It’s Okay to Not Be Okay: Episode 1
by SailorJumun
After months and months of waiting on my part, It’s Okay to Not Be Okay finally premiered and, frankly, knocked my socks off. It’s a very pretty drama, but the true beauty lies in the dark whimsy sprinkled all throughout, showing the world of mental illness in all its glory. If the drama keeps it up, we could be in for something real special.
EPISODE 1: “The boy who fed on nightmares”
We start with a beautiful stop-motion animation, about a young girl who lived all by herself in a castle. One day, she decided to go into town to find herself a friend. She offered the others what she thought were nice gifts, but they were horrified to see she held two dead birds.
“They called her a monster who brings along the shadow of death,” the narrator says. The girl was angry with every living thing and wandered off to a lake, where she reeled in fish and stomped them to death. On her third try, she reeled in a young boy, unexpectedly saving him from drowning.
Since then, the dark shadow stopped following the girl and the boy followed instead. Later, the girl asked if he would always stay by her side, and he replied that of course he would. But then she turned to him and ripped a butterfly apart. “Even after you see this?” she asked, her eyes glowing menacingly.
Scared, the boy ran away, the hook that connected him to the girl detaching. That’s when the shadow returned and whispered that no one could ever stay by her side because she was a monster. We transition to a real life castle, to the real life girl (Seo Ye-ji), who replies, “Yes, Mother.”
Modern-day Korea. In a university, a man is overwhelmed by the sounds of the heavy machinery around him and has an episode. No one gets hurt, but the professor tells the man’s guardian that they can’t keep risking others’ safety and that the man should be in a special needs school.
The guardian, and younger brother, MOON KANG-TAE (Kim Soo-hyun) listens with an exhausted expression, eventually looking up to see his autistic brother MOON SANG-TAE (Oh Jung-se) watching him through the window. “He’s angry,” Sang-tae notes to himself.
As Kang-tae cleans out Sang-tae’s locker, it does appear that he’s angry. Sang-tae braces himself, but Kang-tae merely kneels down and smiles, asking if he’s hungry. The brothers leave the school, with Sang-tae offering to pay for dinner since he’s the hyung. Aww, they’re so sweet.
The next day, we meet famed children’s author GO MOON-YOUNG (again, Seo Ye-ji) as she’s eating in a restaurant alone. A mother and daughter approach her, the little girl saying she’s a huge fan. Though Moon-young seems uninterested, she agrees to give her an autograph.
The girl calls Moon-young a princess because she’s pretty, and Moon-young pauses before asking if they’d like a photo as well. While the mom stands back to take their picture, Moon-young brings the girl in close and quietly says, “You’re not my fan, are you? In all my fairy tales, the witch is always the one that’s pretty.”
With a devious smile, Moon-young says that if the girl wants to be pretty, she should tell her mom that she wants to grow up to be a pretty witch. The girl starts crying and jumps off Moon-young’s lap, the mom chasing after her.
Moon-young’s editor and boss LEE SANG-IN (Kim Joo-hun) saunters in, telling her to stop by the beauty salon. He whines that she can’t do a reading at the children’s ward with all-black attire — she looks like something out of The Addams Family.
Moon-young shuts him up by running her knife along her plate, like nails on a chalkboard. She tells him that she likes this restaurant not because of the food but because of the knives. She cuts the tip of her finger and, amazed with the knife’s sharpness, puts it in her purse.
At the OK Psychiatric Hospital, Kang-tae gets ready for work (cue mandatory post-army shirtless scene), and we see multiple scars all over his body.
Once on duty, he’s called into the lounge and finds a female patient on the floor stuffing her face with food. The patient calls Kang-tae “Honey,” saying he always told her she was pretty when she ate.
To calm her down, he explains that he meant she was pretty even when she ate. She swoons and hugs him, only to mutter that he shouldn’t have cheated on her. She sticks her finger down her throat, and OMG the puking-esque imagery that follows.
Later, a new patient comes in — a man with anxiety disorder who tried to kill himself and his daughter. The daughter Go-eun had to be separated from her dad Mr. Kim to be treated for PTSD.
Meanwhile, Moon-young is on her way to the hospital for her event, Sang-in and art director YOO SEUNG-JAE (Park Jin-ju) in tow. Sang-in gets a call from OK Hospital, and to his horror, Seung-jae sees and announces the caller ID.
Calling is nurse NAM JOO-RI (Park Kyu-young), waiting for the guardian of a patient named Go Dae-hwan to sign for his surgery. She tells Sang-in that they can’t keep avoiding their calls; it’s the same thing as killing the patient.
From the backseat, Moon-young coldly states, “He’s dead to me. Why do you keep trying to bring him back to life? Are you Jesus?” Addressing Joo-ri informally, Moon-young tells her to come in person if she wants her signature. Frustrated, Joo-ri practically slams the phone down and returns to her station.
Joo-ri can’t believe what Moon-young is demanding, but her superior NURSE PARK (Jang Young-nam) tells her to do the professional thing and just get the signature.
Joo-ri visits patient Go Dae-hwan, who has severe dementia. Joo-ri mentions that his daughter may not be able to visit, and Dae-hwan goes into a panic. He surprises Joo-ri by grabbing her arm and saying his daughter can’t come. He sees flashes of Moon-young, that cold look on her face, and cries, “If she comes, I’ll die.”
On break, Kang-tae chats with a newbie caretaker, who wants to know the real reason why he moves hospitals every year. Is it because he flirts with the female nurses and patients? Kang-tae puts a hand on his shoulder and answers, “Male.” The guy awkwardly laughs while Kang-tae coolly sips his coffee.
Kang-tae then calls his brother, smiling when he hears that Sang-tae is coloring in one of Go Moon-young’s books again. He mentions that Moon-young is visiting the hospital, and Sang-tae immediately stops what he’s doing. Wanting to meet his favorite writer, Sang-tae scrambles around the apartment, rambling that he’s on his way.
Kang-tae can hear Sang-tae growing agitated, and Sang-tae isn’t listening to reason, so Kang-tae has to shout “Moon Sang-tae!” This shocks Sang-tae into silence.
Kang-tae tells his brother to take deep breaths and then explains that he wouldn’t make it in time for the event anyway. Kang-tae does promise to get him Moon-young’s autograph, which satisfies him.
While Moon-young’s people are setting up her event in the auditorium, Moon-young is lounging outside smoking. Passing by, Kang-tae notices her and asks that she put her cigarette out. She argues that she just lit it, and when he persists, she stands to look him in the eye.
Cherry blossoms start blowing in the wind, all around them, and Moon-young takes in the atmosphere, asking, “Do you believe in destiny?” Without answering her question, Kang-tae tries to take the cigarette from her, and she pulls it out of reach. Why is this so badass to me?
Moon-young dumps the last of her cigarette into Kang-tae’s coffee cup and says that destiny may not be all it’s cracked up to be. Kang-tae watches her walk away, angrily crushing his cup in his fist.
Cut to: Moon-young screaming into her microphone on stage, surprising her audience. She clears her throat and begins reading from her book The Boy Who Fed On Nightmares. In it, A boy is plagued by nightmares of his past, and he ventures out to a witch, desperate to make the horrible memories disappear.
Just outside the auditorium, patient Mr. Kim is running about looking for his daughter while the caretakers are running about looking for him. Kang-tae asks his co-worker what happened, and the guy admits that he let Mr. Kim out of his restraints because he said he felt uncomfortable. What?? Really, dude?
