My Lovely Liar Full Review: A Twisted Tale of Truth, Love, and Lies

Have you ever wanted to have a power with which you can know if you are being lied to or not? If you did, then tell me will it be so nice? Because I feel that sometimes not knowing the truth is better for our mental health, on the other hand, if we get this power then maybe life would have been a little easier, what say? In 2023, a drama was released that gained the attention of the audience of all ages because this drama visualized the whole concept of what we were talking about just a second earlier. And that drama is called My Lovely Liar. In this article, My Lovely Liar full review, you and I together will explore this fantastic fantasy drama with a touch of reality.

Not only fantasy and reality are blended here, this drama also includes emotion, mystery, heartfelt romance and many more into one captivating narrative. So, let’s take a deep dive into My Lovely Liar which is a rich package of unique plot, relatable characters, rich cinematography and so much more. 

Plot Summary

Mok Sol Hee is a young woman who has a special ability that allows her to know if a person is telling lies or not just by looking at their eyes. For this reason, she never can trust anyone from her childhood because everyone tells a lie for their own reason. She does not even trust her mother. She thinks this ability is a curse and wants to get rid of it because for this she lost everything, her childhood and even her lover. However, one night she meets a man and this meeting changes her life completely. That man is Kim Do Ha, a famous music composer, who is trying to hide himself from her because he is a suspect in murdering his own girlfriend. Even though he is a murder suspect Mok Sol Hee believes him because she knows he is not lying. They first become neighbors and then become lovers and together they prove Kim Do Ha’s innocence and also find out the real culprit behind the murder. 

Main Characters & Their Performances

The well-developed characters and the compelling performances behind them are some of the most powerful aspects of the drama. Each of the cast did their best job to brighten the emotions and the emotional depth and realism of their roles. And in this section, we are going to focus only on the main actor and their performance and before that please let me tell you the whole cast together made this drama stand out.

Kim So Hyun As Mok Sol Hee

Mok Sol Hee is a woman who can detect lies by looking at their eyes while talking. She is a grown-up woman but this ability of her made her lonely from her very childhood. There are very few people whom she now can trust. This character balances cold detachment with growing vulnerability. She built a boundary around herself to protect herself from another heartbreak. 

The forever talented actress Kim So Hyun played the role of Mok Sol Hee with so much effort and delivered a mature and layered performance that anchors the whole drama. 

Hwang Min Hyun As Kim Do Ha 

Kim Do Ha appears as a mysterious guy, who is hiding himself from the world with fear. He is soft-spoken, introverted and deeply emotional beneath the surface. When he was young, he had a beautiful girlfriend who suddenly died and he became a suspect in that murder. He tells everyone about his innocence but no one believes him, not even his mother which makes him conservative and alone. 

The handsome actor Hwang Min Hyun plays the role of Kim Do Ha and he perfectly fits the quiet, broken charm of Do-ha. His performance gets on its peak during his panic attacks or confrontations.

Seo Ji Hoon As Lee Kang Min 

Lee Kang Min is the ex-boyfriend of Mok Sol Hee and a detective by profession. They loved each other so purely and passionately and they wanted to marry each other. But ultimately they broke up just for the ability of Sol Hee. Because he once told her a lie and she thought his love and he himself were fake. In reality, he never stopped loving her and he had his own reason for that lie. Many years after their break up they meet again but this time more as a detective and a friend of a victim. When they met Sol Hee was already dating Kim Do Ha, he was sad hearing that but selflessly helped them to find out the actual culprit. 

Seo Ji Hoon played the role of Lee Kang Min, a silent lover and a selfless person. As he played the role of second lead, he perfectly carried out the legacy of a green flag second lead. 

Yoon Ji-on As Jo Deuk Chan

Jo Deuk Chan is a loyal friend and manager of Kim Do Ha. He is also the CEO of J Entertainment company. When no one was with him in his difficult time Deuk Chan was with him. He was more like a brother to Kim Do Ha. He gave him work and shelter and supported him with everything. He always thought about Do Ha before himself. But as soon as Sol Hee came into their lives he started feeling a pressure and lastly, a shocking truth came out. This character of Jo Deuk Chan brings out friendship, lightness, loyalty, and sometimes unexpected tension to the story.

