It's Okay to Not Be Okay

Great for those unfamiliar with broader mental health issues; otherwise nothing truly new.

I finished this drama thanks to Seo Ye Ji and Oh Jung Se. If this review possibly happens to make you question watching IONTBO, I would tell you to watch it for these two incredible actors. I've been a fan of Seo Ye Ji since her Moorim School days and her talent has only become more stunning as time has passed. Oh Jung Se is a legend in my books, period. I'd also say that, if you like artistry in storytelling, IONTBO is an interesting watch. There is beautiful incorporation of various art styles weaved throughout the show, and this is one aspect that I truly enjoyed about the show. The writing is alright; certainly better than your average drama, though it still succumbs to obvious fan service (which, to be honest, I can't completely fault the writer for because Seo Ye Ji and Kim Soo Hyun are her leads—she took expert advantage of that, haha).

So, onto the not-so-great elements. As an individual with deeply personal experiences with mental health, as well as experiences with the mental health of loved ones, IONTBO ultimately is a slap in the face. It's not entirely the show's fault, truly. KdramaLand and, in general, Korean entertainment as well as entertainment internationally, are all guilty of requiring a beautifying lens on most interpretations and storytelling of the world.

Don't get me wrong, I also enjoy watching beautiful people playing roles in heart-wrenching storylines. But there is just something irreconcileable to me about the concept of beauty and mental health. I do not (at all) mean that beautiful people cannot have mental health issues or that mental health is a completely ugly thing. However, when we talk about de-stigmatizing mental and having diverse voices or representative storytelling—I could not help but think: how many people would be raving about IONTBO and its championing of mental health issues if the leads were not Seo Ye Ji and Kim Soo Hyun? If this was a representation (note: I don't mean copy or true story) of real life, how many people would truly care if this story was told? What would domestic and international reception look like if Kwon Yoon Hwa was cast, rather than Seo Ye Ji?

And so, as the show progressed a certain cliche refused to stop ringing in my head: "Nobody cares unless you're beautiful or dead". While I personally can't say that I believe this to be completely true—sadly, when it comes to most mainstream media, wherever you might be in the world, this saying often holds heavy truth.

As I did not expect Crazy Rich Asians to be the representation of all Asian stories and voices, I do not expect IONTBO to represent all voices, stories, and perspectives for mental health. That being said, if you've been around KdramaLand for a while now, you'll know that this is not the first "groundbreaking" attempt at telling stories about individuals and mental health.

Ultimately, IONTBO will be enjoyed by most, I reckon. So, all I can say is that IONTBO was nothing new for me in KdramaLand, and is certainly not groundbreaking in its explorations of mental health. Instead, it's a painful reminder of the endless habit of beautification in film and TV industries around the world.

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OVERRATED

I was really looking forward to watching this drama especially when I heard Kim Soo Hyun was playing the male lead, however unfortunately I was extremely disappointed.
I suspect it also has to do with my high expectations of this drama but honestly not only was the storyline average but also the soundtrack and character development wasn't intriguing.
I feel like it got so much attention because of the good looks of the main characters but I felt that their chemistry wasn't amazing and their relationship was overly complicated.
I didn't feel moved at all watching this and the ending wasn't satisfying. It has an interesting concept however lacked thematic value.
Overall it was an alright drama and there were some heartwarming moments however definitely did not deserve the praise that it had received.

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Extremely Strong 1st Half Which Slightly Fizzles Out in its 2nd Half...

This was my first K-drama that I watch while it was currently airing. To be honest, I've never heard of this K-drama before. I was just randomly browsing through Netflix, saw the notification bubble, clicked it out of curiosity and the title "It's Okay To Not Be Okay" piqued my interest. So, I clicked on it, read the synopsis and watched the trailer. It seemed interesting so I gave it a try and BOY, am I glad that I did! The production was stunning! The animated opening was beautiful! The cinematography was interesting and caught my eye for being adventurous. By the middle of the first episode, I was hooked! With her stories, Go Moon Young is like a female Tim Burton, who I was completely in awe of back in the day when I was in high school. She also reminded me of Jo Yi Seo from Itaewon Class with her antisocial behaviour though I do prefer Go Moon Young more. Moon Kang Tae is extremely attractive and the most attractive male lead of a K-drama that I've seen thus far no doubt. The chemistry between Kim Soo Hyun and Seo Ye Ji is electric! The acting is all-around top notch! The story is intriguing and engaging! I loved how this is a drama with a mystery in its background about the unsolved deaths of the two leads' parents and the reason for the mental illness in each family. Without a doubt, the best drama that I am currently watching at the moment! Hopefully, the drama is able to maintain its momentum throughout the rest of its episodes!

