My Liberation Notes 나의 해방일지 [2022]

[ktcjdrama]

13 minutes ago, abs-oluteM said:

This is so funny

I think I will be like the mom as well, given the temperament and personality of KJ. She is so happy about it but has to control herself not to ask or meddle too much at this stage. Her smiles and grins though 😆

[abs-oluteM]

I just went thru some spoilers ...and my gosh tonight's episode is so sad. 

Spoiler

Gu returns to Sanpo to look for MJ, only to find out her mum had died, the 3 siblings had moved to Seoul, dad remarried. But dad passed him her contact info. And Gu cried out her name. 

The preview seems to indicate how hard things were for MJ after Gu left

 

[stroppyse]

57 minutes ago, abs-oluteM said:

I just went thru some spoilers ...and my gosh tonight's episode is so sad. 

 

Ummm... maybe I should wait to watch it until the final episodes have dropped??? I'm so not good at handling sadness.

[stroppyse]

Couldn't resist Gu and MJ's story, so I'm watching episode 13 right now, however, had to take a break.

 

I almost lost it in a scene. I realized that Gu was calling his male assistant by girls names, and the assistant thought it was because Gu didn't like the assistant's name change, but it was really so that Gu could call out MJ's name out loud without attracting undue notice. The assistant responds to any female name, so doesn't realize that Mi Jeong had a special significance to it. Gu is so unhappy and lonely.

 

MJ is having a hard time as well. She's taking walks in absolute darkness and feeding the wild dogs in the hopes that one of them will attack her. She literally doesn't care if she lives or dies, and thinks that feeling her blood flow out of her body would feel like a relief even.

 

This episode is just so sad.

[stroppyse]

What? Waaaa! Just finished, and now I'm even sadder than ever. I guess I should have read the spoiler first so that it didn't hit me as hard.

 

 

[abs-oluteM]

I think the sadness will continue tonight @stroppyse as we see more how the family coped after the mother passed 

[mademoiselle]

Did someone use Mi Jung's name as disguise and have an affair with that jerk manager? Or the jerk manager used Mi Jung's name as disguise?

 

 

[abs-oluteM]

9 minutes ago, mademoiselle said:

Did someone use Mi Jung's name as disguise and have an affair with that jerk manager? Or the jerk manager used Mi Jung's name as disguise?

 

 

The jerk manager is using her name as the disguise. So the wife will misunderstand. I need Gu to come and teach this man a lesson. 

[mademoiselle]

3 minutes ago, abs-oluteM said:

The jerk manager is using her name as the disguise. So the wife will misunderstand. I need Gu to come and teach this man a lesson. 

Ok, that explains why the wife called Mi Jung in the next episode. What an a*shole. Gu really need to beat this guy up. Or we can send Kim Hee Sun since he's cheating and Kim Hee Sun's role as Gu Ryeon has been kicking men's genital in Tomorrow. There's really a satisfaction in seeing that...

[abs-oluteM]

2 minutes ago, mademoiselle said:

Ok, that explains why the wife called Mi Jung in the next episode. What an a*shole. Gu really need to beat this guy up. Or we can send Kim Hee Sun since he's cheating and Kim Hee Sun's role as Gu Ryeon has been kicking men's genital in Tomorrow. There's really a satisfaction in seeing that...

Mi Jeong's life so sad after Gu left ...already heartbroken. Mum died and then got wrongly accused. Yes, please someone give this girl a break

Pre-released

 

 

[abs-oluteM]

I am a happy camper tonight! They have reunited. 

She finally asked and he finally told her his name! 

 

[stroppyse]

8 hours ago, abs-oluteM said:

I am a happy camper tonight! They have reunited.

 

Me, too! After 2 episodes filled with sadness and angst, the last 2 minutes of episode 14 made me feel better again.

 

Still in shock that the mother died and the father remarried. I keep wondering how much time must have passed.

 

So, now we know that the father had given all of his money to his younger sister to help her out, and that after that, the family lived a sparse life. That same little sister who was crying and carrying on at the funeral.

