bedifferent
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8 hours ago, the_sweetroad said:
Yes! The show kept making a big deal that it was going to be New Year soon (the flash-forward, the banner in Ep 16 that showed a cafe was about to open on New Year's, etc), and this happening for Gu would be very cool.
I hear what you're saying, but I think it could work if Gu has decided to step out of the club business, and finally seek help for his alcoholism. She's stronger than him, but sometimes we need stronger people in our weakest moments, who can help lift us up. Then when we're stronger, we can be more equal. And Gu is strong in ways MJ is not, in that he's willing to confront bad behavior, speak up, and protect people (like going after the miser in Sanpo). She could learn some of that from him.
Ahhh, there is also that New Year eve club scene. With the non linear way the drama progresses, I'm trying to figure if it happened before or after episode 16. If it was to mark the time Gu quits the business, he would have walked away without getting into the car. His outfit, coat and all, feel more constraint than the casual jacket he has on the last scene. Obviously it would be cool if it marked a new beginning for Gu.
MJ and Gu's relationship seems complimentary for me as well. In My Mister, Dong Hun was the person whom Ji-An leaned on initially; but as we learned later, they both saved each other. I think the same theme was repeated in this drama. MLN makes me think of what I want from my own relationship - non judgmental, supportive partner who steers me to make the right choices and be a better person. At this moment, Gu is lacking in many ways compared to MJ. Yet, she understands beyond the present cuz the hilltop scene could have been her vision. The scene where both sprinting freely to witness the flight of the birds. In that moment, Gu extends his arm to protect MJ so I believe he can be strong for her once he conquered his demons.
I wonder if Papa Yeom would want the kids to live in Sanpo. He would for sure welcome their visits, especially with grand kids.
6 hours ago, Codomo said:I enjoy dramas that are closer to reality and touches on hardships in life (with strong male and female characters). Other similar ones are like My Mister, Dear My Friends, Misaeng and Live. I am currently enjoying Our Blues too. Pls recommend if you know any dramas of similar genre.
So this liberation idea, I honestly think it becomes easier with age and wisdom. I identify with the idea of changes can be small steps at a time, it's an ongoing personal challenge. The more you shed, the easier it is to do the next one as you have lightened your load. It's also ok to regress, reassess life once in while, start a new journal and reboot the Liberation Club.
If you have time, you may enjoy?
SpoilerMove to Heaven, My Unfamiliar Family, The Light in Your Eyes (from the same PD as Liberation Notes), Reply 1988 (the Reply series), Because It is My First Life
Other honorable mentions: Navillera, When the Camellia Blooms, Mother, Hospital Playlist season 1
If you want to try other genre or period piece... I like Mr Sunshine, Kingdom series, Stranger season 1 (Forest of Secrets), Hospital Playlist season 1, Prison Playbook, Youth of May, Mother
2 hours ago, Skysky said:Lee min ki also killed it with CH role, In interview he said he is actually really quiet and don't talk too much so Gu character is more him than CH, but he nailed with talkactive and annoying CH
I so agree with you here
I feel CH is his most memorable role so far. He has quite a range, I thought he excels in offbeat, slice of life.. much more impressive in serious dramatic roles. His role in Because it's My First Life was unparallel. I also read that Son Suk Ku and Lee Ki Woo expressed interests in playing CH. However Park Hae Young casted LMK for the role. He was stellar, perfect casting.
@jus-ashyour post, thank you! love it. Thanks for the giraffe infos. CH is the best boy, your assessment of him is great! Especially the part in knowing what matters as you mature. The validation and acceptance is first toward yourself. You are right, Gu's relationship toward the boss is not authentic nor is it balanced in power. The symbiotic relationship is pretty toxic. It's a blessing in a way, Gu was quite jaded with people through his business yet he can still notice the light within MJ even while she was struggling.
I want to thank you for letting me air my thoughts. I have not posted for a while in soompi. MLN triggers a bunch of emotions that I have to share with you all. Great lessons learned here.
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4 hours ago, Codomo said:
He sacrificed his promising sweet potato oven business just to be next to a dying friend. Just to give this friend the comfort to leave in peace. That was such a powerful scene. (By the way, I read some comments here that he is paying the loan for his father or for his convenience store. It was actually for his failed sweet potato oven business.)
4 hours ago, Codomo said:I also think that the siblings' father decided to remarry not because he needed someone to take care of him but he wanted to free his children from the responsibility of taking care of him. This was the only way that they could leave Sanpo to pursue their dreams and career without the guilt of leaving their father behind. He is not a person who will visit dermatologist to make him look good for a woman (this was told by CH to his friends).
Thanks for the correction. I went back and watched the episode again. What CH said was that he has to suck up and pay off the 2.8mil won debt in fear his step mom will regret the marriage due to his money woe. He then assures his friends that stepmom must feel at ease knowing that at least his father owns the land. CH's view of money somewhat has changed. Money still represents security but he realizes that he must not be its slave. Change his spending habits, save more, pay off debts... instead of running the race at work, trying to make more money to buy things. CH's perspective has changed. I read somewhere that there are many Christian symbolisms attached to Mr. Gu, I also see hints of Buddhism teachings in CH's journey in finding his own nirvana.
I LOL when CH admits to himself that the adult thing to do is to know when to hold your words. This is a guy who overshares his bowel habits, speaks his thoughts unfiltered at times.
I agree that it was the father who wants to marry again to free his children. He realizes his wife's tireless devotion to the family, to him especially, was a sacrifice that should not be imposed onto his kids. He prolly doesn't want CH to be serving and having dinner with him nightly as well. So he remarries quickly to liberate them. It's his reply to CH's beach confession of "I love you". I feel sad for the stepmom. The man still sits in a different room watching TV while she sits in the dark admiring the falling snow. GJ teared up at the scene, seeing a little of her future self with TH in them. I also have to mention that I really like the stepmom's acknowledgment of CH's effort. Her simple praise of "you have done well" The warm way which it was delivered, CH's typical quiet grace. Both of them accepting the concern that was never verbalized but understood. A contrast to how the Yeom parents usually discuss their children's mistakes at the dinner table.
