It’s way overrated
I’m currently @ ep4 but I wanted to say this, when your mom tells you that the only reason she gave birth to you was so you could look after your brother, wow, I don’t know how anyone can come back from that, because that’s just so wild and traumatic on all levels.Update after completion.
Honestly I like the premise of the drama but some details in the execution left me smh. That Ok psychiatrist hospital was just a prop in the drama, there was basically no work done there, it was just for gossip and drama. The three leads had severe traumatic experiences but they didn’t seek extensive treatment, they should be in therapy both individually and collectively before they can become that real family they are seeking, after everything they went through I’m not buying the kumbaya family times without proper treatment for the 3 of them but what do I know. I know that Sang Te met with the director doctor sometimes and Gang Te also talked with him a couple of times too but it felt to simplistic in terms of the severity and enormity of the situation.
I finally decided to watch this drama after a long time of putting it off, if I never watched it, I really won’t be missing much IMO, so I can’t say I recommend or not.
I definitely won’t be rewatching this.
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Annnnnnnnd those outfits!
What a fun ride this was! The dark mood and music made it really enjoyable, and all three leads showed us their masterful talents. I especially applaud Oh Jung Se for the hard work he put into his portrayal of Sang Tae. He is a talented and heartwarming actor. I also want to mention Kang Gi Doong's portrayal of Gang Tae's best friend and life raft in the lovely Jae Soo. He is a fantastic supporting actor in all his roles.Much has already been said about the acting talents of our main couple. Of course, Kim Soo Hyun is always such a thoughtful actor. You can tell he works extremely hard. And I was blown away by Seo Ye Ji's outstanding performance as Ko Moon Young. The costume designer certainly deserves a ton of praise as well. Those outfits were a real highlight.
A few things weren't quiiiiiite there for me though, especially near the end of the show, which was a letdown after the first 75% was just about perfect. First, I felt that the big reveal around head nurse Park Haeng Ja was done a bit sloppily. If you found out that a killer was running your hospital, wouldn't you move a bit faster, call the authorities, protect Moon Young, and all the rest? This didn't seem to happen. Secondly, when Moon Young finds out about her mother and what she did to Sang Tae and Gang Tae's mom, her reaction seems not to match the shock and pain of knowing. I felt her first 'breakdown' episode after thinking that Park Ok Ran was her mother matched the intensity of the revelation much better. And the way in which she 'healed' after learning about her real mother didn't quite fit either. I was expecting her healing to involve those who care about her as a way of showing she can open up to people through her growth over the course of the show.
A couple other more minor criticisms I have are:
1. The storybook that Sang Tae and Moon Young were working on was so important throughout the process but after a while it faded to lesser status. I thought it would play a major part in both of their healing journeys.
2. The cute couple Sang In and Joo Ri had potential but never took off. It was frustrating to watch them.
3. Moon Young's relationship with her father (and mother) wasn't explored with enough depth. The flashbacks of the past were mostly just scary images of both of them. Was he truly an evil person? Does Moon Young find some kind of closure around their relationship?
Overall, this is great show. The moodiness serves it well and the acting is fantastic.
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Hands down, this is part of one of THE best K-Dramas I've seen in the past decades
Honestly, I dunno how to start this without gushing. I've just finished watching this, and the emotions still linger for me. Let's face it, it's hard to find a new refreshing K-Drama that's out of the box, more so if you're one of the veteran K-Drama fans like me who have seen more than hundreds of plots and stories. So when you start watching a really good drama, it feels like you're finding a diamond in the sand. That's what it feels like for this drama, it's a hidden gem you wouldn't have expected to find. I have never given 10/10 in MDL ever. But this deserves it all the way.The characters here are not your typical K-drama characters - far from it. But one which reflects a lot of the actual personalities we would be able to encounter in real life. It does not, however, give you that feeling that it's too close to your own reality thus you would still be reeled in by their stories.
In terms of story and plot, it is unconventional but not unique. What makes it stand-out is how the story is told - how it is given life on the screen through many perspectives, and how we can empathize with the people acting out each emotion on screen. Each episode you're given a balance of emotions high and low, and that's what made it hooking all the more. The storytelling for this drama is nothing short of brilliant, it gives viewers a take-away for life up until the end.
Speaking of emotions, a huge shoutout to the actors and the directors of this drama. The emotions they had to convey were very difficult. There are a lot of heavy scenes and it would not have been given justice if the acting and the directing for each scene weren't concise.
