It's Okay to Not Be Okay (2020)

Masterpiece of Emotions

I don't even know where to start with this review or if my words would do this drama justice...

From the start, the prologue was unexpected for a K-drama which was fascinating in itself. I was completely in awe of the cinematography and unique scene transitions this drama offered; the visuals were mind-blowing. I'm still not over it. So let me start by saying thank you to the behind the scenes staff and crew for this amazingly beautiful drama that we were graced with. The execution of the story from beginning to the end was perfection. I was able to connect from the start and fully immersed as a viewer that it was extremely difficult to pull away from once the drama ended. The fairy tales that were woven into the plot was such a breath of fresh air and the way it was carried out to pull it's viewers in completely was incredible.

The cast line-up was flawless. I honestly cannot see any other actors/actresses pulling this off the way they did. It almost felt like this script was written especially for them. Seo Yea Ji and Oh Jung Se may have had more colorful roles in this drama but Kim Soo Hyun's role was a really difficult one and the three played off each other so well. To be honest, if it was anyone else was in Gang Tae's role I truly believe that the actor would have been overshadowed by the other two eccentric characters. As another viewer stated, "KSH is remarkable because he took a traditionally obscure role and made it stand out in the midst of phenomenal acting by his costars." This trio needs a standing ovation!

Each episode of this drama was set out with a purpose and it delivered each time. I have never watched a drama where I find myself hysterically laughing and a second later I am in tears, at times I am so emotionally overwhelmed that I am crying because I am so happy - I cannot emphasize enough how special this drama is.

I want to make a point that this drama is character driven and not plot driven so if you keep this in mind, there will be no doubt you will be head-over-heels in love with this drama as I am. To be upfront, there was one big thing that bothered me or so I thought at the time. However, the way the drama was set-up and carried out it made that one big thing become absolutely insignificant to me by the next episode and did not ruin my initial thoughts or feels on the drama as a whole in the slightest - this is commendable.

Without spoiling the drama, I am just going to wrap this review up with how these characters will be staying with me for a very long time. There are so many valuable lessons throughout this drama and never once it felt forced onto viewers, more like a gentle nudge to remind us all of what's genuinely important.

Let me not forget - this drama had the BEST FINAL EPISODE IN K-DRAMA HISTORY!! I'm thinking it will be a while before another drama can top this last episode. It was wholesome in ways I cannot describe. You will have to watch it to experience it yourself.

I hope you give it a go. I, for one, was absolutely obsessed!

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It's iconic, not mainstream

Crying over spilled milk is no use, but sometimes feelings are hard to suppress and you end up bawling your eyes out like a child. Well, this Kdrama was similar to that experience but in a good way because it was the first time I ever cried over fictional characters and how well written this series was. Episodes one and two focuses on introducing the main characters by showing the audience their differences in personalities which is the fun part seeing them go from bickering to tolerating to loving one another. Then, the patients from the OK Psychiatric Hospital are welcomed on stage sharing the series with the main cast and you will honestly fall in love with them all. Although there are some scenes which make you want to grit your teeth and point fingers at the characters, everyone goes at their own paces and matures towards the end of the series making it all worth it. The pacing is not too slow or too fast either!

I knew I was sold with this series when the third episode made me swallow back tears because of the powerful emotions expressed and anecdotes they teach ranging from loving yourself, letting go of the past, forgiving others, and being selfish for your own happiness. Also, no spoilers, but whenever something happened to the main cast or patients, the director and scriptwriter were geniuses for shifting back and forth using the present and past characters as a reflection to show how far they have gotten. Deep down everyone is still a child even though we all grew up physically and it isn't bad to cry, whine, make mistakes or say, "I'm not okay", and that's what this series teaches us about.

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When parents fail at parenting miserably and their children were left broken

A psychopath mother wanted to groom her daughter into another her while the father remained a bystander. What a messed-up family. I dropped this once halftime in the first episode, so when I decided to pick it back up, I skipped episode one and watched the second episode instead. I'm glad I did. From then on, I loved every obsessive antics Moon Young has done to get Gang Tae's attention. Ridiculously hilarious. Some might hate MY for being rude, unreasonable, among other things, but I just can't bring myself to hate her. When I look in her eyes, all I see is a very lonely little girl in need of love. Those eyes of hers are so expressive. Seo Ye Ji as Moon Young was perfect. She expressed everything that needed to be conveyed to the audience through her eyes. Needless to say, it was the same for Soohyun. Oh Jung Se as Sang Tae was outstanding. If there is one thing I would have wanted to change was the tragedy regarding Moon Young's mother. It was unnecessary that she was still alive to bring conflict to our leads. It would have been enough drama when she was revealed as the murderer of GT's mother. They should have followed MY's father's story, how he killed and discarded the body. The head nurse should have just been an obsessive fan of some sort. But despite that, I love the show overall. I also loved how it was wrapped up. That Sangtae has finally was able to let go of Gangtae. It was a good watch. Bonus are the hot hot hot kiss scenes. That's what's a kiss should be. Every kdrama should learn from this. (and HPL)

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Best Kdrama!