8 hours ago, chickfactor said:Chang-hee and Hyeon-ah:
Why did they break up? Hyeon-ah is a pretty damaged person who always dates problematic guys. She's always involved in a lot of drama in her relationships. And Chang-hee tells her, when he breaks up with her, that he intends to live a normal life running a convenience store, etc. I.e., he will not be one of those high-drama guys who she has screaming, throwing-stuff fights with. So that's why their relationship ended.
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8 hours ago, chickfactor said:His daughter and his sister Gyeong-seon are not going to magically become nicer towards Gi-jeong. But she is a part of their lives. When she skips church, they bicker about it with each other, and Gyeong-seon instinctively stops at a street stand that sells egg bread, because Gi-jeong once said she liked it, until they remind her that she is not with them.
Their unkind word hurts Gi-jeong. He buys her a broken rose. But she will soak that broken rose in a small dish because she is the one who catches the severed head, the one who sacrifices. She helpfully tells him he buttoned his coat wrong, and he is grateful he told her, has a goofy grin on his face, and then buttons his coat wrong again.
She is living the life that she chose with the man that she chose. And I guess that's enough for her.
Mi-jeong and Gu:
... And he should be furious with Hyeon-jin and chase him. But he forgave him, and let it go.
HA needs excitement in her life. She who must fill her days with busyness doesn't seem to fit the kind of guy who likes to contemplate at mountain top. CH is content with leading a mundane quiet life diligently. Not the kind of man who would be high spending the night club life with her. CH is somewhat non confrontational in nature which contrasts with HA's fiery personality. There are many personality differences between them, honestly less jarring for me than the fact that they don't actually love each other. At least not the passionate kind of love or life that HA is attracted to. CH's proposing to HA is like a pact between 2 friends who settle for each other if neither find the right partner when they are older.
GJ is both sad and courageous at the same time. Some people may say she needs self love, to give herself more respect in a relationship. I thought GJ's point about defining her emotions was so true. The feelings she has for TH is a mix of everything. Love is not the only reason why she is unable to leave. She loves the part of him that is upright and decent even though his familial obligations and weakness hurt her. I feel sorry that she has settled to lighten his load, to be his supporter instead of depending on him to support her. But I also understand that she is a strong person who accepts the challenge and believes she can fight for both of them. That in itself is admirable. In a way, she is her mother's daughter. I hope she will not sacrifice her life the same way. How tired it is to have to vigilantly protect and nurture your broken flower bud all the time.
LOL, thanks for mentioning the word chase. You reminded me of the foot chase between Gu and CH. I love that scene, so funny!!! The old Gu chased over the damages done to his car but not this new and improved Gu against the man who knocked him off with a coffee pot. Maybe someday, Mr Gu will meet CH again. Both show they still have each other in mind as Gu asked Mj about her brother that night.
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3 hours ago, jus-ash said:
I also love how self-aware MJ is ... that too, is so impt in life. She would be natural-good as a therapist - just with her observations about pple and great advice: unjudgemental, meetings folks where they're at, baby steps, finding small daily highlights etc
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The Coin - a coin has 2 sides. The fact it rolled but did NOT fall inside the gutter - sitting there balancing ... it's a positive sign.
...
BUT we can take hope that it's UPlifting to him that one person - that impt person in his life MJ, finds him adorable, in his bleak life.
Sorry to cut your posts. I agree with so many points that you made. Thanks for sharing.
Mr Gu learning from MJ on how to address the demons in his head. Instead of drinking to make the voices go away, he confronted the first one that appeared in his head when he woke up. The hyung that ghosted him, took the money, and left him to answer to the boss. He forgave him, cleaned out his drawers to pay off the debt. Whether Mr Gu will leave the the profession is left open ended.
But, what I found brilliant in the writing and directing is the little moment at the elevator when he left the apartment. The first seconds of happiness of his day. A little girl in the elevator tip toed to hold the elevator doors open for him. Kindness from her gave Mr GU seven seconds of happiness. This is tied to MJ's explanation of how she gained 7 seconds of happiness when she received thanks for holding the door opened for a girl. He begins to notice the little blessings in his life, enough to tally up the daily positives to keep him going.
The coin is measly 500 won, very little value. It represents Mr Gu's self worth. For him who sees his life not a lot of value, this reminds him that it still is worth saving. The fact that the coin rolled and ended up on the head side with the bird is also random. Such as life. However, it is a liberating sign for Mr Gu, accidental in nature like what happened with CH.
3 hours ago, jus-ash said:Marriage isn't the happily ever after finale. As Rom-Coms do, and fans who expect that. (they often want the wedding,marriage, babies ... like it's an end all to happily forever after).
...
Singles can be fine on their own. Winners are NOT the necc the glitzy packages the world worships or validates They can come in many different ways, although not deemed Winners.'
I really like the relationships we see in the drama, romantic, familial, friendship, etc.
As for CH, his break up in the beginning dramatically differed from the end with HA. In the past, he would need an explanation, often blamed himself inward for his lackings, referenced them to his characters, finance or baggages. The arguments were loud and passionate, as the talkative person CH was prior. At the end, his talks were more forgiven, non argumentative and gracefully balanced. His tone of voice is reasonable, he left the door open for HA to return, refused to assign blame to his partner. It's the best non happily ever after ending.
I have to wonder if watching Return to Paradise as a young boy influenced CH's outlook on life. It may have shaped his character as a young boy. He identifies and wants help others in time of need like the character. HA is the friend who seems loyal but is absent when the time called. CH was the one not close to the man but willing to accept the personal sacrifice just because it was the right thing to do. I love how the writer insert this info toward the end of the drama. It's as if to remind us that CH always had this humanity in him but it took a while for him to discover it. Perhaps his challenging life is after all a trial and warm up. It's the reason for his journey. He's the unlikely hero and winner.
The three guys' relationship is precious. They changed but the essence of their relationship stays the same. CH no longer the talkative wisdom spewing friend. He knows how to mince his words, choose his sayings, and stays silence when needed. The secret of the ovens, how he chose to do the right thing over his career... how he knows his silence will keep the respect his friends have for HA. His relationship to HA could not survive the guilt she harbors but CH is the most loyal friend anyone could have asked for.
