This week’s Friday Night Drama selection has been inspired by a conversation I had with a couple of friends of mine, as we started talking about dramas we could never quite bring ourselves to finish. During said conversation, I was surprised to learn that both of my friends had never managed to finish Yoon Eun Hye and Kang Ji Hwan’s romantic comedy, Lie to Me so I decided to feature it as this weekend’s drama to marathon, in the hopes that it would inspire them both to finish, what I thought was an enjoyably fluffy little drama.
Originally airing on SBS from early May to late June, 2011, Lie to Me is the story of Gong Ah Jung (Yoon Eun Hye), an employee of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism who, in a desperate attempt to save face, tells her antagonistic (and boyfriend stealing) frienemy that she’s actually the wife of Hyun Ki Joon (Kang Ji Hwan), the very wealthy president of World Hotel. Through a series of misunderstandings, Ah Jung’s lie snowballs into a huge mess and before she knows it, she finds herself face to face with Ki Joon and a very hefty lawsuit. As one would expect in a K-drama rom-com, nothing goes as planned and before they know it, Ah Jung and Ki Joon find themselves trapped in a fake marriage which, as we all know, can only lead to one thing… True Love!
Of course there are a couple of twists and turns along the way… Ki Joon’s ex-fiance, Oh Yoon Joo (Jo Yoon Hee), returns and tries to win him back, Ki Joon’s little brother, Hyun Sang Hee (Sung Joon), falls for Ah Jung and creates all kinds of family drama and Ah Jung’s old boyfriend/first love, Chun Jae Bum (Ryu Seung Soo) is now married to her frenemy, Yoo So Ran (Hong Soo Hyun) but for the most part, this drama is pretty predictable. Going into it, you have to know that the crazy girl spouting lies is going to end up with the rich jerk, as he inevitably softens and eventually falls for the girl who crashes into his life like a whirlwind and messes everything up along the way. Still, even with its predictability and sometimes down-right cheesyness, I enjoyed Lie to Me. It’s certainly not a drama to watch if you’re looking for something deep and intellectual but if you’re in the mood for something light and fluffy, perhaps something to distract you from the stress or overall crappiness of the past week, then Lie to Me is certainly a worthy option.
I particularly enjoyed the chemistry between Yoon Eun Hye and Kang Ji Hwan, as I thought they provided some pretty decent on-screen sparks. I’m sure there are some mixed feelings out there over the Coke-kiss scene but if you overlook the fact that they just made a HUGE sticky mess all over Ki Joon’s immaculate kitchen and they’re going to spend the rest of forever trying to clean it up, then you’ll probably find that it’s actually a pretty great kiss. Of course there are more moments where the on-screen sparks fly, at least in my opinion, though those are probably due to the fact that I absolutely love watching the jerk-of-a-lead slowly falling for the crazy girl next to him and Kang Ji Hwan does a fantastic job of revealing those little moments when Ki Joon’s heart softens. (Oh, I get all giddy just thinking about them! Yes, I’m a dork and I’m okay with that.)
Like I said, Lie to Me isn’t a deep drama, by any stretch of the imagination, and it’s really rather cheesy and predictable but I still enjoyed it. Sometimes in life you need a little extra cheese so grab a box of crackers (or a bottle of wine, if you prefer) and curl up with this predictably cheesy fluff of a drama. I guarantee you, it’s okay to indulge in the ridiculous every now and then and when you’re finished, you can come back and tell me what you thought. Maybe I really am the only one who was able to bring myself to finish this one… (Oh, and sorry for the awful cheese joke just now… I’m a sucker for horrible puns and dry humor. 미안!)
Wahhahaa!~ Are you encouraging us to finish the drama? Actually, I think I better get on it! Kang Ji Hwan is straight up hilarious in this drama. Well, probably because I always find his facial expressions so comical. He’s perfect for rom-com. His calm, yet irritated look really makes me burst out laughing. I thought the story line of Yoon Eun Hye competing with the frenemy, Hong Soo Hyun, was too much. Personally, I don’t think it’s worth it in real life to go that far to save face, but I suppose some people need to look good in front of others or die trying. I love Hong Soo Hyun though and she successfully portrayed herself as very annoying, but somewhere in there I know she cares for Yoon Eun Hye’s character as they were former best friends! I don’t know what the big deal is about the “soda kiss” as I found it nothing special (and wasteful!) but I did feel the electricity of Yoon Eun Hye and Kang Ji Hwan’s kisses. Woah. The karaoke scene where Kang Ji Hwan was lost in Yoon Eun Hye’s singing before he swoops her in for a public kiss in front of their friends, was the most electrifying moment for me! I love cheesy dramas! Actually, I always though it’s a hit or miss with Yoon Eun Hye dramas, but this was a drama that I was really anticipating to watch though I have no idea why I dropped off and as I think back, I think that other dramas took up my time instead.
