Categories: K-dramas

Happiness and Then Heartbreak Elevates Episode 9 of It’s Okay to Not Be Okay to New Emotional Heights with Ratings of 4.995% and 5.814%

I think both Kim Soo Hyun and Oh Jung Se just submitted their names for the 2021 Baeksang Awards for Best Actor and Best Supporting Actor in the drama category with today’s episode 9 performance It’s Okay to Not be Okay. The last 5 minutes are insane, absolutely a gut punch heartwrenching tour de force from both Kang Tae and Sang Tae. Oh Jung Se already won Best Supporting Actor this year for When the Camellia Blooms and Kim Soo Hyun also won Best Actor for The Moon Embraces the Sun, so what this shows us is that it’s never a fluke, these two men are artists of the highest order and worthy of all the accolades and awards. I’m a little cried out this week from some J-ent bad news otherwise I probably would be curled up in a ball at the end of episode 9, instead my tears fell like Moon Young cried knowing that the truth is messy, dirty, complicated, hurtful, but above all it’s real and raw. Just as Kang Tae broke free (for a day) of his lifelong obligation it’s come back to grab hold of him stronger than before. But one can never find freedom by shortcuts and escapes, only by addressing all the pain of the past can our wonderfully complex characters move forward.

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    • Me too! Personally, it beats CLOY and Itaewon Class in my book because it resonates with me in a way the other dramas don’t. I liked CLOY a lot and thought it was a charming drama, but couldn’t bring myself to finish it. And I love Itaewon Class and PSJ’s acting in it. But this drama...has this addictive quality... words escape me to define that ephemeral something that makes each episode linger in your mind long after you watch it. KSH, SYJ and OJS’s performances are daebak. And I love the OSTs as well... Pity about the ratings, but I can see why some would drop it, the drama isn’t for everyone. Subject matter, plot and dreamy pacing of the drama might not be everyone’s cup of tea.

  • KSH should have never returned with this drama it lacks on all fronts and it's hell'va boring drama. Real 2.0 allover again

    • This is my exact sentiment and the main issues rise from the simplicity in the plotline there is no excitement or stakes at all whatsoever so you have the same two people in a friendly environment just starring at each other or having unreasonable tantrums. The scale of the drama is very low in my honest opinion and this will enter the portfolio of another kdrama melo and forgotten. I have seen many of these melo's just same stories with new characters.

      The I-fans are abandoning it slowly for a good reason and heres to hoping that KSH's next project is exciting. He needs to move away from Melo's and try himself in new genres. All his other dramas were melos except producers. He has stagnated in my opinion

      • I am watching currently but have to agree it can be snoozefest as you mentioned due to the simplicity of the plotline where not much happens. I am also left frustrated if not much happens in the next episode I am dropping it

      • Lmao i dont know the Ifans you are talking about but this drama was trending 3 worldwide on Twitter yesterday just because you dont like it doesn't mean others would

      • @mayon. I mean daily sorry an error .and yes they doing great on netflix they are still in top ten on netflix in 20 countries as of today And currently 9 worldwide for this month. May i know how you base your sucess for netflix shows if not fixpatrol genuiely want to know.

      • @ lavinia.. Netflix just releases the trending list for each country and not how many people actually watched it.
        It is true that IONTBO is trending on 23rd countries but this doesn't give a quantitative idea as to how many people were watching it..So what Flixpatrol does is.. for a certain drama, on a particular day..it looks at its position in countries where it trended..For example if in HK it trended at 1 , Flixpatrol gives 10 points whereas if in US it trends at 2 position they give 9 points and so on..And ultimately they sum up the total points and rank accordingly..
        However every country have different number of subscribers and Flixpatrol giving points based on a drama's trending status doesn't convert to total number of viewers . They just give points based on the trending position overlooking the size of the country which creates a disparity..
        Moreover FLIXPATROL has data available from late March or April onwards..You can check directly.. That's why I find it so funny when TKEM fans claim that it is under top 10 this year in the world.. I mean come on ..does it even make sense for shows like Ozark and Elite to rank below TKEM..Use some logic..There is fault in overall ranking of Flixpatrol according to my logic. Anyways Netflix will be releasing the official data towards the year end.
        BTW.. atleast you can surely gloat that IONTBO is trending in so many countries and it is a fact .. Don't go after that overall ranking given by Flixpatrol..It is faulty..

