My Liberation Notes Review: A Masterpiece Of A Drama, Do Not Miss It

“My Liberation Notes” is built around the premise of three siblings living in the rural region traveling hours to make it to the city while finding meaning in their difficult life. The title of the drama perfectly encapsulates the feeling of the characters who want “liberation” in life. Liberation from what? Well, that is what the show is about.

Exhibiting the banalities of everyday life, this drama is a perfect specimen of expert writing, adept direction, and exceptional acting. Every episode brings you closer to the characters so much that by the end of it, they come to feel almost like friends.

I, along with millions of viewers, loved this show in its entirety. I don’t have a single complaint about it because it is that close to perfect for me. I have lots of thoughts to share about “My Liberation Notes” so please be patient as I try my best to put down a coherent account of the gamut of emotions swirling in my heart.  

My Liberation Notes (2022) (16 Episodes)

In Sanpo Village, live the three Yeom siblings with their parents. Ki Jeong (Lee El), the eldest daughter, is frustrated about not having a love life. Chang Hee (Lee Min Ki), the middle child and the only son in his family, is frustrated about not being able to hold a relationship for long. Mi Jeong (Kim Ji Won), the youngest demure daughter, is frustrated with trying to act happy when she doesn’t feel it from within.

The three siblings wish to escape their difficult rural life by shifting to Seoul but are unable to do so. A mysterious stranger offering nothing more than the surname ‘Gu’ (Son Seok Koo) joins the father of the three siblings in his sinks business. He is an alcoholic who does not mingle with anyone in the village. His aloof nature draws the introverted Mi Jeong to him and she asks him to ‘worship her’ paying no heed to his past history.

I enjoyed watching ‘My Liberation Notes’ because…

…I felt entranced by the impeccable performances of the cast.

The show starts with Mi Jeong at an after-work gathering with her colleagues. Everyone is having fun but Mi Jeong is constantly peeking into her phone because she has to get home to Sanpo, which is a village located on the outskirts of the city.

Since her sister and brother too are late that day, they take a cab home which is economical only when they can divide the fare in three. For a lone person, a cab from Seoul to Sanpo is too expensive. Their father, Yeom Je Ho (Chun Ho Jin) runs a business of sinks and also does farming with his wife Kwak Hye Sook (Lee Kyung Sung)

This gives you the backdrop of the show i.e. three young siblings losing out on social life because of their daily tiring commute to work and back home. They feel drained and frustrated but are helpless.

First, let’s understand the family dynamics.

The head of the family, Je Ho has a withdrawn personality. He is devoted to his work and barely spares time for anything else. He is also quite timid and not one to get into an argument easily. He is content living the simple and hard village life and has no ambition to change it. At least not for himself.

His wife Kwak Hye Sook is the complete opposite as she makes up for his reticent nature by cribbing and scolding most of the time. She feels exhausted by the taxing work but can’t speak much to her husband about it as he won’t do anything anyway.

Of the three children, the youngest daughter Mi Jeong takes after her father. She is meek and docile. She never raises her voice even when angry. She hates small talk and keeps to herself most of the time.

Actress Kim Ji Won did an amazing job as the quiet and disinterested Mi Jeong. Mi Jeong goes about her daily chores like an automated robot and seldom voices her discomfort about anything at all.

At work, she is harassed by her superior who takes joy in unnecessarily criticizing her work and belittling her all the time. She suffers the bullying in silence and never once speaks against it. Her colleagues feel bad for her but she never bad-mouths her superior.

The reticent Mi Jeong keeps her thoughts to herself and tries to be inconspicuous most of the time. She is able to speak her mind only when she is with Mr. Gu. With him, she is her uninhibited self and is not afraid of being judged by him. The bond she shares with him is unlike any other relationship she has or has had in the past.   

Kim Ji Won is a versatile actress who can slip into her characters’ skin comfortably no matter how different it is from her actual nature. Mi Jeong is all about subtle expressions that Ji Won nails effortlessly.

<<Spoiler>> In episode 15, one of Mi Jeong’s colleagues asks her if she knows who the one having an affair with her superior. Without a word, Mi Jeong gives the girl a cold stare and she gets her answer. Ah! Ji Won looks so fierce in that scene I went back to it multiple times. I even tried imitating her in my mirror. 😀 <<Spoiler>>   

Mi Jeong’s older siblings, sister Ki Jung and brother Chang Hee take after their mother as they are extremely talkative. When in the company of their friend they can rant endlessly. Another trait common between them is low self-confidence.

Ki Jeong is getting older and is growing more and more conscious of her looks. She wants to have a romantic relationship but is often hesitant to make the first move. She fears being left alone and is tired of being single.

It must’ve been a real task for the makeup team to tone down actress Lee El’s beauty because she is really gorgeous. She transformed into the whiner Ki Jeong so naturally that you feel she must be the same in real too.

I loved how Lee El can look brave and vulnerable at the same time. Ki Jeong acts tough most of the time but she actually feels easily intimidated. Perhaps it has something to do with the fact that she lacks backing in life. Lee El perfectly captures Ki Jeong’s inner turmoil and makes you feel for her.

Chang Hee’s battle with low self-esteem keeps him from having a long-term relationship. Even though he desires a relationship, his low income keeps him from taking the plunge. He also dreams of leading a luxurious life but his lack of direction and ambition holds him from expanding his horizons.

Chang Hee is a character that talks a lot but never about his insecurities or the problems that actually bother him. His life is full of disappointments. He tries his best to get out of his frustrating job and do something exceptional but each time he tries his plans go awry as nothing works in his favor.

His failures bog him down and he feels trapped alone in a miserable life. He is afraid of having a committed relationship as he does not want to disappoint anyone anymore.   

