Psychology's drama..
I fell in love with the story, its drama psychology that have alot of trust and love issues in it. Start to solved the problem for every actor by the sypmtomps the have to love uncondicionally of our self first before someone did. The emotion of every actor in here is so good. They bring the atmosphere in serious way so smooth. Even the ending in this dramaa so cool even there some sad scene to be seen. Must to watch since the visual of this drama is good. Jo in sung ♡ gong hyo jin so lovely....Was this review helpful to you?
I'm writing this review after re-watching it probably more than 5 times! Yes, it's That good.
Story:
Jang Jae-yeol (Jo In-sung), a famous author of mystery novels, and Ji Hae-soo (Gong Hyo-jin), a psychiatrist, meet one another and end up living in the same house. Jae-yeol becomes Hae-soo's third roommate, with Dong-min and Soo-kwang already having lived there. Dong-min is a psychiatrist, senior to Hae-soo, that has his own office set up in their home. Soo-kwang has Tourette's syndrome, and enjoys trying his luck at meeting women, asking Jae-yeol for advice often. The four of them support and care for one another, creating such feel-good moments.
Jae-yeol has a troubling history with his older brother, and he is disturbed by his past. Jae-yeol's history begins to unravel and Hae-soo, who has a sex phobia, begins to fall in love with Jae-yeol. The two truly heal one another's wounds in a beautiful way. It was nice to see that the characters were not perfect, but were able to grow together.
The drama is open about mental illness, sex, and the like. There is a transparency that is not often found in other kdramas. For example, during one scene, the characters discussed the importance of consent. I really loved this aspect about it.
Acting/Cast:
10/10.
Jo In-sung plays Jang Jae-yeol perfectly, and made me fall in love with his character. His emotional delivery during scenes that called for it was convincing. The way he portrayed despair, brokenness, as well as playfulness, and humanness, was spot on. Jo In-sung's character is just so Swoon worthy.
Gong Hyo-jin delivered Hae-soo's guarded but loving personality so well. She made you feel the anxiety that Hae-soo was facing and want to see her overcome it. I can't really picture another actress as Hae-soo.
Music:
Replay worthy! So many great and memorable songs on this OST.
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Let’s weigh It’s Okay It’s Love on a beam balance and see if it is worth watching or is better missed.
Good Weights
Good Story – IOIL is a medical drama with an interesting storyline for every character on the show. The show deals with several medical cases and each case has been dealt with maturely without compromising on the entertainment value. You may not belong to the medical field but the psychiatrists in the show explain each case in a simple manner for a layman to understand. Despite dealing with a serious topic, the show still makes space for comedy and romance without straying away from the central theme.
Amazing Soundtrack – Apart from the beautifully woven storylines, the original soundtrack of the show is what stands out. All the songs in the show are just incredible. It sets the mood for a scene especially for the non-Korean audience who may initially struggle slightly to understand the nature of a scene.
Sleepless Night by Crush (feat. Punch) is my favourite and I listen to it in a loop. Its lyrics are extremely romantic and totally suits the protagonist’s love story.
Good Acting – What’s beautiful about this show is that every character has a part to play and has a story of its own. It shows how each character deals with its own personal issues and how they manage to tackle them and go on in life. Supporting actors of the show have done an amazing job. Each of them has acted their part to perfection.
Main Lead’s Chemistry – Jang Jae Yeol and Ji Hae Soo’s chemistry is intense and enchanting. Their love-hate relationship is so engaging that you wait for them to come together on screen. Jo In Sung (Jang Jae Yeol) is not only handsome but also a good actor. He looks so vulnerable in certain scenes that you almost feel like protecting him. After a few episodes he just doesn’t look like the Casanova he was thought of being initially. He manages to shed the playboy image and comfortably fit in the role of a romantic hero.
Gong Hyo Jin (Ji Hae Soo) is exceptionally good as the independent and highly opinionated psychiatrist. At times, you might feel annoyed with the way Hae Soo deliberately pushes Jang Jae Yeol away from herself but that is what is required for the character. Hae Soo is a difficult woman because she deals with some insecurities and guilt which is why she uses her arrogance to shield herself.
Bad Weights(I found it extremely difficult to spot any flaws in the show. So the bad weights for this show are not exactly its shortcomings but a few things that bothered me slightly.)