Bwahahahaha! Am I subliminally encouraging you to finish this drama? *sheepish grin* Um… Maybe? LOL!
Oh, I’m so glad you brought up that karaoke kiss… WOWZERS! It’s my personal favorite in this drama! It’s just the look in Kang Ji Hwan’s eyes right before he kisses her… *swoon* It sent tingles up and down my spine! Such a great scene! I like Yoon Eun Hye as an actress (though her choice of dramas is sometimes lacking *coughMarry Him If You Darecough*) and you’re so right about Kang Ji Hwan, he was made for rom-coms! He’s just so funny, in his own special way.
If you like cheesy dramas, you really should find the time to finish this one. It’s just so fluffy and cheesy and cute! It’s the perfect way to unwind at the end of a long day because it’s not really stressful. There’s not a lot of conflict (though the writers would like you to think there is) so it really boils down to a calm, relaxing, ball of cheese that’s perfect when you want to do nothing but sit down and chill for a few hours.
Haha- I’m really in World Cup mode right now, but I’ll definitely try to find time to finish this drama as well as the others.
Yes, the Karaoke kiss stunned me. I honestly don’t know what I would do if I were sitting on the couch watching that kiss. :S Awkward!
Yes, Yoon Eun Hye is really a hit or a miss for me. I loved her in Goong the best so far. I will have to put “Marry Him If You Dare” on the drama list I will finish at turtle speed.
Yes, I’m still trying to watch the 2008 “Hong Gil Dong” drama starring Kang Ji Hwan and even though Hong Gil Dong’s background situation is very sad as he was an illegitimate child-turned-slave, the way Kang Ji Hwan portrayed him made me laugh.
Still, the Kang Ji Hwan and Yoon Eun Hye pairing is nice to watch. I’m going to have to find time to watch it again.
I wouldn’t worry too much about putting Marry Him If You Dare on the “watch at turtle speed” list. It’s seriously one of the most frustrating dramas I’ve ever watched. There is never a definite male lead and the ending is just so… Well, I don’t want to ruin it for you so I won’t say anything. If you ever manage to get through Lie to Me let me know. I’d love to know what you thought of it as a whole. 🙂
I completely agree with ZombieMamma about finishing “Marry Him if you Dare”. Don’t bother. It was probably the most frustrating ending to a drama that I have ever watched(and I’ve watched a bunch!). Now if you just want to see the adorable Young Hwa from CNBlue, then watch “Heartstrings” or “You’re Beautiful instead”. At least they have real endings.
I enjoyed Lie to Me. The wild younger brother was amazing in “I Need Romance 3” if you’re looking for something new to watch.
Wasn’t he though? I really enjoyed watching him in IDR3, he was just so adorably irresistible!
Yes, Young Hwa’s character was much better fated in both Heartstrings and You’re Beautiful and the ending of both of those dramas was infinitely better than that of Marry Him if You Dare. Still, if you want to have an extra excuse to drool over Young Hwa for an hour or so at a time (and let’s face it, who doesn’t) then you might want to consider finishing MHIYD. Just make sure you have a large supply of plushies around to throw afterwards… They’re a lot safer to chuck at your computer and believe me when I say that by the end, you’re really going to want to throw things.
Haha – thanks. I didn’t like any of Yong Hwa’s dramas so far and I’ve already seen “Heartstrings.” I’ve seen maybe six episodes of “You’re Beautiful.” I still don’t really know why “Your Beautiful” is so hyped up. I’m just watching the dramas at turtle speed.
How is it, every time we talk about a drama I end up featuring it as my “Friday Night Drama”? It’s kinda funny, don’t you think? (And I promise, I had this one picked out days ago!) 🙂