My Liberation Notes (2022) is another oddball in my watch-list. A few months back, when I was on a mission to watch all of Park Bo-gum’s shows, I stumbled upon Hello Monster / I Remember You (2015) – a series I was never supposed to find, given how I usually stick to Romance, Comedy, or Drama. But when I watched it, I didn’t feel violated for taking a diversion from my usual picks. The same goes for My Liberation Notes, a show I discovered simply because of Kim Ji-won. The more I watch her, the more intrigued I become by her choice of characters…
The Cast of My Liberation Notes
1. Kim Ji-won as Yeom Mi-jeong:
Oh, Kim Ji-won—she never misses. After seeing her in Descendants of the Sun (2016), Fight for My Way (2017), and Queen of Tears (2024), I thought I knew exactly what to expect: sass, confidence, and a hint of fire. But here? She’s quiet, withdrawn, barely saying a word—and yet, she says everything.
2. Lee Min-ki as Yeom Chang-hee:
The older brother, perpetually lost in the maze of his own mediocrity. You might’ve seen him in Because This Is My First Life—another gem where he played someone equally confused about adulthood. He has this uncanny ability to make you laugh one minute and question your life choices the next.
3. Lee El as Yeom Gi-jeong:
The eldest sibling, tired of the dating scene and the endless bus rides to Seoul. Lee El, who you might recognize from Goblin or When the Devil Calls Your Name, brings raw honesty to the table—equal parts hilarious and heartbreakingly human. During the show, I kept wondering where I’d seen her before. It was such an “Aha!” moment when I realized she played the role of the angel (and the wrinkled old woman) in Goblin!
4. Son Suk-ku as Mr. Gu:
The mysterious alcoholic who just appears one day and changes everything. You might’ve seen him in D.P. or Be Melodramatic, but here, he’s on another level. The stoic eyes, the slow-burn presence, the emotional chaos—all wrapped up in that gravelly voice. He is the enigma this story needed. This was my first time seeing his work, though I did come across that viral clip where he dramatically reads the lyrics “I’mma Barbie girl in the Barbie world”—and yes, that clip will live in my head rent-free for years.
The Plot (Or the Art of Doing Nothing)
Set in the small, unremarkable town of Sanpo, My Liberation Notes revolves around three siblings—Gi-jeong, Mi-jeong, and Chang-hee—each quietly discontent with their lives. They commute to Seoul every day, drained by both distance and disappointment.
And then comes Mr. Gu—a man who works for their father, Yeom Je-ho. He barely speaks, drinks endlessly, and carries an aura that screams “don’t ask.”
Gi-jeong’s Mission to Find Love
Gi-jeong, the oldest sibling, is approaching forty and desperate to find love before winter arrives. She works a corporate job, holds high standards in dating, and yet ends up lonely and unfulfilled. Her pure soul is rarely appreciated, and now she’s lost her self-esteem entirely—tired of waiting for someone to see her heart.
She’s frustrated that her boss, who dates almost every female employee, never pays attention to her. One day, she finally gathers the courage to ask him why. Her boss, surprised and a little embarrassed, explains the male perspective on dating and, in doing so, helps her understand what she’s subconsciously searching for. Their conversations blossom into an unexpected friendship and give us a beautiful peek into Gi-jeong’s heart—so full of love and compassion.
Later, one evening, while drinking with friends and discussing love lives, Gi-jeong comments on how difficult it would be to love someone who has been married before or has children. The remark offends a middle-aged man (Tae-hoon) and his teenage daughter sitting nearby. Ironically, Gi-jeong soon realizes that her old friend is the sister of this man, Tae-hoon.
As fate would have it, Gi-jeong slowly finds herself drawn to Tae-hoon’s sincerity and gentleness. When she confesses her feelings, he politely declines. Tae-hoon, a divorcee living with his daughter and two unmarried sisters, is kind but emotionally scarred. Yet, he feels at peace around Gi-jeong, who never demands energy or perfection. Eventually, despite the disapproval of his family, they choose to love and support each other—quietly, sincerely, with compromises and care.
Chang-hee’s Search for Purpose
Chang-hee, the middle sibling, is constantly frustrated by the mediocrity and mundaneness of his life. After years in corporate work, promotions keep slipping through his fingers. His evenings are spent drinking with childhood friends, venting about annoying colleagues, missed chances, and his family’s constant struggle for comfort—be it emotional or financial.
He keeps himself away from love, afraid of not being able to provide for a partner. Yet instead of becoming bitter, Chang-hee turns inward—dissecting his destiny, trying to find meaning in his seemingly meaningless life. His journey is quiet but deeply reflective—an exploration of what it means to exist when life doesn’t give you what you expected.
