THREE years may have passed since the hit South Korean drama “It’s Okay to Not Be Okay” aired, but there are K-drama fans who might still be embracing the comfort the series has brought to them, with its beautifully written plot and deeply felt portrayals.
If you’re one of the series’ big fans—especially of the trouble trio Ko Moon-young and Moon brothers Gang-tae and Sang-tae—then here’s a gift for you.
You’ll soon be able to watch the series again but this time around, the characters will be given life by Filipino actors as “It’s Okay to Not Be Okay” will have a Philippine adaptation, announced ABS-CBN.
A “TV Patrol” report said the Pinoy remake will be headlined by Kapamilya actress Anne Curtis and actors Joshua Garcia and Carlo Aquino.
Further details about the remake have yet to be revealed, including the roles that Garcia and Aquino will portray and the show’s premiere date.
“It’s Okay to Not Be Okay” originally starred Kim Soo-hyun as Gang-tae, a caregiver working in a psychiatric ward and the guardian of his older brother Sang-tae, played by Oh Jung-se, who is in the autism spectrum. The Moon brothers cross paths with Moon-young, played by Seo Yea-ji, a famous children’s book author with antisocial personality disorder.
The story follows the trio’s journey to heal their inner wounds and find comfort in each other’s arms.
In April 2021, Curtis shared on X (formerly Twitter) that she had watched “It’s Okay to Not Be Okay” and said that it has become “one of my top faves now.”
“Absolutely loved the storyline. Acting from these 3 was brilliant and so heartfelt. Loved their wounded characters and the issues it tackled,” said the actress, commending the series.
The show’s Philippine adaptation will mark Curtis’ first television series project that she headlined in almost a decade. The last TV project she topbilled was the fantasy series “Mars Ravelo’s Dyesebel” in 2014, where she portrayed the titular role.
In 2016, she joined the cast members of the primetime series “Ang Probinsyano,” where she played a fashion designer who had escaped from an attempted kidnapping. She also appeared as one of the guest judges in the second season of reality competition “Drag Race Philippines.”
Apart from these, viewers have been regularly seeing Curtis on the small screen as one of the main hosts of the noontime variety show “It’s Showtime.”
“It’s Okay to Not Be Okay” is one of two Philippine remakes that the Kapamilya network has in store for its viewers in 2024.
It was previously announced that Kim Chiu and Paulo Avelino will reunite in the Filipino adaptation of another hit K-drama, “What’s Wrong With Secretary Kim,” following the success of their thriller-drama series “Linlang.”
Netizens react
Several X users gave their thumbs-up to Curtis for leading the forthcoming remake, saying that she was “perfect” for the show.
But some of them didn’t agree with the idea of having Garcia in the show, claiming that the actor was “overexposed.” Other fans seemed to look for other actors who they feel should join Curtis.
One netizen, however, believed the three actors were fit for the Philippine adaptation.
