This review may contain spoilers
If you don't have anything else to watch.... check this one ...
the premise of the story is interesting.... a girl that can hear lies and how can she cope with that.In a world where we are in constant "please others" mode... lying is a giving. So you can imagine what kind of life this girl has.
But as a smart woman... she had made a business out of it.
Here I thought.. GOOD FOR YOU! she is not a victim...
Of course, she meets the ML and there is something strange with him.. (typical.. he is the exception to the rule).
I liked that she behaved very normal with him... even though he is super famous and used to have everybody wanting something from him.
She does not need him... that is a big difference.
their romance started with a sort of friendship and moved quickly into something else... that was nice.
the story itself was OK.... It kept me interested until the end...
I took points out because the end was a bit blah....
SPOILER HERE
she decided not to profit from her gift and stop using it as a business... I do not understand why, instead of evolving with it, she quits it...
her romance with ML was cute / a bit childish too. Again one of the many k-couples that have never kissed anyone else, and behave like teenagers, even though they are 30 year old.
Overall.. it is an OK story... if you have nothing else to watch, it is OK.
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Promising Premise & Cast - Plot/Writers Failed to Deliver
I had picked this drama for the fresh storyline, promising cast and hint at the mystery element. It never started off on a ground-breaking level but was decent till the first half. Post that is when it went downhill - in terms of romance and mystery which even the good actors could not salvage. Sharing my take - short and detailed review, on whether you should binge or skip it ....❤️ Nutshell Review:
My Lovely Liar is a drama about a woman who can hear lies and runs a successful business to help people detect lies and save themselves from fraud. Despite her unique abilities, she struggles with trusting people – unable to make friends and form relationships easily. She meets a famous music producer with a mysterious past who she is attracted to. She is wary of starting a relationship with him but to her surprise, the guy is genuinely very truthful making her comfortable and they embark on a relationship while growing individually. But their relationship is tested when in a turn of events the guy shares about his past – which rings a bell (quite literally) in the girl’s ears, which can only mean one thing - he is lying!
The drama goes on to explore how the woman understands this guy (her Lovely Liar), investigating the mysterious past with him while discovering the nuances of her unique ability. Together they also navigate romance, past relationships, family, friends, new acquaintances and how it all shapes up their lives for better or worse…
❤️ What is Worth Watching:
♥ Good-Looking Leads: Kim So Hyun and Hwang Min Hyun
♥ Depiction of how social interactions and power of belief helped the main leads overcome their inhibitions
(works only for the first half though - the above formula cannot save the whole drama)
❤️ What Does NOT Work:
✘ Second Half of the Drama
✘ Wasted opportunity to utilize a good cast
✘ Wasted effort on romance and mystery – directionless since second half.
✘ Missed using drama to drive a social message on – habitual lying, frauds, dirty games in politics, police, music/media industry, journalism etc.
❤️ My Call - Binge or Skip:
SKIP IT! - Unless you have started it already and want a closure – then finish it (on 2x speed, maybe?)
OR you are a fan of any of these actors and just want to watch it for their sake.
---------------------------------------------------- ✧❅✦ DETAILED REVIEW ✧❅✦------------------------------------------------
✧❅✦ WHAT WORKS ✧❅✦
♥ Good-Looking Leads: Kim So Hyun and Hwang Min Hyun
♥ Depiction of how social interactions and power of belief helped the main leads overcome their inhibitions
(works only for the first half though - the above formula cannot save the whole drama)
They are a good-looking pair and delivered well from their end (can’t help if the writing is poor). Kim So Hyun is renowned for her acting skills, but this was my first time watching the ML. To me like many idol-turned-actors, he is not just a pretty face but was decent. Not groundbreaking but not a carboard cutout either. Sure, he has room to grow, I will not watch any new work of his solely for him, but he is someone who can do well given a good plot and directions.
Through each other and the support from friends and acquaintances, the main leads see that while there is still a lot of bad in the world, they can still open to each other and many more and not everyone will betray them. They grow as individuals as they support each other, get support from some people around them and in turn manage to support others who can use their respective talents.
✧❅✦ WHAT does NOT WORK ✧❅✦
✘ Second Half of the Drama
✘ Wasted opportunity to utilize a good cast
✘ Wasted effort on romance and mystery – directionless since second half.
✘ Missed using drama to drive a social message on – habitual lying, frauds, dirty games in politics, police, music/media industry, journalism etc.
