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

A True Masterpiece: Mental Health & Awesome Couple Chemistry

I loved this drama! A true masterpiece ❤️ This drama will go straight to my favorite list!
I watched this drama in 2021 and I'm sure glad I did now. With my life experiences, I can safely say that I watched it at the right time in my life. I wouldn't have enjoyed it as much in 2014.

I loved the angle from which mental health was approached. It's a pretty heavy subject to tackle in general. Here, it is approached in a light tone, while not minimising the fact that it is an illness.

I loved the romance. A real chemistry between the main couple. I loved the light touches they had all the time between them. For once in Dramaland, the couple talks about their problems and actually discusses them. How often do the heroes in Dramaland not talk to each other enough. Here it was not the case at all.
The two main heroes have very endearing personalities and we love them as they are.

The plot with the family of the hero Jang Jae Yeol was superbly well done.

The secondary characters are all engaging. I particularly liked the family atmosphere in the house where our couple lives, but also another doctor and a man with tourette's syndrome.

The OST is a real gem. A pleasure for the ears !

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I don't care what anyone says, this drama is one of the best dramas i've ever seen!

Everything about this drama was great. The plot...great, the acting...GREAT, the chemistry...AMAZING. If you love romance, this is the one for you. The main characters chemistry is amazing in every way. This is a slightly more "mature" drama. When i say mature, i don't mean that you have to be an adult to watch this, i'm just saying that if you think sex is an awkward subject, or you think that psychological and medical dramas are boring, this might not be for you.

This drama touches on many important subjects. Mental illness, sex, domestic violence and more. And all that in only 16 episodes, it's fantastic.

i just need to mention how much i love and adore Gong Hyo-jin, she's a great actress.

I don't really have much more to say. The drama was great, the acting was great and the music was great, it was overall just great and i'll probably rewatch it at some point.

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I have watched this drama on my first k-drama spree. And since, many many others were watched but this one holds a very special place in my heart.

First, the storyline is very different from what you'd expect in a k-drama. The screenwriters tackled mental health in a fine and interesting  way.
The conversations between the characters have depth, meaning, and come across as "natural" and not scripted or over the top, as usually kdramas do.
The characters felt like real humans, with their raw emotions.
Even talking about sexuality in a way that felt reel to me, and not timid or romanticised way. I was really surprised by that.

This si definitely a must-recommend drama, with brilliant actors and storylines, and especially how it all goes down with twist.

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An absolutely charming and sensible Non Hee Kyung's (my favorite drama screewriter) and Kim Kyu Tae's (one of my favorite drama directors) work with an incredible cast. I couldn't mention any disadvantage of this drama (well, to tell the truth I dislike one song but as, all in all, this drama has one of the best soundtracks I've heard in dramas, so, it's easy to forgive...).
The story-line is playful and mature at the same time. You can see here a really interesting and complicated theme of Schizophrenia and also, the thing that surprised me, is that some of the different stories showed in the psychiatric clinic, seem unexpectedly well analysed, considering that they are only side stories. You can really find out here about various mental disorders and the potential ways to resolve them.
Another essential aspect of the drama are strong characters incarnated by such actors as Jo In Sung or Gong Hyo Jin. Firstly, I should pay a tribute to Jo In Sung, as I must admit that he's undoubtedly the most talented Kdrama's actor. It's just that judging his acting skills, one must admit that he's the less static and the most realistic, emotionally fulfilled actor we can see in a Kdrama. Although there are many Korean actors I like very much but I must admit that even in their presence Jo In Sung's talent seems incomparably brighter. Jo In Sung has really an exceptional expressiveness. And in this drama his charismatic and complicated character seems more than credible.
Talking about Gong Hyo Jin, I should say that's undoubtedly the best of her characters I've seen. She really differs to many Korean actresses and her individuality helps her to create a very interesting character. Also, the chemistry between these to is absolute.
One of the best things in this show is that even the supporting roles here are incredibly dynamic and well-acted, it's one of these rare cases I didn't want to skip any scene. So it means that this series is a sincere work without the necessity to drag on the series.
Finally, the soundtrack. There are very few cases you can see such a harmony between the soundtrack and the scenes. They really matches one another.

