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Dramabeans Podcast #38

It took us a while, but we’re finally closing in on our backlog and very nearly current! The pressure to catch up was mostly self-imposed, but it’s a relief to be back on track. We’re a bit looser in this podcast with regards to format, so there are a few tangents and side conversations that take us on a few detours, but hopefully that’s not a bad thing.

 
Podcast #38

Running time: 1:18:12

Topics and dramas discussed:

  • Introverted Boss: The writing, the rewrite, the characters, and where we felt things went wrong
  • Defendant, Whisper (12:22): We start off talking about Defendant and its excitement; get derailed on a Whisper tangent, talking about what worked and what felt like a disappointment in the writing, as well as the sunk time fallacy; and return to Defendant, acting commitment, and the effective villains
  • Tomorrow With You (22:54): We discuss the time travel mechanism, sense of urgency, and romantic chemistry between the leads; derail the conversation for a while talking about other actors and their chemistries, and Joo-won as a romantic actor and partner; then finally make our way back to Tomorrow With You and its ending
  • Strong Woman Do Bong-soon (37:55): What we loved about the drama, its characters, and its cast; the aggressively lowbrow comedic sensibility and the expectations versus the reality of the show
  • Father, I’ll Take Care of You; You’re Too Much; Father Is Strange (50:35): Touching on a few of the recent weekend family dramas, what weekend dramas are good at, what sets them apart from each other, mostly talking about the plot and characters of Father Is Strange
  • The Liar and His Lover (1:01:40): The youthful vibe, heartwarming coming-of-age story, what we liked about the characters and their individual struggles, the interfering second leads, the use of music

 
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Names mentioned:
Seo Hyun-jin, Park Hye-soo, Nam Ji-hyun, Yeon Woo-jin, Yoon Park, Han Chae-ah, Ji Sung, Lee Bo-young, Park Kyung-soo, Lee Sang-yoon, Lee Jun-ki, Eom Ki-joon, Shin Sung-rok, Kim Kang-woo, Yeon Jung-hoon, Kim Gab-soo, Park Se-young, Kwon Yul, Sohn Hyun-joo, Lee Je-hoon, Kim Myung-min, Joo-won, Ahn Jae-hyun, Gu Hye-sun, Choi Kang-hee, Shim Eun-kyung, Jin Se-yeon, Kim Tae-hee, Shin Min-ah, Yoon Sang-hyun, Park Bo-young, Park Hyung-shik, Ji-soo, Park Eun-bin, Lee Joon, Lee Yuri, Lee Tae-hwan, Uhm Jung-hwa, Gu Hye-sun, Jang Hee-jin, Lee Jung-jin, Jung Eui-chul, Lee Hyun-woo, Choi Min-soo

 
Songs Used in Podcast (In order of use)

“사랑인 걸까” (Is this love?) by Hong Dae-kwang from the Introverted Boss OST
“끝까지” (Till the end) by San E from the Defendant OST
“내일 그대와” (Tomorrow with you) by Kim Feel from the Tomorrow With You OST
“Super Power Girl” by Every Single Day from the Strong Woman Do Bong-soon OST
“Like a Star” by KLANG from the Father, I’ll Take Care of You OST
“여우야” (Hey fox) by Joy from the The Liar and His Lover OST
“Double Trouble Couple” by Mamamoo from the Strong Woman Do Bong-soon OST

 
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Very interesting thoughts on Strong woman. I dropped it after ep 11 I think, but that was because I kind of got bored ? never had an issue with the comedy. I was wondering why there was a lot of criticism about it and was starting to think maybe it actually is not good. But the comments on this podcast clears out a lot of things! Very interesting to hear that it was promoted as a lowbrow comedy, makes sense!

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If you got bored with the brides kidnapping storyline, or the gangsters vs. students storylines, just watch the cuts with Min Min Bong Bong, they're so cute together it'd be a waste to miss out on it.

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Yeah, I watched all the cutesy scenes of them :D

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Loved the comments on Liar! Anytime I hear good things about Liar it makes me feel so good. I just loved that drama to bits ?

Thanks a lot for this JB and GF! Enjoyed it so much. I think you guys should do more drunk podcasts. so much fun ?

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They often do drunk podcast, I believe. Every time I listen to one of their podcast, they preface it by warning about the drinking. I sometimes wonder about their liver, but oh well, they're still young girls so I try not to worry too much.