Mr. Kim heads into the auditorium, checking every little girl in the audience, when the hospital workers come in to announce an emergency. As everyone evacuates, Mr. Kim finally finds Go-eun and drags her backstage. Moon-young notices this but doesn’t say anything, instead yelling at the workers for interrupting her show.
Moon-young then sneaks off backstage, watching as Mr. Kim tells the scared Go-eun that they need to run away. Mr. Kim says that kids can’t survive on their own, so they should just die together, and Moon-young cuts in that that’s total bullshit.
“You’re the first worthless human being I’ve encountered in a long time,” she continues. She tells him to die alone rather than drag his daughter with him. At that, Mr. Kim lunges at her, but she knocks him down with her purse. The knife from earlier falls out and she crushes his hand with her heel before he can reach for it.
Now boiling with anger, Mr. Kim overpowers Moon-young and starts to strangle her. At first, she’s smiling with amusement, but then she starts to see Mr. Kim as her father Dae-hwan. A flashback shows us that her dad tried to strangle her when she was young, reassuring her “it’ll all be over soon.”
All of a sudden, Kang-tae bursts in and pulls Mr. Kim off of her. The men have a tussle, crashing into things, with Moon-young trying to get ahold of herself. Just when Kang-tae has a hold on Mr. Kim, he sees Moon-young coming at Mr. Kim with the knife. Mr. Kim flinches and we see droplets of blood hit the floor.
Holy crap… Kang-tae stopped Moon-young’s knife by grabbing the blade. They stare at each other, neither showing much emotion, until she finally says, “So it wasn’t destiny after all.”
Shaking, Mr. Kim calls Moon-young crazy and runs out, straight into the hospital workers’ hands. Kang-tae takes the knife away, and Moon-young watches him try to wrap up his wound. She nonchalantly states that he overreacted; she only meant to give Mr. Kim a small cut. She takes the handkerchief out of his hand and wraps his wound for him.
As she does, she tells him, “In this world, there are people who deserve to die. But some thoughtful freaks kill them for us in secret. That’s why clueless civilians can sleep peacefully at night, completely unaware of it. Which one do you think I am?” After a moment, he says she’s a clueless freak, making her chuckle.
Afterwards, Kang-tae is called into his boss’s office and is told they need to let someone go in order to make this accident go away. And since Kang-tae moves hospitals every year, Mr. Boss suggests he just quit a few months early. With that, poor Kang-tae hands in his badge.
Kang-tae sulks on the street, until a motorcycle stops in front of him. The driver (not so coolly) removes his helmet to reveal Kang-tae’s buddy JO JAE-SOO (Kang Ki-doong). Jae-soo gives Kang-tae a ride to help him feel better, but halfway through, the bike dies on them and they have to push it the rest of the way. And, HA, they pass a poster for the actual drama.
At Moon-young’s hotel, Moon-young is showering while Sang-in worries over Kang-tae possibly suing them for his injury. He gets another call from Joo-ri and whispers the room number before sneaking out. So when Joo-ri arrives at the door, it’s just her and a surprised Moon-young. And by the way they’re looking at each other, I’m guessing these ladies have a past.
It turns out these two went to school together twenty years ago (before Moon-young was transferred elsewhere). Joo-ri tries to get right to business, asking for the signature, and Moon-young wonders why she drove three hours just to get this done. Moon-young smiles and says that she’s an orphan.
Joo-ri points out that Moon-young’s mother is still alive, but Moon-young interrupts with, “I registered her death a long time ago.” She finds it interesting that her dad is alive physically but dead in soul and that her mom is the exact opposite.
With that wicked grin, Moon-young says she’ll sign the forms if Joo-ri agrees to switch parents. To Joo-ri’s blank expression, Moon-young notes that she still doesn’t get her jokes. So, in the end, Joo-ri gets the signature but is emotionally drained by the time she leaves the hotel.
Kang-tae tells Jae-soo all about today’s events on the way home, and Jae-soo calls Moon-young insane. “She’s not insane,” Kang-tae says. “She was just born that way.” Then Kang-tae remembers — he never got Moon-young’s autograph! The guys look over Moon-young’s signature online and do their best to forge it.
Unfortunately for them, Sang-tae can tell right away that it’s a fake. Feeling betrayed, he escapes into his little zip-in closest. As the guys try to coax him out, Kang-tae gets a series of texts from Sang-in begging him to come by the publishing house and hear him out.
On the news, we learn that Mr. Kim took his own life in solitary confinement. And meanwhile, Moon-young is lying in bed and thinking about Kang-tae and how pretty his eyes are. Kang-tae is thinking about her too, so much so that he decides to pull out Moon-young’s book and give it a read.
“Years went by, and the boy became an adult. He no longer had nightmares, but for some reason, he was not happy at all. One night, a blood moon filled the night sky, and the witch finally showed up again to take what he had promised in return for granting his wish. And he shouted at her with so much resentment, ‘All my bad memories are gone. But why can’t I become happy?’ Then the witch took his soul as they had promised and told him this: ‘Hurtful, painful memories… Only those with such memories buried in their hearts can become stronger, more passionate, and emotionally flexible. And only those can attain happiness.’”
Moon-young stares at an old photo of her father, unfolding it to reveal her mother right next to him. At the hospital, little Go-eun takes out her copy of Moon-young’s book and reads the autograph Moon-young left after the accident: “Don’t forget today.”
A nurse checks in on Go-eun, and Go-eun starts crying about her dad. The nurse assumes she’s scared Dad will show up again, but that’s not why she’s upset. “My dad is not a bad person… So please don’t let the police take him.” Aughh…
Kang-tae finishes the last page of Moon-young’s book, with the witch reminding the boy to never forget. Otherwise, he’ll forever be a kid whose soul never grows. Later, in the middle of the night, Sang-tae has a recurring nightmare about butterflies. Sighing, Kang-tae guesses it’s about time they move again.
The next day, Kang-tae stands outside SangSangESang Publishers, taking a deep breath before going in. Little does he know, Moon-young is on her way in as well. All the employees hear of her entrance and hurry to clear their desks of any sharp objects.
But when Moon-young struts through the office, she manages to find one sharp letter opener on someone’s desk. She takes it and heads to the conference room, stopping short when she sees Kang-tae inside reading one of her books. She takes a moment to admire him and smiles.
She approaches him and cuts to the chase, saying she wouldn’t have ever thought he was the type of man to accept a bribe. He tells her that money doesn’t work on him, so she asks what does work — sex? If not that, why is he here?
“I was hoping,” he says, taking a step closer, “I could see you again.” She looks genuinely surprised as he continues that he wanted to see her eyes to confirm something. Her eyes remind him of someone he used to know, someone whose eyes had no warmth.
We see flashes of the past, resembling the opening animation: a boy falling through ice and nearly drowning, a boy giving a girl flowers and watching her stomp on them.
“Were you scared of that woman?” Moon-young asks. Kang-tae doesn’t bat an eye when he responds, “I liked her.” And in flashbacks, the young Moon-young gazes out her balcony while the young Kang-tae smiles up at her from below.
COMMENTS
You know how you know a drama’s premiere is good? Like, really, really good? When you so badly want to say you love it but you’re afraid you might jinx it. That pretty much sums up how It’s Okay to Not Be Okay made me feel. I’ve had strong feelings for premieres before, and I’ve been scared to be hopeful before, but this is different. With the themes the drama’s introduced and promised to tackle, I don’t want it to disappoint. Mental health awareness is very important to me, and it physically hurts me to see it poorly portrayed in media. I think certain dramas have done a good job of including these themes, like in Flower Boy Next Door, or centering around them completely, like in It’s Okay, It’s Love, but I’ve never seen one brave enough to take that deep dive. To show mental illness for what it is, in all its colors, bright and dark.