Easy Treatments – Some of the ailments have been shown to be treated easily. An illness like schizophrenia is difficult to treat and may take years to control. But in the show, a patient is shown to contain it very easily and in a rather short period of time. I am not from a medical background but from what I have read I know that it definitely requires more time and efforts to treat it. However, since the show is only 16 hours long I cannot blame the makers for speeding up the treatment process as the audience is not really interested in seeing the detailed procedure of the treatment.
Cheesy Title – I must say that the show’s title is totally misleading. With such a strong content it should have been named differently to avoid the audience taking it to be a just a regular romantic series.
The show beam balance has way too many good weights than bad weights which clearly indicate that the show is a MUST MUST WATCH. I cannot elaborate enough why the show deserves the accolades it has been receiving online by several K-drama fans. All I can say is that had it not been for this show I wouldn’t have tried Korean dramas at all. It’s Okay It’s Love is totally worth the 16 hours of your life.
Originally posted on www.alphagirl.in
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This review may contain spoilers
Embracing the darkness to appreciate the light (TW before watching)
First and foremost, I would advise those who watch this series to make sure you know it does cover some VERY violent topics and mental health concerns. Even with knowing this myself, I had to take a few breaks due to feeling overwhelmed since it really shows some raw emotions and encapsulates the journey many must take when facing their pasts.I normally go into series that portray characters with labeled mental health issues with an expectation that they may not represent them correctly or even create new ones that have no real science to back it up. Watching this series I was taken back by how seamlessly they constructed the storyline, it did a good job of balancing the romance with real life scenarios and mental health issues. They didn't make the issues into a gimmicks to progress the story forward but truly delved into what it means to have these diagnosis but also showed how they are not death sentences. That they could not be easily solved with the power of love but showed that with some you must choose to place your mental health first on a daily basis and learn to love yourself, flaws and all, before taking the step to love others.
I don't want to spoil this series all too much since I loved how they slowly peeled away the layers of the characters, leading the viewer to really fall in love with each character before learning about the scars and painful pasts they each have. I will say if you are anything like me, you will be crying on and off watching it.
One thing I really want to highlight is that this series is one of the most complex love stories I have ever watched. So if you aren't afraid to have your heart break a few times before having it cobbled back together stronger in the end, then definitely give this series a chance.
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I'm glad I decided to give this a chance anyway, because it is really amazing.
This is the third drama I've seen where Gong Hyo Jin was the female lead, and I was really surprised. The other two dramas I've seen her in were Pasta and The Greatest Love. Her characters in those were so different than in this one and it was nice to see. She is really a great actress, and I feel she really brought her A game here as well.
The male lead was played by Jo In Sung, this is the first time for me to see him act and at first I wasn't a huge fan, but slowly came around as the drama progressed. He did a pretty great job.
The story and characters are really well done, and this might be one of the only dramas I've seen where everyone kind of felt like real people. People with faults and strengths that seems more real than usual. I really like how this drama's pacing had the viewer realize what was going on first, then the other characters, and then finally the main person. It really kept you in anticipation since you found out what was going on first through clues. Then the focus of the drama isn't just a love story anymore, it's watching these characters slowly realize what you found out. Then it's watching these characters deal with it in their own personal ways.
This one right here is definitely going to be a classic down the road. Where people with look back fondly at this and say how great it was.
This drama was amazing and I highly recommend this drama.
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Story is not as simple as you think. Though few early episodes already gave hints of what to expect next, it would still surprise you.
Acting was good. I fell in love with Jo In Sung because of this drama. Leads have good chemistry. Support cast did a great job as well. Music was okay. But nothing memorable for me.
I’ve already rewatched this drama. It still made me cry. I enjoyed this drama a lot. I was surprised of how good it was.
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Not bad but not good either
It's okay that's lovel 2014 drama is based on mental health issues which depicts mental health illness very realistically but it fails to show the recovery/treatment properly obviously except for the ml's Compare to that everything else seems pretty lackluster.Things i didn't like:
1... The first few episodes were pretty hard to watch and the banter btwn ml\fl appeared forced to me.
