My Liberation Notes 나의 해방일지 [2022]

[abs-oluteM]

1 hour ago, ktcjdrama said:

t worries me since Gu mentioned that he's going to decide whether to stay at the countryside or return to his previous world.

The ending ....why does it feel like MJ is no longer in his life ? MJ's narration doesn't help either. 

Are we being trolled? 

 

I love this scene...the smile and the way he looked at her ...

 

[ktcjdrama]

20 minutes ago, abs-oluteM said:

 

I love this scene...the smile and the way he looked at her ..

Yes yes... me too 😍 and the way he motioned to her to have that last piece 😍

 

 

[stroppyse]

5 hours ago, ktcjdrama said:

So are we going to have a time jump then? I'm assuming we started at the summer of 2021, and then the weather grew colder, and now it's the end of the year 2021 and welcoming 2022? It worries me since Gu mentioned that he's going to decide whether to stay at the countryside or return to his previous world.

 

Oh, I thought we were in real time. I thought that the NY 2022 was Gu before he went down to the countryside, so I thought it was a flashback scene rather than a time jump. He looked so tired and fed up.

 

Now, you've got me concerned that it's a time jump and Gu is no longer with MJ and back to his old life instead?

 

Either way, I have faith that Gu and MJ will find their way to each other's side regardless. They both seem uniquely suited to each other, and both have had bad relationships before.

 

I think I may be developing a crush on Gu myself.

[abs-oluteM]

BTS of that running scene. I always thought such scenes must be cringey to film 

Full film making video

 

I concur

 

 

Spoiler

 

 

[ktcjdrama]

12 hours ago, stroppyse said:

I thought that the NY 2022 was Gu before he went down to the countryside,

He’s been there for a year, right? That’s why I thought we started in 2021. We couldn’t be in the winter of 2022 already. And the most concerning thing is MJ’s narration as we’re shown the Happy New Year scene. 
 

@abs-oluteM I also thought the costumes for the characters were well thought of. That’s of course another point to love the drama. Notice that MJ been using a few bags alternatively but it’s always those same “boring” office totes. Her styles also basically the same, simple basic top and bottoms that I can see myself choosing and wearing to work. Yeah, I am that boring too for work haha.... Love looking at fabulous fashion, but definitely not one who will buy and wear for daily work. 

[40somethingahjumma]

I can't remember the last time I enjoyed a K drama this much. Despite being slow moving, I am drawn to every nook and cranny of the story. It's moving, hilarious and even when the usual tropes are present, they are done in a really uniquely meaningful way. Like My Ahjussi, the characters grow on you as the story progresses and wish them all good things. Even Du-hwan. I want him to confess to Ms Kwak and for her to say yes. I was just watching Episode 1 with the family again and was reminded of his blind date. The lady in question called him an "abandoned dog" which is apt considering how he behaves with Chang-hee especially in one of the later episodes where he's following Chang-hee like a forlorn puppy and Chang-hee was shooing him off.

 

Episode 10 was definitely the payoff for all the set-up and subsequent build up. We not only caught a glimpse of Mr Gu's past life but were witness to a shift in gears and a resolution to start living his life on his own terms. His respective dynamics with almost every member of the family is delightful on some level. Elsewhere I've called him the alcoholic Mary Poppins who got off the wrong station and is now doing miracles in the Yeom household. In spite of himself. I believe it when he said that he's something of a scary guy but despite his desire for solitude I don't think he minded the next door neighbours that much. Once he crossed a certain line there was definitely no going back. He did waver... if only for a moment... but I'm really enjoying his interactions with Mi-jeong. It was obvious the moment he started cleaning his place up that it was true love. 