      • @ Lavinia to make it more clear..exa: if drama A ranks at 10 position in Japan it gets 1 point from Flixpatrol whereas if drama B ranks at 1st position in a small Asian country , Flixpatrol will then give them 10 points..Lol!! Japan has the largest number of subscribers in Asia.But according to Flixpatrol's logic they will still place drama B at a higher position..
        Hence don't trust Flixpatrol's overall rankings.. Netflix will ultimately issue the rankings..And till then just mention that IONTBO is trending in so many countries.

      • @ may on thanks for the info i am glad it doing well regardless which is why i find it ridicules with some claim here that it losing fans without any fact to back it up.
        On a side note you one of reasonable commented here.

      • @ Lavinia..it is actually a joke if people claim that international audience are loosing interest.whereas I find many people liking and discussing about it...
        I would still believe if they went on to say about domestic ratings cause it is a fact that the premier episode has the highest ratings till date and then it declined..Still it manages to do well with its target audience in Korea i.e .the youngsters.
        However it is a big hit internationally..and those who can't see it better get their eyes checked.

      • Same. Dunno what drama these ppl are watching but it sure as hell ain't IOTNBO.This drama has managed to drag me back into watching kdramas after 2 years of trying to get back into them and failing with all the recent "big" names like CLOY or TWOTM (not saying those weren't good, just couldn't grasp my attention enough to make me finish them). The last time I was this invested in a kdrama was Stranger.

  • What a rollercoaster of emotion episode 9 is. I liked the bit about Jeong Tae prioritizing his recovery over running away with Areum, this unerscores the importance of fixing your own problems first if you want to build a solid and stable relationship. The final scene is raw and brutal and Kim Soo Hyun and Oh Jung Se both delivered Baeksang-worthy performance.

    Absolutely love this drama.

  • I loved Episode 9. so impressed with Kim Sio Hyun acting. My Friends and I Look forwars to this drama every Saturday and Sunday Night. So it's NetFlix nights for us during weekends.
    And this drama is always trending on twitter so i have to disagree that i-fans are already abandoning this drama.
    and there are also a lot of positive comments on DB as compared with other dramas.

    • It's Netflix ranking is decreasing suggesting abandonment but aside from that I use to post on DB and they don't represent the viewers because the regulars are just few friends who post multiple times to start a conversation and make the place buzzing

      • But the Netflix rankings are great and have been from the start.

        Dramabeans is the largest & most diverse kdrama site out there & IOTNBO is regularly getting in the 250-350 comments range every recap. 300 comments would have been huge even in the old DB days so for it to hit that number now is insane. Just to compare it with another big TVN show, IOTNBO is regularly pulling in 2-3x more comments on DB than CLOY did six months ago.

        Also, you can add in that IOTNBO is averaging 400 - 500 reddit posts hours after the show drops on Netflix & stays trending on Twitter hours after the episode airs, two things that have remained consistent since the premiere.

        The only people who are claiming that ifans are abandoning IOTNBO are a few "regulars" on this blog. I wonder why?

      • @Orpy
        Even King Eternal Monarch used to have 400+ comments on DB .So it isn't a criteria as to how a drama is faring..
        The difference is that King's recap used to have mixed views whereas IONTBO getting positive ones..This should only matter..
        And where did you get the idea that 250-300 comments used to be huge in the old days..Check the recap of King 2 Hearts..Its last epi itself went over 1000 comments.
        And I disagree with the O.P that international audience are loosing interest..

      • You seem awfully adamant about this drama "losing I-fans" and viewers for some reason. So much so that this blog has multiple comments parroting this sentiment (all anonymous might I add). Seems more like you're desperately trying to convince others of its supposed failure to push some agenda.

      • And by the way it netflix ranking is not decreseaing it increased from 16 countries to 23 countries. They are yet to release the data for this week.it seems some certain people really want Ifans to stop looking it but from what i have seen the response have been explosive and mainly positive it only on this blog you find such delusional pressed haters lol.

      • @ Lavinia..when did Netflix start releasing weekly data??
        Don't tell me ur source is Flixpatrol..???..First of all check how their points table is constituted..If you still have doubt..I will explain you.