This drama was so special! The characters were different than how Kdramas usually are. It’s nice to see a Kdrama talk about people who are on the spectrum in a good way. It showed we all have strengths and weaknesses and how people can help support each other. As for the female and male leads chemistry was off the charts. How can two people be so beautiful? The three main actors acting was so good, as well as the entire cast. The OST was also so beautifully done. After watching It’s okay to not be okay, I have watched Seo Ye Ji’s other work, she is an amazing actress. Will have to re-watch until, hopefully a second season is made.

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Mental Health

Never a topic for a story was more relevant now than mental health!
I didn't know what to expect from this kdrama by watching the trailer. I was not really into the mystical part of it, so i almost didn't watch it. The fact that this kdrama is actually about mental health and has barely any real mystical elements to it, it's absolutely brillant! From a direction pov it's brillant! All those massive Tim Burton stories vibe are genius! i would buy all those short stories book's!! ALL OF THEM!!

Seo Ye Ji is crazy good! Talk about powerful female leads! THIS IS IT! She is everything! Ofc i already knew the fabulous and incredible Kim Soo Hyun, he is always flawless with his acting and he does emotional scenes really really well(!!), but what i wasn't expecting was the role of a career from Oh Jung Se!! Pretty much all the times i ended up sobbing like a baby (and there was several) were because of scenes related to his character. He nailed it! I was often an emotional reck watching him act. Adorable and heartbreaking. Super compelling!

I am honestly speechless! This is what i consider a perfect kdrama! A good balance between love, family, friends, work, trauma and the importance of mental health and dealing with your past. Perfect! I don't say this often, but the rewatch value is 10! I would totally rewatch it!

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DEFINITELY OVERHYPED!! AND CALLING IT A HUMAN HEALING DRAMA IS VERY FAR FETCHED

First, of all the toxic relationship throughout the initial episodes is hard to ignore. Yes, the main leads are eye candy for most of the people and the drama has top tier OSTs, very good chemistry and aesthetics but it doesn't cover up a lot of the irrational things that happened throughout the drama.

The female lead is made too dramatic to be a children's book writer. She has several mental health issues but she recovered overnight when the male lead decided to love and live in with her. No consultation or treatment from psychologists or psychiatrists for someone who is suffering from mental problems for years. How ridiculous?? They never made it a point to highlight that she needed to visit a doctor and no a lover can't do that work. She has issues herself but she is the one teaching the patients at the hospital. Exactly why??

Also, the fact she used to dress like she is about to walk on the ramp of New York fashion week is the most ridiculous of all. Her publishing house went bankrupted, she was living in a rural area, her employees were barely getting salary, eating at subway because there's no food at home. What nonsense was going on?? In which world a children's book writer does these things?

A rather foolish and very dramatic portrayal of mental health I would say and the way they romanticised it was a major let down.

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Timely and Healing drama

Beautiful masterpiece drama!!!

This gonna be the best drama of 2020. I've never seen any korean dramas like this. This drama deserved the hype and deserves more hype, recognition and awards. The story, acting, OST and cinematography are so perfect. I like the character development of the main and supporting characters. The acting of Kim Soo Hyun, Oh Jung Se, Seo Ye Ji and the supporting actors and actresses are excellent. They give matchless acting on their roles. This drama has so many life lessons and it mainly talks about mental health . Words are not enough to describe this superb masterpiece. You won't regret watching it. :)))

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The Power of Healing

"It ain't about how hard you hit. It's about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward."

This line from "Rocky Balboa" seemed to ring loudly in my mind as this series concluded for me. Indeed, no one goes through life unscathed, and some take even greater lumps than most. However, no matter what we've suffered, it's perseverance that matters most. Not giving up. Always push on.

