'It's Okay to Not be Okay' Episode 8: Kang-tae breaks away from his burden, falls in love with Mun-yeong
'It's Okay to Not be Okay' Episode 8 portrays how Kang-tae (Kim Soo-hyun) manages to break away from all the burden that he had shouldered so far thanks to Mun-yeong (Seo Ye-ji). However, Sang-tae might not be ready to let him go. As expected, Sang-tae begins to feel left out now that Mun-yeong and Kang-tae have gotten closer and are doing things without him. For instance, Kang-tae decided to help Mun-yeong with cutting her hair but neither Kang-tae nor Mun-yeong realize that one of the reasons Sang-tae likes Mun-yeong is because of her beautiful long hair.
So the next morning, when the two brothers and the author sit down for breakfast, Sang-tae asks Mun-yeong why she would chop her hair. He repeatedly questions her decision and even tells her that her long hair was much better than her style now. This obviously doesn't go down well with Mun-yeong and Kang-tae realizes that quickly. He tries to change the subject. However, Mun-yeong's mood is spoilt already. Mun-yeong and Sang-tae soon head for a fight over Kang-tae.
As expected, when Sang-tae sees Mang-tae in Mun-yeong's hand, he loses his temper. He tells Mun-yeong that the reason he got Mang-tae was that he used to have nightmares and so it is his. Mun-yeong is not ready to give in and as a result, the two of them get into a fist fight. It is hilarious at first sight but this fight symbolizes how the two of them feel about Kang-tae. As each of them holds onto one end of the doll and play tug-of-war, they rip it apart. Is this an allusion to what could happen to Kang-tae if he got seriously involved with Mun-yeong?
When Kang-tae arrives home after work and sees the two of them holding the other, bloodied nose and pillow stuffing in the air, he is tired and frustrated. Yet, he holds his anger in. He excels at holding it in — be it anger, sadness, or love — and this is exactly what he did at this moment too. He convinced the two of them to give their pieces of the doll to him and has a talk with Sang-tae. He tells his brother that Mang-tae was not able to help him get rid of his nightmare of butterflies, so it would be better to give it to someone else it would actually help.
Sang-tae first asks what would he be left with if he were to give everything to others. Kang-tae is surprised by the question but he says that Sang-tae will always have his brother Kang-tae with him. This convinces Sang-tae who says that the author can have Mang-tae but not Kang-tae. He doesn't want to give his brother away and it is clear that Sang-tae is not going to give in easily either.
Kang-tae stitches the doll again and hands it over to Mun-yeong. Is this a metaphor for wanting to give himself to her, or compensation for not being able to be with her? Either way, Kang-tae's growing soft towards Mun-yeong as he gets closer to her. At one point, when he is speaking to one of his patients, the two converse about what it means to be in love and everything that the patient tells him is what Kang-tae feels for Mun-yeong and it is at this moment that Kang-tae realizes that he has fallen for her.
However, what really does help him break away from the habit of holding everything in, including his pain, is a patient. This pattern of using an external source to help heal is orchestrated excellently and yet again, but this time it is Kang-tae's turn. So when one of the patients who is being treated after suffering from domestic abuse is having a confrontation with her ex-husband, which leads to an altercation that Mun-yeong interrupts, Kang-tae throws a punch at the man.
Kang-tae, who has always held it in, throws the first punch and if the patient hadn't interrupted, he would have pummeled the ex-husband to death. Yes, using violence to break free of whatever had chained him so far might not be the best way. However, by using an abuser to gain viewer's respect, the show's writer has managed to sidestep any criticism that might come their way. Following this, the hospital also suspends Kang-tae for using violence and this punishment puts it in perspective that his action is not right.
However, Kang-tae is not worried. Instead, he feels exhilarated for the first time in years and the smile on his face reflects the one that Mun-yeong had had when she had managed to cut off her hair. As he runs towards Mun-yeong waiting outside the hospital, the smile only grows bigger and he finally tells her that he is ready to run away with her. He is ready to take her up on the offer of running away with him and this is the time.
'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.