[Discussion] Lie to Me

glassesNeet wrote: I watched episode 8 raw too and for me it marked the line between liking the drama and loving it.
I loved this episode for many reasons.

[SPOILER AHEAD!!!!]

1. the chemistry between these two is so powerful it exits the screen and hits you in the face. It may sound shallow, but when I watch a romantic drama I want passion, not only cute and fluffy. And for someone like me who didn't like the male lead to begin with it means these two are doing an awesome job.
2. it got rid of the original story line, i.e. the lie and the show off in front of the friend and stepped into a different, deeper and more complex level. I think the timing is perfect to open up new and intriguing doors.
3. I see a new development in the relationship between Ah Jung and her friend... what's her name... So Ra or something. This last is learning the hard way what it means to be married. I'm confident this may be the beginning of a true friendship between these two, or at least a decent truce.
4. I love Ah Jung. Before it was her crazyness which captivated me, now it's her courage. She might have initiated the lie, but she's not a fake person at all. She reacts to events in a believable way, a very human way, from her mascara all over the place to the way she reacts to this new, building attraction.
5. I am reminded more and more of Coffee Prince. It's not only Eun Hye and the fact that she plays a similar character; it's mostly the pace of this drama, the side characters, the general feel.

Yes, I definitely love this show. :)

OK, finally watched this episode (with subs, hehehe). And I pretty much agree with everything you said. Definitely glad they dumped the whole marriage contract aspect of the show, because really that contract had no weight whatsoever. The worse that would have happened to Ah Jung should they have been found out was severe embarrassment, while Gi Joon really didn't have anything to lose. I was excited when they introduced the Chinese business couple because I thought that that would have been the key to getting Gi Joon fully invested in the contract as well as giving them an excuse to spend time together. Instead, the writers chucked that idea and went with the whole silly Ah Jung using the marriage to one-up So Ran, which is when I slowly started to dislike Ah Jung. I think at one point So Ran's husband asked why So Ran insisted on meeting Ah Jung if she hated her so much, and I thought to myself then, "Yes, woman, listen to your husband! Same goes for you, Ah Jung! Separate corners NOW!" But leave it to a drama to ignore logic even when it's presented by the drama's own character. Anywho, that's what I liked about episode 7 and 8 so much, that Gi Joon and Ah Jung were actually spending time together. And falling in love with each other together.

And yes to the So Ran and Ah Jung friendship. When the whole cheating dynamic was introduced, I was hoping that this would be a way to bring about some kind of begrudging truce/frenemy relationship, but the way they left it off in this episode, I'm anticipating a nice real friendship hopefully developing between the two. And I hope they start to develop a sense of self-value that's not reliant upon how much better off they are than the other. Well, I hope this more for So Ran since Ah Jung is already well on her way to standing on her own when it comes to that.

Last thing: I don't particularly like Yoon Eun Hye as an actress---she's okay, but I don't go out of my way to see her shows like some. However, and I'm fully aware of how weird this is going to sound, I have to say that I LOVE her when she depicts sadness. Why? Because she's an ugly cryer, and that makes her sadness raw and wrenching for me to watch, and I LOVE IT.

I have no idea where this is going (a GREAT thing since the majority of the show until this most recent episode has been far too predictable), but if they keep up with the emotional development and steer clear of the slapstick that dominated episodes 2-6, I'll happily go along with whatever they have in store.

kpopwaffle wrote: OK, finally watched this episode (with subs, hehehe). And I pretty much agree with everything you said. Definitely glad they dumped the whole marriage contract aspect of the show, because really that contract had no weight whatsoever. The worse that would have happened to Ah Jung should they have been found out was severe embarrassment, while Gi Joon really didn't have anything to lose. I was excited when they introduced the Chinese business couple because I thought that that would have been the key to getting Gi Joon fully invested in the contract as well as giving them an excuse to spend time together. Instead, the writers chucked that idea and went with the whole silly Ah Jung using the marriage to one-up So Ran, which is when I slowly started to dislike Ah Jung. I think at one point So Ran's husband asked why So Ran insisted on meeting Ah Jung if she hated her so much, and I thought to myself then, "Yes, woman, listen to your husband! Same goes for you, Ah Jung! Separate corners NOW!" But leave it to a drama to ignore logic even when it's presented by the drama's own character. Anywho, that's what I liked about episode 7 and 8 so much, that Gi Joon and Ah Jung were actually spending time together. And falling in love with each other together.

And yes to the So Ran and Ah Jung friendship. When the whole cheating dynamic was introduced, I was hoping that this would be a way to bring about some kind of begrudging truce/frenemy relationship, but the way they left it off in this episode, I'm anticipating a nice real friendship hopefully developing between the two. And I hope they start to develop a sense of self-value that's not reliant upon how much better off they are than the other. Well, I hope this more for So Ran since Ah Jung is already well on her way to standing on her own when it comes to that.

Last thing: I don't particularly like Yoon Eun Hye as an actress---she's okay, but I don't go out of my way to see her shows like some. However, and I'm fully aware of how weird this is going to sound, I have to say that I LOVE her when she depicts sadness. Why? Because she's an ugly cryer, and that makes her sadness raw and wrenching for me to watch, and I LOVE IT.

I have no idea where this is going (a GREAT thing since the majority of the show until this most recent episode has been far too predictable), but if they keep up with the emotional development and steer clear of the slapstick that dominated episodes 2-6, I'll happily go along with whatever they have in store.

