Not what I was expecting, but some great acting!
I saw some clips on Youtube and thought I knew what this show was going to be like, and I was wrong, well partly wrong.Ko Moon Young is such a unique character, and if she wasn't so incredibly beautiful, it would be too, too easy to dislike her. She has such long beautiful hair, and beautiful eyes, and I think her waist actually got smaller near the end of the series, it was so tiny! She was always dressed really well. Ko Moon Young can act though, and go from no emotion, to great emotion.
Moon Gang Tae was basically the male version of Ko Moon Young. Wow, can he act! The guy could go from a face like a statue, to so emotional, that you could feel it.
Moon Sang Tae plays a character with Autism, and does such a great job of it. I thought he really had it. I really didn't care for the character in the beginning, and I think they meant for you not to really like him that much, but by the end, that changes.
I swear, I think everyone in the show can smile better than just about anyone else. Talk about changing the way someone looks with a smile. Just unreal!!!
This is a serious show. The focus is on the mind. The majority of it is with characters from a mental hospital. Every character has a interesting personality. The caregivers have the patience of Saints!
Pretty much every character has some serious mental baggage to deal with, and that's all the main characters as well.
There are many funny moments, but some very intense moments, and many moments that have you thinking. It's pretty deep, and they are really good at making characters. If you like reading between the lines, you can do it here, because they are that good with the acting.
If you're looking for a show that doesn't require tissues, then this one isn't for you.
It's quite a interesting show, but it might not be for everyone. This isn't fluff, this is a pretty serious story being told.
Would I rewatch it, maybe, a good way into the future. Just to see Ko Moon Young I might do it. :)
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Multiple great messages learned from watching this masterpiece
Story- The overall story was absolutely amazing! The story explaining how Ko moon Young and Moon Gang Tae first met draws you in and creates a good pathway for the romantic plot of their story to keep progressing. Gang Tae and Sang Taeś story is something that can make a grown man come to tears. Gang Tae has to grow up fast and takeover the older brother role, which really makes the watchers relate and feel for Gang Tae as a character. While some may find it hard to feel for Sang Tae at the start, there is no possibility but to come to love his character as the story progresses. Some people may say that Ko Moon Young needed to ¨face her problems¨, I find that her living together with Sang Tae and Gang Tae was a sort of therapy for her. There cohabilitation was a cure for her loneliness and was a learning experience for her outbursts.Cast- Seo Yea Ji was a perfect fit for Ko Moon Young. Her facial structure really emphazed Ko Moon Youngs emotions and she fit the ¨I always get what I want¨ type very well, I dont think the show would have been the same without her as Ko Moon Young. Oh Jung Se deserves an award for his acting as Sang Tae. I almost believed that the actor was actually on the Autism spectrum because I thought he played his role so well (I have never personally seen someone with autism, nor will I claim to). Kim Soo hyun played the role of a big brother very well. His acting when he tried hiding his anger and when he was actually angry felt so real, and his chemistry with Seo Yea Ji was great!
Music- I have watched many dramas with absolutely terrible music. Many dramas seemed like they were using the same song as all the other popular dramas and the music fade would always be terrible. But the music in this show was refreshing and original. The music fade was great especially during the ¨I said I love you¨ scenes.
Personal opinion- Though Moon Young played her way into Sang Tae and Gang Tae´s life, Gang Tae wanted to be with her, and Sang Tae obviously felt the need to help her. Sang Tae made his choice to be with her knowning her intentions, (having him) which she made eztremely clear from the start of the show. If I did have one problem with this drama it would be how anticlimatic Ko Moon Youngs mothers story was at the end.
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Life influencing !!
This is a masterpiece in itself !The title is enough to understand the theme , and it really sticks to the theme ! The lead characters all have some or the other mental traumas , which they are fighting against and they either conquer their fears or accept themselves the way they are ! Acting is specially amazing and story is heart rendering , very different from the cliched k-dramas !
Special mentions are set yeaji and oh jungse ! Their fights over KSH were hilarious as well as emotional at the same time ! One can sympathise with both characters, even when they would annoy you at sometimes !
