this drama truly is a masterpiece...
It’s Okay to Not Be Okay is a healing romance that tells the story of a troubled health worker (Kim Soo Hyun) at a psychiatric hospital whose fate becomes intertwined with a writer (Seo Ye Ji) with Antisocial Personality Disorder as they fall in love.Kim Soo Hyun plays Moon Gang Tae who is a health worker at a psychiatric hospital. His only family is his older Autistic brother who he has spent his life taking care of while neglecting his own needs. He silently struggles through life doing his best. His world is completely turned upside down though when Ko Moon Young blows into his life like a hurricane.
Seo Ye Ji is Ko Moon Young. She keeps the fact that she has Antisocial Personality Disorder hidden and has been able to become a successful children’s writer. She is cold, calculating, and a bit dangerous. She sets her sights on Gang Tae and sets in motion a complicated romance for the pair.
Then we have Oh Jung Sae as Moon Sang Tae. He is Gang Tae’s older brother. His Autism causes him to struggle understanding people and has brought challenges to him and Gang Tae. Even though Gang Tae tends to take care of him, Sang Tae is very loyal, independent, and also wants to do what he can to help Gang Tae too.
Wow! Get ready! This drama is something else! It hooked me right from the start, and then I was glued to my seat all the way through. This is one of those special shows that captures your heart and takes you on an emotional journey that leaves you changed when you are through. Special indeed! The drama is like a dark, modern fairy tale. It has a magical quality to it in the way the story is told. The script was so incredibly well-written with every line of dialogue having meaning.
A lot of thought also went into the production with so much attention to detail in constructing the sets as well as how the scenes were shot. The OST also greatly enhanced this magical feel. All of these elements blended together beautifully to carry us away into this slightly disturbing yet very healing fairy tale.
Kim Soo Hyun and Seo Ye Ji delivered powerhouse performances, and any time they were on screen together was completely captivating in so many different ways. Their chemistry was palpable. They run very hot and cold with each other which resulted in some incredibly intense moments as well as some deeply emotional ones.
This relationship is a bit disturbing in the beginning as these two clash. Their actions towards each other aren’t always that great. These are two very broken people. But they are drawn to each other, and those walls slowly start coming down between them.
Our characters are all very different from each other and have their own issues to deal with, but they all ultimately need the same thing…love and acceptance. Loneliness can be crippling, and that is shown very clearly here. Seeing this unlikely group come together and heal was such a treat. The concept of what a family is was explored in such a touching way.
It’s Okay to Not Be Okay is one of those unique and special thought-provoking dramas that truly is a masterpiece. It tells a heart-wrenching yet beautiful story of growth and healing. The characters are flawed, but we come to understand them and root for their personal growth and happiness. They don’t have to be perfect to achieve that either. Love and acceptance can be found in imperfection. The message is clear and simple…It’s Okay to Not Be Okay.
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BEST DRAMA EVER !!
I am usually one of those people that skip a lot in dramas and get bored really easily !! I was yet to find a drama I could just sit through and watch all of it , but as soon as I watched this ever part of this drama captivates and entertains the audience !! even whether is was silence I still sat through it all it was that captivating!!the plot was amazing !! and they portrayed it in a unique way that I loved !! THE ACTORS CHEMISTRY!! don’t even get me started !! The male lead and female lead was so beautiful together !!
the brother added such an emotional roller coaster effect to this show !! in a way the male lead wanted to be there but at the same time love his in life !!
THIS drama has such raw emotional underlying messages through all the characters illnesses and experiences and this is portrayed through the female leads books which just brings this drama to a whole new level !!
the music !! idk the name of the song but one of the songs just repeated I think every episode and it was such a good fit and just got me in the feels and vibes of the drama !!
rewatch value !! usually I wouldn’t rewatch and drama even if I really enjoyed it because I like the feeling of the cliche but still not 100% sire what’s gonna happen but I feel in the future I would definitely rewatch this drama !!
THIS DRAMA IS DEFINITELY WORTH THE WATCH !!
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Best drama 2020
I have never been so attached to a kdrama . For me this drama was more character driven than plot driven and the character development of each person is seriously done so well.If your watching for the whole money plot twist you might be slightly disappointed but for me this drama was not about that but the healing process which is why i love it so much
The chemistry between kim soo hyun and seo yeji is literally out of this world for me they have the best kdrama chemistry ever and i am seriously parting the have another project together.
