It’s Okay to Not Be Okay (2020)

GOOD, DESERVING OF PRAISE BUT NOT THAT MUCH

I really don't know how to even write a review for this drama. The first half of the show was amazing, suspicious, tense ish,. The second half of the show was just.... absolute disappointment
The only reason I didn't drop it was for the main lead and just to see how it will end

OUTFITS
I loved the female lead's outfits, some of them. Some of her outfits were outrageous terrible. But anyways she's got good charisma and was lowkey giving me female lead from graceful family type vibes

STORY
Story was interesting at the first few episodes then the story just poofed into the air. Most dissapointing thing in the show was the mother. There was no background or motive for her mother acting like and killing for the most petty reason ever. It's quite unbelievable but on a good note the first episodes were really good and made you wonder what happened

CASTING/ACTING
I loved all the cast. It was perfect. Male lead can really cry but other than that nothing impressive. The brother was such as a sweetheart but lowkey annoying at the same time. His character was done beyond perfection

CHARACTERS
Loved all the characters. male lead was really bugging me sometimes but i love him despite. The female assistant is so damn cuteeeee. And the girl that has a crush on male lead is quite pathetic but that's just my brutal opinion

MUSIC
I dont remember anything so... idk

REWATCH VALUE
I will probably never watch this again cause the show got really tiring but anyways I never end up re watching a lot of kdramas

OVERALL
It was okay. First half gets a 8.5. Second half gets a -2.5

Lire davantage

I really can't get over how good this drama was. The story and the OST were both amazing but was amazed me the most was the characters, they chose just the right actors and they portrayed the characters amazingly well that I can't think of any other actors who would have this same chemistry that the 3 leads had.

The story was very intresting because it's not your everyday kdrama story, all 3 leads are hurting inside due to past trauma. The characters really stand out in this show. I loved how they added a flair of horror and thriller into the story with certain aspects like the whole person humming in the hospital and also Mun Yeongs mum being introduced and let me say this, I have never been so shocked in my life for a reveal like that becasue you would not expect it to be the head nurse who looked really kind and also looked nothing like the mom we see in the flashback scenes.

First of with Gang Tae, I really enjoyed his character becasue on the outside he was a was character but on the inside he was hurting a lot. For 20 years Gang Tae had to look after his autistic brother by moving from place to place and changing workplace just so they can live a decent life. When Gang Tae was a child I felt sorry for him because he got neglected as a child because his mom having to look after Sang Tae. When he finally starts to open up and take off his mask after meeting Mun Yeong, you could say that the time that was paused for him has finally resumed and he can start to emjoy his life again. This is also my second drama seeing Kim Soo Hyun act since 'My love froma star' which was my second ever drama so yeah its been a long time and I really loved seeing him in a drama again.

Mun Yeong was such an amazing character, she was so complex yet so simple at the same time. We first see her as a cold hearted person who doesn't know how to love and is wanting love from someone because she's been alone for her whole life since 20 years ago. We start to see glimses of how shes really living in episode 4 when she has a nightmare and Gang Tae found her and hugged her to clam her down and this event really showed us and Gang Tae how much Mun Yeong is suffering and how much help she needs. When she was a child, she got the exact opposite to Gang Tae and recieved too much love to the point you could call it obssesive love from her mother as she was shaping Mun Yeong to her liking. When she met Gang Tae as a child we could see the realy Mun Yeong as a child but then when we thought it was okay, her mom stopped her from metting him so she couldn't change. Something I loved about Mun Yeong was how much she accepted Sang Tae who had autism and became his bestfriend. I know that it's hard to handle someone with a autism like Sang Tae and could emphasise on both ends. I saw Seo Ye Ji in 'Lawless Lawyer' and I didn't know she had this side to her so I will definetly watch more of her dramas for sure.

Both Mun Yeong and Gang Tae had amazing chemistry as they were opposites and they went hand in hand since they brought out the hidden side of eachother. Thier romance was really heartwarming to watch because they had to face many obstacles and they jumped them all and at the end of the finish line there was a happy ending.