Maybe It’s Okay won’t be the drama to take that dive, but it sure would be nice. I already like how brave it’s being with its heroine in Moon-young. She’s so unabashedly herself and I can’t imagine what it took for her to get to that point of confidence. I’m not sure if we’re eventually going into specifics in the drama world, but the character of Moon-young has been described as having antisocial personality disorder — a mental condition in which someone may have no real grasp to what’s right and wrong. There’s obviously much more to it than that, and goshdarnit, I can’t help but be excited to see how far the drama is willing to go. (I know I said I didn’t want to be over-optimistic, but yeah, I’m over-optimistic.) Let’s talk about the difference between psychopaths and sociopaths; let’s talk about whether a monster is made or born; let’s talk about whether there are bad people or just people who make bad decisions!
Well, look at me, getting ahead of myself. Let’s get into the actual drama. Seo Ye-ji is amazing as Moon-young, making her cool and stoic while still giving her charm. In so many cases, an actor can make the stoic type seem bored or lifeless, whereas here, there’s so much to this character without her even having to speak. It was so great to open with the Coraline-like animation, as it really set the tone. I think Moon-young chose the perfect career path, because this dark fairy tale innocence within her storybooks suits her and her life story beautifully. It almost seems weird for her to be so popular with children when her content is so dark, but that’s what fairy tales are at their core. And I think a lot of children, and just people in general, are drawn to darkness.
Moon-young’s writing is clearly her way of dealing with her past, and judging from the snippets we got, those memories are awfully traumatizing. I was surprised to hear the incredible maturity in her book, preaching that ridding oneself of bad memories wasn’t the answer to one’s happiness. She literally had to fight for her life, from her own father, and she didn’t let that break her. While it is impressive, it’s also worrying. She’s forcing herself to remember these things, as her mother ordered, and it seems to be causing more resentment than peace. There is no cure for her condition, for any mental illness, and I’m hoping the drama doesn’t try to find one. Falling in love with Mr. Angel-face Kim Soo-hyun should not be a treatment, but a chance to find gradual healing and support with someone who understands.
Moving on to Kang-tae, I think he truly does understand. There’s something about the way he treats his hyung and his patients that just says I don’t understand you and I understand that I probably never will. Having a brother diagnosed with autism, I’m sure he had some major growing up to do at a young age. He has to feel some kind of bitterness — at his brother, his parents, the world — but I think he genuinely has too much love in his heart to let that poison him. It’s people like him who see the person behind the mental illness, who can take the hardships and still say “It’s okay.” I don’t know what happened with him and Moon-young in the past or what’s going to happen in the future, but I’m already rooting for them to find that happiness Moon-young was writing about.
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Tags: featured2, first episodes, It's Okay to Not Be Okay, Kim Soo-hyun, Oh Jung-se, Park Jin-ju, Park Kyu-young, Seo Ye-ji
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1 nightskye
June 21, 2020 at 6:17 PM
This was such a fast recap, thank you SailorJumun! 🤍
What a absolute relief that the show appears to be on a path of greatness rather than disaster. After the mind-numbing mess that was TKEM, I was so weary about getting into this - despite knowing Queen Ye Ji was part of it - but thank goodness it turned out to be a gem from the get go. That gorgeous stop motion animation was twisted yet incredibly alluring, and I take it as a good sign for things to follow.
I’m also veeeery happy that despite this having the potential to turn into the Kim Soo Hyun Show as it is his grand post army project (a la TKEM), Seo Ye Ji is just as prominent in the female lead role and even steals the spotlight from him at times. Her narcissistic-goth-girl vibe is amazing and her back story with Kang Tae sounds so interesting despite the typical childhood love trope being at play.
BUT MOST IMPORTANTLY - the chemistry, y’all. Talk about swoon. They’ve literally just met and yet the sexual tension is thick enough to cut through with a knife, fittingly enough. The eye banging session continues into the next episode so I’m thoroughly excited to read the recap for that, LOL. Thank you, Drama Gods, for not failing us with this. We are eternally grateful.
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madlily
June 21, 2020 at 7:13 PM
^ all of this, that opening was stunning.. full props to the animations department. Their chemistry was just amazing and I am watching this as it airs on netflix rather than waiting like I normally do in case the drama turns into a total crap fight.
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Miranda
June 21, 2020 at 7:21 PM
I am impressed that ADP isn’t coming across as a personality quirk here but a barely-manageable nightmare for those around Go. Not for her, obviously - for her it’s a bit of a weird superpower. But I also love that he knows right from the jump what she is, so we don’t have to deal with the whole “I can cure you with love!” thing. It’s possible to be in a relationship with someone with ADP but I have no desire to see someone psychologically crushed - if he knows her baseline going in, it feels more balanced, however it ends up.
Absolute A-plus on writing, style, direction, casting, cinematography, animation. Really, really good.
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Shreya Pandit
June 22, 2020 at 3:30 AM
Yup I agree. Also, that clay animation was really...SATISFYING.
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2 happiness
June 21, 2020 at 6:23 PM
Ahh, I loved the premiere! Did not disappoint and I'm crossing my fingers it'll only get better from here. The drama is gorgeous, Seo Ye-ji is gorgeous.
I love the relationship between the brothers already 💗 I think this will be my favourite part of the drama.
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3 seoul_searcher
June 21, 2020 at 6:26 PM
This was such a great premiere from the acting to the directing and I won’t even start on the visuals. I really like the animations in this, reminds me of a Tim burton production. So far so good. hopefully Seo Ye Ji’s character gets the development and depth as the episodes progress as she peaks my interest the most.
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kiara
June 21, 2020 at 7:09 PM
I love the animation intro and the gothic feels reminds of Tim Burton’s films too.
This is the perfect summer drama for me.
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FormAnOrderlyQueue
June 21, 2020 at 7:19 PM
Yes, the minute we started, I was like, "oooooh, Tim Burton! I'm going to like this!" and it absolutely didn't disappoint. It is visually stunning in all ways, has the right pacing and dripping in of information so that you're constantly intrigued, is ticking all the gothic boxes in style, and is genuinely moving (a al Ed Scissorhands). Keep going show!!!!!
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Eazal
June 22, 2020 at 12:03 AM
The animation felt very much like Tim Burton, but more colourful.
For me it was the book illustrations the ones that were really TIm Burton.
But, just... Wow! to it all.
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stpauligurl
July 1, 2020 at 4:57 PM
When I saw the books I immediately thought of Edward Gorey (who probably inspired Tim Burton).
But watching it today I couldn't put my finger on it until I read the references to Tim Burton. YES!
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4 Ally
June 21, 2020 at 6:27 PM
Whoa! It's up! Thank you, @sailorjumun! Okay, a story first before I get into what I thought here. I was minding my own business on the Beanie fan wall when @mindy showed me some crazy beautiful visuals of our leads, and said that this was the least of the beauty in this show, so I thought I'd check it out. I haven't seen either of these two in anything (except a secondary movie role for KSH), and don't think I've seen the director or writer either. So, I'm totally going into this totally blind. I walk into the bedroom and my husband has it turned on already and I walk in at the end of the opening animation--I miss the animation--and he's like-- "YOU HAVE TO SEE THIS!" I see the autistic brother, the meeting with the manager when he gets fired, and realize that this guy plays disabled/autistic frequently (he played a similar character in Touch Your Heart/Reach of Sincerity as well). Then I'm finally like, "What am I watching?" He finally goes back to the beginning and it all becomes clear.
