Ain’t that lovely at all
The cast but not the characters -the sole reason why I added this drama to my watchlist is because of the actors playing it. I am a big fan of Kim So Hyun’s acting projects and Hwang Min Hyun’s idol career. And yet, the drama itself is a total disappointment. The human lie detector seems a unique concept to talk about but somehow the story got too attached to the main character that it gets draggy towards the end. It has the cliches and norms from the usual Korean Drama and the storyline is boring.Kim So Hyun’s charm of having the second-lead syndrome continued on this show. Yet. they let the police officer be excluded from the romantic vibes and let him focus on doing his job as a police officer. To be honest, I like him more than Kim Do Ha. The police also have a tear-jerking past that is not as scandalous compared to Do Ha but still breaks my heart.
As I said earlier, I love Hwang Min Hyung as an idol but his acting skills in this drama are not that remarkable. He has a handsome and innocent face but fails to deliver a more emotional facial expression as Kim Do Ha. I would like to give him another chance in his future projects but with different characteristics of his role. His performance isn’t what I want from a main character.
Side characters aren’t helping to save the show either. Almost all of them got their toxicity presented in the story and failed to give them character development. I just finished the drama mainly for the reason of completing all sixteen episodes.
Was this review helpful to you?
A Disappointing Dive from a Thrilling Start
"My Lovely Liar" initially captured my attention with its unusual and promising beginning. The first few episodes, filled with hints of suspense and action, led me to believe that I was about to embark on a captivating journey. However, my excitement was short-lived. As the series progressed, it became clear that the narrative was losing its grip. What could have been a multifaceted drama with twists and turns settled into a predictable and uninspiring romance.The depth and intricacy I had hoped for were overshadowed by clichéd romantic tropes that failed to engage or surprise. Furthermore, the character development seemed superficial, leaving me yearning for more substance. The storyline lacked the intensity and richness that the opening episodes promised, making the viewing experience somewhat unsatisfactory.
I can't help but think that the show's widespread appeal might be largely due to the charisma and appearance of the lead actors. Their performances, while commendable, were not enough to salvage the plot's shortcomings. In essence, "My Lovely Liar" felt like a missed opportunity, a series that could have delivered so much more but chose to tread the familiar and overused path of romance without much depth.
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
This Drama: Good or Bad? All Based On Your Preference/Experience When Watching
I would say 80% of this drama revolves around ML's (Do Ha's) life, 15% is about our FL's (Sol Hee's) and the 5% is for other nonsense (examples: bad mom scenes, psycho bro scenes). I didn't have a problem with the story plot idea, it's more of how it was presented that caused issues for me when watching. Certain weeks, I'm okay with the flow of the episodes while there other weeks where I was like, "when will this plot progress or why did I felt like nothing significant happened?". I'll be honest here, our leads supporting each other got me through this drama because there are just way too many annoying characters in this drama. I can handle maybe 1 or 2 annoying characters but this one had a ridiculous amount.Story wise, it would've been 2 stars for me, but I bumped it up to 3 out of 5 stars because of a great last week of episodes and everything was wrap up pretty well. Good plot ideas, but they just stalled it for too long on the mystery part. First 12 episodes were mostly ex-girlfriend's psycho brother searching for and wanting to kill Do Ha. Where was the search for the real killer during those episodes? It didn't even happen until psycho brother finally went to jail. I hated this writing because they just wasted a potential of this character. The brother could've been searching for clues on the truth instead of just plotting to get revenge on someone who was innocent. Heck, even have him believe Do Ha didn't murder his sister and they team up together to search for the truth with the help of Kang Min & Sol Hee. We finally get some progress for a week, followed by going back to Sol Hee's story. This just felt like a wasted potential for me, despite having a great ending.
Speaking of Sol Hee, I wished the writers would've made her powers more useful for the mystery of this drama. Instead, we just get random scenes of her using her powers for work related reasons. I mean this is okay because she does slowly learn about her usage of her powers, but I felt like this was a waste and it just felt out of place.
The only saving grace about this was that our leads were supportive of each other. Once they got together, they stuck through it together, helping each other out. I'm glad there were numerous cute scenes together for our leads because everything else was a mess.
Acting/Cast wise, I can see where some people have a problem with Min Hyun's acting. There are certain scenes where I felt like he could've been more expressive, but that doesn't mean he's a bad actor. He does have his strengths in other parts of his acting. Luckily for me, I'm not really critical on acting, just as long as they don't say their lines in monotone blank less expression. For this category though, I mostly rate it based on the characters in this drama and like I said, too many frustrating/annoying side characters. I'm glad their screen time were limited but boy when they showed up, I just get frustrated with them.
