My Liberation Notes (2022)

Beautiful but with confusing last few episodes!!!!

The only reason I gave it a 8.5 and not lower than that is because I was really enjoying this drama until ep 14 came. I feel like after the time skip, the story became very chaotic and rushed with too much emphasis on the main couple (mi jeong and gu). Chang hee's story was so sudden like, when did he and heon a fall in love and why they separate again, what is this connection between him and that ex bf of hyeon a and so on... Also as the other reviewers wrote, his friendship with mr gu could have been more focussed, as it looked like the friendship was only from Chang hee's side.
The character I related the most was with yeom gi jeong. I really enjoyed her romance story more than mi jeong's to be honest. I felt like her story should have gotten equal coverage like the other two sibling's stories got.
Overall, for me the story was beautiful until the mother's death after which it went downhill (of course you would want to continue watching it in order to find out what happens at the end). But I would still recommend you all to watch it.

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Mixed feelings

I have mixed feelings for this drama. The beginning was good- I binge watched the first couple of episodes. The daily life between city and countryside was realistic and as someone who also has to commute (though I live in a city) and who is just like the FL an introvert I could relate to many things.

But around the 11th epsiode I started to skip many scenes, especially related to the siblings. The (poetic) dialogues got heavier, seemed to be forced, the order of the scenes didn't seem coherent and it was hard to follow. Also I couldn't stand the toxic behaviour of some characters. I made me mad how the brother treated his chummy friend. It was also such a disappointment that we didn't get more romantic scenes between FL and ML. I was rooting so much for them and when they finally kissed the camera immediately zoomed out. It was a huge let down... therefore the rating in Netflix doesn't make any sense (in my country it is from age 16, same like squid game).

Also the huge alcohol abuse was irritating. They were basically drinking all the time and even if you are just drinking daily an after work pint you can be considered as an alcoholic. There wasn't a big difference between Mr Gu and them. I know alcohol is rooted into Korean culture but it was shocking that the consequences of alcohol consumption were so much played down and not carefully painted.

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Love is not really all you need... but its nice to feel loved

If you are looking for something that will make you feel good, have your heart flutter and I don't know make you just all warm inside then back away... and go watch more or less anything else.

This is a drama that you watch for its dialog, its monologs, the subtle slightly dark humour, sound of silence... and so on and so on. Beautifully filmed extremely well casted I am not really sure what story this is here to tell or how lovable the characters are but one thing I do know is that this is a drama packed with humans, the type of humans you can relate to, The type of humans that you may even dislike from the bottom of your heart yet still find yourself rooting for them since they are just so easy to relate too and present the more common not so lovable sides to being human that you, or at least I rather not admit to.

Not a single person here is pure, good or positive all the way, nope not even the motherly figure, every one has their flaws and struggles and I may not love them for it but I love the drama for this beautiful display of lacking and overly honest figures. There are several annoying characters that bring out ones angry side (in a good way), but not a single comic relief with too big gestures type of person.

This is a true slice of life presented in fragments with an unclear timeline, even if there are no mind blowing twists ala I am actually your childhood friend, we where separated at birth, he killed your father, let me harvest your organs type thing...
Having the timeline being presented in fragments not knowing what is past, future or present has a dare I say mind blowing affect of keeping the viewers brains activated and curious throughout out the whole drama.

I love the way this is filmed, the angles, the lighting, the huge amount of shots of peoples reflections in some type of surface... I am sure there is a whole lot of artistic symbolism that I may not fully get... but it is definitely there and I like it...


Bingabilaty: high, it can be hard to follow if there is too much time between episodes.
Interesting: 10
Heart flutter: 7

This is definitely my type of drama, but I am pretty sure this is not for everyone as I said most of the characters are not very lovable, the romance is sloooow, and it does require quite a bit from the audience making it more a turn on than turn off your brain type of drama...

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A masterpiece that’s extraordinarily ordinary.

With so many drama’s airing right now, this gem of a drama really stood out. This is simply a masterpiece , where the plot is extraordinarily ordinary yet so relatable, to what anyone could feel daily or at any point in life, the characters portrayed their roles immaculately that it feels like they are just being themselves. MLN is about an ordinary family, everyday problems, work life, ordinary love, friendships and the bond of siblings.

