Who would have thought a book from a Korean drama would be up for production and can be purchased for viewers? This is one reason why "It's Okay To Not Be Okay" is soaring to the top of the trends.
Thanks to Netflix, the hit Korean drama can be streamed worldwide and its story reaches many young at hearts. Starring Seo Ye Ji as a celebrity writer of children's books created meaningful stories, illustrated with few grotesque images. In character as Go Moon Young, she became famous and sold hundreds of books all over the world.
But behind her beautiful face and lucrative career is her bitter life with her family, and how she grew up lacking empathy and cold-hearted.
In the drama, Moon Gang Tae (Kim Soo Hyun) is a guardian at a psychiatric hospital. Along with his mentally disabled brother, he became a source of companionship towards healing and getting to know more of her unresolved past.
The way she writes books comes from her life experiences and growing up as a child. Her stories depict most of her well-kept emotions.
The tales of each book have a deeper meaning and relate to a child's issue to his mother and how a person relates to his surroundings. And whether you're a bookworm or simply want to probe into Go Moon Young's innermost feelings, here are the three books mentioned in the series.
The Teenage Boy Who Grew Up Eating Nightmares
This book is about a young boy who suffered from severe nightmares. He searched for help and found a witch who took out the night terrors from him. Though the witch granted his requests, he had promised that he would do anything in exchange for it. As years passed by, the boy became an adult, yet he began to feel empty and not happy though there are no more nightmares during his sleep.
One day, the witch came back. He asked her why he didn't feel any joy within. The witch answered one will learn and discover more about life when you experience troubles and overcome it. Happiness is not all about the good things you see and forget the pain that comes. But how you fight your own battles in life and become a stronger person.
The Zombie Child
The story is about a mom who gave birth to a child with an ugly face, different from humans. In her quest to protect her child from the village people, she hides him in the basement. She feels that the child only cares for food and doesn't have any emotions.
Each night, she goes out to steal pig and chicken to feed him. One day, a pandemic hit the village, and all the people left to survive and look for a shelter somewhere else. The mother could not leave her child alone, nothing to feed, so she cuts her arm and legs for him.
Until such time that she can only give her torso and embrace the child to eat her up to survive. But as the child tasted her, the child spoke up for the first time, "Mother is so warm."
A Spring Day's Dog
The story is about a dog tied up near a shade tree. During springtime, he always shows a cheerful and vibrant act towards the villagers. He is good at hiding his feelings as at nightfall, he would end up whining and wish to run and play in the field. But a voice within him says, why not cut the leash and go out and enjoy the way he likes? The dog then realized he doesn't know how to escape since he has been used to being tied up and not knowing what to do.
Anyone immersed in the drama and wishes to get a hard copy of the books can purchase them online. It's available on Yes24 and Gyobo Books for around KRW 10,800 (USD 9).