Now with Sang Tae's characters, he made this drama seem that much more real. He was such a pleasure to watch and had such amazing character development. He went from saying he owns Gang Tae and noone can have him to saying that Gang Tae belongs to Gang Tae which it was probably really hard for him to accept that reality but after seeing his brothers smiling face when he was asleep he realised this it was his real happy face looked like and he couldn't help but admire it. This scene really made me tear up becasue this was the scene that made Sang Tae realise how beautiful his brothers realy smiling face looks like. When we first see Sang Tae, we see him as a persone who wasn't independent and needed people to help him but near the end when he got over his fear of butterflies her gained his independence and ever left his family to go work on illistrations which showed us how much he grew up.

These 3 leads were amazing to watch as the trio had such amazing chemistry and I cant think of another trio in a Kdrama that are better than these 3. I will really miss watching this drama and I will for sure rewatch it in the future to relive the joy I got from watching it.

The OST was very good as we got OSTs from Heize which is always amazing to see and also the OST 'In Silence' and 'Im Your Pyscho' By Jannet Suhh were amazing, she really pulled it out of the bag in this drama.

If your looking for a warmhearted healing melodrama with amazing acting and an amazing cast then i reccomend this drama becasue it will really make you lose ypur thoughts on the real world and focus entirely on the Drama becasue it will really make you forget your thoughts on the real world and focus entirely on the Drama's world.

Lire davantage

The memories issues are the best in this drama

The slow way that episodes goes, helps us to suffer together with the characters. I was a little surprised with the more than 60 minutes in the drama and sometimes it is not necessary to transcend more than this to show us the plot. But this is not a big problem, because they know how to involve us in the pain/love/friendship scenes with the different stories.
The remarkable part in this drama is when they present us how our memory from childhood can trick or fragment us in the present. The traumas and the sadness part in this show was realistic and sensible one. In my opinion, this helps us to understand how relationships are diverse, how these issues are complex and how this can affect humans in many ways. It was a good form to introduce how it's not helpful to judge others when we don't know how difficult it is to lead with traumas and with an internal struggle all the time.

In my opinion it was the best drama this year.

Lire davantage

WOW

Just an absolute masterpiece of a show. Loved the cast, the acting, the relationships among all the characters, the chemistry of the two main leads, the brilliant OST, and one of the best female leads EVER!
The chemistry between the leads was off the charts, and also Oh Jung Se was just perfect as the elder brother, who slowly understands the meaning of being an older brother, and the fact that he can be one too, regardless of his autism which he initially thought of as a hindrance in this role. He learns to stand on his own feet and the leads sail off in their own lives to discover new things together.
This show was heartfelt, and the story perfectly depicted the three main characters and a period in their lives when they discovered painful memories and combed through them together, creating a new family in the process.
Just a really lovely show. I have seen it twice already.

Lire davantage

beautiful, creepy, meaningful and lustful

Despite being a skilled worker, Moon Gang Tae (Kim Soo Hyun) struggles to settle in one psychiatric ward for longer than a year; which seems to be due to his and his brother's Sang Tae (Oh Jung Se) trauma and current situation. One day, he met a successful author Ko Moon Young (Seo Yea Ji), who writes dark-toned children's fairytales and who is obsessed with him at the first sight. There are reasons of why these people are the way like they are, and those reasons seems to be darker than as it seems as first…

I really enjoyed this drama for the cinematography, vibes and unique animated visuals of the fairy tales. They’re beautiful, creepy, and perfectly represent our female lead, Ko Moon Young. It’s fun how she was introduced as a dark fantasy writer aimed at children, who has a kleptomania for knives. Seo Ye Ji was phenomenal portraying her every movement and talk, showing Moon Young’s psycho and powerful aura. At times I got bored with the plot, but she’s the reason for me to keep watching. Her chemistry with Gang Tae, can only be said as seductive. The tension between them was intoxicating, especially the firsts times when they were enemies. Another thing, the Moon brotherhood were so genuine and emotional. Sang Tae’s appreciation towards art was so endearing and self-soothing. When he sees a mural, the world is more energetic and warm for him and I love the emphasize on that aspect.

This drama also has perfectly engaging OSTs. The OSTs blurred the lines among the various genres in this show; romance, comedy, suspense, and a bit of horror. The only thing that was not as engaging to me is the mystery subplot, it was predictable, too long and anticlimactic. Other than that, as mentioned, everything was beautiful and worth-watching!

