The Lie We Lived In

This is the BL We Lived For

This is the BL We Lived For. The BL genre is so saturated right now and its good to see production companies try to deliver unique plots even with limited budget.

Short summary. A hunky Guy suddenly appeared in a man's house looking for an evidence of a crime 10 years ago. Guy put the Houseowner in a cage in his own basement because who doesnt keep a cage in their basement, to search for that evidence. Suddenly, Houseowner's friend - an obviously gay twinkie Cop who is looking for a way to clear his father's name, appeared in the house and met Guy - who pretended to be Houseowner's brother. Of course Cop would believe and flirt with Guy because why not? They made love and fell in love. However, Cop realized soon enough that Guy is not Houseowner's brother and is keeping his friend in the basement, but still chose to believe Guy's explanation over his friend. Guy found the evidence he was looking for- same evidence that can clear the Cop's father's name. Chaos ensues as more people appeared the house. After all the killing, Guy and Cop remained alive, and they lived happily ever after, in a beach somewhere.

The good:
1. Great camera work - i dont know what type of camera they used but shots look cinematic, plus great editing and color grading.
2. Unique story.
2. Capable and good looking main leads.

Im so sick of watching Korean BLs with 10+ min per episodes, i honestly dont understand why they cant just make episodes longer when their intended broadcast platform doesnt have limitations on episode length. can someone please explain it to me? That why, i am glad that the episodes for this series are slightly longer than the average Korean BLs. The 5 to 10 minutes added per episodes gave the story enough breathing time so the execution doesnt feel rushed. It felt like a well executed complete story but still i cant help imagine what the show could have been if its a regular length series.

However, the show isnt perfect and there are some loopholes in the story:
1. However twinkie the cop may look, why would he need a self defense training from a random stranger - he is a cop for crying out loud, isnt self-defense and all other kind of defense and offense training already part of cop training?
2. Why would the criminals wait for 10 years to look for the evidence that can implicate them in a crime?
3. its an expensive looking house but people kept showing up unannounced - dont they have a front door or something? Even the father cop suddenly appeared in the living room without even knocking and announcing himself and has the guts to say lets do it by the books.
4. I may get a flak for saying this, i had a hard time identifying all the other cast members - they all look alike with the same styling even in the flashback scene from 10 years ago.

Will i recommend? Yes definitely. it's a 9 out of 10 for me.

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Contact Killer X Cop? I’M SEATED!

I mainly started watching this because the entire killer x cop story is so intriguing, something I haven’t seen in a kbl before.

I basically started watching this with zero expectations. was expecting some low budget and low production quality drama with possibly bad acting. what I got was completely opposite of all that! the production quality was actually very good, so much better than I expected. the cinematography was amazing.

the actors all look so incredibly handsome, and they can actually act! especially the ones playing the killer and the hostage. turns out this is the first ever acting project of two out of three actors in the main role, that makes it even more impressive! I was seriously impressed by Kim Seung Beom’s (the killer) acting skills. he made me wanna root for him even though i had no idea if he’s actually a good person. and daaamnnn BRO CAN KISS!!😩

the suspense was actually pretty well done imo. i saw some of the plot twists coming, while i was completely blown away by some others. watching this show as it was ongoing was A JOURNEY! each week they managed to leave us hanging with one cliffhangers worse than the other, kept us on the edge of our seats!

there were quite a few plot holes tbh. but somehow they didn’t bother me as much, and i really enjoyed watching this regardless?

overall, I’m very impressed with the quality of acting and suspense we got from such a short length low budget drama. I wish this was longer!

PS. Taejeong definitely did not seem fit to be a cop🤣 my guess is that he only became one to catch his father’s killer, and doesn’t actually have the knack for it.

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At least something different...

is the best I can say about this show. It had soooo much potential but the script and acting could not let it shine.
Compared to most of the Thai BL crap we get, this had an interesting premise, but the script did neither develop the characters nor made sense of the whole "drug" case. For me, it felt cobbled together in a hurry.

