Come for the Camaraderie and Stay for the Action and Missions.
Completed - 2/19/2022I am quite surprised that I enjoy this drama more than I expected. I am usually not a big military drama/movie watcher, but I think what excites me the most is the almost never-ending excitement of training/action/mission of the Blue Lightning. This is my first modern drama of Vengo Gao, after seeing him in "10 Miles Peach Blossom", "Legend of Fu Yao" and "Sword Snow Stride". I have to say I like his character and visuals the best in "Operation: Special Warfare".
What I Enjoy:
1. The Leads - Not just the visual of Vengo Gao is amazing (and he looks so hot!), but his character, Qin Guan, as the team captain of Blue Lightning. He was tough as he should be when training his soldiers, but when he's not in training mode, he's just like a normal guy and can joke around. Oftentimes, this character would the cold-on-the-outside and slowly get melted by the female lead. But not here and it's refreshing to see. On the other hand, our female lead, Ning Meng, is also tough as nails. She is super smart, strong mentally, stubborn and confident. She's also not the stereotypical weak girl to start and then get stronger, nor was she super tomboyish just because she is the female lead in a military drama. I really appreciate non-cliché leads.
2. Camaraderie - The tight bond between the Blue Lightning soldiers is without a doubt a big selling point of this drama. It's not surprising because most of us came into this show knowing that this is an integral part of the drama. But that doesn't dampen my excitement one bit . Each of them has their unique talents and contribute to the success of the team. I think the drama did a great job in showcasing the strengths and weaknesses of each soldier through all their trainings and missions. Well, there are a couple soldiers that bugged me a little, but I still very much enjoy watching them "suffer" together.
3. Pacing - For a 35-episode drama, the pacing of the show is great. I very much enjoy the first 20 episodes. Time goes by fast when I was watching the new recruits being "tortured" by their captain, banding together through Devil's Week and solidifying their bond after near-death experiences. The drama slows down a little in the mid-20 episodes to deal with issues not related to missions, maybe to give the audience a breather. Action picked back up at the end when we know the final showdown with the villains is coming.
4. Romance - I know this is not a romance drama. There are no kisses or PDA since it's a military drama. However, this is romance done right when romance is not the center of the plot. I've watched a couple recent dramas which have slight romances ("Happiness" and "Reset") and I felt that those two dramas did not give us enough scenes to justify or lead up to the slight romance. If you are giving me dissatisfying romance, might as well scrap the whole thing (rant over and please don't hate me!) However, in this drama, there are enough scenes to tell us that Qin Guan and Ning Meng care for and like each other, even without holding hands or kisses. Through their bickering, glances, flirting/not flirting and caring through actions, viewers know they like each other very much. Same goes to the romance between Lin Yi and Xu Dong Dong. Their romance seems more innocent. Amidst all the training and mission, they are there for each other for support. All they do are talking, sharing food and looking out for each other. And that's enough for me. Oh.. of course, The Star! ⭐
5. Training/Missions - I do not know if all the actors and actresses did all training scenes themselves. However, aside from still running like women and not soldiers, I applaud all actors/actresses for acting like soldiers. From marching to saluting, they convinced me. They are in uniform almost 80% of the drama and are either sweating like a dog or filled with dirt all over their faces and bodies. Props to the ladies for puking their hearts out all the time! (LOL). I am sure I will puke if I have to go through 0.1% of their trainings. I do feel that the women seem to have more intensive trainings than the men. Is it also unfair to the men? Mm...
What I don't Enjoy:
1. Villains - This S Corporation has to be one of the weakest villains I've seen in a drama. For almost 30 episodes, their little schemes did not pose any threat. They are either taken care of by the Blue Lightning, or offscreen by other government entities. Even the big blow out at the end is quite weak. I think this is the weakest part of the show. I also really dislike the abrupt cut scene or transition to the villains to give us a quick update, so we didn't forget about them. It disrupts the flow of the drama.
2. Minor annoying characters - For the most part, I like all members of the Blue Lightning. I do think Li Si Si whines too much and is too weak emotionally to be part of the team. I understand if she's weak in the beginning, but even in the middle of the drama, she's still the weakest link. Honestly I don't think she has the personality to be part of such an elite team. On the other hand, Xu Dong Dong also annoys me a little. She is made out to the 'villain' of the girl group initially, so I somewhat expected to dislike her. She also makes dumb decisions. Is it cliché to have someone like her that is strong physically, but not very smart?