Find me on Instagram: @kdramajudge
edited Mar, 2024

Lire davantage

The visuals are immaculate

I'll be honest; I would've watched this drama even if it had a mediocre plot because Seo Ye Ji (Ko Moon Young) and Kim Soo Hyun (Moon Gang Tae) are so good-looking. I enjoyed the chemistry a lot. The story was actually pretty good too. I loved how they used fairytale books to help tell the story; it was very aesthetic. I also liked how mental illness was the main focus, which brings to light the mental struggles that people deal with every day. One negative about this drama is that at one point, I was pretty far into the drama, but at the same time, I didn't feel a connection with the characters at all; they still felt distant. I would not rewatch this, but there are some scenes that are definitely worth rewatching.

Lire davantage

I wanted to like this drama so bad. It got so much hype, and I did like the initial episodes, so maybe someday I'll go back and finish it.

But.

Right now, I just can't get over how manipulative she is, and how he still falls in love with her despite that. Yes, she has trauma; yes, she has a unique personality; but everyone treats those things like those are excuses to allow her to bully him into loving her. This kind of romance just isn't for me. With what everyone said about it, I thought it would be better. But little bits of creative "storybook" touches and the rep for mental health wasn't enough to make me feel okay with how the main couple started off.

But who knows, maybe someday I'll finish it and feel differently.

Lire davantage

uniquely different

Great series and OST.

Oh Jung Se was such a revelation. After watching him, I cannot imagine any other actor potraying his role. For me, he totally carried this series to success
First time to watch a drama with Seo Ye ji. She's soooo pretty! love her smile.... Can't wait to see more of her

Last saw Kim Soo Hyun when he made a cameo for CLOY. Compared to My love from the Stars, this series showcased his acting chops even more

I also enjoyed how the writer ties up the fairy tales to real life situation. And although, I enjoyed it, wouldn't be rewatching it. Rather, would download their OST

Lire davantage

Artistic, Therapeutic, Beautiful Drama

A drama with artistic & therapeutic themes that scream at you through it's painfully real characters and their complicated stories. It's Okay to Not Be Okay is a beautifully orchestrated drama with fresh, creative characters that come alive as they each learn what it means to truly love themselves and each other and in this way they find healing and happiness alongside each other.

One of my favorite quotes of the entire drama, "Hurtful, painful memories. Only those with such memories buried in their hearts can become stronger, more passionate, and emotionally flexible. And only those can attain happiness."

I have to say, wholly impressed by our cast and their acting abilities. There were many friendly faces for me in this drama, actors & actresses that I have already seen and liked, but even still, I was shocked at the level of talent that was portrayed. Kim Soo Hyun as Moon Gang Tae, had such a gentle, nurturing aura as he tirelessly gives and gives to those around him; supports everyone with very little support in return. But his character held such silent power and strength as well, which made him so appealing. Moon Gang Tae's care for/relationship with his brother made me tear up constantly. Seo Ye Ji as Ko Moon Young is fierce and wild. It is no overstatement to say that she commands the screen with her presence. I loved watching her sly demeanor and quick wit run wild, especially as she interacted with Gang Tae; her unabashed confidence and aggressive pursuit of him (and his body lol) was hilarious at times and also made for some extremely captivating romantic moments. You could feel the chemistry between Gang Tae & Moon Young even as Gang Tae was wise to be cautious of interacting with our admittedly unpredictable, sometimes dangerous Moon Young. My first drama with Seo Ye Ji and I hope to be seeing more of her! And now this brings me to Moon Sang Tae played by Oh Jung Se. *STANDING OVATION* Wow. The way he portrayed Sang Tae's mannerisms, his posture, his speech, every movement of his hands and glance of his eyes was exceptional. I think a lesser actor could have very easily over or under emphasized some of Sang Tae's persona but Oh Jung Se had the perfect balance. I loved that Sang Tae was an an integral part of the drama throughout, that he wasn't cast aside when emotions and drama heated up between our main couple, but rather he became the rock that both Gang Tae & Moon Young needed; Sang Tae, the one that everyone thought was the weakest, rose up and became the strongest for all of them.

