My Liberation Notes

Three siblings live muted lives on the edge of resignation, each trying to shake off the dull routines that have come to define adulthood. Yeom Mi-jeong, Yeom Gi-jeong and Yeom Chang-hee cope with weariness in different ways, juggling jobs, family expectations and small, private disappointments. When a reserved man known as Mr. Gu appears, he becomes a quiet mirror for their hopes and frustrations, prompting subtle shifts in how they speak, act and imagine escape. The show favors small moments over big plot turns, focusing on interior change and the slow accumulation of choices that push ordinary people toward something like freedom, without revealing any climactic outcomes.

Released in 2022, My Liberation Notes was created by Park Hae-young and Kim Sok-yun, reflecting a sensibility rooted in character-driven storytelling and restrained, observational direction.

The series drew significant critical attention and landed on multiple outlets' year-end best-of lists, and several performances led to nominations at Korean television awards, highlighting the cast's strong reception among industry peers.

Its quiet, low-key scenes and long, honest conversations struck a chord online, prompting fans to quote lines, share personal reflections and create fan art. The show’s portrayal of mundane life and small rebellions resonated beyond typical K-drama fandom, influencing discussions about work-life pressure and emotional honesty in contemporary Korean society.

Critics generally praised the series for its patient pacing, nuanced performances by Lee Min-ki, Kim Ji-won, Son Suk-ku and Lee El, and its focus on intimacy over spectacle. With a user vote average of 7.872/10 from 86 votes, viewers often mention the show's realism, its themes of alienation and quiet yearning, and the way it treats family obligation and the search for meaning as ongoing, everyday struggles rather than melodramatic crises.