Fuck you...... but I love you 25/21!

I'm absolutely livid at that last bit they showed at that ep finale!!! Why the fuck would you rub salt on my wound??? I'm never recovering from this betrayal ever. All that fan theories I read and held on to with the biggest hopes have been dashed.. ARGHHHHHHH I'm so miserable...

DEEP BREATHSSS

There was a big moment that stood out to me from ep 16 (apart from that nasty bit at the very end)...The scene in between the episode in the tunnel where they thrash out their issues. It felt so real and emotional I almost forgot I was watching a show. I've never ever felt that the stuff I was watching was actually being played out in real life. It was really a strange feeling to lose it for a few seconds. I truly believed in that moment where they were breaking up and then Heedo asks Yijin if he ever loved her and he is incredulous and angry at the question. Then as she leaves, he calls out to her twice. That entire scene was brilliant.

I don't want to make this all about the fucking finale but I do want to say that despite my deep anger and desire to curse the writer/director this very moment, I think they are amazing and I loved this show with all my heart. After a slew of uninspiring, boring shows that I have been watching recently, this one was excellent and jam packed with all that makes a drama beautiful, loved and enduring.

Kim Taeri, I have loved you ever since I watched Little Forest and The Handmaiden. Nam Joohyuk, I thought you were just eye-candy and I'm sorry I didn't respect your talent apart from enjoying your work in Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok Soo.

Now I think you both are the greatest thing since sliced bread. The characters of Na Heedo and Baek Yijin are tailor made for you.

I love all the other characters - Go Yurim, Moon Jiwoong, Ji Seungwan. I love the fan/rival/friend relationship between Heedo and Yurim. I love the friendship of Jiwoong and Seungwan. I loved how Heedo's mother was such a career woman. I loved Yijin's mom being so openly and deeply in love with her husband.

The writer/s did an amazing job taking us back to the time of the South Korean financial crisis and showing us how it impacted the people there.

I can't write anymore because my heart hurts and I'm angry about the ending. But let me put on my mature and subjective hat on for this sentence and admit that the story did not NOT make sense. Not every love story gets a happy ending and that's okay. I just have never wished so hard for a Korean drama to be cliche. I will never ever take that for granted now.

Let me go back to crying and mending my broken heart,

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Lately, I've been feeling this urge to whittle down my material possessions. Why do I say this here? Because seeing Miso lug around her suitcases while dealing with homelessness but remaining calm and collected is making me double down on that feeling. Why do we think we need so much stuff? Miso leads an unconventional life. The rising costs has her cutting down on expenses. She needs a place to stay. She stays with friends who have normal conventional lives - marriage, family, career, nice living arrangements, money.

But as viewers we are made to question if unhappy or discontented people stuck in the conventional trappings of life are any better than people who seemingly have it worse? Why is it okay/better/smarter to choose a house over cigarettes and whisky? I mean, yes, there are going to be many arguments for a safe, secure living quarter. But I think the bigger question should be why is everything so expensive and why should people who make less money have to struggle and scrimp and save all their lives and forgo what they enjoy just to have a roof over their heads, medicine, and food? Life is hard enough as it is. I'm happy Miso enjoys her smoke and her drink of whisky.

The director did a great job with this movie. Each character was interesting to me. There's so much we can talk about, discuss, ponder over because of this movie.

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Watch for the story, the characters, the direction

I don't think I will be able to say anything others haven't already said about this show. But here goes a few of my thoughts on what makes this drama so excellent.

When I started watching the show, I plunged into it deeply. However, I was surprised to read people on Twitter say that they can see how some viewers might balk at the slow pace of the show which might be boring to them. I found nothing boring or even slow about it. Somehow the pace was perfect for me.

I recognise that the pace is definitely slow but it felts more on the measured side of the scale rather than the boring side. I only harp on this because there are soooo many shots and scenes that bring forth the mundanity of life but does it in such a subtle but also impactful way that one has no option but to take notice of it. I don't know if I have ever seen anything that did this.