Mi-jeong’s Way to Find Liberation
Mi-jeong, the youngest, works as a temporary employee in a card design team where her creativity goes unnoticed. She doesn’t drink or hang out with colleagues because her long commute to Sanpo leaves her no energy for small talk. On top of that, she’s burdened with debt from a credit card loan she took for her ex-boyfriend—who has now ghosted her and left the country.
When her company pressures her to join an extracurricular club, she cleverly starts one herself: the “Liberation Club.” Two other employees—Park Sang-min and Tae-hoon (yes, the same one who later connects with Gi-jeong)—join her. Together, they vow to find liberation from something in their lives.
For Mi-jeong, it’s people. She’s exhausted by superficial interactions, the constant pretending, the emptiness of it all. Life feels like a dull blur until she notices Mr. Gu—this quiet, broken man who drinks through the night and says almost nothing.
One evening, she walks up to him and says something that changes both their lives: “Worship me.”
Not love. Not date. Worship.
Mi-jeong is tired of feeling unworthy. She wants to be seen, and she wants to help him see himself too. Their connection isn’t romantic in the usual sense—it’s raw, spiritual, and deeply human. Through their silent companionship, they begin to heal each other. Mi-jeong becomes more confident and expressive, while Mr. Gu starts remembering what it feels like to live.
Mr. Gu
Ah, the ever-enigmatic Mr. Gu. His past and really, his whole existence is a puzzle throughout most of the series.
At first, he seems like just another laborer at the Yeom family’s factory—quiet, distant, perpetually drunk. But as the story unfolds, we learn his real identity: Gu Ja-gyeong, a former gang member and money launderer from Seoul’s underworld. He once managed illegal funds for powerful people—a man who handled dirty money discreetly and efficiently.
After years of living in that moral gray zone, and a tragedy that left him shattered, he abandoned that life to escape—to Sanpo, to solitude, to nothingness. His work in the countryside isn’t really a job; it’s penance. It’s an attempt to live without being seen.
The Romance That Can Be Felt but Not Seen
The connection between Mr. Gu and Mi-jeong is strangely magnetic. Her proposal to “worship” her, and his quiet acceptance, creates one of the most profound portrayals of love I’ve ever seen.
Gu’s walls begin to crumble under Mi-jeong’s authenticity. She doesn’t preach, doesn’t demand—she simply stays. Eventually, Gu leaves without explanation, returning to his shady old life. Mi-jeong continues her journey of self-liberation, quietly missing him but no longer broken by his absence.
Years later, Gu returns—worn, haunted, but seeking peace. He finds Mi-jeong still kind, still grounded, still herself. And in her presence, he begins to clear the chaos that once consumed him.
My Fangirl Commentary
- My Liberation Notes is slow-paced and deeply realistic. For the first few episodes, I was impatient—Mi-jeong barely spoke, while Gi-jeong and Chang-hee had all the monologues. But eventually, her silence started to make sense.
- We know almost nothing about Mr. Gu in the beginning. Honestly, I didn’t understand how Mi-jeong trusted him—he could’ve been a serial killer for all she knew! She doesn’t even learn his real name until years after their “worshipping” phase.
- I absolutely loved Gi-jeong’s story. Though she comes across as desperate early on, she’s actually one of the most selfless lovers in the series—never manipulative, always sincere.
- The show doesn’t give us a typical romance or even a definitive ending, but seeing Chang-hee finally find his purpose felt like closure enough. His monologues are sprinkled with small truths about life.
- I loved how ordinary everyone looked—the hard-working parents, the unfiltered rawness of the actors. Son Suk-ku, with his rugged face and natural expressions, felt refreshingly real compared to the usual polished K-drama visuals.
- Kim Ji-won effortlessly blends into the ordinary and extraordinary. Whether in office formals or baggy home clothes, she radiates authenticity—never trying to be beautiful, yet shining in every frame.
- Yes, it tested my patience at times. The characters speak so little. But maybe that’s the point—the silence carries its own dialogue.
- In my native language Gu means poop. Somehow that made even the most serious conversations in the show funny in my mind.
Final Verdict
All in all, I’d rate My Liberation Notes (2022) a solid 8/10. It’s worth watching if you’re craving a different perspective on life—something slow, introspective, and quietly healing.
If you’re looking for swoon-worthy romance or dramatic climaxes, this isn’t the one. The ending may feel open, almost unsatisfying—but that’s exactly what makes it real. You get a glimpse into the lives of three countryside siblings and one broken man who’s just trying to survive—and maybe, in their own small ways, they all find liberation.
Check out other shows of Kim Ji-won:
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