K-Drama 
perfecting the craft of deception
let’s start of with the casting, personally loved it and was perfectly done for the storyline. you can tell the female lead has played this kinda of role a couple of times by how well she’s crafted the art of deception.The plot itself was strong at the beginning and strong at the end but felt a little thin or flat in the middle? I enjoyed watching it but i can see how people would lose interest with it in the middle.
Overall. I it’s a kdrama i would recommend to someone who likes a show that makes your heart race a little and loves the game of deception.
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
good characters
the ml and sl in delightfully deceitful had really good personalitiesml- blunt, professional, honest, sincere not cold aloof or morally grey
sl- charismatic, naturally charming and sweet behaviour, chronic oversharer
fl- loved how she wasnt a helpless girl archetype and her gradual character development when she was with ml
wished the friend characters were more developed
jay being the chairman was like pulled out of my butt, kinda sad when ringo got dragged to the hospital and jay didnt do anything cynical yk but i might just be sadistic.
when they put jay and the others in prison, kinda felt not satisfying liek girl bfr but i loved how EVERYONE went to jail
(not the lawyer is crazy)
also the cover image is NOT at all reflective the show
wished there was a bit more romance yk.. but if they weren't gonna add more, then girl cut that kiss scene out (embarrassing as hell)
also when he bought her like 3 diff drinks was ummm, like on paper it was romantic but in reality it was cringey as hell
"trust my disease" sussy baka, i feel like they stressed on his disease soo much we couldnt even tell if HE HIMSELF truly wanted to help, like bro went to therapy for like 3 years but he is same???
OVERALL I RECOMMEND!!!!
Was this review helpful to you?
Pretty clever.
October 2025This drama started well; I was fascinated by the story and the questions that hung over the deaths of the FL character's family.
There was a definite slump towards the half-way mark, but then it picked up again.
There is a pretty dark and unsettling backstory as well, which kind of threw me. It didn't always make sense, or it lacked purpose ~ I'm not sure which.
Characters were linked in ways that slowly get revealed, which I liked.
There's a fair bit of action, it's a pretty intelligently written script, and a number of characters feel suspect, which I also like.
Overall, not a bad watch. The LM character, whilst challenged by his personality, was likeable, and I thought KDW portrayed him well. I like this actor ~ he is pretty understated in his approach to roles.
The FL character I found very hard to like, especially early on ~ she grew on me a little towards the end. Pretty well portrayed by an actress I'm not that familiar with.
A mix of quirky, selfish, troubled, guilt-ridden, annoying, horrid, and sweet characters.
Not sorry I watched.
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
Did not find it at all delightful, lots of deceipt,
Review
6/10 is my rating. I found Delightfully Deceitful to be a disappointing watch. The premise of a con artist with no empathy teaming up with an overly empathetic lawyer for revenge sounded intriguing, but the execution fell flat
.The female lead character, Lee Ro-woom, is portrayed as cold and distant, with a backstory meant to justify her behavior, but it didn’t resonate with me. Han Moo-young, the male lead character, is incredibly kind and patient, but her stand-offish and sometimes cruel attitude towards him became increasingly frustrating, especially since it persisted well beyond the halfway point, when I decided to stop watching.
The plot is undeniably complex, with numerous twists and turns, but this complexity doesn’t translate into excitement. Instead, it often feels convoluted and slow-moving, making it hard to follow and, frankly, boring at times. Watching with my daughter, we frequently found ourselves taking breaks, only to return and realize we had missed crucial plot points because the show was so tedious.
From what I’ve read in other reviews, the final episodes drag on unnecessarily, which only reinforces my decision to quit when I did. Additionally, many viewers noted that the drama loses its initial psychological depth and becomes more formulaic, which might explain why it feels less engaging as it progresses.
If you’re a fan of the revenge trope and can tolerate a slow pace, you might enjoy it more than I did. However, for me, it was a struggle to get through, and I wouldn’t recommend it to others. In fact, if it were on, I’d probably change the channel.
Spoilers
One of the major issues I had with the series is how Han Moo-young, a character who is supposed to be principled and upright, ends up compromising his values for Lee Ro-woom. Even considering their past connection when they were younger, I didn’t see why he would go to such lengths for her. Her character didn’t have enough depth or charm to warrant such devotion, in my opinion.
From the very first episode, I found the storyline lackluster. I kept hoping it would pick up and become more engaging, but it never did. The complexity of the plot required intense focus, as missing even a small detail could leave you lost. Normally, this would add to the excitement, but in this series, it only made the experience more tedious. Watching with my daughter, we often found ourselves taking breaks, asking each other to summarize what happened, only to realize that even when we were paying attention, the significance of events was unclear, and new characters were introduced without proper context. It felt like my brain checked out, even though my eyes were still on the screen—that’s how uninteresting I found it at times.
Synopsis
This is a 2023 South Korean series with crime, drama, thriller, and even some comedy elements. Major themes in this drama include justice, revenge and deception. The series has 16, 60 to 70 minute episodes.