3. Other minor critiques -
- The flowing Chinese flag looks like bad CGI, and some aerial shots.
- Anyone can listen in on a conversation inside a room if you stand by the door.
- One soldier gets reprimanded for using a cell phone but the other openly uses one.
- Even in the military, there's gossip everywhere with no secrets - I thought the investigation on FL is supposed to be a secret, but everyone knows.
- A certain soldier was very close to the grenade explosion as well, but did not die.
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Top class drama
This drama used Korea's leading script writer. The production values are at cinema movie standard throughout. The monetary cost of some of the scenes is way beyond almost all other dramas. The plot is tangled and can be taken at different levels. Mathematics is a theme and Einstein's theories are referred to in the set up of the story and this is a clue to understanding the plot. Better educated audience members will appreciate this drama more fully than those who are not. But it doesn't matter, because the show has a strong fun element, frequently poking fun at itself, so if like me you are not strong on Einsteinian spacetime math, it is still enjoyable and you can get the gist. However, this is hardly your average k-drama TV. That is why it did less well when it aired than expected. It is too high order for the average TV audience.The casting is perfect. Lee Min Ho's screen presence in every shot for the whole series is strong. The director used Minho's beautiful smooth deep voice like a sound track throughout. His voice becomes almost mesmerizing as it is seldom out of one's ears for long. This is a unique and unprecedented feature in a k-drama and it is a strong point giving a fairly subliminal aural continuity throughout the episodes. It was very soothing too. This drama is a truimphant showcase of Minho's acting talent and it is impossible to imagine any other Korean actor able to perform so naturally and commandingly and with that voice.
Goeun has a very difficult job. First she is Minho's love interest when as i have just said his brilliance is shining and any co-star is likely to look second-rate or worse against him. Goeun also has to play a tough cop at the same time as a girl Minho, a King, would fall for, plus she has to play a part in 2 timezones and a double of herself in both timezones. Most Korean actresses couldn't get near acting this part. She gets better with each episode. She deserves an award for her achievement. She is the emotional epicentre of the series and her diverse part compliments and off-sets Minho's needing to stay magisterial all the way through. Although, hilariously, Goeun knocks him of his perch quite a few times!
This is the most postmodern hybridized drama ever made. It is a historical, political, romance, melodrama, comedy, farce, action, pychological drama all at mixed up, sometimes doing two or even three genres simultaneously. For an audience that can see and appreciate this it is easily the best k-drama ever made. But also, the intelligence of the drama was its weakness and why it wasn't able to retain a wide audience despite the large sums spent on the hype and marketing before and after it started airing, and why it's not a drama that the average viewer is going to like, because its going to be over their head.
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This is a sad but meaningful story, sharing a variety of characters and their stories, they way they lived their lives, their regrets but also their joys.
I've experienced both laughter and tears for this movie, and even though I tried to predict what would happen in the end it was so much more heartfelt that what i had imagined.
Watching all the characters grow and change in a successful progression in the short amount of time that we know them in the movie, it makes the ending just that little bit more saddening.
I'm glad this was Hong Ki's first major role in a film he did a really good job! and it's my first time seeing Baek Jin Hee too who impressed me :) I love the songs and the meaningful lyrics shown in this film and how well it was carried out with their voices!
Not sure about whether I would re-watch this again because of the tears but I'm glad I've watched it!
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Almost the whole first half is the reporter looking for and discovering clues that lead to her, step by step, person by person that touched her life. Once he gets close enough, you get a glimpse of her life and her love and the story of how her delicious recipe came to be. It's a little slow going at first but don't let that stop you.
This movie has an ethereal, magical quality to it and it made me want to eat Doenjang Stew really bad...even though I've never had it in my life.
The story is beautifully written and very well acted. The Ume tree forests, the soybean fields and the mountains are all shot beautifully. Once again, Lee Yo Won does a great job and Lee Dong Wook is wonderful. Ryu Seong Ryong plays the reporter and I really like him in this. (He played the gay art gallery owner in Personal Taste) This is a very different role. I didn't recognize him at first.
This is a small, quiet movie but it's a lovely story. I wasn't bored at all but I think you have to be in the mood for quiet.
