Introduction
“It’s Okay to Not Be Okay” is a South Korean drama about two brothers, Moon Gang-tae and his older brother, Moon Sang-Tae. Moon Gang-tae becomes the only guardian of Sang-tae, who has an autism spectrum disorder after their mother died while they were young. Sang-tae has horrible nightmares about butterflies assaulting him because he was the only one who witnessed their mother’s death.
For Sang-tae to feel secure again and for their lives to be bearable, they want to change their place of living. Before making their next move, the brothers meet Ko Mun-yeong, Sang-favorite Tae’s children’s book author, and she and Gang-tae establish a love connection (JACQLIMMM, 2020). She, too, has dealt with mental health concerns and trauma in the past. “It’s Okay Not to Be Okay” is unquestionably at its finest when depicting mental diseases, recovery, and brotherly connections.
Ko Mun-Yeong
Ko Mun-yeong appears to have the perfect life of a successful creator of fairy tales who is exceedingly gorgeous. Other characters frequently comment on her physical appearance, fashion style, and popularity to demonstrate that her existence is one they could only wish for. However, it is worth noting the fact that, in reality, this character faces many life difficulties. In addition, she describes her current situation because she had to face a manipulative mother as a child. Such situations often affect the adult life of all people.
At a more conscious age, we have to face problems and psychological traumas that we received in childhood (Cherry). For Mun-yeong, this difficulty also manifests itself in the fact that she feels deep in her subconscious that she does not deserve happiness. All this leads to how this character interacts with other K-drama characters. In addition, another important psychological aspect that is worth noting is connected with Mun-yeong’s writing career.
For her, writing fairy tales serves as a kind of tool that allows her to cope with her psychological difficulties since it is in books that she strives to reflect on her experiences and experiences. This problem from the past is strongly reflected in the fact that this character seeks to interact with other people in a relatively rude and possessive manner, in which her antisocial personality disorder manifests itself (Cherry). As the story progresses, we can observe how Mun-yeong tends to move away from his built image of a domineering woman thanks to close communication with Moon Sang-tae and Moon Gang-tae (Forever Winter, 2022). Interaction with them allows her to understand the importance of trusting people and learning to rely on them at the right time.
Moon Sang-Tae
Another important character in this series is Moon Sang-tae, who is trying to cope with his illness. Through the prism of this character, we can observe how people with special needs go through life difficulties to find common ground with the whole world and differentiate themselves (Jadhav). His features and talents are manifested in the process of plot development when the viewer watches how the abilities of this character begin to be appreciated by other people (Forever Winter, 2022). This is manifested in the love of art, thanks to which Moon Sang-tae is perceived in a completely different way as a person. His skills allow him to be relatively independent of other characters, which allows him to demonstrate the contrast between him and Ko Mun-Yeong regarding how they use art to cope with difficulties.
In addition, from a psychological point of view, the viewer is allowed to observe the way to overcome their fears and childhood traumas. It is clear from the plot that Moon Sang-tae witnessed the death of his mother, which was caused by a man wearing a brooch with a butterfly (Forever Winter, 2022). Thus, this insect became associated with death. However, a significant change occurs because this person understands that it is impossible to run away from their problems forever. Consequently, the development of Moon Sang-Tae in the course of the plot symbolizes the importance of overcoming fears to realize one’s independence from them.
Moon Gang-tae
The third main character in this story is Moon Gang-tee, who is revealed to the audience through the prism of his interaction with his brother and Ko Mun-Yeong. A young man from an early age faced the problem that he needed to take care of his brother, which affected his psychological state (Forever Winter, 2022). It becomes evident to viewers that the desire to protect his relative constantly has led to Moon Gang-tae’s losing his sense of self-importance as a person (Leonard). The meaning of life for this character was the desire to protect and take care of his brother. At the beginning of the series, Moon Gang-tee cannot correctly assess his own psychological and emotional state since he has no time to focus on studying himself.
The history of the development of this character’s character shows the viewer the importance of their own needs, even if the rejection of them is a desire to show concern for other people. It is necessary not to forget that each person has their independent path, consisting of experiences and emotions that must be realized (Leonard). This is how Moon Gang-tae’s relationship with Ko Mun-Yeong helps him take a different look at his own life experience to realize the importance of his emotional and psychological state.
For the viewer, an important aspect that reflects all the main characters of this series is the ability to move on, getting rid of the problems bothering them for a long time. For Moon Gang-tae, such a moment becomes his opportunity to express emotions and feelings that he sought to hide since he did not consider them essential or require attention.
Manifestation of Psychological Disorders
From the point of view of a more detailed psychological analysis, it should be noted that these characters demonstrate three personality disorders that affect their lives. However, when interacting with each other, it becomes evident that their problems have their origin in childhood. The mutual interweaving of their stories allows the characters to overcome their issues. For Ko Mun-yeong, this antisocial personality disorder affects her relationship with other people at the very beginning of the series.
The main feature of the behavior of patients with an antisocial personality disorder is the dramatization of relationships and events around them, and the desire to do things that differ from accepted socio-cultural norms (Cherry). Followers of psychological theory consider dissocial personality disorder due to the influence of the environment. They believe that this psychopathy develops with improper upbringing (neglect or excessive guardianship), and lack of love and attention from significant adults (Cherry). This situation is reflected in Ko Mun-yeong’s relationship with his mother, who showed a domineering attitude towards her.
On the other hand, Moon Gang-tae’s problem is related to the fact that he cannot correctly understand his emotions. In this case, the viewer is faced not precisely with a psychological illness but rather with a particular state of mind – alexithymia. However, it should be noted that this phenomenon can also be reflected in complex psychological problems associated with childhood trauma, which happened with Moon Gang-tae (Leonard). Alexithymia is a psychological phenomenon in which a person experiences difficulties describing his emotions, experiences, feelings, adequate reflection, and verbalization (Leonard). Hence the general negative state characteristic of people suffering from alexithymia.
Interpretation of bodily stimuli is difficult, which causes a feeling of alienation from one’s own body. The peculiarity of alexithymia is the absence or weak development of a tendency to introspection, immersed in the depths of his own mental life (Leonard). Focusing on the concrete, the patient is rarely inclined to question the status quo: he is demotivated to change the existing reality. It is a similar situation that will manifest itself in the psychological state of this character since caring for his brother becomes the only meaning of life. However, thanks to building a relationship with Ko Mun-Yeong, he manages to overcome the emotional burden that bothered Moon Gang-tae all his life.
Conclusion
In this essay, the psychological illnesses faced by the characters of “It’s Okay to Not Be Okay” were considered. The viewer is allowed to observe how this affects their lives and how their relationships allow them to realize their problems and solve them. “It’s Okay to Not Be Okay” explores the characters’ trauma recovery processes and emphasizes that healing is not always a linear process. The three main characters frequently face obstacles that lead them to stumble for a moment, but they keep moving on and supporting one another on their paths.
Works Cited
Cherry, Kendra. “Symptoms and Treatment Options for Antisocial Personality Disorder.”Verywell Mind, 2020.
Forever Winter. “It’s Okay to Not Be Okay (Korean Drama Summary).”Forever Winter, 2022.
JACQLIMMM. “K-Drama Review: ‘It’s Okay to Not Be Okay’ Gifts Us the Modern Fairytale Masterpiece We Never Knew We Needed.”HELLOKPOP, 2020.
Jadhav, Mandar. “What Is Autism Spectrum Disorder?”American Psychiatric Association, 2021.
Leonard, Jayne. “What to Know About Alexithymia.”MedicalNewsToday, 2019.