 

11 hours ago, abs-oluteM said:

The jerk manager is using her name as the disguise. So the wife will misunderstand. I need Gu to come and teach this man a lesson. 

 

That jerk manager! As well as that shameless coworker of MJ's!

 

The saddest part of that confrontation though was that MJ still had to keep paying for it. The jerk manager lied and apparently got his wife to lie for him that she had never called into the company looking for MJ for fear that he might lose his job or something. And the shameless colleague fishing to see how much MJ knew, then getting into a huff because she had always "taken care" of MJ. I'm glad that MJ lashed out at her, but it's too bad that she then had to pay her money as settlement so that she wouldn't press charges.

 

Gu needs to teach that jerk manager a lesson in manhood. Grrrr.

 

Other surprises, KJ asks TH to get married, and he responds yes, but it looks as if the daughter is going to be a stumbling for them to get married any time soon.

 

CH asks HA to marry him as well, though he then seems to be backpeddling. I'm not sure if this took me by surprise or not since in a way it would make sense if they got together since they are great friends, but it wasn't clear that they were attracted to each other in a romantic partner kind of way.

 

But, ultimately, it was all about Gu and MJ finally meeting up again. It looks as if Gu hasn't extricated himself from that gangster lifestyle, so hopefully, he'll be able to do that in the last 2 episodes. This drama had better give us a happy ending for Gu and MJ!

 

Btw, I really liked the way SSG looked when they met up again. That scene makes me giggle a bit when he asks MJ in response to her comment that he had grown his hair, "Doesn't it look good?"

[stroppyse]

I keep watching MJ and Gu's reunion scene over and over again.

 

The phone call where Gu and MJ do a little push-pull. "Let's meet." "I can't." "Why not?" "I've gained weight. I have to lose weight." "Lose weight for an hour, then come out (to meet me)."

 

The tension on Gu's face as he's waiting, then the smile that breaks over his face as MJ comes walking up to him with a smile on her face... Their banter afterwards as they both smile in happiness at seeing each other was sweet, fun, lover-like. They can't stop smiling at finally being together.

 

And, then finally, MJ asks him his full name.

 

From the preview, it seems as if MJ and Gu are going to take their relationship further, even as they work through Gu's situation. They've tried being apart, so it's only right that they be together and face whatever comes next. Together. Yeom Mi Jung and Gu Ja Gyeong.

 

Btw, yes, I am totally obsessed with Gu. He looks so handsome with his longer hairstyle and that lovely smile on his face as he's finally with MJ. Without her, his face was dark and blank to mirror his mood and inner unhappiness. With her, all of that is lifted, even if only temporarily, and he younger and lighter when he's smiling and teasing, and taking care of MJ.

[40somethingahjumma]

Wow... that was two hours of incredible storytelling and television. And Son Suk-ku... what a tour de force... 

 

I don't know if it's because I lost my mother in my late 30s as well and I am one of three comprising of two girls and a boy, yeah, Episode 14 gave me all kinds of feels. The random crying in the middle of nowhere for no reason -- I've done it all. 

 

"Let's get married." Amazing writing. No fanfare, no flowers, "no sunbursts and marble halls". Just two people who know that it makes sense to make that leap.

 

I need to watch these two episodes again and gather my thoughts.

 

 

 

Edited May 23, 2022 by 40somethingahjumma

[stroppyse]

1 hour ago, 40somethingahjumma said:

And Son Suk-ku... what a tour de force... 

 

Totally agree!

 

It's odd that I've watched him in other projects and liked him. However, there is something about the way he portrays Gu Ja Gyeong that makes his scenes mesmerizing, even if he's just brooding or wearily getting through another day. Or perhaps that should be, just doing what he needs to in order to get through another day, but all the while he can't stop himself from thinking and knowing.

 

His character interpretation here reminds me more and more of his character in Designated Survivor which I also really liked. However, he just seems to be getting better and better as an actor overall.

 

I'm already looking forward to his next project, wondering if he'll be someone that I'll at least give a chance to even if I might not like some aspect of the project.