I also thought it was great that CH realizes the importance his sacrifice that day and took pride in it. He's proud of what he did, there's no need to validate it by telling others.
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31 minutes ago, the_sweetroad said:
Ah, is that the loan that he was paying off? I had thought he had had a bank loan to purchase his convenience store, and he was paying that off. But helping his dad and stepmom pay off the mortgage would make sense as well - that's why they were so grateful. (Or do you think he mortgaged the land so he could purchase the convenience store?)
I'm sorry, I only watched each episode once so can someone confirm? When MJ's secret was revealed at the table, GJ mentioned why she would make the same mistake as their father lending money to his sister. I believe he allowed her to use their farm land as collateral for a loan. The aunt never paid back and the family's land is owned by the bank. CH makes sure to buy back their farmland for his dad to ensure that the stepmom stays to take care of the older man. He knew the father would be left alone when they leave to Seoul, thus the facial and push for him to get married. His father can never be ok living alone. The drama even gives the character a stroke diagnosis to highlight it.
The drama makes a good point at reminding us that we must be and can be happy as individual. The idea of "one", stressed by Mr. Gu, MJ... that we don't need to depend on others or be in a codependence relationship to be happy.
I love how the father verbalized to CH that it is ok to be a bachelor, that he is stronger than his father and will be content/happy without tying himself to a doomed relationship. CH's mindset has changed from the beginning of the drama to the end at the last break up. I think CH was surprised that his father feels the same. They are more similar than he thought.
I also thought the drama made an excellent case of co-dependency with GJ. How she still can't find the courage to be alone when she is 50 despite the drama telling her twice. Once with the lady in the resto who overheard and corrected her on fearing turning 50s. I really like how she feels age is just a number and it's more important to live in the presence. Life is too fleeting to be reminded of its constrictions. The second time is with her divorce friend who reminded GJ of how she feels liberated being single again. Not missing the family obligations and limitations in having to compromise with her hsb. I wish GJ has the courage to be on her own. TH cannot change, he only feels free to express himself when he is drunk. His life is suffocating with responsibilities and family that he doesn't even wish to bring another child into this world. It's not a life that is healthy but GJ is a woman who cannot will herself to leave an unhealthy relationship. She is the head pick up girl that will always support her man. Picking up the dropped rose head is symbolic. She would never be able to receive a love that is whole but she is willing herself to believe that is all she are allotted to in her love life. It's such a sad testament and contrasts to the other 2 siblings. She will always make excuses for TH, texting him encouraging msgs even though she feels otherwise. Even when she reminds him of missing a button on the coat, he still makes the same mistake when trying to redo. TH may not be capable of change.
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I am a silent reader of the thread, been watching writer's works, and of course, My Mister. I thought the ending as opened as it is, very fitting to the storytelling and our characters.
MLN once again champions the idea of self worth, of happiness treasured in personal victories measured by us (with no need to validate against society) and in whatever little steps we need to take to appreciate the beauty and reasons in the mundane. The siblings treading through whatever life threw at them and coming out "enlightened", liberated, dealing with them in their own ways, are admirable and commendable beyond any words. It doesn't mean all achieve the happy endings Kdramas and us are used to. Where they end in episode 16 gives me hope that they and we can endure life to even come out better people because of it. They are who they are because of the last 16 episodes.
My favorite character is Chang Hee. I love how the bond between CH and Mr Gu are again and again illustrated by the coins and mountains. Both lives revolve around money and self worth.
CH began the drama tying his purpose and happiness to materialistic things (ie car, promotion)... his belief that he can liberate himself by moving to Seoul, in which money can give him peace or respect, was always at odd with his inherent caring nature. He does what no other managers do, be available to listen to his clients' personal problems, even after hour. It's more than just an intuitive connection to people in their time of need, It is what he was meant to do and what fulfills him. When he finally got the car, it taught him lessons that wealth and materialistic things bring its own headache. I love how the car gives him happiness because it gives him the mean to physically escape to places (mountains, beaches) away from his current place/problem in life. He didn't use the car to validate himself in society the way I thought of.
He instantly stepped up to fill the void left by his mum, caring for the family and esp his dad, after her passing. CH silently shouldering and taking over paying off the loan to retain their farm/land to ensure his dad is taken care of. The part where he broke down looking at the mountain, finally giving himself the validation that his diligence and ordinariness are more than the one coin that he keeps telling himself is absolutely amazing. For so long, he considers himself unimportant (because of his failure, of what his parents regards him as, of his place in society)... so that he can keep trudging on. Seeing CH liberated himself from feeling this way to find peace and self worth is just the greatest thing. He is not the coin but the mountain... and reaching to the top has enlightened him. It is with this universe-larger-than-life, with its mysterious working, that CH found himself becoming who he was searching for. His happiness, his purpose in society, it's the career that he was looking for is in the funeral services.
Coming full circle, the hyung that he admires, Mr Gu, also found himself staring at a life worth 500 won coin in balance on the grate. The decision was thrusted upon Gu to either pick himself up and change or keep doing the same to fall further into the dark abyss of his current life. The fight at the club, his hyung taking off with the money, the shut down of the club gave him a way out of his host life. But he was still an alcoholic with the last stop for the bottle. Dropping the coin off his pocket when he stuffed in his bottle was an epiphany, marking an important moment for Gu. It's either keeping the bottle with him or picking up the coin, his coat pocket can't store both. One has to go. He chose to leave the bottle and pick up his coin. He chose his life.
I was absolutely touched with the scene where the step mom sit in the dark with GJ. I though it was so lovely to watch the first snow with the one you love. The step mom's happiness is so pure and for the first time, GJ appreciates her presence and love.
Whether Mr Gu actually meets MJ is open to interpretation. Personally, I think Mr Gu will take time off to deal with his alcoholism and will call MJ in the future when he is at a better place. The 10-sessions remark seem to hint it.
I love how episode 16 ends with the idea that things happen for a reason and that we can adapt to live with the changes we are faced. Everything is constant and changing. But we are the better people for passing through even the darkest days.
