Mental health issues are a central theme fora lot of Korean dramas. While the swoon-worthy male lead and the female heroine’s chemistry may attract fans, underneath all that, these dramas deal with important topics such as mental health issues and what it’s like to deal with them. Here are some of the fan-favorite K-dramas on the mental health spectrum (warning: may contain spoilers!)
Daily Dose of Sunshine
This incredibly well-written K-drama takes the audience along for theride as a nurse, Da-eun is transferred to the psychiatric ward. Da-eun’s “flaw” is that she gets too invested in her patients; which, as a healthcare provider, isn’t always the smartest choice. The series explores different psychiatric disorders, including schizophrenia, OCD, and depression, through the eyes of Da-eun.
Why It Makes The List
The series does not shy away from portraying the raw nature of psychiatric illnesses. It gets into the nitty-gritty in a manner that does not sensationalize, but rather, humanizes mental health disorders and sparks empathy in the viewer. As Da-eun deals with her patients, we learn important life lessons about how a happy ending is not always in the cards for everyone.
One of the best scenes of the series was probably the beautiful speech given by the head nurse, Ms. Song. She talks about how mental illness is an actual sickness, not a sin, as it is made out to be. This resonates deeply with the audience, the majority of whom have grown up with the long-built stigma around mental disorders.
Stream on Netflix
It’s Okay to Not Be Okay
This series deals with a multitude of mental health issues, such as childhood trauma, autism, and caregiver burnout. The story centers around Moon Kang-tae, Moon Sang-tae, and Go Moon-young. Moon Kang-tae is a caretaker in psychiatric hospitals and has an autistic brother, Sang-tae. Sang-tae is a big fan of children’s book writer, Moon-young, who develops a liking for Kang-tae and is determined to win him over.
The series follows the story of the three characters as their lives get entangled. A series of mysteries unravels about their childhood. Go Moon-young had a traumatic childhood where her mother died under mysterious circumstances, and her dad blames her for it. Kang-tae and Sang-tae’s mother also passed away when they were children, forcing Kang Tae to step up as a caretaker despite being younger.
In one of the episodes, Kang Tae finally acknowledges how, even as a young child, he had to put his needs aside to cater to his brother. He then gives in and joins Moon-young on a road trip, finally doing something for himself. It is one of the important lessons in this series; being a caretaker can sometimes be mentally exhausting. So it’s okay to be selfish once in a while to keep yourself sane.
Nevertheless
For fans of the classic K-drama romance, thisseries might be easy to fall into. It’s a lighter watch compared to the other dramas on this list.Neverthelessfollows the story of Na-bi, who recently went through a breakup and gets caught up with Park Jae-eon, an infamous playboy.
Under the layers of glamorous college life, the viewers get to explore what it’s like to be manipulated by a romantic interest.Neverthelessgets into the psychological aspect of a relationship between a narcissist and a romantic.
One of the best parts of the series was probably when Na-bi visits her hometown, taking a break from the toxic dynamic between her and Jae-eon. Viewers also get to experience a hint of remorse from Jae-eon who wallows in Na-bi’s absence.
When the Weather is Fine
This drama is a beautiful, slice-of-life, slow-paced story set in a small town, Bukhyeon-Ri. It follows the life of Hae-won, a cello teacher in Seoul who returns to her hometown following an unfair situation. There, she meets Eun-seob, a former classmate and now bookstore owner. As Hae-won and Eun-seob develop a budding romance, secrets are unveiled and the two navigate their way through their pre-existing traumas.
Hae-won and Eun-seob have both had their share of traumatic childhoods. This trauma manifests as trust and self-esteem issues. The series walks the audience through their journey of healing while dealing with some very heavy subjects like domestic abuse and adoption.
In one heartfelt scene, Hae Won’s insecurities are getting to her head, and she second-guesses Eun-seob’s interest in her. Eun-seob silenced all her worries by reassuring her and asking her to come back. Broadcasting the message of “love conquers all”.
Related:10 Highly-Anticipated Korean Dramas That Ended Up Disappointing Viewers
What’s Wrong With Secretary Kim?
While this K-drama is famous for the rom-com element, it also deals with the subject of childhood traumas and how they impact one’s mental health. As Young-joon grapples to keep his secretary Kim Mi-so from resigning, they discover an older connection between them as a memory resurfaces.
