Morning Comes to the Mental Ward (2023)

the fine line between depression and hope, normalcy and abnormality

It is a delightful 12-episode Kdrama series on Netflix that shares a spiritual connection with the beloved "Hospital Playlist." This time, it takes us to the Psychiatry unit, offering a compelling narrative that revolves around the dedicated nurses and doctors who work there.

The show ingeniously navigates the intricate realm of mental health, dissecting the fine line between depression and hope, normalcy and abnormality. With every episode, it delves into the profound and diverse experiences of its patients, ranging from paranoia to exhilarating mania-induced dance routines, and the intricate transition of OCD and hyper fixations.

What truly stands out is the show's ability to evoke empathy, enabling the audience to intimately understand and resonate with the profound struggles of the patients. The stellar cast and gripping storyline combine to create a captivating and heartwarming series that shines a much-needed spotlight on the importance of mental health. "Daily Dose of Sunshine" is a must-watch, offering a beautiful blend of humanity and healing.

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A really touching Rollercoaster about mental health and human relationships

Watch it.

If you like any member of the cast, watch it.

If you want a pretty accurate representation of mental issues, watch it.

If you want joy, watch it.

If you want to cry.... watch it.

I think it was one of the most memorable and touching dramas that I've seen lately. From the several mother/daughter relationships that are portrayed in it to the rich/poor boy/girl relationships.

Just watch it and enjoy it all, from the sad moments to the really touching ones. And recommend it to your friends and family.

I think it helped me with my own mental issues.

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Realistic about mental health, very informative & good

This is one of the best and most realistic K-dramas I’ve seen in a while!!! This K-drama is realistic about the topic of mental health, what patients experience and the stigma others sometimes have. It is a little quirky at times but I so loved it!!! The visuals are really on point and helps you appreciate what the characters are experiencing vividly. The chemistry between the characters is awesome and the story flows understandably well. Thought I needed OST, romance and fantasy to fit the bill but this one proved me wrong! It reminds me of “Misaeng” (Incomplete Life). Well done by all.

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The smallest of ripples is enough to cover us in cuts and bruises - that's how weak we are.

Daily Dose of Sunshine is an incredibly beautiful story. While it does have its ups and downs, it ends on a happier note that makes up for the slow middle.

The FL really does a great job of breathing to life the character of Da Eun. Kind, selfless and empathetic. She does everything she can for her patients and while on her journey as a psych nurse, she learns that not only she but others around her suffer from other mental illnesses.

The story and writing does an amazing job of portraying mental illness and how everyone deals with it differently. Others may learn to cope and their medicine regime works, while others struggle to adapt and don't make it out of the cycle. It has beautiful characters and their stories are super relatable.

It does get a little slow towards the middle as the story pans from the patients and their stories to Da Eun and her learning + managing her depression. Towards the last few episodes everything gets back on track and ends perfectly. I loved seeing all the paths that everyone in the hospital takes and how their stories play out. While some weren't too interesting, their endings were good for them.

An incredible watch. I loved it the entire time I was watching it and couldn't get enough of the FL.

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An absolute must watch for everyone, everywhere.

정신병동에도 아침이와요.

Wow. One word, no, actually two, no actually four: pure, but raw healing.

That's how I summarise this drama. The directors and writers knew exactly how delicate the subject they were dealing with was, and I am in absolute awe of the gentleness with which they broached the oh so vast, but oh so fragile concept - mental illness.

This drama is a journey, and the concept of transitioning a third-person experience to the first-person, using the most common of the illness' forms (depression), was an absolute master stroke. We're watching as an outsider one moment, and suddenly, we're facing our own demons.

I'm not going to go in too much depth around the plot line; as you can tell it's the content that's the winner here - but can I just say that this was again one of the gems that was perfectly paced (a rare item these days in k-drama world).

The drama questions all the aspects of this topic that not everyone wants to talk about, the bad, the ugly, and the worst: the stigma around mental illness and how it's bloody real.

It makes us question our own well-being and makes watching the drama therapeutic in its own way. We were hit hard by the moments that are intense, and we soften during the moments that are vulnerable. I haven't watched a lot of dramas dealing with the topic, but this is one of the (I imagine) select few that actually explores the impact of mental illness on all around it: the patients, the givers, the families and the fact that we may tip into any of these categories at any given point of time without warning.

All in all, every element of this drama was perfectly measured: the despair, the relief, the anguish, the love, the hate, the acknowledgement, and the acceptance. The end of the series doesn't leave you with any over-measured emotions because it acknowledges that were all standing on some sort of border in life and, in consequence, the ending leaves us with a sense of calm.

The only missing piece for me was an OST, so the avid watcher for me is giving this one a 9.5. Otherwise, if OSTs weren't a thing, this series was nothing short of a 10.

An absolute must watch for everyone, everywhere.

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There's light at the end of the tunnel

Mental illness is a taboo issue that most people still think of. Most people will think of it as being crazy, but this drama will open up a world of psychiatry in a new light/view.

First of all, the casts, I love them all, even the mental illness patients (love their acting). I think it's hard to act as someone with mental illness. But the casts nailed it very well.

I love Park Bo Young, her acting is sure diverse. Her acting in this drama is so great that I was so immerse in it. She actually deliver how depression in a person looks like. She surely never disappoint.

Yeon Woo Jin's acting was great as well, quirky yet adorable character he portrayed. I love how his character developed throughout the drama and how he ended up with PBY's character in the end.

Jang Dong Yoon surely never disappoint. I love how he tried different characters in his acting career. He really nailed it portraying someone with panic disorder.