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This review may contain spoilers
Some scenes were tedious, I admit. But it was still cute and enjoyable
I stumbled on this series and saw the synopsis of it. At first, I was wondering if to even watch it as it seems to be focusing on some storylines that I do not like in BL's that are used consistently. However, it was a cute and enjoyable series for me, personally.Story-7/10
I will say that they are some parts of this series that was a bit tedious. But, they were some parts that I did enjoy in this series. I was glad that they resolved the storyline of the teacher/ student with Maping stating that he did not have feelings for the teacher that way. I was also glad with Q and his budding relationship with the senior who delivers food. I wish that this series had explored them more.
I maybe in the minority here, when I say that I actually did not care for the relationship of Choi's tutor and the baker. They actually did not add anything for me, which is weird. I actually like Prab and Choi together, although they are step-brothers. And this is due to the fact that that I think Prab liked Choi from before thier parents got married. So, it actually wasn't super weird for me. Prab and Choi's parents know about them and I was actually shock that they accepted them, eventhough in the beginning Choi's dad was angry and gave the boys ultimatums until in the end he agreed to the boys dating. Also, who the frick on the frack is the Frog Prince?! Cause I thought it was Tri. But now, it's lookong like it wasn't him or that there is a new Frog Prince, which apparently we will find out who it is in Season 2 (hopefully).
Acting/Cast-7/10
The acting wasn't that good. But I don't think it was that bad as well. Some scenes stood out to me for some of the actors and that's why I give it a 7.
Music-8/10
Hear what? Not going to lie but the music actually slapped in this series. I liked all of the songs that I heard.
Rewatch Valu-7/10
I actually do see myself watching this series again. It may not be anytime soon, but in the future- sure, why not! It was an enjoyable series that I spent my Fridays with and I am grateful that I gave it a chance.
Overall- 7.5/10
Overall, I enjoyed this cute series. I will agree with the majority that the shirtless sequence wasn't needed for this series, especially when some of these actors look so young and it can be very off putting for new viewers if they see that.
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Masterpiece!
Everything is great...Ignore what you heard about this drama...just give a chance until ep 5 and I am sure you will enjoy...If you want to make your brain work, HERE YOU GO....
And romance:
Great chemistry between this two....they are adult and you should expect adult behaviors...and it was not rush because Lee Gon was looking for her for 25 years and about tae eul, falling in love with him took almost for months...
Writing, acting, editing and cinematography are awesome!!!!
After all, if you want watch a different kdrama and use you brain, WATCH AND ENJOY!!!!
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One word that I can use to describe this drama is "FRUSTRATING". Yep, this drama is so frustrating to watch. At first it started out just fine and the leads were actually pretty cute. I thought that this would turn out to be quite interesting but then at the end it became so draggy and so frustrating. I was so frustrated at Xie Cheng since he is so indecisive. Like, MAN UP! Who the hell do you really love?! Stop meeting Jia Ren! And also stop giving hopes to Xian Hua! And then out of the sudden he would just decide and tell Huan Ying that he loves her. Like what?! All of the sudden? I just really didn't feel his love for her. Kudos to Huan Ying tho, she really is willing to sacrifice just for Xie Cheng. That's love! Sometimes I feel like Xie Cheng doesn't deserve Huan Ying at all.
Oh yeah and I really hated the female antagonist. I wanted to pull her hair so bad and drag her off the drama. Well I guess she succeeded in becoming the female antagonist then.
Even though there's a lot of bad points in this drama, there's also some good points. I actually find some of the parts funny and entertaining. I was also so touched by Xie Cheng's mom. She was so kind to Huan Ying. I actually loved her relationship with her. I basically loved the family love of the characters. I actually liked the leads together but they could've worked harder.
Overall, this drama has a lot of potential. More acting improvements needed on Zhou Mi. Although I actually find him very cute. He has the same vibe as Zhang Han.
To sum this up this drama has a lot of bad acting, no character development between the leads, the male lead is so not loyal and indecisive. But then there's also many fun parts in this drama. I especially loved Lee Da Hae's outfits in this drama.
If you're finding a rom-com that would frustrate the heck out of you then I highly recommend this drama.
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Drama Festival 2013: Haneuljae's Murder
18 people found this review helpful
The movie is set in the aftermath of the Korean War. Yoon Ha, played by Seo Kang Joon, meets Jeong Boon, played by Moon So Ri, as a child. They help each other during a difficult time in their lives. Fast forward roughly 10 years and they meet again. A love triangle develops when Jeong Boon’s daughter, Mi Soo, develops feelings for Yoon Ha. Unbeknownst to Mi Soo, Yoon Ha only has eyes for her mother. In turn, Jeong Boon realizes that any feelings they harbor for each other are doomed, and she rejects Yoon Ha. Consequently, Yoon Ha marries Mi Soo when he realizes this is the only way to stay near Jeong Boon.