 

As for Gi-jeong, before Episode 10, I was having trouble deciding which guy to barrack for. I thought it was premature of her to jump to the conclusion that Tae-hun had outright rejected her. He hesitated but he didn't say "no" and his text messages after her accident didn't sound like a man who was eager to distance himself or disabuse her of anything. I've always thought that Tae-hun was the one (and I still do) because they started off on the wrong foot (no pun intended) in Episode 1 but then she deep and meaningful sessions with Park Jin-u and I was torn. I love their interactions and there are many occasions when I wonder if Jin-u has feelings for her beyond friendship. His cheerleading is so sweet and enthusiastic. But of course, this could just be an example of a platonic relationship between a man and a woman to throw everyone off scent. Still, it does look like Tae-hun is the front runner at this point. 

 

There's a lot of interesting acts of "worship" going on around. Chang-hee falling at the altar of Rolls Royce had me in fits of laughter. But his deduction of Gu's background from the bidet and the car keys was right on the money (no pun intended).

 

That blue company truck sure gets a lot of mileage these days. 

[stroppyse]

16 hours ago, ktcjdrama said:

He’s been there for a year, right? That’s why I thought we started in 2021. We couldn’t be in the winter of 2022 already. And the most concerning thing is MJ’s narration as we’re shown the Happy New Year scene. 

 

You're making me want to watch it all over again from episode 1 rather than wait for Saturday. If only I had a spare 10 hours somewhere!   Having said that, I will definitely rewatch this drama again, and this time without ff-ing any of the parts, even the ones I was complaining was slow or boring at the beginning. Now that I see where it's all going, I can see that the lingering shots have a purpose and some hidden clues to what is happening.

 

To be honest, I think I was really mostly ff-ing through CH's parts, but that's probably me being unfair and impatient. I hope that there is more of a payoff for CH than the realization that having his hands on his dream car causes him to accept the rest of his unsatisfactory life. 

 

11 hours ago, 40somethingahjumma said:

As for Gi-jeong, before Episode 10, I was having trouble deciding which guy to barrack for.

 

I was definitely confused as well as to which man she will eventually end up with. I think her friendship with Jin Woo is much closer and more meaningful than his falling in "love" with various young coworkers. He seems to be a bit of a serial dater, and not really committed to anyone. He seems to really be enjoying his interactions with KJ without the pressure of dating. However, I think that TH is the end game for KJ, mostly because she still likes him so much and he clearly likes her. I think TH was mostly caught off guard since he had probably thinking to himself that he would never be with another woman again, especially with both of his sisters dedicating their lives to his daughter.

 

I personally think it's strange that the aunts would go that far, even though I understand some of the sentiment. Wouldn't it be better for the niece to be part of a larger, loving family so that she could see various healthy relationships? The aunts still could make sure to give their niece enough attention so that she knows that she is loved.

 

[40somethingahjumma]

4 hours ago, stroppyse said:

 

 

I was definitely confused as well as to which man she will eventually end up with. I think her friendship with Jin Woo is much closer and more meaningful than his falling in "love" with various young coworkers.

 

 

And that is the reason why I was wondering if I should root for him to be with her. There is something about Gi-jeong's openness and authenticity that has compelled him to break his usual pattern of behaviour. However, it could be that he has a lust for pretty young things because they do something for him who is trying to compensate for a character deficiency but Gi-jeong being closer to age is someone he can be frank with that he can't be with the latest pretty young thing that goes past his desk. Plus she doesn't make demands on him. What he has with Gi-jeong is the relationship of confidants and it doesn't necessarily follow that it will develop into something romantic. However, I wouldn't be surprised if he ends up falling for her. Regardless of where that's headed, their dynamic is doing Gi-jeong a lot of good. She hasn't been an easy person to like but because she's getting a sympathetic ear from somewhere, she's becoming a lot more thoughtful and self-aware. We all need cheerleaders in our lives. As a whole, she's becoming much more attractive person.

 

I do think that the aunts are going a bit too far in the way they are trying to make up for their niece's loss of a mother. Sure, the mother was irresponsible and thoughtless but I don't know if the approach that they're taking in raising her is really good for her in the long run. I don't think adults should revolve their lives around a single child (or any human being) for that matter because there are all kinds of in-built unrealistic expectations that come with that sort of burden. When she gets older the burden will be much clearer. She will feel responsible for how the adults in her life forwent their own needs for her. That's not the kind of burden a child should have to bear. She might not realise it now because she's young and her perspective is understandably narrow.

