EXCLUSIVE: These Celebs & Personalities Love "It's Okay To Not Be Okay"

Alden Richards on why he loves the series

Actor and heartthrob Alden Richards shares, "The material is good, both intriguing and interesting. It's a refreshing take on a drama that tackles mental health awareness, an important issue in our society. The title says it all. It's acceptable and it's okay to not be okay."

Photo Credit: @aldenrichards02

Of the best lesson he picked up from the series, Alden tells Metro.Style, "We must have courage to find happiness."

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Richard Juan on what he loves about IOTNBO in general

The production value of the show being great is a given already. More than that, actor, host, model, and Kim Soo-hyun lookalike Richard Juan loves that it's a "unique healing drama" that has an amazing cast. He says, "It is not just a typical love story as it tackles so many socially relevant topics, such as mental illness... It doesn’t just focus on people finding love, but it also shows lessons in every aspect of your relationship with people. It’s a story about the challenges between brothers, difficulties in mental health relationships, test of friendships in many different levels, and even dealing with work and your boss... I loved the rollercoaster of emotions I felt throughout the whole show: the comedy, the suspense, the sad scenes, the satisfying scenes—it had everything!"

Photo Credit: @richardjuan

There are so many life lessons that one can take away from IOTNBO. Out of all those things, three stood out for Richard. "One of many lessons I learned is that we are all connected with one another; we need each other to live and to be happy. I quote the hospital director Oh Ji-wang, saying, 'People stick together because they’re weak, we lean on each other, that’s what makes us human.' This line struck me on so many levels. I agree but also disagree at the same time! We can definitely lean on each other to help each other grow."

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Richard continues, "Another line that struck me was 'to be able to make the people around you happy, you must find your own happiness first.' There are so many similar lines to this such as 'you need to save yourself first before you save others,' or 'you need to help yourself first before you help others.'" And we think doing so doesn't mean you're selfish, it only means you're strengthening yourself so you can be sturdy enough for your loved ones to lean on.

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Lastly, Richard pointed out a meaningful line that is applicable to our society today in more ways than one. Ko Mun-yeong said, “The one who neglects and turns a blind eye to the abuse is worse than the abuser.” To which, Richard comments, "There are so many things that are happening around the country (and the world), and people turn a blind eye about them because of various reasons such as 'Oh, I’m not in the position to speak up' or 'Just let them deal with it on their own.' These mentalities are exactly why abusers continue to abuse."

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Janice de Belen says IOTNBO is the best K-Drama this 2020

When a die-hard K-Drama fan like seasoned actress Janice de Belen says a series is good, you should take her word for it. For the longest time, Lee Min-ho and Park Shin-hye's "The Heirs" was what she kept re-watching. Now, she found another K-Drama that totally deserves to be her "sleep partner" every night from hereon. "This show made me happy, excited, sad, and kilig on so many levels that I think this is my best 2020 K-Drama," she says.

Photo Credit: @super_janice

Of the lessons one can learn from watching the series, Janice says quoting a line from IOTNBO, "If you want to make the people around you happy, you must find your own happiness first." She adds, "Our happiness should come from within because we need to love ourselves first before we can love another person."

Photo Credit: Netflix

Moon Gang-tae said that "when life is unbearably hard, the easiest way is to run." But as Dr. Oh Ji-wang advises, "One must face one's trauma to overcome it." Janice cannot agree more with Dr. Oh, saying, "We need to face whatever demons we have in our lives in order to move forward and heal." The Filipina actress appreciated how the show tackled mental health in a manner that's not complicated and can be easily understood by the viewers.

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Janice also commends lead star Kim Soo-hyun's acting. On her Kumu's FYE Channel (Metro KDrama Club) guesting, she says, "When I watched Kim Soo-hyun sa 'It’s Okay to Not be Okay,' sabi ko magaling talaga siya. He deserves every dollar that was paid to him... He knows he’s a good actor. He is very confident. Makikita mo kasi 'pag magaling 'yung artista. He’s very comfortable in his shows, in his acting. Makikita mo 'yun eh. That’s why alam mo, ang hinahanap niya, he doesn’t want to be a star, he wants to be an actor."

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Kim Chiu on experiencing separation anxiety as IOTNBO has ended

During a virtual press con for the launch of Tiger Crackers' new variants, actress, vlogger, and brand endorser Kim Chiu shared that she's been watching a lot of K-Dramas throughout the lockdown. One of them was "It's Okay to Not be Okay," which she binge-watched. She shares, "'It’s Okay to Not be Okay, kakatapos lang, nakakalungkot. Parang ‘pag natatapos ‘yung series, para kang nagkaka-separation anxiety." Other recent K-Dramas she saw include "The King: Eternal Monarch" and "Itaewon Class."

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Lovi Poe on IOTNBO being "refreshing"

As of this writing, actress Lovi Poe hasn't finished the series yet, but overall, she finds this K-Drama "refreshing." She shares with Metro.Style, "The story is dark but executed well with a mix of humor that made it not too heavy to watch. Aside from the performance of each actor, what I loved most about it was the underlying meaning hidden in each fairy tale book mentioned in the series."

