It's Okay to Not Be Okay

If you want to cry - watch this

where do I even begin? A romantic drama with an unrelated strong plot line focused on character growth and development is something I think we all need - and this is it. This drama resonated with me on a deeper level as someone that struggles with OCD and Bipolar disorder, despite not having direct plot lines related to it. Maybe that makes my review slightly biased but I definitely recommend for anyone else who struggles with those deeper issues (and have since developed a healthy acceptance of them, otherwise some episodes may be slightly triggering). I have rematch this show so many times and everytime I notice something different; the outfit designs reflecting the characters growth, the amazing use of music and its correlation to each individual story, or even smaller plot devices which or more noticeable or significant on a second watch.

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Award won leading actress

After winning the best actress award I would say just watch to see why, but after watching this 3 times front to back you would say must be good and it is, yes it does have some weak spots one the mother so changed her own daughter can’t recognize her is a reach, her mother being the head of the nursing is a stretch, the father is a hard buy, but the leads brings us a great time and the brother is one hard act to follow so just watch it. This movie has brought the lead actress to the top of the list her value has increased that says a lot on how good this drama is, supporting cast performances were great the ending is why I rewatch if your going to invest 16 hours then you need to have a ending that you can say satisfied and rewarded the time spent and this one does.

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A stunningly beautiful Drama. Amazing story set in a Psychiatric hospital and a Fairy Tale Castle.

This is an absolute masterpiece of a Drama. A Fabulous Story set in a Psychiatric Hospital and a Fairy Tale Castle. What an atmosphere. A Beautiful Romance for a Very Deserving Traumatised Couple of outstandingly amazing leads. The autistic brother's acting was unbelievable. I hope he got an award for his performance. Loved the Characters in the Hospital. This is in my Favourite Top 3 Dramas and I have seen scores of them. It is difficult to give this enough praise. The main leads were both exquisitely Beautiful and Stunning Actors. Lots of fun and fights from Great Supporting actors. Loved the Psychiatrist and the Crazy Publisher. Great Creepy Witch of a mother. I loved this so much and watch it as a treat again and again.

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A Deeply Emotional Journey

"It's Okay to Not Be Okay" has firmly established itself as one of my all-time favourite dramas, a sentiment reaffirmed by a recent rewatch. The series excels in every aspect, delivering a beautifully crafted narrative that is touching and carefully planned. What stands out most is the chemistry between the male lead (ML) and female lead (FL), both compelling and deeply moving, providing a strong emotional core to the story.

Each episode, with its blend of main and side stories, masterfully evokes a range of emotions, often bringing me to tears. The way the drama intertwines personal struggles with broader themes of mental health and healing is both educational and heartrending. This is a standout drama that combines excellent storytelling with powerful performances, making it a must-watch for anyone looking for a deeply emotional and thought-provoking series.

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"You’re all empty inside. You’re just loud. Like an empty can.”

There has never been a drama where I wouldn't change a single thing. Until this.

That is why this is my all time favourite drama.

If you can see my ratings for every other drama, you know I'm pretty picky when it comes to perfect ratings. I'm also very picky when it comes to high ratings (8.5+). But this one takes the cake.

There's powerful emotions - performed by one of the best cast I've ever seen.
There's traumatic memories - making you hold your heart in pain.
There's an abundance of tears - forcing you to cry alongside every time. It's not diluted but perfectly timed and required.
There's beautiful smiles - willing the corners of your lips to curl and join in.
There's comedy injected with perfect timing - never pulling you out of the story.

I love this drama with all my heart and even every single character. A number of quotes I even debated to make my senior quote. If you're ready and willing to laugh, smile, cry and fall in love... this drama will always be waiting for you.

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What a waste of time!

so, I was scrolling comments and reviews and they were just too positive. Maybe it's just my special taste in dramas of maybe there are somethings that should be told and nobody said them.
Story:
It was special? yes. I have never seen a drama with this kind of story and challenges. but does being special means it's great? Not at all. in my opinion, there were so much more we could see about support couples, the past of the main characters, etc. I was hoping to see more about families and their daily life in the past. knowing almost nothing about the past, made me confused sometimes.
Acting:
As a kdramer I worship Kim soo hyun. in every single dramas that I've seen from him, he is the best actor with no doubt. in other side, this drama was the first drama I've watched from Seo yea ji. She is a talented actress but I think her acts wasn't matched with Kim soo hyun's. and about Oh Jung Se, He should win an Oscar for his acting in this drama. he should. he nailed it.
Ending:
Everything ended perfect. and that's the problem. everything is just as it should be. lovers are together and the villain is caught. everything ended like a Disney cartoon and that's just not good. for example, the drama "Big mouth" has one of the best endings ever. we see good people die, bleed, cry. and in this drama? everything is as it should be. everything is the same, except the lovers found each other and the bad guys are arrested. I'm not a fan of these kind of endings.
Hope this review helps you! :)