Lee Row oom (Chun Woo hee) was wrongfully imprisoned for the murder of her parents when she was actually herself a victim. To survive prison, she allowed the others to believe she was an unfeeling psychopath. Angry at her fate though, she does become a very charismatic and cunning con artist. After 10 years of time in prison for a crime she did not commit, new evidence, that indicates the actual killer, leads to her release. Once released, Ro woom teams up with the attorney who helped free her, Han Moo-yeong (Kim Dong wook) to bring to justice the group that ended and ruined her family's lives. Initially very different, a passionate empathic lawyer and a cold devious con artist, they evolve both personally and together through the series. The story weaves through mysteries, betrayals and many twists and has the surprising element of Ro woom breaking the 4th wall and talking to viewers.
#DelightfullyDeceitful #ChunWooHee #KimDongWook
Was this review helpful to you?
Some very good elements in a mid atmosphere
The acting in this drama was intense, but somehow that didn't transfer through the screen. Nonetheless, I'm a bit surprised by how low the MDL rating is. There were quite a few things to like.The main characters are smart and stay smart but don't always make smart decisions. Firstly, I love actually smart characters and secondly, I love it when they aren't presented as flawless. Side characters aren't forgotten and continuously impact the plot. Especially the relationships forming between all of the characters were a true delight to watch. They weren't only there to drive the plot but felt like a true part of the drama.
Emotional, suspenseful and funny moods changed fluidly, offering moments of wisdom that were delivered quite well without feeling lecturing or overbearing. The pacing was steady with constant little spikes of hope to keep you guessing without any promises. Everything was goal-oriented without unneccessary side quests.
While there were hints and foreshadowing as to who the bad guy was, I couldn't be sure until later in the drama. The attention to details here makes it suitable for a rewatch or two.
What I think threw most people off initially is the tonal shift from actually delightful deceit to a bigger plot going far beyond what it initially set out for. I'm not gonna lie, I wish they hadn't taken that route.
The storytelling got dull after a while. Being thrown many "afterthoughts" after suspenseful scenes, I wasn't able to actually feel for the characters and root for them. It made me distrust what I was seeing and it felt successively less sophisticated the more often it was employed. The characters seemed to think the same and I felt that especially the ML was way too unbothered for the scope of things (and his weirdly made-up empathy disease). It all got topped off with too many lucky coincidences. I should have felt satisfied when the characters made progress, but it wasn't their skills rather than the author's writing that made these possible.
Would I recommend watching it? Unless you don't expect a masterpiece, yes. You might be surprised by how many things to like you find. I will definitely miss the characters.
Was this review helpful to you?
Really, these characters deserved a better plot overall, obviously Chun Woohee is a real treat to watch no matter if she's a con artist or a vulnerable girl who never really got the chance to either grow up or have a childhood, but the side characters on the protagonist's side are also quite well defined and feel like actual people, which isn't always something that's easy to achieve. I really like the way characters like Nasa and Dajung are developed, Lee Yeon specifically needs a lot more roles, she definitely brings out a vulnerable and sympathetic side to a character that so easily could've just been some awful one note cool girl hacker. I can't say I liked Ringgo though, he starts annoying, he remains annoying. I do wish, however, despite liking how his character ending up, that Mooyoung started in a less wooden place. Kim Dongwook is a good actor and brings a lot of nuance, but it's brought eventually, and the character just isn't interesting enough to care about his scenes at first, which is a stark contrast to Ro Um.
Definitely echo the criticisms though specifically about pacing and product placement, the two most glaring flaws in the drama. Like, you just got done with one of the most emotionally resonant scenes and it just cuts to a Chilsung ad with absolutely no self awareness. It gets really bad in the otherwise really good finale, I'm guessing because they knew that people would be paying attention to other things. There's probably about a dozen worthwhile episodes of content stretched out into sixteen, given my criticisms about some of the villains, you can probably infer what parts I thought were worth keeping and which were worth getting of.
The romance is a surprisingly tender slow burn, which I appreciated. It's in the background the whole time and it doesn't feel rushed like it sometimes can, like they just shoehorned it in because audiences want two characters to get together. "Turn your brain off" is such a dumb thing to say about any media but the sentiment is probably there when I recommend this to others, though not literally, because you definitely need to pay attention at basically every moment. It's an okay to mediocre drama elevated by good performances and honestly some pretty fun plot beats here and there. Worth a watch if you like that sort of thing, but not worth your absolute love and devotion, unless you do love it in which case throw away everything I've said.
Was this review helpful to you?
Not bad!!
I have no idea why this is listed as a comedy drama but it definitely isn’t one so don’t expect comedy!!!!looking at the comments and reviews they were all saying that it’s gets so much worse after ep 6 and so my expectations were very low,, I mean it did get more convoluted and ridiculous, I mean everyone was connected to everyone and everything (six degree of separation really working overtime), but it wasn’t that bad imo
Chu Won Hee is just… excellent, as always. The other actors do a wonderful job as well, especially the jemok kids!!!! I liked how those characters specifically were so complicated and realistic, outside the jemok kids the characters were pretty average.
