it’s ok to not be ok

EP 9:

Ok, hold on a minute, y’all. Let just have a moment of appreciation for Kang-tae’s arms’ veins and his beautiful (crying) eyes. Good, now pardon me as I just spazz on and on about how satisfying this show is to watch. But first, a disclaimer: my knowledge of ASD and Autism came from very brief Google searches when I started watching the show, and the only thing I have personal experiences of is cognitive-behavioral therapy. That said, I didn’t fully expect the show to follow faithfully what each condition and treatment method entails because it is a work of fiction. Some liberties are usually taken unless the writing takes on an offensive interpretation. Otherwise, my baseline is to be entertained. A huge plus is to be satisfied. And IOTNBO entertains me in the most satisfactory of ways.
– CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT: I’m so happy at how ALL of our characters are progressing in their own arcs. Let’s start with the supporting roles: JOO-RI = I didn’t like her for a hot minute there, and was fully expecting her to be the regular jealous second love interest. But the full story of her childhood friendship with Moon-young, as revealed today, redeemed her character for me. I love the possibility of Joo-ri and Moon-young reconciling and becoming friends again, and I think there’s potential for that. Joo-ri was reading through Moon-young’s books after her conversation with CEO Lee, and I thin of that as Joo-ri trying to understand Moon-young. They would make great friends, tbh! CEO LEE: I love seeing him and Joo-ri together. I love his presence in the house, and his rapport with the other characters. I love that he understands a different side of Moon-young, and isn’t afraid to speak up about it. JAE-SU: I do wish we get to see how Jea-su and Kang-tae became friends in actual flashbacks instead of via expositional dialogue. I love his goofy character and colorful outfits! JOO-RI’s MOM: continues to be a stabilizing influence on everyone who lives in her house. The tidbit about the Hospital’s Director courting her is so great! They would be one hell of a power couple! SEUNG-JAE: is just a sweetheart. I love this actress! Her part is small but I enjoy every second she’s on-screen. Her outfits and her inability to censor herself around her boss are gold. A-REUM and JONG-TAE: A round of applause for Jong-tae’s realization and determination to get better and to work for a better future with A-reum. I just freaking love these two in this episode!

– SANG-TAE: It hurts to watch the last few minutes of EP 9. I suspected that Sang-tae remembered the incident at the lake, and part of why he walked away from Kang-tae was because Kang-tae had clearly intended to leave him first. What I hope to see next is Sang-tae’s realization that his leaving Kang-tae behind in the lake isn’t quite the same as Kang-tae’s, and understand that they both have hurt each other without meaning to. I want Sang-tae to also see how frustrating it was for Kang-tae to be his caretaker. But I think this is where the misunderstanding and hurt came from – Sang-tae doesn’t think he needed the extensive care Kang-tae provides, while Kang-tae, out of guilt and familial love, binds himself to Sang-tae in a really unhealthy way. Sang-tae repeatedly says that he’s the older brother and he has to take care of Kang-tae. He works to buy the camping car so the two of them can freely move around. To see that the incident at the lake deeply affects him all this time is heartbreaking. I know it hurts now to see the brothers fight, but I also think that the eventual resolution will be worth all the tears I’ve shed.
– KANG-TAE: When would my dear sunshine realize that he’s such a bad liar? Hon, you’ve gotta learn that for your own good. Also for my own emotional well-being! I’m running out of tears to shed. It was SO FREAKING BRILLIANT to see him take the first very tentative steps toward building a deeper relationship with Moon-young, someone else who isn’t his brother. My heart was soaring throughout the episode, but I was shot down during the last 5 minutes and the ensuing cry-fest. The hints of troubles are dropped throughout the episode, but I was too hyped on love and hope to realize it. AHHH I don’t know how I’m going to be able to handle episode 10. I was so happy last week. OMG.