First, I have to concur that everything in this show is gorgeous. But what I love the most (and the 2nd episode sealed for me) are the transitions between scenes. They are so interesting and well-done. My favorite in the first episode is when the nurse comes into Ms. Ko's hotel room and then the window behind her goes to the street level where the Kang-tae and Jae-su are on the motor bike. Loved that.
The whole first episode I just kept looking at my husband who doesn't like seeing psychiatric shows (he's a psychiatrist who has worked inpatient psych with the sickest of the sick--no, really) and gauging his reactions to the scenes. He even said once that he didn't think he could watch this--it hits too close to home. But he kept watching.
To the anti-social personality disorder, I think Seo Ye-ji is nailing this role. She is cold and impersonal, doesn't care what is morally or ethically correct. She sees something she wants and acts immediately on it. This is soooooo refreshing from a female lead. You know she murdered the father who strangled her and then gave the daughter her book. I'm all in.
The reverse "candy" trope here makes it even more compelling and crap if KSH isn't the most beautiful candy I've ever seen! He's so good to his brother and he's such a giver. I'm already in love with him.
And the childhood connection matters here. I'm even okay with that.
The last show that had this good an opening for me was (I'm sorry to say) Memories of Alhambra, so I hope I didn't just jinx this. But I don't think I did, as the chemistry here is already hot and will only get hotter as it continues. Love the darkness, sexiness, and just plain prettiness of everything.
It's been a while since I've participated in a recap, and you guys get to see me either gush or go down in flames. Looking forward to it!
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mindy
June 21, 2020 at 6:31 PM
Hee, I'm glad I could convince you Ally!
I normally keep to the fan wall now (I haven't been active on recaps since probably early 2018, with the exception of The Lies Within) but I have a feeling this show will drag me back to the recap world again, especially if @sailorjumun keeps this amazing pace up!
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Ally
June 22, 2020 at 8:26 PM
It doesn’t take much to convince me. I’m a sucker for good cinematography. Pretty people, good acting, good story are all icing.
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Eazal
June 22, 2020 at 12:07 AM
I totally agree with you about the transitions. The editing in this show is, so far, magic, both sound and images. I'm totally sold to it.
And yes to a not-candy female lead. I love this crazy witch!
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javinne
June 22, 2020 at 2:35 PM
Hi, Ally. As you know, I am here pretty often, but I feel this is also the first show in a long time that I am (and will be watching) on time so that I can participate in the discussion in each recap as well. So, see you here,!
I am also sooo crazy excited about this one..
I hope it's good.
I agree it is super super gorgeous!
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LT is Irresistibly Indifferent, Dame Judi
January 8, 2021 at 7:36 PM
I agree with all of this, it's a stunningly beautiful drama with amazing visuals and the technical aspects of it are almost flawless. Parts of it (including the leads) are so beautiful it almost hurts to look at them. I love the gothic fairytale feel of it and I actually love how unapologetically herself the female lead is at the moment - for good or bad.
However, I can't say I'm not a bit concerned that parts of the script seem almost purple prose in how overwrought they are. Admittedly this is an element of gothic storytelling but I'm a bit worried it's veering into cliched romcom territory with the childhood connection. The scene where he caught her knife and they stared at each other for a full minute despite blood pouring down his arm made me laugh out loud and I'm pretty sure that wasn't anyone's intention.
So after one episode, this drama is either completely amazing or a standard romcom in an excruciatingly beautiful wrapping.
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Ally
January 10, 2021 at 8:24 AM
Did you just start this???
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LT is Irresistibly Indifferent, Dame Judi
January 10, 2021 at 11:12 AM
Yes, yes I did.
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Ally
January 10, 2021 at 7:12 PM
Enjoy!
5 uzistar
June 21, 2020 at 6:27 PM
Thanks for the recap! Woah, this drama is sooo beautiful! I love the animations and the visuals~ 😍 I really anticipated this drama because of Kim Soo-hyun and Seo Ye-ji, but after seeing the first episode, I think I now have more reasons to keep watching.
I'm a bit wary of how the show would represent mental conditions, but I think so far it's okay (except maybe instigating suicide.. but I guess that's part of the character idk) I'd love to read the comments of those from the field of psychiatry. But I agree, I appreciate that this show decided to raise awareness and show different aspects of mental illness.
Ok I know she's problematic and not likeable in real life, but I just love everything about Go Moon Young: her clothes, her attitude, and the way she views things (not a princess, but a witch!) I'm looking forward to seeing how the character would develop and what she'd be wearing =D
I like seeing the sweet relationship between the brothers Sang Tae and Kang Tae. They have good chemistry and I'd love to see more of them together...also with their trusted friend, Jae-soo. This ep made me really want to know more about Kang-tae and all the struggles he's keeping to himself.
I like that the show pretty much laid down the basics of the characters' backstories this early so we won't be kept guessing. Of course there's still more to be curious about but so far I like the balance between the two. I'm not very fond of the idea of them being childhood friends, but it's okay. (Is it just me, but the boy in the intro animation felt more like Sang-tae than Kang-tae?)
I also like this episode's story. At first I was wondering how her books got so famous when they're scary, but knowing how it ended made me understand. So that's why she wanted to finish the story to the kids.. I guess we'll get one story per episode and I'm not complaining. I want more!
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6 Kelly-k
June 21, 2020 at 6:33 PM
I had nothing much to say about this episode only that 5 minutes in and I knew this was the show for me...
I only got a footing after episode two so must of my thoughts include that episode, but let me just say I get the hype about the ML, he actually knows what he is doing... I fell in love at that vomiting scene where he was imagining roses falling on him 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣, don't ask me why I laughed so hard....
And the thing about his smile is really true, it's less of it being a joker like smile and more of the feeling one gets when they see him simile... I can't explain it, it's like he is smiling for you not for himself "if your happy am happy" but instead of making you feel better it makes you feel worse and guilty...
FL, like I said if I talk too much I will spoil episode two... But let me just say once in a while kdramas do the "attraction at first sight really really well... In this case I will never doubt why this guy gets in a relationship that clearly will end in a disaster... Its not his fault, its the chemistry's fault...
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earthna
June 22, 2020 at 11:36 AM
That's such a good description if his smile. He's not smiling because he's happy so it makes you uncomfortable to look at him smile!
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7 Screentime
June 21, 2020 at 6:35 PM
I hope the director finds their rhythm quickly. A couple of the directorial flourishes are drop dead arresting. However, others take you out of suspended disbelief. For me, it almost verges into "Bayhem" - when it can't tell when to let the drama itself carry the impact and everything requires a flourish.
If we are looking fairytales, then its too early to jump to conclusions about who is 'saved' or "dealing with her past". Fairytales accept darkness can remain dark and happy endings are very one-sided affairs.
Kim Soo-Hyun's status is so evident in the quality of the production crew. I suspect this show will remain visually stunning and technically amazing for its full run. For all the big names, the only other I can think of who draws this level of talent for a drama is Jun Ji-hyun.
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wapz
June 22, 2020 at 5:46 AM
Ypur first few senrences describe what this PD usually does. In few of his other shows he has just let good transitions and CG be somewhere in the episode and not the rest, at least it was consistent here. But he usually drops them when shooting schedule becomes tight and there's not enough time to work on such detail. All this goes well with the story so I hope he uses it consistently but with a balance without disrupting the flow of the story for "cool CG".
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8 Blue (@mayhemf)
June 21, 2020 at 6:47 PM
Once in a while a show comes and sweeps you off your feet, and this show exactly did that.
I was awed and mesmerized by the pilot and was cautious if the show can maintain this high standard.
