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………Esta resenha foi útil para você?
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.
Esta resenha foi útil para você?
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
Esta resenha foi útil para você?
Started of strong but went down hill
The first half was engaging and calming even though extremely slow, you might have to push yourself to complete the series.The second half is quiet disappointing for me tbh specially the ending it felt like they themself don't know what they should conclude so just left it like that.....Personally I loved the actors as they have done a phenomenal job even the bgm is soothing....But I don't know what to feel as after competing it
I will not watch it again for sure...Give it a try if you want to feel the silence..Lol
I wish they had done a better job with the ending it truly disappointed me
Esta resenha foi útil para você?
Happiness?
This drama made me look at happiness in a whole way. I loved each siblings unique perspective on their situation and how they interated with the people around them. Figuring out Mr Gu was quite fun (it helps that he has this mysterious sexiness).It's interesting to think about how much we fake or hide our emotions. We all need to be liberated from something, but we might be to scared to admit it.
The romantic in me is a little dissatisfied with the ending. My wish or interpretation might be completely off. I like a solid or blunt ending.
Esta resenha foi útil para você?
Good Enough
Korean Drama " My Liberation Notes " is a slice of life melodrama.My main problem with it is the pace. It felt off and the presentation of the story didn't suit well for me, as it was not cohesive.
Other than that, the story is pretty intense, with tragic characters, meaningful moments, simple, and yet, powerful scenes.
The romance, moreover, was original and didn't overshadow the main point of the drama. Rather, it let the characters shine and live their burdersome lives.
The performances, finally, were all great by everyone in the cast.
So, overall, seven out of ten.
Esta resenha foi útil para você?
High quality, heavy load
Has this drama high quality? Absolutely yes.Was acting good? Perfectly. I can give 100 out of 10 to everyone (idk why but maybe except Lee Min Ki)
Was the story interesting and unusual? YES!
Were the dialogues meaningful and thought-provoking? Definitely.
Did I enjoy watching this drama? No. A big no.
Did I finish it no matter what? Yes.
It was a heavy load on my shoulders which I am still feeling. Wasnt enjoyable for me at all except few scenes. Why? Cuz it was so relatable for me. Relatable much as giving pain to me. Some fears mentioned were my own fears that I am afraid to mention. Some frustrations were my own frustrations that I can't find any way out. Some weariness was my own weariness that I am struggling with for many years. This drama didn't do any good to me. At the beginning of the drama, we were all sad. All characters and me. And at the end, at least some of them are happy compared to the beginning, I am still sad. Nor their sadness neither their happiness made me happy.
I can see that why many people like this drama that much. It is in a different league compared to most of the dramas. But I prefer dramas with lower quality and higher pleasing level.
According to me who can enjoy this drama most? Adults who are satisfied with their lifes. They might have problems in their past, but now they should be happy about their life in general. I think for younger people like teenagers, it can be a boring drama with 'pessimistic adults', it can be seen as "unrealistically plaintive" even if it is totally real. And I think for the adults like me, adults who have big problems, who have big disappointments, who have to deal with things that they've never thought they are gonna deal with before, this drama is heavy load. I am happy to finish this drama finally. I would never start it at the beginning if i've known it is something like this.
Esta resenha foi útil para você?
Coup de cœur pour ce voyage initiatique rare
J'irai à l'essentiel sur cette critique, les précédentes déjà publiées sont excellentes. Cependant, je ne pouvais pas ignorer ce drama.Cela fait deux coups de cœur à la suite. "Run On" et maintenant "My Liberation Notes". Deux dramas qui, sur le papier, ne semblent rien avoir en commun, et pourtant. C'est l'histoire d'une vie (ou plusieurs) qui est à un moment de son existence où les choses bougent et changent. Ce point, ils l'ont en commun, quant au reste...
"My Liberation Notes" est volontairement lent. Sa lenteur vient accentuer le quotidien morose des personnages et de leurs situations. Que ce soit par le fait de prendre le bus et le train matin et soir, ou de répéter les mêmes gestes au travail. Cette répétitivité nous immerge plus en profondeur dans leur quotidien. On se sent, au fil des épisodes, appartenir à cette famille et on s'attache profondément à eux. On sourit, on rit et on pleure.
Tout au long du drama, on voit une analyse personnelle et une introspection qui demande du temps, mais est nécessaire pour l'avancement dans leurs vies respectives. A aucun moment la série n'apporte un jugement sur tels ou tels choix. C'est intime, réel et franc. On ne facilite pas la vie des personnages, au contraire ! Ce n'est pas le but.
D'ailleurs, chacun affronte ses démons à sa manière. Mais cela n'est jamais abordé comme un problème, en revanche, on ressent cet étouffement de la part des autres. C'était comme si nous devions vivre "cette" vie. Parce qu'elle est acceptable et parce qu'il s'agit de la "bonne" chose à faire.
