It's Okay Not to Be Okay

Moon Gang-tae (Kim Soo-hyun) works as a caregiver in a psychiatric hospital and devotes most of his life to his older brother, Moon Sang-tae (Oh Jung-se). Accustomed to putting others' needs before his own, Gang-tae has gradually shut himself off from his own emotions and refuses to form attachments.

His life is turned upside down when he meets Ko Moon-young (Seo Yea-ji), a famous children’s book author with a provocative, arrogant, and unpredictable personality, who herself seems incapable of fully understanding love and the feelings of others. Fascinated by Gang-tae, Moon-young gradually makes her way into the lives of the two brothers. Despite their radically different personalities, Gang-tae and Moon-young share deep wounds stemming from their childhoods. As they grow closer, their relationship forces them to confront their traumas, fears, and the buried truths of their past. Together with Sang-tae, they gradually form a trio that learns to rebuild their lives, accept their differences, and seek their own happiness.

Impact and Success

It’s Okay to Not Be Okay has enjoyed significant international success, largely thanks to its global release on Netflix. The drama stood out in particular for its portrayal of the mental health, trauma, resilience, and self-acceptance, as well as its dark and dreamlike visual style, which is often compared to Tim Burton’s aesthetic. The relationship between the three main characters and the performances of Kim Soo-hyun, Seo Yea-ji, and Oh Jung-se have also been widely praised. The stories written by Ko Moon-young play an important role in the narrative and serve as metaphors for the characters’ emotional wounds. The drama has also been very well received by the public, according to online reviews posted on various websites.