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2020 South Korean television series From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
It's Okay to Not Be Okay (Korean: 사이코지만 괜찮아) is a 2020 South Korean television series written by Jo Yong, directed by Park Shin-woo, and starring Kim Soo-hyun, Seo Yea-ji, Oh Jung-se and Park Gyu-young. The series follows Ko Moon-young, an antisocial children's book writer who moves to her hometown to pursue her love interest Moon Gang-tae, a psych ward caretaker, who has dedicated his life to taking care of his autistic older brother Moon Sang-tae. It aired on tvN from June 20 to August 9, 2020, every Saturday and Sunday at 21:00 (KST). It is also available for streaming on Netflix in selected regions.[1]
It's Okay to Not Be Okay | |
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![]() Promotional poster | |
Hangul | 사이코지만 괜찮아 |
Literal meaning | Psycho but It's Okay |
Revised Romanization | Saikojiman Gwaenchana |
McCune–Reischauer | Saik'ojiman Kwaench'ana |
Genre | Romantic comedy |
Written by | Jo Yong |
Directed by | Park Shin-woo |
Starring | |
Opening theme | "Sketch Book" by Janet Suhh |
Composer | Nam Hye-seung |
Country of origin | South Korea |
Original language | Korean |
No. of episodes | 16 |
Production | |
Running time | 70–85 minutes |
Production companies | |
Original release | |
Network | tvN |
Release | June 20 – August 9, 2020 |
Related | |
It's Okay to Not Be Okay (Philippines) |
According to Nielsen Korea, it recorded an average nationwide TV viewership rating of 5.4%. It was the most popular show of 2020 in the romance genre on Netflix in South Korea.[2] Critical response were primarily positive; some commentators criticized the writing in the latter half of the series but praised the acting by the cast.
The New York Times named It's Okay to Not Be Okay one of "The Best International Shows of 2020".[3] At the 57th Baeksang Arts Awards, it received eight nominations with two wins (Best Supporting Actor – Television and Best Technical Achievement – Television for costume design). It received a nomination at the 49th International Emmy Awards in the Best TV Movie or Miniseries categories.
Moon Gang-tae lives with his older brother Moon Sang-tae who is autistic. They frequently move from town to town ever since Sang-tae witnessed their mother's murder. Gang-Tae works as a caregiver in a psychiatric ward at every place they settle in. While working in a hospital, he meets a famous children's book writer, Ko Moon-young, who is rumored to have antisocial personality disorder.
Circumstances lead Gang-tae to work at the OK Psychiatric Hospital in the fictional Seongjin City, the same city where they all lived when they were young. Meanwhile, Moon-young forms a romantic obsession for Gang-tae after finding out that their pasts overlap. She follows him to Seongjin, where the trio (including Sang-tae) slowly begins to heal each other's emotional wounds. They unravel many secrets, seek comfort from each other and move forward in their lives.
It's Okay to Not Be Okay was planned by Studio Dragon, written by Jo Yong, directed by Park Shin-woo, and produced by Story TV and Gold Medalist.[10] Jo Yong based the drama on her relationship with a man who had a personality disorder.[11][12] She developed Moon Sang-tae's character by listening to the stories of people with autistic brothers and referred to the books recommended by the CEO of Bear Better, a social enterprise where people with developmental disabilities work.[13] Fashion director Cho Sang-kyung managed costumes, while fashion designer Minju Kim designed some of Ko Moon-young's dresses.[14]
In the second half of 2019, Kim Soo-hyun considered It's Okay to Not Be Okay to be his comeback drama following his obligatory military enlistment,[15] and his casting was confirmed by his agency in February 2020.[4] At the press conference for the drama he said that he joined the project after being drawn to its title and Moon Gang-tae's character.[16] In the same month, Seo Yea-ji was confirmed to be cast as Ko Moon-young.[5] In March 2020, veteran actor Oh Jung-se accepted the role of Moon Sang-tae;[6] when asked about his character at the press conference, he commented that "autism isn't an illness, but something you're born with".[17]