Music wise, I like it but for some reason didn't remember it being played as much. In fact because of this, I don't even remember much of the osts.
If I wanted to rewatch this again, it'll definitely be from when our leads get together and then just the good and cute moments. Otherwise, just a 1 time watch for me.
This is one of the dramas where you don't want to ask "how was this drama?". There are just so many opinions. I say just give it a try and see what you think. I gave you my perspective, but hey you might like it or you may not.
Was this review helpful to you?
"If I say so, then it is."
As I reach the midway point of the drama, I can't help but find it absolutely ridiculous, but in the best way possible. It adeptly captures the essence of the genres it aims to portray, particularly excelling in the realms of romantic comedy and fantasy. The chemistry between the leads is palpable, and their romantic moments are nothing short of heart-fluttering.The drama fits seamlessly within the genres of Romantic Comedy, Fantasy, and Drama. The very first scene sets the tone as we're introduced to three men on the brink of being thrown off a building, they work for a gang and the boss suspects one of them has betrayed him. This tense situation takes an unexpected turn when Sol-hee, the "liar hunter," arrives on the scene. The writing brilliantly infuses humor even into these intense moments.
The initial meeting between the main leads further illustrates the drama's penchant for blending seriousness with humor. The female protagonist comes to the rescue as she intervenes in a scenario where the male lead is being attacked by his ex-girlfriend's brother on a bus. The juxtaposition of the serious situation and the writer's comedic touch makes for an amusing scene.
While some critics might nitpick about how characters bump into each other numerous times in quick succession, with each meeting proving more unlikely than the last, this drama is more rooted in fantasy and comedy, with moments of gravity interspersed. The story line offers numerous scenes that are utterly re watchable, packed with humor and charm.
To critics, I'd suggest embracing the drama for what it is rather than focusing on what it isn't trying to be. Beyond the romance, the story provides a fresh experience by highlighting Mok Sol Hee, a character with a unique ability. Flaws are present in most dramas, no matter how realistic the story is. But this drama isn't about intricate plot twists. Instead, it offers a straightforward yet engaging narrative that keeps viewers intrigued by Kim Do Ha's mysterious secret. The drama captures curiosity without relying on elaborate twists.
The drama's message is profound. Even though Mok Sol Hee appears to lead an uncomplicated life due to her special ability, true love has the power to challenge even extraordinary skills. Our obsession with truth and lies often hides the intentions of those who deceive. The core of the story is the growth of love through understanding and trust, even when emotions are hidden.
Up to this point, the drama has certainly delivered as a genuinely engaging experience. However, I reserve my judgment about whether it will achieve the status of a "great" drama until I see how the second half of the story unfolds, particularly in terms of the development between the two main leads.
A more comprehensive review will follow once I've completed the drama. Nonetheless, my current perspective remains positive. As I'm halfway through, I've even found myself re-watching episodes and relishing the memorable scenes that never seem to lose their appeal.
Was this review helpful to you?
the great chemistry and acting will make you go for it !! Great drama
at first I didn't want to watch this drama at all because of the reviews I saw in the top... those should have been haters because from the first episode this drama captivates you and it's super catching, I haven't seen a drama like this for a long time and I really waited for a drama to be aired again in which you find a story, chemistry and personables are really amazing. I have not left a review on this page until now, but I felt it was worth it. I'm 26 years old and I was really captivated by this drama and I can't wait to see more episodes and how the story of the two will endWas this review helpful to you?
satisfying till the end
i started this show without much expectations, i was excited to see minhyun as the male lead to be honest! but this is one of the kdramas i enjoyed the most in the past few weeks. the plot is pretty good and well developed. the main couple is ADORABLE, super mature and they have such a healthy relationship! the other thing i absolutely loved is the fact that the show didn’t left us with unresolved questions, and once it ended everything was put to the right place.definitely would recommend 💯
Was this review helpful to you?
Lies, damned lies and couple therapy
Superpower shows can be a challenge to make if there are budget constraints. Hence some k-dramas focus on simple ability like seeing smell or reading minds. A bit of fancy camera work and simple practical effects can work magic. This show has the FL hearing a bell chime if she hears a lie. No CGI required, easy peasy. Obviously, this makes her daily life challenging. The bell would go off constantly as she moves amongst people. She becomes cynical and untrusting. All that changed when the ML literally crashes into her life.I wondered how the writer-nim is going to work the lie detection power into the show so I started to watch. I’m glad that they did a good job in the early episodes, but it does create its own narrative issues later on. The writer-nim had to resort to misdirection to avoid giving the game away. This serves to drag out the show with little gain. Would it be better if it was 12-14 episodes long?
