
This is part 2 of our live recap for It’s Okay to Not Be Okay!
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Caution: Be wary of typos
How to Watch: Netflix
Shorthand Character Chart: It’s Okay to Not be Okay
How we do this: This live recap will be in two parts and we segment each post around every 10 minutes. Sometimes sooner, sometimes later depending on the scene. There will be typos which we have fantasies of fixing once the episode finishes airing. Also, if there is a preview then we will try and translate it. Look for that at the bottom or on a separate post!
KOREAN DRAMA IT’S OKAY TO NOT BE OKAY RECAP EPISODE 1 – PART 2
——-dramamilk.com——-
#4
STAGE
Sang-in and Sung-jae looks around the auditorium to make sure things are going well for this event. Sang-in mutters aloud that Moon-young should not ruin her mood before big events, that is why I didn’t want to tell her. I was going to tell her after the event and convince her to go to the hospital.
Sang-in mutters that he does not feel good about this. Sung-jae asks why she hates her father so much. Sang-in says that she hates everyone except herself, don’t ask me why! That is just how she is! You will live a long time in this field if you don’t ask why.
He wonders where she is now and runs off.
Moon-yong is outside smoking in a non smoking place, playing music aloud, and picking petals off of the flowers. So she is basically doing everything that she should not be doing. Kang-tae sees her and says, excuse me. Your cigarette….
She says it isi her last one. He tells her that he is not asking her for one, can you put it out? She mutters that it is still long. She is also not looking at him, and is instead pulling the petals off.
he tells her that it is a non smoking zone so put it down. She lets go of the petals and stands up to look at him. All the plum blossoms blow around them. She looks at the plum blossoms blowing in the wind and then looks back at him. He looks at her.
MY – Do you believe in fate?
KT – Excuse me?
MY – You heard me.
He tries to grab her cigarette, she sways it away.
MY – Fate is nothing.
She puts it out in his coffee.
MY – If something comes in front of me when I need it, then that is fate.
She grabs her bag and walks off. The camera zooms in on a heart shaped paragraph and we see a title: The Boy Who Grew Up Eating Nightmares.
STAGE
Moon-young shrieks on stage. There is smoke all along her feet. She drinks some water and clears her throat. In the crowd, Sang-in assures the person next to him that it is so realistic.
Moon-yong starts to speak.
MY – The boy woke up from his nightmare. *turns the page* The memory he wanted to forget comes into his dreams and haunts him. *turns page* the boy who was so afraid of going to bed, one day he went to see a witch and begged her to please make him not have nightmares. So please remove memories from my head. Then I will give you anything you want from me.
In the hospital, the man that had to be restrained has broken free and is frantically looking for his daughter. A nurse tells everyone Seagull 777 which is their password to alert everyone of a situation.
Kang-tae runs around looking for this man along with the other people. The guy he was talking to earlier apologize to him about releasing that man, he said he was uncomfortable. Kang-tae asks him to grab something and then keeps looking for him. He grabs a bag and opens it.
On stage, Moon-yong is still reading the book. She says that time passed and the boy became an adult and did not become happy at all.
the patient looks all around the crowd for his daughter. But it is dark so he is not noticed.
MY – The night of the full moon, finally the witch came in front of him for her reward. He screamed at the witch and said that all his bad memories are erased, so why am I not happy? The witch took his soul as they promised and said…
But then the lights turn on in the room. Moon-yong quietly curses and asks what is going on. A man alerts everyone that he is sorry but they have to stop this book reading. Please take your children back to the hospital.
Everyone starts to go back to the hospital. Moon-yong tells them that they are not done yet. But no one is listening to her. She crosses her arms, enraged, and walks to the person on the side that looks like they are responsible.
In the crowd, the father finds his daughter in her seat and grabs hold of her hand. He tells her to go with him. She shakes her head no.
On stage, Moon-yong asks the man, how dare you stop my stage performance? Especially during the highlight. Is this going to be continued next time?
The girl is being pulled away. he grabs her and takes her to the exit.
Moon-yong thinks that the kids need to hear the end of the story.
#5
In the back, the father tells his daughter that they need to leave. She tells him not to do this, I am scared. he tells her that if they find this out then I will go to a mental hospital and you will become an orphan.
Moon-yong walks in on them because she saw him carrying her away.
The girl tells her father that she does not want to die. He says it is better to die together than to be separated like this.
Moon-yong curses, ah, what the hell? I have not seen people worse than dogs in awhile. Look at this.
The man turns around and asks if she wants to die?
She asks, have you killed anyone yet? She flexes her wrist and tells him that he does not have courage to live and also does not have courage to die alone. You put your kids in front of you on the way to hell. Why don’t you just kill yourself. Don’t drag anyone.