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Beautiful story

I love this show and everything that it offers, It used to sit at the number one spot in my list and it stayed there for years. But since everything came out about Soo hyun I just can't look at it the same way I used to, but nonetheless the story is still there and I love it. That's all that matters, so that's why the rating stays unchanged. The way that this show deals with mental illness and the toll that taking care of these people can take on someone is done really well. The actors portray everything really well (Especially seo yeaji love you), the emotions that they brought to the screen were impeccable. The side storylines with all the patients were really intriguing, especially the war veteran and the lady who heard and saw things. Being so in love with someone but having to hold yourself back because of your circumstances must be so heartbreaking, and Gang tae always had to do that as well. He was brought into the world just to deal with his brother, bro was doomed from the start but hey he got his happy ending. Mun Young oh how I love you, characters with tragic backstories that aren't held back by that are my favorite kind. Plot twist after plot twist with this one god damn, they really wanted to make this as confusing and as interesting as possible. Beautiful story, beautiful everything.

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Serious issues were dealt with in such a way that I was engaged not traumatized.

Initially I didn't think that I would like this as it seemed like a melodrama with & family issues & heavy emotional trauma is not interesting to me.
[I don't EVER want to ugly cry over my entertainment ].
So I was shocked at how unexpectedly likeable this drama was !
The serious issues were dealt with in such a way that I was engaged but not traumatized.
It didn't quite hit the 10/10 for me because;

1) I kept wondering : WHY does the male lead like the female lead ?
All I could come up with was that his mother was not extremely warm to him, so he may have interpreted coldness & being treated a certain way as love?

2) There was a bit too much bickering before the happy ending [though the way they ended it soothed it over.]

They made some bold choices with the OST.I didn't' particularly like the style of music (or the fact that it was all (?) in English) , but it added a quirkiness that went well with the theme. Really, though, it's a Korean drama so it should have had more Korean music-but perhaps that's just because English is my 1st language & so it doesn't have the same charm for me.

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In my Top 3 Kdrama

Re (re re) watching this drama and still enjoying as much as the first time (or even more !).

2nd of my Top 3 (My Mister 1st and The Glory 3rd),

First time I watched IOTNBO it really was a « good surprise » because synopsis didn’t sound that good for me so I didn’t expected a lot from it.
And woww !!! I was wrong :/ it was so great ! I loved Go Mun Young character. One of my favorite FL characters and soooo well portrayed by Seo Yea Ji, stellar acting / impressive !
Oh Jung Se is also very talented. Of course other actors (Kim Soo Hyun, Park Gyu Young, etc…) are very good too.

I love everything in this drama:
- Amazing casting/acting : as explained above main characters and support roles are portrayed by very great and impressive actors. IOTNBO was the second or third Kdrama I watched and these talented actors made me want to watch more !
- Writing/Story/Plot: Sometimes emotional, sad and/or funny the storyline is consistent and allows actors to shine. Real characters you feel close to. Interesting relationships (love, friendship). Credible development of lead characters and support roles.
- Direction/Filming : same as the storyline, direction/filming allows actors to show how great and talented they are. A great work ! (IOTNBO atmosphere made me think to Tim Burton)
- OST : even OST is very good. A lot of songs are now in my playlist (In Your Time, Wake Up, I’m Your Psycho, In Silence, Facing The Fate, For Joo Ree, etc…)

To summary IOTNBO is for me a Masterpiece I love and recommand ! It is the perfect drama to (re)watch when you want/need to have a good time !

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I loved this K-drama so should you

I loved this K-drama, I loved it so much to the point that I finished it in 1 and 1/2 days. I loved it so much because of all the plot twists, if you like plot twists or K-drams where there is denial in love but in the end they fall in love this is the show for you. Things I disliked in this drama were that I didn't like how the male lead had bipolar feelings toward the female, and also that the male lead was too focused on his brother instead of his feelings. But things I liked in this drama were that the story wasn't just focused on romance but also family problems and thriller. I liked how the female lead overcame her fears, and also i liked how the second male lead was more fond of the female than the male lead. If you want to watch a drama that doesn't just focus on love this is the one for you.

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A Dark Tim Burton-esque Fairytale: Raw Traumas, Gothic Charm, and Social Empathy

[Italian Version Below / Versione Italiana in Basso]

ENG

It's Okay to Not Be Okay stands as a bold, breathtaking gateway into a style of Korean storytelling capable of addressing delicate mental health themes with profound empathy, emotional dignity, and artistic courage.