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I can't even begin to describe this drama. When i watched this for the first time. I'd ultimately thought this would just be one of the light, fluffy romance dramas. Boy was i wrong. This show reaches depths that make your heart both sad and joyful. The struggle that the leads went through were hard but pulling through them really is what makes this show great. It was a beautiful drama, that made me laugh and cry like a absolute baby. The acting was perfect. And the music with certain scenes was really emotional. This drama is most definitely worth the watch. The chemistry between the leads as well as the other couples were unbelievable. No doubt in my mind this is one of my favourite dramas. And after all they went through together, they had a happy ending. And that is what they deserved. If your thinking about watching this, do it. Literally don't even hesitate. You won't regret it!

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Ah, where do I start to explain the feelings I have for this drama.

Gwaenchana, Sarangiya caught me with all its might, and didn’t let me go til the last episode. From the beginning to the end, it held my heart, entirely, with its both invisible hands. Without a doubt, my favourite drama, ever.

I wanna talk about the first episode because what happened was so incredible. I wasn’t even done with the first 15 minutes of the first episode that I was already enjoying it a lot. And by a lot, I mean finding myself smiling til my cheeks hurt, and squealing like a guinea pig. I don’t even remember what decided me to start this drama. All I know is that I had spent my last school year without watching any dramas except for The Heirs and Reply 1994 back in winter. Having such a long summer holiday, I took it as an occasion to catch up on my beloved Korean shows. Rewatching my favourite kdramas, watching summer kdramas, that’s what my summer was about. So when I heard about It’s Okay, It’s Love on tumblr (pretty popular because EXO-K’s Kyungsoo was in it..) I chose to give it a try.

And oh boy, was it a good decision.

Gwaenchana, Sarangiya. A bottle in the ocean, only waiting for its message to be heard.

Depicting people suffering from mental illnesses was a risky choice. Very risky. But I’m so proud of the scenarists for the job they did. Not only in Korea, but everywhere in the world, mental illnesses are seen as the worst, the weirdest, and most awful of things. When in fact, it’s just an illness. Illness from the mind, from the heart, illness of feelings, thoughts. When the heart aches, it can be more painful than breaking an arm. People dealing with mental issues aren’t crazy. They aren’t errors of nature, they aren’t criminals. They’re people. People that are sick, and people that need help.
And for depicting them just as they are, this drama already deserves to be watched.
I have absolutely no knowledge of psychology or illnesses but the ones I’ve personally dealt with, or seen people fight. I felt close to some of the examples of illnesses portrayed. It made me think about myself, about people, about life.

Gwaenchana, Sarangiya. Humans played by humans that are really good at playing humans.

Good character concepts mixed with amazing actors. That’s what this drama is also about.
From this amazing cast, I already knew Gong Hyo Jin (Ji Hae Soo), Lee Kwang Soo (Park Soo Kwang), Sung Dong Il (Jo Dong Min), but also Hae Soo’s mum and of course, Kyungsoo.
I felt really attached to Gong Hyo Jin in The Master’s Sun, because she’s a really good actress in this drama, she’s also really vulnerable and well, she’s also really pretty. Seeing her in the role of Ji Hae Soo blew my mind. She’s probably among my favourite Korean actresses now.
The revelation of this drama was Jo In Sung. I completely missed the airing of This Winter, The Wind Blows and I think I should catch up now. He is such a great actor. To be honest, I can’t think of anybody in this cast that wasn’t amazing from the beginning to the end. Kwang Soo, that I affectionate for his recurrent gags on Running Man, proved me here that he’s truly a great actor, and not just the funny, always betraying giraffe that he is. Sung Dong Il is always a pleasure to have in a drama, for playing the always-pissed ahjussi that we all love. Every single one of these characters seems crafted in diamond to me. They’re all, all precious. All well done. All deep. There isn’t just the main couple and secondary characters that are all just here to support the story of that main couple. You’ve got the main couple, yes. But they’re all connected together. They all have special relationships between each others, they all have their stories, their problems, their moments. There is no bad guy to prevent the main couple from ending together at the end, because life is not like that. Every single one of us is prone to make other people happy or sad because of the decisions we make. And just as in life, the only obstacle to finding what you truly want isn’t necessarily others, it’s yourself. They are all part of this drama and they also are the reason this drama is a whole. Because just like the puzzle in the story, the final image can’t be a whole if you take even just one piece out.