The main reveal was executed pretty well, even though I could highkey see it coming. Other plot twists were alright as well but nothing that truly shocked me.
If this is your kind of vibe I’d say give it a try, it’s not bad.
Was this review helpful to you?
Slow, but Still Worth a Try
I was hesitant to watch this because of the reviews I had been reading here, but it honestly wasn't as bad as I expected. Compared to other series, the main issue for me was that the story felt a bit slow. I already had a strong hunch about who the president was, so I think they dragged out the reveal a little too much it wasn't confirmed until Episode 13.As for the characters, Da Jung was easily my favorite. She felt genuine and sincere, and she was the kind of person you could trust not to betray you.
Overall, I wouldn't recommend this to viewers who get impatient with slow-paced stories. But if you're simply looking for something to watch and don't mind a gradual build-up, I'd still say it's worth giving a chance.
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
I recognized the MML from a previous drama that I gave a 10 to which I rarely do but it was a good drama. Mostly because the MML got some mad fightimg skills.I thought he was going to fight in this drama but he didn't.
This drama wasn't bad but it wasn't good. The issue I had with this drama was that each episode was too long and too slow.
The MFL started off strong but fizzled in the end. She nailed about two cons and the rest went down in a heavy heap.
I usually look for character connection and of course the bromance. None of that was in this drama because the MFL was cold and bossy. The probation officer and the con crew was just annoying. If that wasn't enough when I saw who the main culprit was I was ready to stop watching. I now have some not so favorite Korean actors that I tend to avoid if they're in a specific drama and I should've skipped this one. It just didn't make no sense for this person to be the culprit. It was a horrible character choice and to me it's what dragged the drama down.
At one point I lost my patience and just sped up the rest of the episodes. What's sad was that even though I had sped up the last few episodes it still went by SLOW!!! Had I known the way this drama ended I would've stopped at episode 4 because that's where this drama went downhill. Even though each episode dragged the last two episodes just cleared up everything by the MML sliding his crew a note that solved most of their problems. I was like WTF was that?? Why was everything else dragged out but not that?!
I can't believe I was able to stick this out. I also have to check to see who's in these dramas. If it's got romance or a actor I don't like I will be skipping it.
Was this review helpful to you?
Not Good Enough
Korean Drama " Delightfully Deceitful " is a crime thriller comedy about a con artist and an attorney coming together to punish those who think they are above any law.The drama does start out strongly, with the story of the main female lead being compelling and her character even more so. And truly, there were some con cases that were handled nicely and the result was enjoyable.
However, the drama quickly deteriorates, getting boring and falling into way too many tropes. Things got out of hand quite quickly and the plot got even more confusing and stuffy.
The performances at least were enjoyable.
So, overall, three out of ten.
Was this review helpful to you?
Failed Potential.
I'm disappointed in this show. Really.
We had an excellent first episode setting up the Main Character (Lee Ro Um) and her backstory, as well as her apathetic view of the world in contrast to the hugely empathetic Han Moo Young.
Despite this, there was minimal "plot" and a very bland environment that stalled progress. Lee Ro Um's character had immense potential given the complexity of her past, but such trauma and desire to investigate the real killer of her estranged parents are not present. In fact, it's actually insane that they gave such depth to her character and proceeded to throw it away for the dullness of the scenes.
I understand that the point of the show is for them to work together to take down "bad guys." But the way that it was framed felt sloppy and a collision of personalities without any incentive for the audience to continue watching. Little humour. Little drama. It reminded me of the dynamic between the main characters of Catch the Ghost (without the comedy.)
Dialogue heavy dramas can work, but they require good script and visuals. This show had that in the first episode, but I can't say I was seeing it after that.
Hopefully I can pick it up again.
Was this review helpful to you?
Captivating Drama Delivers a Memorable and Satisfying Conclusion.
I loved the series. The character development takes its time, but it is essential in showing how the characters suffered and overcame their past. Since the individuals involved have a high IQ, their emotional quotient is low. Emotional intelligence, also known as emotional quotient or EQ, refers to the ability to understand, use, and manage one's own emotions in positive ways to relieve stress, communicate effectively, empathize with others, overcome challenges, and defuse conflicts. This aspect is very apparent in the drama, hence the extended time dedicated to character development. For me, it was worth it.I especially enjoyed the last scene—it left me with a smile and reminded me of a Hollywood movie. I would rate it 9.5/10, but to balance the lower ratings, I will give it a 10/10 because the drama deserves to be in the 8+ ratings category.
If you're wondering whether to watch it or not, I recommend going for it. Among the currently airing dramas, this was one of the couples I always looked forward to. It's a great binge-watch with elements of mystery, investigation, revenge, and past trauma. The story develops over time, which can be frustrating for some, but it's important to understand that overcoming past trauma takes time. Overall, it's a great drama. Go for it!
Was this review helpful to you?