Putting other issues aside, the love line does work quite well. Our leads makes a lovely couple and have good chemistry. Both are vulnerable and have damaged psyches. How they learn to trust each other and heal each other is nicely told and portrayed. There are heart fluttering moments and a decent amount of skinship. I’m also glad that they didn’t drag out their romance until the dying moment of the show. Once they are official, their bond is unshakable.
This brings us to the main message of the show. Both leads must learn to trust again. The FL finally understood that not all lies are bad. Some are necessary to mitigate harm to others. Some might even be beneficial. Sometimes you just have to trust your gut and have faith. Once that message is delivered, the show began to lose momentum. A historical crime is pushed to the fore to take up the slack.
I’m not saying the crime is irrelevant. It is the key to the ML’s social phobia and is the source of much tension and angst during early episodes, but it has done its job. A quick resolution would have sufficed but the writer-nim spun it out for all it’s worth. It is not really the high water mark they have hoped for. It feels like the show is on autopilot during this segment. It runs through some tropey subplots, and voila! Crime solved, justice served and we are on the predictable home straight.
The last two episodes are total fan service with redemptions and resolutions handed out left, right and centre. Some of them ties up loose ends while others are a bit farcical. I’m running out of ways to say “nice” and “sweet”. It is not quite to the point of sugar overload, but it gets close, real close.
In terms of acting, the ML is very handsome but he feels a little flat to me. He has flashes of high emotions but most of the time he just seems to float through the scenes. The FL put in a solid performance, but this type of role is bread and butter for her by now. The rest of the ensemble is a mix bag. It is not their fault per se, but the show did not really develop their characters beyond their original traits. Most are a bit quirky, but you soon realise that what you see is what you get. The FL’s mother is particularly one-note. She barely changes until the last moment when she was gifted a happy but very contrived ending.
In the end, this is an enjoyable show and quite watchable. The romance is sweet, and the growth of our leads is rewarding to watch but I also feel that the show is trying too hard to please and to play it safe.
Production value is decent and par for the course. There is a sudden jump in PPL towards the end. Most likely due to the growing popularity of the show. OST is nice, especially the jazz numbers. Some of the k-pop songs are catchy. Rewatching a highlight reel will not be a chore.
Was this review helpful to you?
the expressionless ML left room for improvement
It was a rollercoaster of emotions that kept me entertained for most of its run. The unique premise of the FL possessing a lie detector added an intriguing twist to the story. Her daily life and business endeavors were captivating, showcasing her wit and charm as she navigated the world of deceit.The chemistry between the FL and ML was undeniable, and their unwavering support for each other as they faced numerous challenges was heartwarming. Watching their relationship grow stronger and more affectionate throughout the series was a highlight.
While the last two episodes leaned heavily on the lovey-dovey side, they did a commendable job wrapping up the side stories and providing closure to all characters. It's refreshing to see a drama that doesn't forget its parallel plots.
However, one major letdown was the choice of the ML. His expressionless demeanor and limited range of emotions were frustrating, making it difficult to connect with his character. Perhaps a different actor or a more dynamic character development could have improved this aspect.
In the end, My Lovely Liar had its flaws, but it managed to deliver an overall satisfying experience. It's a drama that will leave you with mixed feelings – offered heartwarming moments, yet the expressionless ML left room for improvement. Overall enjoyable
Was this review helpful to you?
A charming drama with unique main leads and their healthy relationship
"My Lovely Liar" is not on excellent level, but it's not bad like some people are claiming. It's simple yet meaningful. This drama has always been showed as romcom-mystery from the get-go. I like how the romance is not cheesy and the mystery is not heavy. This drama gives a good balance, along with the supernatural part about the female lead's ability and job as a liar hunter which makes it fun, and addressing mental health issue through the male lead's experiences as murderer suspect and being a reclusive person which makes it emotional.The charm of this drama is the healthy relationship and gradual growth of the main leads. It's interesting to see how the relationship unfolds between the female lead who is a confident woman that takes the initiatives while the male lead is a socially anxious gentle man who balances the line. Some people dislike how they got in a relationship too fast, but it wasn't fast and they had a decent development, prominently how they got closer by casually eating out with each other, which is special especially for introverted people like the main leads. They gradually became friends who formed a special bond and learn about each other - understanding, caring and protecting each other in various things until they naturally gained feelings and open up with their secrets. It's such a good thing that this drama didn't add unnecessary misunderstandings since the main leads has always been straightforward and they know how to communicate with each other. TRUST and HONESTY are the main theme of this drama. I'm glad that they didn't need to push back their relationship and be stirred into conflicts, instead they helped and worked together to solve their problems especially about Doha's murder case. Their mature, stable, healthy relationship is truly important in this drama and it's one of the best representations in kdramaland. The chemistry of this couple is comforting and cute. It's heartwarming to see the healing process of Doha and Solhee, overcoming their own flaws while giving light and strength on each other through all the odds.
