Nothing happens
Very underwhelming, nothing really happens in this drama. A lot of staring into space and weird long monologues that go nowhere. The characters don't really have normal character arcs, they are pretty much the same at the end that they were at the beginning. It almost feels like this drama doesn't want to reveal anything about these characters, to keep some artificial mystery up so you keep watching, but when it ended I still didn't have any idea of who these characters are, what are their passions, what drives them forward. Overall quite a boring nonstory.Was this review helpful to you?
Not your tipical kdrama
To slow for anything, the pace is awfull and there is nothing going on, nothing funny, nothing existing , nothing to keep watching.Maybe this is how they reflect depression and the numbness of that state, where life is just an endless series of occurrences that just happened to be and has no meaning besides that, nor any room for a slightly change. Intentionally depressed/annoying is stil depressed/annoying.
I was drained watching the show, and I supposed their purpose was achieved if you take into account the premise of the show, but never have I felt so bored watching a kdrama. I tried to skip to the last episode but in my mind it was not clicking
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Exquisitely written slice of life
It’s been a long long time since i watched a series that moved me so much as this.the writing, the characters with all their oh so human flaws, the brilliance of the actors, the cinematography - everything was just mesmerising. There’s no razzle dazzle , simply a beautifully written and acted piece of work. The emotion this series brought out of me left me feeling drained at the end of every episode, ive Just finished the last one and the only way i can think filling the space each weekend is to watch it all again and thats precisely what i plan to do………Was this review helpful to you?
We grow up when we realize that adults don't know what to do either
As children, we hear our teachers give us instruction with such confidence. “These facts are the things that happened. These numbers add up to this sum. Our governments follow these rules that we call laws.” Outside on the playgrounds, we make up new games and the rules are made up on the spot. But around adults, it appears that there are systems and pieces that fit together and when we grow up, we’ll know the answers to how things work and where we fit.And then we reach adulthood ourselves and find that adulthood is lot like the playground games where we’re all making it all up as we go as often as not. Some of us excel at it and a lot more of us struggle to figure out who we are and how we find success or even just live in such a world. At the same time, we find moments, ephemeral as they may be, of unexpected grace and beauty and kindness.
“My Liberation Notes” is an exploration of this reality we live in and it is a stunningly beautiful rendition. Few dramas can combine such lush cinematography with immaculate editing, astonishingly original dialogue, a marvelously composed score and backdrops that might be ordinary in purpose, but are stunning with the vividness of their color. Even had it been sixteen episodes without characters or dialogue, there’s a bevy of gorgeous photography and musical accompaniment worthy of viewing pleasure.
As for the narrative, three unhappy siblings that live in the countryside divide their lives between long commutes to unrewarding jobs in Seoul and toiling on the family farm with a taciturn father and persevering mother. As adults, they all find themselves unsure of their place and their purpose. The oldest sibling is Ki Jung who has a talent for loudly saying the worst possible thing in a public place. The only son, Chang Hee, is a grown man that usually behaves like a squirming, uncomfortable child in church that simply wants to leave. The youngest and main character is Mi Jung, a soft-spoken but unbending and fearless woman that’s never found anyone that understands her. Dropped into this mix is a man known only by his last name, Gu, who is incredibly diligent and skilled but also an unapologetic alcoholic.
As for the plot, it’s very strictly and very real slice of life stuff. It’s getting through petty work disagreements. It’s complaining about the heat or suffering from the cold. It’s waxing nostalgic with old friends. It’s yearning for a few minutes of happiness a day or a new relationship. There are few destinations and the journeys rarely follow a particular direction for any length of time. There’s not so much buildups and reveals and cliffhangers. Rather, there’s symbolism and hidden meanings and guarded dialogue. When a shocking event does happen, it’s revealed initially so matter of factly that a viewer not intently watching might even miss how quickly the news had dropped.
The cast performances are outstanding. Lee Min Ki and Lee El, as Chang Hee and Ki Jung, are the extroverts and thrash and churn through their characters’ frustrations, joys and fears. Several supporting cast members shine too, especially Han Sang Jo as a longtime friend and occasional accomplice to Chang Hee, and Chun Ho Jin, as the siblings’ father. And it cannot be overlooked how much Park Soo Young and Lee Ji Hye shine brightly in very limited supporting roles as members of Mi Jung’s Liberation Club.
Kim Ji Won’s performance as Mi Jung is subdued as the character is extremely guarded and only very slowly reveals herself to Gu. It’s a very good performance and certainly one that should stand out on her resume. But despite having some of the best dialogue of recent memory, Mi Jung never comes across as a relatable human. Whether that’s due to Kim Ji Won’s restrained manner or just that the character’s humanity seems broken or whether this is a production that just isn’t interested in having characters that viewers should root for, that’s the end result - with a central figure that’s emotionally distant.
Meanwhile, Son Seok Koo as Gu is downright brilliant. He barely speaks for several episodes but his smirks and squints and head shakes and intensity belie that this is not simply a normal man with little to say. As his story unfolds and his internal struggles are revealed, it’s a devastating performance. None so far in 2022 can come close to matching it.
Overall, there’s very, very little to find fault with in “My Liberation Notes”. It is exquisitely produced from almost every angle. And it is highly recommended.
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melodramatic view into mind of adult working population
My Liberation Notes - 8.5/10 [above average] - kdramaI had been postponing watching this drama for a long time, mainly because the description on MDL didn't seem interesting to me.