Yoon Ji On played the role of Jo Duek Chan and his performance was so neat and clean that even the audience was shocked when the ultimate twist came out. 

Lee Si Woo As Sya On 

Sya On is a popular female idol who is also called the nation’s younger sister. She has a soft corner for Kim Do Ha because he was the one who made her perfect both as a singer and a human being. 

The young actress Lee Si Woo with her performance adds emotional and romantic conflict to the narrative. She skillfully captures both her confidence as a public figure and her insecure personal side. She also handles the complexity of Sya On’s jealousy and longing as well.

Themes and Symbolism

Along with the unique plot and the gripping performance of the cast the drama My Lovely Liar stands out for its themes and the deeper message delivered in the drama. Even though the plot serves a supernatural element, with the complex characters and how they were designed and their journey the drama explores thought-provoking themes that resonate with real-life emotions and struggles. Now let’s see what are those thought-provoking core themes and powerful symbolism that give this series its emotional depth and lasting impact.

Truth vs. Lies: The Heart of the Drama

Truth Vs lies is the prominent theme of the drama. As I previously said, knowing the truth is great but sometimes not knowing the truth is good too. Mok Sol Hee has a supernatural power that allows her to identify lies when people talk, just by looking at their eyes. To her, it is a burden not a gift because it completely ruined her relationship with people around her. Truth is obviously important but sometimes lies are important too. She saves people being betrayed by other people with her powers, but when it comes to her own life it does not work so well. She breaks up with Kang Min because he once lied to her but later she comes to know the actual reason for that lie and she ultimately feels guilty. This drama gives us a message that truth is good but knowing all the truth does not always lead us to the ultimate oath of happiness, rather choosing whom to trust or not is the most important thing. 

Healing from Trauma

We all know that Time heals, no matter what the wound or the scar is but what makes the journey of healing even better is mental support. For their own tragedy or trauma, we see both the leads isolated themselves from the society, they only have a few trusted friends. But when they came together they became each other’s healers. Sol Hee could not face people because everyone tells lies in society whether it is small or something big and it makes her uncomfortable. On the other hand, Do Ha hides her real identity because of the false murder accusation that was following him everywhere. So both these isolated hearts meet and start a journey of healing that offers them love, understanding, patience, trust and reliability. 

Isolation and Emotional Barriers

Before meeting each other both of them were devastated. Though both were alone for their own pain, they hid each other and created an emotional barrier that no one could enter in their zone. Sol Hee runs a tarot coffee shop with her friends and hides behind sarcasm and detachment. Kim Do Ha became a music composer and hid himself behind fame, mask and anxiety. And this self-isolating and hiding represents the internal struggle of both the leads. And when they became close to each other they became able to break each other’s wall of loneliness. And that’s how the story shines. 

The Gray Area Between Right and Wrong

In this drama, you will not find any villains even if they somehow feel so. There are no villains but slightly grey characters who are a mixture of good and bad. Such as Sya-on who is loyal and faithful to Kim Do Ha, she loves her and wants to live with her but as Do Ha and Sol Hee go into a relationship we see her jealous face, Deuk Chan is obsessed with Do Ha and following this he commits a grave mistake of his life, again the brother of Do Ha’s ex-girlfriend who wanted to kill him is not a villain as well, he is doing it just because of the grief of his lost sister. Overall you can not call anyone a villain because they are just normal people like us who lie, hide, or protect themselves for reasons they believe are justified. And for these reasons, the audience empathizes even with flawed characters and keeps the emotional tension real.

Cinematography & Aesthetics

Let me tell you one thing that as an audience I experienced, this drama is as much a treat for the eyes as it is for the heart. The thoughtful use of lighting, color palettes, and scene composition makes it eye soothing and these also add layers of emotion to every frame, perfectly complementing the storytelling. Let’s talk about it in detail.

Color Palette That Reflects Emotion

The creators mindfully used color palettes like soft pastels, dusky blues, and warm golden tones to dominate the drama’s visuals, subtly shifting with the mood of each scene. The colors represent different situations, moods and emotions for different characters as cool and muted colors for Sol Hee when she is alone to reflect her loneliness. And when she opens her heart for Do Ha the colors around her change to warmer tones which symbolizes emotional healing and connection. 

