Kim Soo-hyun, Seo Ye-ji: Images from tvN
“It’s Okay to Not be Okay” is a dark, cynical drama that vividly depicts how relationships develop as characters struggle with various mental disorders. It will serve as a blueprint for romance for those who learn the power of healing over time.
Kim Soo-hyun and Seo Ye-ji’s “unique love” in the mental health drama “It’s Okay to Not Be Okay”
“It’s Okay to Not Be Okay,” which was released on June 20, 2020, is celebrating its fourth anniversary today. Let’s take a look at what kind of mark Kim Soo-hyun and Seo Ye-ji’s bittersweet romance left on the hearts of viewers on this day.
A brief character analysis of the two main characters
Before delving further into their love story, it is important to have an overview of Kim Soo Hyun and Seo Ye Ji’s individual personality traits in the drama.
Seo Ye-ji plays Go Mun-young, a children’s storybook writer who is the most complex character in the series. She prefers to live in a world of folklore, lives in a dark atmosphere, and has a look that leads us to believe she is a rude, arrogant, and negative person.
However, the creators’ intention was not to make her a strong female lead, but rather a character with an inner vulnerability.
Meanwhile, Kim Soo-hyun embodies the character of Moon Gang-tae, who takes care of his autistic brother and lives for himself without even realizing it. From moving house to changing jobs every now and then, his character makes the most sacrifices in “It’s Okay to Not Be Okay.”
So the question arises: how can two people, one so compassionate and selfless and the other rather selfish, form a relationship based on love?
The Beginnings of Moon Kang-tae and Go Mun-young
When Moon Gang-tae and Go Mun-young first meet, there is a lot of hostility, mainly from the man, as he despises her antisocial nature, but as Gang-tae is the caregiver for his mentally ill brother, it doesn’t take him long to notice Mun-young’s suffering.
Despite her resistant shell, he manages to peer inside her soul and helps her heal.
Meanwhile, Go Mun-young is instantly attracted to Moon Kang-tae because no one could stop her selfishness, she quickly becomes attached to him and calls him a “safety pin” because she is a “time bomb”.
Go Mun-young, Moon Kang-tae, and his brother
Moon Sang-tae’s autistic older brother plays a key role between Go Mun-young and Gang-tae: the only reason Moon Gang-tae takes Mun-young’s side despite being antagonistic is because he has an older brother who is a writer and a big fan of her books.
The relationships between the three also lead to some interesting developments in the romance between the caregiver and the writer.
At first, Sang-tae likes being with Go Mun-young, especially since he thinks she’s wonderful and she thinks he’s funny, but as time goes on, a romance blossoms between Sang-tae and Gang-tae, and the older brother becomes jealous, feeling as if his younger brother is trying to steal away his only “friend.”
Many were hoping for a love triangle here, but that was not the author’s intention. Either way, this also has a big impact on the relationship between the brothers.
Atypical love success stories
After overcoming all difficulties, Moon Kang-tae and Go Mun-young embrace each other and are united in one heart.
But the road was difficult. It was easy for Go Mun-young to confide in Gang-tae because all she wanted was a person. On the other hand, it was difficult for Gang-tae because all he had known in his life was how to care for others, not how to be cared for.
You may wonder why they fall in love. The secret is the power of healing.
From the beginning, Go Mun-young’s mental illness is clear to viewers. She had a troubled childhood caused by an abusive father, but she relives it over and over again. She lives in a house that holds dark secrets and writes stories that become metaphors for her own life. It’s not until she meets Kang-tae that she begins to heal.
On the other hand, Gang-tae may seem to be good at “patience.” However, he has been taught by his mother to take care of Sang-tae since he was a child. His mother even told him that the only reason he was born was to protect his brother for the rest of his life. Imagine, doubting your own worth as a child! The harm it would cause is unimaginable.
But our protagonists form relationships as they come to terms with similar past trauma and embrace healing.
Hidden Secrets
Go Mun-young and Gang-tae’s meeting was merely a coincidence, as they had both known each other since childhood. As a child, she had saved Gang-tae from a frozen lake, but he had simply wanted to “disappear” along with the ice.
Their childhood interactions laid the foundation for a fascinating relationship that would develop decades later.