I absolutely love the direction, editing, acting, cinematography, costume design and artwork.
I love the leads and officially crushing on SYJ!! is she hot or what??!!!!
I love the dark undertone and hope the show can keep it that way.
So excited for the upcoming episodes. And thank you for such quick recap!!
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KAYWIRE
December 19, 2020 at 9:41 AM
I agree,
1SYJ is absolutely gorgeous
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9 Pennypic
June 21, 2020 at 6:51 PM
The show is visually stunning but it still feels like style over substance for me, especially after episode 2.
I hope this isn't just romcom with "mental health" frosting to make it look like a different couple than other romcom.
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10 SooHa
June 21, 2020 at 7:00 PM
Thank you for the fast recap
I'm so in love with this drama and what amazing cast, even the support cast are all my favourite scene stellar!
I just think that Kim So Hun is brilliant. He gave us a glimpse of him in Hotel de Luna and Crash Landing on You, made us so much giddy of him and Bang!! He's back with its glory in this drama. I just hope that this drama will be forever good til the end.
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11 Yn00na
June 21, 2020 at 7:02 PM
So much to love about this premiere. The cinematography is stunning. Very Tim Burton-like. At the moment I found the juxtaposition between fairytale styling of the show with the realistic-world-bound story to be a bit jarring, but it is interesting nonetheless.
The characters well explained and the cast really deliver! I especially love Sei Ye-hi portrayal. She can convey grace with a bit of unhinged ‘madness’ well. Kim Soo Hyun is mesmerising as expected. I’m invested to the story from the beginning.
Please drama God, let this show deliver.
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12 Yuu-chan
June 21, 2020 at 7:07 PM
Kdrama is often abysmal at representing mental illnesses, but i still tune in for this drama because of Seo Ye Ji. And guys, she does not disappoint! Anyone having watched her from Save Me would understand what a phenomenal actress she is.
Another reason for watching this drama is the chemistry. It is so intense that i must say i haven’t seen any as unique and capturing as this paring in a while now. Both of KSH and SYJ is so committed to their characters and the relationship that you can see sexy ambiguity flies out of the screen LOL.
The cinematography is amazing, the soundtrack is very, very fitting, directorial style is great. The overall choices to create such a dark, gothic-ish, intense yet wacky and hearty are on point. The only thing that worries me onwards is the script. Please let it be good, drama god!
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FiyaShady
June 21, 2020 at 7:29 PM
Yes, I need a withdrawal cure once Mystic ended 😭. Please be good, Kdrama, writernim and directornim 🙏🙏🙏
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Lady Lolo
June 22, 2020 at 10:43 AM
Seo Ye Ji was definitely one of my main draws to this drama. Having her as an author for children's storybooks was a fresh idea and gives them a reason to have her narrate stories in her mesmerizing voice~
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13 Maq
June 21, 2020 at 7:09 PM
I like it so far, although I find the amorality of the female main a bit disconcerting. I know it's a feature of antisocial personality disorder, but still.
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14 dramalover4ever
June 21, 2020 at 7:09 PM
Underpinning everything else, the stunning visuals - the butterfly effect repeated again and again - in windows and on descending staircases, in mirrors on the doors of closing lifts, in departures and arrivals by bus - all very rorschach. And the way Sang tae's joy going to the book signing was reflected in his visually heightened world - the umbrellas, the moving figures... This is stunning cinematography - so creative and so evocative. I'm in.
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15 halofan68
June 21, 2020 at 7:13 PM
I agree the premiere episodes are promising. I loved your Coraline reference, and not just regarding the animation intro. Based upon the kind of books she writes and illustrates, as well as her Gothic flair, I thought the conception and execution of the Moon-Young character pretty much nails what I imagine Tim Burton would be like if Burton was a thirty-something, preposterously good looking children's author.
I also appreciated the irreverent bite to the episodes, like the billboard advertising the show itself, and coyly using a metaphorical montage for puking but directly show a young girl ripping up a butterfly.
Speaking of which, am I the only one who thought the young actress playing the pre-teen Moon-Young (presumably) is a dead ringer for a younger Jung So Min. I found the resemblance so startling I had to go back and watch the scenes again.
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FiyaShady
June 21, 2020 at 7:23 PM
And I thought the girl resembles so much the Twilight Saga kid (Bella and Ed daughter) 😅. Such a pureness face.
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Mani-chan
June 21, 2020 at 9:10 PM
Oh so that's why her face seemed so familiar
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firefly
June 22, 2020 at 10:45 AM
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Chandler
June 21, 2020 at 11:08 PM
The girl reminds me a bit of Shin Mina, but I can see a bit of Jung So-min too.
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lillamy
June 22, 2020 at 11:40 PM
I immediately thought of Shin Mina as well.
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Eazal
June 22, 2020 at 12:12 AM
The girl is amazingly pretty as well. Great casting.
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theimprintonmynose
June 22, 2020 at 3:46 AM
Pre-teen moon young looks like a young Lee El, no?
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Kairoskat 💐
June 22, 2020 at 3:49 AM
She looks like Renesmee aka Bella and Edward's daughter in Twilight ㅋㅋㅋ 😆
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💜🍍☠ Sicarius The Queen of Melonia ☠🍍💜
June 22, 2020 at 3:56 AM
*chokes*
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Kairoskat 💐
June 22, 2020 at 5:45 AM
Sic! Did you notice Cha Hoon or kid Ta Gon in the drama? 🤣
16 FiyaShady
June 21, 2020 at 7:16 PM
Love your quick recap @sailorjumun 🥰. I totally can relate with your writing and perception, impression, hope for this drama. I'm also try not to get hype so much as it is just only 2 episodes. But, I am truly looking forward about mental health healing/awareness that been highlighted so much by others.
Differences you've been wrote about, the monster, the rainbow and its bitterness of ASD people and people when dealing with bad situation....all of them are so intriguing to be explore.
I know rating didn't do any justice about this drama in SK. But, as international viewer, I am thankful for so many beanies and comments that can be found here and some website too. Such a great things to read and share our thoughts after watching a bizarre drama.
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17 jetsetlag
June 21, 2020 at 7:16 PM
Finally a Seo Ye-ji project I can watch. I was scared because this was going to be about mental illness and kdramas don't have a great track record with that subject. So I'm glad to hear it has potential.
Also Seo Ye-ji's voice is just sultry~~
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18 Slice-of-Life Dramatics
June 21, 2020 at 7:20 PM
The directing, cinematography, colours and tones, camera angles were all so visually stunning. Not to mention just the impactful build-up of Moon-young's aura and her world. Wow, just wow.
I also like how a lot of thought was actually put into weaving the different elements of the drama together -- for instance, Moon-young being a children's book author and the use of the animation start to create this reverse "fairy tale". It's very impactful.
Show, please be good!
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19 FormAnOrderlyQueue
June 21, 2020 at 7:28 PM
And a massive shout out to Oh Jung-se! His portrayal of someone with ASD I find very moving and believable. He's exactly hit the mark in being a brother who would be utterly exhausting yet you could never ever abandon. Brilliant.
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20 sunnysaturdays
June 21, 2020 at 7:42 PM
I have been in a bit of a kdrama slump and I think this might be the drama to get me out of it. My first thought after I finished the first episode was " how am I going to wait an entire week for the episodes?"
I have only seen KSH in my love from the star which I loved but I am new to SYJ as a female lead. Regardless, she is killing it. I am not sure if I love or hate ko moon young. Only time will tell.
Also, their chemistry is ridiculously good. Is it just me or was Moon Kang tae staring at her lips during that conversation?