The story is well done. I would have given this a 10, except I couldn’t completely buy into the dongsaeng-noona relationship between Yoon Ha and Jeong Boon because of the huge age disparity. We’re talking about a 20 year age difference that could have worked, if the directors hadn’t made Moon So Ri look so aged and more like Yoon Ha's mother, instead of a love interest. This often left me with the impression that Yoon Ha’s feelings for Jeong Boon bordered on obsessive and at times were a little creepy. I like to think this vibe was intentional on the writers part, because they wanted to push our buttons by forcing us to explore our feelings and thoughts on the whole ‘age ain’t nothing but a number’ theme.
As a newcomer to dramaland, Seo Kang Joon is really beginning to show us his acting abilities. I’m happy he opted to play this character, because it’s not an easy role to convey. Kang Joon did well showing the absolute love Yoon Ha feels for Jeong Boon. Often the emotion he conveys is nothing short of palpable. Everyone else also did a fantastic job, making this short drama special a nice watch. Be warned, however, there is no cutesy happy ending and there are moments where the show is downright heartbreaking.
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HILARIOUS DRAMA
If you are a hardcore anime fan like me, YOU ARE GONNA LOVE THIS. If you are into comedy genre like me, YOU ARE GONNA LOVE THIS. If you are NOT into the mood of watching something serious with lots and lots of politics then YOU ARE GONNA LOVE THIS (just like me).Well that sums it all. I heard this show is adapted from a Chinese anime which is pretty great on its own and I was happy that I haven't watched that one before because this way the drama feels much more hilarious , moreover, not knowing what is gonna happen next is good enough to maintain the suspense. I really went in without any expectations ( mainly for Neo) after hearing a great deal about it and from the first episode it was nonstop comedy (silly at times, not that I am complaining). Comedy is not the only thing that will glue you to your screens but it is the fight scenes so well choreographed and acted that makes it much more entertaining. It reminded me of Dragon Ball, Naruto , My hero academia and many such anime that dives into the sea of emotion, family love, friendship, journey of characters from the weakest to the strongest and of course TOURNAMENTS ( I live for all that).
But what dumbfounded me was the way each character makes it so believable even though it was comedy the emotional scenes almost made me cry bitterly. You just have to keep watching and don't stop on "the particular episode" which turned down its ratings( you'll know when you watch what I am talking about). Overall it is a really good show that I would recommend to all :) You won't be able to wait for the next episode for sure.
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Too long, crappy acting, waste of time
FL acting is the worst part. Her character is insufferable, this is the second drama that I see her on and it’s pretty much the same acting like the dumbest.I should have paid more attention when I read the comments on this drama to avoid wasting my time.
I just ended it because I don’t like to leave dramas in the middle.
This could have had like 10 episodes max. The story was not bad, but at the end the development was not appropriate.
On the other hand, thw only positive thing was the ML, he is great with two different characters, despite the storyline and the little support from his co star.
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This review may contain spoilers
Watch it for the bromance
I started watching expecting an Epic Love story. And yes there is more than one epic love story here (2nd leads story is even better than the main leads). But the real love story, and indeed the real chemistry, is the friendship between the two male leads. I will be rewatching in the future just to watch the goblin’s and grim reapers’s relationship unfurl again. Just Wow. What a great show.Bring some tissues - at least a box or two - as there will be tears in the later episodes.
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I’ve been meaning to watch this drama long time ago but obviously I forget about it (I have no idea why) then I found its thread in MDL and decided to give it a chance.
Note: I agree with most points mentioned in the two reviews below but I had to state my opinion.
2)Storyline/Plot:
*Generally speaking this is a smartly written storyline that revolves around the world of crime while having romance as the center of many plot changes.
Positive Points:
*Honestly speaking, twists are the most important part of the storyline since you can’t lose interest while watching; those unpredictable events are the reason that catches the audience attention (especially me).
*Main genres:
--->Crime/Thriller: This is not a detective drama hence don’t be scared by the intensive police meddling into the storyline; it had some crime elements into it but they weren’t that deep to be fully considered as a “Crime drama”.
Thriller was simply astonishing here; it had many great suspense moments which prohibit you from predicting anything. There were a lot of mind-blowing events that you can’t see it coming therefore I have to give writers credit for many “What? When did that happen?” Scenes.
