The beginning of “My Liberation Notes” promised a meaningful, understated series that compliments the subtle realities of life. Unfortunately, as the series came to an end, what seemed refreshing in the beginning gradually became boring and fatiguing. Every beautiful subplot that seemed interesting loses direction overtime, making one feel guilty for having watched the grueling episodes to get nowhere. But where did the series lose ground? Keep reading to find out!
Why Is Gi-Jeong A True Pick-Up Girl?
Gi-Jeong has always been called a “pick-up” girl by her college peers as she was willing to bravely pick up the severed head of her lover. And she is very proud of it. She sees through the soul of Tae-Hun and doesn’t regret falling in love with him despite the odds. Gi-Jeong and Tae-Hun decide to marry once Yu-Rim has turned 20, which disappoints her. Gyeong-Seon and Yu-Rim still find it difficult to accept Gi-Jeong as Tae-Hun’s wife. To make matters worse, Gi-Jeong’s mother’s death makes her feel like she’s losing control of her life. In an emotional impulse, she cuts her hair as she feels it’s the only thing that she can control. This makes Tae-Hun believe that Gi-Jeong is suffering because of him.
Tae-Hun confesses to her that he was afraid she dated him out of pity and would not be able to leave him for it. Gi-Jeong tells him that he shouldn’t separate respect, pity, and love because she feels all three emotions for him. She is prepared to face any challenges that come in their relationship but cannot imagine breaking up with him. She gives him the assurance that no matter what, she will stay strong by him. Gi-Jeong’s positive resilience helps him relax. One day, Tae-Hun surprises Gi-Jeong with a snack and a red rose while drunk. She sees that the flower has broken from its stem. It reminds her of the severed head of her lover, which she lovingly keeps in a soy sauce dish. Gi-Jeong feels smug and proud that her pick-up girl theory proved true.
Does Chang-Hee Find His Life’s Purpose In Seoul?
All his life back at Sanpo, Chang-Hee had wanted to live in Seoul, make a lot of money and live the life of his dreams. However, the pretense of his mother’s death prevents him from doing so, in spite of having moved to Seoul. After leaving his job, he becomes the owner of a convenience store and has a better income. But unlike his early self, when he seemed hopeful about the future despite his problems, Chang-Hee loses zest in life in Seoul. Chang-Hee realizes that Hyeon-Ah only dates men who are in a vulnerable position in their lives. It makes her feel useful and better about herself. Chang-Hee figures that marrying her would mean living through life as a victim, just to get her validation. Hence, he decides to end things with Hyeon-Ah but promises to be there for her as a friend.
One day, Chang-Hee visits Hyeok-Su (Hyeon-Ah’s ex) in the hospital while waiting for her. To his shock, he finds out that Hyeok-Su is taking his last breaths. He makes desperate attempts to call Hyeon-Ah, but she does not pick up his calls. So, he decides to be with Hyeok-Su in his last moments. Chang-Hee tells him that he had seen many people die in front of his eyes: his grandfather, grandmother, mother, and now him. Even so, he has been glad to be able to comfort them. Chang-Hee cancels an important meeting that could take his career to the next level and decides to stay with Hyeok-Su. All his life, Chang-Hee had believed that materialistic gains would help him find true happiness. But in the testing hours of his life, he always prioritized people and emotions over materialistic wealth. One day, Chang-Hee walks into a random class and decides to sit through it. He is puzzled when the lecturer starts talking about life and death, but soon realizes that it is a class for Funeral Planning. Having seen many deaths in his life, Chang-Hee has a strange feeling that he has kept his feet in the right place and sits through the class.
Ending Explained: What Was The Purpose Of ‘My Liberation Notes’?
After moving to Seoul, Mi-Jeong leaves her job at Joy Card and gives up working in the creative field. She believes that rejection at her creative job always had an impact on her self-esteem, which does not happen at her new job. She is glad to have found a job with friendly colleagues and no negativity, unlike her previous job. She is glad that she doesn’t have to deal with Jun-Ho or Su-Jin’s toxicity anymore. The only regret Mi-Jeong has is that the Liberation Club had to shut down when she quit. One day, the members of the Liberation Club reunite. Sang-Min tells all his friends that his publisher friend wants to publish their Liberation Notes in a book. To this, Tae-Hun questions whether the notes helped them achieve anything after all. After contemplating their journey, Mi-Jeong suggests that the purpose of the Liberation Club was not to solve anything but to understand one’s problems better. Because a problem understood means half the problem is solved.
On the other hand, Mr. Gu’s alcoholism becomes a major problem in his work. Nonetheless, he feels like he cannot stop drinking because the demons from his past return to his consciousness when he’s sober. He started to rely on alcohol to forget about his past from the time he was living in Sanpo. But after dating Mi-Jeong, Mr. Gu discovers that his mind can stay quiet when he’s sober too. One day, Gu rushes to save his companion Hyeon-Jin from the goons he had lent money to. Hyeon-Jin used Gu’s business and his money for his gambling addiction. However, when Gu and his assistant (formerly named Sam-Sik) get themselves injured in order to save him, Hyeon-Jin runs away with his money like an ungrateful punk. The series does not reveal many details about Gu Ja-Gyeong’s work, his past, or what happens after Hyeon-Jin cheats on him. What stays at the forefront is his relationship with Mi-Jeong, which helps him overcome many problems in his life. Similarly, dating Gu brings many pleasant changes to Mi-Jeong’s life, and she begins to feel lovable. When Mi-Jeong finally gains perspective in life, things change for the better and Chan-Hyeok promises to repay his debt. While the monotony of the lives of the Yeom siblings and Mr. Gu continues to be the same, their perspectives change as they feel more liberated!
Final Thoughts: Why Did The Series Fizzle Out?
In the beginning, “My Liberation Notes” comes across as a breather from the obnoxious rom-coms in K-dramas. After watching repeated dramas with exaggerated and mushy storylines and unrealistic characters, the series gave viewers a much needed break. Unfortunately, it was that attribute of the series that backfired. As mushy dramas conveniently skip over the monotony of real life to the sugary parts, this series skips over the good things and keeps the tedious parts. The exaggerated melancholy of the series makes it arduous and heavy-hearted, even when it is not meaningful anymore! In other words, the series is neither entertaining nor soulful after a certain point. The ending of “My Liberation Notes” neither does justice to the commendable performances by Kim Ji Won, Lee Min-Ki, Lee EL, and Sukku Son, nor to its own bottomline. Hence, despite being a former admirer of the series, I do not recommend watching it.