The writing has been superb and despite a rather slow start, has settled into a really good rhythm and managed to touch on a lot of important topics. It’s slow pace but a healing drama. if there’s one thing this show has done fantastically well, it’s the symbolism and themes. The drama has done so well to keep this going throughout the episodes and it seems fitting to end on one here too, given the coin and the drain. I’ll miss this drama in terms of how unique and special it was, how memorable the dialogue was and the emotions and comfort that we felt watching this drama.

This drama was never about a happy ending, It's an open-ending but them being able to smile and start anew, having liberated from some of the things they wanted to escape and go on in their lives in pursuit of further liberation. Nothing is guaranteed, all we have is hope and that was potrayed beautifully by the ending.

A beautiful story, superb acting, the OST and BGM were really soothing, and the cinematography was simply marvelous. From the write of one of my favorite drama’s “My mister”, this drama too has definitely been added to my favorite list of dramas.

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When Springs Come, Will We Be Different?

My Liberation notes is a title that Park Hae Young has blessed us with after the stunning success of My mister. The drama follows the Yeom siblings and a mysterious but charming Mr Gu who all feel trapped in their lives waiting to be freed from the cycle of the mundane.

I think what pulls people into this drama is the audience finding pieces of themselves in the 4 leads. From the lack of courage in Mi Jeong her introverted nature but her desire to stir up the courage to do things she never thought possible, To Chang Hee who feels like the world is always giving him the end of the stick and finding ways to chew our friend's ears off as we rant, to Gi Jeong who I hope I am as honest as not just to others but most importantly to myself and the loving Mr Gu who we want to be as mysterious as, where both of us wait for life to punish us at our highs so we don’t get caught off guard and end up worse than we were.

The drama does not come to deliver character development in the traditional way but to allow us to experience how people learn about themselves, through 4 seasons these characters experienced love, death, and loneliness and they fought battles only they could see. It dives into the value of introspection and hope for change. Even up until the last seconds as their pictures entered the screen, I could see them trying to overcome themselves daily, often failing but never giving up.
The cinematography was one of the most unflawed parts of this drama. Just a single scene with the bus as it came and went spoke volumes. From the farm where they toiled to the bustling streets of Seoul where loneliness was at its highest. Each scene stood out with and without dialogue because the perspective from which we watched it was that of great experience and beauty. The music and lighting added great effect to the storytelling of the drama, from angelic vocals to pure acoustic pieces that brought us close to experiencing what they did.

This is my perfect example of a comfort drama, although not perfect in terms of all terms the cast and crew created something that has taught, entertained, and comforted me even as I face the void that life had put me in. As they wake up, go to work, and come home you can see yourself in their little activities. It's them living their lives like each of us does working hard in jobs we don’t like and even if we do like them sometimes feeling underserved, overworked, underpaid, and just to wake up and do it again, why? Because you have to, you live your life just for the sole purpose of survival. I believe Park Hae Young decided to wake us up through this piece and ask us to pursue liberation, even if it feels like just 5 minutes of tiny little seconds of happiness and freedom, do it.

Did they get liberated? That’s for whoever is reading to find out as you watch this title. As for me, I will start my liberation journey and hopefully, see a change and feel that 5 minutes ever-growing each day.

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What kind of life you have right now?

A journey of self-awareness, reflection, and blissfully liberating yourself to be the better version of yourself.

Each sibling had their own issues, dream, and views in life that we can relate to at least one of them. And for me, I learned something from each one of them . CH reminds me how to have empathy for others, or give your all in everything that you do. Take a leap of fate and enjoy the little things. I love his character so much. For KJ, a struggle for women who wanted to find perfect love, and if that happens, you must give it all. And MJ gives me the strength to be brave and I like her silent approach to the problems. She's not shouting or wrecking things just like in the other dramas, but here, her stare can give you chills or her inner monologue can relate to others, well because we are most like that somehow.

Each character got a very important part in the drama. Our Mr. Gu of course as well as the others like the Yeom parents, siblings friend, their co-workers, everything was memorable. Every line strikes your heart.

It's a drama that you can go back and watch whenever you are feeling empty because it reminds you that it's okay to feel like that. It's a comfort drama. A subtle and relaxed feeling.

