My Lovely Liar

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.

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Twenty questions, we tell the truth

The story of a human lie detector and the most emo guy I've seen yet in the drama space...

Story
The plot was intriguing while still sprinkling in some good food for thought. I appreciated the fact the they really leaned into the gray space of how not every lie is wrong. This lesson was slightly refreshing in the space of perfect virgin 'I've never had a boyfriend but I'm 30 years old' female leads. Can I also take a minute to discuss how this seemed to be one long commercial for Maseratis and almonds? Easily the strange PPL I've encountered. While the plot was predictable (I don't think s single person thought Do Ha killed his ex gf) I think what made the drama feel flat was the ML seemingly stuck in his sad boy era. The B story characters were also one dimensional with no real purpose other than filler.

Acting/Cast
The main reason I watched this drama was the two leads. Having seen them in other series (bats eyes at Alchemy of Souls, then hisses at Love Alarm) I was excited to see them both again. It was nice to see Kim So Hyun playing a sassy/lively character vs the last role I saw her in. Hwang Min Hyun on the other had was dealt a less kinder fate. Do Ha is easily the most boring ML. Predictable, flat, and with the wardrobe to match.

Music
I did enjoy the 'Run' by Woody, so for that I will give them decent marks.

Rewatch
While it was cute (at best) it was forgettable. Nothing work revisiting.

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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

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Truth or Lie ~ sometimes it was hard to tell

Oct 2023
I 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.

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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.

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Living lie detector? Hell yeah I'm here for it

Love the idea about hearing lie and make money from that, THAT'S PURE GENIUS. I always love this kind of fantasy, sumn like Bongsoon or Girl Who See Smell. Interesting checked✅️

THIS IS WHERE THINGS GOT HEATED

Love Sohyun's acting, don't know if I'm being biased or sumn because I love her since forever. But Minhyun's acting is a mild no. Not good but not that bad actually but clearly needs more acting classes. Chemistry? 404 not found. Chemistry between the handsome fans and Syaon are way way much greater, would love to see those two in another drama.

Storyline...hmm...pretty understandable, the flow is enjoyable, and contains an unpredictable shocking plot twist. But the moment I finished it, I don't remember much of the story. I feel the "what was that again?" moment after watching this.

Do I want to rewatch it? Yes, but only the scenes where Sohyun did her job as lie detector, it's fascinating to see. Rewatching whole drama? No, I'm good watched it once.

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I wanted to like it but a miss for me

7/10 is my rating. This is a 2023 supernatural romance drama with 16, 60 minute episodes.

First I provide a unique synopsis then review.

Mok Sol-jee (Kim So-hyun) hears people lying everywhere she goes. Born with a special way of depicting a lie, she has learned not to trust most people. Her mistrust of most people was reinforced when her fiancé, Lee Kang-min (Seo Ji-hoon), broke off their relationship with little rationale. She is immediately attracted to Kim Do-ha / Kim Seung-joo (Hwang Min-hyun) as he is one of the few people she encounters whi isn’t telling lies frequently. He is handsome and talented but extremely reclusive as he hides behind a alternate name as a suspect in his former girlfriend’s death. Sha On/Sa Ji (Lee Si-woo) fell in love with Kim Do-ha who believed in her and helped her rise in stardom by providing the music behind her successful career.

Review
I really wanted to like this more than I did. It had all the elements an interesting premise, cute romance, great leads, but despite all that I found myself slow walking through it. I even debated not watching but I was so far in at that point I just continued on. The mystery was about the best part of it and there was a surprise twist to that. I am picky because I have seen hundreds of series and this was not on par with any of the really good ones.

Spoilers

The chemistry between the leads was off. He was passionate enough in the kiss scenes but she seemed very stiff and unnatural. I am not a fan of long moments of just gazing into each other’s eyes but there was so little of that in this one it made their relationship seem equivalent to good friends.

The sound it made when there was a lie was confusing because they also made a sound when there was a dramatic statement. There was a lot of potential with that ability but the cases it showed were not that interesting.

I had zero interest to the point of annoyance with the side couples. Her mom and dad reuniting was not believable to me as her dad lived like a homeless person and her mom craved luxury. Plus she was such a con woman and never changed. I felt sorry for the dad and thought he should stay far away from his toxic ex.

I never had sympathy for 2nd guy. He elected not to tell here about having cancer then thought he could just get her back when he was ready. So I was never rooting for him.

The plot was chaotic in that they lacked good flow between the mystery, supernatural elements and romance. It would be focused on that romance then abruptly switch to the mystery. It just felt very disorganized and it dragged at some points.


