Meu Diário para a Liberdade (2022)

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] - kdrama

I 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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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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Mixed feelings

I have mixed feelings for this drama. The beginning was good- I binge watched the first couple of episodes. The daily life between city and countryside was realistic and as someone who also has to commute (though I live in a city) and who is just like the FL an introvert I could relate to many things.

But around the 11th epsiode I started to skip many scenes, especially related to the siblings. The (poetic) dialogues got heavier, seemed to be forced, the order of the scenes didn't seem coherent and it was hard to follow. Also I couldn't stand the toxic behaviour of some characters. I made me mad how the brother treated his chummy friend. It was also such a disappointment that we didn't get more romantic scenes between FL and ML. I was rooting so much for them and when they finally kissed the camera immediately zoomed out. It was a huge let down... therefore the rating in Netflix doesn't make any sense (in my country it is from age 16, same like squid game).

Also the huge alcohol abuse was irritating. They were basically drinking all the time and even if you are just drinking daily an after work pint you can be considered as an alcoholic. There wasn't a big difference between Mr Gu and them. I know alcohol is rooted into Korean culture but it was shocking that the consequences of alcohol consumption were so much played down and not carefully painted.

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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!

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what mln taught me

Loved everything about this drama, from the simplicity to the soothing aesthetics. From witnessing them to their desire to be liberated to actually witnessing their liberation. Loved how they potrayed their characters effortlessly and flawlessly. The chemistry between each of them was incredible to watch. It's a must watch. 10/10
Chang hee, possibly my favourite character in the drama, was the figure with whom I was most closely associated. The fact that this drama was so realistic, with characters that shared our desires and found delight in small ways. I liked how in the final episode, instead of venting like he had throughout the drama, he gulped down. Chang hee was never one to blame fate for anything, but accepting it and moving on from it meant the world to me. In the end, I really wanted him to meet Mr Gu. He had the best character growth. Moving on to Mr Gu and Yeom Mi Jeong, they won hands down for making me feel as if I was there with them at the time. I'm at a loss for words to express how much comfort they gave me. Only by watching the drama will you be capable of understanding this. They are, without a doubt, the most interesting aspect of the story. They were both liberated together, and even when they were at their lowest, they found solace in one other. Mi Jeong's decision to settle for less was disappointing, but she genuinely loved tae hun. Would have been much better if Tae hun had proposed to her or given her reassurance, but she was still the most powerful person there.

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Liberating from things that hold you back takes time

Watching this to get over 2521 and almost dropped it after the 4th episode but finding myself to look forward to it, so I continue. It's just so refreshing to see nothing grand happens in the first few episodes, just ordinary people living their ordinary lifes. Yet, those actions and words they speak hold so much meaning. The three siblings who wish to break free from the monotonous lifes and an alcoholic who seems to never be sober. Along the journey, they find and face their own issues to be liberated from them and live happier lifes. I am so proud of them to never give up and continue their lifes although it's not a smooth journey and lifes seem to always work not in the way they want, but they still find hope and meaning in small things. It makes you think about your life too, what are things you want to be liberates from. Storyline, actings, cinematography and chemistry are definitely top tier. As for the ending, I don't hate it, just feeling neutral. At least they are now off to the better places, still having hope and continue to be liberated.

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So sad, yet so comforting.

A story where it revolves around three characters. Same family but different struggles.

I love how all characters are flawed, have a personality you won't like, and hard to love and understand. How can a drama make me feel so empty yet so full?

The relationships between their parents, partners, friends, and even with their jobs are so relatable. The bond of each actors and actresses are so natural. You can feel their emotions even the quiet and dull characters, how they differently face each problems and how they speak their feelings.

Last, I love the ending. It's rare to find a korean drama where the ending is not rushed. They made sure that all 3 main characters had their moment at the end, super loved it!

I give it a 10/10. This is such a good drama, makes me appreciate the people around me and living more.

(Loved Lee El and Lee Ki Woo so much in this drama!)

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Storie di vita

My liberation notes (tradotta su netflix ne “il diario della mia libertà”) appartiene a una tipologia di serie del genere slice of life, ossia entra ad osservare i personaggi in uno specifico tempo della loro vita per poi uscirne all’improvviso lasciandoti quella sensazione di malinconia che si ha quando finisci un bel libro che vorresti continuasse ancora.
La storia è molto semplice (senza nessuno spoiler perché la bellezza di scoprire lentamente il carattere dei personaggi è impagabile), è la storia di tre fratelli che vivono nella periferia rurale di Seul e sono costretti tutti i giorni ad un viaggio sfiancante da pendolari, alle prese con le proprie disillusioni e le proprie fobie, i problemi sul lavoro, la vita sentimentale, la vita in famiglia, perchè, in fondo, la vita non va mai come si vorrebbe.
L’ arrivo di un personaggio misterioso e silente nel paesino influenzerà loro vite.
Ė una serie malinconica nonostante la maggior parte degli eventi si svolgano durante una caldissima estate, una serie che si prende i suoi tempi, nella quale i silenzi, a volte, contano molto più delle parole.
Una serie che mi sento assolutamente di consigliare.

Voto 10

«Cinque minuti al giorno. Se hai cinque minuti di pace, la vita è sopportabile. Cerco di raccogliere momenti di euforia in parti da quattro a dieci secondi per coprire quei cinque minuti.
Riempio cinque minuti al giorno così.
È così che sopravvivo».

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