It’s Okay to Not Be Okay (2020)

Best of 2020

Despite everything going on around the world in 2020, the drama community has been fortunate and blessed with dare I say one of the best dramas of 2020.

This is what a good drama is, it is thrilling, engaging and explores a complex issue seamlessly. I loved how they used fairy tales to explain some really difficult and complex issues, just be sure to know you will not look at fairy tales the same way.

I am sure you may have read a lot of reviews on this drama, I will tell you to just start this drama and you will not regret it.
Go with an open mind and an open heart and most importantly have fun XD

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The 2020 Drama we've been waiting for

I think this is maybe my favorite drama that aired in 2020 so far. It's rad because there actually are a bunch of great dramas this year. Typically I wouldn't even hesitate to say any drama with KSH is my fave, but just all around this drama really hit the marks for me.

Story: Okay, so the plot really isn't anything special. There are a lot of common KDrama tropes and I would be amiss to not acknowledge that. BUT I think the writing was really good. For me, story is broken down into two categories: plot and dialogue/character interactions. So in this regard, IOTNBO is pretty meh plot wise but has FANTASTIC dialogue (which really relies on how well the actors pull it off and they totally did so it works). The story for me really revolves around character interactions and character development. The one thing that makes the plot go from boring to meh for me is that everything seems to have a purpose. Also, I really loved the three main characters. While the romance is good, that's not what had me coming back every week. I came back to watch Sang Tae and Gang Tae and Mun Yeong grow and develop as a family. I don't think anyone was really 'cured', which a lot of people were concerned about. Mun Yeong was kind of a b***h before, and at the end she's still a b***h, just a happier b***h. Same goes for the other two; they're always going to be some level of f***ked up. They fight and argue like a real family too! Not some perfect 2012 drama ending here where everyone is all lovey dovey and dusted with morning dew.

Acting/Cast: Over the last few years, I honestly kind of forgot why KSH was my o.g. drama daddy. But lordy, lordy he's back and all those emotions I had are resurfacing. Tbh, it's not even because he's physically that attractive to me personally, but his acting skills just get me going. So much talent in one person should be illegal. Honestly the highlight of my weekend is when he ugly cries so that I can also ugly cry and release all the emotions I've pent up during quarantine. I've never finished a drama with SYJ as a lead (I dropped Moorim School) but now with getting introduced to Woo Do Hwan, I'm all hyped to watch Save Me. Also, my bisexual ass was in love with her this whole drama. Most of the time I fall for the male leads cause they do be a snacc, but honestly if I had to choose between KSH and SYJ in this drama you'd really be tearing at my heart strings. But hands down, Oh Jung Se was my unexpected star of the show. My mom has worked with kids on the spectrum my whole life. It is so fantastic to see a good representation of someone and e honestly did such a great job. I'm a really big pusher for LGBT actors playing LGBT character, or asian actors playing asian characters, etc. The same holds true I think for characters on the spectrum, BUT I'm really grateful for his fantastic portrayal. He it the glue in the story. Without Sang Tae Oppa, or Oh Jung Se really, I think I would rate this drama an 8.5.

Music: The OSTs fit the theme but none were really my taste in music.

Rewatch: I've already started rewatching T_T I'm not ready to say goodbye...

TLDR; I've stopped rating dramas quite as high the more I watch. The acting is great, the writing is great, it has great cinematography, the production value is great, it just hits in all of the right places. I know that romcoms or hyped dramas with big name actors are not for everyone. But this drama is honestly top tier for my personal preferences, which is why I'm rating it so high.

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A TRUE MASTERPIECE !

(I'm a year late in writing this review but, I had to do it. So bear with me)
It's Okay To Not Be Okay is a drama that will stick with you for a long time even after you've finished watching it. Sure it's not our typical boy meets girl, fall in love, etc. kinda story. It is more than that, and there lies its beauty. It involves themes we often don't come across in many dramas and mainly focuses on the development of the main characters. They are people that have been through hell. (So much that we wish nobody goes through.) But that's what makes them what they are. The best part? They're all in it together as a team.
A very special shout-out to my most favorite character, Sang Tae, played by Oh Jung Se- he was outstanding. Kim Soo Hyun was wonderful as always and nailed his role. The only other drama I watched of Seo Ye Ji was Hwarang but, I don't remember her so well from it. Here, I can't think of a better actress to play Ko Mun Young. She slayed it. The way she brought out the many shades in her character was impressive. The rest were just as great.
My most favorite part of the drama was the stories written by Mun Young. They may come off as just normal fairy tales but the morals behind each of them were so touching and, they were in some way related to the characters.
It's Okay To Not Be Okay is one of its kind but, there is a teeny tiny possibility that not everyone will appreciate it because it is not a light-hearted drama that everybody can enjoy. But that shouldn't stop you from exploring it. If you're hesitating to watch it, go for it. I'm sure you'll be hooked in no time.