The filming was completed on July 31, 2020, without a wrap party out of concerns for the COVID-19 pandemic.[18] Filming locations for the drama included Cafe Sanida in Wonju, Gangwon, which provided the background for the "cursed castle", completed with CGI effects,[19] and Secret Blue Cafe in Goseong County, Gangwon, which was transformed into OK Psychiatric Hospital for the shooting using props. Outside locations included streets and beaches in Goseong, as well as locations in Yangju (Gyeonggi) and Incheon.[20] Some of the furniture used in the drama were antiques and 100 to 200 years old.[21]
The five children's storybooks that appeared in the drama were written by Jo Yong and illustrated by concept artist Jamsan.[22] They were published in Korean by Wisdom House in July and August 2020.[23] According to the Kyobo Book Centre and YES 24, all five books were listed in the top 20 bestselling books of the month.[22] Due to its popularity Kyobo Book Centre recorded a ninefold increase in the number of drama- and film-related books.[24] In 2021, all five books were translated by Woo Jae-Hyung into Brazilian Portuguese and published by Intrínseca in March and May.[25]
No. | Title (English translation) | Pages | Publication date | ISBN |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | The Boy Who Fed on Nightmares (악몽을 먹고 자란 소년)[lower-alpha 1] | 16 | July 18, 2020 | 979-1-1909-0815-3 |
2 | Zombie Kid (좀비아이) | 24 | July 13, 2020 | 979-1-1909-0816-0 |
3 | The Dog of Spring Day (봄날의 개) | 16 | July 30, 2020 | 979-1-1909-0817-7 |
4 | The Hand, the Monkfish (손, 아귀) | 20 | August 15, 2020 | 979-1-1909-0868-9 |
5 | Finding the Real Faces (진짜 진짜 얼굴을 찾아서) | 24 | August 31, 2020 | 979-1-1909-0874-0 |
The series' script, also illustrated by Jamsan, was published in two books; each covers eight episodes.[26]
No. | Title (English translation) | Pages | Publication date | ISBN |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | It's Okay to Not Be Okay 1 (사이코지만 괜찮아) | 504 | July 30, 2020 | 978-8-9315-8984-9 |
2 | It's Okay to Not Be Okay 2 (사이코지만 괜찮아) | 520 | August 27, 2020 | 978-8-9315-8985-6 |
It's Okay to Not Be Okay | |
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Soundtrack album by Various Artists | |
Released | August 9, 2020 |
Length | 102:09 |
Language | |
Label |
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It's Okay to Not Be Okay soundtrack album executively written by music director Nam Hye-seung was digitally released on August 9, 2021.[27] It contains 16 songs (including singles) and 20 score pieces from the series.[28] It features vocal performances from Janet Suhh, Heize, Sam Kim, Park Won, Lee Su-hyun, Kim Feel, Cheeze, Yongzoo and Elaine.[27] Pre-orders for the physical version began on August 5, and was officially released on August 13.[29] The physical version debuted at number fourteen on the weekly Gaon Album Chart for the week ending August 15,[30] and peaked at number ten the following week.[31]
No. | Title | Artist(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "Sketch Book" (It's Okay to Not Be Okay Opening Title) | Janet Suhh | 0:45 |
2. | "You're Cold" (더 많이 사랑한 쪽이 아프대; The One Who Loved You More Hurts) | Heize | 3:54 |
3. | "Breath" (숨) | Sam Kim | 4:13 |
4. | "My Tale" | Park Won | 3:46 |
5. | "In Your Time" (아직 너의 시간에 살아; I'm Still Living in Your Time) | Lee Su-hyun | 4:28 |
6. | "Hallelujah" (나도 모르는 노래; A Song I Don't Know) | Kim Feel | 4:27 |
7. | "Little by Little" (너라서 고마워; Thank You For Being You) | Cheeze | 4:26 |
8. | "Puzzle" (퍼즐) | Yongzoo | 3:55 |
9. | "Wake Up" | Elaine | 4:14 |
10. | "Got You" | GA EUN | 3:13 |
11. | "Your Day" (feat. Kim Bom) | Kim Ki-won | 1:51 |
12. | "In Silence" | Janet Suhh | 3:29 |
13. | "I'm Your Psycho" | Janet Suhh | 3:09 |
14. | "Lighting Up Your World" | Janet Suhh | 3:38 |
15. | "Quelemente" (괜찮은 병원 체조송; OK Hospital Gymnastics Song) | Lee Jong-soo, Na Byung-soo | 1:57 |
