It's Okay, That's Love (2014)

This is by far my favourite drama, so overwhelming and meaningful.

Story
This is basically the story of broken people who try to heal each other. The trauma they had in their childhood still have vivid consequences in their adult life. It's not only a romance, it's not only a medical drama, it's both and so much more. The dialogues are so well-written and life-changing (and I don't even exaggerate).

Acting/Cast
The relationships between the characters are perfectly led. Mother-daughter/mother-sons/brothers/lovers/friends/colleagues every relationship is relevant and show the importance of social interaction on the way to overcome a trauma.
Heads down for the whole cast. Gong Hyo Jin & Jo In Sung are incredible but let's not forget the other actors who give a great dimension to their characters. Everyone is endearing and you just want more of them.

Music
Meaningful -- the songs fit the story and you will probably tear up listening to it later.

Rewatch value
I watched this drama in 2014 when it was released and again last month, it never gets old. I liked it even more this time because despite knowing all the plot twists, I still get surprised. I am 6 years older and mental health is much more meaningful today for me than it was back then.

Give it a try !!

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So this is another drama that I watched a while back while it was still airing. Thinking back to this drama it actually raised my crave for more psychological references in dramas which are dearly missed. I hope there will be more dramas like this one. It was a GREAT drama, TOTALLY recommend to anyone! Great cast, great script, great chemistry like STOP reading this and go watch!-- lol okay so, if I was to have any complaints it would be that half way through the last episode it was a bit anticlimactic. And there was this filler which should have been left as a special preview and not even included lol.

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Loved it. Loved it. Loved it. They writers tugged at the feels so much, I feel sensitive right now.

This is not a a romantic comedy nor is a a melancholy series. This was pure genius. It was sweet, beautiful and so good. The writing was amazing. This has to be one of the most heart felt k-drama's. The actors were amazing. They will make you laugh and cry. I loved this series. The real life situations that many experience is truly revealed. Definitely some tear jerking moments. The writers will make you fall in love with the characters. Not the typical perky k-drama but definitely upbeat and heartfelt. No loose ends. Everything came together nicely. There was romance, drama, mystery and a little action. Perfect.

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Its Okay, That's Love, definitely lives up to its hype.

With a perfect blend of all elements, romance, humor, friendship and melo, the plot undeniably comes as a breath of fresh air to us drama addicts.That could be attributed to the fact the writers had sketched about such realistic characters that not only had their good sides projected, but also their weaknesses and fears, and due to the story's intention to show that its alright to admit that you can be weak since we're human and all of us do need help in order to become strong again. To use the subject of mental illnesses to express this intention is very well appreciated.

PLOT: GETS A 10/10 , for making the drama so intriguing, entertaining and at the same time for trying to create awareness about mental disorders and its prejudices that we have created. Our main characters, Jang Jae Yeol , and Ji Hae Soo have been created as such refreshing and honest characters, who have been able to delve into a comfortable relationship with each other despite telling the other off frankly if they did something that bothered the other and this leading to quite a bit of arguments between the two which are nevertheless enjoyable ( most of the time). It also needs to be mentioned how no supporting character were sidelined to simply showcase the main characters, with each of them having their own stories, achievements and downfalls in their relationships and life.

Acting: Not going to give a special review for the acting since the very ensemble of the cast would give an idea. The actors had done a great job in convincing me throughout that they were not merely playing a role given to them but were indeed living it, especially EXO's D.O, who impressed me right from the start of the show and set the bar so high for idols who want to venture into acting.

Music: A drama cannot be without its OST'S , and the ones for IOTL prove just that. They intensified each and every moment in the scene, making it memorable for the audience. Specially mentioning EXO' s Chen, Davichi , and Punch for their vocals which are powerful, soothing and emotion-driven all at the same time.

Rewatch Value: Since I don't usually re-watch the dramas that I watch once, the score here would be pretty low, this might definitely not be the case for other viewers is what I feel.

Anyhow not necessarily a drama that could please everyone, but surely one that needs to be given a try!

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Umm At first, i thought this drama is like other romantic comedy drama. But when i watched the first episode, there is something about this drama that makes me feel interested to keep watching it. Normally i will drop the drama after i watch the Pilot (1st eps) if it's not interesting.

But it feels kind of different and quite funny yet not too ridiculously funny. The situation is very real, like in the normal world where it's not only talking about couple love r/s, it's also talking about friends r/s, family r/s, colleague r/s, it's just complete, that;s why it's not boring at all. The pace is just nice, not too slow and not too long. It's quite unpredictable too, as i didn't think that the plot will get quite serious in the middle of the series. It also explain why certain people behave that way. People always have their own story and background to begin with, so we can understand each other more.