The first half was decent & I expected it to get better, but rather it gradually becomes worse with the last 2 episodes just being super-meh, Especially feel bad for: Kim So Hyun (FL) | Seo Jung Yeon (ML Mother) | Ahn Nae Sang (FL Father) | Park Kyung Hye (FL Friend & Tarot Reader) | Jin Kyung (ML Mother) – because they are popular and some senior talents of the industry.
Also, Ha Jong Woo, Lee Si Woo – they were new for me but under-utilized else had so much to offer.
Worst misuse of Yun Ji On's talent: Have seen him in Tomorrow and he was remarkable. He was going to be here as well but the writers did him dirty with the latter half and ending.
✧❅✦ My Take on Themes ✧❅✦
Like countless recent dramas, the story progresses quite well in the first half (till Ep 8) and goes downhill after that in terms of writing. Therefore, even good/decent performances of the cast are not able to leave an impact both in terms of romance and mystery, which I felt were the two focus themes of this drama. Given the fresh storyline and some renowned names in the cast lineup, the expectations and excitement were high, but the bad writing could not sustain it and hence the ending was weak.
• Romance - 6/10
Could be an unpopular opinion but I liked the romance build-up in the first half. Not everyone can have the heart-and-flowers, bring you the moon kind of love story. I liked that the protagonists were wary of romance given their past experiences, but eventually believed in each other. They were awkward at first but that added to the charm. Neither were they boring as we witness some hot kisses (well, thankfully they were not the usual fish face/cardboard kisses of drama land).
But perhaps the writers & audience wanted more in terms of toe-curling, fluff romance and that is what degraded the romance angle for me as it lost the point how they were as individuals, and it looked very out-of-character to me. Even the romance of the supporting characters seemed strained and forced. Rather the writers gave us romance where it was unnecessary (parents of FL, other store owners) and forgot where required (ML/FL, Syaon/Chi-Hoon).
• Mystery - 4/10
The title "My Lovely Liar or Useless Lies" initially intrigues with questions like: who is the liar? what is he lying about? is her power foolproof? What is the past incident? But the initial anticipation dwindles after Ep 8, with random cliffhangers, changing suspects, plot twists deviating from the who-dunnit theme and making it boring. Even when the curtain is lifted to reveal the culprit & motive; it does not have a shocking impact, rather is quite expected at this point and therefore dull.
Hence Final Verdict:
SKIP IT! :(
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There were good and not so great elements of the show.
This was a drama where I was very excited for the cast, Kim So Hyun has some hit or miss dramas, but she always acts well beyond her years and I still can’t believe she’s only 24. Hwang Min Hyun was pretty good in Alchemy of Souls and let’s face it, he has a very nice face to look at.The premise of the story is interesting, the FL, can hear lies and she happens to meet someone who basically doesn’t lie (even though the title is called My Lovely Liar, but when you watch the drama, I guess that is kind of explained).
I like the cast and the secondary cast was pretty good. Very entertaining and everyone has their quirks. I like that I mostly didn’t recognize anyone else and so it was nice to see fresh faces (to me that is).
The drama basically has low angst which could be considered good or bad. I found some parts a little slow and boring, but I rather have that then silly angst.
The villains of the show were really annoying. You know that villain who is just “crazy” and never seems to listen to anyone even when everyone is saying he or she is wrong, but they will not simply listen. Yeah, that was fairly frustrating to watch. To have the bad guy pursue the ML for so long and for one solid reason was very annoying to watch.
The FL’s mom was very annoying too. I loved her in Dr. Romantic but I will not want to watch her in a “bad” role anymore. I couldn’t take the mom character at all. I truly wanted to fast forward her scenes because they made her so over the top and kind of ridiculous
As much as I love the leads, there is ZERO chemistry between the two. I truly felt like I was watching two pretty actors recite lines to each other and maybe that has to do something with post production. There are a lot of moments of dialogue without background music and I found that really odd.
The drama is fairly predictable and I figured out everything by the 4th episode, that doesn’t really hinder my experience because to me that wasn’t really the main part of the show for me. I was just interested in the leads getting to know each other, so suffice it to say, I enjoy the first half better.
The show could have easily been cut down to 12 episodes, but I didn’t fast forward anything so it’s an easy show to watch, or to have something on the background. I started to read webcomics as I was watching the show towards the second half and I was completely fine in following the storyline (I don’t know Korean, just FYI).
Overall, watch it for the leads, but the storyline / over plot is fairly lackluster.
