This review may contain spoilers
THIS DRAMA FELT REAL IN EVERY WAY
A calm and deeply sincere story about people who feel stuck and tired of their daily lives. It follows three Yeom siblings and Mr. Gu as they face loneliness, frustration, and the desire to break free from their routines. A drama that focuses on emotions that feel close to real life, and that’s what drew me in.I connected the most with Mi Jeong. She’s quiet and keeps everything inside, but I could feel how much she wants to be understood. Her bond with Mr. Gu, a man with a painful past, isn’t about epic love story, I’d rather explain it as poetic, very poetic and has depth.
What I liked most is how real everything felt. There were moments were I felt seen, especially through Mi Jeong’s thoughts and Mr. Gu’s silence.
The cinematography and OST were really good. The empty roads, train rides, and fields feels like almost poetic. Maybe it’s just me but I think the weather seems to mirror the character’s emotions. Everything works perfectly, it’s just brilliant.
I liked that it’s an open ending story, I feel like hopeful and I feel like their stories are still unfolding somewhere off screen. The pacing can be slow and it might not be for everyone. But for me, that’s what made it hit deeper.
Plot 8.5/10
Acting 10/10
Cinematography 8.5/10
Writing 9.5/10
Pacing 9/10
OST/Score 9/10
Overall 9.5/10
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This review may contain spoilers
This is one of those kdramas that make you feel empty once youre finished because you develop such a strong connection between the characters and feel as if youre the one living their life or atleast being a part of their life. It makes you think about your life in such a philosophical way...like was it ever that deep? Lol, it made me want to be zen about everything, like everything will be alright, why am I stressing so much when everything evetually passes? Why am I so stuck on this? Everything finds its own path and that person you're looking for will come to you one day, whether you're the type to wait or not, they will come- because fated things always happen. Your fate is not overlooked, your time will come and you will enjoy things again. Its just such a beautiful kdrama with a beautiful message..please if you ever feel low or in need of a slightly dark yet pure kdrama, then this is it really! Every episode will not make you bored.
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Be Happy With Yourself
The acting of this drama was great. The sadness, and misery the actors had on their face was overwhelming. I watch every week to see if they ever had any happiness. I could not understand how they made it day by day with such misery about their life and the stage of their life they were in. They constant complaint about there life. How they stay civil to each as siblings once they got home and be with their parents. I felt bad for their mom who was over work all the time. Between working at home doing house work or out in the field. Even working at the factory with her husband making cabinets and yet she still had to do house work afterward. I kept trying to find whet happiness they could have or satisfaction and yet at the end I still could not see if they ended really happy with life and satisfied or just realize thing could not get better. Very hard psychological drama to me. I ended up being happy and satisfied with my life and how little I have but I can smile every day.Was this review helpful to you?
Changed my life perspective.
I was at my lowest point when I watched the drama. I was feeling a lot of things, lying alone on a hospital bed. I didn't know what to do with my life next, and I felt overwhelmed. But then I watched the drama, and it changed everything.The drama was about a group of people who were all struggling in their own way. Watching the drama gave me hope and comforted me in a way that made me feel seen. It showed me that my struggles were valid. It showed me that I wasn't crazy. It showed me that I wasn't alone.
I'm so grateful for the drama. It helped me to get through my darkest time. I'll never forget the impact it had on my life.
If you're feeling lost, alone, and hopeless, I encourage you to watch the drama. It might just change your life.
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Comforting and meditative
First off, I just want to say the cast is fantastic here. I believe there is no greater acting challenge than communicating with silence — the most moving beats are the ones of silence.Second, I want to applaud this drama for being a genuine slice of life. It’s not perfect, but it’s honest. It never strayed too far into melodrama, and it didn’t buy into this false hope like many other shows. The hope here in this show is genuine because it’s so ephemeral. It’s not noble, it’s prosaic and honest and desperate all at once.
And while this may just be my own cultural interpretation, I think this show gives a very honest and fair view of what common metropolitan depression feels like. In every character.
Lastly, the soundtrack is wonderful. Great show, and I recommend to those who enjoy seeing the truths of life through the eyes of others.
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The meaning of meaningless life
Huge appreciation for the writer to be able to speak for every lonely person out there, providing a little meaning for the meaningless life. It may not be a lot but it's already enough for that little happiness and understanding to happen through its literal storytelling along with its heartfelt characters. Every dialogue and choice of word fits perfectly into our harsh reality, the acting is so deep down it calms every wandering soul like a true companionship. Even though it's densely packed in 16 hours of runtime, it's able to contain almost every modern societal problems out there that you could think of, and also tackling life progression at different kinds of stages. It may be tedious and tragic, but the sad and melancholic instinct within us will always ponder questions on why we exist, why am i here, while working hard to adapt into this familiar yet uncertain world. After completing this drama feels like covering in a warm blanket and having a great listener beside us, that little comfort is exactly everything we need.Was this review helpful to you?
Great slice of life drama. Absolutely loved it
First half of the show pissed me off so much because it was like replica of my life. Struggles and nothing going as planned, the reason of living was fading away. As for the 2nd half it encouraged me to get something done for my life and never give up. Just needs a little push and off I go. The story was very slow and Im glad it was slow because it was also detailed. Slice of life dramas cannot be fast, it will not make any sense if its fast. Our life story or life events doesnt happen fast at all. The script for this show is absolutely legendary.Was this review helpful to you?