VFX, Coloring, Cinematography wise it was also very much a visual ride. A lot of character perspectives were brought to life in this drama because of how it was portrayed in each scene through thorough camera work. Everything was so aesthetically pleasing throughout the drama, it felt like watching a long lovely movie.
The OST is damn great, I won't say anything but just listen to it on Spotify. There's a curated list already ;)
In conclusion, please, if you have some time to spare, take the time to watch this drama. It is truly heartfelt and amazing, I wouldn't be surprised if the drama and the actors find more fame right after this. It would be very hard to top this on my personal list, so let's all hope we can keep finding hidden gems as bright as Its Okay To Not Be Okay in the future (or else I'll be stuck in a black hole of finding great K-dramas like these for years again!)
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Beautiful
Honestly I could spend hours talking about this drama but there is one word that sums it up perfectly and that is BEAUTIFUL. The whole story right from beginning to end is so beautiful and magical. There are only a very small handful of dramas that exist in the world that have that element of true magic and beauty and this is one of them. From the three main characters stories to the patients in the hospital, all their stories touched me to the point I shed both sad and happy tears for each of them.As for the cast, well they couldn't have got better actors if they tried. The three main leads absolutely smashed it and made the characters what they were. I think it is incredibly hard to create a masterpiece unless the actors are spot on and make the character themselves which is exactly what they did. As for the the side characters in the hospital, both staff and patients well they were insane and they portrayed the roles as if they were actually them characters.
It is very easy to make the main characters come across as superior and take the centre stage constantly even when the focus is on another characters story but I think they balanced it out well. Yes, the story is obviously about the three main characters and their journey and development together so the focus is on them but when the story is about other characters too, IOTNBO perfectly balances it. And the final story that Moon Young wrote proves that. It included the story of the two patients that they helped move on and live a better life and honestly when they read out the story I shed a few happy tears because they were saying that without these people that they helped then they wouldn't have been able to help themselves either and it's true. I just loved that they brought in the other characters at the end and showed that by helping others you really can help yourself too.
The music and intro is so good. I could never skip the intro and when the music came in at certain points and just fit the scenes perfectly, honestly it added so much more depth to the story and acting (which was already amazing). They used several different songs repeatedly but it didn't feel like they were being overplayed or used at the wrong points, they were placed accordingly and it worked that way.
The re-watch value has to be a 10 because of how amazing it is. I just can't explain how much emotion this drama gave me. I felt for each and every character in many different ways and although I myself have struggled with mental health it still opened my eyes up to the different forms it comes in and how it can affect many different people in many different ways. I just found the story so touching and it was done so cleverly and thoughtfully that I think I could watch this drama over and over again and would still get all the depth and emotion ever time. Many dramas fail to do that even if they're amazing. Dramas tend to give you the feelings and excitement etc. the first time and you might want to re-watch it again but the next time might not excite you as much, especially if you watch it quite soon after. IOTNBO is the opposite, no matter how many times you watch it, every plot and every character still will make you feel something and probably something new each time on top of that too.
Obviously credit goes to all the cast because they pulled off a phenomenal show due to their insane acting skills and the three main cast made it what it is but I also want to credit some of the support actors. Specifically, Kwak Dong Yeon who played the patient Kwon Gi Do and also Kang Ji Doong who played Gang Tae's friend/ older brother Jo Jae Soo. That's not to say that I don't find every single character and actor amazing because I think the characters and cast couldn't have been better if they tried. It's just that I think these characters really touched my heart. The patient who's father thought he was so dumb that he didn't deserve to be his son and he beat him, locked him up etc. and then his mum loved him so much that to protect him she tried to keep him away from the family and pretend that she was disappointed and didn't love him. He saw through it though and actually he felt so much better after being able to speak openly about how he was treated, I just thought he deserved so much love and attention and the actor pulled it off perfectly. He deserves so much recognition for that role. Then there's the friend who was always there for the two brothers, looked after them, listened to them, protected them etc. and in return he always had to move around and never settle and he felt that he was only being given half of what he was giving them. Despite all he felt he still stuck by them and loved them endlessly like a brother would and the final episode where Gang Tae told him that without him, he wouldn't have been able to cope half as much as he did and that he needed him in his life, it felt like all this pain he'd felt that time had been eased and he realised that although Gang Tae never said how much he valued him, he valued him so much that words couldn't explain it. I just think that his character is amazing and once again it isn't an easy role to act so I just think that the actor did an incredible job.