Upon watching Episodes 3, I continue to be impressed! Everything is just so good! The story. The acting. The production. The visuals. The costumes. Ugh. The back-and-forth banter between the two leads is just perfect! And I love how they can help each other to grow to become more fully themselves. And that last scene at the end where Kwon Gi Do is on stage having his voice heard whilst avoiding his father's campaign workers while Gang-Tae looks on longingly at his freedom and utter joy. STUNNING! To stop being so repressed and to just let go. To be free and have fun. I can only wish...

On a side note, I'm having a hard time trying to put my feelings of this drama into words. Everything is just so good! It's easier for me to criticize than to praise as I can point out plot points or story elements that don't make sense. However, if everything is consistently good from episode to episode, I don't really need to point out anything.

Upon watching Episodes 5 and 6, I felt that Gang-Tae's transition from being nervous and suppressed around Moon Young to being happy and loving seems a bit rushed. Same with Moon Young being cold and calculating to being warm and affectionate to Gang-Tae.

Watching Episodes 7 and 8, I kinda felt like this series is losing steam as it was pedal to the metal in the beginning but was unable to keep that momentum, which is understandably hard to do. The episodes are still entertaining, but I wouldn't say that they're compelling unlike the first few episodes.

Upon watching Episodes 9 and 10, I realized that the horror-fantasy elements that were present in the first few episodes kinda disappeared for some reason and the series became just a standard drama, though still a good one at that.

Episodes 11 and 12 were quite riveting as the mystery surrounding Gang-Tae and Sang-Tae's murder gets revealed and the romance between GT and MY is shown to be ill-fated. I hope that GT is realizes that it is not MY's fault that her mother killed his mother. We can't blame the actions of one's parents on them. And it looks from the preview of the next episodes that he doesn't blame MY. I truly hope that MY's mother will be caught and that MY and GT will have a happy ending... I'm so sad that there is only 2 weeks (4 episodes) left. I'm going to miss waking up late on the weekend and watching this drama right after I eat lunch :'(

Episode 13 was very slow and a bit dull to be honest. Only the last scene was interesting as it was shown that the nurse was the mother, not the patient. What an unexpected twist! I've always thought that the nurse was kinda weird and a bit off. But if I remember correctly, the nurse never interacted with MY. For someone who is willing to kill another to keep her daughter, the fact that she is able to distance herself from her daughter whenever MY visits the hospital doesn't make much sense. Either way, I'm hyped for the next few episodes! We're in the home stretch now...
Episode 14 was also quite slow and dull to be honest. I felt that there was a lot of filler as they drag out the confrontation with the mother. Also, there were a few questionable plot points, such as why GT decided to leave ST unprotected at the house instead of stay with him and MY at the cursed castle where he could protect them both. Also, why wasn't there any police at the cursed castle or any protecting MY, GT or ST? There weren't any police even looking for the mother, which didn't make any sense. And why didn't GT call the police after the mother kidnapped ST? Anyways, there's only two more episodes to go. I'm still interested in seeing how this series ends.

Episode 15 was underwhelming with quite a few plot points that don't make sense. The mother is angry that MY doesn't listen to her because of GT but MY thinks that her mother is dead. So, how can she listen to her mother when her mother is literally hiding underneath a different face? That doesn't make any sense. The mother's reason for killing GT's mother makes no sense either. All GT's mother did was suggest that MY go get help. She didn't try to take her daughter away or try to report to the authorities. There must have been teachers or other adults who saw MY's antisocial behaviour and talked to her mother about getting her help. If MY's mother is triggered that easily, she must have killed several people before which she hasn't. So, it doesn't make any sense. And anyways, I'm pretty sure that MY would be completely fine with GT killing her mother since her mother did kill his mother and she actually wanted to kill her anyways. But no, save the mother so that the mother could kill MY or GT. And anyways, how did MY get there so quickly without a car? The climax where GT and MY truffle with MY's mother was also quite underwhelming. Hopefully, the season finale will be better.

Episode 16, the season finale, was good. It wrapped up all the plot lines in a nice way and showed ST seeking independence from GT, allowing him to live for himself.

All in all, this Kdrama was entertaining. The cinematography and production design were excellent. The characters were well-developed. The acting was all-around good, especially Oh Jung Se who portrayed the autistic ST perfectly! His performance was Oscar-worthy! The story however was lacking. The first half of the series was strong! It was unique, interesting and fascinating. There was a fantasy/horror edge to it. However, the series delved into a standard melodrama in its second half and all that potential was wasted. The drama was good, but nowhere near what it could've been if it leaned into its macabre, fantastical element which would have differentiated it from the other Kdramas out there. Crash Landing on You, the first Kdrama that I watched, still remains as my favorite K-drama so far...