16. | "Song for Election" (선거송 [기호1번 권만수]; Election [Symbol No. 1 Kwon Man-soo]) | Funny J | 2:50 |
Total length: | 54:02 |
No. | Title | Artist(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "Sew Your Heart" | Kim Kyung-hee | 3:24 |
2. | "Brother (Gang-tae, Sang-tae's Theme)" |
| 3:35 |
3. | "Her World (Moon-young's Theme)" (그녀의 세계) |
| 3:23 |
4. | "Destiny is Nothing" (운명이 별거) |
| 1:32 |
5. | "Gang-tae & Jae-soo's Speed Instinct" (강태와 재수의 질주본능) | Kim Kyung-hee | 1:19 |
6. | "Facing the Fate" (운명을 맞잡고) |
| 1:46 |
7. | "River of Loneliness (Gang-tae's Theme)" (외로움의 강) |
| 3:08 |
8. | "On The Road, Left Alone" (혼자 남겨진 그 길 위에서) |
| 4:22 |
9. | "Through The Dark Tunnel of Time" (어두운 시간의 터널을 지나다) |
| 3:16 |
10. | "Their Own World" (그들만의 세계) | Lee So-young | 2:12 |
11. | "It's Okay" (괜찮아) |
| 1:18 |
12. | "Woorunggakshi" (우렁각시) |
| 1:15 |
13. | "Rooftop March" (옥탑방 행진곡) |
| 0:53 |
14. | "Butterfly (Do Hui-jae's Theme)" (나비) |
| 2:34 |
15. | "Jae-soo and Alberto" (재수와 알베르토) |
| 0:48 |
16. | "A Hidden Heart" (감춰진 마음) | Lee So-young | 3:03 |
17. | "Bluebeard" (푸른수염) |
| 2:17 |
18. | "The Dusk of The City" (도시의 해질녘) | Lee So-young | 3:52 |
19. | "For Ju-ri (For Elise Variation)" (주리를 위하여) |
| 1:26 |
20. | "Publishing Company SangsangESang" (상상이상 출판사) |
| 2:44 |
Total length: | 48:07 |
According to the big data analytics firm Good Data Corporation,[lower-alpha 2] It's Okay to Not Be Okay was the most talked about drama online in South Korea for eight consecutive weeks.[34][35] It became a hot topic on social media when Oh spent a day with an autistic fan.[36] It also topped CJ E&M and AGB Nielsen Media Research's Content Power Index (CPI)[lower-alpha 3] report during its eight-week run[38] with its highest CPI of 373.2 in the first week of August;[39] it was the highest rated tvN drama of 2020 in CPI.[40] Smart Media Rep (SMR), which distributes VoD (video on demand) clips of major broadcasters to online platforms like Naver and YouTube, reported the drama had over 110 million cumulative views as of December 10, 2020.[41] An analysis performed by SMR found that the majority of viewers were in their 20s.[42]
Studio Dragon recorded its highest quarterly performance in the second quarter of 2020 with sales of ₩141.4 billion, which was attributed to the growth of overseas sales of major dramas including It's Okay to Not Be Okay.[43] CJ ENM, parent company of tvN, found that operating profits for the third quarter of 2020 increased by 17.9% when compared to the same period of 2019, due to an increase in digital-related sales as a response to the COVID-19 pandemic.[44] Following the popularity of the drama, the outfits worn by Seo Yea-ji garnered attention[45] and raised the profile of Korean fashion designers and brands of earrings, handbag and nightwear.[46][47] When the soft toys, nightmare doll (Mang-tae) and dinosaur doll that were used in the drama were put on sale, the site quickly sold out.[48]
It's Okay to Not Be Okay largely received positive critical feedback, primarily for its unique premise, visual storytelling, acting by the cast and importance given to mental health.[49] Joan MacDonald of Forbes called it "the most visually appealing drama of 2020" and said, "Not only are the actors beautiful, but the drama's graphics, cinematography and costumes are also gorgeous."[50] Contributors to Manila Bulletin considered it "unafraid to introduce fresh elements" with necessary clichés in a romantic K-drama, and praised Moon-young as a "headstrong" and "independent woman".[51] However, when the series debuted, culture critic Chung Deok-hyun was concerned that Moon-young's "exaggerated words and actions" could decrease viewers' immersion in the drama.[52] In the Filipino version of Cosmopolitan, Jacinda A. Lopez found that the "messages the drama was relaying are where the beauty truly lies".[53] Rumaiysa M Rahman of Prothom Alo praised writing that "this drama makes people realise, societies should stop looking at those who seem different."[54]