I have no clue how the case resolved with all the dead around. I can only asume the notebook - or was it a tablet? - was found or Chu left it with Mr. police gay guy, otherwise how could they solve the case? To have two Kims as ML is quite funny to me, but the older Kim was not good in acting at all... he felt out of place at times. Besides not really capable to be a police officer he often felt lost. The younger Kim did his best and I see his talent but he can't lead a BL alone when is partner is not capable - yet.

For young/new talents a workshop would have worked wonders, but I doubt they had one, Production quality overall was good, even the limited locations did not bother me. But the biggest question, how did Mr. police guy find his love? Not explained, he just appeared and we get the typical happy BL end - which I could have lived without. A time-jump where they meet by coincidence, for example Mr. Killer would have his first art exhibition... would have made more sense.

It's no secret that I don't like stories which leave questions or are not logical, especially if it's a kind of suspence, crime or thriller genre. The initial idea was good, but the execution failed. The team gets bonus points for presenting us with a novel concept, with some characters acted out well and suspence background music. Overall it's ok to watch, it's not stellar and not catastrophical bad, but not good either.

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The Ignorance We Lived In.

I'm sorry, but, who let Chu Tae Jeong become a cop? Dude was just cruising through the whole time. Like, did he himself even believe he was a cop? He was so naive to the point of stupidity. Also, who drew that eye scar/injury? It kept moving from the side to the center every scene. And what the eff was that meh ending?

Anyway, they tried. It was a interesting concept, it just, as it is with most of these dramas, the execution felt flat. Also, what lie did these two people lived in? Dude already knew he was an imposter like 2 episodes in, and he also knew he was a cop. So at this point, weren't they pretending and just living in ignorance? Well, whatever. Here's my quick review.

Basically, we have a contract killer who loves to paint mountains. But although he looks the part of the killer, dude got caught, and did he take out the threat? Nope, they had sexy times, he trained him so he could better protect himself, then when sh!t hit the fan, he packed his bags for him, gave him all the evidence to incriminate himself and sent him off on his merry way. The whole time I was like... but... aren't you supposed to... you okay with life in prison? huh?

Then we have the cop. Listen, was whatever town Chu Tae Jeong was from short on recruits? Cuz aint no effing way he made it all the way to the final selection. Like, see for yourself:
1. He couldn't tell Seo I Do was an imposter. (Dude's been friends with the real one for years)
2. Didn't find that Amnesia-ish trope suspicious at all. (There was so many things he got wrong, then he came back and did some checking, found proof and did... nothing. Call backup? Nope, not him.)
3. Found his kidnap friend tied to a creepy basement with weapons, and dude didn't question why there was such a place. Then of course, he proceeded to not turn it in, cuz the friend said they shouldn't. Then helped said friend tied up his summer fling. Like??? What even are we doing at this point?
4. Found out his new crush is a killer, and dude proceeded to have sexy times with him, cuz you know, love and whatnot.
5. That whole thing with the friend and almost getting burnt alive for it.
6. Dude was there to clear his father, an ex-cop's name, and the whole time he did not do one bit of investigating on the matter. He remembered like one old scene, saw a notebook. Looked sad for the camera one time, and that was it, but somehow, he still ended up with the evidence he wanted. Dude didn't even try... must have been how he became a cop too... convenience.
6. Also, him coming back to the house after Seo I Do sent him off without any back-up. Like???
7. And how the eff did they wrap up that ending??? There were dead bodies everywhere, and all we got were some vague answers, and then he quit but apparently could have been promoted. Promoted for what? What he do? He didn't report anything for days, and he's a man of the badge, who kept all of that to himself, so he could get it on with a killer. I was shock they didn't jail his naive arse.

That basement friend sucked. That dude who took Seo I Do in and trained him, lmao, was he in love with him? Oh well, now he's dead and probably they pinned all the murders on him. That would teach him for falling for killers who paint.

Plot-wise, they tried. I did find the beginning so very interesting, the leads had good chemistry, but after Chu Tae Jeong kept making all those dude decisions and being naive... I gave up on him. This dude, instead of being a cop based on decisions was one based on emotion. Frankly, I'm surprised he made it to the beach in the finale. As for Seo I Do, he turned into a poppy real quick. Big bad killer curved the moment that cop entered the house, and even lost an eye to protect him.

