My Love Letter to Lie To Me

[dangermousie]

I was about ready to write off kdrama romcoms entirely, as a genre.

And then LtM happened.



In both the ratings and fandom love romcom three-way battle this season, Best Love is a clear winner and Romance Town seems to be the alterna-quirky choice. As to LtM, even its few fans find many a flaw in it.

Not me.

Best Love actively annoys me, and while I enjoyed Romance Town's vibe, ultimately it didn't grab me. But when it comes to Lie to Me? I love love love love love love love love it!!! I am currently ensconced in my bed, marathonning it as if the world is ending tomorrow and it's making me so very happy even if my eyes are about to fall out after I watched 5 eps straight.



LtM has the slimmest of plots but it does not matter (since when has anyone watched a romcom for the plot?) because the leads and their interactions are sheer perfection - I could watch those two brush teeth for hours on end.



It really doesn't remind me of any kdrama as much as it does of my favorite twdrama romcoms - with their slim plots, ridiculous co-star chemistry, free physical affection, a certain romantic realism and utter, crack-level addiction. But if I had to pick a kdrama it makes me think of, it would be Marry Me Mary, one of the very few recent kdrama romcoms that clicked for me. At least until it derailed into a flaming trainwreck, which hopefully LtM will avoid, I adored MMM, flaws and all, due to the fact that I felt I was peeking on two awesome, in-love, insane chemistry real people.



Part of my adoration is, undoubtedly, my love for its stars Kang Ji Hwan and Yoon Eun Hye, but that cannot be just it - I like the actors in both BL and RT too. I think a large part of it that unlike wholly artificial worlds and characters of the other two, the world and leads of LtM feel real to me, even if seen through a romcom lens. I can imagine a person like YEH and KJH's characters actually existing and I can imagine the world around them existing too. It helps that neither is immature or incompetent. I am interested and invested in them. More than that, I adore them, adore them to bits, separately and together - I'd love to hang out with Ah Jung and I am crushing on Gi Joon, and together they are pure awesomeness and puppies and rainbows and kittens and snark and a vibe so intense I am surprised things don't combust when they they are within ten feet of each other.



For yes - then there is the chemistry.

Ahhhhh, the chemistry. The insane, ridiculous, 'I have rarely seen the like' chemistry.

So, thank you, LtM, for restoring my faith in kdrama romcoms!

You make me laugh and swoon and, much more importantly, you make me cry - that means I really do love these characters.



Oh, and I do wonder - Gi Joon gave up his previous fiancee because of his younger brother having a thing for her (side note - if I were the fiancee, I'd go on a flipping rampage after that sort of thing. I confess if it wasn't for my YEH love and KJH/YEH chemistry, I'd totally ship him with ex-fiancee because I am a sucker for emotionally messy relationships and angst). But it's being made slowly clear that younger bro really digs Ah Jung now - is history going to repeat itself or is he actually going to fight for her this time? (Honestly - GJ loved the fiancee but gave her up and his bro doesn't seem to have had any problem getting over her - surely that should teach GJ a lesson that his brother is emotionally fickle and that sort of sacrifice is not worth it).

I am through ep 5 (I watched the second half of 1 and then 2-5 in one day (!!!!)) and if it wasn't for the fact that I had to be functional in the morning, I would not stop even now.

Oh, and as always, I am behind on replies. I apologize and will get to them ASAP.

Also, any LtM fans on my flist, if you haven't already, you should check out Ockoala's amazing blog, Koala's Playground, for recaps, fangirling, and utter and amazing meta and squee.

Comments

[ockoala.livejournal.com]

Haha, the fact that you mentioned M3 in the post about LTM - if I didn't already know why I LOVE LTM so much, that would explain it to me. :-D

Can you tell you how rabid the LTM love is in the cyber-drama watching universe? Between last week and then week, fandom exploded in a way I've never seen before for any drama. Maybe SS, but that was a steady 2-3 week growth in insanity. LTM went from meh interest to fursploded massive group addiction.

You haven't even gotten to episode 6 yet. 6-8 is SO GOOD. As for Kang Ji Hwan and Yoon Eun Hye, I feel like a voyeur watching them act out scenes, like it's so personal, and they are so attracted to each other, and I shouldn't be there.

The only other onscreen coupling that gave me the same vibes is JGS-MGY in M3. Like drama fiction blending with real life. So natural and effortless. But in M3 it was very first blush of youth love. in LTM it's "I'm going to rip your clothes off" attraction. My my my, how little YEH from Goong has grown up.

Have you perused my ever-growing stash of LTM posts, including BTS and press conference shots. These two are SO PEFFECT. XD

Though right now I am very very very mad at Hyun Ki Joon. Very mad. His kneecaps better beware my bat.

