Offering a deeper meaning to dull life, My Liberation Notes begins with an empathetic story.
Living far from the city has its advantages and disadvantages. Introduced to the individual lives of the three siblings, My Liberation Notes voices out how one’s living environment affects a person’s outlook in life. As it is tied closely to reality, the series brings out realizations and reflections of how mundane life can be.
Opening Week Rating:
Marcie Line watches My Liberation Notes on Netflix
Episode Recaps: 01 & 02 | 03 | 04 | 05 | 06 | 07 | 08 | 09 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | Finale + Review
My Liberation Notes Opening Week Story
“Fate is nothing more than a person’s outlook on life.”
Forced to join a club in her company, Yeom Mi-jeong tries on playing with the bowling club, but also leaves early to meet her older sister, Yeom Gi-jeong.
Carelessly talking about men who are divorced and have a child, Gi-jeong along with her sister and friends leaves the restaurant. Standing up to leave, Mi-jeong recognizes the man to be someone who works at the same company.
Ready to go home together, Gi-jeong calls Yeom Chang-hee. However, he is in the middle of breaking up with his girlfriend who has been texting another man. Ending their relationship, Chang-hee gets called old-fashioned.
Tasked to work on the fields the following day, Gi-jeong chooses to go to a hair salon. Chang-hee opens up to their father about buying a car, presenting its benefits for them, who work in Seoul. Receiving it negatively, their father reminds Chang-hee of what happened the last time he bought a car.
Dissatisfied with her curls, Gi-jeong tries to undo it by washing it in her home, which their mother finds a waste of money.
Drinking while thinking about what has been said to her, Gi-jeong says that a person’s outlook in life can only be positive if they have something, such as money or a man.
“No matter where I lived, I think I would have been the same. Regardless of where I lived, my life would have been just like this.”
In a cafe in their hometown, Chang-hee and his friend talk about their failed relationships and dating experiences, blaming it on living in Sanpo. However, Mi-jeong is convinced that nothing will change even if they move away from where they live.
Turning down again the offer to hang out after work because of the distance from her home, Mi-jeong writes to someone she does not know, finding strength in making her life more bearable.
Eating together with their hometown friends, Chang-hee airs out how he was forced to have his set of friends because of the limited options in their hometown. On the other hand, Gi-jeong announces her plans of loving anyone after wishing to be born in the Joseon era.
Receiving a warning on her loan in the bank, Mi-jeong skips the bus in front to ask Mr. Gu a favor to receive the mail for her. Acknowledging the favor asked, Mr. Gu runs to receive the mail, and hides it in his kitchen cabinet. To retrieve the mail from Mr. Gu, Mi-jeong uses her delivery of dishes as an excuse.
Reading about her delinquency in the letter from the bank, her senior remains out of reach even after she made an initial payment to avoid the suspension of her credit card.
With an assigned lunch seating arrangement, Mi-jeong gets grouped with two others who also have not joined a club. Seeing the reaction of one of them who has a club, Mi-jeong’s workmate vents how it feels like high school all over again.
As she is left in the elevator with the man that Gi-jeong has offended in the restaurant, Mi-jeong apologizes on her behalf.
“I don’t want to just say things to feel like I exist. I want to talk to relax.”
While waiting for their hometown friend, Hyeon-a, Gi-jeong complains about how her workmate Park Jin-u has gone out with other girls in their office except her.
Celebrating Hyeon-a’s birthday together, Gi-jeong bluntly asks her what’s making her upset and whether she feels ashamed to meet up with her hometown friends.
Breaking her silence, Hyeon-a loudly talks about her plans of breaking up with her boyfriend, after realizing that he has no intentions of marrying her while buying a single bed.
Seeing his ex-girlfriend at the convenience store, Chang-hee and her ignore each other. Walking on the rainy street with an umbrella, Chang-hee remains hopeful for them to be promoted as team leaders.
Mi-jeong receives a call about her senior who has run away to Thailand for his bad credit. Lending money to some guy who might have run off to his ex-girlfriend, Mi-jeong examines her feelings of embarrassment while comparing it to the feeling of being ashamed to show a test paper with a low score.
Wary of someone who their family does not know well, Gi-jeong reminds her parents not to be so giving to Mr. Gu.
Crying out of exhaustion while being convinced to join a club, Mi-jeong walks home, and offers Mr. Gu something to do instead of drinking, which is to worship her.
My Liberation Notes Opening Week Musings
Portraying various sets of personalities, the series has clearly drawn the mindset of each character. Different from the loud and extroverted characters she has played, Kim Ji Won portraying Mi-jeong, an introvert, is commendable as her expressions are detailed.
Instead of going down the typical narrative about introverts, the series recognizes and captures their inner thoughts. Just as what Hyeon-a has said to Mi-jeong, every word spoken by introverts is precious because it is something that is well thought of.
Witnessing the ordinary and noiseless everyday life of the characters, viewers could get a grasp on how mundane and suffocating it could be.
To some extent, their situations are realistic and relatable. It can make you ponder on how one’s outlook could become positive if one’s environment is perceived negatively, to begin with.
Seeing their problems and circumstances in life, other aspects of their lives are tied to the time eaten by commuting. Although it may appear a simple problem easily solved, it probes their character’s other issues in life, such as love and their self-esteem.
Mr. Gu remains mysterious, but with Mi-jeong asking him a favor, and even ordering him to worship her, we can look forward to how their series of interactions will change their ordinary lives.
Watch the latest episodes of My Liberation Notes every Saturday and Sunday on Netflix.
Photos: JTBC
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