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Dude Can't Catch A Break
I'll be honest... my feelings are a mixed bag with this drama. I reposted my same review that's on Viki with more add-ons on here.First off, I'm tired of the majority of K dramas where there's always a very clingy girlfriend or female friend to the point where they're suicidal over the dude. It's sooooo annoying. Like the SFL is a straight up stalker with obsessive traits. She just cannot take no for an answer no matter what her manager or the ML tells her. She either refuses to listen or twists the ML's words so that she can continue living in fantasy land and justify her obsessive and possessive traits. The two men raise their voices at her and nope, she gets scared but doesn't change. Ugh. I just roll my eyes now with this overused trope.
It's time to write women better and stronger especially in any Asian drama because women deserve some empowerment without coming across as a stalker who can't live without the man she wants, or a woman of "lower class" pursued by a rich dude or a women who IS rich but then she's a cold-hearted b*tch. I wish some writers would read the book, "Why Men Love B*tches" and write about a drama about THAT. (Btw, every women should read that follwed by 'He's Just Not That Into You'". I assure you, it's a game changer.)
Another reason that I'm struggling with this show because like another reviewer stated, "There's too many obnoxious people on this show." Yes I get it, that's dramaland but this ML just can't cut a break. If it's not the ex's brother, it's a reporter, then the singer, then it's the exortionist, and the plagiarizing composer. Then the FL's ex will soon come into play too and let's not forget her mother. Anyways, someone is always invading the ML's privacy or space. Don't even get me started on when the FL took off the ML's face mask. O.M.G. That made me so livid. Can you imagine if the roles were reversed and the ML did that to a FL? I was so disappointed in that scene. Anyways, with all these toxic people, sometimes viewers just need a break from all them too.
Mind you, I like the ML and a huge fan of the FL but I gotta admit, the ML acts the same as he did in Alchemy of Souls. Same lost look at times and shy demeanor. But he did show some range when he was angry, so that was good but still could've been more pissed off. When he turned down the SFL, he had his mask on so you couldn't really feel the weight and seriousness behind his words.
There's a part where the FL finally catches the ML in a "lie" but I had to wonder why the writers didn't show the FL distancing herself from the ML after hearing what he "lied" about? That would've been a natural reaction. Instead, HE pushed her away.
Also, I'm not a fan of the way K dramas always use drunken scenes to bring the leads closer together. Like seriously? Getting black out drunk on a date is the biggest turn off. Then there's the trope where the lead has to carry or go with drunk person home, get passcode access to their place, and puts them in bed. If they're not drunk then they have a passed out kind of fever and of course, the opposite lead stays overnight to make sure they don't die. Lol. I mean, alcoholism can be a big problem folks. In some countries, we call that a "red flag" if you're getting drunk on the first three dates.
Anyways, I'll try sticking it out til the end but some parts seem draggy to me. I may change my rating later but so far it's a solid 8 from EP 6.
Update:
I dont know when I started to watch this in fast foward but it was getting really draggy. There just wasn't enough "oophm"... that extra mysterious-ness around the death of the ex or even enough excitement between the two leads. Not enough chemistry IMO. It just got messy because everyone was lying except the ML and SML. On top of that, it becomes difficult to tell the difference in sounds when the FL could hear the truth and the lie. You were basicallly waiting her "that-person-is-lying-look" or slight nod or the button press. It was becoming tediously repetitive. At this point, I was just waiting for the answer to come on who the murderer was.
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Interesting Story
The drama starts off pretty awkward. FL's dress style at that time was really bad. The stylist was not able to make the FL look like an in-character. The acting however was great, I'm a big fan of Kim So Hyun and I know her capacity as an actress, the ML, Hwang Min Hyun portrayed his character well. I'm satisfied with the actor's performance, the only thing that upset me is the story progression. The story progression is terrible, the plot is becoming uninteresting for 16 episodes. It would have been better if the drama only had 12 episodes. But since it has 4 episodes that still remain I will look at it in a positive way since so much can happen in that 4 episodes and the plot may still have some twist that can reverse the terrible story progression. I'm just hoping that the drama ends up well since it included great casts.Was this review helpful to you?
Pretty Good So Far !!
I'm writing this after finishing episode 9. Honestly wasn't expecting this series to be all that good but it's very entertaining & with a good plot. It starts a little slow but they're just setting up the story first few episode then it starts getting interesting. Honestly would recommend it for anyone that's on the fence about watching it. I'm interested to see where the story goes for the last 7 episodes. The ML & FL have great chemistry. The characters are well written so far every character has ''character''. I'd give it a solid 8.5 - 9 so far. Hopefully the story doesn't fall off as it goes towards the end.Was this review helpful to you?