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The current mystery for me besides the identity of the present Chimera is Eugene’s father. Who is he? I am assuming Eugene=Dasom. Mrs Cha = Ryu Sung Hee, being a single mom would be difficult especially when she is a full time researcher so someone has to be helping her with childcare. It does make sense that she is involved with chairman Seo romantically to allow others to take credit for her works. Have we agree that Jae Hwan is CEO Seo’s son? So is Eugen also Seo’s daughter?
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Shucks, I was hoping for a Netflix broadcast!
Looking forward to this one. The trailer looks good, give me My Mister feels. I can’t remember when I last saw Jeon Do Yeon in a drama!
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Episode 4 was great! It's the one that sold me on Racket Boys. I watched Move To Heaven prior, was very impressed with Tang Joon Sang's performance so I kept an eye out this drama. I'm glad his Hae-kang is a departure from Geu-Ru, a smart choice for a young actor to make, as we get to see his versatility and range. I agree with those who mentioned the first 2 episodes was not super engaging but by Episode 4, just like Hae-kang, we too develop a bond with the town folks and the badminton boys.
Hae-kang is a kind boy at heart but his childhood was peppered with disappointments in human nature. It starts with his feeling of abandonment, a resentment that his mom chose her career over family, leaving his father navigating as a single parent. I suspect, we have not been told as viewers yet, that her remote coaching job was born out of necessity to provide for the family. They were not financially stable (buying burgers for the badminton team was not an easy feat for coach Kim) so they both must made the sacrifice to take on coaching jobs apart from each other. Sure, Hae-Kang doubts his mother love for him and faulted her for not being present as a mom. We see it in the first few episodes. I really like how his mom acknowledged his feelings, apologized for her absence and gave him space to reconcile on his own terms. I thought it was quite a different portrayal of the mother son dynamics than those we often see in Kdrama where parents are shown in control of the relationship and children must always concede their feelings out of respect.
Both of Hae-Kang's parents put a lot of trust in him. Like with good athletes, they believe in his potential and always try to coach the best character out of him. It was in his father's roundabout pep talk that Hae-Kang understood the reason for his mother's mischance at the Olympics as the unspoken love and sacrifice she made on his behalf. Many times, it is hard for a child to understand a parent's act of love or realized it too late to make any impact on the child or the parent. I like how Hae-kang was quick to understand the challenges of motherhood and womanhood at the same time.
For me, it was a change to see how different Hyeon-Jong is as a father and a coach from the typical Kdrama character. He's not a father who knows best nor is he an upright confident coach. Hyeon-Jong's lack of conviction and self doubts are almost teenager in nature. He easily influenced and manipulated by other coaches. This comes from his indecisive and timid nature. I don't know if anyone ever expressed confidence in his ability so I love that Head Coach White Wolf Bae gets to mentor and encourage Hyeon-Jong to find a better version of himself. Coach Bae is wonderful in the way he quietly supports the boys. He understood their confidence must start with a capable coach who not only believes that they can win but one that believes he can coach.
The one thing I like about this drama is how we get to know the town from the lens of a newcomer like Hae-Kang. He who has doubts about people, about relationship. As a child, he quit badminton because he overheard his teammates disrespecting his father's hard earned money. His teammates were not the true friends he thought. He realized early that badminton is not a sport that is widely respected because it is not tied to money. He saw his father struggled from job to job. He aspired to be a baseball player, a career that is popular, well liked, and respected. Hae-Kang has doubts about people's true intention. He observe people from afar, reserved and holding back his true feelings until he knows them better. He learned of In-sol's fraught relationship with his father over the love of badminton. Of how the boy is alike him in many ways, including his lonely childhood lacking real friends. Of his generous nature volunteering to tutor him. With the racket boys, it was a long battle of denial out of fear of disappointment and hurt. When he realized the boys and the town people have saved his sister, it was a breakthrough for Hae-Kang. He was willing to take the risk to open up and trust people again. With this admission, he confirmed that he has found a place and a group of people that he wants to belong to. Hae-Kang smiling and admitting that they are his friends at the end was the perfect way to end the episode.
The rest of the characters are lovable in their own ways too. I am fond of them already.
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On 5/17/2021 at 7:03 PM, taeunfighting said:
Geu Ru totally shined in this story. One of my favorite parts was when Na Mu asked him what he thought of his uncle, he recited all of Sang Gu's gross habits and traits at first. But, Geu Ru remembered that his dad taught him what makes someone a good person is how they try to understand others. Through how he witnessed Sang Gu contributed to helping each of the cases, he deduced that his sam chon is a good person (in a perplexing way). LOL. It's really amazing how logical he is.
I really liked the story between Sang Gu and Lee Jae Wook's character, Su Cheol. I thought we got to see a deeper and softer side of Sang Gu through their relationship. Su Cheol was such a good "kid". I felt my heart clench when he found Su Cheol's note on the back of the Move To Heaven business card. LJW did an amazing job here.
I really love that scene. In their job as cleaners, Mr Han and Geu Ru don't interact or communicate with the deceased so they have to piece together clues about the person's character from their belongings. Mr Han taught his son early on, using his logical and photogenic mind, how to judge a person or a situation based on the non verbal clues. He processes facts objectively and I don't think he relies much on what the person tells him but more on what he observed. I'm sure there is an algorithm somewhere in his mind.^^ What Geu Ru sees is Sang Gu doing things for him despite not agreeing and through verbal objections. Those to him are signs of a generous heart.
My heart broke when I read Su Cheol's handwriting in the back of the business card. We don't know how Su Cheol know about Jeong-U but it explains why Jeong-U was at the fight. Su Cheol quit boxing due to his brain injury but has to fight underground for money to start the business. Sang Gu was not privy to his health condition during the fight. He decided to land the knock out punch to help Su Cheo get the consolidation prize payout. Unfortunately, the injury was severe due to his risk. Sang Gu has carried the guilt ever since, paid for the mistake with prison time while continuing to fund Su Cheol's hospital bills. When he cleaned out the room, Sang Gu stumbled on his friend's medical records. That's when he realized Su Cheol's injury may have been less severe if there was not already predisposed risk. It helps him sort out and overcome his years of guilt.