Gwaenchana, Sarangiya. A story. Theirs, yours, mine.

I’ve rarely seen such a well written story, wrapped in a 16-episode drama. To be honest, I feared it would end up with what I call the “City Hunter Syndrome” : a good start, fillers, everything resolved in the last two episodes, and nothing explained.
I won’t tell you how it ends, but I can tell you one thing : each episode has been given a lot of thought. You can see it. Friend, trust me. And enjoy every minute of this drama with all your heart. Appreciate every quote, every shot.

Gwaenchana, Sarangiya. It’s Love, and it’s a sincere one.

Romantic love between a man and a woman has hardly ever been so well represented in a drama. Hae Soo and Jae Yeol love each other, they truly do. And they act like it. They talk about their feelings, their relationship, they kiss (and real kisses, not ‘our faces bumped into each other’s and our lips seem to be touching’), they make love, and they talk about it. They fight, and make up. They’re everything a couple is. They’re both really bold characters and if something isn’t going the way they want, they won’t hesitate about saying it. They speak up their minds. And it’s so refreshing to see, for the first time, a realistic couple in a drama talking about love. I’ve had too much of rich dickhead guy and poor nice girl, wrist grabbing, thinking about kissing and being flustered like a 14 year-old, sex being extra taboo, and over-cheesiness. Jang Jae Yeol and Ji Hae Soo are the realistic antithesis of the default kdrama couple. (Reply 1997 was also part of this wave to portray realistic couples and I wish for it to become a trendy thing in kdramas.)
If I didn’t know about them being already in a relationship with their respective partners, I’d think Gong Hyo Jin and Jo In Sung would truly be dating because their screen chemistry is incredible.

Gwaenchana, Sarangiya. Food for thought, heart, and ears.

As if this drama wasn’t already good enough, it also has a great OST. It’s a wise mix of Korean indie, pop songs, but also western folk, indie and even French electro/house that even myself, being French didn’t know about. Actually I discovered a lot of great artists thank to this drama, but my favourite song will remain Twin Forks’ “Cross My Mind”. First, it’s a really good song, but the moments associated with this song are among the happiest, and whenever this song came up, I couldn’t stop smiling. I’m thankful for this.

Gwaenchana, Sarangiya. Will I ever get tired of you like a lover I want to send away but can’t ?

The rewatch value of this drama is high in my opinion. So high that actually when I was around the 11th episode, I decided to rewatch it, when the original airing hadn’t even ended. Was it worth it ? Yes, definitely. Once you know more about each character, you notice things that are actually relevant to the last episodes and make the story even richer. That’s why I said to be attentive to every little thing, but it’s hard in one try.

Gwaenchana, Sarangiya. It’s okay. It’s love.

(THIS PART HAS SPOILERS)

The title could make you think it’s another cheesy drama. But it takes his whole meaning as you get more in the story.
It’s Jae Yeol telling Hae Soo that he loves her, and that’s okay. It’s Hae Soo telling herself that she’s in love, and that’s okay. It’s Jae Yeol realising his guilt is the result of loving his brother. Hae Soo’s mum sending her away because she doesn’t want her to live she way she lived. It’s Dong Il and Young Jin still being friends after everything they shared. It’s Soo Kwang calming himself after a seizure.