So yes i am giving this a solid ten
I am really going to miss the drama especially our trio
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Best and Brilliant
I was watching this drama when it was on air. Waiting for each episode felt like a huge pain. I cried.. I laughed... I loved.. and I was scared, this drama was an emotional roller coaster for me. There were not main cast or supporting cast, each individual had their own sufferings and story. Everyone were main lead of their own life. I read some reviews in which people were talking about bad side of this drama and some of which I agree with but I haven't watched any drama or saw any character which is so perfect. This drama has my heart.Just go for it .
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One of the greatest Korean dramas ever made!
This drama didn't deliver a single lackluster scene. From the beginning to its end, all actors' phenomenal acting (especially the three main leads, Kim Soo Hyun, Seo Ye Ji and Oh Jung Se) plus the writer and director's (along with the staff) magnificent execution of the story made IOTNBO a top notch kdrama! For me, it became not just one of my favorite dramas of all, but my most favorite drama of all now (also THE KDrama of 2020!)I have been closely monitoring this even before the cast weren't finalized at the time. As a huge KSH bias/fan, I looked forward to seeing this. He never fails to live up to my expectations with regards to his performance, even exceeding it more times than not. Plus this was his new drama after Producers in 2015.
As time passed, Oh Jung Se's casting was confirmed and made me looked forward to the drama more, as I have seen him from Marry Him If You Dare and he was awesome. Then when Seo Ye Ji, also got casted, I got curious as to how her chemistry with KSH will be. I admit I haven't watched any dramas or movies SYJ but I have watched her guesting in Running Man and Knowing Brothers. I also know her from Bigbang's Let's Not Fall In Love MV. Nevertheless, I know that she's a great actress, and I found it true as I watched her play Ko Mun Young. She was outstanding! Her acting is very praiseworthy, never felt short with KSH's or OJS's. There was someone on Twitter that said most viewers watched for KSH but fell for SYJ as well and vice versa. Well I can totally relate and is now a SYJ fan!
Going back, I know I might not give enough justice reviewing this drama. For me, IOTNBO is a very warm, sweet, heartbreaking, beautiful, magical, funny and 'weird' one. I laughed, I cried, my heart fluttered seeing KSH-SYJ couple, got heartbroken, depressed and 'healed'. It was 'weird' as it tackled issues rarely seen in dramas, specifically about mental disorder. They were bold enough to portray and tackle these issues sensibly and beautifully. It provided deep awareness. I for one suffer from depression and watching this made me reflect on my feelings and thoughts. I identified with most of the characters' problems and seeing as how they got to overcome it made me heal too. It felt like I was also comforted. The rooftop scene of KSH in episode 7 got me the most. It was remarkable!
There were a lot of noteworthy scenes or episodes where the acting for a heavy scene was just beyond perfect. Also the script is very well written, each line cleverly prepared, never losing the flow when revisiting the past for future use. It always leaves me in awe whenever I watch a scene 'paying homage' to its own, which I never see coming unfortunately, since I've been watching kdramas for a long time, but also grateful since they were presented wittily. IOTNBO deserves a lot of recognition!!! Highly recommended, guaranteed to leave you with warmth (like the type I get on a slice of life anime)!
Also the OST is amazing! My favorite was 나도 모르는 노래 (Hallelujah) & 아직 너의 시간에 살아!
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Quirky but grows into wholesomeness
I really didn't know what to expect going into this drama, but I came out pleasantly surprised.All of the characters were interesting and my favourite would have to be Sang-tae. He is the sweetest man. I thought the actor did such a great job playing his part. I was very impressed. There were quite a few scenes with him where I cried or was close to crying.
I also liked Mun-yeong - she was obviously troubled by her past, but her character was like nothing I'd seen before so it was refreshing to watch.
Gang-tae - ugh, my baby! Like his brother, he is also very sweet, and very handsome too XD. I liked the relationship he shared with his brother and how he encouraged Mun-yeong to get along with Sang-tae and become his friend. Sang-tae and Mun-yeong's bond became so pure and wholesome.
