Never have I felt so happy with the decision to stick with It’s Okay, It’s Love. When I hit the cross roads of whether to continue watching or not, right around the time Hae Soo got over her intimacy aversion in whiplash speed after being the most asinine travel partner ever, there was still this kernel of beauty in this drama that captivated me. It wasn’t a glossy still-life the way That Winter, the Wind Blows felt posed, IOIL was messy and off-putting and didn’t always have its ducks in a row. That’s a good thing actually, a great drama doesn’t have to be perfect nor aspire to accurate, it should find ways to convey the purpose even within its limitations. In the end IOIL did that and more, I walked away emotionally enriched and thoroughly satisfied. The acting was top-notch all across the board and I’d be hard pressed to have any disagreement if the leads walked away with acting awards at year end.

Another really comforting takeaway was seeing the cast and crew work hard to deliver a quality product regardless of mainstream appeal or pandering to the ratings. Sure all the PPL was everywhere like it is in all the drama nowadays but the narrative was never dumbed down to incorporate it. Seeing the happy cast at the wrap party which was actually a gathering to watch the final episode live as it aired on television was especially poignant. This drama isn’t perfect but the feeling it left me was as perfect as it gets when it comes to what I look for in dramas and why I continue to watch. I’m sure none of the mental illnesses brought up in this drama could be cured as elegantly and neatly as the drama posited but that’s not the point. The point is that mental illness manifests in all sorts of ways all around us, and maybe even within ourselves, but it’s not an excuse for how we live our lives nor is it a reason to give up. I love this drama and think it’ll withstand the test of time. Continue reading →