The Philippine adaptation of "It’s Okay To Not Be Okay" opened with a voice-over reading the children's story, "Ang Prinsesa at ang Anino ng Kadiliman," which was shown through animation.
In the tale, a princess lived alone in a castle and spent her days feeling lonely. One day, she stepped outside hoping to make friends with a group of kids she saw playing nearby. But the kids got scared and ran away upon seeing her pet bat. That moment triggered something inside her. Her shadow, dark and alive, suddenly appeared. To release her anger, she threw stones into the distance, not knowing that one of them would hit a boy and send him falling into a river.
The princess was able to save him. When their eyes met, the heaviness in her heart lifted and the shadow vanished. From then on, the boy stayed by her side like a shadow of her own, always walking behind her, never letting her feel alone no matter where they went. They became each other’s safe place.
But one day, while they were playing, a butterfly landed on her hand and she ripped its wings. The boy got scared and ran away. The sadness came rushing back and so did the shadow, whispering, “Walang magmamahal sa’yo. Kakaiba ka. Isa kang halimaw.” The frame cut to Mia (Anne Curtis), dressed in black and surrounded by a cold and heavy atmosphere that matched the mood of the fairytale.
From there, the storybook was shown being read by Patrick, or Patpat (Joshua Garcia), sitting beside his older brother Matthew, or Matmat, who is on the autism spectrum and who seems to find comfort in children’s storybooks.
Catch “It’s Okay To Not Be Okay” on Kapamilya Channel, Kapamilya Online Live (KOL), A2Z, and TV5, weeknights at 8:45 PM. Watch it in advance on Netflix and iWant.