    • @Orpy... No offence, but if you really think that those comments on Koalasplayground, Reddit, Dramabeans or MyDramalist indicate that this drama is more successful than CLOY, then you are blinded by your love for IOTNBO. It is perhaps not a fluke as some claims it to be, but it is definitely not as successful as My Love From A Star, Goblin, Descendants of the Sun or even CLOY and Legend of the Blue Sea. Those propelled the main actors into global stardom. Seo Ye Ji will definitely not touch the fame of JJH, SHK or Son Ye Jin. She will be lucky if she manages to become as relevant as Kim Go Eun (who is still not S-tier). In fact, I will not be surprised that at next year's Baeksang, this drama will win zero acting, writing or directing awards. Have you seen what the kdrama lineup is for 2020-2021? People define this drama as one that will change the kdrama landscape, but I just see it as a very solid "It"-drama. When it is over, another "It"-drama will be replace it. A bit like Hotel Del Luna, Itaewon Class, at that level... No more, no less.

      • Seo Ye Ji won't touch the fame of the others? You must be a time traveler. Can you tell us more?

      • You do not need to be a time traveler to come to that conclusion. No one of the younger generation will ever achieve this kind of stardom. Mainly because the Chinese market is closed off due to the Hallyu ban. In the past, we used to talk about billions of viewers. Without China, we are talking about millions.

        The next best thing is Japan, but IOTNBO is not able to top the Netflix-rankings due to CLOY and IC. No idea what the fascination is with CLOY in Japan, because I think IOTNBO is better... But it is what it is... Also Japan and Korea are fighting an awful trade war. Would not be surprised if Japan is also going to ban Hallyu. Kdrama is less prominent in India. The rest of South-East Asia can choose between Jun Ji Hyun, Song Hye Kyo, Son Ye Jin and many more, so why would they choose for the new kid on the block?

        Seo Ye Ji can only match them, if she continues to get cast in pan-Asian hits, but I doubt that she will be the first choice for dramas by the top writers and directors because there are actresses that can act better, pull in more ratings and are able to sell more products. Just look at her resume and you can see only dramas of around 5-7% ratings. In reality, she is still waiting for that breakout role that will give her recognition with the general public. The times are just different. I do not need to be a wise person to make claims such as that it would be difficult to find the next BTS, Michael Jackson, Brad Pitt, Jun Ji Hyun, Son Ye Jin, Song Hye Kyo etc.

      • @The Truth
        You are comparing Kim Go Eun with Seo Ye Ji? You must be kidding. There are two reasons I simply couldn't watch LMH's The King, it's KGE/her ridiculous overacting and the very messy delivery/direction.Seo Ye Ji on this drama is simply brilliant. Every little facial expression is brilliant.

        Someone said here this drama brought them back to watching k-drama. I am the same. I've been so bored and dissatisfied with k-dramas for a couple of years now and this, finally, got me engaged and happy. CLOY is silly and predictable. This one here is acting powerhouse by every single actor playing their role, except maybe the of the nurse that has a crush on KSH character.

        You're so adamant that it will not win any Baeksang. Do you have a crystal ball? And with the acting on this drama, I'd say they'd win big. You see, I'd go with acting than hype and popularity.

      • @Mindy

        KGE has been part of many hits and has recognition where as Seo ye Ji doesn't but whatever you like is not relevant here but she is the more established actress on paper and your girl is far behind no need to get irked by this which is basic facts. She gotta work her way up and back to the drawing line.

        I agree with whatever thetruth said and I share the same sentiment

      • ClOY is silly and predictable you lost me there? I am just gonna exit this conversation right here now. If you think this is award worthy they should just start to handing it out to B-listers as said by others because this drama is boring you know it and I know it. stop bashing ClOY or other dramas taking your frustation out on them. What is lacking here is the plot nothing else really

      • @Mindy, I can ask you the same question. Why do you think that IONTBO will win the Baeksang? It is a Korean award after all and the Koreans are not super fond of it.

        My arguments why it will be tough for IONTBO to win:
        - Stranger 2, which is the successor to a Daesang winner. Might be a total fail, but if it is similar in quality as its previous drama, then it is already tough to beat it.
        - Other dramas such as SF8 (seems like an ambitious project, not sure whether it is good... did not watch it yet), Here (Lee Byun Hun, Han Ji Min, Shin Mina and more star power), Silent Witness (Gong Yoo, Bae Doona), Mount Jiri (Jun Ji Hyun, Ju Ji Hoon), Suriname (Hwang Jung Min, Ha Jung Woo). There are some projects on Netflix with Yoo Ah In and Lee Je Hoon. Sisyphus with Jo Seung Woo... Squid Games (Lee Jung Jae, Park Hae Soo)... Hospital Playlist 2 and many more.