Magnificent and Amazing is still an understatement of how to describe this unique and memorable drama.

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Watch for the story, the characters, the direction

I don't think I will be able to say anything others haven't already said about this show. But here goes a few of my thoughts on what makes this drama so excellent.

When I started watching the show, I plunged into it deeply. However, I was surprised to read people on Twitter say that they can see how some viewers might balk at the slow pace of the show which might be boring to them. I found nothing boring or even slow about it. Somehow the pace was perfect for me.

I recognise that the pace is definitely slow but it felts more on the measured side of the scale rather than the boring side. I only harp on this because there are soooo many shots and scenes that bring forth the mundanity of life but does it in such a subtle but also impactful way that one has no option but to take notice of it. I don't know if I have ever seen anything that did this.

I loved the characters. That's all I will say. Please enjoy meeting them and getting to know each one. You are in for a treat!

One thing I wanted to highlight was the actor Lee Min Ki - not because he did better than any other actor but because this role made me see him in a new light. I watched him in Because This is My First Life but I didn't really like him then. Every time I saw that he was in a drama or a show, I would feel mehhh - and I admit I had reservations when I learnt he was cast in this drama. But he was really really good here. This is what happens when the magical formula of story, casting and acting come together!

I love how the writer made the characters flawed - not black and white. I think I am at this stage in life where I am very interested in rejections and failures and flaws. It is nice to see nice, good people, of course. But meeting people who harbour grudges, are scared, talk shit about others feels real and comforting sometimes.

I went into My Liberation Notes without research. I didn't know what the show was going to be about. I loved the experience of watching it.

I am not one to rewatch stuff. But I will get to watching this show again.

Thank you to the writer and the director. They have done an extremely amazing job.

To those who will get to watch My Liberation Notes for the first time, I am very jealous of you. :)

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♾️ /10

This drama also makes me uncomfortable to watch it's like I see all of my problems being exposed.
I feel like a new person after watching this drama. I learnt many things through this drama.
I want to be liberated idk when it will happen but i feel motivated.
I just can't believe i cant watch it anymore. Watching this drama was like watching my story. All of the characters were relatable on some ways. I know I can't move on from this drama. There's a very few dramas that make me feel like what this one has did. This is a drama of my life. Mi jeong is very relatable to me. The way she found it hard to communicate with people is what I struggle from everyday. And the other liberation club member said that she just can't make her smile disappear from her face, that hit hard!! Because the way I sometimes pretend to be happy to please people should not be normal because I'm forcing myself for others. I should just be transparent and should accept myself more. I remember hyeon ah while fighting with a woman said in some ep that she is like a dog and she will be loyal to someone till death when they show even a little bit kindness. Thisss!!! This is what i said my mom some days ago, I can't believe how I relate to that line. I literally am like dog because even when someone shows a little bit of kindness I start to feel attached. But in the end my own friend left me. But it's okay I accept it.
This was not my point tho😮‍💨

But I now understand this drama. And I'm glad I watched. I think writer wanted to say life is like a open book. We have many things to learn maybe we can escape from the sadness maybe we can't and have to learn to be liberated.
Idk what I'm saying however this drama is the best!!!

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An honest yet hopeful introspective slice of life.

"Great art is clear thinking about mixed feelings."
— W. H. Auden

The quote sums up what makes this drama so good. The tangled ball of yarn that resides in all of us, that we spend decades trying to unravel in order to knit a beautiful tapestry that is our life. At times it just feels like you're strangling the knots, this drama is what happens when you give yourself time to disentangle.

I feel a little conflicted about the finale, holistically it's a beautiful drama I'd recommend, one of the few slice-of-life I could rewatch. The writer does overplay her hand at times and the finale got a little overly maudlin for me. It is however a drama that does exactly what it set out to do, meditate on the ways we approach life's uncertainties and how we are as much imprisoned by our own attitude as much as our environment. The journey of liberation for each of the characters is equal parts poignant and frustrating. The ending is both realistic and hopeful and ties in well with the theme, that we are liberated when we find the courage to love ourselves as much as others unconditionally. I began this for Gu and Mi Jung, found myself relating to Ki Jung mid-way, and stayed for Chang Hee.

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