For sake of argument, I am going to share something very personal. In 2009 I was diagnosed with bipolar disorder. This isn't a condition that you catch like a cold, but rather one that manifests at a certain age and snowballs until it's nearly impossible to function. You can't prevent it through proper care, you can't always predict its onset and you certainly can't run from it. Essentially, bipolar disorder means I suffer from violent mood swings - severe bouts of depression and self-destructive manic states. Most people are familiar with depression on some level, but the idea of a manic state is foreign so I'll take a moment to explain it. If depression is an extreme state of sadness or hopelessness, you can think of mania as an extreme state of happiness. It's generally characterized by impulsive (and often destructive) decisions, lack of sleep and is almost always accompanied by the physical feeling of euphoria (you can think of this as something similar to the effects of several drugs like ecstasy.) This state is the most dangerous and, for me personally, meant that I would blow through money on drugs and alcohol, ostracize my friends and family because of an uncontrollable temper and sail off into the sunset feeling invincible. These impulses left my life in ruins.
I crashed hard during my third semester of college and had to withdraw. At my worst I was suicidal, faced with a crippling loneliness that I had never felt before. You can think of it like standing knee- deep and staring into a dark pool of water. The only light is the reflection of your own eyes and even those seem foreign to you. If you shout you're greeted by a distorted echo that you recognize as your own, but it's masked by an alien quality. In this sense, mental disorders create two yous; the you that you're familiar with and the stranger you can't recognize beyond a silhouette and the stain it leaves behind. You're a prisoner in your own body and every single day you feel yourself inching closer and closer to the water.
If there is a single safe harbor in all of this, it's love. When two souls dredge through the fire and connect, the bond can become unbreakable. Empathy is the great uniter; shared pain is like cement. Love will harden through pain. Two souls become pillars, lifting the other out of the water and into the sky. This is what separates this drama from the rest. This is why It's Okay, That's Love is a masterpiece.
Mental health is not a topic that is addressed very often in Korean dramas, and when it is it often comes across as comical. Mental health balances between something people think of as self-imposed, something you can shrug off if you try hard enough, and something to be afraid of. Because of this, it's usually presented as one of the two extremes: something too light, often existing as comic relief or a silly quirk meant to add flavor without substance, or as something too heavy, existing as some ethereal force that twists the mind into something less than human. It's Okay, That's Love is able to present something serious and keep a lighthearted tone without being insulting.
If you're looking at the melodrama tag and expecting something that borders on makjang, this drama is not that. The feeling of melancholy threads this drama together, but it does not weigh it down. You won't find endless sobbing, misunderstandings or two-dimensional characters. Instead, this drama showcases the marriage of two souls through unconditional love and growth. Love is strongest when flaws can fit together like a jig-saw puzzle, and the characters in this drama compliment each other perfectly. It's important to emphasize that these characters are flawed. Too often dramas shy away from characters with real problems and instead settle on external conflict to move the story in its entirety. The characters in these dramas are perfect outside of the experiences they undergo and the forces that act on them and it makes them two-dimensional. This is not the case in this drama. Most of the conflict is internal, but it's relatable and organic. Every single character is presented in a manner that allows you to love and empathize with them - it's a multi-layered story, the supporting cast is also very well-developed.
In addition to a perfect atmosphere, this drama does something almost unheard of in a Korean drama. It presents a love story that is not about the chase, but rather endurance. Adult topics such as sex, intimacy and trust are at the forefront and allow the drama to paint a picture of actual couplehood instead of traditional guy-chase-girl or girl-chase-guy fare. You'll watch the couple grow not only as individuals, but as loving creatures. It doesn't stop at love, either, the concept of friendship as a refuge is just as strong. The entire cast grows over the course of the show, and if you're anything like me, you will grow along side them.
I really can't gush enough about this drama. It's been a very long time since I watched something that resonated within me with such perfect harmony. The soundtrack captures the moods perfectly, the actors (from main to supporting) have realistic and beautiful chemistry. The melancholy is haunting, but it won't overwhelm you. I cried, I smiled, laughed and lived with this drama. I saw those two souls grow into a love so pristine that you honestly believe they cannot live without each other. The term soulmate can only apply when two people love each other unconditionally, and they both crossed the sea in a rowboat to reach it.