He approaches her, she hits him across the face with something. A knife falls. The man scrambles for it, she steps on his hand with her stiletto. He jumps on her and starts to strangle her. The little girl runs off and is found by Kang-tae. He asks if she is okay? She points to the back.
In the back, the man yells at Moon-yong that she does not know anything. She starts to smile and calls him stupid, you should strange me harder. Harder! he starts to strangle her harder.
She sees her fathers image in his face and remembers scratching him when she was a child and he was strangling her. She starts to pass out.
Kang-tae runs in and hits him away, he and the crazy guy start to fight. Kang-tae is able to restrain him and tells him to calm down.
Moon-young gets up and walks to him. She pulls out the knife and jams it down at him. Blood splatters all over the man.
But he is not stabbed. He turns his head back around and looks at her. Kang-tae had stopped the blade in his hand. He looks at Moon-yong and she looks at him. The camera scrolls around them looking at each other.
The man looks at them as well.
MY – It wasn’t fate. Can you step aside for now?
KT – Put down your knife first. He is a patient.
MY – No, he is not a patient. Just a bug.
She looks at him.
Man – She is crazy! She is crazy!
He scurries off. Kang-tae takes the knife from her. The man is found in the stairwell and taken away.
Kang-tae pulls out a scarf and wraps the knife in it.
MY – Does the knife hurt? Why are you wrapping the knife? If he is under the effect then I am using self defense. I just wanted to give him a little cut. You got hurt because you were overreacting. Give it to me. Not the knife, your hand.
She throws the hand away.
MY – This is m y special service. You know that there are people who deserve to die. A considerate crazy person kills them quietly. That is why a normal person with no idea can sleep well at night. Which side do you think I am on?
She tied his hand with the scarf. he looks at it.
KT – A crazy person with no idea.
She giggles and keeps looking at him.
NURSE
Kang-tae goes to the nurse/doctor. The doctor tells him that because of him his suturing skills is getting better. Kang-tae isn’t really listening to him, he is dazed off thinking of something else. The doctor asks him what he is thinking about. Kang-tae says it is all good.
Elsewhere in the hospital, Sang-in tries to talk some sense into Moon-young and her behavior. What if the media says that the famous children’s writer Ko Moon-young used a knife on someone?
She is walking without a care in the world. Her face is still blank. Her outfit is amazingly modern-victorian. She tells him to just give them money, you have done that a lot.
He asks, what if it does not waork. she tells him that she would need to seduce him them.
Her car comes around, he tells her to hop in. But she says that he can leave, I have to go do something. She puts on her shades and turns around.
Meanwhile, Kang-tae is getting reprimanded by his boss about the patient that went to the book reading. A lot of patients guardians are calling us about that. Someone should be responsible.
Kang-tae asks, is that person me? The boss tells him that the new guy only worked here for 2 months so that is pretty bad. But you have hopped to 15 hospitals for the last ten years of your career. you have worked here for 10 months, so it is time to stop working here anyway.
Kang-tae drops off his ID. He cleans his locker and stars to head out. His hubaes are sad to see him go. His boss voices over.
VO – I will make it so that you worked here for one year. Let’s just close things out.
#6
HOME
Moon-young takes a shower in a huge hotel (or maybe her house). The door is open. Her manager glances at her taking a shower and then answers a call. he tells this person to get the contact of that caregiver person who was cut. We need to give him money or something to shut him down. It is not the first time.
Elsewhere, Kang-tae sits at the bus stop. He gets a call from an unknown number and ignores it.
Then we see a chicken delivery person driving up the street on a motorcycle. He stops in front of the bus stop and takes off his helmet in a not sexy but trying to be sexy way (a spoof on a famous scene of Jung Woo-sung in Beat). This guy is Jae-soo.
JS – I was passing by and saw someone sitting like a sick chicken. I knew it was you.
He opens his suitcase and throws a helmet at Kang-tae.
JS – Hop on, Oppa will take you.
KT – You crazy….
JS – Were you hurt again?
He hops on and they take off.
Meanwhile Joori (Juli/Juri) gets to a location and looks at the building.
Upstairs in the house, Sang-in thinks to himself that he had a cut so he should at least sue us. Nam Joori calls right then. He picks it up and quietly answers.
JI – Yes, nurse, okay, you are already here? Okay.
he sneaks out and tells her their room number.
Moon-young is still in the shower. She hears the doorbell and asks Sang-in if he got room service? he does not answer so she has to get out and answer it. Joori is at the door. They look at each other like they might know each other and not like each other.