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Overrated

Stop writing fluffy reviews about this drama. It's not that good you'll just have backlash because it WON'T LIVE UP TO EXPECTATIONS. I went to watch this after seeing the unusual 9.2 and was highly disappointed with how cliché this is. The fans of this are too ride or die and idek why. Probably because of the cute graphics that resemble Tim Burton style but besides that and the autistic character there's nothing special about this show, it's tropes galore and honestly Kim Soohyun performance in this in kinda dull. Yes he's a good crier but besides that his character is not captivating.

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Avereage Drama wherein People are Just hyping the Shit Out of it

The Drama was really good at the beginning and deserved all the praise it deserved at first. But after the first few episodes, The writer and the director just got lazy, the production quality dropped and turned out to be an average Romance drama with a Ridiculous plot twist.

The Performance of Seo Ye Ji and Oh Jung Se was really good an was perfect for their characters, but Kim Soo Hyun's performance was just average and nothing more than that. Although all the other side characters did a pretty good job, Kim Soo Hyun's acting became a negative influence on the drama.

The typical push and pull which started from the 7th episode itself even before properly developing the Romance and continuing it upto the episode 14 is also one of the most cliche' things, from wherein the drama started to Disappoint.

Don't even get me started with the plot twist, it was so ridiculous that it completely ruined some characters, Made them inconsistent and also even made the initial interaction of leads into a ridiculous one. What I hated the most about the writing was that not only did they ruin the Second half of the drama, but also the good parts of the drama after the plot twist and saying that it was all her doing. I just can't seem to understand why people are just overlooking over the ridiculous plot twist and inconsistent characters by saying that no drama is perfect. For God sake, the Defining plot twist of the drama is what they ruined and people are just ready to overlook that fact. (Typical Fanbase)

The Second half of the drama is full of Cliche' Romance and typical fan service which could've been nice to watch if the drama was consistent in its tone and Characters. And the Ending, Mental illness is such an easy thing to cure if it's not for our Main Characters. Many of the patients in the hospital were cured (that too offscreen), because why not, nobody cares about the Side characters. Can't believe it is the same drama wherein they used a good amount of screen time in some episodes for us to empathise with side characters.

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It's Okay To Not Be Okay Is...Okay

I'm not a fan of romance whatsoever but I am a fan of great storytelling when it involves small doses of romance. That being said great storytelling also involves great screenwriting where the dialogue is clear and compelling and doesn't leave all the heavy lifting to the viewers. But what 'It's Okay To Not Be Okay' suffers from is its heavy reliance on flashbacks. It's okay when you're recapping episodes and if they are used sparingly for dramatic effect but if you have to continually remind viewers of certain plot points then it seems to indicate a lack of confidence in the story itself. The likelihood of a man with an autistic older brother falling in love with the daughter of the woman who murdered his mother is a hard sell. And even with some strong individual performances at times by the show's leads, I didn't buy it. I wasn't convinced of the motive that caused the mother to kill in the first place. I also thought the show did a very poor job of exploring the real-life stigma that people with mental health issues face.

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Was more enthralled by the side stories and brotherly love than the unconvincing romance.

Everyone loved this show, and understandably so. It had the perfect formula to become mainstream that everyone would truly enjoy. Sadly, for someone like me who craves for unique and realistic stories, some parts of it were too frustrating to watch that I had to convince myself to finish this show because of the parts I loved about it.

Things I loved about it:

- The fact that it revolved around Psychology (I’m a Psychology Major so I’m a sucker for this). I found myself crying every time they revealed and focused on the struggles of the families of autistic people, as well as the other Psychological disorders that were highlighted through the various patients of the ward. The first few episodes made my heart burn and I knew it would be a good story after how they revealed the story of that guy with manic tendencies. Wow, genius and heart wrenching.

- I loved the writing style. Whenever a drama uses a creative way to place a theme for each episode (in this case, the fairy tales), I know i’m in for good writing. Truly appreciated this side of the show. The mini story books and the final story book was truly a genius way to tie up the whole story. The first scene of the show which also used a story book to introduce everything was also truly genius.

- The acting of the brothers. Wow, that autistic brother was truly amazing. And wow, Kim Soo Hyun was just truly breath taking. I managed to finish the show because of these two, and I shed a lot of tears because of their scenes.