Was this review helpful to you?
The characters feel like real people that actually have impacts on everyone around them. This is awesome because many times writers of dramas tend to forget characters that aren't in the main couple/triangle. I love that this drama shows actions and reactions of so many people, all while being able to keep the viewers absolutely in love with the main characters. No one felt overshadowed or forgotten, and you can feel how everyone involved really cared about telling this story.
The cast is filled with some of my favorite actors of all time, so of course the acting is superb. The mark of a great actor is that you completely forget that they aren't their characters while onscreen, and the entire cast pulls this off perfectly.
As for the OST...probably the best I've ever heard. This is the first time I've purchased music from an OST, and I bought not one, but two songs from this drama. One particular song is used to drive the plot further emotionally, and in the two biggest scenes it's used, it works perfectly to really capture the viewers' entire being into that scene. Those scenes hurt so much, yet I found myself watching them over and over because of how heartbreaking they were and beautifully they were put together.
I already want to watch it again, and I've just finished! This has definitely become one of my favorite shows (not just kdramas!) of all time.
Was this review helpful to you?
The characters, the story, and the relationships were all so well thought out! I loved all of the characters, and they all have really wonderful relationships with each other- that are REAL. They fight, bicker, annoy the hell out of each other, get seriously frustrated with each other, and they realize that they all have their own flaws. And the story stays realistic, (funnily enough to say about a drama based on mental disorders) showing the true struggles people in relationships (wife, mother, girlfriend, brother, daughter, etc.) with people with mental disorders have to face. It's really wonderful. The cast acted out everything brilliantly- the emotions were conveyed very well and wow, some of the best acting I've ever seen.
AND THE MUSIC. *BREATHES DEEPLY* I DON'T KNOW HOW TO EXPLAIN TO Y'ALL HOW MUCH I LOVED THIS OST. LIKE... THESE SONGS. THEY'RE GREAT. THEY FIT IN SO WELL WITH THE SCENES AND I'VE DOWNLOADED A BUNCH OF THEM AND I NEVER GOT TIRED OF THEM (like I have with very many other songs in other dramas) AND WOW. A++++++++++++++++++ TO WHOEVER PICKED THESE SONGS. A FREAKING PLUS.
Anyways, I totally recommend this drama! It's probably one of my all time favorites now and I loved this drama from start to finish!
For a country still dealing with its own discrimination towards mental disorders, I thought this drama was just plain- WOW. Wonderful. Seriously, good job!!! (I'm in awe)
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
This is a romance/mystery drama about people who have to deal with mental ilnesses, which is pretty interesting to watch, since this serie deals with this in a pretty mature way.The acting of this drama is really great, unlike other drama the characters feel more realistic in their behaviour and acting. Music is nice and the general story and theme is pretty interesting.
Yet there are still some problems with this drama, if you are like me, having the second lead syndrome, wanting to watch this because you think you will finally get a less sexist, mature romance, then you might be a bit dissapointed. If you liked coffee prince or hana yori dango, then don't read any further, you'll definitly like this one, just go and watch it! : ), but if you are the kind of person who got red flag reactions when watching them, then you might also find this serie problematic.
One of the problems I had with this serie is that it still has the dominating male, while he is not as abusive as other male leads, there will be some scenes in it that gave me wtf reactions. There is also a side romance story,in which the male finally seems to get a spine, but then turns also in the typical dominating male, which the girl suddenly falls for. I've written down below some of the scenes which decreased the enjoyment I had wathing this show, I've removed the names to make it as less spoilerish as possible,
THIS MIGHT BE SLIGHTLY SPOILERISH, SO DON'T SCROLL BELOW, IF YOU REALLY DON'T WANT ANY SPOILERS!!!
The acting of this drama is really good, and the story and the characters feels more mature than other standard cliche drama's, but for me it went downhill after episode 9. Below are some of the things that destroyed the enjoyment of this show.
- female says she wants no sex on the trip. During the trip man gets suprised that she really meant this, saying that sex the ultimate act of love is, he acts angry and then leaves her. Later she goes to him, they make up and have sex. (ofcourse sex equals love cough cough*, what really would have been an atc of love is if he would've respected her boundaries, their relation is only a few months, and she has serious anxiety issues on intimacy, heck she even had problems with kissing)
- Male suddenly says that he goes out the house and live alone again and thinks that there is no problem with that, for it is because of work. I mean they have a serious relationship, they were living together, and the man suddenly says, "well, I'm going to live alone again for my work"... it is so bs, during the day he could just write at that place, and then just go home.