---->Romance: Though it was a little annoying when it comes to changing the spoken language, this was a well written Japanese-Korean romantic story; there were magnificent cultural interactions within the romantic story which made it more and more fascinating.
Other than that, romance had many charming and dangerous turns thus it will never make lose interest while you’re following its events and development.
Negative Points:
*Even if there were some negative points, they didn’t ruin the story’s aspect; they’re acceptable overall.
Story: 9.5/10.
3)Acting/Cast:
*This is a Korean Japanese drama consequently there were actors from both sides which made it more interesting than any other Japanese drama cast.
*Takenouchi Yutaka was always a very respectable actor; he was brilliant as this drama’s lead male because the role matched him so well. As you watch his acting, you’d feel depth which makes you want to see more of him on screen.
I am not familiar with Choi Ji Woo but she made through; her acting was believable and full with feelings which made her completely fitting for this type of role.
The rest of actors were good but not too great; in general, they were up to standard.
*As for characters, Sho/Takumi wasn’t an unusual character (discovering the truth behind the death of his father) still it felt creative and very absorbing no matter what sort of events he went through; whether it was action, romance, suspense, the character conveyed many fascinating feelings.
Yuna was a typical character until unpredictable twists took over. On the whole, the character was appreciated mainly because it leaded an unusual path.
*Other characters were important for the story’s development; I couldn’t imagine this kind of story without their presence.
*Appreciated character: Kim Young Jae because he added a special taste to the storyline plus he was one of the most unpredictable characters out there: More mysterious, more fun!
*Relationships:
--->Romance: One of the most charming chemistries that I’ve seen so far; it’s one of those romantic stories that you want to see more of it on screen but no matter how much you see it, you feel that it’s not enough. The lead actors had a mesmerizing relationship indeed because every scene they have together was absolutely attractive.
--->Sisterhood: I appreciated the relationship between Yuna and her sister; it felt natural and special in many ways.
Cast: 8/10
Acting: 9.25/10.
4)The ending:
It may have fallen into Japanese detective style endings but I haven’t seen it coming no matter how much I think about it, I was thrilled to find out the out-coming of the story.
The ending: 8.5/10.
5)My impression:
*For me, this was a joy ride of pleasant events. I loved this drama simply because it was way too far from my predictable sense; it was really absorbing especially near the end.
*I’ve fallen in love with Yukata in this drama; aside from his astonishing look, I felt a great actor in here: I will definitely watch more of his dramas.
*I was bothered by the bilingual characters in here. Though, I stated that I liked the Korean Japanese interactions but I can’t say that I enjoyed changing the language because I watched this drama Raw which made me get a little lost when they spoke Korean, I can understand Japanese but Korean is just a no (My Korean lingual skills are far behind from my Japanese) but fortunately they translated some of them into Japanese.
*Is this drama memorable: Yes it is, simply because of its unpredictable twisty events that made me enjoy it to the extremes. Nonetheless, I don’t think this is the greatest drama out there since there are many others of the same genre that suppresses it.
My impression: 9/10.
6)Overall:
*If you like crime Japanese dramas with many twists then you will enjoy this.
*If you like great romantic chemistries then you would like this.
*Rondo is a great drama that’s full of enjoyable twists and great actors who knows how to deliver amazing feelings.
Overall: 9/10.
Note: If you were already spoiled, don’t watch this because it makes you lose the taste of its suspense. Another point, I hope you can find subs for this drama because I heard that there weren’t any; it’s a shame that this amazing drama doesn’t get the appropriate attention.
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Best healing program
Surely will be missing this a lot. A month went by so quickly and I'm so sad that it ended this soon but I'm so happy to see the boys got to rest, relax and do what they’ve always wanted to try and they truly deserved all of that.We already knew how gorgeous their bond but through ITS we got to witness another heartwarming and beautiful interaction of these 13. This was so far the best healing program, It was indeed, a healing time for both the members and CARATs.
thank you SEVENTEEN.
thank you HYBE and Pledis staff.
thank you ITS team <3
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Much of the narrative is sung. but do not be put off by this presentation. It will grow on you. The ending is superb and worth the wait.