[karened.livejournal.com]

HAHA. I was laughing so hard at your kneecap threat last night!

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

It really does make me think about MMM - it makes me feel like I am peeking (felt the same way about Worlds Within where it turned out to be true :P)

[ambergold.livejournal.com]

what Ockoala said. I still find it (and honestly, it is) very flawed, but beginning with episode 6, half the universe suddenly discovered how awesome it CAN be, mainly with the off-the-charts KJH-YEH chemistry.

As of right now, if I had a choice between a new episode of Best Love or Lie to Me, I'd choose Lie to Me, even though I know very little would happen. Makeouts make me weak at the knees - I'm easy like that :)

[iheartkleenex.livejournal.com]

WAIT 'till you see the 'coke kiss'!

I died a little bit.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

Can't wait!

[bluviolet.livejournal.com]

I am so starting this once it finishes so that I can marathon it. I've heard only amazing things about the couple, so I am psyched. :)

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

Yay!

[quaggy]

Granted, I've only been sticking to the recaps and not actually watching (yet), but I'm with you. There's just something about the OTP on Lie To Me. (Though I do love Best Love's Ae Jung, but I think I'd enjoy the series more if her OTP was Pil Joo. It was always was the Mongryong-on-the-bus-quietly-supporting-Chunhyang's-head moment that melted me into a puddle of goo.)

Honestly - GJ loved the fiancee but gave her up and his bro doesn't seem to have had any problem getting over her - surely that should teach GJ a lesson that his brother is emotionally fickle and that sort of sacrifice is not worth it

You interested in hearing my theory on this? I think the parallels of Ah Jung objecting to her dad's remarriage to the Sang Hee monkey wrench in the Ki Joon/Yoon Joo marriage are deliberate. The big difference is that even after marriage was off the table, they still stayed in each other's lives to the point that Ah Jung is wondering why the hell they don't just get married. Meanwhile, Yoon Joo left Ki Joon and which gave him a chance to move on (even if she clearly didn't). And I'm wondering that when that if/when San Hee objects to Ah Jung/Ki Joon, Ah Jung is just going to shrug and figure it's her fate to follow in her parents' footsteps... thereby proving that she really does love Ki Joon purely and unselfishly.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

That is an interesting theory and I can totally buy it!

Lie to Me is in my Active list

[akosikae.livejournal.com]

and the only kdrama right now whose eps I follow every week. I thank this show for being the cushion after the high that is Autumn Concerto who gave me awesome make-out scenes.

Re: Lie to Me is in my Active list

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

It is so lovely!

[karened.livejournal.com]

I wasn't really emotionally invested in LTM for the first few eps, just amused, and engaged. But the 2 latest episodes caught my heart (was it ep 5 and 6? or 7 and 8? can't remember). It's not even the ktv-*beep* or cola-*beep* scenes that caught me, but the development in their relationship, which, like you said, is quite realistic. I'm falling for both of them as separate characters, and also as a couple starting to fall in love so naturally.

As for Sang Hee...I think Ki Joon would not give Ah Jung up this time round, because I'm sure he feels regret for his choice back then and saw the hurt it caused Oh Yoon Joo (is that her name? hahaha), hence, he wouldn't want to feel the same regret and cause the same hurt this time round, right? Thing is, we don't know just how much he has fallen for her. If the feelings are not strong enough to withstand the temptation to get back with Yoon Joo and make up for the years of regret, Ki Joon may just choose to go back to Yoon Joo. But if he has really fallen hard for Ah Jung, I'm quite sure he will do the 'right thing' as one half of our OTP. =P

Can't wait for next week!

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

I know - I went from enjoyment and amused to rapid addiction in ep 5.

[thinking-lotus.livejournal.com]

FEEL THE LtM LOVE!!! ♥ ♥ ♥

and totes agree on the ockoala love, too.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

Yes, I looooove Ockoala's blog.

[pipu-com.livejournal.com]

enjoyed reading your entry coz I became addicted to Ki-joon & Ah-jung, just because of their characer concept as you described it. They're so normal, but adorable in their normal way, it's a classic slice of life story which we like to enjoy for a while in all this typicall k-drama moves like piggy-backing (MMM), dragon like-mother hates the girl and wants to destroy relationshipt (Secret Garden), Girl poor - guy rich arrogant (Brilliant Legacy), girl wants love - guy wants revenge (IRIS) and and and ... I had it with the deep plot strings - some time and just want to see a couple in love - actually showing their affection of without any shame. :D Sometime it's the smalls thinkg which makes us (fans) happy. ^.~

Greetings!
my I add you as friend?

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

Yup, it's such a simple yet fun drama.