The protagonists are not perfect too, normally in other drama, the protagonist seems very perfect and the plot is cheesy, but this drama is not like that at all, it teaches us about hard-work to love people surround us, Love is not always like in fairy tale where people will live happily ever after, we need to put effort in order to love. Sometimes we also need to priorities others in order to love. So this story is very real. That's why i like this very much.

It certainly worth your time on watching this drama. It's not too heavy until u want to scream dying thinking about the plot, nor it is too light until u feel bored. Not at all, it's just nice to watch it after workday. It will enlighten your mood with it's quirky plot and witty jokes.

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Mental Health and it's true dangers

I'm going to start by saying I have never suffered through any significant mental issues.
I am also grateful to say that none of my friends and family have experienced anything major.
But regardless of that fact, I have always been interested in mental health. I often watch YouTubers talk about their conditions and all the misinformation that has been spread around.
(Some really good channels are: DissocialDID, Johnny Benjamin 1, and EDucating Shanny)
So whenever I watch a show or movie with mental health as one of the main topics, I'm always a bit skeptical since I know how wrong the mainstream media can get things.
But with this show, I was pleasantly surprised by all the truths it brought.
Stuff like how hard it can be for the family, the harm it can bring the patient, and all the changes that can happen in a person's life were all portrayed nicely.
So looking at the medical part of this show, I am delighted with it. But some things ruined the experience...
So let's move on from this long introduction and get on with the details...

Story 〆(・∀・＠): I was really excited about the medical parts of this drama as well as all the romantic ones. Two of my favorite genres were put together; how could I not be ecstatic!? So I went into this show with a very positive mindset, and the beginning seemed to support it immensely. You get a good look at the characters, their relationships, and a hint on their upcoming development. So even though it wasn't the most exciting beginning, you never felt bored since it was like getting an appetizer before the main course...
Unfortunately, that main course took a bit too long to come to the table...
Hints of the main issue were dropped throughout the show, but it seemed to take forever to actually get there. I'm not going to lie; I enjoyed seeing our psychiatrists help mentally struggling patients, but other than that, the story seemed extremely repetitive.
The main couple got into a fight ---> They make up for a short amount of time ----> They get into another fight.
Yeah yeah yeah, I know couples fight, but our main one just kept doing it over the stupidest things. Even the main female protagonist, Ji Hae-soo, admits that she tends to act like a bish. Sure she had her "reasons," but it was irritating as a watcher and something I don't want to have to sit through again.
What saved the show for me was the ending. Things were wrapped up nicely, and the final few episodes were interesting for their entirety. Ji Hae-soo became somewhat likable only for her family to become the new bishes.
Like seriously!!!! Why can't there be a time where I like everyone!?
As for the side couples, I didn't really care about them. The second main duo's relationship kinda sprung out of nowhere. They kept arguing and after one big fight... BOOM.... they just got together.....
I mean... sorry if I missed something... but what???
So all in all, the romance was very meh for me.
I'd say this show's strongest points was in friendship and the realities of mental health. You see people break down and hit the lowest point in their lives but are helped out of it by those close to them. You see people fighting to have normal lives and can't help but cheer them on through it all!!!!

Acting ｡゜(｀Д')゜｡: Acting was phenomenal!!!!! That's really all I need to say.
I mentioned that the characters had a tendency to get on my nerves, but that is solely due to the writing and not the actors themselves. When needed, they can tug at all the heartstrings and make you want to cry along with them. Jo In-sung is a fantastic example of how much talent these people have.
He appeared as such a happy go lucky guy all while showing how damaging it can be to force out a fake persona. His ability to show a character at the highest and lowest point in their life was breathtaking.
I could fully believe his struggles through his rough mental state and cheered him on with every step he made towards recovery!
Besides him, everyone had their moments to shine. There was not one particular actor that was carrying everything, and everybody seemed to work well together. The couples' chemistry may not have been the best due to writing, but the actors all seemed comfortable with each other and showed how important friendship can be.
So fantastic job everyone!! I hope to see you all again!!

Music ヾ(⌐■_■)ノ♪: This part of the show was absolutely hilarious.
I liked a lot of the music and always found myself paying attention to the translated lyrics (even though surprisingly, some of the songs were entirely in English). So music, in my eyes, was exceptional this time around.
What I think is funny is where the editors decided to put some of the songs.
Usually, you'd play a sad song during a sad scene and a happy one during a happy scene, but oh boy, these editors wanted to change things up. I loved watching a young boy get beat by his father to a cheery tune of someone singing about sunflowers or happiness (I don't remember the topic exactly). It really fit the scene of a suffering child
* sarcasm *
I don't know why they were added at such times, but it was interesting, nonetheless.
I don't know if I should hate it or love it, so I'll stay safe and neutral by saying it was definitely an experience...