I loved the characters. That's all I will say. Please enjoy meeting them and getting to know each one. You are in for a treat!

One thing I wanted to highlight was the actor Lee Min Ki - not because he did better than any other actor but because this role made me see him in a new light. I watched him in Because This is My First Life but I didn't really like him then. Every time I saw that he was in a drama or a show, I would feel mehhh - and I admit I had reservations when I learnt he was cast in this drama. But he was really really good here. This is what happens when the magical formula of story, casting and acting come together!

I love how the writer made the characters flawed - not black and white. I think I am at this stage in life where I am very interested in rejections and failures and flaws. It is nice to see nice, good people, of course. But meeting people who harbour grudges, are scared, talk shit about others feels real and comforting sometimes.

I went into My Liberation Notes without research. I didn't know what the show was going to be about. I loved the experience of watching it.

I am not one to rewatch stuff. But I will get to watching this show again.

Thank you to the writer and the director. They have done an extremely amazing job.

To those who will get to watch My Liberation Notes for the first time, I am very jealous of you. :)

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Jeon Mido did good work here!

I enjoyed Jeon Mido's acting here. I'm a fan! The other actors were good, too, but she stood out to me.

What I enjoyed the most about the show was how it showed women in the cusp of turning 40 acting like lil kids with their families. That was really cute to me hahaha.

The story was quite interesting. I'm not sure the script did full justice but it is worth checking out. The thing I liked about the ending was how the characters went about their lives as usual - there was pain but time doesn't stop for anyone and nor does life. This is both a bitter truth and a bit of solace, I think.

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life is hard!!

A slow paced movie filled with so much character. The protagonist was a no nonsense strong girl. I was actually kinda inspired by her lol..

The story follows a young girl who grew up in an orphanage and now has stepped into adulthood. She is studying something related to child care at college. She needs some extra money so she takes up a job as a babysitter for a single mother who is in dire straits herself.

I think the movie perfectly shows how life can be so hard for mothers, especially single moms who are struggling financially. The movie also highlights people who grow up in orphanages and the bond those who grew up together can form. There is a scene that was absolutely heartbreaking to me where one of the guys from the orphanage passes away and everyone in the friend group runs after the van carrying his body and breaks down on the road as the body is taken somewhere else to be taken care off coldly without a proper goodbye - just because he had no family of his own. The others cry and beg to be allowed to give him a burial and scream how they are his family but the law is the law and there is nothing to be done.

It is a movie worth watching. I had issues with the subtitles pacing which took away some parts of my enjoyment otherwise would have enjoyed it more.

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A struggle!

Omg, couldn't wait for this show to finish. The main characters and the lady who is his wife in his fresh start life were so annoying. I preferred the first and the last three episodes over all the others. The man was too wrapped up in his own problems in the beginning. And when he got his second chance life, he was too meek to stand up to his annoying new wife. The new wife was a super irritating character - felt very one dimensional and almost a caricature of a rich, spoiled person. The main female character (the guy's original wife LOL) was someone I could empathise with in the beginning. However, I felt that the writer tried too hard to make her this 'cool chick'. I'm just glad the show is finally over. The only good thing about this show is that the guy finally learns his lesson and becomes a better partner.

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acting's superb!

The story had me soo confused. But I couldn't look away from this drama. There was aliens and then a religious cult. Was wondering what the heck is going on even till the last minute.

BUT...it somehow still ties together so well.

The acting is so good from each and every cast member. But Jeon Yeo Been is phenomenal. I am a big fan of Nana due to her drama Into The Ring so I was so happy to see her and she was fantastic. Her character felt written for her. The chemistry between the girls was amazing. But I have to come back to Jeon Yeo Been. It felt like she got progressively better in each episode. The last thing I watched of hers was Vincenzo and to be honest I didn't really enjoy that drama all too much. I think this was especially because I remembered her too fondly from Be Melodramatic. However, she has displayed a whole range of new acting abilities here. Every expression on her face was believable to me. I hope more people watch this drama.