To my mind, K-dramas are dominating the television airwaves. While I have watched a few bad ones, most have been anywhere from great to superb. "It's Okay to Not Be Okay" certainly fits the "superb" bill for me.

As several reviewers have already mentioned, this is a very unique series that deals with the mental and emotional suffering that everyone has to deal with at some point in their lives. Perhaps that is what makes the series so relatable as well as profound with the central question: when do people finally acquire the courage to take responsibility for their own lives?

For so many people in this world, we blame our parents for our misfortunes and our sufferings. Why didn't they love us more? Why did they mistreat us? Where was that unconditional love we were supposed to be showered with?

Unfortunately, the answers we tell ourselves are filled with as many lies as the questions we come up with. Perhaps we weren't worthy of that love. Perhaps we simply weren't good enough. No matter what answers we contrive in an attempt to "makes sense of it all" we, too often, play the victim.

Gang-Tae is a caregiver at a local mental hospital. His body is riddled with scars given to him by patients who have lashed out at him. However, his physical scars pale in comparison to his emotional ones. In short, he truly believes he is not worth loving.

Sang-Tae is Gang-Tae's older brother with fairly severe autism. He suffers from a moment in the past when he was present for his mother's murder. The murderer threatens to kill him should he ever tell anyone about it. So scarred by the event, Gang-Tae placates his brother by making sure to move every autumn of every year. He somehow wants to be free of his burden.

Ko-Muen Young is a woman who was touted as a princess by her mother; someone who is head-and-shoulders above everyone else. And people should be treated with disdain and contempt for being so beneath her. This is a woman who has no idea how to interact with people. She had no filter, and therefore, speaks her mind and her feelings, both good and bad. She is a little girl desperately wanting someone to love her.

The irony is that all three characters, in some way, shape or form, represent some of the most common fears and desires of every single person on this planet: to be worthy of love, to be relieved of our fears and burdens, and to simply be loved for who we are.

The series masterfully navigates how all three characters are able to find peace with themselves, and perhaps, even some joy culminating in a last episode that will have you smiling and crying at the same time.

Yes, it is okay to not be okay. It is okay to fall. It is okay to be knocked down. It is not okay to give up and stay down. Everyone must find the courage to get up and keep going. That is the series' central message.

The performances in this series are top-notch all the way around. However, accolades must truly be given to Jeong-Se Oh (Sang-tae) who turns in a performance that easily rivals Dustin Hoffman's "Rain Man." In fact, to my mind, Jeong-Se Oh's performance surpasses it. He is truly deserving of any awards he might acquire for one of the best acting performances seen in a long time.

This series has almost everything: a mystery, laugh-out-loud moments, heartfelt moments, cringeworthy moments, and plenty of relatable moments, depending on who you are.

I cannot recommend this series highly enough. It should almost be required viewing. For perhaps, you might find some "healing moments" of your own as you watch this show, and be presented with the question: will you blame others for your problems? Or will you find the courage to begin living your own life?

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INDEED, A HUMAN HEALING DRAMA ✨

Just want to say how wonderful this drama is.

1. .PLOT:
Superb ❤ Love their Fairy tales!! So cute and effort animations. Each eps has fairy tale that has takeaways. It really amazed me the way their Fairy tale is such a heartwarming story that makes an eye opener for us. Love the deep message of the story!

Im also thankful for this drama for raising Mental Health Awareness. Truly, people really needs to know what mental health is to fight the stigma, how a person is really going through in such situations and how it is important for people with mental disorder to have family or someone by their side who will truly love, care and understand them as much as they needed it.
10/10. Love how they justify in the end that after all "Gang Tae is for Gang Tae" and how "Finding the real face" concluded. Superb!!!

2 . SCRIPT:
Love their dialogues!!!! You will obtain life lessons and words to ponder with their lines!! ❤❤

3. CASTS:
Fantastic casting!! Each and everyone in this drama is needed to make a beautiful portrait.
Love how the humor of the show balance with their emotional scenes. Such fun to watch all of them. Esp the #MmM trio!!! They are so funny and their touching scenes! So thankful for this drama that finally Seo Ye Ji is gaining much attention as much as before which she truly deserves. Love also Seo Ye Ji & Kim Soo Hyun chemistry!!

4. CGI: Wonderful!!! Seems like a true fairy tale. So effort.❤

5. OST's: So perfect! Love to hear their ost. Esp "Lighting up your world" which seems like a music video of the 3 leads.

Fun, heartwarming, eye opener. Definitely one of the best drama! ❤❤❤

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