We do take care of our outer physical health by exercising and inner physical health by healthy eating. We often neglect the most important, mental health. This topic is quite sensitive to discuss on. People either ignore talking about it, or make fun of it. We don’t talk about it on regular basis, but we do feel unease with mental illness. But to spread awareness about it and to normalize talking about it, the entertainment industry has come up with a brilliant idea. By highlighting these situations on screen, people will relate to their everyday lives and even think about their close ones. So here are a few of the top 10 best K-dramas about mental health issues that you can binge-watch and see how these characters overcome these issues.
1. It’s Okay, That’s Love (2014)
Deals mental illness like obsessive-compulsive disorder. Jag Jae Yeol (Jo In Sung), is an author and a radio DJ. He suffers from the severe obsessive-compulsive disorder due to his traumatic childhood and family history. He meets a psychiatrist, Ji Hae Soo (Gong Hyo Jin). Dealing with each other’s illness, they start to grow fond of each other.
2. Heart To Heart (2015)
The story revolves around a psychiatrist Go Yi Seok (Chun Jung Myung), who slowly stops empathizing with his client’s whining. Due to his traumatizing childhood experiences, he developed an insecurity issue. Cha Hong-do (Choi Kang Hee) suffer uncontrollable blushing, which leads her to drop out of school. They meet as fated and slowly get to know about their compatibility.
3. Hyde Jekyll, Me (2015)
It revolves around Gu Seo Jin (Hyun Bin), who owns Wonder Land, suffering from multiple personality disorder. He changes into Robin whenever his heartbeat exceeds 150. Thus, he distances himself from any physical activity and exciting things. He meets Jang Han Na (Han Ji Min), who owns a circus show at Wonder Land. Their bickering develops into love, as they heal their wounds together.
4. Kill Me, Heal Me (2015)
A romantic-comedy, medical drama, and suspense deal with mental illnesses like Multiple Personality Disorder and Child abuse. After experiencing many traumatizing incidents during his childhood Cha Do Hyun (Ji Sung), has developed multiple personality to overcome his fears and insecurity. After meeting a psychiatric resident, Oh Ri Jin (Hwang Jun Eum), and starts treating him secretly. In the process, they get to know about how their childhood was related and discover more secrets of their childhood.
5. Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok Joo (2016)
Mainly a romantic-comedy with an athletic background, but this drama also dealt with mental problems faced by the majority of youngsters. The drama revolves around weightlifter Kim Bok Joo (Lee Sung Kyung), who has a specific weight restriction because of the competition’s requirement. She gets mocked for her un-girly behavior and being overweight, but she never minded it until she developed a crush on Dr. Jung Jae Yi (Lee Jae Yoon) and suddenly feels self-conscious. Meanwhile, her friend Jung Joon Hyung (Nam Joo Hyuk), a swimmer who had trouble with his game due to his childhood and past love life. After meeting each other, they developed feelings for each other and overcame their problems.
6. What’s Wrong With Secretary Kim (2018)
With the office, romance, and comedy as the primary genre, this drama also dealt with the past traumatic experiences. Lee Young Joon (Park Seo Joon) is a successful vice-chairman who once received a resignation letter from his secretary Kim Mi So (Park Min Young). Both of them suffer from mental issues due to their tragic past kidnapping incident. To stop her from leaving and find her childhood love, they both come to know about the happenings of their childhood.
7. Come And Hug Me (2018)
The sweet childhood love story turns into lifetime trauma. Chae Do Jin (Jang Ki Yong) is a detective, whose father was a psycho-serial killer. He was a shy and mysterious boy in childhood. Whereas, Han Jae Yi (Jin Ki Joo) is an actress just like her mother. She is a joyful girl but suffers from panic disorder, due to her parents’ murder by the same serial- killer. Their childhood love was a short one, but they got reunited and eventually fell for each other again.
8. Chocolate (2019)
The drama displays the true human nature that is how we turn ourselves when things don’t go our way. Lee Kang (Yoon Kye Sang) had a childhood dream of becoming a chef, but he couldn’t become one. He then becomes a cold-hearted neurosurgeon as he hides his authentic self somewhere in the heart. Moon Cha Yeong (Ha Ji Won), a world-famous chef who was inspired by Lee Kang. They both meet in the hospice ward. Heals together as they cook for the patient there.
9. Be Melodramatic (2019)
The story revolves around the everyday life of three friends who have different problems to deal in their day-to-day life. Although not covering mental illness as the main topic, drama displays various daily life issues that make them stress out their life. Explains the work and personal life, along with the need to enjoy even the smallest moments of life to the fullest. Starring Jeon Yeo Bin, Han Ji Eun, Chun Woo Hee and Ahn Jae Hong.
10. It’s Okay To Not Be Okay (2020)
Starring Seo Yea Ji as Ko Mun Yeong, who is a fairy tale writer with cold and antisocial personality disorder due to her childhood traumatic experience. Alongside Oh Jung Se as Moon Sang Tae, who has autism. His younger brother Kim Soo Hyun as Moon Gang Tae, a caretaker in a psychiatric ward. Everybody is somehow related to each other and butterfly. Instead of medicines, everyone overcomes their emotional wounds with each other’s love and help. Famous as a ’trouble-maker trio’, these 3 heal and grow together.