Moving on from the cast, (although all were amazing I don't have it in me to write for each) I have to say the dialogue in It's Okay to Not Be Okay was very strongly and creatively written. Every interaction between the cast was meaningful and either strengthened relationships or corresponded with the overarching storyline. The stories in Ko Moon Young's books were so disturbingly captivating and had such hard truth to them, not to mention the illustrations in the books was breathtakingly creepy. I am so glad they put so much emphasis on her books as her fairytales were ways of seeing into her mind and understanding why her character was so twisted. I have to say the psychological aspect to this drama was definitely the most intriguing part, and there was a depth and heaviness to many of the emotional scenes because that is where the mind leads us sometimes, to dark and heavy places. But the momentum and the chemistry between the characters kept things exciting and kept me feeling renewed because even when characters had to go through some really intense and difficult internal struggles, they rarely had to go through them alone; and afterwards, they arose stronger and braver than they were before.

I will probably edit this review as I want to add more as I have so much more left to say; but in the event that I don't, I strongly recommend this drama if you enjoy the psychological aspect of things, mental health, things of that nature. The romance also heavily drives the drama and the one between Kim Soo Hyun & Seo Ye Ji's characters is quite thrilling and entertaining. Personally, I loved every minute of this drama and am crushed that I have finished it. Between my laughing, giggling, crying, wailing, grinning, and beaming, this drama solidified itself as one of my all times favorites and thus has landed on my Favorite K-Drama's List.

Lire davantage

AN ALMOST PERFECT DRAMA

IOTNBO will be one of the most well-made kdramas of all time.. from acting to cast to the direction and story everything was very detailed..
this drama put forward the hidden talent that is seo yeji.. she looks very petite but comes off very powerful as ko moon young.. she is now one of my favourites.. after her i liked oh jung se as moon sang-tae.. he had the best and most natural character development out of the 3 main characters and the actor did an amazing job.. kim soo hyun was also good as moon gang-tae and i loved his chemistry with seoyeji.. the trio hand great chemistry together and their combination scenes were a treat to watch..

what i liked about the drama-
1. SEO YE JI as KO MOON YOUNG. no matter how much i say it wont be enough to describe how amazing she was in this drama.. i love her voice and smile..
2. THE TRIO
3. LEE SANGIN AND JAESOO. they stayed with MY and GT without expecting anything back.. the best human beings out there..
4. DIRECTION, STORY, CINEMATOGRAPHY
5. THE FAIRY TALES. i loved how they narate an episode or the inner torment of a character through a fairy tale. it was unique.
6. ALMOST EVERYTHING ABOUT THE DRAMA.
7. CHILD ACTORS. THEY WERE ALSO GOOD. the actress playing young MY is very pretty..
8. LAST EPISODE. all's well that ends well. this drama has one of the best ending.. not rushed at all and every character had closure.

what i dilike about the drama
1. THE MYSTERY AND REVELATION OF THE MOTHER.. this almost destroyed everything good about the show.. this was so flawed that it overshadowed some good scenes in episodes that gave importance to the mother and her mystery. due to some episodes trying to create the mystery i couldn't enjoy good scenes. my mind got occupied with the mystery.
there is no proper explanation on how the mother survived or how exactly she managed to fake a normal life for almost 20 years.. she is too creepy and psychotic to act normal for 20 years and fool and manipulate everyone around her including experienced doctors.. this is the reason why the show couldn't be a 10 on 10..
2. somewhere in the middle nothing major happens in the show and the character growth also gets stagnant but thats just for a short period.
3. sometimes i couldn't understand the emotions of the characters and got distracted by the extravagant set and camera work and wardrobes..

the last episode was so satisfying that at the end we dont remember the flaws of the drama and only the good things stay with us.

Lire davantage

I watched the show for Kim Soo hyun. The story wasn't my cup of tea based on how I felt while watching the show.
I liked the side stories better than the main character's story. And the major reason was the same old past connection and how the main leads had such a crazy history. I wasn't shocked when they showed the main leads knew each other from childhood and were from the same town. It's bizarre watching the same past connection plot. There history was soo dark and intense it gave a such a gloomy feeling. Them being together just didn't invoke feeling of happiness in me.
Knowing how Kang Tae and sang Tae mother was killed and that to buy female lead's mother just left me uneasy.
The female lead was odd but not in a good way. The character had serious anger issues. She seemed like a villain to me and she always overstepped and forced Kang Tae and his brother. She was childish but not in a likeable way. Of course viewers must have liked her character but to me personally she felt very odd and evilish.

Overall as a romance drama,I didn't feel the butterflies watching their moments. I like the brother's bond. the autistic brother was the main star of the show. As for healing I liked the back stories more . For much of it couldn't relate. Music was good

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