Mental health struggles and grief are a language that doesn’t come with subtitles. It sneaks in quietly, folding itself into your routines, your thoughts, your breaths. Today, as we celebrate World Mental Health Day, we recognise and appreciate those in trouble, understanding complex mental health struggles and providing a safe space to those who require care and minimising stigma. And as a K-drama junkie myself, here’s a reflection on how some of my favourite Korean shows have been there for me during the hardest times. Let’s just say, they were my unsaid therapist.
Finding Comfort In K-dramas On World Mental Health Day
Returning home tired from office after having a bad day and turning on my favourite K-drama at the moment is the best feeling ever. But these shows not only act as a form of entertainment but also serve as a companion. The characters of the show become a long-lost friend who just get me. They go through the same thing I do, the same struggles and hardships, even though we are seas apart with a language barrier.
What Because This Is My First Life And Move To Heaven Taught Me About Silent Grief
K-dramas like Move to Heaven and Because This Is My First Life taught me that grief doesn’t always roar. Sometimes it’s quiet and can hit you in the most unexpected moments, like when having a meal or on a late-night ride back home. Because This Is My First Life taught me that it’s okay to make mistakes and have regrets, it’s fine when sometimes you say words you cannot take back; because after all, this is your first life. I resonated with the way trauma and loss shaped the main leads in Move To Heaven. The story of a young man suffering from Asparagus syndrome and his uncle will always stay immortalised within me.
It’s Okay To Not Be Okay On Tells Me It’s Okay To Exist With Your Sadness
It’s Okay To Not Be Okay taught me that it’s okay to exist without pretending that everything is fine. Watching Ko Mun Yeong and Moon Gang Tae navigate their inner scars made me realise that vulnerability is strength, and that grief can be a companion of your mental health, not an enemy.
My Liberation Notes Is All About Celebrating The Small Victories
My Liberation Notes taught me that everyday victories are as important as the big ones. Healing is not always monumental or cinematic; sometimes it is etched in tiny steps that might seem invisible to everyone except you.
Misaeng Taught Me To Cherish The Mundane
Even office dramas like Misaeng, which chronicles the mundane struggles of corporate life, show the grief of lost opportunities, broken dreams, and silent suffering. Misaeng is a drama I resonated with the most and shed tears while watching the hardest.
Also Read: From Dream High To Page Turner, 5 Musical K-Dramas You Will Love
These K-dramas made me embrace my own emotions and reflect within. They reminded me that my mental health is not a race, a box to tick or a burden to hide.
Also Read: From Fight For My Way To The Glory, K-dramas You Didn’t Know Were Inspired By Real Life Events