The main leads were cute together
Likes1. I loved the relationship between Doha and Solhee. I think without the 2 actors' chemistry i probably would have dropped this drama early on.
2. I liked the part when Solhee lost her ability and had to live without it for a while. And when it came back, she still made a decision to stop using her abilitu and instead learn to love and trust the people around her.
3. Minhyun lived a sad life, people around him either didnt trust him or were obsessed with him. Good thing he met Solhee and it changed his life. I wish he continued playing piano at the jazz club.
4. Too bad for Kangmin, he is a nice guy but he didnt trust Solhee enough to tell her that he is sick. Hope he finds someone else too.
Dislikes
1. Disappointed that the ending still focused on Eomji instead of the friendship between Deukchan and Doha, which i thought deserved more appreciation.
2. The neighbors weren't interesting, except for the baker. Wish they paired Kassandra's with the baker instead.
3. Solhee's mom and her dad's story was cringey.
Rating: 8.25/10
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A healing and comfort drama, the chemistry between Male Lead and Female Lead very good
This drama offers you everything you need. Romance, healthy relationship, thriller, comedy, enjoyable music & more.Doha and Solhee present to us one of the greenest, most healthiest relationship between the male & female lead character in K-Drama land & not make the female lead as a damsel in distress. They present the importance of communication, trust, showing sincerity, being honest, making an effort, protect, help & understand each other & love unconditionally.
Hwang Min Hyun and Kim So Hyun great pairing. Their chemistry on & off screen is one of the most wonderful i have ever seen. Endearing & magical. They were more than phenomenal in my eyes.
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Its OK, but its a bit , do we care?
The negatives, the tropes of tramatic past, you can not get over, the fantasy premise, and the very stupid females charector that acts like a spoilt brat in her pursuit of a man she sees as hers. The there was not need for most of this because being hounded by your 'fans' and antifans is pretty traumatic enough for you to run away, this theme would have been more interesting, than the repeat childish adult wanting a man who has no romantic interest in her.The plot meanders along, which no real tension, when they did start to write the ML part, by then he was basically boring, even if you did feel sorry for him, a bit. The ML continued to have virtuall no personality throughout the whole drama, and little growth, never really says what he wants.
FL , appeared to have common sense but also pretty boring, the mother was more interesting. The FL should have had judging on the back story of her life more attitude and drive.
The couple has no UST, in any way, it was a child like relationship.
As the main driver of this drama is the pop industry, not one memorable song or tune, a big failing
It passed the hours but did I care about anyone, not really.
Failed my lift test. If you stuck in a lift for four hours, no matter how obnoxious the people are would you be interested in their story, in this case no, because not matter how extrodinary their tale, this lot would make it sound like a shopping list.
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An okay romance with a dull mystery
This is the kind of drama that would be much better as a pure romcom, as the mystery just drags it down. It's hard to balance these two genres, and this drama didn't have either the writing or the acting to pull it off. Some of this is to be expected - it's hard to write a mystery show when you give the FL the ability to tell if people are lying. That just makes solving problems way too easy.The main reason I watched this in the first place was because I was curious to see how MinHyun's character would be, it seemed it would be different from his previous shows with a darker element. But it's more of the same, he's a nice, somewhat bland lead, and the FL is more of the same. Here it makes the mystery part of the show even more dull to watch. Neither of them seemed to be able to show passion in general.
The positive is that some of the side characters grew on me. I liked the other characters who work with the FL, and I found the characters in the ML's life generally interesting as well. All of them just seemed more lively/interesting than either of the leads. It's not exactly good when you finish a show and wish you could replace both the leads with the side characters instead.
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She hears lies. He hides truths. Romance hit mute.
What can I say about this show is that it’s unremarkable. I wanted to watch it because of Hwang Min Hyun, who was great in “Alchemy of Souls,” and the premise of someone who can hear through people’s lies, piked my interest. But the execution fell short, perhaps due to the flimsy source material, budget constraints, lack of inspiration, or whatever ailed this sad excuse of a drama that could have been great, but settled for mediocrity.As individual actors, Kim So Hyun and Hwang Min Hyun were not too shabby. As Mok Sol Hee, she was spunky and conflicted at the same time because of her supernatural ability to detect lies. It’s no surprise that she has trust issues, which explained her backstory with her previous fiancee.
On the other hand, the male lead was as mysterious as he gets, hiding his identity from almost everyone because of a past incident that pegged him as a suspect in a murder case. Because of this intrigue that I kept watching this drama, to see how it unfolds. The first half of the drama was decent until it lost steam. Speaking of which, there’s not even a semblance of heat between the two main characters to justify a romance. Not even a tiny spark to light a fire. But you know who has chemistry? Mok Sol Hyun and Lee Kang Min. So much so that I wished they gave Do Ha’s role to Seo Ji Hoon instead. I would have rooted for this ship, hands down.
