Not everyone is going to like this show, but man I did. If you are looking for a classic kdrama with flashy leads and romantic kdrama moments like CLOY, this is not it. But if you are looking for a perfect ordinary slice-of-life story that feels so real, this is it. My Liberation Notes revolves around perhaps the most ordinary family I have come across in Korean television. This is not however a story where ordinary people meet a rich CEO or a handsome demigod, no, they remain ordinary and interact with the local alcoholic. So I would advise going into this show knowing that, and also that this kdrama is slow. Yes it is slow, it is hard to deny that, but if you stick with it and aren't mentally in a hurry, then it pays off so well. The messages in this story are something that feels so real. It is about normal adults living their lives but failing to find fulfillment, and they sort of drift through their lives in a state of mundanity and repetition. You have to watch it to really understand what I am talking about, but it really should resonate with many people. These people are not really traumatized or deeply depressed, they are just sick of the state of their lives and want to find something deep. The Liberation Club in the show where this topic is discussed was done very well, and I actually wished they had more of it.
I keep using the word "ordinary" because this show is amazing because it takes the ordinary and makes it great: that is the strength of this show. It does not rely on cliches or fiction, it builds a hyper-realistic setting, and turns it into something amazing. Yes, a lot of this show is a family silently eating dinner at dusk, and in the beginning there is remarkably little dialogue, but this review cannot do it justice. If you want something new in a drama, and are willing to be patient, this show is very memorable and will deliver something truly special and resounding to so many, especially in the world we live in.