- female is seriously upset that her ex, who cheated on her, just comes into her house, because he works together with a roommate of hers. Nobody is understanding to her. The man the ex works with even screams at her saying that they otherwise would need to pay money somewhere... again bs they could have gone to the ex's house to talk about their work.
- There are two side characters, a male and a female, they divorced some years ago. The female tells her female friend that she finally realizes that her relationship with the male was 100% her fault (weird that she says this, but okay, it could be...). She says that her man wanted a child, but she secretly took contraceptives, she wanted to continue her career which would be impeded if she would get a child, at some point he found out and they divorced. Ofcourse what she did was wrong, but the fact that she thought that she could not be honest in her relationship already tells me that there was something already wrong in the relationship to begin with.
- Other side characters are a young man and female. In the beginning the girl practically uses him to get new stuff. I understand the female character, her mother left her at an early age, and she has a kind of absent father who fills the home with junk stuff. At some point the young man stops the relationship. I was like yay : D, he finally got some spine, he stops letting him being used. But then the story changes into the toxic idea "that if you save some person you'll get the girl". He helps her father, saying to him that he should not bring the junk home, but sell it to get some money... and suddenly the father actually does that, I am sure that the female character must have said it once in her life to her father, but that must not have impressed him, the young man magically fixed her father.
Then he gets angry at the girl for the fact that she talks bad about her father, he is still your parent afterall, she still should have respect for him... a father who has for a long time neglected her, he tells her how his own father kicked him out of the house, because of his mental ilness, but he still calls him every week to know how he is doing, if she still wants to have a relationship with him, she should say so before the count of three... (I would have rolled my eyes and walked away, but...), she looks at him in awe and says that she wants to be in a relationship with him. I understand that the young man's way of thinking, even though I disagree, what irked me the most was his counting down, like a parent to a child would do. The girl, while using other people, is pretty smart, if the man talked in a rational, equal way, it could've been the start of a mature relationship, yet instead we see how he acts to her like a parent to a child...
- In the end we see that the female protagonist gets pregnant, she's angry. The male protagonist pushed some weeks ago to have sex with her without a condom, which she actually didn't want to. When she tells him that she is pregnant, he silently walks out the room to the other male roommates. He tells them enthusiastingly that he becomes a father. They laugh happily. Female protagonist comes in, still angry. The male protagonist defends himself "But at that night she was so pretty"...(yeah right). The female starts to smile, and they laugh together. Later we hear that her study needs to be suspended two years. At the end the male protagonist jokely tells her to get another baby after this one. She tells him smilingly that she is angry at him, but at the end they still smile and kiss as if nothing has happened.
So this is still a better drama, than most cliche drama's, but everyone who says that this is such a 'mature' romance, they are lying, the cake does not exist, but it still has its sweet moments.
Was this review helpful to you?
This drama is easily, without a doubt, the weirdest drama I have ever watched. From the very beginning and your first introduction to Soo Kwang, I could tell this drama was going to be different. It was amazing and so poignant, and I honestly believe that it might make some strides in reducing the fear and ignorance people have when it comes to mentally ill individuals.
First off, I want to say just how amazingly well suited the cast was to working with each other. Their chemistry was just phenomenal, and there was hardly a moment that went by that you weren't just so happy to see them all together. Soo Kwang and Dong Min's relationship was touching, and how much they fought for each other, and WITH each other, just felt so real and unique. They were a house of people that most other people would scoff at and call them all certifiably insane, but they also all loved each other unconditionally and that is rare.
As a Running Man fan, I was so excited to watch this for Lee Kwang Soo. I was a little worried when I heard his character, Soo Kwang, was going to have Tourette's, but Kwang Soo played it off absolutely brilliantly. This was my first Jo In Sung drama, but it will certainly not be my last. He was able to put on so many hats in this drama, from the romantic leading man, to the hurt little boy who has to face his childhood demons. I was seriously impressed with his range.
Story line wise, this drama always felt fresh and was almost never boring. There were a few times when I was irritated a little bit by how much the two main leads fought towards the middle of the drama, but it was definitely barely enough to knock it down half a point.