Le casting était écrasant de puissance. La réalisation était magnifique, tout comme les prises de vues. Pour être née et avoir grandi à la campagne, j'ai aimé cette plongée et cette alternance entre Sanpo et Seoul. La vie traditionnelle qui se confronte à la vie moderne.
Cependant, tout le monde n'appréciera pas. Certains pourront reprocher un manque d'action ou une absence scénaristique, pourtant, son réalisme en fait un drama aussi unique que "Run On" à mes yeux.
En bref, c'est un drama franc et honnête. Un aperçu de la vie réelle sans superficialité. Une quête de liberté comme peu d’autres.
Esta resenha foi útil para você?
Les prisons intérieures sont les pires...
J’ai beaucoup aimé, comme le plus souvent ce que j’appelle (avec humour !) les dramas dépressifs, mon étalon de mesure étant l’excellentissime « My mister ».My liberation notes souffre un peu, à mes yeux, d’une difficulté de départ à mettre les choses en place, particulièrement concernant la fille aînée dont j’ai eu un peu de mal à comprendre les motivations ! Il est clair que leur vie, à chacun des trois, ne leur convient pas, et qu’ils cherchent chacun à leur façon comment se sortir de ce marasme qui est plus dans leur tête que dans la réalité quotidienne. Il va se passer quelques évènements qui vont cristalliser ce désir de se libérer de ces chaînes invisibles !
L’obstination de l’entreprise où travaille Yom Mi Jong, à vouloir lui faire intégrer un club, matérialise ce pouvoir extérieur écrasant ! La rencontre des deux seuls autres personnes dans son cas sera le départ d’une démarche de libération ! En passant, si les entreprises coréennes sont réellement comme ça, obligeant leurs employés à pratiquer un hobby en dehors du travail, mais dans le cadre de clubs gérés par l’entreprise, c’est tout simplement horrible ! Et ce qui l’est plus encore c’est que tout le monde l’accepte comme la normalité, tout le monde, non… sauf trois irréductibles !
Le fil rouge de l’histoire est la relation qui va s’instaurer entre M.Gu et Mi Jeong, relation très différente des romances dramaesques habituelles, et au travers de laquelle on va découvrir qui est réellement cet homme mystérieux !
Comme toujours on entrevoit le rôle de la famille, des parents, ou des fratries, souvent tyranniques, mais parfois aussi généreuses et ouvertes (la mère de la famille Yeom…) Le caractère original de la sœur aînée donne lieu à des situations à la fois cocasses et touchantes par leur maladresse… Le fils, son ambition est d’avoir une voiture, et sa joie délirante quand on lui en prête une, luxueuse, et encore une fois très drôle et aussi émouvante !
Il faut se laisser prendre par l’ambiance, l’atmosphère du drama, à la fois banale et très spéciale par les personnages très intelligemment écrits qui, dans des situations triviales ont des réactions personnelles particulières et fortes.
Le drama est soutenu donc par son écriture, sa réalisation classique mais intelligente et précise, mais surtout par un casting génial !
J’ai adoré voir Lee Min Ki oublier le héros romantique pour un très beau personnage à contre-emploi, dans lequel il donne toute la mesure de son grand talent ! Celui qui soutient aussi tout le drama, c’est sans conteste Son Suk Ku (M.Gu) qui joue magnifiquement de son mystère et de l’ambiguïté de ce héros souvent négatif, mais fascinant, et dont l’impact sur chacun sera déterminant !
Kim Ji Won lui donne parfaitement la réplique et sait, elle aussi, nous faire ressentir ses doutes, ses interrogations et sa recherche d’une liberté intérieure.
Le reste la distribution est à l’avenant : Lee El, la sœur aînée dont parfois on se dit qu’elle est un peu fêlée, le père, Cheon Ho Jin, qui ne dit pas plus de 10 phrases mais dont la présence soutenue par sa longue expérience est puissante, les amis du fils, les collègues de travail, et particulièrement Li Ki Woo, que je n’avais croisé que dans des personnages fort antipathiques, incarne ici un père veuf aux prises avec une ado en pleine période de puberté avec beaucoup de délicatesse et de finesse.
Je ne peux pas dire grand chose de l’OST, ce qui signifie que pour moi elle est parfaite du moment que je ne m’en souviens pas !
La fin ? Ouverte et sans une once de guimauve ou de fleur bleue, il n’y a ni résilience miraculeuse ni rédemption mélodramatique, mais la sensation que tous ont enfin trouvé leur place !
Je conseille fortement ce drama, à ranger dans la catégorie des « Misaeng », « My mister », « the third charm » ou « Reply 88 » !
Esta resenha foi útil para você?
Esta resenha pode conter spoilers
Must watch drama
There are things in this drama that could have been different but I still give it a 10. It is a drama that really touched my heart and I could relate to the main character, it is a beautiful drama.To be honest the first episode bored me but I'm glad I gave it a second chance, the plot is simple but I couldn't stop watching it.