#Kim So-hyun
#Hwang Min-hyun
#Seo Ji-hoon
#Lee Si-woo

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MID

personally wished for more fantasy and less mystery. I know kdramas have a habit of mixing as many genres as possible in one and I knew this is gonna be one of them but still .... this is a bit disappointing. I wish the drama focused more on Sol hee and her powers rather than the story of all toxic lovers who were obsessed with Do ha. I felt like the story was to grim for a romcom but not deep enough for a mystery. the suicide case should've stayed as one instead of turning to a murder case. it took all the attention that should've been given to our main leads and gave it to finding who's the real killer and in the process it hindered any good development our leads could've gotten. I was more invested in side characters. although the ending is a happy ending I don't understand how Do ha's trauma is supposed to be gone when it should've gotten worse. To be betrayed and be kept in the dark for so many years it cant make your mental state better surly. the chemistry between the main is lukewarm at best.
its not unwatchable per se .... but a forgettable one definitely.
on a side note: I wish kdramas tone it down a bit with their product placements. Especially when they go out of their way to give characters a line to talk about the said product. its annoying.

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While this show is good, I found most of the extra stories incredibly boring. I honestly just was interested in the main couple and how their story was going to play out. The murder mystery aspect in this drama was actually interesting and went with the plot of the show. Most others are just there for the sake of drama, but this one helped with keeping you watching to figure it out. Although at some point, it was pretty easy to guess the overall twist and mystery of the show. So after the answer was given, the show got a little boring to me. I did finish, but with a lot of skipping to get to the overall resolution.

The ML is the main actor that caught my attention. The way he portrayed the turmoil Do-Ha was going through was really great. The character development he shows with him is also what helped keep me interested. Seeing how his entire life was being shaped and mended due to meeting a person he had in the past. I felt for his character the most. Definitely want to check out more of what he's going to be in and has been in.

The "power" part of the show was interesting and the cases that came along with it. I wish we could've gotten a little more of that part too. Especially the workers in her tarot cafe, that was so interesting to me and I felt like we hardly got to see it. I wasn't interested in any of the storyline with her mom or her ex-boyfriend. It was honestly just boring and predictable with how it was going to go, especially after watching so many dramas like this one. The neighborhood and all of their storylines were interesting and I could've appreciated seeing more of them too. By the time you get more of it, the show was already ending and you're just wanting to see how the main plotline is going to conclude.

It's not the greatest drama ever, but it was a pretty good watch for the main couple and story.

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Sweet

This was a very sweet show.
The story revolves around a woman who can hear lies and a man who's running from a painful secret in his past.
She's cute and quirky.
He's the greenest of green flags; a real sweetheart.

I loved watching her slowly open up to the people around her and making friends.
I adored seeing him fall for her, instinctively protecting her and taking care of her.

Their relationship is so wonderful. Sweet and cuddly.

The mystery hurt me bad though. I feel so bad for our male lead. Thank goodness he has the female lead there for him.
He came through it all stronger than ever.
The ending is lovely and perfect. They both deserve their happily ever after, and we get to see it!!

The actors did a fine job. The music was okay. The shooting was great.

Although this show is not short, it is the type of show I'd watch in one sitting with a blanket and hot drink, smiling all the way. The overall impression is sweet and cozy.

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Not bad

"My Lovely Liar" is a good show, but some details blocked it from being a great show!

I wanted to watch this one from the beginning, but I ended up dropping and picking back up a few times before I could finish it.

The first part is engaging, and you can't stop yourself from watching the next episode for maybe the first 10 episodes, which is more than 50% of the show. However, the show went downhill after episode 10, and some of those reason could be because:

- The mystery was good, but the reason behind the culprit's actions were not enough for me. I wish the culprit would be more twisted and evil in order to guide our feelings of justice properly.
- The redemption arcs felt hollow, since they happened too quickly or some characters did not even deserve redemption. The culprit did not deserve forgiveness or redemption, and those who did should have been shown in a good light a few times, and start the whole redemption arc earlier.
- Some people complain about the chemistry between the main leads, and I have to agree that it is not the best, but it is not that bad. However, we only got to see a little of the "singer" and her new "bodyguard", and their chemistry was great, so I wish we could see more of them.
- I love happy endings, but everyone reaching success magically feels fake, instead show me some progress before that, so I can believe it when they are all having their perfect happy ending by the end.

With all the things described above, this shown would have been better with only 12 episodes.

I love "no break up" shows, or lighthearted and low angst romance, but I have to accept that they can be boring, so I hope that they make more beautiful romance stories with those elements, but with interesting plot, character development and even villains if they fit the story.

"My Lovely Liar" is a good show, but it could've been much better... Best luck next time.

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