Also, one more thing I want to point out is how much I loved the makeup or the lack of it. It felt authentic to the characters and the situations they were going through. Please no more nonsensical glamour where the scenes do not require it.

I still wonder what the heck happened to the character Lee Si Guk. The aliens took him? But why? And why to Thailand? I will need to read through other people's reviews to figure stuff out, I guess.

Oh, I also enjoyed the humour and the music in the drama.

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funny, nice one

It was funny. Definitely worth a watch! I took some time to complete this because my experience was hampered by poor subs placement but overall, I still had an enjoyable time.

I liked the humour. The characters had this straight face while saying/doing some hilarious things which made it more enjoyable to me as a viewer. heheh...The fight scenes were great. I liked the violence that came across as effortless in many of the scenes.

The most memorable part for me was the fight at the end where the two super talented (at combat) ladies had the great showdown. Got chills for a second or two there!

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rooting for Ja young!

I truly enjoyed the movie. I could feel Ja young's drained energy. I could feel the exhaustion that was her life. Both the Ja Young and Hyun Joo are complex creatures - as are most human beings. I loved the part where they talk about wanting to have sex. That conversation was so out of the blue and carried on in a matter of fact way.

I think I can see how viewers would find movies like this boring. One needs to be in a similar place in life or have gone through this phase in life to appreciate this kind of story/movie, I believe.

I also saw people discussing how this movie has lesbian undertones. While that could be true to some extent, i saw it as Ja Young seeing Hyun Joo as some sort of a fascinating, aspirational person. However, it is interesting to view the movie as Ja Young tentatively exploring a new side to life and sexuality.

I hope she has a good life. That she is happy.

Life is tough. Society has certain rules that we all seem bound to cling to. I think there is a tremendous freedom in breaking away from what is expected and just doing whatever the heck we want.

Also, I love that this has so much running. I want to want to run. lol.

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Brilliant

Cried buckets. This is a fine piece of storytelling. I haven't watched the Japanese version of this story but I don't think I will because this one put me through the wringer. I loved the care given to the characters. There were so many layers to each character and I enjoyed the slow peeling off of the stories. I disliked many people in the story but somehow they all redeemed themselves quickly.

The acting was top notch. I truly loved the child actor. She was phenomenal. From the start to the end, she did a splendid job portraying this interesting character.Where does one start to talk about Hye-Na / Yoon-Bok? This sensitive, street-smart kid who desperately wanted love. Who could lie so easily. Who held deep wounds but who was so willing to love and trust, again. The titular character could feel bland at first glance but she has a lot of depth and is one of those 'still water runs deep' type of person. The actor suited the role perfectly.

I also loved how the mother and child had really honest conversations. There was no sugar-coating.

The drama did a great job of exploring the many facets of motherhood. It's not always peaches and cream. But it's not all black and white either. And not all women have the motherly instinct as soon as they become biological mothers. Some women need partners in orderto be a good, responsible parent. Some others do not need a man,. That's just how the world is.

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opened my eyes

....to the fact that I should stop forcing myself to complete mediocre shows just because I am halfway through them. That's the biggest epiphany I had whilst watching this.

Now let's come around to this show. There were a few mind-blowing things. I started this on the assumption that it is an adaptation of Mindhunter. Only found out towards the end that it is based on the book by Korea's first criminal profiler. And the fact that Kim Nam Gil was in Pandora. Damn! I just couldn't make the connection. He's done a really stellar job of acting here.

The cases were gruesome. The criminals were scary (and I even found one very pitiful ...eeekss). I was wishing for a 'normal' criminal...as in someone who doesn't have wild eyes and crazy behaviour from the get go...And there the person appeared. So yes, the show covered a range of cases and types of criminals.

Loved seeing the Behavioural Analysis Team camaraderie and growth.