The story was definitely interesting although it may have seemed a little slow in the beginning. To begin with I was like, "this girl is CrAZy!" But as the story progressed, we understood her unique and obscure nature. At the same, we also saw her grow as a person - becoming more warm as she and Gang-tae began to love each other, and also just how she was with Sang-tae.
I don't know if this was meant to be obvious/was obvious to everyone else, but I had a suspicion of the nurse who turned out to be Mun-yeong's mother. Especially when she was getting close to Sang-tae. Once it was revealed that she was Mun-yeong's mother, it all made sense with her father and the patient who went to Mun-yeong's house to wish her a happy birthday. Also, that actress just has a scary look about her. I don't know, I just got a vibe.
I still don't understand her reason for killing Gang-tae and Sang-tae's mother, like she is just an evil bitch! Their mother was only showing concern for Mun-yeong but that butterfly crazy lady did NOT like it, so she killed her!? I guess if you're a psychopath that's what you're going to do, but my God that is horrific.
The music was definitely interesting for this show, but I liked the quirky vibe - it went so well.
-E
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Despite the plot hole, everything else made up for it thus the 10/10 rating :)
Sadly, all good things come to an end :( To my escape from everything terrible that is currently happening in this world, no words can explain how truly grateful I am. I hope everyone who watched this gets to live by the things that they’ve learned from this show, even if it’s just one thing. May it be accepting that we are weak and leaning on someone/asking for help is totally okay, reconciling broken relationship is possible, understanding before making a conclusion, continuously pursuing to be a dependable friend, or breaking the curse of your past for your future generations (healing) is not impossible. There are a whole lot of good things that can be picked up from this drama. I think a lot of people would be or were hesitant to watch this because it could look like two broken humans trying to fix each other. It is not entirely false but it is SO MUCH MORE than that. It highlighted the process of healing within oneself and overcoming the things we are afraid to face instead of running away. It started within themselves, their longing to start over again; they didn’t put their significant other first and decided to change for them. While I saw this drama slowly come to an end I can’t help but be reminded of 1Cor 13 4:7. LOVE IS PATIENT; When your loved one is struggling, healing does not happen overnight. This drama showed individuals who had personality issues due to the battles they are facing but the people around them, though sometimes failed, were patient and did not rush them to change. LOVE IS KIND; They showed the domino effect of being compassionate and understanding. Correcting their actions without condemning. LOVE IS NOT SELF-SEEKING; They did not love in order to benefit from it but because they needed each other. LOVE KEEPS NO RECORD OF WRONGS; They may have hurt them physically or have said harsh words out of spite but they did not use it against them. Instead it motivated them to re-think when problem arises (knife scene). LOVE DOES NOT DELIGHT IN EVIL BUT REJOICES WITH THE TRUTH; ST, MY, and KT were all living in darkness but they encouraged each other to see the truth. The truth that it is possible for them to overcome and face their fears. They made each other come to realization that running away does no good but instead they must come face to face with their trauma. Lastly, LOVE ALWAYS PROTECTS, TRUSTS, HOPES, AND PERSEVERES; I think anyone who had watched this would agree that the main characters displayed this love with each other especially during and after they re-discovered themselves. I hope you were healed and comforted just as I was :)Vond je deze recentie nuttig?
I was hesitated at the beginning but had zero regrets just after 5 minutes watching the very 1st episode.
This show not only has me laugh my heads off and cry a bucket at the same time but also leaves me many good messages and makes me heal emotionally.
Story
A one-of-a-kind storyline which creates very well character developments not only for the main casts but also for all the supporting ones. That leads to a balanced 16 episodes where you can cry, laugh, heal throughout the show.
Acting/Cast
Phenomenal acting, not only among the main leads but also among the supporting casts.
I had never watched a show where I just couldn’t find one character that I could not hate like in this show. Every character has their bad and good side and every obstacle/problem that each of them had was very well-explained, solved at the end. That very detail leaves you such a satisfying feeling once you complete watching it.
Music
Very well-chosen OST.
Catchy tunes and meaningful lyrics! What more can you possibly ask for?
Rewatch Value
I would definitely come back from time to time.
This show has many layers to unfold, many good messages to learn from.
