It's Okay to Not Be Okay

Definition of a Toxic Relationship

I felt compelled to write a review because it is a travesty that this drama is so highly rated. I have a lot of hate for this drama which I watched weekly as it was released. The only thing good I can remember about this drama is the cinematography and set design.

The first couple of episodes caught my attention but as each week went by I found myself less impressed. To me, the main couple was not root worthy. There was one exchange outside the hospital where I thought to myself, “this is toxic.” In general I don’t like labeling things or people as toxic but their relationship was so glaringly toxic I can’t help it.

I was not satisfied with the lack of explanation surrounding Moonyoung’s mother’s “resurrection.” A hyper fan tried to explain it like how it is in fairy tales - they don’t explain where or why the villain does something. No no no. What a nice way to explain lazy storytelling.

I will give credit to the show for concocting a creepy antagonist and some disturbing imagery and plot points. In some ways it is haunting, but I don’t think it was in a good way. And I didn’t root for the “good” guys.

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Very entertaining but not too much else

Quite a unique drama with some interesting themes. Seo Yeji is a stand out for me, her acting is brilliant and she plays her moody and dark character perfectly. Also very found of the support cast, all the character have their own interesting quirks and relationships, very likeable and funny as well.

What i don't like:
I'm 10 episodes in and the main story has started to unravel itself, but even still it's not that exciting. Kim Soo Hyun's character has to choose between love and his family, and is leaning towards the latter because he feels guilty. Not anything out of ordinary for kdramas.Why he feels guilty is what kind of annoys me, like dude, you were a dumb kid,

I'm also not a fan of the main relationship, i feel that there is a lack of chemistry between the leads. Seo Yeji's character kind of just forces herself onto him, and he basically does the bare minimum to reciprocate feelings. Pretty disappointed in the "met at childhood" trope that was used, kind of a cheap way to build the relationship from a character perspective.

Overall the relationship is odd, we've seen the male leads be the 'carer' of the female lead in a bunch of other kdramas before, but this one is taking it literally which is funny.

Regardless, i'm going to finish it because it is still fun to watch. But beyond that, there isn't a deeper level to this at the moment from i've seen. Maybe ill change my mind by the end.

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Confused.

huh!? keep in mind ive dropped this drama after 8 episodes and may be lacking some major twists that magically make up for this drama's faults, so let me know if thats the case.

im VERY confused by the fact that this drama appears to be romance driven and that many of its glowing 10/10 reviews are commenting on how "amazing" the romance aspect is. what aspect of it is beautiful to you guys? the FL using and manipulating the ML's autistic brother into living with her so the ML is then forced into joining them? the whole "i want him and i always get what i want" attitude that drives all of her horrible, shitty decisions and behaviour towards everyone that comes in her way? her blatant disregard for others and their feelings, despite how she expects others to accommodate hers? the way she stalks the ML at the beginning and harasses him until he gives in and cracks a smile? the second i saw him having a lovely little flashback to the time she tried to stab him, then skipping joyfully towards her and asking her to go on a trip together (only to then have her almost drive into a wall and kick him out the car because he mentioned having to look after his autistic brother) i knew i couldnt wait to see if there was some kind of reason for these behaviours.

mental health may be an explanation (although ive read from other reviews that the drama doesnt really end up addressing any diagnosis) but it certainly isnt an excuse for romanticising the relationship between the leads. whether she magically changes into a good person or not further down the road, id probably assume it was only because she'd finally gotten what she wanted and not because she'd faced any major consequences and had to reevaluate how she approaches similar situations in life... or god forbid, gotten some professional help. as someone who suffers from MH issues, seeing the FL distance herself from the ML and attempt to work on herself and her issues before them coming back together or even her learning how to live by herself, would have been wonderful and i would've enjoyed a story like that much more.

points up for the acting, visuals and the smooth transitions and editing. especially throughout the first few episodes. i also enjoyed the supporting characters, and would've loved to see their endings if not for the fact that the main story ruined it for me. the soundtrack was also great. i want to point out that im not criticising any of the actors here, as i think they all did a pretty wonderful job, but only the plot and decisions of their characters.

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This drama is difficult to review. Even though the story is very simple and unremarkable, it was strangely addictive. I found myself breezing through each episode and eager to watch the next.

It's certainly a drama for those who appreciate the journey and not only the outcome. What makes this drama work is the undeniable chemistry between not just the two romantic leads, but also the supporting cast. The level of acting is excellent. Every actor seemed to play their characters with ease, and the dialogue and interactions felt natural. I found Oh Jung Se's portrayal of Sang Tae particularly outstanding. He played an autistic character with so much respect and love, and was really endearing to watch. He captured the mannerisms so well, without it looking forced or mocking. The sentimental moments between him and Gang Tae (Kim Soo Hyun) moved me to tears, and it felt like they were truly brothers haunted by a troubled past. I congratulate Kim Soo Hyun's performance here as well. I also enjoyed the way Seo Ye Ji's played her character. She was regal and powerful, and carried her costumes with class!

