focus on how they handle other character's mental problem treated, this drama shed light that mentally disabled people and all those who deal with mental problems need to treated with emotions too. But where was the professional help?? All the characters and head of the psychiatric hospital seem so ridiculous.

Now moving to leads, all the feminist out there found it cool when FL harass or force ML to do things which he doesn't want. Probably he falls in love later but TOXIC is TOXIC. No doubt, the chemistry in undernying. And the biggest mystery about FL Mom doesn't live up to expectations.

As individual characters, I like all the characters. They are at least emotionally relatable to some extent.

ACTING-

When I say that story is mediocre but actors put their souls, I mean this. Seo ye Ji and Oh Jung Se nailed their roles even though character was flawed at a time. Compare to his previous dramas, Kim So Hyun is good here not exceptional but enough to hook me with his character. The acting of Seo ye Ji stood out most for me in this one, she showed emotion with her eyes.

MUSIC -

This drama is one of the best albums out there. Nothing more to say, each soundtrack hit differentt

REWATCH VALUE -

I won't go for rewatching often but yes I can definitely rewatch some of the clips but not the whole drama since I couldn't cooperate with the story.

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Avereage Drama wherein People are Just hyping the Shit Out of it

The Drama was really good at the beginning and deserved all the praise it deserved at first. But after the first few episodes, The writer and the director just got lazy, the production quality dropped and turned out to be an average Romance drama with a Ridiculous plot twist.

The Performance of Seo Ye Ji and Oh Jung Se was really good an was perfect for their characters, but Kim Soo Hyun's performance was just average and nothing more than that. Although all the other side characters did a pretty good job, Kim Soo Hyun's acting became a negative influence on the drama.

The typical push and pull which started from the 7th episode itself even before properly developing the Romance and continuing it upto the episode 14 is also one of the most cliche' things, from wherein the drama started to Disappoint.

Don't even get me started with the plot twist, it was so ridiculous that it completely ruined some characters, Made them inconsistent and also even made the initial interaction of leads into a ridiculous one. What I hated the most about the writing was that not only did they ruin the Second half of the drama, but also the good parts of the drama after the plot twist and saying that it was all her doing. I just can't seem to understand why people are just overlooking over the ridiculous plot twist and inconsistent characters by saying that no drama is perfect. For God sake, the Defining plot twist of the drama is what they ruined and people are just ready to overlook that fact. (Typical Fanbase)

The Second half of the drama is full of Cliche' Romance and typical fan service which could've been nice to watch if the drama was consistent in its tone and Characters. And the Ending, Mental illness is such an easy thing to cure if it's not for our Main Characters. Many of the patients in the hospital were cured (that too offscreen), because why not, nobody cares about the Side characters. Can't believe it is the same drama wherein they used a good amount of screen time in some episodes for us to empathise with side characters.

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It's Okay To Not Be Okay Is...Okay

I'm not a fan of romance whatsoever but I am a fan of great storytelling when it involves small doses of romance. That being said great storytelling also involves great screenwriting where the dialogue is clear and compelling and doesn't leave all the heavy lifting to the viewers. But what 'It's Okay To Not Be Okay' suffers from is its heavy reliance on flashbacks. It's okay when you're recapping episodes and if they are used sparingly for dramatic effect but if you have to continually remind viewers of certain plot points then it seems to indicate a lack of confidence in the story itself. The likelihood of a man with an autistic older brother falling in love with the daughter of the woman who murdered his mother is a hard sell. And even with some strong individual performances at times by the show's leads, I didn't buy it. I wasn't convinced of the motive that caused the mother to kill in the first place. I also thought the show did a very poor job of exploring the real-life stigma that people with mental health issues face.

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A Bittersweet Fairytale...

It is undeniable that even amongst the drama-watcher community, there tends to be a notable problem of more well-known dramas being “ overrated” or “ glossed over” from noticeable flaws by biased fans of certain actors, actresses or directors, and “ It’s Okay, Not To Be Okay” is certainly no exception .

Written by lesser-known screenwriter Jo Yong ( After The Rain, Jugglers), ‘It’s Okay, Not To Be Okay’ plays itself upon being an “ atypical” romance between a stoic, yet kind-hearted psychiatric health worker called Moon Gang Tae ( Kim Soo Hyun ) and the eccentric children’s writer Ko Moon Young ( Seo Ye Ji) as they both try to find new ways to heal and recover from their past traumatic wounds along the way ...

Before talking about the interesting joys and delights of characterisation in the show, it is first prominent to commend most of the cast for their performances. Oh Jung Se was undeniably brilliant within his role as Gang Tae’s older autistic brother Moon Sang Tae; a performance which was angst-ridden and heartwarming for viewers over the course of series . Parallel to Jung Se, of course, was undeniably Seo Ye-Ji’s performance as the witty, sardonic yet complicated children’s writer Ko Moon Young; purposefully comical and flamboyant, yet intricately heartbreaking as well.