John Lui and Jan Lee of The Straits Times gave the drama a rating of 3.5/5 stars and said that Kim "pull[ed] off a sensitive portrayal of a young man whose life has been derailed by tragedy".[55] The New York Times' Mike Hale called Seo's performance "mesmerizing" and made the drama work.[3] S. Poorvaja of The Hindu, praised Moon-Young as a character "excellently played by Seo Yea-ji", but criticized the writing, saying that "the show could have gone into more nuance – especially after the character was marketed as someone having Anti-Social Personality disorder". Poorvaja also said that the show's portrayal of a person with autism spectrum disorder was good, commenting that "Oh Jung-se's Moon Sang-tae is perhaps the show's biggest victory."[56][7] Edmund Lee from South China Morning Post gave a rating of 3/5 stars, pointing out that the series would disappoint "detective fiction fans" because of the limited explanation of mystery surrounding the murder.[57] Kim Jae-Ha of Teen Vogue described the storyline as "vigorous" and said, "The series finale offers hope and a sense of peace. But it will also make even the most stoic viewers tear up."[58]
The series was criticized on social media and the Korea Communications Standards Commission received over 50 formal complaints, largely for a scene in which Moon-young overtly stares and touches Gang-tae's body as he gets dressed.[59] In another scene a male character, who suffers from manic depression and exhibitionism, reveals parts of his body, with his genitals being covered by a drawing of an elephant. Some viewers defended these scenes as ways of expressing the characters' personalities.[60]
On August 26, 2020, the broadcast censorship body issued a legal sanction to the television series for sexually inappropriate scenes in episode three, judging it to be against the broadcast deliberation regulations. It cited Article 27, on duties of integrity, and Article 30, on gender equality. The subcommission gave the reasoning: "Even considering the fact that they were meant to exaggeratedly express a character's personality, (the scenes in question) show how insensitive the drama's producers are to gender equality in broadcasting content that may belittle a certain gender and hold the possibility to justify sexual harassment and molestation."[61]
It's Okay to Not Be Okay was the most popular show of 2020 on Netflix in South Korea in its romance genre.[2] It was the most popular Korean drama series on Netflix in Taiwan,[62] and the "most enduring Korean drama" in Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore and Thailand, being in Netflix's top 10 list for more than 100 days.[63] The series was also one of the most popular Korean dramas of 2020 on Netflix in Australia, Hong Kong, India, Japan and South Africa.[64]
It's Okay to Not Be Okay aired on tvN, which normally has a relatively smaller audience compared to free-to-air TV/public broadcasters (KBS, SBS, MBC and EBS). The series logged 6.1% in viewership for its first episode on Saturday but dropped to 4.7% for the next one.[65] The series maintained its ratings in 4–6% range throughout its run and received audience acclaim, with its final episode recording 7.4% in nationwide ratings, becoming the "highest viewership rating among tvN dramas" at that point of time.[66]
Season | Episode number | Average | ||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | |||
1 | 1.680 | 1.247 | 1.428 | 1.400 | 1.407 | 1.701 | 1.572 | 1.584 | 1.565 | 1.633 | 1.758 | 1.694 | 1.704 | 1.683 | 1.759 | 2.065 | 1.618 |
![]() | Graphs are unavailable due to technical issues. There is more info on Phabricator and on MediaWiki.org. |
Ep. | Part | Original broadcast date | Title[nb 1][68] | Average audience share (Nielsen Korea)[69] | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Nationwide | Seoul | |||||
1 | June 20, 2020 | "The Boy Who Fed On Nightmares"[nb 2] | 6.093% (1st) | 7.036% (1st) | ||
2 | June 21, 2020 | "The Lady In Red Shoes"[nb 3] | 4.722% (1st) | 5.474% (1st) | ||
3 | June 27, 2020 | "Sleeping Witch"[nb 4] | 5.940% (1st) | 6.529% (1st) | ||
4 | June 28, 2020 | "Zombie Kid"[nb 5] | 4.942% (1st) | 6.000% (1st) | ||
