'It's Okay to Not be Okay' Episode 5: Kang-tae's resolve about Mun-yeong wavers, he is close to surrendering
Each episode of 'It's Okay to Not be Okay' captures the heart of one of the children's stories that we had heard in the past and subverts it to tell the story of Kang-tae and Mun-yeong. In this episode, Mun-yeong finds herself in the place of princess Rapunzel. She was also imprisoned, but in a mansion that was built in the middle of a forest. Mun-yeong's father had built the castle-like home to commemorate her birth, and that same castle ended up imprisoning her. Her mother would tell her that she had to be kept safe inside because she was special.
Why Mun-yeong's mother would imprison her own child is something that will be revealed in future episodes. The fact, however, is that not only does she know Kang-tae was the child that she had saved when the two were young, he knows it too. The episode builds up and culminates towards revealing this. As much as Kang-tae refuses to acknowledge his feelings for Mun-yeong, when he heard about her father trying to kill her, he rushes to find her. She is alone and walking in the rain completely drenched with no clue where she was headed.
The fact that she is lost is clear for Kang-tae to see and it is this vulnerability in her that has Kang-tae's resolve waver. Until then, he had managed to try and distance himself from all of Mun-yeong's advances. At this moment though, all of it comes crashing down. In a hilarious scene, when Kang-tae tries to put Mun-yeong at a motel for the night, he ends up at a place where couples usually go to spend some intimate time together. Strangely, the motel doesn't just provide room, it also comes with add on services and when Mun-yeong hears all of it, she is extremely curious and even wants to try it all out. Kang-tae, however, regrets bringing her to a motel. Both Mun-yeong and Kang-tae's mood switch flips too quickly and at moments when one wouldn't expect.
Most of Mun-yeong's attitude is a result of her Antisocial Personality Disorder and Kang-tae also realizes that. This is also the reason why he wants Mun-yeong to stay away from his brother Sang-tae. However, the moment that she learns that Kang-tae lives at Joo-ri's house, Mun-yeong gets offended and tries to taunt Joo-ri by telling her she had already confessed her feelings to Kang-tae. The conversation between the two of them escalates too quickly and has both of them fighting physically as they grabbed each other's hair.
It might sound hilarious on the surface, but this is, yet again Mun-yeong's possessiveness at play. She considers Kang-tae hers and cannot contemplate someone else getting close to him. So she manages to plot an extensive plan that involves Sang-tae. She meets him at the hospital, brings him over to her house and has him sign a contract with her to illustrate her upcoming book. The condition is that Sang-tae will live with her while he does so. While Mun-yeong is tempting Sang-tae with such exciting ideas, Kang-tae is worried because his brother is not answering his calls.
When he hears from one of the nurses at the hospital that he left with Mun-yeong, Kang-tae is worried sick. He calls her and she tells him to come pick Sang-tae up from her horror castle if he can. As they wait for Kang-tae, Mun-yeong tells Sang-tae about her past wrapped up like a children's story. Only, is she going to play the lady in distress to be saved by the prince?
'It's Okay to Not Be Okay' originally airs on tvN on Saturdays and Sundays at 9 pm KST in South Korea and can be streamed on Netflix.