It’s okay. It’s love.

(END OF SPOILERS)

So, in short, why should you watch this drama ?

For the thoughtful and realistic portrayal of mental illnesses, as far as I know, and the will to make people realise they are not errors of nature.
For the incredible cast and mind-blowing acting.
For the so well written story.
For the realistic portrayal of romantic love between two people.
For the fabulous OST.
For the title.

tl;dr : It’s Okay, It’s Love feels like a gift to the world, and you should definitely give it a try.

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Healing through love!!!!

Did not expect to love it so much!! I really have apprehensions when it comes to watching Kdramas produced before 2016 as I have tried before and failed to like most of them...so went into this without expecting much and though was not a big fan of the first 1 or 2 eps, it slowly started grabbing my attention to the point that i was binging the episodes and watched it within 2 days....the biggest strength of the show lies in the performances of its 2 leads who are outstanding in their roles and also the supporting cast who range from good to excellent...the relationship between the leads is very refreshing and realistic and not at all what you have come to expect from the surreal standards of romance set by Kdramas.. they have amazing chemistry and act like how a couple in real life rather than a fairy tale would...the medical aspect though a bit crude and sometimes illogical does not affect the quality of the drama..the stigmas associated with mental health patients are depicted to the point in a very effective way...another major contributor to the feels is the OST of the show..the songs beautifully complement the emotions the character is going through and that is very rare...at the end its a story of healing through love and being there for someone who needs your help!!! an absolute must watch!!

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Not your typical RomCom

I thought this was just another RomCom. Boy I was so wrong..

The story was so complex and yet not convoluted in anyway. It started very light, they're the typical opposites attract situation. ML is a successful romance turned crime/suspense author, he deals with the gruesome. FL is a sassy mind doctor, she deals with the day to day ugliness of life. Both of them had childhood traumas that left them scarred. It was mildly annoying at first that ML seems to be a better mind doctor than our FL.

I almost dropped the show, but glad I didn't.. it had so much to offer. The romance, the comedy, family drama, with a bit of mystery. It also stresses on the awareness on mental health. The anticipation of a heart break towards the last four or five episodes is a bit hard to watch but at least the heart aches still leads to a happy ending. They healed each other also their families..

I think the actors did a good job portraying their roles and the show also had a good OST. So it's perfect for binge watching..

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Thoroughly enjoyable drama in which the great cast overcomes an "OK" story.

A solid drama with wonderful leads and a great supporting cast. However, the meandering story in which one of the characters struggles with schizophrenia veers perilously close to a lecture on acceptance in a few places. Thankfully, those moments are few and quickly fade into the background while we get to enjoy the great chemistry of the cast. Gong Hyo Jin (When the Camelia's Bloom) plays Ji Hae Soo, a sexually repressed psychiatrist whose struggles with physical affection are well known to all of her family and friends (except inexplicably her mom). Hae Soo vacillates between an endearing vulnerability and a prickly self-sufficiency. Jo In Sung (That Winter, The Wind Blows) plays the dashing young author Jang Jae Yeol. Rich and successful (of course), Jae Yeol has a dark past that briefly explodes in the dramas opening scene. Sparks fly when the two appear on a television panel together to talk about human relationships, where Hae Soo is not impressed by the brash, self-confident author. On the other hand, Jae Yeol is intrigued (of course). Jae Yeol turns out to have much more insight into the human condition than might be expected from a dashing playboy. So much more, in fact, that his insight proves valuable to Hae Soo and her co-workers in the treatment of their patients, who suffer from an interesting variety mental health conditions. I found it all a bit implausible and the treatments seemed to me to gloss over how great a challenge recovery can be. But such is the world that kdramas exist in. This is ultimately a love story, and the chemistry between the leads made it a very believable one.

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One of the most realistic dramas ever..