A wonderful journey
"My liberation Notes" is one of those pleasant surprises that you come across in life. This show is based on things in life that you can easily relate to. It is a journey, a long ride with ups and downs, that makes you feel that it was worth every minute of it.A 16-episode, well-written show that puts things into the perspective of introverted people; it makes you wander; it makes you feel their emotional journey.
What I really found fascinating about this show is that it didn't need that much dialogue. Instead, they deliver the context and the important pieces of the story in a raw but well-defined way through the characters' emotions.
I would definitely recommend you sit down, relax, watch, and enjoy this exquisite show while being carried out by their wonderful journey.
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See yourself as human being on Earth
I felt each piece of this drama. They show us the real life. I really love it. If you're tired of watching fiction, this drama show you reality, give a try please.I love how characters improve themselves and how they mature slowly.
In some parts I cried a lot, In some parts I laugh a lot.
This drama is EVERYTHING 😏 I am glad I met this drama.
I mostly saw the drama on Instagram while watching reels. Definitely more than the parts I've watched on reels. It is more special and valuable.
I love each charachter and their chemistry, They showed us as human beings on Earth, and you will find yourself in this drama.
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This review may contain spoilers
still not sure how i feel about this drama
I get why the writers didn't go too deep in Gu's past and also why most of their situations aren't really "solved" because it is a slice of life, we are watching their current life. We did get to see the main characters first encounter and some back story on Gu but I don't think they had to go much further.What really got me is that most of the time it was either WAY TOO SLOW or all over the place, watching some episodes felt like having a weird dream?? I had to repeat some scenes and still didn't really get what was happening (or what was the purpose?).
Also the older siblings were way too annoying. Her older brother was in everyone's business and expecting things from people that no one owned him, he really got on my nerves. The sister kinda started to seem acceptable midway drama but she never evolved from wanting to serve a man and live for him, she just never puts herself first and wants to match up to her boyfriend in everything and it also pisses me off that her boyfriend's sister was so annoying and he just let her get away with it...
I liked the Liberation Club, each members desires and how it really could be seen with FL relationships (friends, family, coworkers, ex boyfriend) and how it affected the way she sees the world.
Overall I think is a good drama for people who like slice of life and REALLY SLOW burn dramas, not really my case. I think I could've still enjoyed it if MLN didn't have 16 episodes. And the siblings weren't so annoying. And without the whole mafia unnecessary drama.
Cast was great, I LOVED watching Seok Koo playing the ML, I think he portrayed really well the lack of emotions but also the change from his character in each scenario. Jiwon was great as always, her character is complex and at the same time she's just tired of people and life, and Jiwon conveyed her evolution very well. Minki being an annoying character wasn't new but the way he's detestable here is definitely different from some other problematic characters. I also enjoyed watching Lee El performance with such a different character, since I've only seen her in Goblin before.
Definitely wouldn't watch a second time but is a good time killing drama and might also be really comforting for some people!
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Making Extraordinary Out Of The Most Ordinary
Not everyone is going to like this show, but man I did. If you are looking for a classic kdrama with flashy leads and romantic kdrama moments like CLOY, this is not it. But if you are looking for a perfect ordinary slice-of-life story that feels so real, this is it. My Liberation Notes revolves around perhaps the most ordinary family I have come across in Korean television. This is not however a story where ordinary people meet a rich CEO or a handsome demigod, no, they remain ordinary and interact with the local alcoholic. So I would advise going into this show knowing that, and also that this kdrama is slow. Yes it is slow, it is hard to deny that, but if you stick with it and aren't mentally in a hurry, then it pays off so well. The messages in this story are something that feels so real. It is about normal adults living their lives but failing to find fulfillment, and they sort of drift through their lives in a state of mundanity and repetition. You have to watch it to really understand what I am talking about, but it really should resonate with many people. These people are not really traumatized or deeply depressed, they are just sick of the state of their lives and want to find something deep. The Liberation Club in the show where this topic is discussed was done very well, and I actually wished they had more of it.I keep using the word "ordinary" because this show is amazing because it takes the ordinary and makes it great: that is the strength of this show. It does not rely on cliches or fiction, it builds a hyper-realistic setting, and turns it into something amazing. Yes, a lot of this show is a family silently eating dinner at dusk, and in the beginning there is remarkably little dialogue, but this review cannot do it justice. If you want something new in a drama, and are willing to be patient, this show is very memorable and will deliver something truly special and resounding to so many, especially in the world we live in.
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THIS SHOW HEALED MY HURTING SOUL!
If u like melodrama/ realife stories type of kdrama this is the perfect drama for u!! This show discusses different social issue from growing up to depression and other mental issues. This show has shown emotions on a deeper level that I have ever seen. What made this show stick with me is that they’ve done some techniques to heal and I have been using it and it has improved my mental health alot. I am so freaking grateful to writers who has written such beautiful and inspiring art. The only reason I wont be rewatching the show is that its a bit too sad to rewatch it again and feel these kind of emotions again.Was this review helpful to you?