Truthfully, however, the show’s acting quality could sometimes be a mixed bag, not least from Kim Soo Hyun as our main lead. Although Soo-Hyun is undeniably a brilliant and talented actor, his role as Gang Tae was a little lacklustre and “ wooden” at times to say the least. This is not to say that his performance was unwatchable nor was it “ dire” , however, considering his reputation as a top-notch actor, it was a little surprising that Soo-Hyun didn’t truly add anything to his character . On the other hand , perhaps some of this can also be attributed with screenwriter Jo Yong’s deliverance of characterisation and several plot inconsistencies as well.

As a concept, ‘ It’s Okay, Not To Be Okay’ did not truly step upon new ground with its setup of the recently popular “ reversed gender trope ” in Korean dramas (where the female lead “ calls the shots”, and the male lead is nothing more than the “ object of obsession” in her eyes at first). Nevertheless, one of the undeniable great strengths of ‘ It’s Okay, Not To Be Okay’ was its ability to write several fairly “ fleshed-out” main characters who gradually grow over the course of the series .

Ko Moon-Young wasn’t supposed to be your typical “ Princess” heroine ( even labelling herself to be the “ Pretty Witch” of the story) ; she is successful and a talented writer, but intrinsically insecure and traumatised by her complicated past and her estranged relationship with her seemingly mentally-ill father as well. It remains apparent after finishing the show that Moon-Young often allowed her dark and twisted fairytales to adorn her view of the world; fairytales were once used commonly as morality tales to scare children and adults away from danger, a bittersweet belief (, which despite Moon-Young’s often reckless behaviour, )she applied full-heartedly to her own reality and comes to several harsh wake-ups calls by stepping away from these beliefs over the course of the series.

It is therefore apparent that just whilst Moon-Young is your “ atypical, yet typical” heroine, Moon Gang Tae is your “ usual, yet unusual ” knight in shining armour.

Gang-Tae is hard to really describe or feel true emotional attachment towards as a character ( perhaps explaining why Soo Hyun’s performance felt a little lacklustre at times) , due to his often stoic expressions and unreadable personality ( especially in comparison to Moon-Young) over the course of the series.

Nevertheless, it’s wrong to entirely dismiss Gang-Tae as a “ terribly-written character” , as his “ apathy” is often broken in the face of his trauma and clearer feelings( particularly towards his brother and later Moon-Young) in the second-half, however, the biggest problem about Gang-Tae’s characterisation was often a consequence of his sudden transition feeling a little purposeless.Although the show attempted to explain this characterisation by having to look after Sang-Tae as the “ carer” in their fraternal relationship, as well as evidently irked by Moon-Young in the beginning of the show, considering the extent of some of his traumas, Gang Tae’s reactions and coming to grips with them often felt lacklustre and perhaps resulted in Gang Tae merging into a “ stock male lead” over the course of the drama.

Naturally this draws us up onto the aspect of relationships in ‘ Its Okay, Not To Be Okay’. Perhaps the most praiseworthy thing to note about the programme is that although it is a “ romance” drama, it points out many different types of relationships ; from paternal ( such as the case of Kim Mi Sung’s character Kang Soon Deok and her adoration for her daughter Nam Joo Ri played by Park Gyu Young) ,to the fraternal bond between Gang Tae and Sang Tae and to the obvious romantic bond between Gang Tae and Moon Young over the course of the series.

In the case of the latter relationship , the show had an odd balance between genuine and striking similarities between the polar opposites acting as their magnetic force to stick together, as well as later riding upon several cliches which intrinsically took certain earlier driving factors from their fairly well-written and blossoming relationship. The ending was undeniably sweet, though perhaps a little anticlimactic for some watchers (considering the darker themes tackled).

The obvious and evident pairing overshadowed in the show by Gang Tae and Moon Young’s romance , occurred between Nam Joo Ri(Gang-Tae’s “ lovelorn” best friend) and Moon Young’s colleague and CEO of the publishing company Lee Sang In ( Kim Joo Heon). By default their pairing should have perhaps been the most grounded portrayal of the most “ normalised” romantic relationship in the show , however, by investing so much time into Gang-Tae and Moon Young’s, Sang In and Joo Ri’s pairing felt lacklustre , incredibly forced and a cliche setup between the “ extras”, rather than fleshed-out and realistically built-upon over time.

So, is ‘ It’s Okay, Not To Be Okay’ actually worth watching? Although there were a couple of questionable acting moments, cliches and plot inconsistencies, ‘ It’s Okay, Not To Be Okay’ was still a good drama, and certainly shouldn’t be dismissed as “ mediocre” ; the plot was intriguing, the cinematography was creative and beautifully shot, the OST was eclectic and themes of mental-health as well as psychology were fairly well-tackled and portrayed. ( Perhaps one of the most gripping scenes in the whole series came from a veteran soldier experiencing a bout of PTSD and the horrific scenes through the cinematography he was seeing on a normal bus ride.) ‘ It’s Okay, Not To Be Okay’ is undeniably not a flawless show, however, it is certainly still worth a watch ( not least for Moon Young’s more and more extravagant attires by each passing episode).

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