It's Okay to Not Be Okay
2020
Original language: Korean
- drama
- comedy
The story
Desperate to escape from his emotional baggage and the heavy responsibility he’s had all his life, a psychiatric ward worker begins to heal with help from the unexpected – a woman who writes fairy tales but doesn’t believe in them.
What it’s like
Soft, pastel-washed interiors contrast with lush, hand-painted storybook interludes, where watercolour forests and pop-up-book illustrations drift in between scenes like a second, gentler world. The palette leans on muted greens, greys and clinic whites, warmed by lamplight and sunlit windows, while the score is built on delicate piano and light strings that give way to long, unhurried silences. The tone is bittersweet and tender, with dry, off-kilter humour that surfaces in the most serious moments; the pacing is slow and conversational, with arcs that unfold over many episodes as two damaged adults, one a psychiatric ward worker and one a children's writer, slowly open up to each other. Intensity is moderate: there are brief, sharp bursts of violence, flashbacks to childhood abuse, and frank talk of trauma and suicide, but nothing is shown in graphic detail, and the emotional weight comes from grief and memory rather than shock. It suits a slow weekend binge, a rainy evening with a blanket, or a patient rewatch, and it is for viewers who want romance with real vulnerability, a little whimsy, and a story about healing that doesn't rush.
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