New K-Drama “My Liberation Notes” Receives Praise For Relatable Main Characters, Storylines, And More
JTBC‘s new ongoing K-Drama My Liberation Notes (also known as My Liberation Diary) recently premiered. It stars Lee Min Ki, Kim Ji Won, and Lee El as siblings, featuring Son Suk Ku (also known as Son Seok Koo) as Mr. Gu, a stranger pursuing freedom and liberation amidst their mundane lives.
Life takes a toll on three siblings who long to be freed from their mundane routines. But when a mysterious drunkard moves to their quiet village, their dreams of excitement and fulfillment no longer seem so far away.
— The Swoon
The K-Drama currently releases every Saturday and Sunday and is available to watch on Netflix internationally. There have only been a few episodes released as the drama premiered on April 9. Yet, it already has created a dedicated following despite reported low viewership ratings.
#MyLiberationNotesEp4 recorded its lowest ratings so far (2.3%). Its sad but that just means we need to hype it up a lot more and that's not hard to do because this drama is so amazing!! If you're not watching it, you're seriously missing out #MyLiberationNotes pic.twitter.com/zaiJn6WUFj
— Kayla (@BluK1mch1Kdrama) April 17, 2022
Viewers are loving the drama so far. It is receiving praise for its realistic storylines and relatable characters.
#MyLiberationNotes may not be everyone's cup of tea but it is mine. It's like peeking into the relatable misery in the characters' lives. It's so real that what excites me isn't an extravagant plot but its premise of liberating oneself from whatever stops you from living.
— Jahn ◡̈ (@lefangirlships) April 17, 2022
My Liberation Notes focuses on Lee Min Ki as Yeom Chang Hee, the oldest sibling, Lee El as Yeom Gi Jung, the middle child, Kim Ji Won as Yeom Mi Jeong, the youngest, and Son Suk Ku as Mr. Gu, a mysterious stranger who works for their family. The three siblings struggle to find fulfillment in life, traveling to and from a remote smalltown to Seoul for their corporate jobs nearly every day, giving them little to no free time. Consequently, they also struggle to build connections with others.
The sisters especially have been two characters that viewers relate to. So, many times, their scenes resonate with our shared experiences.
The writers are especially praised for their quotable lines that too many of us can relate to. Writer Park Hae Young previously wrote tvN‘s My Mister and Another Miss Oh.
the lines really hit me so hard, it got me emotional bcs of how i relate on mijeong's situation 😢
thank you Park Haeyoung writernim, you did a really good job 💛
— ً (@kdramathoughts_) April 18, 2022
thank you park haeyoung for creating lee jian of #mymister and yeom mijeong of #MyLiberationNotes. the depth of these characters is incredible. pic.twitter.com/ANlChNqZvN
— gyeore's tats (@jcwroy) April 19, 2022
Still, it’s the actors’ delivery as well that helps to make the K-Drama so outstanding. Especially as the potential lead couple barely speak to one another yet display so much chemistry and emotion.
No but i think these two’s mastery of silent acting should be talked about & appreciated even more. Not all actors could captivate viewers & makes them completely drawn into their characters by not saying a single word throughout most of their scenes #MyLiberationNotes pic.twitter.com/t2jab2oONr
— K.M. (@_godessv) April 18, 2022
Viewers are already loving Mi Jeong and Mr. Gu together and are anticipating more.
mr. gu starting to show emotion for anything that involves yeom mijeong.
– he usually never even turns his head or answers when anyone asks him something, but his eyes always move for her #MyLiberationNotes #SonSukku #MyLiberationNotesEp4 pic.twitter.com/CaJU9YlBsJ
— NAM YOONSU WEEK (@kdramamor) April 18, 2022
@jiminsdramas KISS PLZ #kdramatok#kdramafyp#myliberationnotes#myliberationdiary#kimjiwon#sonseokkoo
our worship couple <3#MyLiberationNotespic.twitter.com/AmKJZ33zJq
— eris 지 🌷 (@go_eunie) April 17, 2022
In fact, Mr. Gu has become a fan-favorite despite his little to no lines.
get you a Mr. Gu#MyLiberationNotes pic.twitter.com/ikRiGWY2Od
— siwan’s forehead MLN (@koreandraming) April 18, 2022
Who is acting with just his eyes for 3 eps straight and nailing it:#MyLiberationNotesEp3 #MyLiberationNotes pic.twitter.com/IJMZVSPpaa
— Kdrama Enthusiast☺︎ (@zinahrh99) April 16, 2022
Or might it be the case we love him because he is a listener more than a talker?
@oatmi1kpapi so fine and mysterious #myliberationnotes #fy #kdrama #sonseokkoo #sonsukku #kimjiwon #kdramalover #kdramatok #kdramas #greenscreen #myliberationdiary
@jiminsdramas MANS BARELY SPEAKS WHATS WRONG WITH ME #kdramatok#kdramafyp#myliberationnotes#myliberationnote#myliberationdiary#sonseokkoo
His love language would definitely be Acts of Service.
Besides a great cast and script, the cinematography by Kim Suk Yoon should be noted too. If you enjoy slice-of-life cinematography, you will love it.
the beauty of #MyLiberationNotes #나의해방일지 (2022) pic.twitter.com/egmPQPou8N
— NAM YOONSU WEEK (@kdramamor) April 16, 2022
My Liberation Notes is surely a K-Drama that should not be ignored. Those who have watched it so far find it deeply resonating, and for good reason.
I just saw this and I can feel this too. This hits different. #MyLiberationNotes #KimJiWon pic.twitter.com/Pia7fpDWKn
— ree^^ (@reekdramas) April 18, 2022
This is me everytime I go outside#MyLiberationNotesEp3 #MyLiberationNotes pic.twitter.com/ylahGw3whF
— em (@KlMYUMI) April 17, 2022
It certainly won’t give you the escapism that most seek from K-Dramas. Still, it will give you something that may be just as needed if you’re going through a difficult time. It gives reassurance that you’re not struggling alone.
My Liberation Notes is exactly what I needed. I’ve been feeling extremely lost lately, there’s always this feeling that I’m not doing anything with my life, it’s like I don’t have a purpose. Nothing makes me really happy. I also desperately need liberation#MyLiberationNotes
— siwan’s forehead MLN (@koreandraming) April 17, 2022
We live in difficult times, and many of us don’t have everything figured out and are not necessarily “enjoying life.” So, it is somewhat comforting to view a K-Drama in which the leads are all working adults but also are unsatisfied. Not everything is rainbows and butterflies all of the time.
So many feel seen finally in a K-Drama through the My Liberation Notes characters.
It’s nice to fully relate to some fictional characters. The way they portrayed them, the way they talk and feel…everything feels so familiar and close to me.
— siwan’s forehead MLN (@koreandraming) April 17, 2022
Beloved actor Gong Yoo too, has become a fan of My Liberation Notes. Read what he has to say about it below:
Gong Yoo Hypes Up New K-Drama “My Liberation Notes” After Low Viewership Ratings