What fell short was of course the story line. It was very one-dimensional and not fleshed out well. It took a backseat in the drama, and honestly made little difference to its overall appeal. I'm also growing tired of the overdone Kdrama trope where the main leads bond over a shared childhood trauma, or an intertwined destiny. I was hoping this drama would take a new approach to romance, but unfortunately it did not.

Overall, I still thought the drama was enjoyable to watch. It was visually enchanting, with a dark storybook feel to it that was unique and intriguing. I'm a huge fan of Kim Soo Hyun and hope to see more from him in the near future!

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Mesmerizing

I started to watch this kdrama after it airs the 4th episode. I was so taken aback with the visuals; both the casts and the cinematography. I love how every episodes have their own sub-titles from fairy tales. It gives us a big picture of what the episode is going to be about. Also how they raise the awareness of mental health in a simple way and focusing on the patients and not only the main leads. The soundtracks are also to die for! Even the instrumental ones are so beautiful. So sad to think that this weekend this drama will be over. Definitely will have a post-drama syndrome and gonna rewatch this dozens times!

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The autism representation sucks

As someone that actually has autism, I hate this. The way that the dissorder is represented is looking like they're mocking us and only take all the extreme parts of autism and just mix it with childhood trauma. i dropped at around ep9 because i can not handle the way she is treating him. it is just messy. i get that they want to represent the disorder but they also just need to do propper research. Autism is more than just meltdowns and special interests.

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Ig it really is ok not to be ok

Not gonna lie It took me a lot of time to start watching This k-drama i found the Animations on the Start a little weird , but the more i watched it the more i liked it, it feels different and a lot of people wont like it but for the ones who want to try it i suggest since it became my fav k-drama till now.
I'm astounded with the cinematography, writing, and acting and If u spend a little bit u might start liking the little Animations it has.
For those who want to try i strongly advise you , the story is amazing and cute, but be careful when u Start watching you might not be able to stop

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The Courage to Find Happiness

IOTBNO is a character study, heavy on pathos. The premise is that the leads are broken people helping each other heal, and so the leads' mental health is central to the story. As the writer clearly wants to focus on the three leads' psyches, the weakest point in the show has the most physical action. 

The characters are multi-layered and nuanced, and the actors are effective at presenting their emotions and their inner conflicts. The whole cast is top notch, but the ML (Kim Soo-hyun) and FL (Seo Yea-ji) have incendiary chemistry and the ML's autistic brother (Oh Jung-se) is a fleshed-out human.

The FL writes macabre children's fairy tales, which are used to frame the overall narrative, giving the series a distinctive gothic aesthetic (BTW the FL's books are available for real at Amazon). The show has enough callbacks and symbolism to keep your interest in the details.

Your opinion of the series is likely to be driven by your attitude towards the FL. The FL is arrogant and selfish, and she gets away with outrageous behavior because she is rich and pretty. The series straddles the fences with details on the FL's mental health; the sleaziest character states in the sleaziest way possible that the FL has an antisocial personality disorder (ASPD) while more reliable characters use only vague language to describe her personality. The FL does exhibit some obvious ASPD behaviors (and SYJ, perhaps unreliably, described her character in promo bits as having ASPD) but the FL also shows some empathy early on, and that capacity for empathy grows over time. We are left with a character who literally may or may not be a sociopath, and in the real world that has some consequences that go beyond the depth of this series.

Whatever the case, we are not supposed to be comfortable with the FL. That said, I consider her to be an inspiration in some ways because in spite of her (initial?) toxic behavior, the FL finds the courage to find happiness and furthermore she helps the ML (whose own mental health is a wreck) and his brother develop that same courage. Whether or not they live happily ever after, they have each found a path forward, which seemed impossible at the beginning.

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My obsession

I watched it in full a couple days after the last episode aired on August 9th and I'm probably on my 7th or 8th rewatch and I'm just now deciding to write a review. I don't understand how you can't fall in love. It made it hard to watch other kdramas after this - it sets the bar too high. The chemistry between KSH and SYJ is addictive. Fantastic acting. OJS and SYJ especially blew me away. Deserves every award. I truly did feel healed and continue to feel healed by this drama and just feel so thankful for its existence. What a gift. I actually initially looked into the drama because I enjoyed Park Kyu-Young's supporting role as Ji-yuul in Romance is a Bonus Book (her facial expressions are perfect) and it was so nice to see her reunite with Kang Ki-doong. Parts of the plot in the end do feel burdensome to watch, but I understand that it's meant to make it like a fairy tale and also to incorporate the kdrama/love hardships aspects. SYJ (my absolute obsession) had me bawling. She has so much range. I became enamored by her after this as so many others have and have delved into her collection of roles - currently halfway through Potato Star and over halfway through Moorim School and wow - she has chemistry with EVERYONE. But really, SYJ and KSH together are beyond words. Who doesn't want to see these two together in real life? What a blessing.

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