My Liberation Notes
Starring: Kim Ji Won, Lee Min Ki, Son Seok Koo, Lee El
Year Released: 2022
Number of Episodes: 16
Genre: Drama, Life, Melodrama, Romance
Country: South Korea
Where I Watched It: Netflix
Recommended By: N/A
Who I Watched It For: Kim Ji Won
Set in Sanpo Village where more people leave than remain, the three Yeom siblings, Chang Hee, Mi Jung, and Ki Jung, wish to escape from a life rife with uncertainty.
A mysterious man, Mr. Goo, moves into their neighborhood. He is a drunkard with the look of someone with many burdens and secrets. His cautious personality and preference for keeping to himself make him the subject of gossip. Mi Jung, the youngest and most timid Yeom sibling, decides to approach him.
I’m not sure why I wanted to watch this show, other than I’m a big fan of Kim Ji Won, but I’m so so glad that I did. The show moved at such a slow pace and while normally, I would have lost interest in the show, that wasn’t the case with this show at all. This story benefitted from the slow pacing. There were times when it moved a smidge too slow for my liking but after all was said and done, I could see why it was done that way. The show follows three siblings as they live their lives. They’re all unhappy and trying their best to stay afloat and you could see them all splintering bit by bit.
The oldest sister is unhappy with her dating life, with her home life, and she’s chasing happiness with every fiber of her being. She keeps striking out and the chinks in her armor are cracking but she keeps getting up every day, ready to tackle the next bullshit that comes her way. There were quite a few times when I wanted to smack some sense into her but the more you get to know her, the more that you feel for her because no matter how bad things got for her, she just kept getting back up to face things head on and I admired her for that. I enjoyed her storyline and thought her romance was the right kind of slow burn kind. It worked for me. I loved seeing her really come into her own and made me realize that you’re never too old learn and grow.
The brother was going through his own shit and seeing him trying to find his own happiness and watching him come to the realizations that he did over the course of this show was interesting. I really enjoyed his character and though there were times I wanted to strangle his ass too, I never hated him. I was rooting for him from beginning to end and seeing him struggle to live the kind of life he wanted, with his parents blessings and seeing him with his friends endeared him to me. I was definitely satisfied with the way that his story wrapped up.
The younger sister, that was my dawg. My spirit sister. I connected with her character the most and I rooted for her the loudest. She was struggling through her own issues, her own choices, and on the outside, she looked fine but on the inside, my girl was a hot mess. She was a giant ball of emotions and she got up every day and did her part in helping her family while trying to figure out her life. The romance that blossomed between her and the guy that worked for her dad was different from what I’m used to but it was seriously compelling. I loved that she was able to find peace and that she was able to give him some peace in return. Seeing him drink himself to death was hard but it made me very curious to know his story. To know why he was so hellbent on destroying himself.
Overall, this drama packed a serious punch. The slow storytelling worked at making me come to love each and every single character. It wasn’t easy to watch it, that’s for sure, but sticking with it totally paid off because I wanted each of these characters to find the peace they so desperately wanted and needed. There were times when I had to step away from the show but I knew that I would always come back and the peace I felt when it all wrapped up let me know that I really enjoyed this show. I definitely recommend this one if you’re looking for a solid story about family, about life, and about finding your peace.
Final Rating
4.5 out of 5