I too love their friendship, especially how Su Cheol worked hard to overcome his timid personality to become a winner. The scene between Sang Gu and Su Cheol's sister was very touching. She was tired from the burden of caring for her brother yet can't help feeling a sense of relief and freedom with his passing. A mix of shame and guilt for admitting those feelings. At the hospital, she criticized Sang Gu's guilt as a selfish for prolonging her brother's life support/surgery. Yet, later after the funeral, she thanked him for his faith and persistence as it would have been hard for her to do willingly. Both were able to accept and let go.
On 5/18/2021 at 10:27 PM, taeunfighting said:Afterwards, social worker U-Rim wanted Sang Gu to take care of one of Mr. Kim's plant - dahlia. How beautiful that we learned it means "Happy to know about your heart." (In the case with trauma cleaners, that's likely how they feel with each person that they care of.)
Chalk me down to another person who love the social worker and gruff trauma cleaner's dynamics in the episode. This episode is perhaps one of my favorite in the drama. I can't even fully verbalized how beautiful the script is. U-Rim's perception of Sang Gu in the beginning was not the greatest. He refused to help clean when first came onto the case, criticizing Mr. Kim's actions for taking his wife's life. To Sang Gu, his murder suicide was not an act of love. They didn't get off on a good start. The episode slowly walked him and us through the events and life of the humble janitor. We/Sang Gu discovered Mr Rim's secret garden of love for his wife; full of beautiful flowers rescued from discarded dying plants by residents in the apartment complex he worked for. Like Mr Kim who were under appreciated and disrespected in his twilight years, these flowers no longer held beauty and value to their original owners. But under the loving care of the janitor, they were brought back to life and gave joy to the elderly couple. What was so touching for me is the fact that Mr. Kim valued the plants he revived. He diligently labeled the plants with plan to return them to the owners. Perhaps the reason was also because he knew his time is short and the happiness the greenhouse gave them was borrowed. I love that he tended the garden for the happy memories of his wife even as she is no longer home. As for our "couple", Sang Gu slowly learned about the kind of man Mr Kim was, eventually realizing that they have met before. He recalled the love and care he showed to Mrs Lee wheeling her home, flowers in hand. For U-Rim, seeing the cleaners bringing their precious potted plants one last time to send the couple off changed her impression of Sang Gu. Later that evening, she received the wreath from Move to Heaven. I thought the dahlia gift to Sang Gu also is her admission that she is glad to know his true nature and kind heart.
We discovered later that the humbled janitor in fact was an esteemed mentor to a CEO of a big company. He had positive influence on others and was loved for his character when younger. We get to know the kind old man who seemed cruel in fact lived his whole life by kindness.
I only saw till episode 8 but I wanted to stop and share my feelings before I forget. I will be back with another post.
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@nrllee mystery girl was not ID in the finale, I have not watched the last special.
JiEun’s neck cut didn’t get any further explanation. I assume she never explained the background story to anyone, YoHan became more withdrawn after that incident.
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@nrllee the epilogue shows another surgeon performing brain surgery with HH’s video playing on the background, instructional for him we suspect.
Wow, the alternative ending, the official ending... why so negative and macabre. I have lost track of how many deaths and killers we have seen. I don’t know what to say, why so dark of an outlook on humanity from a writer.
2 hours ago, nrllee said:So I guess we were also right in suspecting President Shin (Wizard of Oz?) - Lady Politician was taken out by him in the end? She was just the Wicked Witch of the West. He was the one who ordered the kill on her after she came out? Don’t know. I didn’t watch. Just trying to make sense of spoilers.
Yeah that was my impression when I saw him revived the dead abortion bill but I was not sure if he always shared the same Utopia opinion as Sec Choi or changed after his son’s death. The government shows the public that Bareum succeeded in using the image of Nation Son to cover for his true killer self. They argued that we can’t trust anyone so society should just abort all babies with the gene. The public bought the argument and the bill passed.
This is why the bill passing was confusing and controversial for many of us.
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3 hours ago, backstreetboysfan said:
Do we know what the 2nd ending is yet or no?.
I didn’t watch but via twitter-verse.
Mouse = Bareum didn’t have to die from his brain surgery. Daniel was wrong with his observations, not giving the mouse a fighting chance.
More happy scenes for the survivors. Drama should have included this one instead of the epilogue.
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@mystic62 Like you, I don't quite understand why the drama chose to have the bill passed. Unless it was to point out that we as society fall short at wanting to recognize the problems, let alone doing the right intervention, even as we saw what Bareum went through. It is a solemn critique.
The black-op Oz storyline didn't end well for Sec Choi. We know Congressman Shin (ex-Det Shin's father) was elected to be President. He appeared to be an open minded man who didn't bat an eye seeing his son date the daughter of a convict. He seems to be a progressive candidate. But then after the election, president Shin revived the dead abortion bill and threw it into the general election. Is this because his son's death changed him or was he always hiding a different agenda beneath, one not too different from Sec Choi? President then pardoned Sec Choi after a short prison sentence, citing it as appreciation for her contribution to the country. She was then killed as soon as she left prison in the same limousine that picked her up. We were never given an explanation on why or who planned it. I assume, again assuming, that it was President Shin's circumventing the law to kill his son's killer. I admit I did laugh when the driver pulled out the knife. LOL I don't know. If someone has a better explanation, please share.
The epilogue was also open ended. We saw a short clip of a surgeon performing brain surgery with Head Hunter's operation video in the background. I'm guessing someone got a hold of these videos and continued the brain transplant operations. There was no explanation but it seems to infer that we are witnessing the birth of another psychopath. Despite passing a drastic bill and using genetic screening, they couldn't eliminate evil completely from society. Genetic is not foolproof and is only a small portion of the makeup of a killer. That's all I get from it; the epilogue was one giant question mark cuz to me, it was not executed well. Anyone understood it?