 

It seems to me that Gi-jeong and Tae-hun's endgame is much more in line with the bad first impression/misunderstanding trope to begin with. It's got all the elements of a classic romance but done in a more thoughtful fashion.

 

4 hours ago, stroppyse said:

 

I hope that there is more of a payoff for CH than the realization that having his hands on his dream car causes him to accept the rest of his unsatisfactory life. 

 

 

For me Chang-hee is someone who is a glass half-empty sort of guy and with one disappointment after another, who can really blame him. Life for him has been a veritable treadmill and the Rolls Royce was most likely the miracle he was waiting for. For a guy who couldn't even buy a cheap electric car fearing his father's disapproval, this was literally a gift from heaven. I find him quite perceptive but his wit is absolutely brutal.

 

To a large extent I am of the view Mr Gu is the miracle the family needed and they are the miracle he needed.

 

 

Edited May 12, 2022 by 40somethingahjumma

[abs-oluteM]

New stills -  looks like Gu's past is catching up with him...

[abs-oluteM]

Ohhhh are we gonna get a kiss? Or will this one of the shows that will have zero skinship right to the end ? 

Pre-released

 

New stills...the sweet moments before the angst 

[mademoiselle]

 

[abs-oluteM]

Finally a kiss! 

 

 

[stroppyse]

I really liked the kiss scene, both in the way that it happened, but also in the way that it was filmed. Okay, I think I have a serious crush on Gu, and it's even spilling onto the actor, Son Seok Goo, who I thought was good from watching his previous dramas, but wasn't crushing on before.

 

So, progress on all of the relationships as well as character developments.

 

TH tells KJ that he will date her, so she shouldn't shave her hair off. This comes after KJ had told TH about deciding that this year she would date anyone or else shave off her hair. Given TH's daughter and sisters, this should make for an interesting relationship.

 

MJ and Gu have drawn even closer together, and it seems that as Gu's past is catching up with him, there will be forces who want him to go back to that gangster lifestyle, including the head boss, but Gu is resisting. It seems that MJ is going to stick by Gu regardless, so I hope that Gu is also able to extricate himself from that life that he clearly doesn't want any more.

 

CH notes that with the Rolls Royce, he though that he would be driving around and showing it off to various people, but instead it's made him quieter, calmer, and more caring. He seems to be learning more about his own attitude towards material things now that he has custody of his heart's desire.

 

Interestingly enough, we learn a little bit more about Hyun Ah as well as KJ's boss. HA had been seeing a guy who was dying and gave him all of his money. His mother is a shrew who is mostly concerned about getting her son's money. HA tells her that she'll give the mother the money once her son is dead since right now he wants to see her so much, he gave her the money so that she would continue to visit him and be by his side. That mother is a piece of work and absolute trash.

 

As for the boss, he breaks up with his little, young thing. Hanging out with KJ and speaking with her seems to be changing his mind about what he really wants as well. The dating games that he used to relish are clearly wearing thin on him. I don't think that he and KJ will be together, but perhaps he can now look for a woman who can really be a partner to him rather than be the conquest in a chase.

[stroppyse]

Finally watched the Tick Talk Boom video by The Swoon. It was funny. It struck me though how SSG says that he feels he's more like CH while LMK is more like Gu. It definitely makes me realize that it's Gu that I have a crush on rather than SSG.

 

However, SSG is doing an excellent job of portraying Gu, especially with all of the non-verbal acting.

[abs-oluteM]

@stroppyse so you like the quieter types ? hahaah...me too. SSK did say in an interview that he and Gu are so different. 