Amazing drama.. Made me laugh so much and also made me so emotional that my throat choked up.. Mental illness is a very serious issue. I cant even imagine people living with such mental conditions. This drama portrayed the hardships of mentally ill very well. The lead characters have such a good chemistry that your eyes wont leave the screen even for a second. I like how it is not a typical boy chase girl/girl chase boy story and all of a sudden they are in love.. The lead pair's love and romance evolves gradually overcoming all the struggles .. overall it was a well written drama and it is definitely worth watching..

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One word to describe this drama...Speechless HAHA

Amazing plot, story, acting, OST, and the ROM-COM is on point.
The twist was daebak!!
The life lesson of this drama was so unique and very realistic in our life. I like how this drama can be an example to others dealing with difficulties mentally and physically. There are still some flaws such as; confusion between the relationship of Dong Min and Yeong Jin..., not showing us more of the aftereffect of some of the casts problems.. and etc.
But overall, the cast was astonishing. It's been a while watching a drama with Kwang Soo and I am happy that he is part of this drama <3. I just wish his relationship with Sung Kyung is longer, showing ore romance, fight, and cute scene. Also their parent's problems as well. I wanted to see how they will show us(viewers) how they deal with their family problems (the main are exceptional hehe)
The MAIN lead was REMARKABLE!! Their chemistry and the way they interact and have some crazy argument is just hysterical.
I don't really want to talk about the ending since some of yall... are probably reading reviews to see if this is a good drama to watch... But...for me... the ending was good enough to not make me droll in pain! HAHA
More the less. I really recommend this to someone especially if you are looking for a drama with emotional scar, problems, romance, family problems, and roommates... It may be the same with other dramas but of course, every drama has its own flaws and uniqueness.
Personally, for me... I like how they taught us that no matter what pain or problems you are in, do not turn around and ignore it. There are also other people in this world dealing with the same symptoms or difficulties.
There was also a lot of quotes that made me realize a lot of things in life as well such as;
“When the wind blows over, then let it just blow through. When the loneliness takes over, then let it just go out the door. The pain will come, too. The pain may linger around and stay. It may stay around for a while, then leave.”
-----
This quote was the best..in my Opinion, <3
THERE MIGHT BE A SPOILER SOO....
I'm WARNING YALL--------
"Do you know what this painting of camels is about? Nomadic people in the dessert tie up their camels to the trees at night like this. But as you can see, they untie them from the trees in the morning. But the camels still don't run away. Because they remember being tired up to the tree the night before. Just like how we remember the pains from our own past. The pain and trauma from our past...keep us chained down to the ground. I have my bathroom...and you have your panic anxiety disorder.
” A person needs to know both the bitter and sweetness in life to grow and that's what keeps a relationship interesting too. But when you know nothing but the sweetness? Ugh, that's so unattractive.”
THANK YOU ;)))
9:00PM
5/11/20

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This is one of the few kdramas I'm aware of that touches on mental illness, without just using it as a plot device. While I'm not fully satisfied by the accuracy or the depth into which they've delved into the topic, as far as I'm aware of, it's not something that's explored as much in conservative Korean culture, so for that I think this drama deserves recognition.

This drama also explores a more mature relationship between characters who each have their own flaws, which is refreshing in the romance genre of kdrama. The two main leads display superb acting skills and make their characters charming and believable. While overall the drama has a more serious tone, the strong side characters provide plenty of humorous moments. It was nice to see such supportive friendships between the characters.

The soundtrack is also one of my favourites, and differs from your typical kdrama OST in their song selection, which I appreciated. The soundtrack definitely added to the tone of each scene.

The pacing was also excellent as I never felt it drag and the storyline kept driving it along until the very end. There were heart-wrenching scenes, but it never felt too overdramatic or exaggerated and everything--the events, the characters' reactions--felt realistic.

I can't think of another drama where I enjoyed everything so thoroughly and I would definitely recommend this drama for those who are looking for a more mature romantic kdrama.

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