P.S. - Initially, I started watching this drama when it was airing but got invested in another that I failed to keep up with this and eventually put it on hold for more than a year. I feel so guilty for doing that because this gem was right under my nose and, I failed to see it. (Don't be like me)

Happy Viewing! :)

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My favorite Kdrama of all time

This Kdrama was made for me, but I understand that most people won't like it. I actually have recommended this drama to many of my friends and family, and no one I know who has watched it has liked it. But I feel the need to say why I loved it.

1) I don't think the FL is actually a psycho, even though she's pretty much established as such. Other than dismembering butterflies as a child (OK that's a little serial killer-y), everything she does in the show makes total sense. If anything, I think she is more relatable and human than any other FL I've ever seen in a drama, but people don't like her because she is basically just very honest. She openly talks about wanting to have sex with the ML, she stops someone from murdering his own daughter, she stops people from attacking someone with Autism, she writes Tim Burton-esque children's stories, and she lets someone who is mentally ill be themselves in public so that their family can no longer act like he doesn't exist. And for these reasons... she's crazy? I'm sorry but y'all are crazy. I related to this character so much. I think the FL was a great illustration of how much our society loves drama, and hates honesty (and also hates people suffering from mental illness, which is why we hide them away instead of helping them heal). (I get that the actress playing this role had some scandals in real life, and I actually think she's a really bad person in real life, but personally I never rate dramas based on what's going on in the actors' personal lives).

2) This drama does the BEST job at showing mental illness from many perspectives, and has a very modern take on what it means to heal from trauma. Basically the whole show is about people from different backgrounds coming to their own understanding that they cannot run away from their problems, and that by facing their fears and themselves, they can heal. It's honestly so beautiful to watch this healing play out across different characters (including ones who are not hospitalized for mental illness in the show, and are considered "normal" people, like the ML).

3) There is so much chemistry between the ML and the FL lead. You really can tell that they love each other, but they are guarded because of the trauma of their past. I think the complexity of this is really something to watch. Plus, pretty much every character in the show has an actual, fully realized character arc that makes sense.

I get that people feel this show is too dark, and too triggering. Honestly, I think that has more to do with the people watching the show rather than the show itself.

The show is also gorgeous. I didn't find the OST particularly memorable, but it also doesn't hinder the show, which is a pretty good thing in my opinion.

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Masterpiece

I may be a bit biased because I really loved it, to the point that I asked myself if this drama was just made for me!!!!!! Jokes a part I think this drama is really well made, to the point that even who dislike it has to admit it, because in my opinion there's really nothing to not like here, but I know that not everyone could like it, opinions and preferences are different for everyone and this drama is not an easy walk. The story, the major plot is the journey the characters has to go through to find themselves, then there's the thriller side and of course they intertwine as puzzle's pieces.
The characters are deeply scarred and they live their lives as aftermath of that, they become addicted to the behavior they started having because of their own traumas, misunderstandings and mistakes. They're judged for their surface and marked as what they're not. With the encounter of the three leads their lives start to change and their journey becomes even more tortuous, because sometimes getting better it's harder than staying still, they have to face not only their past but them selves too. It goes deep into their fears, insecurities, secrets and scaring moments of their lives and you can see how they're struggling to come out, you don't understand them until you get to know them and feel their pain too, I think it makes people think about lots of things, as struggling with their problems, with their past, with mental illness, mental disorders , judging..
The cast was amazing, their acting skills are amazing, not only the leads but all the cast, but yeah I found the leads out of this world, I fell in love with SYJ as soon as I heard her voice and when I saw her I was astonished, the way she portrayed KMY was perfect, every little gesture, I think her character is really charismatic, even if she appears as "crazy" it takes a very little time to understand that it's not all as it appears. SYJ expressed her emotions really well, making you questioning everything you just believed KMY was and wanting to get to know her better. KSH was really amazing too, he looked like a puppy in the drama, a worn out puppy, exhausted and tired of what life was serving him, MGT was locked up to a life he thought he had to do, in a behavior he thought he had to have, I think his journey was the most difficult one. Just watching him you could understand the pain. OJS was special, portraying MST he showed us the problems and the difficulties someone who suffer of autism has, he was really innocent and in his innocence he shows us so much maturity and truth about life, he deeply moved me, he did a really good job.
It's not only the story and the cast that made IOTNBO an amazing drama, but also the visual and the music, (with visual I mean directing, scenography, costumes etc..). The visual was beyond perfection and the music too, when I was watching it I was really captivated by how beautiful it was on screen and the music was perfectly put in it, the music too expressed the moments really well, as soon you heard the notes you understand, you start feeling.
I liked the fairy tale way to narrate the story and I liked the fairy tales too (I brought two of them!), you heard the stories and then see how they are reflected in their life, and also in real life, I think this is one of the reason why I liked this drama so much, in some of them even if not in the same way I reflected my self.
The thriller plot is great too, but being an healing drama you give more attention to other things but as every thriller you want to find out what happened, you want to know why MST is so traumatized about "nabi" the so scaring butterflies.