Photo Credit: @lovipoe

Kelly Misa appreciates the depth of the plot

IOTNBO is definitely not your typical K-Drama. Yes, it's got hints of rom-com but it's mainly a healing drama. On what she loved about the series overall, mommy influencer and host Kelly Misa says, "It goes much deeper as it tackles mental health issues and autism which, to be honest, are still taboo in our society and are hardly talked about. It explains the human psyche and how far the spectrum goes in terms of trauma, dealing with old and current issues and deep-rooted family problems. I love that it is told like a dark fairy tale, which makes the stories we grew up with more relatable and real, even adaptable to our lives today. Also, the fashion of Ko Mun-young is flawless and inspiring. Everything from the storyline, the set design, and the subplots of the supporting actors gave life to this beautiful series."

Photo Credit: @kellymisa

Mental health remains a taboo. For Kelly, she tended to shy away from this topic because she acknowledges that she doesn't completely understand what a person with mental illness could be going through, and doesn't want to come across offensive. This is why she loved IOTNBO: "It presented mental health, addiction, and autism in a way that allowed me to see what that person must be going through, and what past traumas they could be dealing with that cause their current behavior."

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Because of how the series enlightened her about the topic of mental health, Kelly says, "I was able to understand and empathize with the characters, which has somehow erased the fear and stigma in my mind. Hopefully, it’s not just me, and more people are now open to this issue to better help our family and friends who may be going through mental illness."

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Patricia Prieto on IOTNBO not being your usual K-Drama

Influencer Patricia Prieto is a K-Drama fan, who can't help but gush over how very well done IOTNBO was. She agrees with the fans of the series when she says that it was impressive how it tried to veer away from the typical plots. She tells Metro.Style, "I love how the show talked about different kinds of mental illnesses. It touched on things as well as topics that your usual K-Drama doesn't talk about, and it was done really well. Of course, the great cinematography and amazing styling were a plus too!"

Photo Credit: @patriciaprieto

The best lesson Patricia has learned from IOTNBO is hinged on the moral of Ko Mun-yeong's "The Boy Who Fed on Nightmares" fairy tale. She was reminded that struggles and pain are inevitable in life. But as Patricia realizes, "Rather than sweeping the pain and hurt under a rug or setting them aside, you need to overcome them. Because how you fight those battles and rise above them help make you a stronger person."

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Ycoy Sitchon points out that IOTNBO is like a fairy tale meets "gothic fantasy a la Tim Burton"

The go-to event planner, organizer, and entrepreneur, who's always churning out wonderful and whimsical concepts for her clients, couldn't help but be inspired by the beauty of the series. She says, "Director Park Shin-woo seamlessly wove an idiosyncratic fairy tale that enticed those who love gothic fantasy a la Tim Burton."

Photo Credit: @ycoysitchon

Ycoy goes on to say, "Apart from the empathically relatable quotes, quirky animation, fantastic soundtrack, an exceptional narrative, and the beautiful cast, it erased the rigid walls of a fairy tale that only binds two lovers, flawlessly extending it to familial love. But it didn't stop there; it was a gift that kept on giving. It forged a deeper connection to its audience as it tackled widely misrepresented issues on mental health, healing, hope, and courage. It refreshingly opened conversations about our inner demons, our damaged souls, and the internal struggles that we are grappling with today."

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Ycoy is amazed by how raw, real, and relatable IOTNBO is, as it presented the process of healing and the ups and downs involved with it. She enthuses, "It presented a perverse reality that the promise of happiness is not just for those who have a sense of normalcy in their hands, but it is also for those who lived through trauma and abuse. It zoomed in on and dissected the fibers of one's character and paved the path for the audience to grasp the entirety of the character's being. It left no room for judgment. As the story unfolded, we gradually understood the reason behind Ko Mun-yeong's apathy and narcissism or Moon Gang-tae's exaggerated sense of altruism and fragility."

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Ria Regino is happy with the series' happy ending

"They got the happy ending they deserve," professional photographer and entrepreneur Ria Regino says. By "they," of course, we mean our "troublemaker trio" (Moon Gang-tae, Moon Sang-tae, and Ko Mun-yeong) who successfully overcame their traumas with each other's help.

Photo Credit: @riaregino

Ria is also impressed by the fairy tales incorporated in the narrative. "I love the way they related them to the story," she says. A creative like herself was also captivated by the illustrations presented in the series. No doubt, there are a lot more things to love about IOTNBO, but Ria says the OST is particularly notable; she's a true K-Drama fan and she says this is the first series that really got her to listen to the soundtrack.

Photo Credit: Netflix

IOTNBO sure is entertaining, but what's even better about it is that it's also informative. Ria liked that she emerged from watching this series more educated about mental health issues, such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and those like Moon Sang-tae who have an autism spectrum disorder.

Photo Credit: Netflix

Kathryn Bernardo is watching IOTNBO too!

Photo Credit: @bernardokath and screenshot from @hijk1234abcd

And so is Gabbi Garcia!

Photo Credit: @gabbi and screenshot from @hijk1234abcd