[abs-oluteM]

7 hours ago, stroppyse said:

I keep watching MJ and Gu's reunion scene over and over again.

You're not the only one. What I was pleased with was that they didn't overdo the push pull. She barely gave him a hard time - in some shows the FL may have just played a bit more hard to get. I am glad they didn't waste time considering they have already lost 2 or 3 years.

 

Perhaps it was a silver lining that Gu wasn't with MJ when she went through the hardships that she did. MJ standing up for herself and hitting her colleague who was having an affair with the boss was such a highlight. 

 

5 hours ago, 40somethingahjumma said:

"Let's get married." Amazing writing. No fanfare, no flowers, "no sunbursts and marble halls". Just two people who know that it makes sense to make that leap.

Agreed and I was pleasantly surprised. My mother and I are watching this together since we both love this show  - and we both have quite different thoughts. My mum felt that Gi Jeong's character was way too forward and she felt that GJ shouldn't have brought it up then. I told my mum that I liked the fact GJ is always so frank and you can easily see through her. I think this one her charms. They are both in their late 30s (probably almost 40) - I don't think they should waste anymore time!

-----------------

In these recent episodes, Chang Hee's character saw a lot of growth. I can imagine that it was a big risk quitting his job , but I think he did the right thing. While he still has no family and major commitments, this is the right time to rethink about what he wants for his life going forward. I love how he was looking after his dad when mum passed , learning more about his sisters and telling dad he loves him. He's leading his family in some way.  I am tearing up just thinking about this family and all their struggles, and how mum's death became a positive turning point for each of them.

 

--------------------

 

I so appreciate how good & detailed the writing is

 

 

 

[40somethingahjumma]

@abs-oluteM

What I liked about Gi-jeong saying "Let's get married" is the way it is tied to her finally connecting to Yu-rim on some level. For the first time in all their interactions, Yu-rim finally spoke, "Do adults feel sad too when they lose their mother?" and Gi-jeong was taken aback, blown away and realised something about Yu-rim all this time. It isn't that Yu-rim disapproved of her. I don't think she does judging from what she said to Tae-hun in Episode 12 but that she is still grieving the loss of her mother even now. Whatever her mother did, she was still her mother. No amount of playing substitute by the aunties can completely fill that void. The fact that she doesn't mind sitting around the restaurant while Gi-jeong was around rambling away tells me that she didn't dislike her. Maybe she even found her amusing. Or someone like what her father says, that is relaxing to be around.

 

It makes complete sense to me that Gi-jeong would initiate the topic of marriage because she's the one who confessed first. She's also a larger than life person often talking in riddles almost. It also made sense that Tae-hun would agree to the scheme because he has demonstrated his dedication to Gi-jeong by making the effort to attend her mother's wake. He's a thoughtful and really decent human. I hope that they do walk down the aisle at some stage. More than that I really hope they don't have to wait ten years though especially if she wants to have kids of her own.

 

I always suspected that one of the parents would pass away in the course of the drama. Because I was thinking of My Ahjussi. What I didn't expect was that the mother would the one to go first and then to go in such surprising fashion. The other thing that really struck me about the mother's death is how grief-stricken everybody was. It never occurred to me that this was a cohesive, close-knit family. They all seemed to be preoccupied with doing their own thing before but now suddenly united in their grief. Maybe that's what the problem was. They were so introspective about their own problems, kept them to themselves and so the family home became a B and B with a farm. 

 

Chang-hee seems to have risen to the occasion on a number of fronts. While I'm not entirely surprised he left his job, I wonder if there were other reasons other than the ones he stated. I think he's discovering his true calling and that is to care for others. What he liked about the work he did before was his interactions with his clients rather than being a corporate drone. In the months following the absence of his mother, he's trying not fill his mother's shoes entirely but to support the other family members.

 

I do wonder how long Gu was away. It would appear more than a year, maybe even two. 