Actor Lee Min Ki gives a remarkable performance as the perpetually dejected Chang Hee. Like his sister, Chang Hee also rants endlessly and Lee Min Ki does it with such passion that his frustration feels palpable.

Of all the characters, Chang Hee is the most complicated to understand because he does not openly express his innermost feelings but through the course of the show, he shows maximum character development.  

Lastly, we have the mysterious Mr. Gu. Recently shifted to Sanpo, Mr. Gu assists Je Ho in his business of sinks and also in his farm work. Mi Jeong and her family wish to know more about Mr. Gu and the reason that made him shift to a dull place like Sanpo where people leave to never return. But Mr. Gu is not talkative. He does his work well and then spends his evenings drinking all by himself. He creates no problem for anyone to feel suspicious of him.

This is my first time watching actor Son Seok Koo and I was completely in awe of him. Mr. Gu is a taciturn and abrupt man who speaks more through his cold body language and a straight face. Son Seok Koo did a spectacular job of infusing intrigue in a complicated character like Mr. Gu.

There are so many instances where Chang Hee or others try to engage Mr. Gu in a conversation but one blank stare from him is enough to quash any expectations of a friendly chat with him.  

The writer expertly weaves the lives of these characters together while imparting riveting individual story arcs unique to their personalities. The drama is so well-written that there is no way to guess anything that happens in it. Even the ending that seems to go in a particular direction, changes tracks and surprises you with the final conclusion.

Here are some mildly spoilery examples of how the show is different from any other you have watched before.

<<Spoiler>> Mr. Gu is not your conventional drama hero. He is an alcoholic living an anonymous life in a village working for a local business. Mi Jeong is tired of dating pathetic men so she chooses an alcoholic like Mr. Gu to date. She says she wants to feel ‘whole’ so she demands he worship her instead of being loyal to his drinking habit. In short, she wants him to replace alcohol with her.

What girl in the right mind would like to date an alcoholic who seems to have a shady past? Since Mr. Gu does not talk about his personal life, everyone suspects the worst. From criminal to a failed athlete. Mr. Gu could be anything and still, Mi Jeong decides to date him.

When Mi Jeong and Mr. Gu start dating, their relationship is not at all rosy or regular. Nothing they do as a couple is common. They eat together in silence, they sit away from each other at cafes just for the sake of keeping one another company, they do not walk together as one of them is always walking a step behind, they do not gift each other, they do not have long phone conversations, and they hardly even touch each other.   

They are like no other couple but still, their love is evident and heart-melting even if they are separated by distance.

When Mr. Gu learns that Mi Jeong’s ex-boyfriend owes her money he offers to get it back for her. Mi Jeong loses her temper at his proposal. She wants him to respect her and not treat her like a little child who made a mistake. Mr. Gu also does not pester her anymore. He has the capacity and resources to track down her boyfriend and solve her money problem. But he doesn’t do it because he is not your regular drama hero intervening in other’s life.

Coming to Ki Jeong’s story. She will be turning 40 soon and is looking for love desperately. She does not suddenly meet a younger handsome guy who falls head over heels for her. Instead, she happens to have an embarrassing first meeting with Jo Tae Hoon who is a single dad, and her love interest. We see that Ki Jeong has been so picky her whole life that she missed out on having a relationship.

So, at this juncture of life, she does not mind accepting a single dad and his child. She sees the goodness in him and accepts him the way he is which is something she wouldn’t have done a few years ago. She clearly changed with time and became a more adjusting and accommodating person.

But that does not mean she has a rosy lovey-dovey affair. Tae Hoon is not someone to coddle her so nothing much changes for Ki Jeong after she starts seeing him. Also, he lives not just with his daughter but also with his two unmarried sisters who look after his daughter. He has responsibilities because of which Ki Jeong comes last on his priority list. Ki Jeong’s love story is full of challenges and close to impossible considering how Tae Hoon’s family dislikes her.

Yeom Chang Hee’s love life is not clear and sorted either. He maintains long-term relationships but breakups just when it gets serious enough to take it to the next level. He tries hard to do something different in life and does not miraculously become rich suddenly. His story is the most relatable as his struggles are true and common.

Being the only boy in the family, Chang Hee feels the need for an elder brother. When he gets closer to Mr. Gu he finds the brother he never had and clings to him with his life. When Mr. Gu leaves him and goes away, he misses him bitterly and visits the parking lot where Mr. Gu had given him his car to drive.

As a character, Chang Hee did not have to exude verisimilitude with extra character complexities and struggles. His character was so brilliantly written that he was real as real could be and that is why he is so likeable.<<Spoiler>>

I have no words to describe the writing, which was evident in the assiduous application of a very simple question: What do the characters need to be liberated of?

Mi Jeong despises interacting with people hence she does not participate in any office group activities. To escape constant reminders to join an activity group, she forms a group with other introverted people like her who need to be liberated from the requirement of mingling with people. Together they talk about things that bother them without the fear of being judged. Therefore the title “My Liberation Notes”.

 

But ‘liberation’ in this show is not limited only to Mi Jeong or her family, it extends to every single character on the show. How is that? Watch it to know. 🙂

I did NOT LIKE ‘My Liberation Notes’ because…

 

“My Liberation Notes” expertly entices viewers with a peek into the mundane life of a regular family with no extraordinary scenarios but not without the promise of an immersing experience with characters who will move your heart with their sincere approach to life.

It is a magnificent drama with engaging storylines, spectacular performances, and a soul that shines through it all.

I give “My Liberation Notes” 4.5 out of 5 rating. This drama is a ‘liberation’ from conventional shows and a revelation of exceptional writing. It is meant for viewers who like deep and thought-provoking shows.

 

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