The last episodes were very sad but I liked how the characters dealt with it. I'm really going to miss this drama. In the future I am sure that I will see it again, now it has a deep meaning for me.
Obviously there were things that I didn't like like, for example, that Gu didn't overcome his alcoholism problem, I would really have liked his character to change like the others.
I really have to say its not a drama for everyone.
Esta resenha foi útil para você?
Missing my Worship couple and Yeom Siblings <3
I will not pretend I'm happy.I will not pretend to be unhappy.
I will be honest.
I hoped every man who ever left me would be unhappy.
As if I wanted all the people who saw how small I was to disappear from this world, I hoped they die.
For you, I'm going to hope that you never even catch cold.
I'm going to hope that you don't suffer a single day of being hungover.
- Mi Jung to Mr. Gu
I love, love this drama! When I saw the trailer and found out that Lee Min Ki, Kim Ji Won and Lee El will be there, I was excited. So I was bidding my time to watch it, as I want to binge watch it or have it at 14 episodes, but then Gong Yoo recommended it and it added to more excitement. So I decided to watch it and there's no return. I discover this wonderful and amazing actor: Son Sukku and his amazing interpretation of Mr. Gu. I love the problematic siblings and the worship couple. How rich, raw, realistic, believable, and just relatable characters they're playing. The cinematography, OST, rich dialogues, some funny antics, their struggles, and concerns in life were all surprisingly relatable! I can easily imagine myself experiencing and relate with their concerns, frustrations, doubts, fears and struggles in life. Funny how, whenever I see the worship couple, even though they lack skinship, and yet they make me giddy, excited and have butterflies in my stomach. I already prepared myself to cry like there's no tomorrow, when I watched the last episode. As I feel like Mr. Gu will end up dead, or already dead and that it's Mi Jeong's memory that were reminiscing. It's a good thing that I was wrong and that the ending is imperfectly imperfect for me. They were all liberated with all their concerns, frustrations, fears and doubts in life.
Esta resenha foi útil para você?
If you keep leaving will you continue living?
You never hated your hometown, but you also never had any special attachment to it. You've always wanted to be somewhere else. You wanted to leave. There's this suffocating feeling with the realization that you will keep growing or existing in the same place where you were born. It's like being seventeen and still wearing the same shoes you were wearing when you were seven.If you keep leaving will you continue living? As if the only way you can keep surviving is if you keep changing. You kept changing, but you never evolved. The desire for leaving turned into a fascination for death. Suddenly, from being an innocent child drowning in ambitions and hope, you're an angsty, jaded pubescent. You changed your mind a million times each day. You were convinced you stopped growing a long time ago and you're just growing old now. Foolish. You were not precocious, you were just mentally ill.
You were young and your brutal, or perhaps innocent, honesty never concerned itself with the consequences. You grew a little older and you suddenly don't want to talk anymore. You buried your honesty to die. Silent, passive, and stuttering. You felt everything and you felt nothing. Your thoughts ran rapidly, but they never made sense.
Helpless. Incapable. The days are dull and unchanging. You wanted to be liberated from all of these. You wanted death, but you also envy the future. The darkness was exhausting, but it was obscurity that gave you home. Then, it occurred to you once again. You don't need a home. You were not supposed to be attached to places. You have to keep leaving in order to continue living. You realized that you might not have a strong attachment with your hometown, but it is a place that will always bring you comfort. Indeed, it is a comfortable home, but you also have to grow, discover, and learn.
Time has passed. You are uncertain how long has it been, but you are certain how much you wanted to live now. Death is only a reality to you now, not a desire nor a fascination. You no longer envy the future, but you hope and strive for it. The childhood that you have forgotten, you don't try to recall it anymore, but you are living it. Just like the innocent assertiveness of a child, you are convinced that you are capable of being everything. You laugh more these days. You have joy and immeasurable dreams. You have faith in spite of all the uncertainties.
Are you liberated? Perhaps, not completely. Perhaps, you are just Mr. Gu, who has decided today to throw away his bottle of liquor instead of drinking it; who has given himself and others the chance to receive mercy instead of constant rough punishment. You might just be Mi-jeong who has chosen grace instead of hostility, who has finally understood now her own capability. You are Gi-jeong who has more love now than judgement; she never hid her honesty, but she speaks more of life now than mere brutality.
Or you are just Chang-hee. He was not able to acquire the riches and power he wanted, but he was enriched with the wisdom of life. He did not have to climb a thousand won mountain, the mountain he was searching for was inside him already. It was somewhat ridiculous that his life was continuously fulfilled by the deaths that he encountered. Through the leaving of others, he lived a meaningful epiphany.
Trudging on step-by-step; five seconds, seven seconds, until at least, five minutes of joy each day. Liberation is not solely a one process. Though, surely, we will entirely grasp it one day.
Esta resenha foi útil para você?