~ The Unapologetic Opening: A Dark Fairytale ~

Right from its opening moments, the series sets a fierce, non-mainstream tone. Take the iconic restaurant scene: Ko Moon-young slicing an orange with a sharp steak knife, using the blade to intimidate a blackmailer, and casually traumatizing a little girl in a princess dress by reminding her that “fairytale books are not dreams, but reality checks.”

This isn’t a sugary romance; it is a Tim Burton-esque dark fairytale wrapped in gothic aesthetics, disturbing animation sequences, and a deeply antisocial lead heroine. Combining a heavy psychological profile with animated storytelling makes it a show that isn't for everyone — it demands a viewer willing to look beyond surface-level comfort.

~ The Power of Mutual Healing vs. Melodramatic Tropes ~

At its core, the series thrives through the extraordinary, non-stereotypical dynamic between the three leads. The journey toward healing shared by Gang-tae, Moon-young, and the autistic brother Sang-tae (played with monumental sensitivity by Oh Jung-se) is raw, beautiful, and emotionally grounding.

If there is a flaw, it lies in the late-stage turn toward high melodrama: the twist involving the villainous mother feels somewhat forced and formulaic, a typical K-drama trope injected into a narrative that was otherwise doing a masterclass job exploring real, grounded psychological trauma.

~ A Masterclass in Social Empathy ~

Looking across the broader landscape of television, It's Okay to Not Be Okay set a high benchmark for how brilliantly storytelling can handle delicate social issues — a standard later reflected in gems like Extraordinary Attorney Woo, Mad for Each Other, Tomorrow, and Wonderland. Rather than mocking or romanticizing mental illness and neurodivergence, it accords them absolute respect.

~ The Final Verdict ~

An unforgettable, beautifully shot, and emotionally resonant gothic drama. Despite a slightly forced melodramatic twist in the final act, it remains an extraordinary entry point into K-drama and a hauntingly beautiful tribute to broken people healing together.

Recommended for: Fans of gothic aesthetics, dark fairytales, deep psychological healing, and stories that treat mental health with genuine heart and empathy.

---

ITA

Una Favola Dark alla Tim Burton: Traumi Crudi, Fascino Gotico ed Empatia Sociale

It's Okay to Not Be Okay si erge a porta d'ingresso folgorante e coraggiosa verso una narrazione capace di affrontare le tematiche delicate della salute mentale con profonda empatia, dignità emotiva e un raro coraggio artistico.

~ Un Inizio Senza Filtri: La Favola Dark ~

Fin dai primissimi minuti, la serie mette in chiaro di non voler compiacere nessuno. Prendete l'iconica scena al ristorante: Ko Moon-young che taglia un'arancia con un affilato coltello da bistecca, lo usa per ferire un ricattatore e poi spaventa a morte una bambina vestita da principessa ricordandole che “le fiabe non sono sogni, ma promemoria della realtà”.

Questa non è la solita commedia romantica zuccherosa; è una favola dark in pieno stile Tim Burton, avvolta in un'estetica gotica, sequenze d'animazione inquietanti e una protagonista affetta da un evidente disturbo antisociale. L'uso dell'animazione abbinato a profili psicologici così duri non è di immediata lettura per chiunque: richiede uno spettatore disposto a guardare oltre la solita superficie rassicurante.

~ La Potenza della Guarigione vs. la Piega Melodrammatica ~

Il vero cuore pulsante dello show risiede nella straordinaria dinamica di guarigione reciproca tra i tre protagonisti. Il percorso condiviso da Gang-tae, Moon-young e dal fratello autistico Sang-tae (interpretato con una sensibilità monumentale da Oh Jung-se) è viscerale, potente e privo di pietismo.

Se c'è una sbavatura, sta nella virata melodrammatica del finale: il colpo di scena legato alla madre-mostro appare un po' forzato e artificiale, una concessione ai classici cliché del genere dentro una storia che stava già facendo un lavoro magistrale nell'esplorare traumi psicologici reali e radicati.

~ Una Lezione di Empatia Sociale ~

Nel panorama seriale complessivo, It's Okay to Not Be Okay ha mostrato come si possano trattare le tematiche sociali con un rispetto e un'empatia rari — uno standard che avrebbe poi trovato riscontro in opere magnifiche come Avvocata Woo, Mad for Each Other, Tomorrow o Wonderland. Invece di scimmiottare la malattia mentale o la neurodivergenza, lo show regala loro una dignità immensa.

~ Il Giudizio Finale ~

Un drama gotico indimenticabile, visivamente magnifico e di grande impatto emotivo. Nonostante una virata melodrammatica un po' forzata nell'ultimo atto, resta un'esperienza di visione bellissima e un tributo toccante a come le persone "rotte" possano guarirsi a vicenda.

Consigliato a: Chi ama l'estetica gotica, le favole dark, i percorsi di guarigione psicologica e le storie che trattano la salute mentale con vero cuore e rispetto.

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