And how the eff didn't the police find Seo I Do? How did Chu Tae Jeong found him? Dude had no police skills whatsoever, so how did he manage to find him and the cops didn't? Though, were the cops even looking for him? Cuz that ending was so messy and rushed, it was a complete letdown, I got nothing out of it, other than Chu Tae Jeong did the police department and his country a favour by quitting, cuz with him on the force, who even knows how many people would have lost their lives? That poor father of his must be turning in his grave, watching his son act the fool in the place he was murdered.

Anywho, all in all, interesting, a nice watch, something a bit different in regards to plot, give it a chance if you like bls. I'll recommend.

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A step in the right direction

It was a change from the regular format and this I wholeheartedly endorsed. A stretch but the right step. Being inundated with either mundane scripts full of fluff or the mini series that sit in 2 rooms, (bar and bedroom. You all know what I'm talking about. If I see one more bar with all the post it notes and background chatter, I'll have to give kbl a rest).

It proceeded well until ep 5. The cat and mouse game was on. Then for some inexplicable reason Tae Jeong proved to be the most clueless police officer with no survival instincts whatsoever. He did the service a favor by resigning. Tae Jeong expecting Seo I Do to go to the police station and help him clear the whole mess up was priceless stupidity in action. The gut punch was warranted.

It's fine that the story tied itself up by killing everyone but the love birds. When said cockroaches, it felt like that. One after the other the cockroaches came out to die.

The love between the two was not credible but hey, love at first sight happens or Tae Jeong cluelessness blinded his judgement. It just wasn't felt. The ending totally expected.

Why did I like it, again what we have been getting had become the norm and it was different. There were moments of suspense. Now, add more money and polish to the script and we might have something bigger. Oh, before I forget, the acting was bordering on okay to midling. Nothing spectacular but it did the job. Lastly, what worked in its favor - 20 min ep.

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I USED TO PRAY FOR KBLS LIKE THIS.....

tbh PEAK KBL!! ohh it was so good, it had me obsessed the whole time, i started it with not so many expectations because as we all know majority of kbls don't fulfill them but IT WAS SO GOOD, the story, the acting, the music, the cinematography, the direction everything was SO GOOD!
they did the thriller and mystery so good, i was gagged, i love good thriller bls smm with nice plot twists and it had thatt!!
the third act of the show was so perfect and i am so satisfied by everything, they really said let's make a kbl with actual mystery and good direction and screenplay and the most important thing WITHOUT FISH KISSES.
the plot and the plot twist was so good, episode 7 was so goated it left my jaw on the floor, this ate even with 8 episodes of 20 minutes, it really made me believe more that the duration or number of episodes doesn't matter if the plot and screenplay is strong...
but i have one question, WHO LET CHU TAE JEONG BE A COP? 😭 i mean let's be real bro doesn't even know how to fight and he's a cop, well that's not a really big issue and i am biased towards this show so I'll let it slide..
I WOULD REALLY RECOMMEND WATCHING THIS BECAUSE IT'S HONESTLY PEAK KOREAN BL AND A WELL DONE THRILLER, I HOPE KOREA KEEPS MAKING.MORE BLS LIKE THAT... A MUST WATCH I'D SAY...

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It's a thriller, people. The claustrophobic kind...

The Lie We Lived In aired as a series comprised of eight episodes running about 20 minutes apiece. Its total running time levels out around 2.5 hours. In other words, about the same length as many feature films. And given the story it unspools, it likely would have worked well as a motion picture. (I watched the 8 episodes in one sitting, which amplified my sense of consuming a film.) Many fans arrived expecting a BL, and if I were to grade it solely on that basis, I might come in a few points lower. But I think what makes The Lie a compelling watch is the way it adopts the attributes of a suspense thriller above all else. The tension between these characters is less the romantic variety--though that works as well--but more the fact that everyone is lying to everyone else about just about everything. And if any of these lies get exposed, murder would plausibly follow.