As for the secondary characters, they are even less memorable, except perhaps for Yun Ji On, who plays a complex character. I was really impressed by his portrayal of Jo Deuk Chan, the ML’s best friend, who happily plays second fiddle. But the rest of the cast were technically just props, perhaps to fill a body count, and move around to make the drama look substantial when it’s not.
Then the plot twist and the whole fake-out at the end was disappointing. And coupled this with the fact that two of the female characters here used emotional blackmail as manipulation is very unsavory for me. I’m not really one to justify this, but in the end, this is not a romance story or even a murder mystery, but a drama about obsession, whether it’s for a one-sided love or a love lost, for misplaced justice, for a twisted truth or for greed of money. So while there’s a semblance of a message is there, it failed to deliver.
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When the second male lead is 10 times stronger than the male lead.....
Romantic K-drama that brings viewers into a world of love, deceit, and the complexities of human relationships. While the series has its strengths, it's important to acknowledge that there's room for improvement, particularly in the portrayal of the male lead, Hwan Min Hyun. However, amidst these challenges, Seo Ji Hoon shines brilliantly as the second male lead, stealing the spotlight with his exceptional acting and emotional depth.Hwan Min Hyun, cast as the male lead, unfortunately, falls short of expectations. His acting, while possessing some charm, is found lacking in depth. One noticeable aspect is the limited range of facial expressions he brings to his character. This lack of emotional diversity makes it difficult for viewers to fully connect with his portrayal. In a romantic drama, it's crucial for the male lead to convey a wide spectrum of emotions to establish a strong connection with the audience. In this regard, Min Hyun's performance leaves much to be desired.
In stark contrast, Seo Ji Hoon's portrayal of the second male lead is nothing short of remarkable. Ji Hoon infuses his character with extraordinary depth and authenticity. He masterfully navigates the emotional complexities of his character's tragic backstory, bringing every nuance of sadness, joy, and pain to life. Ji Hoon's immersive performance draws viewers into his character's world, making it impossible not to empathize with his struggles and triumphs.
The love triangle, a common trope in K-dramas, takes on a different dimension in Useless Lies. While some dramas may fall into the trap of predictability, this series manages to breathe new life into the trope. It's true that from the outset, it's evident that the second male lead won't have a chance with the female lead. However, Seo Ji Hoon's compelling performance adds depth to the storyline. His character's endearing yet heartbreaking journey serves to tug at the heartstrings of the audience in a way that feels genuine and emotionally resonant. While the outcome may be expected, the emotional journey of the characters keeps viewers invested and emotionally engaged.
The story is its own unique strength. In a landscape of K-dramas that often rely on familiar plotlines and clichés, this drama stands out with its originality. The central narrative revolves around complex characters and the web of deceit that surrounds them. While the story maintains its originality, it's worth noting that, as with many dramas, it becomes somewhat predictable as it unfolds. To elevate the series further, introducing more unexpected twists and turns in the later episodes could have maintained the intrigue and kept viewers on their toes.
The chemistry between the main couple is a vital factor in any romantic drama's success, and the drama doesn't disappoint much. The interactions between the female lead and the male lead, despite the challenges posed by Min Hyun's acting, carry a certain charm. Their moments of vulnerability and connection are touching, making it easy for viewers to root for their relationship. While Min Hyun's facial expressions may lack diversity, the chemistry between the leads helps compensate for this, drawing viewers into their emotional journey.
The drama commences on a strong note with comedy scenes that infuse humor and levity into the story. These early moments of humor effectively hook viewers with a smile. However, it's worth noting that as the story progresses, the comedic elements become less prominent. A sustained dose of humor throughout the series, especially in the later episodes, could have enriched the overall viewing experience and provided moments of light-heartedness amidst the emotional intensity.
In conclusion this is filled with heart and potential. While it may have its shortcomings, particularly in the portrayal of the male lead, it remains a compelling series that offers a fresh and original storyline. Seo Ji Hoon's exceptional acting elevates the drama, and the love triangle, though seemingly predictable, is made more poignant by his performance. With a commitment to refining its comedic elements and introducing unexpected plot twists, could have been even more exceptional. Nonetheless, it remains an entertaining and emotionally resonant drama that captures the complexities of love and deceit in a unique way, making it worth the watch.
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