Finally, I won't be mad if KSH abs make another appearance.
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Eazal
June 22, 2020 at 12:14 AM
No, he was staring at her lips. Yes he was.
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oosiee
June 22, 2020 at 6:18 PM
Me too girl! My last kdrama was "the smile has left your eyes" and I had been waiting for another Seo Inguk project since then but Kim Soohyun and Seo yeji's couple charm made me give this one a try and I'm really glad I did. And yes, the waiting between episodes is just excruciatingly painful.
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21 Playstore, Okay Or Not Okay
June 21, 2020 at 7:45 PM
Once upon a time a beanie named playstore played day and night at a playground called DB.
Then came a strong drought after one blood moon that made her curl up and many a nights of old show binging and book reading she found solace.
The dark night the blood moon shined all of a sudden to reel her back to the playground where he found two gorgeous playmates called Gang Tae and Moon Young.
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Ally
June 21, 2020 at 8:04 PM
Hi! You’re back playing with us!
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Playstore, Okay Or Not Okay
June 21, 2020 at 8:15 PM
Yes I am ally!!! So nice to see that @mindy reeled you in the land o dark fairy tales. Let's have a good time with this one shall we?
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22 korfan
June 21, 2020 at 7:56 PM
It's only episode 1 and it already made quite the impression!
From the first scenes with the stop-motion animation to the editing, cinematography all the way up to the actors, it captures your attention.
Let's see what happens next! Thanks for the recap @sailorjumun!
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23 panshel
June 21, 2020 at 7:57 PM
Moon-young's "wow" at pretty Kang-tae is me at this drama. I love it.
The characters are so rich and developed, and the story so engaging and attention-holding.
Kim Soo-hyun's voice was made to read children's books. Swoon. I got Corpse Bride-vibes during the beautiful animation as opposed to Coraline. Their childhood connection is cliché, but of course Kang-tae is the fish boy. Seo Ye-ji and Kim Soo-hyun resemble their animation characters. Is Go Moon-young her pen name? If not, did young Kang-tae not know the name of the girl he liked?
Kang-tae is so sad -- they both are -- but Kang-tae breaks my heart. He is only putting up a front for his hyung. The way he dotes on his hyung makes him infinitely sexier, more than any gratuitous abs shot. I thought Kang-tae would say, "Number four, Hyung," but I love that he can be cheeky.
Moon-young's books are dark; I'm surprised kids read them. Moon-young should have stepped on that Kim Seung-cheol with her stiletto. If Dad has been admitted for dementia, does the hospital not know their patient tried to kill his daughter? Moon-young's trauma must have made her obsessed with sharp objects, but I hope she doesn't self-harms.
It's Okay to Not Be Okay is my new crack. Thanks a ton for the recap, @SailorJumun!
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Eazal
June 22, 2020 at 12:18 AM
Wow is the word that came to mouth every minute while I was watching.
And regarding this, I really appreciate a female character that looks to a man and sees a man (not a possible husband) and says Wow! while the way he looks at him leaves nothing to your imagination. Hey, I'm thinking exactly the same...
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halofan68
June 22, 2020 at 11:07 AM
Yes, that is refreshing -- and it acknowledges the obvious. The central romantic trope in kdramas is that of emotionally wary characters meeting their respective soul mates and having to look deeply into each other before they realize they have done so, conveniently ignoring the fact the cast actors can derail a train with a smile (you can have someone like Han Hyo Joo sport a bad haircut and dress her in thrift mart clothing but she still won't be anything less than radiant.)
I love that this show did not go that route -- the story may still be about OTPs, but it was looking at each other that made the first *pop*.
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Nataly
June 23, 2020 at 6:26 PM
Does anyone know of the name of the song that played during this scene? I freaking fell in love and can’t find it anywhere.
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24 Eazal
June 21, 2020 at 8:00 PM
Thing I loved about this epidose:
- From a mere formal pov, the awesome editing, both sound and image. Amazing. Sometimes it even got me distracted from the main story.
- How beautiful KSH and SYJ are. I also got distracted so many times when they were on screen. And when they were together... Wow.
- The fact that our FL is not a Candy, but a different woman. Not acting the usual way. Loved her.
- The amazing chemistry between the leads .
- The fact that we are going to be able to speak a lot about mental issues, which is a refreshing point of view.
- Have I already said that KSH and SYJ are gorgeous?
- WOW!!!!
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25 Playstore, Okay Or Not Okay
June 21, 2020 at 8:10 PM
Excuse my silly shenanigan but i just had to show my happiness to be back at the recap section and db overall.
First thing first, let's all gather together to pray and ward off bad juju away from this gem that is about to become the crack drama for many of us since Goblin circa 2016.
I love many things about the first two eps but what I love the most about the pilot episode is that the first thing they showed to me is the childhood trope without keeping anything in and in the most unique manner ever. I grew up watching Tim Burton and reading Dr. Seuss along with the legends like Grimm brothers and Christian Anderson. This seems to pay homage to a lot of them. And this beanie couldn't be happier. For now I will refrain myself and keep away from theorizing too much.
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neener ~ Inside the Magic Shop ~
June 21, 2020 at 9:14 PM
Joining the gathering to shoo bad juju away.
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Eazal
June 22, 2020 at 12:20 AM
Yes, I also appreciated the fact that it's just episode one and all the cards are on the table: we know they were connected, that she was almost murdered by his father, that the brothers have been on the run forever, and that the butterflies are important.
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26 BdxPelik
June 21, 2020 at 8:18 PM
The animation, cinematography, creative transitions... ARGH, this is where it's at.
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27 Ayalynn
June 21, 2020 at 8:22 PM
Thank you for the super fast recap @sailorjumun!
I loved the first episode!
I get the Hotel Del Luna vibe which is awesome!
I have a feeling that this show is going to be one of the best Kdramas in 2020.
Main two leads are amazing!
And why are Korean child actors so good?
They do fantastic jobs always...
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Mani-chan
June 21, 2020 at 9:35 PM
I seriously am amazed at how good Korean child actors are.
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lexyk
June 23, 2020 at 6:38 AM
Yes! I git HDL vibes too, especially witg the two female leads characters. Brilliant acting!
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lexyk
June 23, 2020 at 6:38 AM
*with
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28 Mandy
June 21, 2020 at 8:44 PM
Pretty sure I’m getting ahead of myself or this is recency bias, but! That has got to be the best opening sequence I’ve seen from a Kdrama. How absolutely fascinating. I was hooked from the first minute.
The PD is marvellous. Everyone’s praising the leads and I’ll get there lol, but the cinematography is just of gorgeous. I loved the close-ups, the backdrop, the transition from scene to scene. Everything was just amazing.
Really excited to see where this is headed. Actually, I haven’t seen Ep2 and I’m keeping it for mid-week in case it was left at a cliff hanger lol. Keeps the wait a bit more bearable.
What an amazing start. Fingers crossed the ratings increase next week and the quantity remains the same. Mostly tho, I somehow just realized HOW MUCH I missed KSH. He’s literally the most welcomed person back to Kdrama land in my view. And there’s been a lot of comebacks lately.
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29 bomibeans
June 21, 2020 at 8:53 PM
omg, First of all, relieved, that it fulfilled my expectations, and the writing seems to be fresh and very interesting. Again, totally relieved on the writing front. Second, addicted! Already re-watched the first two episodes. My feelings will certainly be tampered somewhat later on, of course, but for right now, whew, for a time being all hype is all deserved! And the female lead, super confident, super sexy and super everything, and I wish I was like her, minus the anti social tendencies. And Kim Too Hyun -- pppppsssshhhhh, fanning myself. What a beautiful couple. Beautiful setting. Beautiful photography. Beautiful writing. Thank you, Drama Gods, thanks you!