Overal
10/10 of course
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It lived up to the hype
I swore that I would never find a psychological thriller/romance/mental health drama that could come even close to being as good as “Kill Me Heal Me” but this drama proved me wrong. I still say KMHM was a little better, but the acting in this drama really impressed me. Every single actor was did a really good job. Kim Soo Hyun really knows how to choose good dramas. He starred in “You Who Came From The Stars” that was a big hit then went into the military. As soon as he came back he chose this drama and I’m certain it will be a huge success.The storyline: The male lead is the sole caretaker for his autistic older brother that suffers from PTSD because he witnessed his mother’s murder. They move every year due to his brother’s meltdowns over his fear of the murderer finding him and killing him too. So they never really have time to make friends or date or get close to anyone. The male lead is a very kind and patient person that works at mental health hospitals. The female lead is a rude obnoxious writer that seems to have no feelings. Her father is at the hospital where the male lead works and after a series of run ins their lives become entangled.
You can tell a lot of money was invested in this. It’s definitely a big budget drama. The special effects and cinematography were top notch. The music was perfect for each scene and was quite moving.
For those looking for an action packed psychological thriller, you may be disappointed by the romance or the focus on mental health which slows things down a bit in some parts. This is a third mental health, a third murder mystery psychological thriller, and a third romantic comedy. It’s a package deal so go into it expecting all three genres to be rolled into one nice cohesive package. I personally loved how balanced it was. There was never too much of one thing, so it never got boring or predictable. You have a little murder mystery which gets you all nervous and worked up then would things would calm down with the push and pull of the romance. Then there would be the sadness from different characters lives or mental health issues and then the comedy would pop up and get you laughing. I really enjoyed the diversity of the drama.
One thing I disliked was how I felt about the female lead in the beginning. She was very selfish, arrogant, and rude. It took a good while before I liked her. But that’s how we are supposed to feel about her. Once you find out about her backstory and what she’s been through, you can sympathize with her and understand her better. And her character growth was phenomenal. In fact, every character in this drama has amazing character growth which gave it so much depth and made it more interesting.
And can I just say thank you to those in charge who decided to have real kisses in this drama and not the fake ones. It’s hard to believe in a romance with fake kisses or people that go to bed together or wake up together completely dressed like they’re about to walk out the door. Well there’s none of that here. It was very true to life which I believe enhanced the drama and made it more relatable.
Overall I loved this drama and can’t really find much to dislike about it. I wish the female lead was a little more likable, and the pace could have picked up a bit more in some areas. But no drama is perfect and those are just tiny things. Just take my advice and watch it. It’s really really good!
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Cleverly Written, Produced and Edited
I came in expecting a story that's similar to It's Okay, That's Love due to the summary but It's Okay to Be Not Okay turned out to be a different drama since it has this mystery thriller vibe to it.These are the reasons why I enjoyed this smart and creative drama to bits:
1. The drama makes use of the main settings to enrich the story that it was about to tell.
2. The cinematography and the editing of this drama is one of the BEST I have seen due to its creativity that made me laugh a lot and has more purposes other than for aesthetic purposes.
3. The animations are not overdone and the editing team has somehow found a way to make them organic.
4. The character development of this drama doesn't feel rushed and you'll find rooting yourself rooting for the main characters and it's satisfying to see the way their character arcs are concluded.
5. The individual stories of the patients have actually impacted the main story with their interaction with the main characters. Not only that, but they were also nicely tied in the end.
6. The dialogues are written in such a way that it alludes to the main characters without exactly specifying the names of the main characters.
7. It was interesting to see how they make use of different literary works as their episode headers. This was one of the few dramas that I actually paid attention to the title of the episode.
8. OSTs and background music are really good.
In regards to the acting and casting, this drama really did well and I won't comment anymore about the casts' acting since I was really satisfied.
Overall, this drama brought a lot of nostalgia due to its use of literary works that I've read when I was young and was glad that I was coerced to watch this drama. This drama will have a special place in my heart since it is one of the few dramas that me and my siblings watched at the same time.