Cut to Jae-soo riding his motorcycle like he is Jung Woo-sung in Beat. Kang-tae happily sits behind him. But then the motorcycle stops working. Jae-soo says, no no not right now, don’t do it right now.
Kang-tae asks what is up?
Then smoke starts to come out of the motorcycle.
JS – Alberto! No! Alberto!
Cut to the two of them pushing Alberto up the highway. JS yells that he understands him! It is okay! that is friendship! Kang-tae tells him to just push the motorcycle.
They pass a sign along the way that says:
Was it a difficult day? Cheer up!
You will meet a good person.
CONDO
Joori sits on the couch with a straight back and looks a bit uncomfortable. Moon-young is lazily laying on the couch with a wine in one hand and looks at her. She tells her that she has changed, your country mannerisms are gone.
Joori smiles slightly.
MY – it has almost been twenty years since I have moved.
JR – Yes, well, you just need to sign here. The doctor will explain everything to you. You have to do it in person.
MY – You traveled for three hours to come all the way here to get this signature. Is it your vocation or are you just nosy?
JR – Our hospital is specialized in mental illness. We will have to send the patient to another hospital for surgery. For your father–.
MY – He is dead.
MY – *chuckles* I am an orphan, you know that.
JR – But he is still alive.
MY _ *sits up* A long time ago I reported him dead. Can I tell you something interesting. *picks up the paperwork* My appa’s body is alive but his soul is dead. Like a zombie. But for my mother, her body died a long time ago but her soul is still alive. *smiles* Who is really dead?
She grabs her wine and drinks it. Then asks again, who is really dead?
NR – Your fa~ the patient Ko Dae-wan, he will be in big trouble if he misses the surgery.
MY – Hey, people will think that you are his daughter. Why don’t you become his daughter? i will be your mom’s daughter. If you agree with that then I will sign here.
Cut to Nari standing at the elevator waiting for it to open. She looks tired, drained, overwhelmed. She walks into the elevator and kneels
Then we see a flashback where we see that Moon-yong signed the paperwork. She told Joori that her mothers food was delicious, would you like to go and eat together like before? Ah, you are the same, my jokes still don’t work. You are no fun.
In the elevator, Joori throws the paperwork to the side and curses.
WALKING
On the walk back, Jae-soo tells Kang-tae that that woman is crazy. How can she write children’s stories? Kang-tae says she is not crazy, she was born like that.
The friend jokes and says ah, after being a caregiver in a mental hospital for 10 years, you can see someone and just know everything?
Kang-tae tells him not to exaggerate.
JS – You should do it because you get stabbed and fired but did not say anything and just left work like that? You should do something!
KT – If I get angry, it will feel good but I won’t get paid my severance package.
JS – your older brother was fired from school and the yonger brother was fired from work. Y’all are good brothers.
KT – it was time to quit anyway. When the night air is warmer, soon the butterflies will come.
JS – *looks taken aback* Well, is there still nothing for your brother?
KT – Not yet.
JS – Where are you going next?
KT – Hey, why don’t we go overseas?
JS – Do you even have a passport?
Both – *chuckles*
KT – Hey, Jae-soo, don’t tell my brother about what happened today, okay?
JS – Ah, your brother, brother, brother, brother, I am sick and tired of it. I am jealous of him.
Kang-tae stops and suddenly yells and touches his head. The signature, I did not get her signature. I promised hyung.
JS – Well you got hurt.
But then they both look up her signature and start to try and copy it while sitting on some steps. it has to look perfect otherwise his brother will know it is fake. They high five because it looks really good. But Kang-tae grimaces because it was a high five on his injured hand. He is still happy though.
he says not to laugh since he is unlucky (or something like that). Kang-tae tells him that his patient said the same thing. Jae-soo tells him that when he smiles he looks like the joker. Your eyes are sad but your mouth is smiling.
Jae-soo hops up starts to do the joker dance on the steps, (lololololol).
#7
Jae-soo happily produces the signature to Sang-tae. They both look at him with anticipation. But the brother says, this is…..Fake. Fake. Fake. Fake….
he goes to his fort to hide. or maybe it is a closet that has a zipper. Kang-tae sits outside and asks him if he would like to buy something at the bookstore tomorrow? A dinosaur encyclopedia.
But his brother is just muttering, why did you lie, why did you lie, why did you lie?
Jae-soo is still there and says, ah, this Ko Moon-young woman! I will just burn all these books!
that gets Sang-tae’s attention. He hops out of the closet to stop him and a bit of pandemonium breaks loose.
The camera scrolls to the cell phone where there is a video text message (or just a text message but we see him speaking).