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30 neener ~ Inside the Magic Shop ~
June 21, 2020 at 9:19 PM
All I could utter throughout the premiere were “wow” “pretty!” “That’s a beautiful shot, oh they’re beautiful”
I can finally watch a Seo Ye-ji drama, she’s amazing! And that voice? Sexy. Her outfits? Love it!
Praying to dramagods that it will continue to be this good or even better!
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Eazal
June 22, 2020 at 12:22 AM
Wow!
I kept saying this while watching, too.
I hope it keeps this way.
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31 Mani-chan
June 21, 2020 at 9:33 PM
I'm with you @sailorjumun when you talked about liking a drama so much you don't wanna jinx it. This is that show for me. it's been ages since I watched a drama which made me say " I'm sold" from the premiere itself. There are so many things that I wanna talk about that my brain just might melt. I loved the Tim Burton-esque animation and the fact that we're made aware of the darkness in the story. Although the 'we knew each other as children' trope is perhaps the most overused one in dramaland, it has a lot of potential here and I don't seem to mind it because the story seems so good overall.
I wanna talk about Kang Tae now. He seems to genuinely love his brother and cares about him a lot but at the same time we can see that he is a bit exhausted with his life and has given up on things other than caring for his brother and I just want him to live a little for himself.
Seo Ye Ji is rocking this show and is captivating as her character should be. Everything from her outfits to her styling is perfect. Even though her character has faced her trauma, she hasn't let go of it or moved on from it and you can see her resentment.
The chemistry between the leads is so amazing that I need to remind myself to breathe when these two are staring at each other. The sexual tension is so real you guys.
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32 kakakash
June 21, 2020 at 9:34 PM
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33 Marina
June 21, 2020 at 9:49 PM
A question about the girl with two dead birds looking for a friend. And then the little boy who follows her around in the story and in the episode (little Kang Tae). Would he still follow her around and wish to befriend her with the same persistence, if she was ugly and fat? No, seriously. Do you think any parents would allow their children to read and listen to the author’s horror stories, if she wasn’t that pretty? Imagine unattractive fat lady being allowed to get away with reading her horror stories to an auditorium full of kids. And what about the main heroine being courageous? Inflicting fear on poor kids in form of nightmarish children’s stories (in order to heal her own psychological wounds) counts as courage? Looks like she simply enjoys it. The gorgeous psycho can do no wrong, doesn’t matter how cartoonishly villainous she behaves. Move over, Cruella in 100 Dalmatians. She was too old and not sexy enough to be redeemed.
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Playstore, Okay Or Not Okay
June 21, 2020 at 10:29 PM
That is a good point. But I do wonder whether Curella had Antisocial personality disorder or not.
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Marina
June 21, 2020 at 10:57 PM
Hard to believe, but there are published psychology case studies of fictional characters. In one such study from UK, Cruella was diagnosed with Narcissistic Personality Disorder
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Marina
June 22, 2020 at 12:59 AM
BTW: The Moon Young character behavior feels unreal, cartoonish not because she has the “antisocial” ( or so we are told) disorder. Opposite, it’s because she is either faking it ( that would explain why she comes across as a very highly functioning person) or the writer just used the wrong psychological diagnosis term for her condition nonetheless because it sounds cool.We can’t read the writer’s mind.The writer might not know the term “Histrionic Personality Disorder” or midget think that “ Narcissistic Personality Disorder” doesn’t sound as dramatic as antisocial. In my opinion, her character displays more of a combination of the two first ones.
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FiyaShady
June 22, 2020 at 6:17 AM
I guess that's part of truth. Honestly, this is the first time I heard about Antisocial Disorder. She does potrays more on Narcisstic behavorial to me and having obsession on sharp things (is this also another Disorder thingy?)
I read about the writer is the one who wrote Jugglers??? Never watch that show before, so no idea about her work in the past.
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Beverly
June 21, 2020 at 11:04 PM
I think there are many fairytales, cartoons, and children's stories that ride the edge of being scary. I dont believe all of them were created by beautiful women.
But yes our society treats fat women, unattractive women, and older women differently than their counterparts.
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Eazal
June 22, 2020 at 12:26 AM
Most fairy tales are really scary. A lot. There are bad witches, parents dyings, and lots of struggles. Hans Christian Andersen tales are really depressing. Look at The little mermaid (not the Disney version, of course), she suffers throughout the tale just to be "betrayed" by the Prince. And it was my favorite fairy tale when I was a child. And if I think about it, it was really depressing.
That explains Moon Young success.
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Kafiyah Bello
June 22, 2020 at 4:58 AM
yup, the original fairy tales were meant to scare children into disobedience, the versions we currently have are utterly sanitized.
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Kairoskat 💐
June 22, 2020 at 5:11 AM
I'm curious. Is it scaring children into disobedience or scaring into obedience? Because I think scary tales are to scare children to be obedient and follow rules.
Kafiyah Bello
June 22, 2020 at 7:44 AM
@katakwasabi, yes sorry I meant obedience, lol
Ruckus Likes Drama
June 22, 2020 at 4:42 PM
Whether the boy would have followed her or not, I can’t say... what I can say is that society does judge people based on looks. However, I do know of boys who like “chubby” girls and again it depends a lot on conditioning.
I am not sure if the show will ever explain if the FL’s disorder made her dress as she does or is it an artistic choice to fit with the Grimm fairy tale environment.
Also, fairy tales at one time were about teaching children to confirm to the norms and morals of society. We do get children to read Hans’s and Grimm’s tales... despite their dark tones.
I did not know that the FL had a personality disorder. But I had a general question: how much of reality should a drama realistically portray? What is reality? The elder brother’s version of the world... the writer’s version of what she writes and believes and lives (??), the younger brother’s version, the Miss Goody two shoes version or our version? Or all of the above? (Not sure if my question was random or related but I hope you don’t mind my letting it accompany the rest of the text :) )
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34 ohduhree
June 21, 2020 at 9:53 PM
‘Hurtful, painful memories… Only those with such memories buried in their hearts can become stronger, more passionate, and emotionally flexible. And only those can attain happiness.’
A punch in the gut. I'm a sucker too for dramas that tackle mental illness. I'm hopeful for this to be consistent and good until the end.
I'm in love with GMY's books. It's true to life--like how writers deliver strong philosophical topics masked in children's cartoons. Like how The Little Prince isn't really just for little kids.
Your question about monsters being born or made was also a theme in I Remember You (alt.title: Monster). It's interesting that MGT is throwing this idea of her early on. It will be good to see him realize one can't truly give a conclusion about another's being. Even after years of knowing each other. How much more after just a few encounters.
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35 loveblossom🌸
June 21, 2020 at 9:54 PM
This premiere was pretty compelling and solid. There are so many positives - the cinematography, the writing, the leads, their instant chemistry. The only thing I wasn't crazy about was the childhood connection, but that is a small quibble. Moon Young has such a strong charisma and presence that I already want to know her whole life story. If the leads have a painful past they must face, I am curious to see their journey.
The transitional scene effects are awesome. I love that extra thought into the details. I chuckled when I saw the billboard promoting this very drama too.
Seo Ye Ji's and Kim Soo Hyun's voices are so soothing to listen to.
I loved hearing them read the stories. Gimme more~!
Thank you for the quick recap!
Hoping this drama stay good to the end.