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Heart Warming Stories on Mental Health
I don't want to say much or spoil much so I'll continue with as little spoilers as possible. I hope that with this drama, mental health could be more accepted everywhere in the world where it can come off as a taboo topic.OVERALL
I wished that I would have written this review right after I finished it, instead of waiting a couple of months. However, that would have been an even more biased review. This drama teared me up until the very last minute. I love how they didn’t try to make everything seem like it was okay and beautiful in the end. What made it beautiful was that they knew they could never get over it, but they can grow from it, move on, and be better. They spread their wings to leave what was always holding them back!
STORY
This is a drama that is told using fairy tales. Unlike other dramas where it uses one fairy tale, like “The Little Mermaid” to foreshadow the story, they made up their own for the show. All these stories that are read in the drama are as deep as the drama itself.
The concept of love in this drama was beautiful and so unique. It captivated me because it was not about romanticizing love stories and because it did not solely focus on the main lead’s love. It was a story of love stories. It showed different types of love and told the good, the bad, and the ugly parts of love. It showed that love came in different forms and can evolve in different ways. The writers allowed us to see the raw aspects of a relationship such as the baggage we carry and how the people that surround us are a part of it too. The story isn’t just focused on one person. It shows you the support system in a relationship and how it’s not always involving two people. They made all the supporting casts and minor characters’ relationships to be intermingled in a way that made sense and worthwhile to watch. We fall in love with all of them in different ways and they become more than just side characters.
It was an inspiring drama amidst the 2020 crap we were thrown. It was an inspiring drama that showed that we can overcome these psychological issues that have only started to come to light as of lately. It shows hope of finding yourself through the help of people around you. It speaks so much to those that fantasize about that light and not about the love story of finding that Mr. Right. Moon Young was just lucky to have found both.
ACTING/CAST/CHARACTERS
I have always enjoyed Seo Ye Ji’s acting and she is still able to blow me away as Ko Moon Young. Her character was hilarious at the beginning. I loved the little “psycho psycho” that was thrown in the background when she does something overboard. Sometimes I feel like Moon Young was the most “normal” one out of all of the characters. She has moments where she expresses weird habits and mood swings, but that was about it. I feel like they could have done more with her character or one that has a personality disorder, I don’t expect something dramatic, but I wished they showed more ways of how she treats it.
I have seen one of Kim Soo Hyun’s work, but as Moon Gang Tae, I am sold on the hype on this actor! Kim Soo Hyun is so good at crying. I cried at least 70% of the time that he cried on screen. The way he executes his scenes is so great. The way he breathes between words, how his eyes waver, and how he acts helpless and lost. All of it was delivered so well. He has improved, or this character allowed him to show his skills.
Oh Jung Se was phenomenal as Moon Sang Tae. He deserves so much attention was the lead in my heart for his performance and the way he moved me. Do I even need to say anything more? Without his character and the relationship of the brothers in here, it would not have held my attention for so long. So many of my favorite scenes involved the two brothers. I love how Sang Tae grew so much with the number of people that were willing to help him. It warmed my heart so much!
Honorable mentions to the directors, writers, all staff, casts, singers, and the special guest cast!
MUSIC
Guys… this had such a stud list of OST singers. Kim Feel, Park Won, Lee Suhyun, Sam Kim, Heize, and Cheeze. The timing of the soundtracks and when they came in really aid in the feel of the drama. For example, Kwak Dong Yeon showed up in episode 3 and was imagining himself as being so free from his true reality. The way he smiled and laughed and then Kim Feel’s Hallelujah came on. Such a fitting song for a fitting moment in the drama. I realized I got the most emotional whenever Kim Feel’s song came on. It was like a key to unlock my tears.
RE-WATCH VALUE
I would re-watch this if I have the time to in the future. I do feel like it was a few episodes dragged out/included unnecessary fillers. They could have utilized those few moments to explain more of the mom’s story or Moon Young’s. There were some loopholes but none that I was too stressed out on.
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A time for healing
Honestly one of the best korean dramas I've ever seen. Everything's a solid 10. It's rare to find k-dramas that deal with topics of mental health and this one did and excellent job. Plus the chemistry between the couple and the other characters in general it's amazing. It's been a couple of days since I finished it but I still feel empty on the inside. I got so emotionally attached to the characters that it's hard to let go of their story. Definently will rewatch it in the summer when I have time.Vond je deze recentie nuttig?
