KDrama Calling: It's Okay To Not Be Okay - Kim Soo-Hyun, Seo Yea-Ji, Oh Jung-Se's Joy Of Being Socially Different Amid Traumas, Tears

For the longest time, Netflix kept recommending me It's Okay To Not Be Okay. Honestly, I liked the two actors in its preview image. But then, it was just my third K-drama, and I wanted it to be extraordinary.

Netflix won. I hit play, and there I was standing in a world of darkness, trauma, and mystery. But don't judge a book by its cover!

Being socially different

I'll be honest. I did wish to stop it within a few minutes. Then, I was told by friends to hold on. I understood what all those metaphors and symbolism meant in its pilot episode. It was a road leading to the depths of our lead characters' psyches. This show is about being different, as against the social standards. It's about mental health, autism and childhood trauma. But, not like what you'd expect. It's probably the most colourful, humorous and romantic drama.

Uniqueness of plot

It's Okay To Not Be Okay

(2020) is a winner in terms of writing. An antisocial children's book writer Ko Moon-young, holding a deep childhood scar, moves to her hometown and into the almost-abandoned, lonely and mysterious mansion of her family. She might write the best books for kids, but holds a deep heartbreak, to the extent that when a boy comes to take her autograph, she utters such realities of life and death into his ears, that he ends up crying. Moon-young has zero communication skills until she meets Moon Gang-tae.Moon Gang-tae is a psych ward caretaker who's warm, ever-smiling and holds the key to every problem. He's the sunshine for people around him, the complete opposite of Moon-young. He has dedicated his life to taking care of his autistic older brother Moon Sang-tae, even if it meant giving up his own dreams and desires that've left a dent in his heart, too.

Themes of mental health, trauma and healing

When Moon-young and Gang-tae meet with a knife between them, they feel a cutting spark. He teaches her how to calm herself down when she experiences an outburst of overflowing emotions, and becomes her vent. Adding to the dynamics is Sang-tae, who's a child they both love to care. While Sang-tae fights with one who gets to live her lost childhood with this adult-child, Sang-tae finds solace in the other, even if it's his younger brother. This trio is something so beautiful, they leave you with smiles and happy tears. They heal each other in the warmest manner. It's a rarity for a show to depict the issues of antisocial personality, autism and unfulfilled dreams this aptly.

Award-winning performances

No, you cannot pick mistakes here. Neither in terms of medical terms, nor performances. It's probably the best delivery by actors Kim Soo-hyun, Seo Yea-ji, and Oh Jung-se. Seo gave the entire K-drama world a run for their money with her fashion and elegance. Kim brightens the screen with his signature smile. And Oh, who now plays more negative characters, is a surprise here, in his most unexpected role.

Still a benchmark in its genre

What makes It's Okay To Not Be Okay a fan-favourite is the finesse with which each character is written. It's smooth and convincing. Infact, with every episode, it just gets better. You'd have never witnessed autism being tackled with such precision (Extraordinary Attorney Woo came a close second). It's like a note about people who are mentally different from the society we have created, thinking they don't understand us, but it is exactly the opposite.

Experimental cinematography

The show experiments with connecting every new episode with a chapter of Moon-young's book. There's ample animation and darkness, but only to give way to a streak of light as we proceed with the story. The show's cinematography is for the keeps, and so is the emotional connection. It's heart-stopping, heart-thumping and very romantic, as if both the lead characters were just waiting for the other one to fill the gap in their lives. The manner in which they melt into each other can make anyone feel butterflies. This one offers an entire garden.ALSO READ: KDrama Calling -Descendants Of The Sun | King The Land | Crash Landing On You

Uniqueness in clutter

If you're a sucker for love stories with a twist, social dramas that are not preachy and loads of hugs and kisses, this one's for you. It's Okay To Not Be Okay is not your regular K-drama. It's a tad different that needs to be watched with a lot of tissue boxes, as every character shines. And what a bitter-sweet ending, you'd wish to see this trio more!(KDrama Calling is our weekly series where we dissect and look back at a fan-favourite Korean show, decoding what makes it a hit even after a considerable time after release.)