OT-Approved K-Dramas for Disability and Mental Health Awareness

I finished #ItsOkayToNotToBeOkay 2 weeks ago and it has easily become one of my all-time favorites. That is saying a lot as I’ve been watching Korean dramas for about 2 decades now. Growing up, I witnessed how k-drama just started as ripples that turned into the Korean wave that swept Asia and the rest of the world. I’ve seen it played in different mediums from free TV, VCD, DVD, and USB file formats to video downloads and online streaming websites and now Netflix. In Korean lingo, I am already a “sunbaenim” or senior in being a k-drama fan.

Over the years, Korean dramas not only evolved in terms of plot, character development, directing, and cinematography. They have also become more inclusive and better in portraying characters with special needs. Combining my experience as a fan and an occupational therapist, I decided to curate my list of Korean drama series that reflect these much welcomed improvements.

Top 5 K-Dramas for Disability and Mental Health Awareness

1. IT’S OKAY TO NOT TO BE OKAY

I dubbed this as the “Best Korean Drama of 2020”. I don’t give that title lightly but this series definitely deserves it.

I’ve known Kim Soo-hyun from Moon Embracing the Sun and My Love from Another Star but his portrayal of Moon Gang-tae in It’s Okay to Not Be Okay was what made me really appreciate him in a different light. His acting of a younger brother of someone with special needs while working as a caretaker in a psychiatric ward is on-point. He really nailed how caregiver strain manifests in family members and carers of people with disabilities. He tackled the issue of giving the chance to love and care for one self despite a life-long commitment and responsibility to look over a sibling with Autism Spectrum Disorder .

Kim Soo-hyun also has an undeniable chemistry with the lead actress Seo Yea-ji. She portrays Ko Moon-young, a famous children’s book author with Anti-Social Personality Disorder. She did well in showing the behavior pattern and personality of a person with this condition. Ko Moon-young does not follow societal norms or play with the rules. She also tends to be intimidating and impulsive, lacking guilt or remorse for her actions. She also has a constant battle against her traumatic childhood with her abusive mother. Seo Yea-ji has set a new standard for a female lead.

The trio won’t be complete without Oh Jung-se. For sure, he would win another Best Supporting Actor award this year for his scene stealing performance as Moon Sang-tae, Gang-tae’s older brother with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). He completely embodied the role- from the repetitive behaviors, predictable routines up to the difficulties in social interaction. Aside from sensory-processing issues, Moon Sang-tae finds it difficult to understand social cues such as facial expressions, emotions, and non-verbal gestures. He also follows a certain schedule. His intense interests include old cartoons, dinosaurs and Ko Moon-young’s storybooks. He is very detailed and draws very well.

This series is indeed a complete package! And don’t forget to have a box of tissues!

2. GOOD DOCTOR

Released in 2013, this is a classic. It is the top series among the rare disability-themed Korean dramas. It even has an American adaptation. Played by the ever-talented Joo Won, the male lead Park Si-on has Savant Syndrome and ASD. Despite his limited emotional and social skills, his “island of genius” is his amazing memory and remarkable spatial skills of the human body enabling him to be a pediatric surgeon. This series shows how he faced the challenges of being accepted by his colleagues and patients, staying in the hospital, and falling in love.

3. IT’S OKAY, THAT’S LOVE

You can never go wrong with Jo In Sung’s superb acting. Here he is Jang Jae-yeol, a bestselling novelist and a radio DJ. Due to a brutal and guilt-filled childhood, he developed Obsessive-compulsive disorder while his mother got diagnosed with Dissociative Disorder. Jang Jae-yeol falls in love with Ji Hae-soo, played by Gong Hyo-jin, a first year fellow of a university hospital’s psychiatric department who has her own anxiety and commitment issues. Together they must come to terms with Jang Jae-yeol’s undiagnosed Schizophrenia.

The unique thing about this drama was the depiction of the protagonist’s delusions and hallucinations. The plot twist was like “A Beautiful Mind” moment to me.

4. THAT WINTER, THE WIND BLOWS

Another Korean drama starring Jo In Sung but this time he was paired with Song Hye-Kyo from Autumn in My Heart and Full House. Jo In Sung’s character Oh Soo is a gambler and con man pretending to be the long-lost brother of Oh Young, portrayed by Song Hye-Kyo. Oh Young is the legally blind heiress of a large corporation.

More than the love story, what stands out from this series for me is it shows how people with visual impairment cope using their other senses. By utilizing the correct tools and modifying the environment, they can be independent and move safely.

5. Hyde Jekyll, Me

Even before Hyun Bin became Captain Ri of Crash Landing on You, he is already famous. This was his 2015 romantic comedy with Han Ji-min.

Here he played two characters- the cold and ruthless chaebol Gu Seo-jin who turns into the gentle and kind Robin. His Dissociative Identity Disorder was caused by a traumatic incident from 15 years ago. It gets triggered by a strong emotional or physical reaction. The series narrates this rare condition and the effects and consequences of having two personalities that are polar opposites of each other.

Runner-Ups

These are k-dramas that I’ve watched with characters having mental health issues or physical disabilities.

• Secret Garden– Rom-com wise, this one is a favorite of mine. This is Hyun Bin’s successful 2011 TV series with Ha Ji Won. He was the handsome but arrogant CEO of a luxury department store who could not ride an elevator because of his claustrophobia. He also had difficulty recalling being in a fire accident when he was a teenager. This drama has fantasy elements though.
• King 2 Hearts– Released in 2012 with Ha Ji Won as the leading actress. The crown prince falls in love with a special agent from North Korea. The crown prince’s sister, Princess Lee Jae-shin was kidnapped and had an accident. She incurred a spinal cord injury, specifically paraplegia. She was paralyzed from the trunk down.

Now it is your turn to have an informative Netflix and chill session!