Young-joon and Mi-so had been kidnapped as children. The incident ended with their kidnapper killing herself in front of them, leaving one of them with PTSD and the other with trauma-related amnesia. While Young-joon and Mi-so make it out safely, the trauma of the event follows them in their adulthood (where neither recalls the other). As the romance blooms between them, they discover their old connection and then help each other get over the trauma.
In one adorable scene, Mi-So, who is usually so put together, ends up drunk and confesses her feelings to Young-joon. It gives the viewers hope that, despite whatever wrongdoings one faces as a child, they still have a shot at happiness.
Stream on Apple TV
Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok-Joo
This is the story of Kim Bok-joo who dreams of being a weightlifter one day. However, her plans are in jeopardy when she falls in love with her friend Jung Joon-hyung’s older brother.
As Kim Bok-joo confronts her feelings, she starts feeling conscious about her weight and non-stereotypical ambition. This causes her to rethink her entire life, which results in her getting depressed and quitting weightlifting. Meanwhile, Junh Joon-hyung who is training to be a swimmer, has his childhood abandonment trauma getting in the way. The two help each other get over their insecurities and come back to pursuing their passion.
Towards the end, Bok-joo finds Joon-hyung at the pool, breaking down. She comforts him and encourages him to forgive his past and move on. The scene highlights how depression can trick people into feeling lonely. In such moments, the support of a good friend can make all the difference.
Kill Me, Heal Me
This drama’s lead, Do-hyun, has a psychiatric illness known as dissociative personality disorder. Do-hyun is in line as an heir to a huge company but is frowned upon due to his disorder. One of his personalities runs into Ri-jin who is a psychiatric resident. Do-hyun then hires Ri Jin as his psychiatrist to help him.
As the story unfolds, viewers realize that Do-hyun and his six alternate personalities are a result of childhood trauma. As Ri-jin helps him recover his memories, she realizes she is a part of them too. In one scene, Do-hyun and Ri-jin renew their contract and tell each other that no matter what happens, they’ll be together. The drama is a good lesson on how sometimes the right kind of support can help you through the toughest adversaries.
Different from other K-dramas,Our Bluescenters around the stories of people living on Jeju Island. Among many of the important topics this drama addresses, suicide, childhood trauma, and depression hold the most value in the aspect of mental health.
One important story this series tells is that of Min Seon-ah, a single mother suffering from depression after her husband leaves her. In one of the scenes, Seon-ah realizes she had gone to the bathroom during the day, but the sun had already set by the time she got out. Depicting how depression causes you to detach from your surroundings. The drama skillfully displays the world from the perspective of a depressed person; no sense of time, lack of interest in activities, and an overwhelming feeling of loneliness.
Related:The 10 Most Chilling Scenes from South Korean Crime Drama Movies
Link: Eat, Love, Kill
This series falls into themystery/thriller genrewith a bit of romance mixed in. It is the story of Chef Eun Gye-hoon who had an emotional telepathy with his sister. However, his ability disappeared as soon as his little sister was killed by a child kidnapper. As an adult, he starts to feel someone else’s emotions once again. It turns out to be his neighbor, Noh Da-hyun who is not seemingly connected to his sister.
The story is mainly about the mystery around Gye-hoon’s sister and another murder that happens in the show. It also discovers Gye-hoon’s fear of abandonment and guilt surrounding his sister’s disappearance.
As Gye-hoon and Da-hyun navigate through their struggles and fall in love with each other, the audience gets to see the impact of traumatic life events on one’s personality and how love and support can help them come back to life. One endearing scene is how Gye-hoon cooks for Da-hyun after her nightmare, and they both bond over the food they make.
Stream on Disney+
It’s Okay, That’s Love
It’s Okay, That’s Loveexplores conditions like schizophrenia and Tourette syndrome. The storyline is pretty typical, with the main lead suffering from schizophrenia and the female lead is a psychiatrist but also suffers from genophobia. As the two meet, they go from enemies to lovers in a delightful turn of events.
While the romance dominates the show, it tells the underlying story of how both leads suffer from their current conditions as a result of events that they suffered at a young age. As Ji Hae-soo helps Jang Jae-yeol with his condition, she also gets to open up about her fear of intimacy,
In one of the scenes, Hae-soo tells a co-worker about how she got intimate with Jang Yeol and how hard it was for her, but she doesn’t regret it. Genophobia is often laughed off as a made-up condition, but having a main character deal with it up close feels like a definite win. The audience also gets caught up in moments of empathy towards Jang Yeol as he suffers. Those are the reasons why, despite being relatively old, the show still makes it onto the list of best mental health K-dramas to date.
