Romance Slice of Life

It is Okay to Not Be Okay: Kim Soo-hyun and Seo Ye-ji Mental Health Masterpiece

📅 August 27, 2026
9.6
½
Exceptional
It is Okay to Not Be Okay Korean drama Kim Soo-hyun Seo Ye-ji mental health healing Netflix tvN
📸 It is Okay to Not Be Okay Korean drama Kim Soo-hyun Seo Ye-ji mental health healing Netflix tvN
9.6

out of 10

⭐ Our Verdict

"A groundbreaking mental health drama that broke new ground for Korean television. Kim Soo-hyun and Seo Ye-ji deliver unforgettable performances."

Moon Gang-tae is a caregiver at a psychiatric hospital who has spent his entire life taking care of others — especially his older brother, who is on the autism spectrum and carries deep trauma from their mother death. He does not know how to want anything for himself. Ko Mun-yeong is a successful children book author with antisocial personality disorder, a woman who sees the world through the lens of dark fairy tales and has never learned how to love without consuming. When their paths cross, neither expects to find healing in the other. But that is exactly what happens.

When Two Broken Souls Find Each Other

Moon Gang-tae is a caregiver at a psychiatric hospital who has spent his entire life taking care of others — especially his older brother, who is on the autism spectrum and carries deep trauma from their mother death. He does not know how to want anything for himself. Ko Mun-yeong is a successful children book author with antisocial personality disorder, a woman who sees the world through the lens of dark fairy tales and has never learned how to love without consuming. When their paths cross, neither expects to find healing in the other. But that is exactly what happens.

It is Okay to Not Be Okay broke new ground for Korean television with its honest, compassionate portrayal of mental health. It showed therapy sessions, discussed personality disorders with clinical accuracy, and refused to offer easy fixes. The message at its core is radical in its simplicity: you do not have to be perfect to deserve love. You do not have to be healed to be worthy of healing. It is okay to not be okay.

Kim Soo-hyun and Seo Ye-ji: Electric, Haunting Chemistry

Kim Soo-hyun, fresh off his military service, delivers a performance of extraordinary restraint and deep feeling as Gang-tae. Seo Ye-ji is mesmerizing as Mun-yeong — a woman who is simultaneously terrifying and heartbreakingly vulnerable. Their chemistry is electric, but it is the quiet moments — the shared silences, the hesitant touches, the tears held back — that make this drama truly unforgettable. The production design, costumes, and animation sequences are all top-tier, creating a dark fairy tale aesthetic that is unlike anything else in K-drama.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is It is Okay to Not Be Okay romantic?

Yes, but the romance is built on mutual healing rather than idealization. It is a love story about two people who accept each other flaws and help each other grow.

Where can I watch It is Okay to Not Be Okay?

It is Okay to Not Be Okay is available on Netflix worldwide with subtitles in over 30 languages.

🏷️ Tags

#Kim Soo-hyun #Slow Burn
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