The visuals are immaculate
I'll be honest; I would've watched this drama even if it had a mediocre plot because Seo Ye Ji (Ko Moon Young) and Kim Soo Hyun (Moon Gang Tae) are so good-looking. I enjoyed the chemistry a lot. The story was actually pretty good too. I loved how they used fairytale books to help tell the story; it was very aesthetic. I also liked how mental illness was the main focus, which brings to light the mental struggles that people deal with every day. One negative about this drama is that at one point, I was pretty far into the drama, but at the same time, I didn't feel a connection with the characters at all; they still felt distant. I would not rewatch this, but there are some scenes that are definitely worth rewatching.Was this review helpful to you?
But.
Right now, I just can't get over how manipulative she is, and how he still falls in love with her despite that. Yes, she has trauma; yes, she has a unique personality; but everyone treats those things like those are excuses to allow her to bully him into loving her. This kind of romance just isn't for me. With what everyone said about it, I thought it would be better. But little bits of creative "storybook" touches and the rep for mental health wasn't enough to make me feel okay with how the main couple started off.
But who knows, maybe someday I'll finish it and feel differently.
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uniquely different
Great series and OST.Oh Jung Se was such a revelation. After watching him, I cannot imagine any other actor potraying his role. For me, he totally carried this series to success
First time to watch a drama with Seo Ye ji. She's soooo pretty! love her smile.... Can't wait to see more of her
Last saw Kim Soo Hyun when he made a cameo for CLOY. Compared to My love from the Stars, this series showcased his acting chops even more
I also enjoyed how the writer ties up the fairy tales to real life situation. And although, I enjoyed it, wouldn't be rewatching it. Rather, would download their OST
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Artistic, Therapeutic, Beautiful Drama
A drama with artistic & therapeutic themes that scream at you through it's painfully real characters and their complicated stories. It's Okay to Not Be Okay is a beautifully orchestrated drama with fresh, creative characters that come alive as they each learn what it means to truly love themselves and each other and in this way they find healing and happiness alongside each other.One of my favorite quotes of the entire drama, "Hurtful, painful memories. Only those with such memories buried in their hearts can become stronger, more passionate, and emotionally flexible. And only those can attain happiness."
I have to say, wholly impressed by our cast and their acting abilities. There were many friendly faces for me in this drama, actors & actresses that I have already seen and liked, but even still, I was shocked at the level of talent that was portrayed. Kim Soo Hyun as Moon Gang Tae, had such a gentle, nurturing aura as he tirelessly gives and gives to those around him; supports everyone with very little support in return. But his character held such silent power and strength as well, which made him so appealing. Moon Gang Tae's care for/relationship with his brother made me tear up constantly. Seo Ye Ji as Ko Moon Young is fierce and wild. It is no overstatement to say that she commands the screen with her presence. I loved watching her sly demeanor and quick wit run wild, especially as she interacted with Gang Tae; her unabashed confidence and aggressive pursuit of him (and his body lol) was hilarious at times and also made for some extremely captivating romantic moments. You could feel the chemistry between Gang Tae & Moon Young even as Gang Tae was wise to be cautious of interacting with our admittedly unpredictable, sometimes dangerous Moon Young. My first drama with Seo Ye Ji and I hope to be seeing more of her! And now this brings me to Moon Sang Tae played by Oh Jung Se. *STANDING OVATION* Wow. The way he portrayed Sang Tae's mannerisms, his posture, his speech, every movement of his hands and glance of his eyes was exceptional. I think a lesser actor could have very easily over or under emphasized some of Sang Tae's persona but Oh Jung Se had the perfect balance. I loved that Sang Tae was an an integral part of the drama throughout, that he wasn't cast aside when emotions and drama heated up between our main couple, but rather he became the rock that both Gang Tae & Moon Young needed; Sang Tae, the one that everyone thought was the weakest, rose up and became the strongest for all of them.