I really loved how this drama dealt with mentally ill individuals. It never made you feel like they were ridiculing them, and it really did its best to try and foster understanding that just because a person is sick, it doesn't make them any less deserving of love and happiness. I also loved how this drama really made you question who the bad guys were, and if sometimes you weren't your own biggest enemy.
The music in this drama was just phenomenal, as well. Almost all of it was English, but it was all so upbeat and perfect, it just completely enhanced every episode in every way.
So far, if I had to pick top 5 dramas of the year, this one would definitely win a spot!
Was this review helpful to you?
It's not just about love, this drama is about overcoming your own fears and problems with the help of people who understand you and are having their own personal problems, too.
The way they treat mental illnesses is great. They all have their own and the writers where really respectful during the whole storyline. Maybe you'll find some of the character's actions shocking, but then the backstory explains everything and you find yourself loving them.
The soundtrack is also amazing - i'm sure you'll download the songs to your phone the moment you finish watching it! they're perfect for every scene!
The acting is AMAZING. The way they potray the character's so real, you'll find it strange to watch them in other dramas!!
So... what are you doing if you haven't watched it yet??
Was this review helpful to you?
There are two different responses which came about after this drama aired and that is this (1) It's terrible. Way too melodramatic and the directing and writing was a mess and (2) It's unique, crazy, and fun. It doesn't follow the guidelines of your typical Romance drama.
Because of this, I feel it is very hard to review this drama. but I thought I would give it a try anyway.
So here I go....
As I said above, most people who have seen this drama either LOVE it or HATE it. It's one of the things which comes with the territory of completing a very unusual drama. You're either going to think "What is this?!" or "Wow, interesting!"
So I decided for this review I would give two different standpoints. (1) The negative aspects and (2) The positive aspects. Both will contradict each other at points siince it depends on the person themselves viewing the show. Some people may see a scene from this drama as not being well put together, while others might applaud how it fit well with the crazy story itself.
Story-
(1) (Negatives)
-The main couple is stressful to watch a times. You could even call them a "Bi-polar" type of couple.
-The stories pacing is always up in the air. At times everything is going really fast and at other times everything is going very slooooow.
-Some scenes don't always work well together. The directing isn't always there.
-At times you could consider the story melodramatic when it doesn't need to be.
(2) (Positives)
-The main couple doesn't live by your usual Korean drama couple. They shout at each other, and they fight each other You can always see them as real.
-The pacing is all over the place because the people themselves in this drama are all over the place.
-You won't expect what will happen next in a scene because you can't always expect how someone with "mental issues" will react.
-The story can be sad at times because we are following the daily lives of people with "mental issues"and life isn't always happy when you don't fit societies "normal person".
Acting/Cast-
This may be my own biased view on things, but I don't see any reason to dislike the cast. All of them played each role to the best of their ability.
The only reason why you may not like an actor or actress in this drama is if you went in not being a big fan of them already.
Music-
I didn't hear or feel any complaints about the OST. Personally, I loved it! One thing they definitely did well was the music.
Overall-
This drama is really all about your perception on thing and how you see things in your life. It can either be relatable or out of this world crazy!
It's not your usual Korean drama. So I suggest giving it a try. If you aren't really enjoying the drama midway then you probably won't enjoy the rest of drama.
Views on this drama definitely vary and I would say your view will vary too if you complete it. My rating mainly is how I felt about the drama.
Was this review helpful to you?
First off, the story progression was absolutely great. It was nicely paced without giving everything away too quickly. A lot of things could have gone wrong with its progression but the writers avoided all my concernsl. If they changed the focus of the plot to tackle some of the slightest story lines that they left untouched, it would have hurt the overall plot progression, but whomever wrote the script is a genius.
Secondly, the cast was great. With each drama I watch, I keep saying "oh God this cast is great," but end up somewhat feeling like I forced myself to say that. However, with this cast, I instantly saw the chemistry and knew that they were having fun with it. They weren't forcing themselves to play the role. Instead, it came naturally and that's the beauty of this cast. Also, the love between all the couples was refreshing. As a dude, I would normally cringe at this stuff, but the more K-Dramas I watch, the more I become inclined to smile at a good K-Drama couple when I see one and this drama was no exception. Love was all throughout the air, and I need to kindly ask to borrow some of it (and So Nyeo if that's alright).
