Commercial performance According to the
big data analytics firm
Good Data Corporation, ''It's Okay to Not Be Okay'' was the most talked about drama online in South Korea for eight consecutive weeks. It became a hot topic on social media when Oh spent a day with an autistic fan. It also topped
CJ E&M and AGB
Nielsen Media Research's Content Power Index (CPI) report during its eight-week run with its highest CPI of 373.2 in the first week of August; it was the highest rated tvN drama of 2020 in CPI. Smart Media Rep (SMR), which distributes
VoD (video on demand) clips of major broadcasters to online platforms like Naver and YouTube, reported the drama had over 110 million cumulative views as of December 10, 2020. An analysis performed by SMR found that the majority of viewers were in their 20s.
Studio Dragon recorded its highest quarterly performance in the second quarter of 2020 with sales of , which was attributed to the growth of overseas sales of major dramas including ''It's Okay to Not Be Okay.''
CJ ENM, parent company of tvN, found that operating profits for the third quarter of 2020 increased by 17.9% when compared to the same period of 2019, due to an increase in digital-related sales as a response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Following the popularity of the drama, the outfits worn by Seo Yea-ji garnered attention and raised the profile of Korean fashion designers and brands of earrings, handbag and nightwear. When the soft toys, nightmare doll (Mang-tae) and dinosaur doll that were used in the drama were put on sale, the site quickly sold out.
Critical response ''It's Okay to Not Be Okay
largely received positive critical feedback, primarily for its unique premise, visual storytelling, acting by the cast, and importance given to mental health. Joan MacDonald of Forbes'' called it "the most visually appealing drama of 2020" and said, "Not only are the actors beautiful, but the drama's graphics, cinematography, and costumes are also gorgeous." Contributors to
Manila Bulletin considered it "unafraid to introduce fresh elements" with necessary clichés in a romantic K-drama, and praised Moon-young as a "headstrong" and "independent woman". However, when the series debuted, culture critic Chung Deok-hyun was concerned that Moon-young's "exaggerated words and actions" could decrease viewers' immersion in the drama. In the Filipino version of
Cosmopolitan, Jacinda A. Lopez found that the "messages the drama was relaying are where the beauty truly lies". Rumaiysa M Rahman of
Prothom Alo praised writing that "this drama makes people realise, societies should stop looking at those who seem different." John Lui and Jan Lee of
The Straits Times gave the drama a rating of 3.5/5 stars and said that Kim "pull[ed] off a sensitive portrayal of a young man whose life has been derailed by tragedy".
The New York Times' Mike Hale called Seo's performance "mesmerizing" and made the drama work. Edmund Lee from
South China Morning Post gave a rating of 3/5 stars, pointing out that the series would disappoint "detective fiction fans" because of the limited explanation of mystery surrounding the murder. Kim Jae-Ha of
Teen Vogue described the storyline as "vigorous" and said, "The series finale offers hope and a sense of peace. But it will also make even the most stoic viewers tear up."
Sexually inappropriate scenes The series was criticized on social media and the
Korea Communications Standards Commission received over 50 formal complaints, largely for a scene in which Moon-young overtly stares and touches Gang-tae's body as he gets dressed. In another scene a male character, who suffers from manic depression and exhibitionism, reveals parts of his body, with his genitals being covered by a drawing of an elephant. Some viewers defended these scenes as ways of expressing the characters' personalities. On August 26, 2020, the broadcast censorship body issued a legal sanction to the television series for sexually inappropriate scenes in episode three, judging it to be against the broadcast deliberation regulations. It cited Article 27, on duties of integrity, and Article 30, on gender equality. The subcommission gave the reasoning: "Even considering the fact that they were meant to exaggeratedly express a character's personality, (the scenes in question) show how insensitive the drama's producers are to gender equality in broadcasting content that may belittle a certain gender and hold the possibility to justify sexual harassment and molestation."
Viewership ''It's Okay to Not Be Okay'' was the most popular show of 2020 on Netflix in South Korea in its romance genre. It was the most popular Korean drama series on Netflix in Taiwan, and the "most enduring Korean drama" in Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, and Thailand, being in Netflix's top 10 list for more than 100 days. The series was also one of the most popular Korean dramas of 2020 on Netflix in Australia, Hong Kong, India, Japan, and South Africa. ''It's Okay to Not Be Okay'' aired on tvN, which normally has a relatively smaller audience compared to free-to-air TV/public broadcasters (
KBS,
SBS,
MBC, and
EBS). The series logged 6.1% in viewership for its first episode on Saturday but dropped to 4.7% for the next one. The series maintained its ratings in 4–6% range throughout its run and received audience acclaim, with its final episode recording 7.4% in nationwide ratings, becoming the "highest viewership rating among tvN dramas" at that point of time. ==Accolades==