I have so much more to say but honestly no time to and it'll go on forever so I think for now I have said enough
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Amazing
IOTNBO has definitely made it onto my favorites list. I loved it so much. Originally, I wasn't going to watch this drama. I saw the trailer and I didn't really seem like something I would be into. Cut to two weeks later, I was browsing mdl's calendar to see what was playing on my birthday. This drama was the only thing appealing and logistically also the only one I could catch up with. Then I saw a video on IG of Mun-yeong yelling at a deer lol. I could no longer resist and binged the first eight episodes of the drama. I absolutely LOVED it.My favorite theme of IOTNBO is healing. Seeing the main three characters gradually heal as well as the other patients just warmed my heart so much. Overall, the look, acting, characters, music, everything was perfect. I will definitely watch this drama again. Likely in the next two months or so. Short review since 200 people have already written ones before me.
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It is a fun, emotional, mysterious, quirky roller coaster ride! It was perfect!
This drama is one of the best! It has it all... emotion, mystery, laughs, and quirkiness. It grabbed me at the beginning and held me captive till the end. It is now one I will watch yearly.This show is about emotions and healing. If that is not what you want then it is not for you. I am not really into these kinds of show, but I have to say it was quite a surprise and I loved every bit of it!
Storyline - how do they come up with these stories? The detail and acting is phenomenal! The story was well written and well executed! I love the development of each character. The emotion felt real and you could relate with them. I put this drama off for a while now. I look back and think, “Why?!” It is so good! I loved the fairy tales in it and how it went along with each episode. I loved watching the healing of everyone involved. It was a journey but well worth it. Much much MUCH better than any Hollywood movie or series!
Acting - Oh Jung Se did an amazing job! He is quite the actor! Kim Soon Hyun... when he cried I cried right with him. He knows how to pull you in and feel his pain as his character. On top of that.. man when he came out for pictures with his hair all done.. well I will just say he is a cutie!? Seo Ye Ji did a wonderful job also. She really is a good actress! The rest of the cast did a great job. I have seen a few of them in other dramas and really like them.
Music - I am so glad it is on Amazon. I am buying it! I love all the music in this drama. The quirky songs are my favorite.
Rewatch - YES! One of my top favorites! I highly recommend this drama.
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A beautiful tale
It's a beautiful story.Kudos to the author who was able to bring to us a meaningful story about healing and supporting each other. The direction was topnotch too and complemented the story.
I liked how the author used tales to support her story either by having the moral of these stories illustrating a point of the drama or by having the characters having their own take on these tales.
KSH has succeeded in coming back after 5 years of absence from the small screen. He was great as MGT and was able to offer a restrained performance that still touched our heartstrings and made us feel for the character.
It could have been a wooden performance had it been played by an actor with lesser acting skills.
SYJ was just great as KMY and I was pleasantly surprised by her performance. She cemented her place as one of my favorite actresses after her roles in Hwarang and Save Me -I liked her in Lawless Lawyer but the drama was sadly not up to notch.
SYJ was able to bring the craziness of KMY while being funny and endearing. I I can't imagine anyone else having her part. That's how good she was.
As OJS he waw superb in his impersonnation of MST -MGT's autistic brother. I was floored by how well he owned his character ; the mannerisms, the line delivery...
I saw this actor in Hot Stove League not long ago and his two characters are as different as night and day.
The side characters were also awesome. Be it the junior artist or the hospital patients.
Plus point : The chemistry between KSH and SYJ was sizzling and I'm hoping they'll act together again. They completed together physically but their pairing also worked well together in the acting department.
The music was very good and went well with the drama. My personnal favorite is Silent by Janett Suhh.
All in all, IONTNO is the great drama with great rewatch value imo because even though the mystery is unveiled, their is more more to the story (the characters' growth, the side characters stories,the lighthearted and heartwarming moments, the heartwrenching moments...)
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AMAZING
I've heard people talking about this drama ever since it first released and I was excited to watch it because of seo yeaji (I first watched her in lawless lawyer) and I had no idea who kim soohyun was before watching this lmao. I held myself back from watching it until a week before the last episode and i binged watched everything before they released episode 15 and it was a roller coaster of emotions !Oh jungse portrayed sangtae so so well he deserves many awards for his outstanding performance ! Seo yeaji i love her character so much in this !! and kim soohyun whose characteristics was the most normal out of the three of them also did an amazing job portraying gangtae. The character development in this show is very much noticable and i love how their traumas came from the same person and they overcame it together. They truly are the best trio. There were some loopholes in this drama but i didn't really mind it as it wasnt the main focus of it.
Overall a VERY GOOD drama and highly recommended. This drama does not lack in anything. i love it.