        You can disagree, but these are movie actors and in acting are definitely a notch above Seo Ye Ji and even Kim Soo Hyun. In star power, some come close too Kim Soo Hyun and some are more popular in Korea.

        Timing wise this drama is also not ideal. By the time the nominations come out, this show will be forgotten and almost one year old.I think the sweet spot is to finish your drama just before the nominations are coming out.

        Regarding Kim Go Eun, she is shit. But she was lucky with Goblin and Cheese in the Trap (Park Hae Jin is big in China) and lifted on the success of the drama and the male leads. Something Seo Ye Ji currently cannot do as the drama is not watchable in China or popular in the big countries such as Japan.

      • Did I say that it was more successful? No. I said in comparison to other big TVN dramas the DB audience engagement is 2-3x higher & it is. The reason why I brought it up in the first place is because of the ongoing lie on this blog that IOTNBO is losing ifan support which it is not.

        The rest of what you wrote is a lot of opinions thrown around as facts and delusional fan-war nonsense, meaning it is not worth commenting on.

      • Oh really??.. CLOY is silly and predictable..LMAO...Its cliffhangers were amazing.
        Nobody knew what could be the ending.. whether the leads end up together or remain separated untill the Korean peninsula reunites...If it is that predictable,the writer would have let the 2nd leads live happily ever after...
        I like IONTBO too..but you don't have to drag CLOY down just because it got higher domestic ratings than IONTBO..
        I m not claiming CLOY to be perfect..But you calling CLOY silly shows ur ignorance...Sure there were common tropes just like any drama but the writer spent 10 years in building that world..And the research that went behind was magnanimous..
        Even I can be ignorant and talk about IONTBO to be silly cause it handles some serious mental illness like a joke..
        So far IONTBO is good but the ending of each episode doesn't give me the urge to wait anxiously for the next episode..Its pacing is slow and suitable for such type of dramas.
        .And FYI IONTBO is predictable as well..a.k.a At the end..love conquers all.
        You not liking CLOY is one thing and it is ur choice .. However don't vouch ur opinion as facts..
        Call out those who criticize the acting of IONTBO cast..They are doing a fabulous job..
        Whether you like it or not..CLOY did better business than IONTBO and it is a fact..As for awards, we will wait for the next year and I think this drama can get some fair amount of awards..So good luck.

      • Sorry, but by BTS do you mean the kpop band ? If it is, i don't understand .BTScan be known by some youngers but i doubt that they are at the same level as Brad Pitt, Michael Jackson, Tom Cruise, Julia Roberts,Celine Dion, Beyonce,.. and other big names who are known all over the world !Even Song Hye Kyo or Jun JI Hun are miles away from their fame !!! That's reality.

      • This is the most on point comment on this blog post so far.

        It's way too early in the year to talk about Baeksang awards, but IOTNBO has the disadvantage of being released early and not having good ratings. By the time next year's Baeksang awards releases its nominations, IOTNBO may get lost in the fold.

        Comparison to Hotel Del Luna is perfect actually. May get a few acting nominations, but not much else.

      • @Sylvie. Of course I am not. But I am talking about the timing and accessibility. BTS became so famous, because they embraced social media and made their music accessible in the West. Now every Kpop-band does it. When Song Hye Kyo became famous with Autumn in my Heart, not a lot of kdramas were exported or translated. Nowadays there are 200 translated kdramas each year and accessible to everyone. This is not much different than how Michael Jackson broke through. If everyone was able to record their music from home and post it on Youtube like today, then he would have much more competition.

      • @TheTruth, Hallyu ban is a myth. I see this drama being promoted on Weibo like anything and KSH crying scene was one of the hot searches.

      • Yeah and Backstreet Rookie is shown on IQiyi - a Chinese website... But that is not my point. In the past, kdramas would be broadcasted on TV in Japan and China. Those times are definitely over.

      • No, I don’t think any Kdramas were ever broadcast on national TV in China because even their own dramas have a strict selection criteria. They were and still are broadcast on TV channels in Hong Kong though.

      • @ABC My Love From Another Star was broadcasted on Anhui TV. Now it is much more difficult to access kdrama via a legal route.

      • @ABC My Love From Another Star was broadcast on Anhui TV. Now it is much more difficult to access kdrama via a legal route.