Now I can finally share my opinion on this drama.
This drama follows the life of a family living on a farm outside Seoul. It explores their problems with work, friendships, human relationships, and their struggles to reconcile their great ambitions and youthful expectations with the mundane realities of daily life.
The whole drama serves as a mirror into the minds of people tired of troubles of daily life.
This drama is often compared to the kdrama My Mister, though I personally think it's a grade lower. Nevertheless, it's still a nice drama to watch.
Plot - The story follows three siblings as the main leads:
One brother who is angry at his poor life situation and aspires to be rich.
An older sister who wants to find a husband before she hits menopause.
A younger sister who is very introverted and feels suppressed at work. She meets a mysterious man who interests her.
Genre - Slice of life, melodrama, romance
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This review may contain spoilers
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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Emotional and One of a kind Kdrama
OH MY GOD!!it's 2022 and I'm seeing this kind of drama WOW !!! I'm Thankful to each and every member who's involved in this drama.
In everyday life we've seen some sad people filled with grief and anger towards other, tired of everything , disappointed with life and trying to get better life than they have now , want to be free from the things they've been doing by force.
In this drama lead characters were no different. Which caught my attention. I could feel their emotions ..not completely but maximum time yes !
I'm still not over this beautiful drama . One of a kind . Every episode , every scene was so precious.
First I'll talk about the main couple Mi Jeong and Mr.Gu ..LOVE LOVE AND LOVE !!!
How can someone write this beautiful , genuine romance?? I'm mesmerized. Still can't get over this couple.
No skin ship , unnecessary kissing scenes , no filler romantic scenes JUST authentic romance . Worshipping each other , giving courage, supporting each other without any shame, Sharing thoughts genuinely. Heart fluttering simple moments of meeting . I just want record/remember their conversation in the part of my mind. Their each and every words made me emotional .
I can't describe their love . If you can relate to them then you'll love it, to the point where you think why it is ending?
Mi Jeong got liberated from her hatred towards men who hurt her in the past. Mr.Gu stopped being alcoholic and gave up on his rough job , they both start feeling better with each other. Their life got changed after meeting each other.
And all the three siblings got liberated ...Chang hee leave his frustrated job and found peace in whatever he wants to do.
His older sister found someone she can love .
And the best thing that all three siblings lived in Seoul together in the end.
I just loved it.
Ost-s of this drama are BEAUTIFUL !!
P.S. This Drama is for introverts who can listen , can see others sadness without getting bored. Who loves to watch genuine romance. Character development. And can feel others pain ,who have patience ❤️
If you are one of these people..JUST GO FOR IT .
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This review may contain spoilers
Watched something really good after a long time!!
Wow!! Just Wow! I'm trying to get over from this drama so badly. It feels like is there any drama I'll like after watching this ? Still trying to another one. Missing this drama so much. I think this drama is for introverts, or those who understands it's characters. This type of slice of life dramas are love!Each character's life & their stories are worth watching. I love Mi jeong & Mr. Gu's romance, instead of being clingy and Cliché scenes, they're so pure and truthful towards each other, they listened to each other and say what they can't say to anyone else. There's no skin ship & so many kissing scenes yet they have another level of Relationship. There's full of flaws and so true to themselves. They started from Worshiping each other and ended up loving themselves and each other. This is one of a kind love.
Chang hee & gi jeong, I liked their character development, if you notice, all characters are liberated in the end, Mi jeong, feels lovable now. Mr. Gu too, he quit drinking and maybe his job too. Chang hee had so many desires in the starting but in the end, he lives his life without frustration and doing what he actually wants to do. Gijeong finally chopped her hair and loves him earnestly.
Obviously this drama is Masterpiece & it's OSTs also, My liberation notes, sink are my favourites.
Worth watching drama for mature audience. No Clichés only PURE LOVE.
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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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MUST WATCH IF U WANT A HEALING/CHILL DRAMA WITH A TWIST (SLOWBURN DRAMA)
i might edit this review after i watch all the episodes but when i started watching this, it was still at ep 8 and i was not expecting myself to love this drama. don't get me wrong i have already dropped dramas like this bcs i find it boring but this wasn't. the part when they revealed who mr. gu really was, got me shocked and was not expecting it. i won't give any spoilers bcs it wouldn't be fun haha. anw you should watch this you won't regret it 101% . Don't let a few bad reviews deter you from watching this! (Although, it's your choice.)Was this review helpful to you?
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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I feel LIBERATED
I honestly would love to give this drama a 10! It’s probably one of my favorite dramas ever. The three siblings are fantastic. At first I mainly related to and understood Mi-jeon , but as the story went one I could relate to all the siblings. Every try info was great about this the family relationship, work-life, and friends. I’m usually in thriller and mysteries becaus so like to be in suspense all the time but for once I was at peace (watching the show) without getting bored. In my opinion the best part about the show is the inner dialogue. I feel like sometimes it’s simple and sometimes it’s profound. Sometimes I understand what it means and sometimes I don’t . Nonetheless it’s very enjoyable. The only things I would change is the ending (I just wanted a bit more) and Mr. Gu story a little bit. Everything felt really REAL about the show except Mr. Gu character around the end. Other than that I can confidently say this drama was perfect. It was beautiful in all regards and I would highly recommend people to watch it!Was this review helpful to you?
