My Liberation Diary

Brought to you from the same writer who created My Mister, this is a story about 3 introvert siblings and the people around them.

This is not a typical K-Drama love story. The pacing may appear to be slow for some, but not because of filler scenes and dialogs rampant in many K-shows (arguing, kareoke singing, drinking, chasing or yearning scenes) but because the writer and the director wanted to draw you in through non-verbal interactions, facial expressions, silence and pauses.

The more you intently watch, the more the show will reward you. It's a gem.

Most of the Korean dramas I've seen so far have been more of a romantic-comedy sort of vein. There is nothing wrong with that, and I've enjoyed a bunch of them, but this is not one of those. This show actually felt quite real and honest.

A bunch of aspects about this show stood out as great to me: The depictions of family life are incredibly realistic, with love, bickering, boredom, and hope all woven together at once. Romantic relationships are very well done; a bit multi-faceted or imperfect (as in real life), and you definitely find yourself rooting for each of the main characters. Depictions of the inner dialogues of introverted characters were spot-on. Even just the fact that this show mostly features introverted characters completely flies in the face of all of American television. From a basic plot standpoint, the show was never boring or predictable. And (spoiler alert) the depictions of the loss of loved ones were also incredibly relatable and realistic... I definitely had some memories come back.

Honestly, Korean television is such a welcome breath of fresh air from 90% of what else is on Netflix or American media. Kind of awesome that a show made on the other side of the world is so incredibly relatable.

I did not want to watch this show in the first place because I hate watching people struggle in life, even if it's fiction. I have my own life to worry about, why would I want to worry about others? My motto in watching TV shows is "I just want to be entertained. Period." Oh boy, how I was by this drama. I loved everything about this show: the script, the cast, the crew and even the slow pace at the beginning. I watched 1-2 eps a night until ep 6. Then I binged eps 7-14, and I "struggled" for about 5 days before ep 15 finally came.

My two "Baeksang Club" buddies nagged me to watch the show for weeks, and I was not disappointed. Thanks to them. May they never catch a cold nor a hangover the morning after.

This show is art itself, every step of the way, every word that comes out, every gesture, every smile, and every look in the eye. The three siblings have their own struggles: searching for love; seeking a better livelihood; and finding a will to live. The old me reading this review would not be anywhere near this show, but Lord bless the writer, director and every actor on the show, I was made whole and felt happier with my life, having watched this.

The male sibling was my favorite, such a caring person. He was unbelievable as a human being though looking so ordinary. I think this world needs more people like him. I thoroughly enjoyed each of his "realizations" because I learned something new too.

The lead couple's relationship is "less is more", and you will see along the road how strong theirs is (ditto the chemistry OMG).

The oldest sister was annoying at the beginning, but that was how she supposed to be. I ended up rooting for her the most at the end.

And I sincerely dedicate my closing paragraph to Sonsukku's hotness. That is the show's bonus.

This is exactly the kind of drama that i like to watch.

I like the slow events, the lines the acting.

Everything is really satisfying.

Thank you for this great drama.

So far soooo good.

I very rarely write reviews but this is just so beautifully written and performed i had to comment; the insecurities of each character, the raw emotions portrayed, it leaves me drained after every episode. Each episode I'm left smiling yet tearful. The silence running through this series is so rare nowadays but plays such an important role in the portrayal of the characters; the acting from every actor is superb.

Its not yet finished and i want to watch it again.

Park hae-young is an immensely talented scriptwriter and i cannot wait to see what her next project will be.