  • Wait what? They should just give the award to B-listers in that case because they may deliver more boring drama then this one and top it in that way because I guess the more boring a drama is the more it deserves award I see

    • I mean, the King was a lot more boring and you don't see anyone saying it should win any awards. You need to actually have acting skills and solid production/writing to achieve that. So... take your bait and pack it.

      • Lol what makes you think I liked the KING. I hated that drama by the way but I can still see it was a much bigger hit and International hit atleast.

        While your baby-faced actor failed miserable everywhere. The only reason ppl even care about him is due to his baby-face he looks like an orphaned child you needs breast milk. Thats the only reason his here today not talent. He has zero impact as actor. My favourite drama was Hotel Del Luna and Cloy by the way.

        Also on another note his a feminine looking actor who lacks behind the likes of Hyun Bin, Park Seo Jeon, Lee Min Ho, and Ji Chang Wook stop deluding yourself. His limited by default as he lacks the mane of a proper man

      • For someone who hated the king, you sure got defensive there. You're not fooling anyone, sweetcheeks. Let me tell you a secret: even if you change your username and email every time you comment, if your IP address is the same, your avatar will stay the same. You could always use a vpn, of course, but you lmh fangirls are too low brained to know how to use one. Shall I tell you all the names you used to defend your oppar in other articles, btw? ;)

      • I feel like you are looking for some strange justification for why I left my comment which I find strange. I have been watching It's okay and didn't liked it and I left my comment. I am moving on to the next drama now. Stop looking at the wrong trees

    • I don't like that drama I dropped it but this article is about it's Okay lets not focus on something entirely different from the main topic. All I am giving is constructive criticism not here for some weird blame game because it seems like you are looking for some strange justification for why people may not like this drama. That looks slightly desparate to me

      • How interesting is it that both you and "NRT" down there wrote the same exact word with the same exact grammatical mistake? It's not "desparate", darling. It's written "desperate". Oopsie. Trying to seem like there's a lot of you by using different usernames seems a bit more "desparate" (lol) to me. You guys are so pathetic that it's almost sad. But right now, you're still entertaining. Keep going!

    • @UI imagine thinking looks can win you 4 deasangs. You could have just stated you didnt like the drama and why but downgrading his looks or how manly he is lol you are just another hater.oh and btw it also doing well internationally. Come back when your fav oppa have 4 deasang b4 you talk about talent

  • Oops,,the ratings is only 4.995 to 5.184.
    It shows that korean people do not like this drama.well, they do not even watch this. Kim So hyun's drama having this rate indicates that this drama fails to attract people. What a failure!!

    • Just because your oppar is a failed actor with a failed comeback drama and nothing more than an average face to "save" him, you don't need to constantly try to undermine other, more talented and successful actors to try and elevate the mediocre one. IOTNBO ratings are fine. KSH is gonna be fine after this and is delivering another incredible performance. Get over it. Also, it's 5,8 love. Numbers shouldn't be that hard to copy...

      • This simple mistake will not make this drama a hit drama. It still remains within 5, not 6 % ratings.it just a flop drama.

  • Some of the comments on any IOTNBO post are so telling LOL if you losers have shit taste and can’t appreciate incredible acting and stories, atleast don’t post about it so boldly online. Choose a struggle, for God’s sake.

    Anyways, what a ride this episode was. Superbly paced and beautifully acted by everyone. KSH and OJS in particular showed off the truly superior caliber of acting they both posses, with SYJ carrying on her incredible performance since the beginning of the show. This show is really what I call a Daesang worthy masterpiece.

  • Suddenly, averaging 7.7% for The King looks like a solid hit. This must be a terrible disappointment for TvN.

    • @LMH - Why would they be comparable? One’s on a public channel, the other’s on cable? You’re comparing apples to oranges.

    • Stupid LMH delulu fans are just here to bash. Bitter Sour Lemons! They are non-stop because The King is not even trending in Netflix anymore.

  • This episode so good!!! The last 5 minutes makes me cried. But i love it that moon yeong didn't try to interrupt it. She knows it's between the brothers. KSH keep growing as an actor. Seo ye ji fit this role so well tooo.

    • I actually expected her to interrupt, since she knows a little about the true story. But honestly, it was her who precipitated the whole fiasco, with her egging Sang Tae on to express how he hates his brother, and her insistence on Kang Tae spending the night outside their home. And don’t get me started on how damaging idle gossips and gossiping can be....ugh. But great performances from Oh Jung Se and Kim Soo Hyun.

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