Unpacking the Complex Characters and Themes of 'It's Okay Not To Be Okay': A thrilling K-Drama

A gripping storyline, amazing screenplay-direction duo with background music and top notch performances by all actors makes this a definite watch in the list of so many K-Dramas. This drama again proves why K-Dramas are so popular and have such huge fan base. Also, named as Psycho But It's Okay.

The 16 episode process of "Psychologically wounded lead characters, falling in love and healing each other" forms the base of this family-romantic drama. Each episode synopsis is included as storybook-based amination. Also, the comedy scenes would leave audiences into splits.

Year Of Release: 2020

No. Of Episodes: 16

Time: ~1 hr 15 min

Streaming Channels: Netflix.

Watch Here For Free: Dramacool

Cast:

• Kim Soo-hyun as Moon Gang-tae (1st drama after completing his military service)

• Seo Ye-ji as Ko Mun-yeong

• Oh Jung-se as Moon Sang-tae

• Park Kyu-young as Nam Ju-ri

• Jang Young-nam as Park Haeng-ja

Story-Line/Synopsis

The story revolves around the complex characters, their strengths & weakness and how they come together in 1 frame as the story moves forward.

Moon brothers are brought-up by single mother with lot of struggle. Sang-tae is elder and autistic which leads their mother to care more about him than Gang-tae. All Gang-tae remembers is his mother stating "to live to take care of Sang-tae". This has broken Gang-tae and he lives artificially to be a good brother to Sang-tae. He loves and resents his brother at the same time. They are now orphaned. Growing up, they have moved to different places due to Sang-tae fear of butterflies. Gang-tae is caregiver by profession and shows extreme empathy towards his patients. Nam Ju-ri is his childhood friend and nurse by profession. She helps Gang-tae to join 'OK Psychiatric Hospital" back at his childhood place.

Mun-yeong is a famous children story writer and suffers from antisocial disorder. She has troubled childhood and has a straight-forward, loud & cold personality. She often visualizes her dead/disappeared mother and suffers from sleep paralysis. Her father is psychiatric patient at OK Hospital and fears/hates his daughter. She meets Gang-tae accidently at the hospital & instantly takes liking to him. Mun-yeong follows him to OK Hospital and starts to conduct story-reader session for patients.

There are many scenes from her past and present which show her strange, anti social trait. The way she kills the butterfly, the way she approaches Gang-tae, her proposal to Gang-tae all sum up to this.

Rarely, mature romantic scenes (kissing scenes, dialogues, humor) are shot in K-Drama, this 1 definitely fits this list.

Sang-tae is also one of FL' fans and admires her. Circumstances leads Moon brothers to stay with Mun-yeong, at her place - "The Haunted Villa". She hires Sang-tae and binds them by contract as her lead illustrator for her books).

As a typical K-Drama plot, the leads are acquaintances from their childhood.

There is parallel plot of why Female Lead Mun-yeong is anti-social. The story of her parents and mystery revolving the same.

"I want you to be my children' father" - Mun-yeong to Gang-tae in supermarket

---

**Spoiler**

As show in flashback to the time of our leads being child, Gang-tae' mother is hired by Mun-yeong' mother to look after her. Mun-yeong' mother is a control freak and obessive over her daughter. Mun-yeong mother' attittude and behavior results in making Mun-yeong de-test others and makes her unsocial; similar to her mother.

Her mother is also a storybook writer. She wears a typical butterfly brooch, (a baby butterfly on top of a mother butterfly). Under some circumstances, Mun-yeong' mother kills/stabs Gang-tae' mother in front of Sang-tae invoking fear of butterfly.

Meanwhile, Mun-yeong is under the assumption that her father has killed her mother, and grows up to hate him to core. Similarly, her father thinks of her to be evil and cruel as his wife and so fears his own daughter.

The odd dynamics of Mun-yeong' family are driving elements of the story.

The killing of the caretaker, spoils the growing up years of the Moon Brothers as well as of Mun-yeong; who meet again in their youth with their respective personality disorders.

Is being different something to be afraid of?

Ultimately, it is revealed that Mun-yeong' mother has changed her apperance and is working in OK hospital. She kills her husband (Mun-yeong' ill father) and reaches out to Mun-yeong to kill her.

Gang-tae is able to put all the pieces of the puzzle together and realises the crux of the issue. He saves her at right time. With his caring nature (which she has never received since birth) and love , he also heals her. He doesnt' hold her responsible for her mother' cruel actions and helps to let go of the guilt of Moon brother' loss and Sang-tae' condition.

---

The 2nd lead pair are Mun-yeong' manager and Gang-tae' school friend, who has crush on him since childhood.

There are many supporting characters and their respective short stories.

• Gang-tae' friend - his care and love for both the brothers;

• The guardian of Moon brothers - who rent out her place as well as helps at OK hospital despite knowing her daughter is in unrequited love with Gang-tae;

• The hospital owner and its staff.

These side characters gel well with the storyline, hold and uplift the drama value.

It' rude to say sorry without looking at the person.

All ends well with our leads uniting, our 2nd leads uniting, and Sang-tae being an independent adult.

Do give it a watch; Unpacking the Complex Characters in this thrilling K-drama is definitely recommended for weekend binge watch. Let me know if you have agree on this.

---

Happy Watching...!!