IT’S OKAY TO NOT BE OKAY: A Beautifully Directed Gothic Fairy Tale!

RATING / REVIEW: It's Okay Not to Be Okay (2020)

Photo Credits: TVN

 

    When I watched the trailer of this drama, I was so excited to watch the drama. Based on the vibes of the trailer, I was expecting it to be a dark love story. 

    To be honest, I had high expectations for this drama because of the actors. 

    First, Kim Soo Hyun was the male lead. He rarely does dramas and when he does, it is like an event. He is such an outstanding actor. His numerous Daesang wins can attest to that. He put me into tears in “Moon Embracing the Sun”. I loved his chemistry with Jun Ji Hun in “My Love from the Star”. His acting in “The Producers” impressed me.

Photo Credits: TVN

   Second, Oh Jung Se is one of the supporting characters. Whatever roles he does, I always feel like he always studies them so that he can portray them well. Good or evil character, he does it very well. I admire him as an actor. When I heard his speech during his win at the “56th Baeksang Awards”, I admire him even more. He said that he participated in over 100 projects, some were successful and some were failures, but he did not give up and still work hard. 

Photo Credits: TVN

   Third, Jang Young Nam and Kim Mi Kyung. Oh my goodness! I do not know why but Jang Young Nam’s appearance in Korean dramas is always riveting. I freaking LOVE her! Though her appearance in “The Moon Embracing the Sun” was short, she still left a mark with her acting performance. Until now, I still believe that she deserves an award for her performance in “The Crowned Clown”. She was impeccable as the wicked Queen Dowager! 

Photo Credits: TVN

    Kim Mi Kyung is always a great doting mother or aunt in Korean dramas. Kidding aside, I feel like she is a good housekeeper and home cook in real life. You know a Korean drama is good just by seeing her presence. 

Photo Credits: TVN

    The female lead, who was Seo Ye Ji, was unfamiliar to. I have never seen any of her dramas like “Hwarang” and “Moorim School”. Many are recommending me to watch “Save Me” and “Lawless Lawyer” so I am considering putting these dramas on my watch list.

Photo Credits: TVN

Five Things That I Love In It's Okay Not to Be Okay:

1. Beautifully Crafted Animations and Cinematography

    I was mesmerized by the dark animations and cinematography of the drama. That opening credit on Episode 1 and the animations of the fairy tale stories were beautifully crafted. And, considering that the cursed castle was partly a Computer Generated Imagery (CGI), it was very impressive. The cursed castle scary cinematic effect contributed to this dark mood and tone of the drama. In Episode 3, Kwon Gi Do’s manic bipolar condition was creatively laid out. The editing in the “Morning Sun Club” scene was fantastic. Further, in Episode 12, Phil Ong’s Post Traumatic Stress Disorder mode was presented excellently. The depiction of the Vietnam War was film-quality.

Photo Credits: TVN

Photo Credits: TVN

Photo Credits: TVN

Photo Credits: TVN

2. Gothic Fairy Tale Stories

    Without a doubt, the fairy tale stories are one of the highlights of this drama. We have this connotation that when he heard of a “fairy tale”, we always think of a “happy ending”. However, the fairy tale in this drama was very gothic and has this horror aesthetic. “The Zombie Kid” was probably my favorite. It was deep and creatively narrated. Further, the ending of this story tugged hearts and was impactful. I cannot wait to grab my copy soon.

    The Zombie Kid

 Photo Credits: @dalteokki on Twitter and TVN

 Here are more of the featured fairy tales.

    

    The Boy Who Fed on Nightmares

Photo Credits: @dalteokki on Twitter and TVN

     The Cheerful Dog

Photo Credits: @dalteokki on Twitter and TVN

        The Hand, the Monkfish

Photo Credits: @dalteokki on Twitter and TVN

    Finding the Real Face

Photo Credits: @dalteokki on Twitter and TVN

Photo Credits: @dalteokki on Twitter and TVN

Photo Credits: @dalteokki on Twitter and TVN

Photo Credits: @dalteokki on Twitter and TVN

Koo Moon Young's gothic fairy tales are now available. K Colours will include free English translation and post-it notes.

3. Koo Moon Young’s Aesthetics and Countenance

       Koo Mon Young already stole my heart during the first episode. Her aesthetics and projection are captivating. Whatever outfits she wears, she is stunning. The couture dresses are just on-point. I love her deep sultry voice, her ant-size waist, and her obsession with the sharp edges of the pen and knives. I love the scene when she told the kid that the witch is the one who is always pretty in all of her fairy tales. She was one of the most unconventional characters we have ever witnessed in Korean dramas.

Photo Credits: TVN

Photo Credits: TVN

Photo Credits: TVN

Photo Credits: TVN

Photo Credits: TVN

4. The Mysterious Koo Moon Young’s Mother

    Social media sites like Facebook and Twitter were bombarded by theories about the mother of Koo Moon Young. Some suspected it was Park Ok Ran played by Kang Ji Eun, some said it was the head nurse Park Haeng Ja played by Jang Young Na, and some even argued that it was Juri’s mom Kang Soon Deok played by Kim Mi Kyung. This made the drama juicier and more intriguing to watch. A lot of red herrings for sure. But, I love the camera angles and the bit-by-bit facial features reveal. And the grand reveal was well done.