Anyway, this is a great show. Would love a second season.

And I finally dumped all the other boring shows that I was forcing myself to watch. Life's too short.

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Disappointing and less than mediocre

In short - the story was shit, the acting was not very good, the main two leads were good looking and had some sort of chemistry.

Goodness, this is the worst drama I have watched this year by a long shot...What's with the story? Too many elements thrown into what turned out to be a crazy stupid plot. The beginning was kind of interesting and I stayed watching because of the cute actors (yes, I am superficial like that!). It was funny at places and that made it kind of fun. Then I started losing all sense of what the overall story was supposed to be. The antagonist at the beginning was lost during the middle and was made to pop up during the final episodes, so very conveniently just to tie the loose ends.

The historical, past life bits were fucking annoying. Some side characters were irritating and I wished them to be gone from my screen. The main leads, as I mentioned earlier, were eye candy and that's why tolerable but oh god I have some gripes for them as well. The female lead started grating on me with her childish way of speaking. Like please!!! The writers and directors need to start treating their main leads like proper adults pleaseee..The main lead's acting felt like 'acting' in so many places and it irritated me to see him not working even thought he's supposed to be a lawyer. I think this was because I recently watched a couple of lawyer-judge type dramas where it's more realistic..

Anyway, conclusion is this is like a bubblegum candy type drama that will ignite your interest in the first couple of episodes and then leave you feel vastly disgruntled at how fucking boring and mediocre it is.

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Life and the human condition

Just finished watching this. There are upsetting, gut wrenching moments in this drama - just like our lives are peppered with them. But thankfully, there are some truly heartwarming moments that do make up for the other times our hearts are left broken.

The entire cast and crew are brilliant. Just a tremendous piece of storytelling and art brought to life. So many standout moments in this show. Please read everyone's reviews of this drama.

I've watched a couple of Han Ji Min's works and her characters have always come off as slightly different from the usual rom-com Kdrama female leads - not as cutesy or charming, a bit stern and 'straight' type of character. At first I didn't like her character of Young-ok. But I came to truly like Han Ji Min the actor as she was portraying this role. Even towards the end Young-ok wasn't my favourite but I'm glad the writer created such a character.

So, not every character was truly likeable but that's life. Nothing everyone gets a cathartic moment but that's life. And I guess that's the pinnacle of beauty in this show. The good, the bad, the ugly - brought to life, tussled with, leaving people healed, and also leaving others a lil bit broken but strong enough to move on.

There's something about this drama that just left me scratching my head at the beginning but before I knew it, everything clicked. The pieces of the puzzle fit in so snuggly, it was like nothing was ever out of place. I think many viewers will feel the same way. Whether it was the way the storytelling in the beginning or some of the characters or just a general feeling that the show was emitting. This could also act as a metaphor to this thing called life, the human condition. A bit of unease and confusion at times but sometimes it all clicks into place and all feels right with the world.

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Need a feminist retelling!

The entire time I was watching this, I was imagining a feminist retelling of this story. I think it would be absolutely brilliant if some writer were to devote their talent to writing one focusing on the lives of the women - the court ladies and the rich/royal ones.

Coming back to the drama, I found the story absolutely tragic. Both the leads led sad lives - bound by duties and norms expected of their standing in society.

The romance was a bit one-note. I can't believe with the power the royals wielded over their court ladies and, of course the way things were back in those days, that the male lead always treated the female lead with the respect and care shown in the drama. That felt a bit too unrealistic.

But I'm glad I watched it because it brought me to the the star of this story which is definitely the women and their lives. Sorry this is less a review about the drama and more my blabbering about the story. The Fairy Palace or whatever it was called was fascinating. The fact that court ladies were set free to live in the public after whoever was their master died. The fact that court ladies weren't allowed to fall in love with someone else, that it was 'adultery'.

There is just too much potential to be a fantastic book a la 'The Silence of the Girls'.

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