Moving on from the cast, (although all were amazing I don't have it in me to write for each) I have to say the dialogue in It's Okay to Not Be Okay was very strongly and creatively written. Every interaction between the cast was meaningful and either strengthened relationships or corresponded with the overarching storyline. The stories in Ko Moon Young's books were so disturbingly captivating and had such hard truth to them, not to mention the illustrations in the books was breathtakingly creepy. I am so glad they put so much emphasis on her books as her fairytales were ways of seeing into her mind and understanding why her character was so twisted. I have to say the psychological aspect to this drama was definitely the most intriguing part, and there was a depth and heaviness to many of the emotional scenes because that is where the mind leads us sometimes, to dark and heavy places. But the momentum and the chemistry between the characters kept things exciting and kept me feeling renewed because even when characters had to go through some really intense and difficult internal struggles, they rarely had to go through them alone; and afterwards, they arose stronger and braver than they were before.
I will probably edit this review as I want to add more as I have so much more left to say; but in the event that I don't, I strongly recommend this drama if you enjoy the psychological aspect of things, mental health, things of that nature. The romance also heavily drives the drama and the one between Kim Soo Hyun & Seo Ye Ji's characters is quite thrilling and entertaining. Personally, I loved every minute of this drama and am crushed that I have finished it. Between my laughing, giggling, crying, wailing, grinning, and beaming, this drama solidified itself as one of my all times favorites and thus has landed on my Favorite K-Drama's List.
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This review may contain spoilers
AN ALMOST PERFECT DRAMA
IOTNBO will be one of the most well-made kdramas of all time.. from acting to cast to the direction and story everything was very detailed..this drama put forward the hidden talent that is seo yeji.. she looks very petite but comes off very powerful as ko moon young.. she is now one of my favourites.. after her i liked oh jung se as moon sang-tae.. he had the best and most natural character development out of the 3 main characters and the actor did an amazing job.. kim soo hyun was also good as moon gang-tae and i loved his chemistry with seoyeji.. the trio hand great chemistry together and their combination scenes were a treat to watch..
what i liked about the drama-
1. SEO YE JI as KO MOON YOUNG. no matter how much i say it wont be enough to describe how amazing she was in this drama.. i love her voice and smile..
2. THE TRIO
3. LEE SANGIN AND JAESOO. they stayed with MY and GT without expecting anything back.. the best human beings out there..
4. DIRECTION, STORY, CINEMATOGRAPHY
5. THE FAIRY TALES. i loved how they narate an episode or the inner torment of a character through a fairy tale. it was unique.
6. ALMOST EVERYTHING ABOUT THE DRAMA.
7. CHILD ACTORS. THEY WERE ALSO GOOD. the actress playing young MY is very pretty..
8. LAST EPISODE. all's well that ends well. this drama has one of the best ending.. not rushed at all and every character had closure.
what i dilike about the drama
1. THE MYSTERY AND REVELATION OF THE MOTHER.. this almost destroyed everything good about the show.. this was so flawed that it overshadowed some good scenes in episodes that gave importance to the mother and her mystery. due to some episodes trying to create the mystery i couldn't enjoy good scenes. my mind got occupied with the mystery.
there is no proper explanation on how the mother survived or how exactly she managed to fake a normal life for almost 20 years.. she is too creepy and psychotic to act normal for 20 years and fool and manipulate everyone around her including experienced doctors.. this is the reason why the show couldn't be a 10 on 10..
2. somewhere in the middle nothing major happens in the show and the character growth also gets stagnant but thats just for a short period.
3. sometimes i couldn't understand the emotions of the characters and got distracted by the extravagant set and camera work and wardrobes..
the last episode was so satisfying that at the end we dont remember the flaws of the drama and only the good things stay with us.
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This review may contain spoilers
I watched the show for Kim Soo hyun. The story wasn't my cup of tea based on how I felt while watching the show.I liked the side stories better than the main character's story. And the major reason was the same old past connection and how the main leads had such a crazy history. I wasn't shocked when they showed the main leads knew each other from childhood and were from the same town. It's bizarre watching the same past connection plot. There history was soo dark and intense it gave a such a gloomy feeling. Them being together just didn't invoke feeling of happiness in me.
Knowing how Kang Tae and sang Tae mother was killed and that to buy female lead's mother just left me uneasy.
The female lead was odd but not in a good way. The character had serious anger issues. She seemed like a villain to me and she always overstepped and forced Kang Tae and his brother. She was childish but not in a likeable way. Of course viewers must have liked her character but to me personally she felt very odd and evilish.