The premises: what follows is just an exercise in pleasant chat, since I love to read long comments on dramas and movies and I like to participate. I'm not going to search like crazy for a logic, as my favourite dramas out there have very little to do with rationality and very much with improbable twists, fantasy and romance.

This said, I have been thinking about your dislike - or, better, your not overly liking - the first episodes of this drama and Ah Jung's character and I believe I understand very well where you come from. From the point of view of an intelligent woman, lying to prove you're married is not only silly, it's somehow degrading, as if we still lived in the 17th century and we needed to be Mrs someone to be considered worthy individuals.
So I tried to imagine what would have happened if the lie had had a different reason, say, career, school title or even money. What if Ah Jung had lied about her job and said she was the executive general manager of his hotel chain?
It sure would have been easier to accept, or more self-satisfying from the point of view of a woman than using a silly marriage to prove your value.
Whatever the case, the results would have been the same, because the lie is nothing more than a dramatic device to make the two main characters meet and have reason to be together, with the fake marriage plot having the advantage of a higher degree of physical contact (which I'm never complaining about).

I also asked myself why the feminist in me didn't rebel at the whole idea and even liked Ah Jung character from minute one. I came to the conclusion that I never thought she was convinced of her having to be a married woman to prove anything: she simply used the only language her so-called friend would understand. Had she boasted of anything else, it would have clashed against deaf ears.
Therefore, instead of gritting my teeth, I laughed.

But, just like you, I'm very glad we are over that plot device and can move to the next, whatever it may be. I personally imagine his little brother (sorry, I'm terrible with names) playing again the cupid role, unwillingly so. Which wouldn't be unreasonable because, no matter what has been said between the brothers, the sacrifice Gi Joon had to make back then, giving up the woman he loved for the sake of his brother, can't be solved simply by saying: I'm sorry, go back to her 3 years later. Also because I don't see little bro being sincere when he says he's over her.
But enough with guesswork. All this was actually to say that I enjoyed your post, LOL
:D

I love reading your guys' analysis. Rita and BaT. Just saying. :D

Just finished 6, darnit!!!! Looks like that is going to pass, the older brother better not treat her like crap and the younger brother will hopefully get the girl!

Akyappy wrote: I love the song they sang together in karaoke and how they play it in the scenes they are together. What is that song? I want it!

Here you go!

***SPOILER***

Does anyone want to smack the Hyun brothers right now? I sure do! I'm so annoyed about what happened.

Like a few mentioned before, I understand that Ki Joon still has feelings for Yoon Joo, but he could have handled things a lot better. Like not start anything, even if it was fun (especially for us viewers. I think these have been the best kisses I've seen in a Korean Drama.), to lead Ah Jung on. If he was still confused think about it. It annoys me so much when people play with other people's feelings (like MSrules mentioned) even if it's a drama.
I felt so sad for Ah Jung that I shed a few tears. I thin k YEH is a great actress.

I might be in the minority here when I say that I don't think Gi Joon is still in love with Yoon Joo. I think he still cares for her the way one does wistfully for a past love, but nothing really beyond that. He didn't take her up on her invitation to dinner; instead he attended Ah Jung's party. She accused him at one point of ignoring her calls, while he always attends to Ah Jung's calls or texts despite his struggle not to do so. And he basically all out confessed to Ah Jung during the Cola kiss, saying that the kiss was for real and not an act. The beach scene that followed the aftermath of the aunt's trap, Gi Joon did lift his arms as if to embrace Yoon Joo, but he never actually hugged her. (I take full credit for that, since he obviously heard me yelling at my laptop screen that I would break his kneecaps if he dared to follow through with that.) And then with the mini-confrontation at Yoon Joo's place, he wanted to talk to Ah Jung alone, but Yoon Joo made it into a group chat over tea, and when Ah Jung left, he followed her out only again to be unable to speak to her because she was busy putting on a brave front and not letting him talk. Basically, we're in the dark when it comes to what Gi Joon is actually doing here.

He might have been really affected by his aunt's plan to intentionally hurt Yoon Joo, and he ran after her to comfort her because of the residual affection that he had for her. Beyond that, we don't really know under what terms they reunited, especially since it was Yoon Joo who announced to Ah Jung that they were back together while he looked like he desperately wished Yoon Joo would shut up (as we all do), so I'm holding off on entirely hating Gi Joon---I still hate him just a bit though. I think he's confused about how to resolve his past with Yoon Joo without hurting her further, and that's led us to where we are now. However, I don't think that's confused about which woman to choose. Yoon Joo could fulfill her part in bringing about a resolution by hopping on the next flight back to Paris. Or the next bus to Daegu. She needs to get gone, so's I can have more kisses.

VIsualChaos31 wrote: (I take full credit for that, since he obviously heard me yelling at my laptop screen that I would break his kneecaps if he dared to follow through with that.)
......
He might have been really affected by his aunt's plan to intentionally hurt Yoon Joo, and he ran after her to comfort her because of the residual affection that he had for her.

Haha lol I joined you in the yelling - I really did. My partner had to tell me to chill!

I know what you meant about the Aunt too, I felt really bad for YJ for a second there, but only a second because she comes across as really desp. & clingy like she's trying to force her feelings on GJ. And I don't like that. Despite the Aunt's screwed up way of doing things, I have a feeling she might have just been trying to protect both her nephews feelings. I don't agree with how she's doing it though.