Now this is an idea of strong FL ! The strong FL doesn't means always the kind hearted and self righteous or bubbly poor girl , like in most dramas!! Here the FL is psychotic , close to getting insane , but she still manages to get over it , with the help of ML. She understands her flaws and accepts them and doesn't expect the world to acknowledge her ! Cries her heart out but doesn't goes in self-pity and specially doesn't comes up with the stupid pride !
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Great drama!
Definitely one of the best Korean dramas I watched, to date. Such impressive storytelling and originality in it, great production and the performances of the actors (mainly the three mains), as I grew to love many of the characters. The chemistry between the main couple is very, very good as well. The portrayal of autistic artist, brother, friend... was beautiful. I liked that it was a great mix of drama, romance, and some comedy. I would find small things that I did not all that much, but that doesn't affect my review. Rewatched it two times and I think I will watch it again quite soon. Reccomend.Was this review helpful to you?
Happy Ending!!!
I went into this drama not knowing what to expect. I usually watch C-dramas but I decided to give this drama a try, and it did not disappoint. The production was really nice. Ko Mun-young's outfits were stunning. The acting done by the whole cast was amazing, you could really feel the emotion in every scene. I love how this drama also focuses on people with Autism and mental health issues as it is not talked about a lot. Overall this is an amazing drama, obviously not for everyone but everyone should definitely give it a try, it will make you laugh and cry.Was this review helpful to you?
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Style Over Substance
This drama was so promising at the beginning. The dark fairytale aesthetic was so beautiful and it had me under the impression that there might be some magical realism or even fantasy aspects to the story, which it really didn't have.The Good:
Mun-young's wardrobe was iconic and really added to the fairytale aesthetic. The dark fairytale vibe and the incorporation of the storybooks was very visually interesting to watch.
All three lead actors had great performances and chemistry with each other. I liked how they became a little found family and she developed her own friendship with his brother. All of them staying together in this huge, gothic mansion was also a cool dynamic.
There are funny parts of the show, especially when Mun-young just has no filter.
The Bad:
The portrayal of mental health is terrible. At certain points the show tried to display empathy for people who had committed terrible crimes because of their supposed mental illness when truly mentally ill people are rarely violent to others.
The relationship between the leads just did not work for me most of the time. They did have some good chemistry, but they did not show how he developed feelings for her or why. He seemed to go from feeling disdain for her to loving her very quickly and it was a struggle to understand why his feelings had changed, especially when she did act so over-the-top towards him.
The character's backstories were so traumatic and it seemed like that was never handled with care or dealt with. Based on the title, I thought this drama would have a lot more healing in it, but that was almost never seen. I was taken aback a couple times by how little empathy was displayed towards characters experiencing trauma. Spoiler: there is one scene where Mun-young's father tries to strangle her at the psychiatric hospital and the other characters just left her on the ground and no one seemed to comfort her or make sure she was okay? Parts of Mun-young's backstory also felt so impossible that I wondered if the show really was going to have a fantasy element to it. I really wish that mental illness and trauma had been handled better in this show, as it felt a little bit like a joke.
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A Dark Fairytale to Warm Your Heart
Let me say, just wow!! This drama quickly scaled the list to become one of my favorite dramas in such a short amount of time. I’d hike it up there somewhere between Hotel Del Luna and Black (2017). Yea...that’s how much I liked it.It’s Okay Not to be Okay (or Psycho But It’s Okay) is a darker, edgier drama that hits on real-world issues like mental-health in a fanciful, almost fairy-tale way. But truth be told, I was locked in immediately by the playful, whimsical Tim-Burton style animation that was introduced in episode one. The continuous references to the Adams Family through imagery and dialogue was delightful, dark, and delicious, like drinking espresso with bitter dark chocolate.....yum.
Seo Yea Ji ROCKED this performance!!! Okay? At first, it was hard not to notice the similarities between her and Jang Man-Wol (played by IU in Hotel Del Luna). But let me tell you something...this lady stands firmly on her own. I found it hard not to intensely care for her even while portraying a cold, bloodthirsty, emotionless psycho. There’s something notably charming and warm about her presence and style.
I loved Kim Soo Hyun as the main character/love interest. He played the part very well & spoke volumes with his eyes alone. The chemistry between him and his autistic brother Moon Sang Tae (played by Oh Jung Se) was amazing!! Sang Tae was a character that latched firmly onto my heart and would not let go. It was hard not to care for him deeply.
