celestialocean
I decided to watch this after being thoroughly impressed by Shin Sung Rok's performance in "The Last Empress," and in that respect, I was not at all let down by this drama. His role in "Liar Game" is fairly similar in some ways, but with a bit more emphasis on his sinister nature and less on any redeemable qualities he may have. If you're thinking about watching this because of this actor, I don't think you'd be disappointed. Kang Do Young is an entertaining, charismatic game host who becomes a worthy antagonist of the highly intelligent male lead, Cha Woo Jin.
The premise of this drama is pretty interesting, and the first scene immediately hooked me in. Initially, I didn't care for the opening credits, but it actually grew quite a bit on me; I feel that it captures the essence of the series very well. The music is decent – it effectively builds suspense and creates a dark, tense atmosphere. There was one instrumental track I particularly enjoyed that played during the more dramatic scenes that I found vaguely reminiscent of Moby's “Extreme Ways.”
Kim So Eun is believable as the exceptionally kind, compassionate, and gullible main character, Nam Da Jung. Like other viewers, I often felt that her naivete was too extreme, especially after being duped a few times, and especially considering the fact that she is participating in a reality TV show fully aware that the objective is to deceive other contestants to reach the end goal. Fortunately, she does get a bit smarter as the show progresses, but she retains a unreasonable degree of idealism in the midst of a pretty cutthroat environment. On the other hand, her warmth, generosity, and innocent charm is so disarming that other contestants and viewers of the reality show can't help but be affected, which ironically ends up making her one of the most powerful players – so much so that she even threatens to undermine Liar Game's supposition that everyone will throw their morals out the window if the payoff is big enough.
Cha Woo Jin is a stoic antihero with a very cynical outlook, and he initially looks down on Da Jung for her unrelenting willingness to trust other people, even when it is unwarranted. Nevertheless, despite generally maintaining his aloof demeanor, he quickly becomes emotionally attached to her. He enters the competition for personal reasons, but he continuously chooses to protect her despite the fact that they are technically adversaries. Prospective viewers should be aware that there is really not much at all in the way of romance in this show. At most, there is a hint of attraction and potential for romance between Woo Jin and Da Jung. They have a cute, sweet dynamic, but this isn't the show for you if you need romance to be a prominent or main element of the storyline.
I appreciated that the other contestants of "Liar Game" are quite a diverse group. They're not all young and conventionally attractive, nor are they all vicious or one-dimensional. While the story doesn't go into very much depth with their personal histories, each character adds something unique and interesting to the group dynamic. A couple of the more prominent supporting characters (Da Jung's close friend who sort of acts as a surrogate dad, Jo Dal Goo, and one of the fiercest competitors, Jamie) actually have some decent character development.
The storyline is interesting, even if a bit bizarre by the end. I enjoyed the antagonistic dynamic between Woo Jin and Do Young; they are well-matched opponents. However, the games themselves were really less interesting to watch than I'd hoped. The explanation of the rules were almost always too long and felt tedious to get through, killing the momentum. Moreover, some of the games felt like they were stretched out longer than necessary, and I struggled to stay interested. Some of the games were more interesting than others, though – and regardless, it was still typically interesting to watch the characters adapt to new circumstances and interact with one another.
I would recommend this drama if the premise generally appeals to you and you don't mind the lack of romance. It's a pretty fun show overall, and it's short. However, it is intentionally left open-ended; although the plot of this drama can mostly be considered concluded, the ending is, in a way, also a beginning, as it sets the stage for a new story arc. This drama was made in 2014, and it is now (as of this writing) 2019. It seems very unlikely that there will be another season, which is unfortunate. Even so, I'm glad to have seen it. It wasn't so interesting that I am inclined to go read the manga or watch the Japanese drama, but I'd definitely watch a second season if it were to ever get made.
The premise of this drama is pretty interesting, and the first scene immediately hooked me in. Initially, I didn't care for the opening credits, but it actually grew quite a bit on me; I feel that it captures the essence of the series very well. The music is decent – it effectively builds suspense and creates a dark, tense atmosphere. There was one instrumental track I particularly enjoyed that played during the more dramatic scenes that I found vaguely reminiscent of Moby's “Extreme Ways.”
Kim So Eun is believable as the exceptionally kind, compassionate, and gullible main character, Nam Da Jung. Like other viewers, I often felt that her naivete was too extreme, especially after being duped a few times, and especially considering the fact that she is participating in a reality TV show fully aware that the objective is to deceive other contestants to reach the end goal. Fortunately, she does get a bit smarter as the show progresses, but she retains a unreasonable degree of idealism in the midst of a pretty cutthroat environment. On the other hand, her warmth, generosity, and innocent charm is so disarming that other contestants and viewers of the reality show can't help but be affected, which ironically ends up making her one of the most powerful players – so much so that she even threatens to undermine Liar Game's supposition that everyone will throw their morals out the window if the payoff is big enough.
Cha Woo Jin is a stoic antihero with a very cynical outlook, and he initially looks down on Da Jung for her unrelenting willingness to trust other people, even when it is unwarranted. Nevertheless, despite generally maintaining his aloof demeanor, he quickly becomes emotionally attached to her. He enters the competition for personal reasons, but he continuously chooses to protect her despite the fact that they are technically adversaries. Prospective viewers should be aware that there is really not much at all in the way of romance in this show. At most, there is a hint of attraction and potential for romance between Woo Jin and Da Jung. They have a cute, sweet dynamic, but this isn't the show for you if you need romance to be a prominent or main element of the storyline.
I appreciated that the other contestants of "Liar Game" are quite a diverse group. They're not all young and conventionally attractive, nor are they all vicious or one-dimensional. While the story doesn't go into very much depth with their personal histories, each character adds something unique and interesting to the group dynamic. A couple of the more prominent supporting characters (Da Jung's close friend who sort of acts as a surrogate dad, Jo Dal Goo, and one of the fiercest competitors, Jamie) actually have some decent character development.
The storyline is interesting, even if a bit bizarre by the end. I enjoyed the antagonistic dynamic between Woo Jin and Do Young; they are well-matched opponents. However, the games themselves were really less interesting to watch than I'd hoped. The explanation of the rules were almost always too long and felt tedious to get through, killing the momentum. Moreover, some of the games felt like they were stretched out longer than necessary, and I struggled to stay interested. Some of the games were more interesting than others, though – and regardless, it was still typically interesting to watch the characters adapt to new circumstances and interact with one another.
I would recommend this drama if the premise generally appeals to you and you don't mind the lack of romance. It's a pretty fun show overall, and it's short. However, it is intentionally left open-ended; although the plot of this drama can mostly be considered concluded, the ending is, in a way, also a beginning, as it sets the stage for a new story arc. This drama was made in 2014, and it is now (as of this writing) 2019. It seems very unlikely that there will be another season, which is unfortunate. Even so, I'm glad to have seen it. It wasn't so interesting that I am inclined to go read the manga or watch the Japanese drama, but I'd definitely watch a second season if it were to ever get made.
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