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 … Continue reading →
It’s finale weekend for weekend drama It’s Okay to Not be Okay, and it’s been a fantastic ride even with the rather unorthodox turn in last weekend’s episodes. Since it’s live streamed on Netflix I watch it on TV rather than my computer and oftentimes Mr. Koala and the Koala Teens wander by and watch a few minutes and ask … Continue reading →
This was a rough episode of It’s Okay to Not be Okay to watch, probably as dark as it gets with both the narrative and the title fairy tale written by Moon Young of The Hand, The Monkfish,. There is usually some levity in each episode, and a sense of hopefulness, but episode 14 was the hammer dropping of both … Continue reading →
tvN Sat-Sun drama It’s Okay to Not be Okay is both about psychiatry and fairy tales, or really how fairy tales is an encapsulation and discussion about mention and emotional issues. Each episode is named about a fairy tale, most are from Western tales with a few taken from Moon Young’s stories that she’s written. Episode 13 is the first … Continue reading →
I realized that nearly all of the most popular younger generation K-actors have had a chance now to play a sageuk king, prince, or even fictional modern day Korean king/emperor. It’s totally an excuse for me to collect the entire menagerie of regal hotness for a question – who is your hottest His Majesty or His Royal Highness? For me … Continue reading →
Grah, freaking July feels like a slog made worse than the usual dog days of summer by COVID-19 ennui and the never ending stay at home as much as you can self-preservation game plan. For the entirety of its 5-week run so far, tvN drama It’s Okay to Not be Okay and male lead Kim Soo Hyun has topped the … Continue reading →
Hoo boy was there was lot to unpack and digest in episode 12 of It’s Okay to Not be Okay. The signs where there all along that Moon Young’s mom may (1) not be dead, and (2) may be more evil than simply an emotional child abuser. The possibility that she may be the butterfly killer of Kang Tae and … Continue reading →
You can only get progress and catharsis from what is stagnant and seemingly hopeless, and episode 11 of It’s Okay to Not be Okay delivered tons of incredibly satisfying forward momentum without any of the usual K-drama tropes. Kang Tae and Moon Young’s breakup was as short as it should be considering how it solved no problems and allowed Sang … Continue reading →
For much too long all the characters in It’s Okay to Not be Okay have been in stasis, in suspended animation if you will. Going through the motions, surviving and succeeding, but never addressing a boatload of childhood trauma and adult exhaustion. I think everyone should check into It’s Okay Hospital stat, but it’s Sang Tae who gets an overnight … Continue reading →
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 … Continue reading →
Sat-Sun tvN drama It’s Okay to Not be Okay rounded the midway point last week and is headed to the second half of its run, prompting the usual posts about what to expect and how well/not well it’s gone so far. One interesting perspective came from two recent K-ent articles praising the set design and special effects of the drama, … Continue reading →
It’s definitely the dog days of summer swinging right through the second week of July already. I think there is plenty on the small screen right now for K-drama viewers, lots of selection in different genres. Topping the viewer interest in internet searches remains It’s Okay to Not be Okay on the drama front, followed by weekend stalwart Once Again … Continue reading →
It’s midpoint time for tvN Sat-Sun drama It’s Okay to Not be Okay and at this point a viewer is either in or out. I watched with a giant grin on my face through the entirety of episode 8, it was that good. From Moon Young not wanting a mushroom haircut from Kang Tae, to Daniel Choi‘s purposely smarmy and … Continue reading →