All in all, give this highly underrated drama a watch. Seriously....we must value even the little things that give us room...to simply breathe....
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absolutely don't hesitate to watch
I'm sad it's over and I'm sad I waited so long! This title is on several top drama lists for a reason- don't get swayed by the "it's about mental health" storyline.I remember starting this drama over a year ago and thinking, oh this might be too dark for me based on the first 5 minutes.
But after being unable to find something to grab my attention after several other starts of highly recommended dramas (hospital playlist, prison playbook) I decided it was time.
To absolutely be dramatic, it sucked me in and saved me.
The leads couldn't have been casted better- of course they're stunning- but dimensionally gorgeous and wounded and well played.
She's psycho and aggressive and he's heroic and tortured and they're PERFECT.
Pacing flew by and the every episode a fairy tale kept the charm of the theme on point.
Trauma, mental health, special needs, and all the wounds we carry with us day to day make this drama even more special and soulful.
DON'T miss it!
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From a psychology major
I found this drama very beautiful, it conveys a lot of mental health issues very well, although a bit very dramatized, just like any drama. As a Psychology student myself, I am not extremely knowledgeable, super advanced in the field of mental health, however I loved to see a few of the most hot topics in the field talked about, mainly topics related to childhood trauma and autism. Autism sure can be a challenge to live with, and this show portrays how easy it is to interact and befriend unique people, people that communicate and see the world in a very different, peculiar way. Moon Sang Tae is an extreme example of an autistic person, showing symptoms such as difficulty identifying emotions, repetitive movements & speech, poor eye contact, focusing intensely on one topic, social withdrawal, extreme sensitivity to external stimuli (lights, sounds), poor ability to stay on topic when answering questions, fixations on certain objects or activities, aggressive behaviour (either with self or others), and so on. This diagnosis was challenging for his family, especially his mother who raised Moon Gang Tae to take care of his brother and protect him. What made this show more realistic and painful were Moon Gang Tae's feelings of abandonment, when all of his mother's attention was towards his special needs brother. These feelings made Moon Gang Tae struggle with getting close to other people.On the other side, there is the "sociopath" lady, Go Moon Young, who appears to suffer from anti-social personality disorder. Now, I've seen some pesky reviews saying that she's the villain, an awful woman, she shouldn't be with Moon Gang Tae, when in reality she is a victim herself. I firmly believe she is not a psychopath, as she shows massive genuine remorse throughout the show, she shows she is capable of empathy and putting herself in someone else's shoes. I personally loved to see a show offering hope even for the "monsters". She is a victim who has never really addressed the trauma she went through in her childhood, therefore acting upon her poor coping skills and defense mechanisms. Anti-social personality disorder is a result of severe childhood trauma and neglect. She was raised by an extremely abusive and controlling mother, who isolated her and demanded her to behave in a cruel way. Go Moon Young shows symptoms of anti-social personality disorder such as illegal behaviours, stealing, repetitive lying and deception of others, often for her own amusement, impulsiveness, reckless behaviour, aggression, irascibility manifested through violent acts or speech, disregard towards one's personal safety, disregards towards possible dangerous consequences, irresponsibility regarding her career life, severe lack of empathy, presenting hedonic behaviors as well, following her own urges and wishes at all costs. Her relationship with Moon Gang Tae is considered to be a pretty toxic one, she disregards many of his boundaries, deliberately makes him uncomfortable in many instances, does not care about his needs as much, she becomes anxiously attached to him, demanding for his attention at all times. On the other side, Moon Gang Tae is very cold towards her, rejecting any way of emotionally or physically approaching her, his personal walls being very tall. However I firmly believe they are very mature in their thinking and behaviorus, they are capable of learning and transforming, they are capable of healthiness, just like any other of us. Sure sometimes they might say or do silly stuff, or hurting words. Mistakes are all part of learning, progressing, as long as they are accepted and stored as lessons.
