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The writers’ rumination on the butterfly motif caught my eye this episode. As head doctor pointed out, the Greek for butterfly is ‘psyche’ representing the mind. Generally we see it as a symbol of evolution (via metamorphosis of the caterpillar) and perhaps a visual representation of the beauty that comes with maturity. Not only that, the Greek term for caterpillar, nekdallyon, means ‘shell of the dead.’ Moon-young, Kang-tae and Sang-tae arguably lived as shells before beginning their transformative journey in Seongjin. Now, they are maturing matured as they begin to overcome the challenges in overcoming the effects of neglect and trauma in their psyche, enabling them to have more healthy relationships with each other and with others than they did before.

I think it’s ironic and even insidious that Do Min-Jae (there’s no way MY’s mother isn’t the murderer) wore the butterfly pin when she murdered the Moon brothers’ mother. Butterflies being a trigger for trauma-related flashbacks for ST and the subsequent running away the brothers did from them is an interesting counterpoint to the positivity that butterflies are normally associated with. The influence of external events can condition us to personally associate generally ‘positive’ things with a negative meaning. I thought this represented how events that affect us negatively can render us afraid of change, to the point where we are nearly incapable of it. ST, KT, and MY were there this early in the series, but I’m sure this will be alleviated somewhat in the next couple of final stretch of the series.

I have one question, though. Why would DMJ be the executioner with the butterfly pin? I feel like we need more explanation about her character, besides the fact she objectified MY as ‘her perfect treasure’ and was incredibly controlling. I need to know what kind of motive was behind that goddamn murder, because only then can I connect butterflies to DMJ and tie these thoughts all together.

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Thinking about Kim Soo-Hyun and Seo Ye-Ji holding the ‘we’ll set this house on fire’ kind of eye contact in PBIO/IONTBO Episode 8 (last scene)... and then I kid you not, 32-year-old, newly-returned military sergeant KSH shies away from SYJ like a school kid with a crush

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@ y’all who are complaining that the romantic and sexual progression of the main leads’ relationship in IONTBO/PBIO because it needs to be drawn out to be remotely healthy for either of them. Hence why Moon Kang-tae is still a little high strung and would rather that Ko Moon-young is also not drunk at the same time, because his concerns of it resulting in a particularly bad aftermath at that point in time is completely valid :)

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Not defending Victor’s actions in the second half of the season, but if you’ll learn a lesson from Season 1 of “Love, Victor” it’s that while pursuing other people’s happiness at the expense of your own will hurt you in the long run (cue Benji’s internalised homophobia triggering previous alcohol dependency and a DUI at 16), pursuing your own happiness, especially without foresight of potential consequences, also has the potential to permanently damage people beyond yourself. No matter your opinion of her, general consensus is that Mia will come out of this experience traumatised. This a very harsh lesson to learn for those who previously lived a life not for themselves, but for others. Especially if you’re both BIPOC and LGBTQAI.

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There are no truly healthy relationships in this drama. We aspire to have healthy relationships, but let’s be honest to ourselves, they are so rare in our real lives. Ko Moon-young isn’t the only fucked up one. I can argue that Moon Kang-tae is also traumatised and emotionally stunted. The one time he stood up for his own self-worth beyond the purpose that his mother ‘gave’ him was the day he almost died. As a result, he’s incredibly possessive, suffers from low self-esteem to the point of engaging in self-destructive behaviour, and masks his own emotions for fear of being ‘read’ by others. Kang-tae was repeatedly gaslit by his own mother. Like Moon-young, he is also a victim of child abuse, and he’s developed his own suite of unhealthy mechanisms to cope.

I can understand why many of you think that Moon-young’s relationship with Kang-tae is unhealthy thus far, and I agree. Trauma leads you down the road of unhealthy behaviours that can screw with the minds of others, and Moon Sang-tae is especially vulnerable to being used because of his stunted neurodevelopment. However, Kang-tae and Sang-tae’s relationship is also not healthy. We also see that expanded on in Episode 6. The relationship between Moon-young and her publisher? He treats her like a possession. Even the dynamic between Nam Joo-ri (and her mum) with Kang-tae rubs me the wrong way. To regret what you said as advice because the consequences didn’t benefit you in any way? That’s also not a healthy perspective to have on relationships.

Moon-young can try to manipulate Kang-tae, but he’s held her accountable for it continuously. He’s held Joo-ri accountable for her romantic affections, and turned her down early with the intent that she wouldn’t get invested any further. He even held Moon-young’s publisher accountable for his motivations in asking him and Sang-tae to move out. However, Kang-tae still fails to hold himself accountable in his own shortcomings. Ironically, the only person asking the right questions is Moon-young. She is the only one who has demonstrated any desire to hold Kang-tae accountable for his own actions so far, in the same vein as Kang-tae being the only one so far willing to hold Moon-young accountable for her own shortcomings. This, despite her limited empathy.

Kang-tae and Moon-young are still too psychologically incapacitated to make a sensible decision on ‘intimate’ relationships. However, there has been some real change in Moon-young and Kang-tae since they’ve crossed paths once again. Kang-tae is beginning to entertain whether or not the things he expresses as ‘his wants’ are truly what he wants for himself, where he wouldn’t have before. Moon-young is beginning to understand that she cannot reliably control people and how they act, since she can never truly understand the reasons behind their actions. Moon-young and Kang-tae have both demonstrated improvement in recognising and acting upon their weaknesses. That’s so much better than adults I know in real life.

Nobody has a flawless character. In fact, a person’s greatest strengths and weaknesses are generally rooted in the same concept. I believe that what differentiates a ‘good person’ from a ‘bad person’ is their receptiveness to being held accountable for their flaws. Abusers are conditioned to be abusers, but they remain abusers are because they remain unaccountable. Moon-young and Kang-tae are capable of breaking the cycle of abuse by staying accountable for their actions. So long as they continue to hold themselves and each-other accountable, they will begin to show respect, not just for each other, but also for themselves. While I worry about them becoming co-dependent, I still think both of them can become capable of developing a healthy relationship.

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Can’t believe that we get this so early in the game but that son of a bitch FINALLY realises who Ko Moon-young really is??! This is gonna get real interesting

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Jealousy is one hell of a drug, just look at Kim Won-hyung and his pursuit for recognition and powe because he was jealous of the attention that Chief Gwi (as the prince) was getting from papa Chief Yeom back in the Chosun era

(Lowkey wish MPUB had 16 episodes so that Kim Won-hyung’s fall from grace was portrayed as well as Weol-ju’s Chosun arc... in fact more Chief Gwi and Kim Won-hyung in Chosun would have been great for even better character building)

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I’m not a fan of personality disorder diagnoses, as an observer with a close friend who was misdiagnosed with Borderline Personality Disorder (she is actually comorbid Bipolar I and ADHD; most BPD cases are comorbid with PTSD where the trauma is the most significant problem) and a second-year Neuroscience undergraduate. Antisocial Personality Disorder is significantly precipitated by trauma/neglect or a previous neurodevelopmental conduct diagnosis. I hope that It’s Okay Not to Be Okay can properly address Ko Moon-young’s childhood trauma, because that seems to be the huge issue here. I really don’t want her to be pigeonholed for her lack of empathy without sufficiently exploring why that’s the case