Many of the mysteries were answered in the finale. Many answers were those we have guessed and discussed here in the thread. The one thing that I like from the drama is that it touched on the idea that forgiveness is a form of salvation for your soul and helps to liberate your guilt. BaReum confessed in front of MooChi and BongYi. We get to see MooChi and BongYi going through the different stages of anger, grief, acceptance for the crimes against MooWon and halmoni. BongYi's realization that she was saved by her halmoni's killer reminded her that she needs to return the favor of that saved life. MooChi recognizing pain, suffering, and remorse in the eyes of his brother's killer was what helped him believe in Bareum's humanity. It takes compassion, a lot of compassion, and a lot time to forgive someone, if is possible. I agree with @ferily, it was important for the victims' family to resolve their anger and grief so they can move on and return to living. For MooChi, he took on a different approach than his brother. He doesn't forgive, he just tries to overcome the loss and guilt. Lee Hee Joon did some wonderful acting during the scene at the house of Mrs. Song. The way he tugged at his sock like a child not able to let go, the way he broke down, was heartbreaking. I'm really happy that he was able to stay in Bong Yi's life, helping her in place of BaReum for halmoni. Maybe someday, he'll find a way to become a part of Hong Ju's family... when YoHan's death has become less of a painful memory. For Bong Yi, I love that she has not discard the pleasant memories between her and BaReum. We see it in how she named the injured bird. I love that Bong Yi fought off her painful memories to walk across the bridge on her own. I think this was the best part of the drama's finale for me, showing that life moves on and normalcy returned for these hurt souls.
I also like that they gave Bareum+MooChi's partnership one more go in the final. Tho I thought the whole sequence of Moochi walking into the Oz lair was over the top. When he found the 3 framed pics of the special ops nicely displayed, the lost laptop, grandma's broche, all in one easy sweep without breaking a sweat. It was a surreal moment LOL. I wish Bareum was written not as the son of a serial killer to stop perpetuating the idea of psychopaths breeds psychopaths. The whole story of baby swaps was not believable but what was more disturbing to me was JiEun's suicide. I think her ending was harsh. Bareum's indifference toward his biological mother, saying she was as much a monster as his father, made JiEun more wicked than I think she really was. The whole baby swap thing shifted some blame to the mothers, it didn't make sense for me even now that they were capable of murdering these babies. Ji Eun's hatred toward Jaehoon/Bareum originated from Head Hunter so her actions were wrong but not without cause. In any case, I can understand why JaeHoon/BaReum felt she failed as a mother, someone who didn't even love or help him when he needed. Yet, to have Ji Eun committed suicide, I feel didn't give a good resolution to her story either. Somehow, drama decided that she doesn't deserve redemption but Bareum does. That and the fact that there were already so many deaths, why not spare her life with a more forgiving end?
Hong Ju was working with Daniel and Bareum to kill off psychopaths after YoHan's death. She ended up serving some prison time for those crimes. Her reason for not returning home - she couldn't let herself be happy because of Soo Jung's death - was not convincing. The reunion with Det Park was bittersweet. I didn't know how to feel about her character at the end. Am I supposed to pity at her? Was I floored by her Sherlock attempt? Not really because it was the aunt that was the hero with the smoking gun. My feelings are mixed at the end for Hong Ju. I am glad she was able to clear Yo Han's name though.
The drama was long for me. The first half was good, I prefer if the drama was shortened to 16 episodes, focusing on how Bareum regaining memory of his crimes after the transplant and how he deals with its repercussion with feelings and remorse. I do like the ending at the church a lot. It was fitting to witness Jaehoon hearing his adult self answered his own wish. To hear that he indeed was able to be human, feel emotions, repaid his sins, build relationships with people, even be in love.... to know that he has the capacity to fought off the monster that his gene doomed him to be. It was a touching moment in the cathedral. I love the whole sequence at the end. MooChi setting the simple headstone for BaReum in the prison graveyard, a quiet end for a pitiful life, imprisoned even in death.
2 hours ago, aw614 said:Though I have a few questions, why would HJ need to go to prison for 3 years?
My impression is she was an accomplice for the killings of the psychopaths by Bareum/Daniel. She planned it so has to pay for those crimes. Do you remember what happened to Daniel? What was his ending? Too much info, I forgot.LOL
53 minutes ago, Prettysup said:About Hong-ju's hair length - at the beginning it was longer, after giving birth it became short, then after going prison it became long again. Flashback to the saving Dr Daniel scene was also long. Kudos to the team for getting the details right. But I was wondering, did she film all the long hair scenes first before cutting her hair short? Or was she using hair extensions?
Good question, I saw that too.
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4 hours ago, airgelaal said:
So they passed the law or am I wrong?
The finale managed to tie up many things for us but it was definitely rushed and information overloaded. I felt like they had a list of questions they need to answer for the viewers so they just gave 2 min of airtime for each answer!
The editing was indeed choppy, there was a lot of jumping around piecing together the puzzle pieces. They did a lot of things fine but some were head scratching moments.
@Sleepy Owlwe did get a version of your kimchi slap via HongJu!!! LOL
SpoilerDid they really have Hong Ju whacked MooChi head with whatever it was to save BaReum? Really, he’s a detective and she managed to sneak onto him like that...???? That is the most ridiculous thing ever
I have lots to say but little time so will come back.
@airgelaalYes, the citizens passed the law allowing abortion of fetus with the psychopath gene. Yes, that means if given the chance, the 1% genius kids like YoHan woul still be terminated before they are born. I hope the special episode will explain more on this. I assume the drama suggests society is still not ready to take on the challenge of trying to correct these genetic deficits. It’s easier to just not spend the effort helping people who are born with the aggressive genes. The implication are these kids are too much of a burden for any family to take on. The two mothers , JiEun and the nurse, could not overcome the stigma and fear. Bareum’s case show that they could not embrace and change his fate. We are a long way from solving this social problem. People still prefer to live in a Utopia with no deficits, imperfection, challenged individual. It’s a sad and confusing point the drama is making.
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@Sleepy Owl hahaha, you are obsessed with kickboxing! The three way baby swap had me in stitches. The third kid with the psychopathic gene is the Super Predator!
I need a .gif for kimchi slap!
I just love it when Kdrama goes Interpol!
The only thing I would add to the jail scenario is. Bareum received a mysterious care package one sunny day, very much like the same one Mr Yoon received in the Kdrama Stranger 2. No return address on the box. No hint of the sender.
He slowly ripped open the tape.
GRRRRRRRR Gggggggrrrrrrrrr
Scratchhhhh. Thunk. Bareum knocked down by a cat flying out of the box landing fully clawed on him. Head Hunter’s son hit his head on floor hard.