2....fl overcome her trauma of 30 years overnight.She didn't sleep with her ex even though they for almost a year but within a week she was able to do that with the ml OUTSIDE?
3.....fl is a psychiatrist but she is taking "insight" from the ml to treat her patients as if she is a quake doctor and ml knows everything frickin sh!t better than the actual psychiatrists.this drama displays most of the female partners always less than\lacking\ not perfect than their male partners.
4.....didnt like the camera work that much as they would zoomed on the face too much. I personally don't like that.
5..... the older brother never asked for forgiveness. Like ml his brother and their mother all need to have an emotional scene, you can't just shove it under the rug and think that there's no conflict left btwn the bros.older brother literally assaulted him in every scenes he needs to apologize and also deserves a apology.
6.... Fl's mother is just shameless and full of audacity. But even though she is unapologetic to her husband and her daughters. I wouldn't complain about it if it was shown that she at least felt bad while cheating on her paralyzed husband.Makes one wonder where the fl got her annoying personality.
7..... The dialogues and bad most for the soo kwang&so nyeo(teenage-adult) couple. Why they show this couple in the first place.it was uncomfortable to watch them together.
8... This cursed drama has 16th episode break up, scene. And it was a rushed ending.
Things liked:
1.. the hospital patients scenes and their realistic presentation.
2. Ml's story line is very solid and well written Even though he was kinda annoying, forceful and toxic but so was the fl but she deserved better storyline. That's why everyone says they didn't like the fl. I honestly couldn't connect to any of the characters and it's really sad i had high expectations from the drama because everyone praises it so much but it's such a shame that i couldn't like it whole heartedly.
3.is there anything else to like?i can't remember.ah. the acting is pretty good liked most of their acting and casting was good.
4.this drama tried to very different and controversial but watching it in 2024 didn't make much of an impact on me as it would if i had watched it in 2014. So i think this drama couldn't transcend Time and obviously a product of it's time.
Nevertheless it was a good watch and learned many things.
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This review may contain spoilers
This was such a rollercoaster of a drama, with many ups and downs, offering an awesome thrill all the way. This series was in my "must-watch" list after much praising and positive feedback on it everywhere. I loved it, even though it had its flaws here and there. Now let's focus on the positive aspects. First, I loved the strong female lead. Not only her as a character, but how beautiful she is as well. Second, the story was very unique and nothing like I've ever seen before. Third, I enjoyed how quickly the chemistry and romance blossomed between the main leads. As lastly, and something that I look for in every drama, the OST was magically beautiful. No wonder it scored so high with the fans around the world! Now, the only thing that ruined this drama for me was how draggy everything became after the schizophrenia diagnosis. It went downhill after that for me. The female lead became weak, the male lead followed in her footsteps. Even though the illness was quite unexpected and a plot-twist for me, in addition, the brother committing a crime was a big plot hole too. If I took anything from this drama, is to look at mental illness from a different perspective. But I don't get why the drama is so hyped up, there are definitely drama that are more fascinating and gripping than this one. Was this review helpful to you?
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What a wonderful ride this has been one of the best dramas dealing with mental health in my opinion also giving this is kind of an older drama I think it was way before its time its very well made also my very first jo in sung drama and let me tell you I fell hard for him and everything that sung dong il is in is bound to be good the ost was more than amazing and complemented the story pretty well now lets get on to the negatives shall we first of all I would like to say that jae youls storyline has become one of my favorites but due to that fact it felt as though hae soos character was just a supporting role with really finishing off her story in the first few eps which made me sad given that her disorder is sth that ive never seen in a kdrama before also the last ep for me were very unecessary and disappointing like she went for a year and came back sooooooooooooo is everything ok now? this entire family drama was very unecessary for me however overall this is a solid watch that I enjoyedWas this review helpful to you?
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Love is Imperfect When Mental Health Issues are at Play
8.5/10 is what I would rate this one.A 2014 South Korean Television series that spanned 16 episodes (~60 minutes/episode). Jang Jae-yeol (Jo In-sung) is a disc jockey and popular author. He has obsessive-compulsive disorder but, despite that, he is very fun loving although a bit arrogant. Ji Hae-soo (Gong Hyo-jin) is an newby psychiatrist that takes her responsibility to her patients very seriously. Her mother and father's relationship has left Hae-soo with anxiety around all things related to relationships and intimacy. Jae-yeol and Hae-soo are not love at first site, at least not for Hae-soo who actually dislikes almost every thing about Jae-yeol and is surprisingly cruel to him given her profession. Proximity leads to a discovery that the differences that originally drove them apart are only surface and they are much more alike than first impressions would indicate. Jae-yeol and Hae-soo begin the process of healing each other through their growing relationship.