Music wise, K-Dramas never tend to fully grip me with their soundtrack choices, but damn, this one made all the right choices. For the first ten episodes, the dramas usage of music was flawless. The songs put at each scene were cleverly chosen, and I applaud the PDs for that because some dramas choose pretty good songs, but either use them at the weirdest spots or over use them. As the show progressed, especially in the last four episodes, certain songs were being over used, but they were still being utilized well. The OST was ridiculously good and that goes for the BGM all throughout the show, too.
Lastly, for re-watch value, I give this one a 9, but honestly I never re-watch a drama, but this one is probably going to change that. I might re-watch this bad boy during Christmas time or something, but I never thought I would ever find myself saying "oh I'm going to re-watch this drama."
Overall, ridiculously good drama. Execution, writing, camaraderie, this show has it all. If you ever are contemplating whether to watch this, stop because It's Okay, That's Love is a worthy sixteen-hour long ride,
Was this review helpful to you?
This show made me laugh so much that my stomach hurt. As much as it made me laugh, I also cried my eyes out. I didn't cry my eyes out for petty reasons, like boy hurts girl and girl leaves boy, but because the psychological genre was properly executed in this drama. Also the actors had played their role so well that there was never a dull moment. Also the soundtrack was one of the best I have heard that I can't wait to download it all. Just because it has melodrama incorporated don't expect a tragedy, it had a beautiful ending. I truly recommend this drama for all to watch because it is a incredibly meaningful and beautiful drama to watch.
Was this review helpful to you?
Jo In Sung can play any part he is given as proof through his enactment of Jang Jae Yeol. His character was cool, confident, and romantic on one hand, then hurt, scared, and child-like on the other. It is so great when a good looking actor is actually good at acting. Gong Hyo Job was also wonderful as Ji Had Soo. She is strong yet vulnerable. Side note: she has some long legs. I never realized that before, but seeing her standing next to In Sung made it prominent. There is also great chemistry between them...really between all of the actors. I love me some Lee Kwang Soo. He is a good actor. I some times forget that from watching him act silly on Running Man. For those of you who like EXO, D.O. does a good job as Han Kang Woo.
The music is good.
I will rewatch this...tempted to do it now.
If you like the strange and unusual, then this is the drarma for you.
Was this review helpful to you?
I was glued to this series immediately. This one was just too fantastical; lots of motion and commotion right from the beginning of the series to the end. I liked the flow of events, and it didn’t feel like anything in particular was dragging on. I can imagine people thinking differently, and you’re entitled to your opinion, but this series to me is just like winning the lottery in drama heaven (and I will detail why). At the risk of gushing about this romcom, I will attempt to keep a review compact. From my point of view, IOTL is a brilliant piece of work, from script writing to directing, acting and music; I just loved it, and I will attempt to convince anyone to give this drama a try because it certainly doesn’t disappoint.
STORY:
Tragic. Hilarious. Endearing. One of a kind. Honestly, I cannot begin to put into words how versatile this story is. What I can say is that is it multifaceted. In those moments, the story becomes an enriching journey for the audience into the lives of those living their day to day life with an impact from mental illness or working within the field of mental health. What I enjoyed the most about this story is that it wasn’t a solely medical drama that pathologized its patients. This series exposed, explored, and discussed the often stigmatization of patients with mental illness. There were lived experiences and individuality in this story, and it made the series wholesome, often challenging social norms. I found myself more connected to it within the “meat” of the story because the characters are involved in the main premise, which is dealing with/coping with/understanding/healing from emotional/psychological pains. Within this drama, the romance and comedy are embedded in ways that the story manages to progress between leads by conveying serious social issues with a serene and genuine feel for caring about those in your life.
CHARACTERS:
Jang Jae Yeol: What a charismatic, multidimensional one. It does help that Jo In Sung gave an award winning performance consistently. But Jae Yeol, as a character, is complex: you love him some moments; question him in others, worry about him, and viscerally his own conflicting emotions with the relationship to his family, in particular, the complicated relationship he has with his brother. The hostility, and painfully evident wounds of his past of violence is something that makes Jae Yeol a person that evokes major ethos on the audience’s minds. I do think Jae Yeol’s unraveling and mysterious past (as it unveils) makes one feel, as Hae Soo would, a part of his world. Sharing a piece of his identity, and understanding how mental health and violence have impacted him; and how the two are linked and unfortunate.