Things I didn’t like about it

- The romance. I still find it hard to believe that someone would fall for a scary woman like Mun Yeong. She indeed was fun to watch, but I honestly believe you’ll be creeped out if you met someone as obsessed as her in real life. Not to discount the fact that she also has a personality disorder, but I felt like everything between her and the male lead was too rushed and forced. They should have given their romance more time to develop to make it convincing.

- The story of Mun Yeong’s family was totally unconvincing. I hated how unrealistic her mom was, and I hated how their story was one of the main plots from the very start. I wish they explained a bit of the mom’s background just so we can understand why she turned out to be that way, staying true to this show’s attempt to explain their characters’ stories through the use of past traumatic experiences. Aside from lack of understanding for this character, the head nurse’s acting was actually quite off. She totally wasn’t convincing and I found myself distracting my head whenever she appeared on screen just so I won’t turn off my phone. The original mom would have been more convincing as the villain until the very end.

Don’t get me wrong, it was such a good show, it’s just that I was slightly disappointed about how they forced the “thriller” side of the show through Munyeong’s family, without properly developing their story. However, I feel like the show managed to redeem itself in its last episode after it chose to focus on the brotherly love again (which I honestly think was good enough to be the main plot) and the other patients.

A good watch, truly unique, but it did not really make a lasting impression. Maybe I was hoping for another Psychological drama (a realistic one) like It’s Okay, That’s Love? Once again, my high expectations ruined my viewing of this show. Don’t make the same mistake!

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Overrated and Such a drag!!

I am amazed by the reviews that “it’s okay not to be okay”has received here!! I am uncertain that those who find this show addictive watched any other K-dramas before ? Bcz honestly it was just an average K-drama. It’s been 3 weeks since I started watching the show, but I got soo bored in between that I kept it on hold And watched it On and off. And if I recall to myself what happened in previous episodes ,nothing eventful and exciting came to mind. Yes it somehow put a light on mental health, trauma and autism but that was the only good part about the show.

There was too much coincidence I would say ,more than needed ,that it made their love story odd. Firstly they knew each other as kids and Besides that It was a typical plot that Ms Ko’s mother turn out to be the murderer of Gang Tae’s mother. I have seen that before in various films and dramas that I can’t even recall now.Also Gang tae’s reaction to his mother’s murderer Being Ms Ko mother was also not how I should have been considering how badly it affected his whole life soo much and I mean who would be so okay with their only parent getting murdered and then finding out who did that. His REACTION MADE EVERYTHING SOO UNIMPORTANT. Remember that this was the plot from the beginning,BUTTERFLIES!!! and when he finally get to know ,it didn’t mattered?? How !!! ALSO the reason his mom was murdered for was soo lame .i couldn’t understand that I should laugh or be angry at how stupid it was. Meaning the whole logic just got nullified. It was no suspense as some hints were shown from the beginning as they happen to be from the same town and knew each other as kids. Plot was literally boring as There was nothing new.

Also I hated the fact that Gang tae was the only one suffering the most in the show. First dealing with autistic brother and then Ms Ko, no doubt she brought thrill ll in his life but I think he deserved better. He was now dealing with the demons of Ms Ko as well. Caregiver should have gotten more care from his love interest I believe. Something normal would’ve been much better than a girl with her own trauma and crazy family background.

All I am gonna say is that i didn’t get to see anything new!!

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BEST KDRAMA EVER!!!

Well, this is my very first review on this website and in general cause I've never written one so please bear with me if I start swooning over something while reviewing it lol. Let's begin!

First of I wanna say that this is the perfect cast ever. From KSH and OJS's versatility to our underrated queen's crazy acting we totally got surprised! Ngl but like many people I came here to check out KSH but I got mesmerized with SYJ too. The side characters are so amazing too and they've got their own character development and story going on which is pretty great as so many dramas tend to neglect it. If you're tempted by cast you're in for a treat.

Next let's talk about the story. So a lot of people say that this is a very slow drama and there's not much happening here or there's no plot twist or climax or this drama is overrated and stuff. Guys, lol just wanna say one thing that this drama for sure is not everyone's cup of tea. There doesn't have to be a plot twist every 2 episodes for this to be a MASTERPIECE! It's not an action/thriller. This drama is more character driven. There are some flaws in the story but nothing can be perfect! I'm not saying the story isn't good. The story is fantastic imo but the people who come in with high expectations for the story tend to get disappointed. In the great words of KSH this is a “HUMAN HEALING DRAMA” so keep that in mind. This drama has the best characters and the best character development. From the leads to a recurring character. This drama is about experiencing their journeys, their mental breakdown and their healing. You wouldn't be disappointed. I promise. Also take it as a drama lol. Some people start comparing it with real life but this is still fiction and it's here to teach you some morals.

