Also known as It's Okay Not to Be Okay (I like better to refer to this drama using its Korean title), 사이코지만 괜찮아 is Kim Soo Hyun's latest drama starring Seo Ye Ji. The show is about two people who have traumatic issues in their past that prohibit them from letting their guard down to be in love. As they enter each other's lives, would they be able to find healing and resolution from each other?
I was very delighted to learn that KSH would be starring in this drama, because I did miss him! This is his first drama after military service, and for sure a lot of people looked forward to this show after its initial announcement. I only got to learn about this when I scanned Netflix' upcoming shows. Yup, it is available on Netflix and it is being updated with two episodes per week. To be honest, I seriously considered skipping watching this because I wanted to take a break from KDramas (right after my obsession from TKEM took most of my time 😅). But oh well, my curiosity took the best out of me. After I watched these first two episodes, I have no regrets though.
Episode 1 - The Boy Who Fed On Nightmares
First and foremost, I was instantly enthralled by the animation in the beginning of this episode. It strikingly reminded me of Tim Burton's style. I was amused by the fact that the girl in the animation, the child actress, and Seo Ye Ji all look alike, especially with the eyes. And this is one aspect that Kim Soo Hyun highlighted himself during his first few encounters with Seo Ye Ji.
I know mental health issues have such a great stigma in South Korea, so kudos to this drama for revolving around this theme. I hope this show indeed brings some awareness and acceptance to these topics, not just in their country, but also to all audiences of this show. Apparently this is not the first time that this has been done in a drama and I hope important conversations would continue because of dramas like this. For me, this is my first time to watch a drama (as far I could remember) wherein a main character works in a psychiatric hospital. And so we see a glimpse of what the day-to-day job of a mental health worker is about.
A word of caution though: some scenes might be triggering, so approach this drama heedfully.
The hospital setup kind of reminded me of that escape room I went to a year ago. Although this is a fictional setting, we have to admit that there is still some truth on how the condition of some patients are being portrayed, and it's a sad realization really.
Shifting to some lighter notes, it's entertaining to see Kang Gi Doong again in this drama, the same actor that played PM Koo's secretary in TKEM. Park Jin Joo is another familiar actor here. She is also present in Her Private Life, another drama I'm watching (and which I will go back to soon...?). Aside from them, there are a number of familiar faces in this drama, which is one an evidence that I've seen a number of KDRAMAs already in my life. 😂
Another highlight of this episode is the long airtime dedicated to Kim Soo Hyun's post-military physique. 😍 This kind of reminds me of that same scenario with Song Joong Ki in Descendants of the Sun. The drama PDs really know how to give some quality fan service to the audience.😆 This drama also is a nice change of scenery. If TKEM showed South Korea in all its autumn glory, for this drama spring has come! I am very much looking forward to lots of scenes with cherry blossoms, my most favorite flower in the world. 🌸 In another note, Seo Ye Ji's outfits kind of remind me of IU's style in Hotel Del Luna, and I am living for her every outfit change. For sure, her dresses and accessories will become a mainstream hit because of this drama!
Seo Ye Ji plays the role of a children's book author, but are these stories really for children only? One of the aspects that I especially liked in this drama is the artful way of narrating human experiences and emotions through children's stories, and the amazing animations for sure added life and magic to the narration.
Episode Rating: ★★★★☆
I love the animations and the stories! They perfectly set the tone of this drama.
Episode 2 - The Lady in Red Shoes
Slowly but surely, we see the connection between our two leads begin to form. Kim Soo Hyun's character -- Moon Kang Tae, sure remembers the girl he used to like through Ko Moon Young's eyes (Seo Ye Ji's character). We also begin to slowly get to know KMY. Based on forums that I saw over Reddit, some users said that her portrayal of a person with anti-social personality disorder is pretty accurate. It made me contemplate if I have actually encountered a personal like her in real life (My thoughts went to one person, but I will never be able to confirm this, because I am no doctor).
One recurring theme of this drama that I have noticed so far is the numerous fairy tale references. For this episode, the story alluded the symbolism of The Red Shoes, a short story by Hans Christian Andersen, the same author that wrote The Little Mermaid. I realized that this "fairy tale" has such a morbid and disturbing plot, and it's hard to believe that this story is for children.
My most favorite scene in this episode is when MKT rested his head on his brother's shoulder while on the bus. that scene is just so heartwarming. Also, through this episode, I discovered that KSH is left-handed like me! Hehe this really made me happy because I have something in common with him. 😅
I really do think that child actress is just perfect for this role because she has such creepy eyes. 😨 In the narration of the Moon brothers' backstory, it led me to this disturbing conclusion that it was actually KMY who killed their mother with a pen. Oh no, I really hope this is not an accurate deduction.
Episode Rating: ★★★★☆
I'm living for this drama's scene transitions! Very creative and artistic!
This is such a great start for this drama. I never thought I needed some Kim Soo Hyun content in my life right now. 😊
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