 

The kiss - it was so dark and they did a far shot. Couldn't see a thing 

 

Pre-released

I am worried about them... Gu may go back to his world to protect MJ and the family

 

 

 

[ktcjdrama]

14 hours ago, stroppyse said:

TH tells KJ that he will date her, so she shouldn't shave her hair off. This comes after KJ had told TH about deciding that this year she would date anyone or else shave off her hair. Given TH's daughter and sisters, this should make for an interesting relationship.

This part caught my attention most for last night's episode. I really love how resolute he is in trying to date KJ. He was assertive with her sister to leave them alone, then repeat, or rather, continued with his proposal to date. Made me fall in love again with Lee Ki Woo. I somehow always fell for his charm. Yes, I'm looking forward to how their relationship will progress. 

 

12 hours ago, stroppyse said:

SSG says that he feels he's more like CH while LMK is more like Gu.

Not unbelievable. It really does seem like so. Both are so good in acting out their characters. 

 

19 hours ago, abs-oluteM said:

Finally a kiss! 

Okay, I have to ask. Does anyone here think they did more than just kissing? I mean, what's with MJ washing hair in the middle of the night scene then? Are we supposed to think more about it? 

 

[abs-oluteM]

Just now, ktcjdrama said:

Okay, I have to ask. Does anyone here think they did more than just kissing? I mean, what's with MJ washing hair in the middle of the night scene then? Are we supposed to think more about it? 

Since they shot it from so far...and then leave it to our imagination...I should think they did more than kiss. If not why show the scene right?  

[abs-oluteM]

I have not been as invested in the older sister's love line as much as I have for our Worship Couple. But I did really like how things turned out between Ki Jeong and Tae Hun. TH got my vote over the boss ( whom I actually quite like) because of his sincerity and how he stood up to his sister. The sister is too much - it is not her place to decide for a grown man who he meets or dates. And I disagree completely with how the sisters are devoting their lives for the niece. That is rubbish.

 

Suddenly I feel like Gu's underworld past & its repercussion on their future has turned this slice of life into a noir genre of sorts. The gang boss tracking  Gu down and asking him to return , and possibly being a threat to MJ and her family. Definitely didn't see this coming when I first started the show but I love it. The romance grips us even more  because it feels somewhat improbable , like 2 worlds colliding. Gu leaving the gang is not gonna be easy. And I think there's a possibility that they may not end up together. 

 

Ultimately this show is about liberation...the question is from what? From our material cares & concerns ? From how society judges us ? From expectations put on us by ourselves or our family? From our past?  Chang Hee for example, suddenly seems happier and "liberated". Ironically it happened when  he met the true love of his life - the Rolls Royce. LOL...But it isn't the car. The car isn't his to begin with. He didn't even show it off - something he thought he would have done.  So why does he suddenly seem so at peace with himself and his circumstances? 

 

[stroppyse]

11 hours ago, ktcjdrama said:

Okay, I have to ask. Does anyone here think they did more than just kissing? I mean, what's with MJ washing hair in the middle of the night scene then? Are we supposed to think more about it? 

 

Honestly, I'm not sure. On the one hand, they are healthy adults who are dating so why shouldn't it go further.

 

However, Gu already knows that he's in conflict between being where he is and returning to his life in Seoul. I feel as if Gu might have held back in case he has to leave MJ. He might have taken full advantage with any other woman, but I feel as if he wouldn't with MJ.

 

 

On to thoughts about today's episodes. I just sighed when Gu broke it off with MJ and returned to his life in Seoul. So many layers of thoughts and feelings that he must be having. He left his life in Seoul, but everyone there fully expected him to return, including the guys who used to work for him. The guy who finally comes down to talk to him about returning for the sake of their guys laid a thick guilt trip on Gu. Plus, Gu himself was having some serious thoughts about Baek, especially since Baek was not leaving him alone, not to mention Chairman Shin. However, his life in Seoul is not one that would suit MJ, and Gu knows that. It also didn't surprise me that Gu changed his phone number after MJ had told him that she would still call him from time to time.

 

So, I guess we're going to have a period of pain where Gu and MJ are apart.