 

Edited May 23, 2022 by 40somethingahjumma

[JenL]

Hello! I've mainly been a silent watcher because I've been so busy lately. BUT I JUST WATCHED EPISODE 13 AND MY HEART

 

 

 

I don't know if I'm going to write an episode by episode summary of my thoughts, but my overall feeling of this show is that it is such a beautiful and painful reflection of the quirky and mundune moments of our lives. I feel like this show is just so relatable on so many levels. And while I find the main characters annoying at times, I also empathise with them and understand elements of the frustrations of things like having to deal with disappointments in lost dreams, bad romances and feeling like there's something wrong with you when you can't relate to others. I think these sorts of feelings make us feel so alone, but actually everyone goes through them at least once in a while 

 

It's funny because I think a lot of dramas romanticise the happy, loving family. But this drama shows that families can sometimes be harder to get along with than any other people we encounter. I feel like some of the salty moments with the parents are relatable - I laughed so hard at the mother being nosey about the sister's boyfriend, and understood all too well that argument between the brother and the father about having goals. Sometimes Asian parents say things out of love, but it comes out as persistent nagging which is just so hard to respond to even when you know the underlying meanings. I'm rather close to my siblings though so I find it quite hard to understand how they could dislike each other so much - but I suppose the characters are very different from one another. I also think the day to day disappointments can wear you down especially when it feels like things never get easier and make you forget how to be grateful for the people around you.  

 

I did find the 3 siblings super grating on my nerves at times and I think that's because they didn't seem to have their own backbones in their lives. Sometimes things don't work out in life and it is extremely frustrating and you need to complain and mope. But if you're doing it all the time, you're wasting your life away when you can spend the energy trying again. Life is always going to be full of rejections and failures and unglamerous moments, but you just gotta try. Also, it felt like they just didn't have any respect for themselves at times...like with the older sister, it just felt like she was being so desperate in her search for a man. And when she didn't have one, she was so bitter. I get that there's a pressure in Asia, but I've seen plenty of people also live good single lives without those sorts of behaviours even though they also really want partners? Same with the brother - yes it sucks not being rich, but sometimes he was acting like he didn't have any money at all? Also, I'd feel ashamed to ask my parents for that kind of business capital knowing it was huge risk for them. Even Mi Jeong, while I like her and understand that feeling of dealing with fake people...sometimes it could feel like she was rather quick to judge others...But with that said, I still find each of them likeable as well, they each have their charms and are thoughtful and considerate at times. And I guess it's easier to judge someone else from afar...but really, who knows if I have the kind of backbone I'm referring to myself? 

 

But I love the developement the characters have been going through - they're not grand or dramatic, but sublte shifts in mindsets and finding little fixes to situations. It's realistic in that sometimes they go 3 steps forwards and 2 steps back. I feel like I'll have more thoughts, later, but these have been my base thoughts 

[stroppyse]

11 hours ago, abs-oluteM said:

I so appreciate how good & detailed the writing is

 

I giggled so hard when Gu uses MJ's word back to her to tell her how much he had missed her, and that he hadn't even realized how much he missed her until he said the words out loud.

 

7 hours ago, 40somethingahjumma said:

I always suspected that one of the parents would pass away in the course of the drama. Because I was thinking of My Ahjussi. What I didn't expect was that the mother would the one to go first and then to go in such surprising fashion. The other thing that really struck me about the mother's death is how grief-stricken everybody was. It never occurred to me that this was a cohesive, close-knit family. They all seemed to be preoccupied with doing their own thing before but now suddenly united in their grief.

 

I haven't watched 'My Ajusshi' so I wasn't expecting one of the parents to die.

I felt this family was actually pretty realistic in that they squabble amongst themselves, and yet, they tend to close ranks when needed. I think they were all aware of how important the mother was, though they were not expecting to lose her at all.

 

I felt it was really the father who had a major shift in POV through the death of his wife. As he told Gu, he had thought that he was carrying his family when really they had been taking care of him as well. I feel as if he had had this realization sooner, then the whole family might have had a happier home life.