Overall a very beautiful drama, with ups and downs, it is a very hopeful drama especially for people struggling with mental health, that comes to show that no matter what dumps life has dragged you through, you will find your light to shine someday, it is possible to overcome your fears, it is possible to live a fulfilling life, it is possible to get out of the darkness, bitterness and suffocation. Yes, I admit that this drama is obviously dramatized and not all of us will heal through the power of love, healing is such a rocky adventure, sometimes it feels like you went back from where you started, other times it feels like you've progressed so much. Healing is not linear, and for sure it is not simple, but it can sure be a fun adventure! Sometimes it takes place next to another person struggling with their own heavy burdens. Don't forget guys, sharing your burdens will make it easier for you! Talking to someone else, getting the professional help you need, it all can help! It is never too late to start your healing journey, these guys were in their late 20's!! You can start healing at any age, you can work on yourself at any age! Stay hopeful, little butterflies.
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its a fairytale worth telling
When I rewatched the show again, I thought I would love it less or would find something to nitpick about but I never expected to fall deeper in love. I found myself appreciating aspects of the show, I had not considered the first time.There are many reasons to love the show, its cinematography, the music, the top-notch acting skills, and the gorgeous dresses Seo yeo Ji wore but I feel the true quality of this show was its writing. I loved how fairytales were used to depict the harsh realities of mental illness. It allowed the audience to picture what people with mental illness and healthcare workers endure through the innocent eyes of a child, a venture that though challenging, the writer was able to pull off. The ability to use innocent, child-like words to portray the insecurities and pain, most people go through is indeed something to admire.
The acting is also something that should be commended, the actors were really able to get into their characters allowing the audience to really experience how they felt and the reason why they lived in the way they chose to, especially the actor who played the autistic brother, he played the role to perfection. The interaction between the brothers was a beautiful aspect of the story, I felt it truly portrayed all that a family is supposed to be, the struggles, the sacrifice, the pain but yet the enduring love that kept them growing. I loved the progression in their relationship, a time to lean on each other and a time to let each other go to pursue what they wanted, and how love could be extended to people outside the family was indeed amazing.
The chemistry between the main characters was funny, deep, embarrassing but beautiful.
I also loved the interaction between the fairytale and the point they were trying to make in the episodes, I loved the symbolism as well e.g the butterfly, though very dark but apt, It gave a different perspective to what we think we know, it was indeed a fairytale worth telling.
P.S I wished the Manager got a better ending, he was hilarious but yet loyal, I had hoped his efforts would pay off.
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IT'S PRETTY GOOD
I do like the storyline,plot twist and the love hate relationship between mun yeong and gang tae and how three of them manage to escape from the trauma they have,they are many good things we can learn from watching this and it's not boring because the story is not that slow even if they did not include the psycho mother in the show,it will still be a banger!!It's one of the perfect romcom drama i've seen and the love hate relationship tho,it's remind me of our beloved summer!! don't forget about the acting,the trio really did great at their acting! i've seen the behind the scenes and all of the actors and actress are really good at each other and the main cast's chemistry is sooo good!! maybe it's because both seo yea ji and kim soo hyun is in the same company so their chemistry is on another level,i hope both of em will be in the same drama again as the main lead!
I am not sure about the ending tho,maybe they should expand the ending like what did gang tae and munyeong do after sang tae leave them and show us if sangtae really become a succesful person,they need to show us who will be the next director in the hospital,what happen ju ri and what happen to ms ok ran that running awayyyy,and atleast show us that munyeong is pregnant (they already in a bed once thoo?) and it will be hilarious to see gang gae's reaction to it, overall is okay but they just need to adjust the ending a little to make it more perfect!!!
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One of my Top Ten
I have watched so many k-dramas that it is rare for me to fall in love again but "It's Okay to Not Be Okay," totally did that for me. I watched the whole thing in two days on the edge of my seat. To be honest, it was the characters. Here you have one extremely unlucky sane person surrounded by a host of crazies. The closest two crazies to him are polar opposites. The characters are unbelievably consistent and well portrayed to the point that you absolutely believe. I had to actually go and look up other footage of Oh Jung Se to make sure he wasn't impaired as portrayed in the show.The show is a triumph of, "making the best out of what you have," as Kim So Hyun pieces together happiness and love with his too closest companions while keeping the rest of his universe in tack and running as smoothly as possibly. I came away from the show with this strange, "wow my life isn't so bad," kind of liberation. This show also reinforced one of my fundamental beliefs that everybody is crazy, you just have to work with it.
Anyway, don't miss this one. Besides the intriguing characters the last 8 episodes are hilarious. One of the best.
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