It's Okay to Not Be Okay is a Philippine romantic comedy drama television series based on the 2020 South Korean television drama series of the same name. Directed by Mae Cruz-Alviar and Raymund B. Ocampo, it stars Anne Curtis, Joshua Garcia, and Carlo Aquino. It premiered on Kapamilya Channel's Primetime Bida evening block on July 21, 2025. The series concluded on October 17, 2025 with a total of 65 episodes.
Contents
Premise
Mia (Anne Curtis), a woman diagnosed with an antisocial personality disorder gets romantically involved with Patpat (Joshua Garcia), a psych ward caretaker, who has dedicated his life to taking care of his autistic older brother Matthew, who is more known as Matmat (Carlo Aquino).
Cast and characters
Main cast
Anne Curtis as Emilia "Mia" Hernandez
Ysabelle Suarez as young Mia
Joshua Garcia as Patrick "Patpat" Gonzales
Nathan Bulalacao as young Patpat
Carlo Aquino as Matthew "Matmat" Gonzales
Noel Comia Jr. as young Matmat
Supporting cast
Enchong Dee as Vincent Romulo
Xyriel Manabat as Madeth
Kaori Oinuma as Gemma Bautista
Francis Magundayao as Jason
Agot Isidro as Eden/Ingrid Hernandez
Empress Schuck as young Ingrid Hernandez
Maricel Laxa as Olivia Jose
Ara Davao as young Olivia Jose
Michael de Mesa as Samuel Hernandez
Geoff Eigenmann as young Samuel
Meryll Soriano as Tessie Gonzales
Rio Locsin as Nanay Liwanag
Edgar Mortiz as Anok Lumbera Sr.
Louise Abuel as Kai
Ana Abad Santos as Zelda
Production
Development
On December 13, 2023, the series was announced as part of ABS-CBN's 2024 programming line-up.
Business Unit Head for Star Creatives Lourdes de Guzman expressed excitement stating:
"We are immensely grateful for the opportunity to retell and reimagine the much-loved drama series It’s Okay to Not Be Okay. We believe its story of love and resilience in overcoming great emotional and mental struggles is very relevant to today’s times."
Vice President of the International Business Department at CJ ENM Sebastian Kim added:
"We’re thrilled to see It’s Okay to Not Be Okay reimagined by ABS-CBN for Filipino audiences. Format adaptations like this are a powerful way to introduce our content to new viewers, while celebrating the universal themes that connect us all. Moving forward, we aim to reach even more global audiences and make CJ ENM stories a familiar part of everyday entertainment around the world."
A media conference was held on May 17, 2024. This is the Filipino adaptation of It's Okay to Not Be Okay produced by Star Creatives.
Casting
Liza Soberano and Enrique Gil were initially reported to cast in the lead roles, but both declined the offer. Instead, Anne Curtis, Joshua Garcia, and Carlo Aquino were announced for its lead roles. Joining alongside are Rio Locsin, Edgar Mortiz, Michael de Mesa, Maricel Laxa, Agot Isidro, Enchong Dee, Kaori Oinuma, Bodjie Pascua, Ana Abad Santos, Sharmaine Suarez, Xyriel Manabat, Louise Abuel, Francis Magundayao, Alora Sasam, Alyssa Muhlach, Bianca de Vera, Aljon Mendoza, and Mark Oblea.
Filming
Principal photography commenced on July 2024 in Iloilo and the Negros provinces. Filming wrapped on April 24, 2025.
Marketing
The first teaser for the series was revealed on December 10, 2024. The official poster was revealed on June 26, 2025.
A special screening attended by the cast and invited celebrity guests was held on July 17, 2025 at Trinoma.
The series also held three media conferences. First media conference to kick-off the show was held in early July 2025. The second press conference took place in August 2025, few weeks after its release and receiving positive feedback from its audience. The finale media conference was held in late September 2025, few weeks before the show wrapped up.
During the finale media conference, the show announced the release of its official merchandise.
Release
The series was first released on Netflix on July 18, 2025, and on iWant on the following day. It premiered on Kapamilya Channel and other television channels & platforms on July 21, 2025. The series originally consisted of 65 episodes before it extended to 80 episodes. It is now pushed back to 65 episodes.
Soundtrack
The official soundtrack released on August 22, 2025.
Reception
Critical response
The first three episodes of this series was well received from critics. Adam Laurena and Chrishna Dela Peña of pikapika.ph praised "its strong performances, thoughtful writing, and visual flair, which is highlighted by folkloric animations and rich cinematography." JE Cabebe of LionhearTV said that this series "dares to fold with its storytelling with animation miniatures, and scene shifting surrealism."
Ratings and viewership
Upon its release, It's Okay to Not Be Okay debuted at number one on Netflix's most watch shows in the Philippines. The series opened with 608,595 peak concurrent live viewers on its premiere on Kapamilya Online Live.
According to AGB Nielsen Philippines' Nationwide Urban Television Audience Measurement People in television homes, the pilot episode of It's Okay to Not Be Okay earned a 7.5% rating. The finale episode scored a 4.5% rating.