5 | 1 | July 4, 2020 | "Rapunzel and the Cursed Castle"[nb 6] | 4.661% (2nd) | 5.285% (2nd) | |
2 | 5.248% (1st) | 5.782% (1st) | ||||
6 | 1 | July 5, 2020 | "Bluebeard's Secret"[nb 7] | 5.056% (2nd) | 5.114% (2nd) | |
2 | 5.647% (1st) | 5.748% (1st) | ||||
7 | 1 | July 11, 2020 | "The Cheerful Dog"[nb 8] | 5.054% (2nd) | 5.434% (2nd) | |
2 | 5.555% (1st) | 5.753% (1st) | ||||
8 | 1 | July 12, 2020 | "Beauty and the Beast"[nb 9] | 4.744% (2nd) | 5.160% (2nd) | |
2 | 5.634% (1st) | 6.407% (1st) | ||||
9 | 1 | July 18, 2020 | "The King Has Donkey Ears"[nb 10] | 4.995% (2nd) | 5.416% (2nd) | |
2 | 5.814% (1st) | 6.501% (1st) | ||||
10 | 1 | July 19, 2020 | "The Girl Who Cried Wolf"[nb 11] | 4.212% (2nd) | 4.669% (2nd) | |
2 | 5.481% (1st) | 5.995% (1st) | ||||
11 | 1 | July 25, 2020 | "The Ugly Duckling"[nb 12] | 4.552% (2nd) | 4.681% (2nd) | |
2 | 5.681% (1st) | 5.661% (1st) | ||||
12 | 1 | July 26, 2020 | "Romeo and Juliet"[nb 13] | 5.145% (2nd) | 5.597% (2nd) | |
2 | 5.264% (1st) | 6.108% (1st) | ||||
13 | 1 | August 1, 2020 | "The Father of the Two Sisters"[nb 14] | 4.794% (2nd) | 5.155% (2nd) | |
2 | 5.696% (1st) | 6.151% (1st) | ||||
14 | 1 | August 2, 2020 | "The Hand, The Monkfish"[nb 15] | 5.403% (2nd) | 6.042% (2nd) | |
2 | 5.947% (1st) | 6.654% (1st) | ||||
15 | 1 | August 8, 2020 | "The Tale of Two Brothers"[nb 16] | 5.567% (2nd) | 6.198% (2nd) | |
2 | 6.492% (1st) | 7.365% (1st) | ||||
16 | 1 | August 9, 2020 | "Finding The Real Face"[nb 17] | 6.224% (2nd) | 7.296% (2nd) | |
2 | 7.348% (1st) | 8.535% (1st) | ||||
Average | 5.425% | 6.025% | ||||
|
Award ceremony | Year | Category | Work(s) / Nominee(s) | Result | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
APAN Star Awards | 2021 | Best Drama | It's Okay to Not Be Okay | Nominated | [70] |
Top Excellence Award, Actor in a Miniseries | Kim Soo-hyun | Nominated | [71] | ||
Excellence Award, Actress in a Miniseries | Seo Yea-ji | Won | [72] | ||
Best Supporting Actor | Oh Jung-se | Won | |||
Popular Star Award, Actor | Kim Soo-hyun | Won | |||
Popular Star Award, Actress | Seo Yea-ji | Won | |||
KT Seezn Star Award | Kim Soo-hyun | Nominated | [73] | ||
Seo Yea-ji | Nominated | ||||
Best OST | Lee Su-hyun – "In Your Time" | Nominated | [citation needed] | ||
Asia Artist Awards | 2020 | Grand Prize (Daesang) | Kim Soo-hyun | Won | [74] |
Best Artist Award | Seo Yea-ji | Won | [75] | ||
AAA Hot Issue Award | Kim Soo-hyun | Won | |||
Seo Yea-ji | Won | ||||
Baeksang Arts Awards | 2021 | Best Drama | It's Okay to Not Be Okay | Nominated | [76] |
Best Director – Television | Park Shin-woo | Nominated | |||
Best Screenplay – Television | Jo Yong | Nominated | |||
Best Actor – Television | Kim Soo-hyun | Nominated | |||
Best Actress – Television | Seo Yea-ji | Nominated | |||
Best Supporting Actor – Television | Oh Jung-se | Won | [77] | ||
Best Supporting Actress – Television | Jang Young-nam | Nominated | [76] | ||
Best Technical Achievement (costume design) | Cho Sang-kyung | Won | [77] | ||
Daejeon Visual Art Tech Awards | 2020 | Visual of the Year Award (Special Video) | It's Okay to Not Be Okay | Won | [78] |
Korean Academy of Theater Arts | 2020 | Art of the Year Award | Won | [79] | |
Seoul Music Awards | 2020 | OST Award | Lee Su-hyun – "In Your Time" | Nominated | [80] |
International Emmy Awards | 2021 | Best TV Movie or Miniseries | It's Okay to Not Be Okay | Nominated | [81] |
Publication | List | Ref. |
---|---|---|
Forbes | The 13 Best Korean Dramas Of 2020 | [50] |
La Tercera | The most applauded Netflix series of the past 2020 | [82] |
NME | Korean dramas of 2020: the good | [83] |
Teen Vogue | 11 Best K-Dramas of 2020 | [58] |
The New York Times | The Best International Shows of 2020 | [3] |
In December 2023, ABS-CBN announced that it will produce a Philippine adaptation of the series, which is set to premiere in 2024.[84][85] On May 17, 2024, ABS-CBN and Star Creatives announced that the series will star Anne Curtis, Carlo Aquino, and Joshua Garcia. The adaptation will be directed by Mae Cruz-Alviar and released on Netflix.[86][87]
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