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I purposely kept pushing It's Okay Not To Be Okay to the side because I knew I'd have to mentally prepare to watch it. I had heard so many people saying they cried while watching and with a title like It's Okay Not To Be Okay, I knew I'd cry too.
When I was first watching this I thought it wasn't that bad. No tears were even starting to form while watching each episode. I thought, what was everyone talking about? Then I got a couple more episodes in and I started to understand. I started to get more and more emotional with each episode I watched. Thank goodness they included comedy to lighten the mood.
There is a big twist in that happens and I was shocked when it did. Afterwards I got upset because I should have seen it coming.
This show is one that will be moving to everyone. Even more so if you've gone through something yourself. I've had a couple situations where I was able to relate to the characters so I was crying like crazy at some parts. I think they did a great job showing different mental health issues and how to deal with them.
A huge applause to the actors in this show! The fact that they don't even have to say anything and I can feel the emotion they're expressing is so impressive. The facial expressions were spot on.
I highly suggest for everyone to watch this! Just make sure you have some tissues nearby.

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A Magic ? A Masterpiece ?

You rarely come across something where the urge of watching next episode become higher , heart rate starts pounding fast n you can't wait to watch all the episodes. Same happend with me, this is my 1st KDRAMA series n I'm not disappointed. What a masterpiece ? I can't put it into words, I never saw something this magical n masterpiece ? that raw emotions, feelings, character development, pain, background music n songs, I felt every single thing while watching this series.. Now after finishing this series, I still don't know how to get over this amazing piece of work ? I just can't forget it, every character has done a phenomenal job ? the memories will stay with me forever ? the soundtracks n background music everything was a top notch... I really wish I could forget this series so that I can rewatch it right now ? even though it was my first KDRAMA n there are many more to watch, but I highly doubt if there are any who will be able to top this amazing masterpiece ? I wish it never ended ?

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Hotel Del Luna type vibe

Likes: Kim Soo Hyun. When you see someone that cute, that broken, it brings out your inner noona. Seo Yeji as the unabashed FL and her amazingly low seductive voice. Their chemi. Those kisses. The dark storybook element. Oh Jung Se's terrific performance as KSH's autistic brother. THE DEER. I don't know how they thought of putting that Deer into the story, but I can tell you, it cracked me up EVERY. TIME.

Dislikes: Have you seen SYJ's waist in that pink dress? You have? Good. Please tell me what happened in that scene because I was too busy wondering if SYJ was human.

What I loved about this drama was the FL's brazen personality and unabashed pursuit of the ML. It was refreshing to see that. It was so much fun watching KSH's reactions to SYJs unfiltered flirtiness. Their chemistry was great. They also had a great chemistry with OJS who did a great job acting as the autistic brother. The relationship between the brothers is a complicated one and had many layers that I found touching and heartbreaking, The dynamic between SYJ and OJS added the comedic moments that I enjoyed. I also liked how the drama dealt with mental health, specifically KSH's emotional struggle to balance his guilt, reality, and his own feelings.