He looked up. Cat looks familiar, baring his teeth....
No,no, no Bareum thought to himself. It’s Kitty. It really is Kitty! He’s back to avenge his mother’s death.
Those were the last remaining thoughts from BaReum the Mouse.
A tooth for a tooth.
The End.
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On 4/27/2021 at 1:48 PM, jongski said:
And..... child actor who will be future Daesang winner, Kim Kang Hoon. If you don't know who is this future of kdrama. He's the child in the Mouse (the one in the poster) He always plays young version of male leads and is always on good dramas like Mr. Sunshine, Children of Nobody, HDL, WCB, Mr Queen, Kingdon. etc.
Yes, I've seen about 1/2 dozen of KKH's projects, he's a natural and talented young actor. Real talent, he'll go far.
The other actor that totally worth the accolades is Tang Joon Sang who plays one of the 4 boys - Yoon Hae Kang. He was absolutely phenomenal in his last project Move To Heaven.
If you have not watched, please do. I highly recommend Move To Heaven on Netflix. His Geu-Ru stole my heart. I cheer for this young man!
Will be watching this one.
@backstreetboysfan all the posters are so cheery. Love them, we need happy dramas about chasing and achieving your dreams.
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1 hour ago, Sleepy Owl said:
Chingus, we have planned a mini event on this thread now that the end is near, and we will be having 2 endings. Since we've got some time till the second alternate endings, it would be fun if you all would come up with your version of alternate or even main ending you believe the drama should have.
MAIN ENDING: THREE WAY STAND OFF ala Beyond Evil: BaReum/MooChi/JiEun.... everyone wants a piece of BaReum. His mom just wants to finish the job for that kind boy YoHan!
ALTERNATIVE ENDING: mint smell revealed as Lee Seung Gi's Doublemint gum product placement
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1 hour ago, backstreetboysfan said:
OMG what special episode AND 2 endings?
awwww..... MooChi's guilt, perhaps the only person that he shot in the line of duty.
Preview text translation of the finale. Hong Ju knows the location of the evidence/tapes! Is she going to Sherlock it?
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@andy78 @Sleepy Owl@nrllee @ferilyThis drama is an odd one for me. I think my personal preference when watching a crime thriller is that it should root in reality. I mean I have no problem being in a writer's world if it was done right. I am fine with any genre as long as things follow the rules and are consistently logical in that world. The problem with Mouse is it wants to root in reality but throw in these makjang components: brain transplant, baby switch, Truman show/Wiz of Oz to explain the twists and turns of the story. You can't just make up things when you are backed into a corner, trying to deliver the answers to the puzzle. The unrealistic Kdramaland-ness of the story and writing, those, make me not take this drama or the writer seriously. A good psychological thriller or crime mystery slowly peels out the layers and connects the dots in a coherent way. The ending should close the loop for us without having to add special episodes to help the viewers understand. That tells me the story, PD or drama was not well planned out. I agree with @Sleepy Owl, it does feel scattered as if the writer doesn't have the courage to stand behind her writing skills or vision.
I do have to give heaps of credit and praise to Lee Seung Gi and Lee Hee Jon. They are both fantastic in their roles. Lee Seung Gi improved a a a lottttt from Vagabond. His portrayal of Bareum was so very believable, downright scary and just a "joy" to watch. Lee Hee Joon did well with what he was given which is clearly a supporting role. It's a shame that his character faded in the middle for a good chunk of time. Hong Ju's potential as a complex character was never properly tapped. The whole drama was BaReum-centric, from the point of view (+ 2 special episodes) to the murky Oz/Daniel/Sec Choi involvement. That gave very little time to background or development of the rest of the ensemble. I feel that there was a lack of respect for the police and victims. It is a crime drama but a majority of the time, the drama gave BaReum control of his narrative where as others always react to his moves. Moo Chi is always behind a step, confused or manipulated by Bareum; the rest of the police force was clueless and inapt despite their earnest effort. There was not a lot of sympathy for Chi Kook who was stabbed brutally; he ended up murdered a second time but not before he forgave his aggressor. Where is the justice for him? Hong Ju didn't get a chance to show her regrets until late, her character was in neutral zone, timid and indecisive most of the time. I thought it was a miss not to show Hong Ju taking back her life, making amends for her past and recovering from her past trauma until late. I thought Bong Yi was going to be BaReum's savior, helping him fight off the demons. But no, she became a knife wielding impulsive young lady who didn't have the foresight to return the love and care Moo Chi had toward her. I wish they had worked together more.
Overall, I think Mouse was more complicated that it needed to be. Others enjoy the multi twists and turns, I didn't enjoy it as much. It's depressing most of time, I wish it will at least make an attempt to give us a hopeful ending. The drama is a little murky in morality, I think it needs to be clear in the end.
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@nrllee2 endings? unbelievable!
Here is one version?
It may end in the church as the group’s last shot. The redemption theme, MooChi closing arc. forgiveness, crime and punishment... is Jaehoon’s wish finally heard? Will BaReum’s end mirrors MooWon’s?
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2 hours ago, nrllee said:
Maybe Daniel wanted a world with no serial killers as well and Sec Choi promised him that? I get the feeling they did work in tandem but Daniel decided to pull out at one point and she decided to take him out as a result - hence the Ferris Wheel incident. Daniel tried to fake his death to hide and then contacted BR after YH died. Did he trigger BR the second time so as to use him in Dexter mode? He even tried to get him to take out Sec Choi? But by that time BR turned him down? I don’t know how or when HJ came into the picture because it looks like she’s planned something for HH and BR as well.
Daniel's intention was more academic in the beginning with the gene testing. In the early years of experiments, Daniel made the mistake of overtaking HH's spotlight, his research provided solid data first. Hence, he became HH's number one competition and target. In return, I believe HH dated Jennifer with ill intention, indirectly punishing Daniel with his sister's death. Altho he blamed Jennifer's death on her decision to abort their baby, HH enjoyed hurting Daniel too much (like he did with JiEun in E18) so it was obvious that he hated his gut. From this point, both men set forth the chain of events in Mouse, all because of revenge.