Spoiler 🚨 This was an absolute emotional ride. I never cease to be amazed at the onion like nature of these dramas. I read the title and look at pictures and even read some reviews and still feel like I have only seen the outside of the onion. I start with an impression in my mind of what the drama might be like and I am so surprised so frequently with what they are actually about. On this one I expected the typical guy meets girl, some conflict in the middle, maybe a 2nd guy then a happy ending. This did not follow that at all and had me delving into my thoughts on mental illnesses, what constitutes a family and just what is normal. This is deep and complex and sad at times but very good and compelling.
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I came into this drama wanting to watch a drama which tackles mental issues and from reading the synopsis, I had high expecteations and they for sure got met. They way they depict to struggles and issues that both the leads go through and how they tackle them is truly amazing. As a person who suffers from a disorder I could relate to some of the characters and especially Soo Kwang, I don't have tourettes but I could emphasise with him the most and how he finds it hard to socialise with people and his internal struggles.This drama was more about the struggles and edurance in a relationship rather than the journey to get to the relationship like other kdramas. It tackled things like sex and other sensitive issues that a couple might have to tackle to be able to have a good relationship.
I want to first talk about Ji Hae Soo's character, the actor Gong Hyo Jin did an amazing job expressings Hae Soo's character. This is my second drama for her after watching "When the Camellia Blooms" in which i liked her character but i wasn't completly sold on her. This drama gave me a 180 and made me appreciate her acting and made me realise how good she is expressing more mature femal roles. Hae Soo had an emotional scar as a child becasue she saw her mom cheat oh her disabled husband and that gave her a scar to where she was no longer able to anything sexual with a male becasue she saw that as a bad thing. After meeting Jang Jae Yeol did she start to change and began to appreciate love that she was given.
With Jang Jae Yeol character, it really deeply affected me becasue on the outside he looks like a strong willed person but on the inside he was hurting. He hid hish real thoughts by playing with a bunch of girls and acting happy all the time. It was only after moving into the house with Hae Soo was when he started to change bit by bit. When we find out that Kang Woo was his imagination, it realy did shock me because just before it was revealed I said that Jae Yeol acts childish around him and seems happy. Once that was revealed we start to actually see Jae Yeol in a new light and as teh story progressed we could see that Jae Yeol was changing due to his illness getting worse. Every scene Kang Woo was in a scene, I just felt so sorry for Jae Yeol. I loved how it was Hae Soo that helped him realise that Kang Woo is not real and allowed him to move on and start to change.
Park Soo Kwang character was really intresting becasue he was very mature throughout the whole show and I believe if he wasn't there to comfort people, something might've gone wrong. His romance with So Nyeo was quite refreshing as I know both actors from previous dramas I've wacthed and loved.
The OST was aight, it fit the scenes that they were in but they didn't affect me as some other drama OST's have.
If your looking for a drama which tackles Mental Issues and want to see a adult romance between two people deeply scarred in which they heal each other then I whole heartedly reccomend this show to you.
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Jo In Sung and Gong Hyo Jin SUPERB ACTING!
Yes both of the two leads did give justice from ther roles and it got me in EXTREME ROLLER COASTER rides, with many psychological terms or illnesses that mind blown me more than i expected. I never expected this drama to be great. But i really hate Haesoo's mom and her sister ther both btchess tskkk… but the rest all of them have perfect execution of ther roles i love it. Im about to laugh becoz almost all of people inside the ML house are all PSYCHOPATHS its so fcking hilarious i cant with this. And also ive learn many lessons from this drama it so relatable in our daily lives. I cried more than any more drama that i have watched so far so ready for your tissues if you wanna watched already. Im really of Gong Hyo Jin i love her even more in this drama.SHES LIT AS FCK !!!! Highly recommeneded!!!Was this review helpful to you?
