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It's Okay, That's Love korean drama review
Completed
It's Okay, That's Love
1 people found this review helpful
by Aquamaraqua
May 23, 2020
16 of 16 episodes seen
Completed
Overall 8.5
Story 8.0
Acting/Cast 9.5
Music 7.0
Rewatch Value 7.0
This review may contain spoilers
If you're in the medical field, or know anything about psychology, you might have somewhat of a tough time agreeing with all things said or done in the show, but if you can look past some logical issues, show has a great message about accepting one as one is, and the pursuit of love even through imperfect scenarios.

As someone wanting to go into psychiatry, and having friends and family members with psychological and neurological issues, I was intrigued that a kdrama was going to display these generally “taboo” topics. It’s one of the first few dramas as far as I know that did that, and the female lead being a psychiatrist made me even more interested in the show. While show was good, it had a lot of flaws that made it hard for me to overlook.

The bad:

The biggest problem I had was Jaeyul’s schizophrenia outcry by the doctors themselves. Aside from the fact that the diagnosis was super quick, it was also dealt with in a very over the top way. I understand the every-day man or woman (like FL’s sister) to be this dramatic about the mental illness, but the doctors themselves acting like he was on his deathbed already really had my eyes rolling. While yes males with schizophrenia may be more prone to suicide attempts, I feel like show was really jumping the gun on just how dangerous his mental illness was for him physically. Of course prevention is key, but the entire dramatic lens of it all felt rushed and almost irresponsible. I feel like the reactions of Haesoo’s doctor friends were exaggerated, especially since they’re psychiatrists themselves.

The meh:

As for the other shoe-horned psychiatry, I wasn’t too mad about it, but also because it reminded me somewhat of the ghost stories in Master’s Sun. Albeit in Master’s Sun the short side arcs felt a bit more organic.

From Dr. Lee and Dr. Jo’s “friendship”, to Jaeyul and Heesoo’s families, there was a whole LOT of dysfunctionality which didn't always make a lot of sense in how it was carried out. It’s why I could never get on board with a lot of Jaeyul’s mom’s backstory, I think, although I really empathized with Jaeyul’s character himself. He really nailed his character.

I’d like to add Haesoo’s sister added to her family’s side of dysfunctionality and show kind of glossed over that too, especially with how entitled her sister was. She definitely rubbed me the wrong way. Why even add her sister as a character if they weren’t going to resolve her side of the arc? Also, I usually love Kim Mikyung’s roles, but her as Heesoo’s mother towards the end really aggravated me.

The good:

OTP chemistry is top notch. It feels really organic, real, and ADULT. No kids fussing around. Adults with their quirks acting (most of the time) like adults.

I love how Gong Hyojin's character is a badass, and has her quirks. Her own trauma brought up in the show was also something I felt refreshing, and was a nice touch, although I felt like could have been elaborated on a touch more.

Jo Insung and Kyungsoo's relationship was also beautifully done. Jo Insung in general had a very commanding presence throughout the show, and it was because of this, to my surprise, I found myself glued to the show in its early stages.

Lee Kwang Soo's character also always brought a smile to my face (and at times had me sobbing).

Show is ambitious in that it brings to the forefront mental health in a country and climate where it's not always talked about. For that it truly deserves credit, although it didn't fully stick with medical coherence or logical coherence throughout. OTP's chemistry was great, as was Jo Insung's delivery of Jaeyul playing a schizophrenic.

Not the greatest, but worth it for Jo Insung’s performance and OTP–the highlight of the show for me.
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