All the mental illness portrayed in this drama were actually what many people may have seen in real life. Some deemed these people as being crazy (to the point they should just be banished from society) others just deemed it as being possessed as they may have lost their faith. But actually these people with mental illness just needed help , care and kindness from other people and their surrounding.

I hardly cry watching drama, but this drama made me tear up a lot. Especially the part where PBY character was depressed. I totally relate to this as I've experienced it before. I didn't know I was depressed at first, but I kept on blacking out and can't really remember how I walk from one place to another. When the doctor run tests on me that I found out I was too stressed up in my study that I was on the verge of sinking into depression. Luckily, I didn't need any medication just needed to try and not be too hard on myself.
And so, with this drama, I learnt all over again how to battle with depression (it serve as a reminder to myself) and how I should get out of my cave when I'm too stressed out.

In our lives, we sometimes encounter lots of hardship that sometimes we don't realize that we succumbed to our stress and become depressed.
I think through this drama, it will help you to care for yourself more and cope with the stress in your life. Give it a try and have no expectation as usual but rather enjoy it to the fullest (like me).

Oh almost forgot to mention, all of the CGI used here are all very cool, especially the part where we entered the imaginary world of Kim Seo Wan as a mage warrior with the dragons. It was so realistically real that I got immersed in it. It's a good thing the producer did spend almost a whole episode on him as we got to see his point of view as he suffered breakdown.

In the end, I would like to give you all a big hug and pat on the shoulder. You did well, you've worked hard. Keep it up.
I hope you will enjoy this drama as much as I do. ^^

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Outstanding!!!

I placed spoilers at the end of this review.

This was an outstanding series. Overall, the script was nicely done and successfully connected multiple elements and characters together. It had a few weak elements, but it did not distract me from enjoying the series. The first episode did a great job giving brief introduction about mental health, as well as the stigma and prejudice society has about it. It tackled so many aspects of mental health in a very considerate way. This series not only showed how it impacts individuals diagnosed with a metal health disorder, it included how it impacts family members and the medical staff caring for them. The series often used a whimsical/fantasy aspect to help represent certain disorders without it being disrespectful. My only critique is that I was not a fan of the romantic storylines. See the spoiler alert at the end of this review if you want more information. The cast was incredible and did a beautiful job portraying their characters. They did a wonderful job with the cinematography and special effects too.

Random Notes:

I anticipated this series since Netflix announced it and happy it didn’t disappoint me.



******Spoiler Alert******

The romantic storyline between Hwang Yeo Hwan and Min Deu Lae was not bad, but felt a little misplaced within the series. The other romantic storyline was slightly bizarre. The series introduced a love triangle between Dong Go Yoon, Jang Da Eun, and Song Yu Chan in the beginning of the series, but then this completely disappeared by the end. However, I was cool with it because I hate love triangle storylines.

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Best mental health drama ever

I don't know why this drama doesn't rate higher. I loved Hospital Playlist and really missed that. This has huge Hospital Playlist feels - the camaraderie between the staff, the going in-depth to understand the context and personal circumstances behind each patient. The staff strive to give patients the best level of care and address their problems not just solve the symptoms.

In addition, this show is about mental health. There's so much stigma surrounding this topic in Asia and particularly with psychiatry (as opposed to psychology).It's great to see a show treat the topic sensitively with the dignity it deserves, yet highlights why mental health is also a valid medical condition and should not be ignore or stigmatised.

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Deeply humane but beware it can be triggering

The Korean title for this drama is Morning Also Comes in a Psychiatric Ward and it's much more accurate than the English title. The drama aims to educate people about mental health and encourages viewers to feel empathy for the people who are suffering and struggling to heal (not always successfully). Because of this, the story is a little clunky at times with early episodes dedicated to different mental health conditions such as panic disorder and bipolar disorder.

But the narrative really takes off in episode 6 when a beloved character takes his own life and the fallout for the entire cast reverberates through to the end of the drama.

Some of the scenes are devastating and had me sobbing. Anyone with a history of mental illness or who has loved ones who suffered should tread cautiously since this drama could be triggering.

Something I thought was very well done were the visual illustrations of people's illnesses. For example there's a person with panic disorder who finds himself drowning in a bathroom filling with water and a depressed character who sinks into the floor as if it's quicksand.

The romance is secondary to the main plot but it's very sweet and affecting, especially in the final episodes.

I definitely recommend this drama with the caveat that you're going to be in for a lot of emotional pain and that it's not an easy watch.

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a kdrama gem, is it underrated?

I can't believe this drama almost flew past my radar. Watching this empathetic and humane drama is a must.

it's a wide window unto the world of mental health, and the multilayered world of mental disease. Watching these stories (some based on true stories) humbled me and made me even more aware and compassionate of the frail nature of our minds.

I think this is Park Bo Young's best work! there is always something very impressive and inspiring to see actors enact realistic desolating moments. She was brillant, her character was imperfectly realistic. female lead characters are often the most important aspect in a show for me, and her evolution was marvellously portrayed.

all characters in fact (Except maybe 1 or 2) were realistic and I grew fond of them and enjoyed following their slices of life.

Young woo jin was also very remarkable in this as well! he gave life to a very unique character!

this show follows different characters during each episode, with the main characters' story arch developing throughout the show. the balance was perfect, not pushing one over the other. the pace was just fast enough, sometimes slow but always enjoying the script. the show is brilliantly orchestrated from scene cuts to dialogue to resolutions.

one of my favourite shows ever.

While I did sense a few cheesy lines, they were so sparse among the overwhelming fresh take of this drama.

hope to see more like this !

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