I don't know if it's because both dramas were created by Studio Dragon, but the vibe of this drama is very similar to Hotel Del Luna. There's this sort of haunting darkness and I really loved how they weaved the dark children's books through out the story. I wished though there was some more skinship between the leads. Darn Deer! eeeeeeOWWoo

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Lovely from beginning to end!

Incredible script and great cast and good production. Solid performance by all the actors.
There were times I really felt the chills run over my spine and times when the tears ran over my face. Besides the great build up, the comedy written in the dialogues had me laughing out loud many times. Really one of the best dramas of 2020. You will not be disappointed. I really liked it. Now I'm curious what other projects the writer has done and what she might do in the future.

P.S. The actor playing Ssang-tae, Oh Jung Se has done an phenomenal job. The way he portrayed the mannerisms is absolutely spot on! A complete change from his role in 'When the Camelia blooms'. It completely changed the view I had of him as an actor.

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This Drama is not Okay it's AMAZING

I literally just finished this drama and right away I must say it went beyond my expectations and has become a new favourite!

I had this sitting on my to watch list for a bit only really being aware of it due to the children's books being merch for the series. However I did not expect myself to become attached and enthralled it's actors, the music, plot, animation, etc. It's truly the whole package with this one!

The opening of the first episode in itself captivated me with the story like opening and the 3D looking stop animation. It gave a strong impression and made me want to see where this story would go! There was a hint of darkness to the cute animation was like a premonition to what would later unfold in this drama.

One thing I'd love to highlight is the comedy in this one and the funny edits. You'll know what I mean when you watch it! The funny edits were more prominent in the earlier episodes, but I think it fit when things were more relaxed compared to the later half of the series.

The story covered many of my favourite themes and tropes in a fascinating and refreshing way. The main leads knowing each other from childhood but not realizing it (or acknowledging it right away); the characters having their own traumas and helping each other/facing them; an ongoing mystery/ issue that gets resolved; found family, etc. I could honestly go on and on.

The characters themselves were entertaining and loveable (or slowly grew on me). Ko Moon-young was especially refreshing! Maybe I haven't watched enough kdramas yet, but I feel like I haven't seen a female lead as blunt and direct as her. The book signing scene will forever be a favourite for me!
The fact that she has a kind of low voice that can get kind of monotone util she unleashes some rage/ curses felt unique. Plus she's very forward, asking Gang-tae if he wanted to sleep with her and announcing that she's horny.
LIKE YESSSS! GIVE ME MOREEEE!
The kiss scenes are worth it and felt satisfying especially after I watched other dramas with little pecks lol

The Moon brothers were brilliant in themselves and it was great seeing them grow and interact with Moon-young.
I'd love to add that I found myself adoring the patients at OK Psychiatric Hospital and their stories.

Another element I did not realize would be so special was the fairy tale stories/ children's . The style of the books themselves were nice to look at and I enjoyed when the characters would read them/ show them to the viewer. The messages in the female lead's books really felt healing in their own way and kind of make you contemplate stuff, which is something I love in kdramas (like Just between lovers, go watch it lol). The final story book she creates with her really tied their experiences together and gave a happy little bow to the ending (which was satisfying so do not fear).

The only reason I took some points off from rewatchability is because of the identity of the female lead's mother. Once you know it, it kinds of ruins the fluffy feelings in some of the earlier episodes, but I guess you can just observe them again with that new found knowledge in mind. Seriously did anyone else see Mrs. Park as Ko Moo-young's mother???? I was caught off guard and fell for the patient possibly being her.

Anyway I just like the good feels, healing, comedy, and life advice this drama gave me over the course of 16 episodes.
It's one I have to show my mother for sure!

Now I'm not sure what I'll watch after this, it feels like too good of a series to watch another from. Know that I enjoyed this as someone who's watched Chocolate and Just Between Lovers, if you liked the themes of trauma in those, I think you'll enjoy this one too!

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Really good healing drama

This drama was just awesome from start till the end! Loved how the main characters grew with each other and learned to really love themselves and the people around them.

Even the side characters were very interesting and were all thoroughly developed.

The drama had funny elements to it and really, really touching moments as well where you literally can't help but have tears roll down your cheeks.

The main characters matched so well and you know they have good chemistry when you wish they are an actual couple in real life.

I have nothing bad to say about this drama as it had it all!

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