It's Alright, That's Love

Title:	It's Alright, That's Love
Alternate Title(s):	It's Ok, It's Love
Network:	SBS
Year Produced:	2014

Summary: It's Alright, That's Love is a romantic dramedy about family, love, domestic abuse, and mental illness. Ji Hae Soo (Kong Hyo Jin) is a psychiatrist that suffers from an anxiety disorder that prevents her from experiencing physical intimacy. But she's determined to overcome it with her own efforts. Jang Jae Yeol (Zo In Sung) is a famous author and radio personality suffering from OCD as a result of physical and emotional abuse experienced as a child. But he's accepted it and lives with the condition as a fact of his life. The unlikely pair meet when they serve as special guests on a talk show and their personalities clash both on and off the camera. When they are reunited as roommates, they come to realize that they may be more alike than different and set off on a journey of healing and self-discovery.

4.5 = Just About Perfect

Recommendation: It's Alright, That's Love is easily one of the best k-dramas of 2014. This is what a grown-up k-drama should look like once it graduates from the school of bathroom humor, love triangles, and social status conflicts. The dialogue is smart, sexy, and fast paced. The characters are complex. The writers manage to deftly sidestep the presentation of k-drama stereotypes while giving the audience relatable characters with realistically messy relationships. I am not familiar with Zo In Sung's prior work but for me this was a stand-out performance. He captured the essence of mental illness without going over-the-top. In fact, it was the "quiet" moments where he most often brought me to tears. While the director executed the plot perfectly from start to finish, I found one small miss. The final episode was a little too... happy. Yes, I want my k-dramas to end on a positive note. However, mental illness is a predominant theme in the series, which is a lifelong struggle. The ending should have been less, "...they lived happily ever after," and more, "...they worked hard to make each day better than the one that came before it."

Other Thoughts (And Possible Spoilers): There are so many wonderful things to say about this series. It is an incredible journey of self-discovery and healing and leaves behind a deep and lasting impression. There is so much attention to detail in the telling of this story that it is worth viewing the series again to pick-up on the more subtle indicators that something is amiss. Kong Hyo Jin and Zo In Sung are largely responsible for the success of this k-drama but the supporting cast is equally impressive and they all played critical roles in bringing this series to life.

Here are a few additional shout outs to the team of It's Alright, That's Love.

1. The Music Director

If I had to give out an award for the most rando music tracks from North American artists in a k-drama - this would be the k-drama to receive it. Twin Forks (Cross My Mind), The Once (You're My Best Friend), and Family of the Year (Hero) were all represented and, honestly, I'd never heard of any of them until their songs were used in this series. My (current) favorite k-pop (k-R&B) artist, Wheesung, can also be heard singing "For You" on the OST. These are just some of my personal favorite selections but many more artists have tracks sprinkled throughout the episodes. The music director really did a phenomenal job of selecting songs that elevated the mood of key scenes without stealing away attention from the action on-screen.

2. Sung Dong Il, Lee Kwong Soo, & D.O.

Sung Dong Il is always reliable in supporting roles. He's a seasoned actor with a certain charm that carries through in every role that he touches. He and Lee Kwang Soo rounded out the serious nature of Kong Hyo Jin's character and often provided the audience with a little comic relief.

Lee Kwang Soo did a great job as a young man suffering from Tourette's Syndrome and struggling to earn the acceptance of a father that doesn't understand the disorder. You just want to reach out, give him a hug, and tell him that it will be okay every time he's in a scene.

Newcomer D.O. also held his own in the role of Gang Woo, which was a challenging first assignment for a rookie actor.

3. Set Design

The use of color in Jang Jae Yeol's living spaces to reflect the state of his mind was really well done. The decor, artwork, etc... reflects a great attention to detail and I think the hard work of the director and set production team is to be applauded. I'll close with a final image that really demonstrates how the combination of good set design, lighting, and direction can come together in a way that is thought provoking. This is the one moment in the series that perfectly captures the essence of mental illness as something that is always present, even if it can't be seen by everyone.