Two decades of Hallyu dramas under the belt leaves me a bit jaded and always guarded for the other shoe to drop, namely a really crappy ending. Not that an ending is unhappy for the OTP, even happy endings have been crappy because it’s unsatisfying in tying up loose ends and giving the characters their proper conclusion. Everything about the last episode of It’s Okay to Not be Okay was perfection, from first to last frame. My heart gushed, it soared, it teared, it laughed, this was what is asked by a viewer/reader when we sit down and say “tell me a story”. Moon Young and Kang Tae got their romantic happy ending, but more importantly Sang Tae got his life happy ending, independence and agency and best of all the ability to express his emotions as he made his own decisions.

Evil mommy was a catalyst and a boogie man but the three leads conquered not just her seeds of evil but also their own limitations, ending with the ability to seek their own happiness. And that ability doesn’t guarantee everything will work out, but at least they have the courage to try and the safety of having their family unit and a greater friend unit around them. This drama was my balm in an otherwise hard year and I highly highly recommend it now that it’s over even moreso than the exciting creative beginning episodes. This is a drama that will have lasting power. As for ratings, the average is 5.425% which is just below what Arthdal Chronicles averaged last year. It’s not the hit that the quality should have gotten but for cable network tvN it’s squarely in the middle of the ratings pack. I’m thrilled Kim Soo Hyun picked this as his comeback project, his Kang Tae was nnnnnngggggg so amazing and so hot to behold, coupled with Seo Ye Ji and Oh Jung Se’s equally riveting performances and the trio brought a fairy tale to life.