Useless Lies (2023)

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.

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TEPID CHEMISTRY

An typical average K-drama. They have no chemistry, the guy wasn't great, they both had tepid eyes and smiles to each other, dialog was simple and petty, the supporting actors were even worst. The story was about a girl that could hear lies from people, she met this guy who couldn't tell lies. This guy was a famous composer, hide his face behind the mask and real identity. He supposed to be the main suspect of the murder of his ex-girlfriend 5 years earlier. He hide himself at the apartment next door to this girl, no personal connection whatsoever but eventually got to know each other over favorite British soccer teams, this girl helped him to open up to himself and took on challenges. If they've fallen in love, we wouldn't know, there wasn't any warms or sweetness on the relationship. Shy? that was not, it's more like lack of talent. It got worst when the plot started to focus on community approach in which supporting actors didn't do well (annoying acting) and investigation on murder accusation. It was interesting what lies the girl try to detect when many VIP clients hired her (she earned lots of money with this job) while not so when he went on for personal vendetta looking for the real murderer.

So, that wasn't only about Pretty Lies but fillers about combination of one sided 'gay love', vendor's community in area, famous singers and her fans, mysterious famous composer, his vindictive ambitious political mother, her greedy mother and reclusive father, victim's brother who went berserk every single scenes, involvement polices or reporters. Yeah too much mingled all over the plots, so it's forgotten the main (on the title) synopsis about 'HEARING PEOPLE LIES!'

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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

Leia Mais

A Human Liar Detector and her Musical Genius Find Love In the Mist of Lies and Crime

This started off interesting. There were some entertaining “cases of the week” where the FL had to decipher lies from truth. I like how she used this “gift” to make a great living. I also liked the music business storyline with the ML (Dong Ha). Dong Ha, living a secretive life due to his shady past was quite intriguing as well.

It was nice to see him become human again once he moved outside of the city amongst people who didn’t know that he was famous and his relationship with the FL was cute. However, this series started to loose momentum about halfway through.
Though the ML/FL looked good together they didn’t have any chemistry. Both were kind of flat. Though Min-hyun is doing a good job at spreading his wings into acting, he needs more work in order to become a believable ML as there was hardly any charisma exuding from him here, and perhaps that was due to the lack of chemistry with the FL.

I was expecting more to happen with the ML’s life once things started to come to a head about his past but besides a few paparazzi snapping pictures of him as he left a hospital that was it. The media who’d been relentlessly trying to track him down at the start of the series seems to have gone on holiday. There was virtually no impact to his songwriting career. The mom’s burgeoning political career was thrown in for good measure to add drama that was essentially window dressing, but not much happened with that either. Honestly, I didn’t think that storyline was needed. It served no purpose except to try and make the audience think the ML had indeed killed his ex, when we all knew that was not where the story was going.

The FL skills did come in handy in clearing the ML’s name. But then once it was obvious, he was innocent the show went from somewhat entertaining to downright boring. They really could’ve tightened the story threads and ended this series in 10 or 12 episodes. Unfortunately, they took it to 16 episodes, with the last 3-4 being pointless. Those episodes were so boring I ended up fast-forwarding through most of them.

Despite the lack of story, the ending was nice. Those who are fans of the main couple will be happy. Is this worth watching? It’s one of those shows where I think viewers will fall heavily across all spectrums as to whether they liked this, hated it or feels it okay. This wasn’t the worst series I’ve ever seen, but it wasn’t really good either. Just okay. Would I rewatch. No.

Leia Mais

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.

Leia Mais

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.

Leia Mais

So much potential, so much waste.

I'm going to keep this review short but also spoil some of the stuff, so please beware.

This isn't a completely bad show, it's just horribly written and many of the scenarios make very little sense. Let me say this, the FL has a future. She is destined for stardom, maybe not on the big screen, but she's got what it takes to be a memorable tv actress. Love Alarm is by far the most horrendous k-drama of the past decade, but the actress continues to impress, no matter how horribly written her character is or the plot itself.

My problems with Lovely Liar lie within the plot itself and the chemistry of the characters. The ML is new. If you have ever watched alchemy of souls, you'll notice that he looks at the floor a lot in a gaze or glance. This is not by design, but probably just something he was told to do. He's a singer, so acting is not his forte. He does the same thing in Souls, and he had very little lines. In Lovely Liar, he's also a quiet and an almost introverted character. So, I'll cut him some slack, but there are so many plot holes. Why didn't he realize that his ex was being abused by her father? They were dating for two years in high school, and he never once met her father? He never knew she was dirt poor? So much of that makes no sense given how close they were, or at least how close they appeared to be. I can understand why her brother made her believe that the ML was her only dream and perhaps her ticket out of the hell she was in, but for the ML to be completely oblivious is just incredibly questionable. Next, why did he tell his mother that he killed his ex? I can understand that he was traumatized, but if you follow the story, he's a very bad liar. So why would he confess to something he didn't do and completely ruin his mother's life by forcing her to make a deal with a police chief? Yes, what she did was wrong, but she was trying to protect her son. But why did he confess to something that wasn't true and completely throw his life along with hers under the bus? It makes absolutely no sense. And was the perp gay? If so, why did he marry and have kids? How did he become a CEO in his 20s??? LOL, you can see how silly this gets. Also, his ex's brother is a complete psychopath, and it is understandable to some extent, given that his sister was actually murdered. But the guy legit almost killed another person and stabbed him. Yet somehow, he was able to walk out of jail, get release and be at his sister's funeral after her body was recovered. I cannot make this stuff up. And while these issues are some of the biggest, these are just the tip of the iceberg. One final straw for me was that the FL somehow managed to avoid an explosion while standing 5 feet from it and also lose her powers of lie detection. Again, I cannot make this stuff up.

Granted, I'm not expecting the writing and the plotlines to be perfect. But please, do not belittle the intelligence of your audience. It's 2023, you cannot create characters with distinct personalities and just have them do 180's to make suspense. You cannot bypass realism for comic book plot armor. You cannot ditch logic and expect the audience to be captivated by inconsequential drama.

Anyhoo... I'll leave it at that. But don't say I didn't warn you. If you still want to see this drama, by all means. If there's one thing I can say again, is that the FL is a pure delight to watch. Her character here is flawed and she has very little to work with, but she is far and away the best reason to watch.

Leia Mais

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.

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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.

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