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Impossible not to love this show
If this doesn’t touch your heart, I don’t know what will, because this is just one of the most beautiful dramas out there. Every second of it is amazing.But truly, it’s impossible not to like every single character. Ko Moon Young is a difficult character to understand. She’s a well-known children’s book author who holds a very cold exterior. Everyone admires her, but she doesn’t genuinely have anyone in her life. And then there’s Moon Gang Tae, who is someone you think you understand, but the man can’t even figure himself out. He has worked in several hospitals, always moving to different places with his brother, Sang tae, both finding their own ways in escaping the past.
So we have two lonely people that are faking their way through life in order to keep the happiness of other people. Wait, isn’t that like every other k-drama?
Yes. BUT, everything about this drama is so different. There’s something about this one that just makes you so ridiculously happy. Everything was played out so perfectly. Every moment the main leads are together, you think something extremely bad will happen. Nothing was too predictable; this made the character development worth so much more. Every character is so special and beautiful in their own way. And put Moon young, Gang tae, and Sang tae together, they are the most beautiful trio.
But not just the main leads, every character makes this the picture-perfect drama. Whether they’re blood related, friends, old enemies, everyone is family in the end, and it’s just so heartwarming.
Not to mention how well the main leads go together. They complement each other very well, and there are countless unbearably cute moments.
Also, the scenery and the color in this show is a lovely bonus. If you like beautiful people in beautiful locations, absolutely gives this a watch!
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A whole healing experience. Extremely artistic.
It's okay to not be okay is a whole new world. There's nothing like it. The concept, the characters,the script and the storyline everything is perfect. Even if I try I can't find one fault in anything.It is ahead of it's time. A whole drama that shows mental disorders in such depth, has never been done so perfectly before.
This show made me realise how people who are specially abled bring such light into the world. It made me change so much. This show changed my perspectives on many things, even though I'm a psychology major it showed me many things which made me appreciate my subject alot more. I dont think any drama has moved me in this way.
The dialogues and the use of fairytales in every episode made me appreciate this drama alot. I enjoyed every episode, its like an art piece honestly.
The music in this show is definitely one of the best aspects, some osts are a little dissapointing but the English osts are too good! The intro music is hauntingly beautiful. Seriously the drama is on another level.
The acting of every single character, amazing. Especially moon sang tae, oh jung se played his character so well. I get goosebumps. Everytime.
I loved how strong ko moon yeong is, she is a female lead we will remember forever. Her wardrobe, her lines and her expressions, perfect.
In conclusion, this drama is a must watch. It will forever remain iconic and will surely change your life.
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A Story About Healing
This is my first review on this site, but this show has been so great that I felt it was right to write a review.PLOT:
This is not a story-driven show, so the plot is just enough to keep everything moving forward, but really it is not what this show is about, so if you like and need a complex plot, this won't be the show for you.
CHARACTERS/ACTING
The heart of the show is the three main characters, Moon Gang-Tae, Moon Sang-Tae, and Ko Mun-Yeong, and their experiences. Each character is vividly written and they all have incredible development during the show. Each is also played beautifully by Kim Soo Hyun, Oh Jung Se, and Seo Ye Ji. The acting and the characters are why this show is so captivating and so emotional (yes, get ready to cry, you will, its guaranteed). Every secondary character is also both well written and well acted.
MUSIC:
The OST is perfectly calibrated to the show, and many of the individual songs are quite lovely.
REWATCH VALUE:
Because this show is character driven, there is really no end to the times you can return to replay your favorite character moments.
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Human Healing Drama
I am sure many has a lot of praises for the show, so I shall keep my review simple (or maybe not). Here are the reasons why I absolutely adore the show:- Fantastic acting and chemistry. Nothing can beat the casting in this show.
- Beautiful character development for EVERY character. Despite the show being heavily character-driven, it never cease to capture my attention every single second.
- Attention to details. So many foreshadowings, parallels and easter eggs to make the whole watching experience more engaging.
- OSTs that are heartbreaking and haunting.
- Life lessons to take away. Many lines are quote-worthy.
- Magical mix of genres. It is impossible to classify this show in any genre because it incorporates ALL genres in its 16 episode run, from romance to psychological to comedy to family to thriller to fantasy. You name it they have it. Some may not like the spectrum but it was a refreshing and satisfying watch for myself.
Overall, it was an amzing ride with capable actors and well-thought out script and plot, leaving me super satisfied after the watch. Just be ready to ride the waves with the characters as I am sure you will be sucked right into the characters' stories and feel so much for them. I am so glad for finding this gem and it will take a special place in my heart for a long long time.
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