As far as romantic Kdramas go, Lie to Me is one of the best ever. The fact that sexy Kang Ji-Hwan and darling Yoon Eun-Hye have some slick chemistry going on may be one of the reasons it’s so good. Or perhaps it’s the fun characters that actually show emotional growth over time. Or maybe it’s their superb acting skills. It could be due to a simple-to-follow plot, or excellent writing. Come to think of it, I’ll bet it’s the combination of all those things. Yep, that’s what it is!
It’s been a while since Gong Ah-Jung has seen the rival “friend” that stole her old crush so when she runs into the couple at a salon and the guy she was in love with asks if she’s married, Ah-Jung does what any fed-up person would do – she lies and says “yes”. Later, through a series of mishaps, Gong Ah-Jung is seen being carried by filthy-rich Hyun Ki-Joon and the girl that sees it assumes he’s the husband Ah-Jung claimed to have. It doesn’t take long for the rumor to spread and, surprise, Ki-Joon is being congratulated on his secret marriage everywhere he goes. How well does that go over, do you think? Luckily for Ah-Jung, Hyun Ki-Joon eventually finds it in his best (business) interest to go along with the fake marriage, just for a little while. But the more time Ki-Joon and Ah-Jung spend together the more they really start to like each other. Although, love is anything but smooth sailing for this lying couple. Ki-Joon’s younger brother is interested in Ah-Jung, his ex-fiancé is back for a second try, and his aunt is not about to allow him to see Ah-Jung – a few situations that work together to make a great love story.
Kang Ji-Hwan plays Hyun Ki-Joon, the president of a big hotel. He’s very business minded, fairly cool under pressure, and extremely good looking. He’s also very kind and when he loves someone he puts 100% of himself into it. This no-nonsense business man has a tender childlike quality to him when he’s in love. As I watched I thought, “That’s just the type of guy I’d want to fall in love with me!”
Yoon Eun-Hye is Gong Ah-Jung, an independent, single gal that works for the government in the Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism. She works hard but doesn’t always get to see things turn out the way she had planned. She was in love with a guy when she was younger but he ended up marrying one of her close acquaintances. Ouch.
Sung Joon plays the part of Hyun Sang-Hee, Ki-Joon’s younger brother. He was in love with Ki-Joon’s fiancé and the situation became so uncomfortable she ended up leaving Korea. Now he has a crush on a different girl and, what do you know, it’s the NEW girl his brother likes – Gong Ah-Jung.
Cho Youn-Hee is Oh Yun-Joo, Ki-Joon’s ex-fiancé. She’s under the impression she can be gone for an extended period of time and still be able to pick things right back up with the man she left behind. What makes her think time hasn’t changed a few things?
This Kdrama has more kissing in it than most other ones I’ve watched. Cheeks and forehead are targets but, happily, it goes beyond that. There are some reeeally good lip kisses! One is, what’s referred to as, “the cola kiss”. Woa, baby! That is, arguably, one of the top 5 best kisses in Kdrama history!
I absolutely loved Ah-Jung’s wardrobe but I didn’t like it when she cut her hair. The style and length she had for the first half of the show was much more attractive, in my opinion, than the short length she had for the last half. The longer hair made her look younger and more vulnerable, whereas, the shorter hair gave her an older, stronger look.
The soundtrack only had a couple songs I liked that actually remained in my memory once the show was over. One is called Pouring Rain and the other is This Is Really Goodbye, both very pretty songs. There’s a scene in the drama where Ki-Joon and Ah-Jung have a few of her friends over for a dinner party and karaoke. I’m giving the soundtrack extra points because Ki-Joon and Ah-Jung look so cute singing Lovin’ Ice Cream together. What we hear is their real voices. If you go to YouTube you can find a clip of them actually recording the song together.
The characters spend some time on Jeju Island so I’m assuming they actually filmed there. The ocean scenes are beautiful, especially the one at the end of the show, on top of the cliff overlooking the lovely, blue water. The location scouts get an A+ for that shot.
I was fascinated when I found out the screenplay was selected from a screenwriting contest. Now that’s impressive. Lie to Me was one of the best 16 hours I’ve spent watching a Korean drama. It’s fun, entertaining, and extra romantic! I recommend it with a big thumbs up and a loud “Yah hoo!”
Score: 9
The Good:
Romantic plot
Great writing
Interesting characters
Top actors
Quality acting
Nice location shots
The Bad:
I don’t remember anything bad
Heart and Seoul 