 

I thought KJ and TH are super cute together. And, I guess that CH and HA may get together, looking at the preview for next week.

 

 

[stroppyse]

19 hours ago, abs-oluteM said:

@stroppyse so you like the quieter types ? hahaah...me too. SSK did say in an interview that he and Gu are so different. 

 

Yes, I prefer quieter types who only really talk when they have something to say.

 

The making for the kiss scene plus Gu trying to skip rocks and also Gu and MJ talking about how he tells her that he worships her. It's not translated, and I don't have time to translate the clip right now, but maybe later. At least you get to see the kiss better @abs-oluteM.

 

[abs-oluteM]

Thanks @stroppyse...I guess this film making was important lest we think they fake kissed 

LOL

 

 

[ktcjdrama]

Well, the ending of that Baek guy was so unexpected "easy" 

 

I feel that Gu was mourning (laughing) at his own "demise" as well because he left MJ and went back to his old life. I think he didn't have to say goodbye and return to Seoul had the death of Baek happened just a little sooner....?? Bad timing?

 

Edited May 17, 2022 by ktcjdrama

[abs-oluteM]

On 5/17/2022 at 4:06 PM, ktcjdrama said:

feel that Gu was mourning (laughing) at his own "demise" as well because he left MJ and went back to his old life.

That was how I interpreted it too. If there's anyone who needs to be in the Liberation Club, its him. MiJeong is honest about how she feels. On the other hand by choosing the go back to his old life and telling Mi Jeong that he'll be fine , he is lying to himself. Fortunately this separation happened in eps 12 and not in the last 2 episodes like some dramas!  I am hopeful that they will be reunited. That voice at the end calling out her name in the preview should be him right? 

[stroppyse]

On 5/17/2022 at 1:06 AM, ktcjdrama said:

I feel that Gu was mourning (laughing) at his own "demise" as well because he left MJ and went back to his old life. I think he didn't have to say goodbye and return to Seoul had the death of Baek happened just a little sooner....?? Bad timing?

 

Actually, Gu initiated the course of action that ended up with Baek being chased by the police. Gu told one of his men about Baek dealing in drugs. The guy told Gu that he was going to sic the police on Baek in order to take him down. Gu walked away without responding, but it seemed as if Gu had already started to think about going back to that life.

 

Because by that time, it wasn't Baek that Gu had to worry about. It was Chairman Shin who had asked Gu to come back, even though Gu had been non-commital. However, that may have been why Gu was worried for the SanPo people and made his decision to go back, because he was afraid of potential fall out from Chairman Shin who seems to be a much more powerful bad guy than Baek was.

 

5 hours ago, abs-oluteM said:

That was how I interpreted it too. If there's anyone who needs to be in the Liberation Club, its him. MiJeong is honest about how she feels. On the other hand by choosing the go back to his old life and telling Mi Jeong that he'll be fine , he is lying to himself.

 

I also agree that Gu was laughing at himself rather than at Baek. Gu probably thinks that his own ending might be something similar, in other words, a violent end of some kind from someone who wants to take his place killing him or setting him up to be taken down.

 

I think the only thing that I disagree with is that Gu is lying to himself. I think he's lying to MJ and I agree that he needs to be "liberated", however, I think that Gu knows what he's doing. I think he's doing it as much to protect MJ and her family from his former lifestyle as anything. And, he's going back to it because he's not sure of how to leave it permanently.

 

What he probably doesn't realize, however, is how much he'll miss MJ, her family, and the SanPo lifestyle that he had been living. not the earlier parts where he drank himself into oblivion, but later on as he became closer to MJ and her family.

 

I do think that Gu will figure out a way to extricate himself from that life, however, and be back with MJ and her family at some point. It's just difficult for a man who lives with violence to be able to step away from it, even if he wants to, because the others in the pack tend to not want him to step away, especially when he's their livelihood.

 

IMHO anyway.

[abs-oluteM]

@stroppyse @ktcjdrama This is so funny