Filipinos are fascinated by Korean cultures in terms of foods, lifestyles, music, and even their films. Korean drama has a lot of genres that tackle different issues, including social, spiritual, and most especially emotional.
Nowadays, people are not completely aware with the topic of mental health, so that filmmakers and screenwriters are working harder these days to spread awareness of the issue and convey the wide range of mental health conditions that can occur. It’s comforting to watch these K-dramas since they often show the characters healing from their particular conditions, which helps the audience as well.
DAILY DOSE OF SUNSHINE
Channel: relax_mood___
is a Korean Netflix series that tackles numerous mental illness challenges such as depression, anxiety, pain, etc. The story revolves around Ju Da-Eun (Park Bo Young), a skilled and soft-hearted pyschometric nurse who takes care of her patients. Until she experienced a tragic event. With the help of people around her, she was able to surpass all the challenges that came her way.
CLEAN WITH PASSION FOR NOW
Channel: Viu Philippines
is a romantic K-drama in which Gil O-Sol and the main male character, Seon-kyul, who owns a cleaning business and suffers from mysophobia (a fear of germs), accidentally fall in love with Gil O-Sol. She doesn’t mind getting dirty and has a vibrant attitude. With a little assistance from his secretary, who is involved in her subplot and lies to Seon-kyul about several important things, Oh-sol and Seon-kyul grow closer throughout the drama, despite their initial denial of their feelings. Eventually, Seon-kyul can face his fears with the help of Oh-sol.
IT’S OKAY NOT TO BE OKAY
Channel: Netflix Philippines
The drama focuses on two characters: Go Moon Young, a successful children’s book author with antisocial behavior who appears to have never experienced love, and Moon Kang Tae, a community health worker at a mental health facility who doesn’t have time for love. The two gradually start to heal each other’s emotional scars upon bonding.
HYDE, JEKYL AND ME
Channel: Hyun Hayal
This is a Korean drama that is based on the concept of dissociative identity disorder (DID), or Multiple personality Disorder. The main lead, Koo Seo-Jin has two different personalities. One of his personalities is cold, like Hyde, and the other is sweet, like Jekyll. He works as the director of the theme park Wonderland. He met Jang-Hana works as the master and actress of a circus at Wonderland, who helped him with character progression.
EXTRAORDINARY ATTORNEY WOO
Channel: Netflix Philippines
The main point of this story is autism disorder, where Woo Young-Woo (Park Eun-Bin) the main character, is a very intelligent person who also suffers from an autism spectrum condition. She has a sharp memory and never forgets what she sees, but she lacks social skills and empathy. She worked as a trainee lawyer at a large law firm, where she faced numerous forms of discrimination due to her mental condition. However, she solves cases with her own unique perspective and grows as a lawyer.
HEALER
Channel: Viu Philippines
A drama manages to combine action, romance, and the mental condition (alter ego) of the male lead, Seo Jung Hoo, also known as Healer, and the female lead, Park Bong Soo, who has PTSD. Seo Jung Hoo is a life-long loner who has spent his life working as a special night courier. He meets Park Bong Soo, a quirky and charming journalist who is Jung Hoo’s alter ego. Over time, Jung Hoo learns that he and Young Shin share a common past. The main characters faced a lot of challenges and helped themselves heal from their traumas.
SUMMER STRIKE
Channel: Viu
The concept of finding happiness and purpose in life is represented in the drama. One of the primary characters, Lee Yeo-Reum, has one of the most difficult experiences of her life due to rejection and sorrow from her mother’s death. She quits her job and moves to a small town to start her new journey. There, she met the residents, including An Dae-Beom works as a librarian. He hardly talks to people, but when he does, he talks with a stutter. Somehow, he gets comfortable and happy being with Lee Yeo-Reum. Throughout this time, Lee Yeo-Reum also discovers who she really is.
HELLO! MY TWENTIES
Channel: Ryan Karolak
The drama revolves around five women, all in their twenties and from different walks of life, who end up living in a house. Initially, they had different problems and found it challenging to get along with each other because of their different personalities. They eventually developed a greater understanding of each other’s trauma and themselves. They build strong relationships as a result of battling through problems together and learning the significance of moving forward.
IT’S OKAY THATS LOVE
Channel: SBS Drama
The drama series deals with mental health (schizophrenia) and healing. Jang Jae Yeol, a hotshot famous author, is seen to be struggling with a serious mental illness called schizophrenia due to his childhood trauma. There are several raw and emotional scenes that show him trying to overcome his illness. The love and loyalty that he receives from his love, Ji Hae Soo, is uplifting his character development and healing.
CHOCOLATE
Channel: Netflix
“Chocolate” follows a couple who meet as children and face tragic events that drive them apart. Lee Kang becomes a successful brain surgeon, while Moon Cha Young becomes a chef. Both face loss and trauma, leading to panic attacks and paranoia. When they reunite, Moon Cha Young realizes the event and learns to cope, allowing her to live a life of freedom.
LET’S WATCH WHILE HEALING!