Lighting That Speaks Volumes

The lighting that was used in the drama plays a quiet yet powerful role throughout the series. The dim lighting or the shadowy colors is not just a prop but it actually symbolizes the loneliness and the isolated moments of Kim Do Ha that mirror his inner turmoil and trauma. But when he met Sol Hee, he found hope, laughter and strength to step up for a new beginning and the lighting started contrasting the earlier settings. The dim lights become bright and the shadows are driven away by sunlight. 

Set Design with Symbolism

The whole set is carefully designed and represents a lot of things, such as describing each character’s personality and inner turmoil. Sol Hee runs a tarot cafe or fortune cafe with her friends which is quite vibrant, quirky, and filled with charms underneath the tough exterior just like Sol Hee who is a jolly and an optimistic person with a lot of pain and suffering. But Do Ha’s apartment directly contrasts with Sol Hee’s. His apartment is minimal and he does not have so much furniture, he doesn’t even look that much, he only has chicken breast in his fridge. Every small detail like this in set design reflects Do Ha’s emotional states beautifully such as his inner fears and isolation. 

The Mesmerizing Soundtracks

My LovelyLiar is such a drama that soothes the mind and hearts of the viewers and these effects last even longer with the essence of the heartfelt OSTs. This drama features a rich and emotive OST album that enhances the depth of the narrative and makes it even more enjoyable. My Lovely Liar consists of a total of 18 soundtracks including vocal racks and instrumental and that were released separately in 6 parts. I am giving you the OST list below.

Vocal Tracks

1. Spoiler by VIVIZ
2. Run by Woody
3. An Unbreakable Love by Shin Yong Jae (2F)
4. My Heart Says by Mi Joo
5. Alarm by Hwang Min Hyun
6. Luv Luv Luv by Jo Yu Ri and Sung Han Bin (ZB1)

All these tracks brought the emotions of the theme and the story of My Lovely Liar closer to the audience. These tracks carry the emotional weight of the drama successfully, resonating deeply during romantic, sad, or pivotal moments. But among all these loving tracks Luv Luv Luv and Alarm stood out the most and became fan favorites due to their emotional delivery and connection to key scenes. You can find the instrumental versions too of these tracks which beautifully capture the mood without lyrics.

Instrumental Tracks (Background Music)

1. Opening Title by In Ha Young 
2. Cat’s Waltz by Jin Myung Yong
3. The Ability by Byun Dong Wook
4. Good People by Park Suk Won, Yoon Song and Joo Ji Hoon
5. Positive Energy by Shin Min Yong
6. Satisfy by Im Ha Young 
7. Funny Violin by Jin Myung Yong
8. Liar Hunter by Kim Wan Jung
9. Find of Truth by Jin Myung Yong
10. You Are My Destiny by Shin Min Yong
11. Truth and Dark by Yoo Jong Hyun
12. Understanding by Jung Bong Gil 

You can find the full album on any music streaming platform you like.

To conclude, My Lovely Liar is not just a typical fantasy-based romantic comedy it also captivates a superfine mixture of mystery, healing, and love that keeps the viewers emotionally hooked from the start to the end. The unique plot did its own job but the chemistry between the leads stole the show. The soft and shy guy who is hiding himself from the world and a cheerful yet gloomy girl who is hiding herself from the world full of lies, they meet and build their own small world that becomes the coziest and most comfortable place to live in, even if on the outer look it is just a small apartment. Apart from the story and the chemistry of the leads, the stunning cinematography, and a powerful OST lineup, the performance of the supporting characters and overall everything of the drama leaves a lasting impression long even after the final episode. 

Whether you’re drawn to compelling character growth, or you just love fantasy, or you simply love slow-burn romance more which is wrapped in suspense, and if a little bit of mystery appeals to you, then I would say this drama delivers all of it with sincerity and style. So, this drama is actually what you want right now. And if all these categories do not work for you because you just need something refreshing yet emotional still I would say, My Lovely Liar is one of the best options you have right now. And I can assure you that this drama will give you an unforgettable experience that you won’t want to miss.