Tag: emotional healing

It’s Okay to Not Be Okay: Moon Gang-tae Has Officially Ruined Men for Women Everywhere

It's Okay to Not Be Okay Poster

I kept delaying watching It’s Okay to Not Be Okay because I have a bit of an aversion to hospital dramas. Several friends had recommended this popular Korean drama to me, but I kept putting it off. I was judging the series by its title, and honestly, I wasn’t in the mood for what I assumed would be an intense emotional rollercoaster.

I finally took the plunge a couple of weeks ago.

It took me some time to finish the series because each episode runs for over an hour, and there are 16 episodes in total. I am also not much of a binge-watcher, especially when a series deals with serious or emotionally heavy topics. So yes, completing It’s Okay to Not Be Okay took me a while.

But the time I took to finish it doesn’t take away from the fact that It’s Okay to Not Be Okay is an entertaining, thoughtful and beautifully layered K-drama.

Let’s talk about the male lead first.

Moon Gang-tae, played by the enigmatic Kim Soo-hyun, is such a major green flag that he might just make pursuing relationships in the real world a tad more difficult for women. Because honestly, who can even compete with this kind of surreal charm, patience and thoughtfulness?

He is calm, sorted, emotionally aware and dependable. He is the person you would want beside you when things get difficult. He handles uncomfortable situations with a level of maturity and emotional intelligence that makes you think, “Yes, this is exactly how my partner should behave.”

Basically, Moon Gang-tae is the ultimate go-to guy.

Go Moon-young, played by Seo Yea-ji, is completely different.

She is volatile, unpredictable and unapologetically herself. But beneath all that intensity, she also shows moments of compassion when the situation calls for it. She has a magnetic personality. What makes her even more interesting is that she knows exactly how powerful her presence can be and the effect she has on people.

She is not the easiest character to understand, but she is definitely difficult to ignore.

For me, though, the real star of It’s Okay to Not Be Okay was Oh Jung-se. He plays Moon Sang-tae, the autistic older brother of the male lead, and his performance was so convincing that there were moments when I genuinely wondered whether he was autistic in real life. Yes, I actually Googled him. That, in itself, says a lot about how convincing his portrayal was.

His performance was heartfelt, nuanced and incredibly believable. In my opinion, he absolutely deserved every award and recognition that came his way for this role.

At its core, It’s Okay to Not Be Okay is a serious drama that explores mental well-being, emotional healing, trauma, relationships and the process of learning to accept oneself.

But despite its heavier subjects, the series doesn’t feel emotionally exhausting all the time. I enjoyed the little moments of humour scattered throughout the episodes. They provide some much-needed lightness and make the story feel more balanced.

And the BTS scenes towards the end were absolutely adorable. Seeing the camaraderie between the cast members behind the scenes was a lovely bonus after spending so much time with these characters.

Overall, I found It’s Okay to Not Be Okay to be an entertaining and thoughtful Korean drama. It took me a while to finish, but by the end of it, I was glad I finally gave this much-recommended series a chance.

It’s Okay to Not Be Okay is currently streaming on Netflix.

When Missing Someone Hits Out of Nowhere

I Miss You Written on Window Image

One of the most romantic delusions I have ever come across is the idea that when you suddenly feel overwhelmed with emotions because you miss someone, it’s because they are missing you too. Some people even extend this belief to loved ones who have passed away, saying their energy is reaching out because they miss you.

It goes against every scientific explanation I know, yet there is something comforting about believing it. Sometimes, when a wave of grief or longing hits without warning, you are not looking for logic. You are simply looking for a reason that helps your heart make sense of what it is feeling.

Over the past few years, there have been many moments when I have found myself unexpectedly emotional while thinking about my father. It often happens out of nowhere. Sometimes it’s triggered by a quote about a father’s love. Sometimes it’s just a random thought that appears during an ordinary day. The strange thing is that it isn’t consistent. There are days when I can think about him and smile. Then there are days when the emotions become too much, and tears arrive before I can stop them.

In those moments, I find myself wondering: is this his way of letting me know that he misses me too?

I like to believe it is.

I treat dreams about him the same way. Whenever he appears in a dream, I see it as a small sign, a quiet reminder that the bond we shared still exists somewhere beyond memory.

It sometimes happens while thinking about friends who are no longer part of your life as well.

Maybe these are just coping mechanisms. Maybe they are the natural ways our minds process grief and emotional loss. Maybe hormones, memories, and nostalgia are working together to create meaning where none exists. But if a belief brings comfort without harming anyone, why rush to take it apart?

When you are grieving or missing someone you love, facts are not always enough. Science may explain what is happening in your mind, but comfort speaks to the heart. And sometimes, comfort is all you need.

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Photo by Andrew Neel