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36 jesssu
June 21, 2020 at 10:16 PM
I was very excited since I saw the promos but I wasn't sure if it was going to be good enough, and the first episode proved that this drama was worth my excitement! Loved the chemistry between KSH and SYJ, KSH and OJS (surprisingly), the cinematography (SOOO GOOOD), the opening animation, and the way they built up the story. Can't wait for the rest!
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37 Chandler
June 21, 2020 at 10:57 PM
Aw, not that I ever mind waiting, but the fast recaps on a potentially crack drama makes me feel nostalgic to dramabeans' Golden Age. It's never a necessity, but always a treat when it happens so thanks @sailorjumun for the quick work.
I admit to forgetting up until right before this aired that it was from the Jealousy Incarnate PD, whom I loved already for his quirky eccentric directing style and symbolism. He actually contributed to the punchlines in that show with his shots and clever animation. I love how he's adapted and elevated his style depending on the drama. Though I didn't enjoy everything about Boyfriend/Encounter, I really loved the magical, whimsical "reverse fairy tale" feeling he imbued it with (before my new-found love for Jang Seung-jo made it too hard to continue watching his character trajectory). Here, he's amped it up and twisted the fairy tale feeling into something haunting and arresting and far more my style. Some dramas are very prettily shot, but not very many are cleverly shot, like here. Add Seo Ye-ji, with that voice and that everything, and that's how you have crack, my friends.
I have more to say on the characters and their relationships, but much is motivated by episode 2, so I will wait. I foresee some fun discussion on the recaps with this one!
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earthna
June 22, 2020 at 11:44 AM
Had a feeling it was the same director as Jealousy Incarnate while watching and when I looked it up, it was the same one indeed.
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38 Drama Darling
June 21, 2020 at 11:12 PM
I came here for Kim Soo Hyun
But staying for Seo Ye ji
Wow an actress really knows how to act
Nailed the role of dark witch to the core 👍 🙌
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39 Channel22
June 22, 2020 at 12:06 AM
I love how TVN generally produces a series with a balance of badass ladies who aren't perfect, openly goes for what they want and doesn't need saving all the time.
Case in point:
1. All the ladies in Search. WWW
2. Hotel Del Luna - Jang Man Wol
3. Mr. Sunshine - Kudo Hina/Lee Yang Hwa
4. It's ok to not be okay - Go Moon Yeong
Etc.
It's ok to not be okay literally takes a page from children's book. Every scene is beautiful though I must say, the way the stories and monologues are worded, lacks the poetry that I got used to Kim Eun Sook's work. I knows it's a different writer and what it lacks in worded poetry, it makes up with dark and fantastical mis-en-scene instead. Not to mention a very cohesive world building that draws you in from the beginning. I hope it sustain it until the end.
And I love Kim Soo Hyun! I just want to give him a hug every time his day turns for the worst.
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40 theimprintonmynose
June 22, 2020 at 12:12 AM
Color me intrigued. I just finished the 1st ep and might just continue following through the drama in real time, which I don't usually do (I prefer to binge watch).
The writer and PD must be playing with alot of symbolism here. I like how there is a mix of subtlety (through allusions and cgi) and overt showing. In the opening animation, the girl opened a box with dead birds in it. My theory here is probably she was in some way related(?) or caused the death
(?) of some people around her, maybe some misfortune happened to people and they blamed her, in their own twisted sense. As a kid, she believed this and it somehow affected her mental psyche. She became jaded, cynical, with a weird fondness for anything sharp and pointy lol.
There's a direct reference to autism (Kang tae's bro), depression (the woman who kept eating and vomited), and some form of delusion (the father who tried to kill his daughter).
If we are dealing with a personality disorder here(antisocial) then it will be a long and hard journey for the Kang Tae and moon young because the hallmark of personality disorders is they DO NOT know it. They do not believe nor understand that they have it and thus we mustn't expect any form of change from her character. Hmmm Idk how writer will deal with this.
Maybe it's not a PD after all? Maybe she's simply mentally scarred by her experience, if she finds it in herself she is not the cause of hurt(?) of people from her childhood, maybe change is possible. Idk. Don't mind my rambling here heh
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sunnysaturdays
June 22, 2020 at 8:00 AM
I thought the woman who vomited was suffering from depression and bulimia. But I could be wrong.
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41 hannaehh
June 22, 2020 at 12:29 AM
I love love love episode 1. The plot, the writing, the acting and the cinematography are all on point!
I really love story of “The Boy Who Fed On Nightmares” it’s beautifully written and inspiring. 🖤
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42 Kurama
June 22, 2020 at 12:51 AM
It was really a nice first episode, the dark ambiance is pretty unique in Kdrama.
The cinematography in Tim Burton's vein, how the scenes switch, the FL's style, etc. everything is really great and fun too.
The story is pretty dark, I hope it will be more than love saves everything and they will really work on their traumas, but the couple has a great chemistry.
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43 Mina00
June 22, 2020 at 12:52 AM
Amazing start ! Such a superb cinematography. Instead of checking actors I wanted to find out who is the director :) Park Shin-woo ! I don't think any drama (with big names in it) gave that vibes for a veryy long time. SYJ was like Monica Bellucci :) He was like Tom Crouise in Raining Man. I assume That secenerie done by choice . It was beautiful so no problem :) I really wish They will keep up .
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44 Bow
June 22, 2020 at 1:04 AM
I'll start off by saying, I swooned. They're both so gorgeous *crying emoji*. Okay, now that I've got that out the way, I really loved this first episode. It was intriguing and I love Moon-young's character. Kang-tae is very sweet, and I'm interested to see how these two will affect each other's lives.
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45 Shuchita Singh
June 22, 2020 at 1:23 AM
It's such hearthaching and emotional. One of my favourite male actor. Must watch
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46 Nonso
June 22, 2020 at 1:30 AM
I'll be back to read your comments. I started for KimSooHyun but ended up falling for SeoYeaJi.
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47 jillian
June 22, 2020 at 2:13 AM
Seo Yi Je is absolutely gorgeous and always well put together. Reminds me so much of IU's Jang Man Wol in Hotel De Luna. Kim Soo Hyun is ripped and handsome as always.
I am very intrigued with the show and looks promising. I like Kang-tae right off the bat but Moon-young is a character that you can admire but must keep an arms length away to keep your sanity. So I dont know if I should pity Lee Sang-In or not.
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jillian
June 22, 2020 at 2:15 AM
Seo Ye Ji* forgive the brain fart 😅
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48 lately
June 22, 2020 at 2:20 AM
This was very very good and I am so happy to have a recap to shout it out to the world!
Loved the way the work was shown at the psychiatric ward. Wouldn't recommend to have exercise therapy groups next to a fully see-through duty room and emergency chamber though (don't know the exact english translation). The rest, very much on point.
The actors and everything are amazing. Oh Jung Se is just perfect, I want to give him all the awards for the first episode already.
Now, if you'll excuse me, I am off to join the ritual to ward off evil spirits and jinxes for this drama.
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49 ssandulak
June 22, 2020 at 2:22 AM
Seo Ye-Ji is amazing and gorgeous. I was going to check this one out just for her, and so far I have NOT been disappointed. Ever since I saw her in Save Me I’ve been a big fan. That voice, so sultry and hrrrgh! She’s one of those actresses that can say so much with just a look (that last scene...the chemistry!) Hope this quality keeps up, the opening episodes have me absolutely hooked.
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50 axis3
June 22, 2020 at 2:40 AM
A very promising start with some Tim Burton vibes. Watching this because of Seo Ye-Ji and I'm looking forward to the coming episodes :)
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