 

Photo Credits: TVN

Photo Credits: TVN

Photo Credits: TVN

5. Impressive Acting

    One of the reasons why I love Kim Soo Hyun’s acting is it is always heartfelt. You will feel the emotions to the core of your heart. Moon Gang Tae is a character that is yearning love from his parents and suffering to be strong in front of his brother, and Kim Soo Hyun just made it so believable. That scene when Moon Sang Tae accused him that he wanted him to die was just heartbreaking. It was indeed another excellent performance from Kim Soo Hyun.

Photo Credits: TVN

    Seo Ye Ji surprised me. She delivered very well. Every episode, she was consistent and did not go out of character. She owned her character as Koo Moon Young. Because of her performance, I was intrigued by her as an actress and I cannot wait to watch more of her.

Photo Credits: TVN

    It cannot be put into words how well the acting performance of Oh Jung Se as Moon Sang Tae was. His portrayal of an adult man with Autism is spot-on! The stutter, actions, and mannerisms are just intricate. I guarantee you that he will win an acting award for this because he deserves it!

Photo Credits: TVN

    As expected, Jang Young Nam was brilliant. At first, I was complaining because her appearances were minimal and she was just wasted to be head nurse Park Haeng Ja. But on the later episodes, the moment I found out that she was Do Hui Jae or Koo Moon Young’s mother, I was hyped. Her wicked stares, smile, laugh, and camera projection was incredible! She will always be one of my all-time favorite actresses.

Photo Credits: TVN

    I would also like to commend Kwak Dong Yeon’s amazing performance as Kwon Gi Do. It was a short appearance, but his story touched my heart. He is an actor someone to watch out for.

Photo Credits: TVN

    The young actors Moon Joo Win, Kim Soo In, and Lee Su Kyung did a nice portrayal as a young Moon Gang Tae, Koo Moon Young, and Moon Sang Tae respectively.

Photo Credits: TVN

Photo Credits: TVN

Photo Credits: TVN

Photo Credits: TVN

Top Three Favorite Lines in the Drama:

1. "If you want to make the people around you happy, you must find your own happiness first. Being selfish is not always a bad thing." - Nam Ju Ri

Photo Credits: TVN

2. “Your body is honest. When you are in physical pain, you cry. But the heart is a liar, it stays quiet even when it is hurting.” - Moon Sang Tae

Photo Credits: TVN

3. "Being together torments you. But if you break up, it will be equally painful. Would not it be better to suffer together if both options feel like death?" - Director Oh Ji Wang

Photo Credits: TVN

Final Review / Rating:

    To be honest, I was kind of surprise that this drama was not able to reach at least 10 percent ratings in South Korea. I feel like the drama’s genre is not that appealing to the majority of Korean audiences. Considering the ratings of Kim Soo Hyun’s past dramas, I was kind of expecting it to reach as high as 20 percent. Nevertheless, I was thrilled that overseas fans were able to show a great amount of love and support to this drama. What stood out to me was how well the directing of the drama was. It was artistically and brilliantly directed – the beautiful lighting, angles, shots, and cinematography. The actors’ performances were fantastic. Of course, there were a lot of fan service in the drama – Moon Gang Tae in a suit, the French kiss, and Moon Gang Tae and Koo Moon Young together in bed. Throughout, the drama is filled with pearls of wisdom. The ending to me was nice. It stuck towards the message that it is okay to not be okay. I love how the final fairy tale served as the culmination of the stories and journeys of the trio and patients. I love the symbolism of the boy with no sense of self, the emotionless princess, and the boy trap in a box. I like that the drama did not show that the patients were healed completely because healing does not happen in just a short time. I also like that Moon Sang Tae was able to learn to become independent towards the end. I have a question though that was left unanswered: How did Koo Mon Young’s mother be able to stay alive? When it comes to writing, it was not that polished for me. Towards the beginning episodes, I felt like the writer was somewhat forcing the love between the main characters. I was hesitant whether Koo Moon Young loves Moon Gang Tae. Was it love or was it an obsession? The writer should have addressed the condition or diagnosis of Koo Moon Young so that I was able to understand where was she coming from. Nevertheless, as the story progresses, I was able to grasp that she does love him. She finds solace to Gang Tae and Gang Tae was the person who was able to help her change her perspective towards life. Likewise, Koo Moon Young was also able to help Moon Gang Tae to have a sense of freedom. These two weaklings stood by each other’s sides and found salvation. For me, the mystery identity of Koo Moon Young’s mother was dragged a little longer. I just wish that the Park Haeng Ja was able to show more of her wickedness. I also hope that there were more scenes of Joo Jae Soo, played by Kang Ki Doong and Yoo Seung Jae, played by Park Jin Joo. The conditions of the patients were laid out creatively but I was expecting more depth. Still, I have learned many gems in this drama. It’s Okay to Not Be Okay is indeed a good healing drama.

    I give it 7.5/10!

Photo Credits: TVN

"It's Okay to Not Be Okay" can be streamed via Netflix.

Written by: Min Jae Park, Kdrama Best Scenes