SI – I am Lee Sang-In from the company. first of all, I really want to apologize for what happened today. *bows* I am really sorry, if you are okay in your busy schedule than I need to tell you something tomorrow. I want to see you in my company tomorrow. Please do not refuse. Accept the meeting please.
This is a series of text messages so Sang-in gets increasingly concerned with each one until he is on his knees with his arms extended.
SI – Please!
They finally get the situation in order in the house so Kang-tae is able to check the message. He sends back a lonely “okay”.
Sang-in looks at the message and thinks that this does not feel good. He gets up and the camera scrolls to the news report which shows a bloody knife in a CSI bag. The news anchor explains what happened.
Anchor – The man who tried to kill himself with his daughter, was found dead.
The news continues to talk about the details of what happened.
Cut to Moon-yong who is sitting on her bed looking out over the city from her huge windows. She is thinking about Kang-tae. She lays on her back and mutters, he has beautiful eyes.
He is also thinking about her. He remembers her telling him, do you know that in this world there are some people who deserve to die. A considerate crazy person kills them quietly. People without any idea can sleep well.
His friends hand lays on his chest so he hits it away and sits up. he looks around at his apartment and at his brother who is sleeping in his own sleeping space above them in a tiny closed balcony looking room. he has his favorite books by that author on his chest.
Kang-tae tucks him in and then sits at his desk to read one of the books.
VO – The boy woke up from a nightmare again.
We see the little girl in her bed, the book falls.
VO – Because the scary memory comes back in his dream and haunted the boy over and over again. After time passed, the boy became an adult. He had no more nightmares but somehow he did not become happy at all.
We see the images of the book as he reads it.
VO – On the night of the red full moon, the witch showed up again to get her reward. He screamed at her and blamed her.
Moon-young looks at a photo of her mother. It looks like a person is ripped out of it.
VO – My bad memories are erased, but why am I not happy?
She folds the other side out and we see a man standing there.
VO – The witch took his soul as promised and said that the memory of pain and hurt and the memory of desperately regretting and the memory of hurting others and getting abandoned, the person who has all those memories in their heart, becomes stronger and harder and more flexible. Happiness is only for those people.
His brother stirs a bit in bed. He looks at him tossing and turning and going back to sleep. His eyes are bright. He keeps reading the book. Moon-young’s voice starts to read the book and we see the little girl reading it as well.
VO – Don’t forget today.
Moon-yong actually wrote “Don’t forget today” on the book. The little girl looks up at the nurse and asks where her appa is. The nurse tells her that everything should be okay.
The little girl asks, is he going to the police? is he trapped in a mental hospital?
The nurse asks, are you afraid that he will haunt you again? It will not happen anymore.
The girl cries and says that her appa is not a bad person. he only did that because he is sick in his head. So don’t arrest him. I want to live with him. I miss my appa.
Both – So don’t forget, and overcome it. If you do not overcome it then you are a little kid with your soul not growing.
Kang-tae closes the book and looks at the cover again. Then he puts it back with his brother.
His brothers picture starts to take on a life of its own and we are taken to a dream possibly? There is a dark spooky forest where a young man is inside it and starts to run away. Butterflies are all around him, chasing him.
he tries to hit the butterflies away but they consume him.
He wakes up screaming and locks himself in his closet. Kang-tae and Jae-soo wake up as well. The brother is muttering, butterflies, butterflies, butterflies.
JS – The butterflies came.
His brother mutters that the butterflies said they will kill me! He holds his head in the closet. Kang-tae looks worried.
#8
MORNING
the landlord knocks on the apartment and tells them that it is not moving season, why are you moving out now!
But then Jae-soo comes out so the ajumma asks, you slept here again? You need to pay more for utilities. Where is the young man here?
He asks why he is an ajusshi and his friend is a young man? The ajumma tells him, whatever, where is that young man?
Jae-soo asks, yes, where is he this early in the morning?
Cut to Kang-tae looking at the publishing house building. He goes inside.
Sung-jae greets him and tells him that the CEO is coming from the printing house so it will take ten minutes.
Elsewhere we see Moon-yong driving like a maniac up the street, though with a straight face. She parks in the CEO spot and gets out.
Inside, Sung-jae tells Kang-tae to wait in their conference room. The conference room is bright and open and has a few of Moon-young’s books on display.
Moon-young walks up the steps slowly. Everyone gets out of the way or is otherwise terrified to see her. The head secretary tells the team that she is coming! Remove all the sharp objects from your desk!
Moon-yong comes in and sees an envelop opened that looks like King Authors sword. the lady tells her that she can have it if she likes it. So Moon-yong takes it.