Daniel's presentation piqued Sec Choi's interest, perhaps she reached out to him at the right time when Daniel was reeling with grief over HH's confession/Jennifer's death. I think this is when he agreed to form their social experiment. His feelings could have been driven by personal vendetta against HH along with the firm belief that he must help to get rid of psychopaths. I mean it's the same intention of doing things for the greater good of society, just like SSH, dreamcatcher guy, Oz recruits, etc... But I don't think it was purely good intention on Daniel's part either. When he found out their plan to trigger BR and uses BR's rage/murders to further their agenda, it broke their pact which lead Oz turning on Daniel.
After his recovery and YoHan's death, Daniel sets out to turn BR into a weapon to get rid of psychopaths and stop Sec Choi's twisted plan. That was after he unsuccessfully worked with YoHan to uncover the truth about BR and Oz. It required a very fine balancing act from Daniel.With Bareum, it becomes quite clear that he is the one that will break the vicious cycle of revenge for everyone, especially since he was the person who marked the eye for eye passage in the bible after his first kill. BR considered himself the deity during his SK days so it's fitting that he will sacrifice for MooChi, Bong Yi, Hong Ju, etc... like Christ did on the cross, the one that was used to mark all his previous killings.
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8 hours ago, GingerK said:
Also my theory on why Jaemin went back in the house after helping his sister was to check on Jaehoon since he saw him being carried off. He was a good caring kid.
@ktcjdramaI'm sorry, I didn't watch Predator part 2, skipped through it really fast but I did watch part 1. Did it show JiEun intervened, choke JaeHoon to rescue JaeMin (besides the blurry face and JiEun's reaction in the car in part 2? I don't remember seeing that being pointed out.
@ferilyI think the fight between SSH and stepfather occurred before JH woke up.
I am not sure if JaeMin stayed because he wanted to check on Jae Hoon. JaeHoon was already carried off by SSH, Jaemin saw it with his own eyes.... that's why he left the closet to help his sister escape. If he goes back, he would be wandering the house looking for Jae Hoon and possibly see his father dead on the stairs. I assume he ran back to the closet when SSH came back to douse the gasoline (which was conveniently available). I don't doubt he was a caring kid but he was def scared of JaeHoon by now after the burying incident and SSH has already taken JaeHoon away. So why go back? I think he could be scared of height. The writer did tweet that a lot was edited off E18, they are doing the special episode again so maybe this will come up. A lot of assumption for now.
The house was set on fired by SSH, partially burned, the trapped bodies would have been somewhat burned so we would have to assume the stepdad's body and stairs were not burned completely for them to realized that he was stabbed. Otherwise, would be a charred body or skeleton, hard to investigate. The police ruled out JaeHoon as a suspect (I assume from the stab wound?) or did they suspect him for the arson? I can't remember what JaeHoon was accused of in the earlier episode. The investigation of the arson origin should have tipped off the police on how the fire was started. If was from a flammable source, you would have to consider if a kid can get the gasoline (with no money, no witness), plan the arson after killing his father and escaped all by himself.
@nrlleeperhaps the envelopes passed by Daniel into the mysterious car is the test results of all the tested patients to Sec Choi. This is where she gets the list of the possible psychopaths. It was not the result of another kid with the gene (no third kid?). If was, why would Daniel pass on private confidential information to a congresswoman? Is it because they worked together at one time before their goal drastically diverged with Daniel realizing and disagreeing with her intention?
Hong Ju threatened HH. I wonder what she would do and how her revenge would take place, anything to do with her knowledge that BaReum is HH's son. If the killing continues, an eye for an eye, it would make this drama one of the most depressing ones I have ever seen. I feel bad for Detective Park. He's alone in this world, a figure so pitiful.
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@ktcjdrama thanks, i will take your word for it. I see your point about the wood paneling. But if you look at the screenshot, the angle of the window opening is slanted with the weird walls, suggests it is not the first floor of a house and more of a second floor window. First floor window would have been a more conventional shape, rarely angled in like that of a roofline as the building should have been at straight angle.
SSH ran up stairs quickly searched for others in the house. In the mean time, Jaehoon woke up, had a long talk with the nurse, slowly walked upstairs, pulled out knife. Seems like a long time must passed that SSH would just hide upstairs... after he killed someone, scared, what did he plan to do, just stay there until someone comes?
I’ll just put it down as Jaemin was a timid kid that couldn’t climb down like his sister so went back to hide in closet. I still don’t think the writer and PD did a good job at explaining the scenes.
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I feel CH is his most memorable role so far. He has quite a range, I thought he excels in offbeat, slice of life.. much more impressive in serious dramatic roles. His role in Because it's My First Life was unparallel. I also read that Son Suk Ku and Lee Ki Woo expressed interests in playing CH. However Park Hae Young casted LMK for the role. He was stellar, perfect casting.
The editing was indeed choppy, there was a lot of jumping around piecing together the puzzle pieces. They did a lot of things fine but some were head scratching moments.
[Drama 2022] My Liberation Notes, 나의 해방일지
in k-dramas & movies
Posted
Thanks for the the observations! One thing I forgot to mention. Papa Yeom is quite observant and a good listener. He just wasn't a good communicator
Like others, he noticed the short chop by GJ. He first questioned GJ why she would cut her hair in the wintertime. Clearly telling GJ that's not the norm and that there is an underlying reason that she is hiding from the family. Then he added, it's ok to be alone. Papa Yeom actually listened and remembered GJ's past remark about cutting hair and finding her true love. He wanted to assure her just like he will later on with CH that it is ok not to chase after relationship if it is not to be.^^
wow @larusI realized this drama is not for everyone. However, reading the comments section make me feel like I am over romanticizing the drama. LOL @jus-ash@Codomo@philosophieeveryone, am I reading too much into the drama? I agree that it is somewhat choppy but I read somewhere @chickfactorthe title could be translated as My Liberation Journal (aka their journal). Thus, the scenes don't flow seamlessly, linearly... cuz it was meant to be snippets /entries of a journal. The idea is to show different phases and parts of their lives. It may seem little was changed when taken in parts but when added up over three years, we realize a lot did.
I am surprised that even the reviewer got this part wrong. CH paid off his debt and it was the stepmom who complimented him.