The two main characters are a contract killer and a cop. The killer arrives at a secluded house to perform his job. Literally in the middle of the act, he gets a call from his employer: keep the victim alive until a missing phone is located. Just as he tidies up from the initial fracas, the victim's childhood chum shows up expecting to stay for a week. He mistakes the killer for the victim's sibling (who conveniently left home a dozen years earlier), and the two take up an uneasy co-habitation. The killer must maintain the subterfuge of pretending to be someone else, a masquerade made more perilous once he ascertains that the visiting chum is actually a detective. He peppers the "brother" with endless questions once it's clear his friend isn't home as expected. And once he determines that the man living in his friend's house is not, in fact, the brother, the tension ratchets up. Killer's employers expect him to eliminate all evidence (meaning, kill the cop), but he still needs to find the phone. Meanwhile, he also keeps insisting to the cop that the friend is not a saint. With nearly the whole series set in a single location, the co-habitation between cop and killer feels claustrophobic. For me, that single set amplified the story's innate tensions. These men lived in such close quarters, each with secrets kept from the other, that the expectation of being found out dominates the mood.

As with most mystery stories, the loose ends never quite tie up neatly, but this isn't the type of mystery built around intricate plotting. The suspense provides most of the entertainment here. Whose misdirection will be exposed first? The writers did a commendable job writing each episode toward a cliffhanger ending. (That is one way we know it was written as a series rather than as a film.) The romantic tension that sparks between the two is, in true BL style, a bit too quick and easy but their mutual attraction is necessary to the plot. Each man will make choices that run counter to his professional instincts because of that attraction, so the BL element is also rather central. The reviews for this series have meandered all over the map, but I think the thing provides a solid diversion. Would I have thought so if I had had to wait week-to-week for a new 20 minute installment? Perhaps not. All the more reason to blast through in one single marathon sitting. Less time for the shortcomings of the mystery to take root in your brain.

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Assassin X Cop: Lies, Crime and Romance

I didn't even read the plot synopsis before starting this and the story took me by surprise.

I've never seen a KBL with this plotline, so I want to call this an unconventional KBL but it is off to a great start for sure.

The acting is okay, the romance is building up too, but there's so much tension; I'm eager to see how everything would turn out.

Only four episodes in, and the cliffhanger at the end of the fourth episode will sure have any viewer returning to continue watching.

This is looking really good so far. You should watch it if you haven't started yet.

EDIT: Done watching. Good but not great, there are things that could have been done better. Also, would have been nice to have more episodes of them living and loving but we’ll take what we get.

7/10 for me.

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unique plot

Overall: with tighter writing this would have been a 9.5. 8 episodes about 20 minutes each. Aired on Viki https://www.viki.com/tv/41508c-the-lie-we-lived-in#episodes

Content Warnings: past murders, murders, attempted murder, blood, manipulation, held against will, violence

What I Liked
- different plot from what we normally see
- chemistry/tension
- mystery

Room For Improvement
- 3 main characters all did stupid things like telling something they shouldn't, leaving things on a wall, etc., that supposed police officer was more stupid than the average person would have been in that situation
- final episode was rushed and there was quite a lot of nonsense stuff (police didn't find it suspicious with the body count that 1 person was completely fine???)

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I'm always happy to see BL series explore new themes instead of sticking to the same formula. 🤍

I wasn't sure if this one would be for me at first, but it turned out to be much better than I expected. The story kept me interested, and I ended up enjoying it more than I thought I would. ✨

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fun watch with good acting from full cast

acting really underrated honestly compared to other works in this genre that get gassed up but are actually terrible.. episode lengths were plenty long enough to me considering most other shit nowadays manages to be like 5 mins come on lol and genuinely don’t know why there’s so many comments on so-called plot holes because it was actually very clear they were trying to provide context for literally every element of the plot. but to be fair I guess that’s just the usual audience anyway zzz nobody knows how to pay attention properly. singular thing I can agree on was it just wasn’t realistic but what was anyone supposed to expect ? so what if the cop was bad at being a cop lol they said it themselves anyway. and the leads didn’t particularly have chemistry but honestly I didn’t care the story was fine for me genuinely compared to loads of other works again that are worse by a long shot with actual plot holes and cheap lazy writing.. and no time wasted on triangle bullshit or misunderstandings etc since the romance wasn’t intense which was fine. was able to enjoy all the characters and their connections a lot better. possibly memorable? rewatch value only low because I personally don’t rewatch most things

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