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1
2Progressive Message: Quality of life increases with the degree of truthfulness (not scham&pretence)
"My Liberation Notes" is a ray of hope within South Korean series production.In short: The lives of young people in their prime (+/- 30) are at stake here. Considering their groaning under the pressure of the competition in the workplace, the dazzling promises of the modern lifestyle industry, and the claims of society and family traditions, this could all be pretty depressing. But amazingly, it's not. The protagonists manage to give their lives something like dignity - quietly, impressively and with gentle intensity. They walk the way that lies before them, spraying their personal touch, a little bit, but nicely, thus leaving color and warmth on their trail.
The KDrama presents itself as a Netflix co-production and is thus in a certain way 'pimped' for an international audience - you don't see anything of the typical and rather special elements like makjang, slapstick, glitter & glamor of Jaebeol, or traumatic childhood secrets. Just life, every day, like everywhere else. Without spectacular ups and downs. As if someone had blindly reached into a pot full of addresses from a random location on the outskirts of metropolitan Seoul and then simply turned the spotlight and camera on the family living there for a while. In principle, it could be any family living near the terminal stations of the Seoul subway network. This, however, identifies the KDrama as specifically South Korean. Finally, the story is high KDrama quality, when it comes to a carefully, multi-layered narrative with deliberately reduced pace and space for the sensitive moments in between.
----------------- SIDE NOTE: --- Provincial life in the metropolitan area around the capital Seoul ---
So the KDrama simply tells about the normal life of relatively normal people around 30. They don't live in the megacity of Seoul (while almost 10 million people do) or in Incheon (with almost 3 million inhabitants), but in the sprawling province of Gyeonggi-do, which makes up the majority of the metropolitan area around Seoul in terms of space. The provincial population makes up ca half of the population of the more than 25 million inhabitants of the entire agglomeration around the capital Seoul. (And this in fact is about half of the inhabitants of South Korea altogether). An insight into the living environment of those provincial residents thus also offers an insight into a good deal of current South Korean life issues.
The fictional 'Dangmi Station' is actually Line 1's 'Seonghwan Station'. Crucially, most people who work in Seoul (increasingly) cannot afford to live in the city. Every workday they commute about +/- 2 hours to do their job in the city. With the evening company dinners and collegial come-togethers, a day becomes very long. There isn't much time left for a life of your own outside of work. While it is convenient in many respects to remain in the family home until marriage, this further reduces the amount of free time you have at your disposal. Especially if the parents still do a bit of farming and the help of the 'children' is required here and there.
City and country clash, almost every day. Accordingly, different life plans collide, which either fit more into a fast-paced, hip city life or rather into a rural, decelerated provincial life. In reality, however, new hybrid variants are needed that function as a flexible joint between both realities that are equally relevant to everyday life - city and country.
You might want to think about the meaning of life. About goals that you would like to set for yourself. What is life? What does it offer me? What would I actually like to do? Or, wait a minute, is it better not to think at all? It is up to the young people of the recent and the following working generation, to grope, to stumble, to develop new, visionary as well as down to earth attitudes and inspiring blueprints to life in a South Korea from the 2020s onwards...
------------------
"My Liberation Notes" sails in this field of tension. Other than that, tension is not on the agenda. "My Liberation Notes" is processing the wisdom, the questions and the insights that the protagonists come up with over the course of the story - sometimes quietly to themselves, sometimes in conversation with friends.
The focus is on 4 protagonists who practically all live together in the provincial suburb of Seoul. Three of them are siblings and work in Seoul, the fourth is a stranger who helps their father in the carpentry shop and in the fields, eats with the family and lives next door. (A fantastic Son Seok-ko as an inscrutable stranger, as well as Lee Min-ki, Kim Ji-won and Lee-El as very different siblings, are presenting the range of everyday emotional worlds in a wonderfully haunting way.) All four wrestle with life in their very own manner and question, what freedom and quality of life could mean to them under the given circumstances. Promotion? Money? Success? A car? A partner? Marriage? Family? Living in an apartment in Seoul? Where is life? Is this life?
Eventually the aspect of reverence also comes to the fore: To respect and be respected. To be worshipped. To be adored... Yet how to express mutual adoration and respect (in order for your own life to feel maybe a bit more valuable)? ... Maybe just give it more space. That would be great...
The episodes pass as does life itself. The days are the same, and yet each one is new and different from the one before. Happiness is accumulated by the minute. And in the end, life is beautiful after all. Worth living. Distinctive. The quality increases with the degree of truthfulness that they give to their lives. And that's indeed a progressive message (as far as a society like the South Korean with its highly valued tradition of scham and pretence is concerned.)
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