My Liberation Notes is a slice of life drama about 3 siblings, oldest sister Yeom Kijeong (Lee El), middle child Yeom Changhee (Lee Minki) and youngest child Yeom Mijeong (Kim Jiwon), who live in Sanpo, and a stranger, Mr Gu (Son Sukku), who recently enters their small town.
So this was one of the shows that was completely not on my radar until the strong reviews from online communities and my dad haha. I started it while on my plane to NY and watched 3 eps at once, captivated immediately by Mijeong's character, who was so quiet yet had so many thoughts running through her head. Classic introvert. Her burgeoning relationship with Mr Gu due to her personal financial woes caused by a dumb decision to take out a loan to lend an ex-bf was super fun to watch, and I really loved her massive growth over the show. This is my first Kim Jiwon show (yes I'm one of the like 5 kdrama fans who did not watched Descendants of the Sun) and I really liked her in this role so will definitely be checking out more of her future works. I also loved the whole concept of the Liberation Club, cos to be honest, I think everyone feels trapped in some way or another.
Son Sukku was the breakout star of this show as the enigmatic Mr Gu. I've seen him as the Director in Be Melodramatic (awesome pairing with Jeon Yeobeen), so I always knew he was super charming, but this show really made him extra charming with the way Mr Gu was written and directed. So few words such that every word feels meaningful, and his acts of services and gazes that would make anyone melt. No wonder Korea had Gu-ssi syndrome.
Lee Minki as Yeom Changhee was a vastly different character from his previous robot-like characters, and I think this really displayed his range. I have to admit Changhee wasn't my favourite character cos he talked incessantly, and seriously, who drives someone else's Rolls Royce around and gets a scratch on it? But he clearly showed so much character growth and self-awareness over the show that he was the glue of the family during their most difficult period. One of my favourite scenes in the show was the scene with Yeom dad after he quit his job and he said he has never been an embarrassment and all he wanted was a word of "you've worked hard."
Also great seeing Lee El playing a bigger character here as older sister Lee Kijeong, who has a habit of gossiping about people at the most inappropriate places and coming up with weird schemes (the post-confession accident LOL), which made for many hilarious and embarrassing situations. However, I didn't quite know what to think of her relationship with Taehun (Lee Kiwoo). They always looked a little awkward and formal to me and I didn't quite buy it, but I did like that the show explored how it was like dating a man with a child, such as not being able to spend holidays together. The older sister was also like...insane, and Taehun should have taken a stronger stand against her.
The standout of the show was really the writing. By the writer of Another Oh Hae Young and My Mister, honestly expected nothing less than a show full of wisdom and introspections, which this show delivered spades of. I have to admit it could get a bit much though, and I preferred the more balanced approach in the earlier two shows.
I liked the directing, especially certain parts like the change in seasons. Also, the whole countryside is just so pretty. Surprisingly, the OST which just didn't make an impression on me (I was definitely comparing to My Mister, which had outstanding songs). But I don't think it was a huge thing that detracted from the show.
Overall, as a lover of slice-of-life, introspective shows, I really enjoyed it and thought it was a breath of fresh air with the characters which were so different from what we normally see. It's not the kind of show I would binge, but rather savour and reflect on my own life as I accompany the characters on their journey of growth.