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
Drama has too much spice!
That's the conclusion after watching the Korean drama My Lovely Liar. Like a chef who is provided with premium cooking ingredients: Handsome/beautiful actors/actresses with good looks and acting; complete characters and other ingredients needed to create a drama that makes the audience curious in every episode.
Unfortunately, writernim failed to mix the ingredients and present them.
There are so many conflicts that feel far-fetched, such as Mok Sol-Hee's father, the main female character (FL), who lives in the forest. It's back to nature like that, but it looks forced and strange.
Plus the proportion of scenes of Mok Sol-Hee's mother, who works as a con artist, is too much, so it feels overdone and boring. Also the pressure on the male main character (ML), such as the pursuit of reporters, Choi Eom-Ji's older brother who thinks ML is a murderer, accusations of plagiarism and other dark aromas, make the Korean drama My Lovely Liar less comfortable to enjoy.
That doesn't mean writernim didn't try to add spices to make it taste sweeter. Unfortunately, the scene selection is cliche, such as the female main character (FL) helping ML who is sick. Then FL couldn't leave the bed because her hand was held and ML used it as a pillow. The two people fell asleep until morning.
Very boring, right? I don't know how many dozens of dramas use similar scenes.
Even though the director is Nam Sung-Woo, you know. Doi has successfully directed several popular dramas such as the Korean drama "Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok-Joo" and the Korean drama "100 Days My Prince".
As a result of not being exciting enough and being too long (it seems like 12 episodes are enough), South Korean audiences only awarded the Korean drama My Lovely Liar with a rating of 2-3% (Source: AGB Nielson)
Luckily Mydramalist was kind enough to give it a fairly high rating, namely 8.5. The award goes to Hwang Minhyun's appearance which successfully enchanted the audience, as well as his song which became the ost of the Korean drama My Lovely Liar.
You can read more here:
https://www.maria-g-soemitro.com/2024/06/my-lovely-liar-ending-yang-membagongkan.html
Was this review helpful to you?
Truth or Lie ~ sometimes it was hard to tell
Oct 2023I find Hwang Min-hyun a joy to watch, so I'll be honest, I've a feeling I might have got a bit frustrated with parts of this, if the lead hadn't held my attention quite as much! (and no, I don't follow him as an Idol).
Nice cast; loved both Seo Ji-hoon and Yun Ji-on's portrayals of their characters too; the latter especially. Both tugged at my heart strings.
The ladies held their own as well and whilst I am not a big fan of Kim So-hyun (I can't quite explain why there are aspects of her acting, that just don't click with me), I quite liked her in this. A favourite character was Cassandra / Yoon Ye Seul (a Tarot reader and friend/colleague of Sol-hee in their coffee shop). Character Hwang Cho-rok was definitely my least favourite. I just found her irritating and the drama wouldn't have suffered without her 🫣 The mothers of both lead characters were awful, too. Do-ha's should have been locked up! :~D Sol-hee's was yet another leeching parent who blames all her woes on her daughter. I am honestly so tired of K-drama parents that use their kids (and kids being targeted for things their parents did, like owing money, or going to prison). The originality is gone, it's old and writers need to up their game.
However, the story is both fun at times and touching, with a murder mystery, pinch of corruption and some threat thrown in for good measure. Several episodes into the drama, I had an inkling who the culprit might be, but I was never 100% sure about it, which is good.
I wasn't convinced by the leads' chemistry, but they were not a dreadful match either. I have to say, HMH's somehow vulnerable and withdrawn character in this, captivated me and sometimes he reminded me a teeny bit of Cha Eun-woo.
I did find the sound effects for when Sol-hee heard the truth or a lie, to be very confusing; maybe that's just me though. Also, there were times when Do-ha's anxiety around wearing a mask got forgotten completely and it got a bit silly; I was glad when he got rid of it altogether.
The OST fit nicely and HMH also sings a track in it (it's called Alarm).
At the end of the day this is a light drama that makes an enjoyable enough watch, with a neatly wrapped up ending.
Was this review helpful to you?
Supernatural but mundane
The plot was there but also very lacking. In a way certain aspects made sense, especially Sol-Hui’s attraction to Do Ha - which was not because she COULDNT hear his lies, but rather he did not lie often.It had the potential for a thriller/mystery story , which it sort of went with the latter part of the drama but the supernatural ability was used for a mundane lifestyle ; which I find does fit the title “Lovely Liar”. However, it is more on a romance/drama than mystery which I still enjoyed.
Slightly boring and slow but still entertaining.
Would have liked it more if they didn’t make the gay character into a villain but I digress.
Was this review helpful to you?