Ji Hae Soo: IOTL had me at Gong Hyo Jin. I am her bias, and the reason why I watched IOTL was because 1) it was her first drama after the Master’s Sun; one of my favourite drama’s, and 2) because GHJ is arguably one of the most talented actresses in South Korea (and I would personally argue from my perspective, much deserving of global recognition). That being said, if you seen her in other drama’s, regardless of your feelings towards her, one of the reasons that drew me to the story line was because her work involves picking series that matter, that have meaning and controversy, or at least from what I know about GHJ is the ingenuity of the role. She, as far as I’m concerned, I knew this was going to be amazing before it started because she only involves herself in projects that are insightful, eye opening, and unique. Hae Soo was such a delight on screen, and GHJ was cast perfectly for this role. She was bright, independent, and not easily swayed by stereotypical male lead romancing. She has a good head on her shoulders, and given the fact that she’s flawed in this series, just like everyone else, I felt like she was quite a humane person.
The secondary characters were in no way “secondary” to this series because they were wonderfully emotionally and psychological a part of this series, and contained a lot of depth. Ohh the feels for these characters, overall just… amazing. A memorable, unforgettable cast. I can’t deny this the reason what makes this series so special, and it’s because everyone has their own story to tell. Each and every actor playing their role fit it perfectly.
SOUND/OST: It had a charming flare to it; the opening jazzy but fun opening; it made the series feel fun and intuitive. The music in the series, especially the “I don’t wanna be a hero” themed song really tied into the metaphoric element into the series. Overall, the music was conveyed well by the ocean of emotions in this series. Indefinitely, it’s heart wrenching. I do think the OST reflects the overall feel and mood of the characters, and I respect the fact that the series wasn’t overwhelmed by music; it was a nice addition to it.
OVERALL IMPRESSION: It’s just such a story that is so open minded to the point where you feel welcomed into the story. You’re invited into these people’s lives which are far from being perfect, but that’s what makes it worthwhile. This drama offers such a refreshing feel to it in the sense that the plot development is often quirky and fun, yet it can be serious and heart breaking. All the same, I would recommend this series to anyone who enjoys great script writing. Because what you get in IOTL is the whole package. Well articulated thoughts and ideas, and the strong sentimentality behind the screen of what we view socially and culturally as mental health, which I think is truly important. Aside from the gorgeous camera work; the skinship in this series and romance just oozed appeal. Fireworks and screen chemistry galore between the two main leads; it was, dare I say, sometimes just too sexy (if that’s even possible), yet also very beautiful in others. Needless to say, the leads connection was not only convincing but it was definitely heated. I loved that this series has characters close and engaged with one another; there were many life lessons to learn and understand from the simplistic ways in which the world spins. In particular, how easy it is to judge as much as it is easy to accept, how much courage it takes to love or try to love, and how much will one forgive a person or the world for such pains they/it cause you. Therein lies the ability and question of forgiveness, and forgiving yourself and others. Yes, you don't want to miss this one folks!
Was this review helpful to you?
So close
This one took me REALLY long to get through, and I'm not sure why. On paper it has everything I love — a strong female character, mental health, tragic backstories.But I really just couldn't connect to the female lead. Insecurity is something I understand, but when every other line out of her mouth was "did you do this with all your girlfriends?" or "are you breaking up with me?" or "are we even dating?" it just made her very overbearing and unlikable.
I really liked the main plot about JJY dealing with his abusive childhood, but it really could have come earlier. There were some subplots that I felt didn't really add much to the story, and more time could've also been dedicated to Hae-soo's sexual fears, which I thought was never addressed as much as I wanted it to. The second ship was also kind of out of nowhere for me and didn't make much sense.
Because of all those criticisms, I was pretty much stuck on episode 8 for months and just never felt the urge to watch. Once I did, it was the last few episodes where we really fleshed out JY's plot that really had me buy into the drama.
Ultimately, this was still a pretty good watch, though I'm surprised it's rated so highly. My favorite part is undoubtedly the OST.
Was this review helpful to you?