NOW LET'S TALK ABOUT THE CHEMISTRY AND THIS WAS THE SWOON PART I MENTIONED EARLIER!!! I swear to God KSH and SYJ are the most beautiful human beings I've seen in one frame. I saw the poster and the poster alone had so much chemistry that I was like COUNT ME IN! These two have so much sexual tension that I can't help but ship them irl lol. It hurts. For me this is my favorite couple now. It's gonna be tough to see them paired up with another actors in future lol. Hoping for another drama from them. Guys, these two produce so much electricity that they can light up North Korea fr. I love them so much! If you're into the drama just for romance this is the one you're looking for. AND THE KISSING SCENE *chef's kiss*

I wanna wrap this up by saying that there's a lot of fairy tales in the drama that are shown from a different perspective which is rather harsh and more closer to the door of reality. It's ironic cause fairy tales are supposed to be a strawberry world where everything is perfect but this drama tends to take a darker turn on them and show the reality behind them and suddenly you question the way you're looking at life. This drama highlights a famous prover i.e. “don't judge a book by it's cover”. There are so many people out there who need help and just want someone to reach out to them but people are rather judgey and that's the nature of our society. But when the person just can't take it anymore and decides to end his/her life then suddenly there are a lot of people crying for you after you're gone. As someone once said “not everyone wants to die. Some people just wants to be able to close their eyes and feel alright. Some people just want their sufferings to end”. So everyone please just show someone near to you that you care and god knows if that can make a huge difference in other persons life like KMY. She just wanted someone to be by her side. So everyone be happy, happy happy!

Last but not the least, the transitions, editing and the OST!!! This drama is a package and if you're missing out on this i don't know what to do. This is my favorite drama now. Now I'm going cause I wanna rewatch it lol. Oh did I mention that this is a 100% rewatch worthy cause I myself have watched each episode more than 20 times. I'm obsessed and bye now. Thanks for reading xoxo!!

Just a reminder don't be overhyped by anything this is just my pov. Go in with the least expectations and that's how you can enjoy the drama even more haha! ~

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This drama gives impact with their initial episodes, but fell flat and get confused afterwards.

This drama gives a great impact with their initial episodes (1-3), but unfortunately fell flat and get confused afterwards (imo).

FL and SML (brother) are really carry on this drama on their shoulder. Without them, i don’t really think want to finish this and it’s kinda sad because of the big name of KSH. I love him in LFTS as an alien but in this drama, his character almost feel like the same. His hairstyle, his attitude, his gesture, the way he talk and cried... i really want to sympathize with him as a character, but end up skip almost his crying scene for the entire episodes (T_T). The only drama that i really like him as a character is in “The Producer.”

The story itself is kinda confusing. What do you really want to tell? About mental illness, healing process, love story, or thriller? The combination of lots of genre didn’t really work in this drama (imo, i don’t wanna upset anyone). There is so much information that really don’t take the story anywhere. And it really bothers me that the FL doesn’t get any treatment whilst her behavior is really disturbing and danger for anyone around her (push someone from the stairs-not cool, driving like a maniac when angry and threating someone to fullfill your request-not cool, always scream at people-not cool and many more). I also don’t get why FL falls in love with ML (apart from his physical that really annoys me and it serves as fan service a lot of time T_T). There is no consistency on the characters also (the brother can act like an adult with high function intelect shows, but sometime he respons something like childlike with no intelect at all). I am not expert on this at all, but saying as a viewer who want to enjoy a “fantasy” drama that feels logic at least. And don’t get me started with the confusing timeline and lots of surprises that not necessary at all.

But, if you want to watch drama with full of beautiful people, fancy costumes, good CGI, don’t care about stuff that really matters in real life, and want to know about mental illness then this drama is for you :)

I will recommend anyone to watch “It’s Ok It’s Love” instead if you want to see about mental illness and healing process through being loved by someone. They focused on the main theme of mental illness that the ML suffer (JIS really good in this drama) and other characters with some condition were just information for viewers, that people with condition still can be fully function in their life.

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overrated

I lost interest in this kdrama in episode 11. a lot of unexplained relationships and loopholes here and there. the hot and cold relationship makes me so tired and can predict what will happened between the couple. i dont know how to write review, but then this kdrama is just filler for my time.

few things I found its funny, how come somebody who works as a caregiver at smalltown hospital can afford to buy VOLVO car (support character who drive white volvo car) ? its such fail product placement and kind of spoiled the mood to watch it because it not believable at all.

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