Other (ง°ل͜°)ง: Since I, along with all my close ones, have never experienced anything significant in the mental department, I can't confirm or deny the legitimacy of some things.
From what I learned on my own, the show did seem true to many of the patients' conditions, and the writers didn't seem to add any un-needed dramatic flairs. Conditions seemed more severe and real in that sense.
So it's tough for me to talk about how accurate things are. If it was about physical health problems, I might have more to say, but that isn't the case.
I'm sure there are people who are much closer to the subject than I am and can give a more in-depth analysis.
So I'll end this part of the review here.

All in all, the show is a mix of love and hate.
I love how honest it is about mental conditions and how the writers don't try to add anything unnecessary for the sake of entertainment. What I hate about it is stuff like the romance and some of the character decisions that were made. I found myself bored and irritated for much longer than I'd ever want to be.
So when asked if I recommend it, I would have a different answer depending on the person.
If you're interested in medical shows, then go for it 100%!
But if that isn't your cup of tea and you are more focused on the romance, then I might be a bit more hesitant.
This show has a lot of strengths and weaknesses, so I recommend thinking a bit about it before giving it a shot.
Happy Watching <3

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It rarely happens that as soon as I finish watching a drama, I want to watch it all over again, but this drama managed to get me hooked on it since the first scenes. Sometimes I got the impression that some interactions were a bit forced and not completely natural, but that didn't spoil my perception of the plot or the characters. I loved how the writers dealt with such a thorny argument as mental disabilities with such delicacy, giving the audience so much hope that with the right combination of medicine and love it is possible to lead a fairly normal life (even if it depends on the gravity of the illness, of course). The interaction among all of the characters was incredible and the main leads are so in synch with each other to give the impression of actually being dating IRL.
And the music... I can't even begin to describe how good the OST was. Each song choice was perfect for the moment it accompanied and made me feel like buying the soundtrack CD.
To sum it up, this is a drama I strongly recommend.

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OK,
this is my first review and, the reason is that this drama is just SO AMAZING!
I did not expect it to be half as good, the actors convinced me,
I got so into the story that I honestly cried, laughed and just truly lived it!
The music is perfect, it is my fav soundtrack ever!!

IT MADE ME THINK, and that is what I like. It was not predictable, it was not simple, it got me, and that is not an easy think to do. I am a psychologist, and it made me to go to my DSM 5, and argue about some diagnoses xD, it made me really hooked and I wish that I could just unwatch and re-watch it every week.....

I must admit that it got pretty heavy at times, I sufferd from what I call PDSD (post drama stress disorder, similar to PTSD). I could not listen to the song "Hero", cause it made me cry (including flashbacks of the drama)....I could not hear the phrase "I miss you" in any other drama without getting all teary-eyed (that is actually still the case, but it got better after re-watching the whole thing).

But maybe also because of the sad parts I liked it so much, because I am not easily moved, and I rarely cry.....I would love to convince all of my friends and family to watch this!

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IOTL began complicated and ended complicated - masterful! The writer and PD executed a well written drama setting the bar high for quality mature drama. Been a fan of this drama since day one with the candor and chemistry of the leads &amp;entire cast for giving us an unapologetic view of the effects of mental illness, abuse, betrayal and the complicated storms they insert in the lives of many. SIS &amp; GHJ chemistry was magical (as usual she has a great way of pulling the best of her male leads)! The entire phenomenally talented cast was instrumental in the telling of this intricate storyline of damaged people trying to make sense of life in a perfect facade world. Mental illness, abuse, betrayal, sex, love, family and work-life are the key points in this drama, thus if you are looking for a fuzzy, candy drama this is not for you. If you are looking for a drama that realistically depicts flawed people, FAB OST, great acting, tears, and lots of laughs this drama is for you! Would I re-watch? YES!

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Don't get the hype.
I understand the sensitive subject matter is something important and people appreciate it, and I did like that aspect. But it seems it's overrated for that reason. The story was incredibly slow and I couldn't stand the leads. Especially the FL who was your typical tropey drama queen getting mad at ML over every little thing as a way for the writer to create drama. The man couldn't do one thing right without her getting mad, from spending too much money on her for a nice hotel room to him having too much fun while water skiing. She always had to pout and get mad. Can't stand this kind of FL.
I finally dropped it at episode 9 when they gave up on the entire tension they were creating around FL's trauma with sex. I don't want to give away any spoilers but it was an extremely uneventful buildup. So by episode 9 they were already together and everything else seemed done...and apart from a few interesting side character arcs, not sure what could carry the story 7 more episodes.

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