She walks away and Sung-jae runs up to her asking why she is in the offices? MY tells her that the next book came out. But then she sees Kang-tae standing in the conference room and reading her book. She leans over the railing and smiles.
Then she walks to the conference room.
A lovely dark song plays.
MY – Wow, I thought you were a painting.
He turns around and looks at her.
MY – you look handsome in your normal clothing. Like a host who wants to get money. I thought you were a little different but you are the same. How much are you going to get paid?
KT – If you do not know how to talk politely, then tell me so I can understand
MY – You also use banmal. You got stabbed.
KT – So what?
MY – The money for that plus how much you are getting paid to stay quiet from my CEO.
KT – Ah, maybe this way works all the time?
MY – Saying something does not matter, money is the best.
KT – i do not like it.
MY – What? If it is not money, then the body?
KT – Is that more worthy than money?
MY – Why are you here if it is not money or body? What do you need?
KT – if possible, I wanted to see you one more time. Your eyes, I wanted to check them again.
MY – Eyes?
KT – You have the same eyes as someone I know.
MY – Who is that?
KT – Someone who had a personality disorder.
We see flashes of a little girl playing alone by herself and then a boy.
KT – Someone who has a hole in their conscience. In the eyes, there is no warmth.
MY – That woman, was she scary?
KT – I liked her.
We see the little boy following this girl around. It looks like a live action of the puppet stop motion in the beginning.
KT – I liked her.
Fade Out
EPILOGUE
The epilogue is the cartoon of the book with the bad memories.
VO – He woke up from a scary nightmare again.
A clock rolls
VO – All the bad memories that he wanted to forget come into his dreams and haunt the boy over and over again.
The boy walks off crying.
VO – The boy was so afraid of going to bed so one day he went to see a witch and asked her, witch, please remove all the bad memories in my head so that I will not have any more nightmares. Then I will give you anything you want.
The witch is looming over him.
VO – The boy became an adult and did not have any nightmares anymore. But he was not any happier at all.
The adult boy is shivering and crying
VO – When the red full moon came, to get her reward, the witch showed up in front of him again. He screamed at her and blamed her. All my bad memories are gone! But why am I not happy!
The witch looms over him again.
VO – The witch takes his soul as promised and says, the memory of pain and misery and regret and hurting others and getting hurt and being abandoned and turned away, all those memories that people have in their heart, becomes stronger and hotter and more flexible.
She moves him like a puppet.
VO – Only those people can have happiness. So don’t forget. get over it. If you do not get over it then you are a little boy whose soul does not grow.
She drops him and he cries a river of tears.
COMMENTS
LOOOOOOOOOOOVE. Ah, this show is like a live action of a Tim Burton movie and I am in love with it. Wow. I went in expecting a super sad melancholy show and got macabre instead. It does not hurt that the person who created it was also the director of Boyfriend/Encounter which I also loved so much.
The acting, directing, cinematography, and story are all so wonderful and interesting! I cannot wait until tomorrow.
So, how do you like it? Did anyone watch it today? What did you think? This show is up there as far as great premieres go, so hopefully the next episode is also as good as the first.
EPISODE 2 PREVIEW
English Translation
ST – I am so happy to go to the book signing!
MY – That is too cliche to call it fate.
KT – Running away, I thought it was about my brother.
MY – Coward.
SI – Ko Moon-young! Where are you!
Man – Everyone involved with her has a bad ending
KT – Talk to me.
MY – You can become my safety pin. Hold me tight so I will not blow away.
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I watched it, and I love it too! The style (lighting, props, clothing, shot composition) is seamlessly modern yet timeless and is also gorgeous. I am already anticipating how these characters are going to continue to evolve. I sense that you are a Neil Gaiman fan as well? and maybe Edward Gorey? So many possibilities here! Did you notice the billboard that was an ad for the show itself on Netflix in one scene? I am entranced and can’t wait to go on this journey with you and your thoughtful recaps.
Author
Yes, it is like Edward Gorey, too! it is probably the most like Edward Gorey actually. And nooooo, I did not see the billboard ad! I might have to rewatch just so I can see that. I am excited to see what is coming. ☺️
It’s about 46 minutes into the episode, when they are pushing the broken scooter.
Author
Ooo, thank you! That makes it easier 😘
Oh – I should mention too that I have loved Seo Ye Ji in everything I’ve seen her do so far, and I think she may have been born to play this role. I love her husky voice. Her scenes with Kim Soo Hyun in this episode were so full of possibility. Loving it!
Author
O and I were talking about how she is particularly great in this role! This actually makes me want to go back and watch Save Me. She was really good in Fighting Lawyer/Lawless Lawyer as well!