Overall as a romance drama,I didn't feel the butterflies watching their moments. I like the brother's bond. the autistic brother was the main star of the show. As for healing I liked the back stories more . For much of it couldn't relate. Music was good
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Wholesome, different, unconventional, interesting and a much-needed drama.
I was skeptical at first, but I started the drama because of my love for the character played by Seo Ye Ji in “Save Me”. Then, I thought she was such a great actress. However, in this drama she exceeded the general expectations and showed how versatile and equally good can she become to portray a character so realistically.This drama touches a very sensitive topic and that is mental health. Unfortunately, it is still a taboo here in this era. However, I am very glad that this drama broke barriers and showed various kind of situations and problems which actually exist in this world but is often misunderstood and misinterpreted. The plot was very carefully constructed. Developments were shown in a very synchronized manner, beautifully.
None of the characters were out of place. When I say ‘none’, I mean none of the characters in the drama were there, just for the sake of being there. Everybody had a story, everybody had an equally important role to play. The planning and the execution were on point. Moreover, the direction of the drama was unique and fresh.
Kim Soo Hyun played his part really well. He was seamless and was absolutely impeccable, when showing emotions. He did a great job portraying the character.
Oh Jung Se did a phenomenal job. I first saw him in “When the Camellia Blooms”, but here he just stretched his acting spectrum to a great length. He studied his character very well and the efforts showed itself on-screen beautifully. Even in still photographs he completely owned the character.
The cameo by Kwak Dong Yeon was very effective and can also be comprehended as a very important turning point in the story. Though it was a cameo, he left a very strong impression on me as a viewer through his perfect sketch of the character.
Overall, the character development was drastic, but in a good direction. Props to the actors for pulling off such a concept flawlessly.
On the other hand, I felt like few characters were driven by their insecurities and that made them act selfishly more than once. However, opinions are subjective so few things were there which I thought could have been toned down a bit.
The setting was a countryside. The easy, no-city-rush, freedom and care was shown in great detail. The gothic, vintage and fairytale vibe added to the charm. The cinematography and editing were great. The acting was so on point by all the actors who took part in the drama. The outfits as explained by their team were carefully designed for each character and their respective situations and it really showed the efforts they put in. I looked forward to the development of the drama and the storyline and I am absolutely satisfied.
This drama made me ride a rollercoaster of emotions, be it warmth, curiosity, compassion, sadness or happiness. It is just so well-made. Moreover, I am definitely going to remember this drama and the things I learned from it.
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Over rated
I was so excited to watch because of the high rating, but it is totally a disappointment. Slow pace, kinda boring... There are many plot holes.I love the main leads and their acting! They are both so very very good looking! The story is ...okay. It is kind of annoying to watch an adult acting like a spoil manipulating brat ...I get the she is suffering a disorder, but I still can't sit through it.
I also don't get who would let their children read the main lead's stories?! I get it that all of the fairy tales have pretty dark and gruesome origins. Some were even bizarre. Such stories include rape, incest, cannibalism, torture and other heinous crimes we can never dare mention to kids who dream of a better future. But what was acceptable to kids in the 1800s does not mean it is acceptable to kids now; there was no Child Abuse Law nor Child Labor Law back then…..Disney fairy tales are good for kids nowaday, in my opinion because their versions still deliver the core morals but in a more evolved psychological, relatable way.
Anyways, I guess it is still entertaining, but I guess I over hyped because of the high rating....I had to drop it half way through. I will finish it when I have nothing else to watch. I hope it gets better toward the end
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This review may contain spoilers
Honestly, I originally found it hard to start to watch, so I dropped it within the first 4-5 episodes.My lover convinced me to watch it with him because he said this drama is pretty good even though he seen it already, he liked it enough to convince me to watch it with him.
STORY:
It includes some very fairytale like elements in there which was cool but at the same time a little too fictitious but I just had to brush those off.
I found the story a bit boring, but the entire point of this drama is what sticks out to me.
I very much enjoyed how it shows that people act out from their unresolved traumas, which is why a person is a certain way they are today or what triggers them to be a certain way or how they react to things.