 

The other thing that was notable for me was as they discussed how different generations may feel about each other. So, the father was willing to even have his family do without in order to help his little sister because he loves his little sister, however the children don't love their aunt in the same way, and so would not disadvantage themselves to help her.

 

4 hours ago, JenL said:

But this drama shows that families can sometimes be harder to get along with than any other people we encounter.

 

So true!

 

Family can be harder, because they are closer to us, and so they are capable of hurting us more, whether they mean to or not.

 

4 hours ago, JenL said:

And when she didn't have one, she was so bitter.

 

I don't always sympathize with the siblings, but I can kind of understand where they are coming from. I think it's because of a basic dissatisfaction with their lives, and the only viable change that  they could see might come would be a relationship or gaining wealth.

 

It's probably not true that those would effect the change that they want. They could end up more miserable if they don't address their own selves first, however, I feel that is what we are seeing happen to them. The small changes that are happening in their lives.

 

And, of course, 1 big change that seems to have led to a lot of change in the Yeom household. Namely, the mother dying, the father re-marrying, and the children moving out. I wonder if the father married a neighborhood woman who could take care of him in order to give his children the freedom to leave the family house.

 

[ktcjdrama]

You guys have said all that I wanted to say about ep.13-14. I thought this week’s episodes was one of the best. I started quite late into the night, wanting to only watch a part or one episode only, but ended up watching until past 2 am. to finish ep.14! A bit of pauses here and there to wipe away the tears and contain myself so as not to end up with too swollen eyes in the morning. 
 

There are so many great scenes and lines in this two episodes. Some are mentioned already. The ones that really stood out for me was when CH discovered his mother not breathing anymore. Then the wake. The part where CH wondered who will be standing at that side of the window when it’s his time to be inside. And especially the part where KJ asked TH to get married. The shoots and editing are all so well done. Both sisters not wanting to walk in on the important moment. The foot at the door, quietly retreating to close the door. The hand on the door handle, slowly closing it back. One sister already openly accepted, the other probably grudgingly resigned to the matter. Very artistically done. And great acting by all. 
 

 

[abs-oluteM]

Can't believe we're down to the last two episodes. This drama is my favorite so far this year.

Film making 

Full video

 

[stroppyse]

7 hours ago, abs-oluteM said:

Can't believe we're down to the last two episodes. This drama is my favorite so far this year.

 

I know! I think I must really like this drama because I'm conflicted. On the one hand, I want to see how the drama wraps up, though I suspect it may be a lot of open endings but with some hints of hope. On the other hand, I want to keep seeing how Gu and the Yeom family carry on living their lives.

 

Given that I was complaining so much about how slow it was in the beginning, it's funny that this is the drama that I wait for and can't wait to watch as soon as the episodes drop.

 

Plus, it's started me watching SSG's back catalogue. Heck, I even started a shrine for him, even if it does need improvement.  

[ktcjdrama]

I just realised we've been watching the story taking place since 2018/2019.... The mother passed away in October of 2019... Remember at the end of ep.10, there is a Happy New Year for 2022 with Gu walking in the snow? I haven't been able to figure out whether the reuniting of Gu and MJ happened in spring 2022 or fall 2021? I am assuming maybe in the spring of 2022?

[abs-oluteM]

On 5/26/2022 at 12:22 PM, ktcjdrama said:

I am assuming maybe in the spring of 2022?

I hope that is the case. Because he didn't seem too happy when ringing in the New Year 2022.

 

Gonna miss them

[stroppyse]

12 hours ago, abs-oluteM said:

Gonna miss them

 

Just looking at the pictures you posted, and noticing that SSG has his arm around Lee El in 2 of the photos reminded me that they had played husband and wife in 'Matrimonial Chaos'. SSG plays a philandering husband who is divorced by his wife and who despite everything actually loves his wife. Any way, he begs and pleads for a second chance after finding out that she's pregnant with their baby.

 

Makes me think that perhaps he's more comfortable with Lee El still since they've known each other longer, even if Gu and MJ are the couple.

 

It's almost the final episodes, isn't it? Sigh