I think it gives a good message that we need to learn to reparent ourselves as adults and from the projections others did to us in the past. The people who hurt us in the past are just actually hurt people who hurt people, but people are not aware that they shouldn't take that so personally. So people go on with their lives holding on to those things or baggages. Basically get some help before you go hurt others with your hurt.
I enjoyed the depth that this drama really dives in to mention about mental health.
It was really hard for me to watch the main female lead because I find her very toxic, traumatized and projecting all her unresolved traumas at the male lead the entire drama. That was draining for me.
ACTING/CAST:
I find the female lead a bit scary. I even read articles about the actress that she is somewhat really like the character she portrays as well which is a bit scarier. It almost seems as is she is a natural at is so I'd say her acting is very impressive because of how realistic her chaotic acts could be.
The male lead is so very charming. He did a good job playing a lovely innocent guy who I really fell in love with. I'd type him as an INFJ, which are my favorite MBTI types. Kind, wise, giving, thoughtful, forgiving.
No comments on the music, I rarely remember the music since it didn't really stand out to me.
Overall, I would recommend this to others as like a way to self heal, work on their inner childs, reparenting themselves, working on their unresolved traumas, moving on without letting the past hold you back from your growth.
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REFRESHING: WOW
I started seeing asian dramas since 2012, after a while all stories hot so predictive that eben kdramas cant hold ur interest!STORY:
this is one gem among the lot, did not realize when I started it , the story is gripping and you will get engrossed!
A refreshing plot, where the FL lead is not a mother Theresa!! But a bold yet hurt gal who doesnoy gove a F**k anout anyone but stand up to what she feels right.
ACTING:
The main cast did an amazing job...the acting was to the point, their emotions will make you ferl like you are experiencing it! The char development was done seamlessly that it is almost so beautiful.!!!!!
MUSIC:
WHAT TO SAY, ALL KDRAMA WILL WIN YOU OVER WITH THEIR MUSIC, THIS ONR IS NO DIFFERENT! AMAXING SONGS!
OVERALL: you are missing on something if u do not watch this!!!!
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Story: Ahh where do i start?????? LIKE AWESOME. The story is everything. Its so different and unique. Shines the light differently on mental health issues. I love how they show different mental disorders and each patients background stories. The characters like dont even make me start on how much i love each and every character especially meonyong. I love her character and also sangtae.
Acting/cast: do i even have to tell you that this cast is superior? I think we all that. Seo Yeji and Kim Soohyun nailed every aspect of their character and also Oh Jungse like he perfectly executed the most complex character in the whole story and i feel like he doesnt get credit for it.
Music: dude the best osts after goblin and scarlet heart (sorry lmao) the best music. Love it
Rewatch value: i could 1000% rewatch it no matter what. I am watching this with my mom and she literally told me that she wants to watch it again.
Overall: its a gem. Please watch it. There was not one episode that disappointed me or bored me. The rhyme of the drama was impeccable like you dont feel tired. Each episode was exciting to watch and the chemistry between the main leads... oof dont, it came hard and fast. Like you can feel their chemistry in your bones. This is one of the best kdrama in the history of kdrama no scratch that dramas! Pls watch it. I know u wouldnt regret it (well its up to your taste too)
Byee
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This is a good drama, but not the best drama
When I watch the first episode, this drama really interesting, i have a high expectation because KSH and SYJ is really exelent actor/actress, when i know it's about psychology and mental health, i became really excited, because one of my favorite drama is It's Okay That's Love and kill me heal me, which is have the similar genre.When I watch, i think i can learn something about psychology, yeah my bad. Because this drama not really much talk about psychology and mental health, i got disappointed. There's too much focus with romance. Yeah, i know, maybe there's many people who like it and enjoyed, but i got little bit disappointed because mental health not really talk in this drama.
I just can only watch for 15 episode, because i think there's nothing too much to see in episode 16.
I know this drama have a great responses, many people who liked this drama. I know, this is a good drama, because little bit talk about mental health and the actor/actress have really great acting skill. The music too, i really like the ost who sang by Suhyun - Akmu.
If you wanna watch this drama, it's okay, go watch it! Maybe you like it, right?
Because this is a good drama. But, not the best for korean drama :)
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