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hehe :)

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- Strong Woman Do Bong Soon: I have been catching up on this, and have not warmed up to the mother yet, so it's good to know that I will. I liked her with her own mother, but after the grandmother left, I was back to disliking her. She reminds me too much of the way my niece is raising her children, so it scratches perhaps too close to home. I am aware that her flaws as a mother are meant to be there, and even exaggerated, to parody how real mothers can be wrong in their zeal to obtain what they think best for their children. It's Mrs. Bennet all over again. Of course. So it is not the drama's fault, it's mine for being unable to feel the joke and parody. I know I'm meant to go along and mock her with the drama, but all I can do is be worried for her family's mental wounds, and for her too. Too close to home, as I said.

- I have really liked Defendant, and having finished that and started Whisper... I now feel a sense of obligation to finish Whisper too. It's not so much a question of time invested that girlfriday feels. It's similar but much sillier than that. It's a nonsense need for completion or collection, whichever you will. Liking both Ji Sung and Lee Bo Young, and associating Whisper and Defendant as a pair, just like you do, I will always feel bothered for missing in my imaginary "collection" one half of the pair. One half I like more than the other and can't throw away, so I have to have both.

- I was looking forward to listen to you talk about Radiant Office, but I didn't see you mention the drama at the end with Rebel and Tunnel. Is it possible it's not going to be talked about? It's a very nice little drama, imperfect, certainly, but nice.

- Plenty have been said about The Liar and His Lover in the comments above. But let me add my own thoughts. There is so much about it I want to talk about, but I've always missed my timing with the recaps and didn't leave many thoughts there as a consequence. By the time I arrived to the recaps, I've felt like all that could be said most probably has been said.

There is less than 100 comments here, so it's my opportunity to write about it. I think I've once said that I would not box this drama as the typical "youth drama." Hearing girlfriday's thought on that, I admit that it is indeed, a youth drama. I just felt that it was different from any other youth dramas I have watched, so I separated it in my head from those, but with reflection, maybe there are all and the same youth dramas.

If I have to analyze why I felt it was different, it is probably because of the frequent comparisons I have seen been made between this drama and Dream High and Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok Joo.

Weightlifting Fairy, for example, is a drama I would primarily describe as a coming-of-age story of the heroine. The Liar would be perhaps broader. It is indeed a coming-of-age story of the heroine, in part. But also a coming-of-age story of nearly every character in the drama...

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Weightlifting Fairy, for example, is a drama I would primarily describe as a coming-of-age story of the heroine. The Liar would be perhaps broader. It is indeed a coming-of-age story of the heroine, in part. But also a coming-of-age story of nearly every character in the drama. They all become better more enlightened people. So it is broader than that, in that sense.

But if I had to describe the overarching theme of that drama, I would say that it was truly about loyalty, so theme is perhaps more focused than with Weightlifting Fairy.

First of all, a loyalty to music. They were all musicians at their core. Loyalty to your true feelings and desires, rather than society's expectation of what you should want. It was also about a loyalty between lovers, and even Soo Yeon and Shi Hyun were loyal to each others' feelings for several years before coming together, and CEO Yoo held a torch for In Woo for decades. It was loyalty to their family. Loyalty to their professional promises and duties, as displayed by Crude Play, Jin Hyuk, CEO Yoo, Han Gyul, Yoo Na and even So Rim, when she kept her promise with Chan Young.

And most of all, loyalty to their friends. So Rim's loyalty to Mush & Co, and Jin Woo and Gyu Sun's loyalty to her. The Crude Play's members loyalty to each other, and to the band.

Things went awry, when that loyalty was shaken up and put to the test, or when differing loyalties were battling within the characters. Sorim had the most divided loyalties, to Han Gyul, to music, to Chan Young, to Mush & Co, etc. And things went the most awry, when they kept their struggle within themselves, instead of sharing with their friends.

Sometimes, they made mistakes trying to preserve all of that together by themselves. Han Gyul and In Ho and their strong sense of responsibility for their friends, for example.

And then finally, Chan Young, who was the most torn internally. He was one who kept things to himself the most, even more than Han Gyul and In Ho. He is a natural loner, staying in his own corner. He didn't express his frustrations and kept them bottling up all within, and his anger grew as a result. As he kept his struggles internal, he was the most problematic one.

So Rim had in comparison, perhaps more divided loyalties than he did. But she was also wiser. Very early on, she said that one shouldn't kept one's feelings to oneself, but express them and share them with others, whether good or bad. True enough, when other characters didn't express themselves, and share their burden with others, it caused problems for the entire group.

The drama, however, showed that things were not as simple as So Rim thought. Expressing their feelings through hate like the fans did was injurious. Sometimes, restraining yourself from expressing it all was also a healthy way to protect that loyalty, as shown by Jin Woo and Chan Young's silence about their feelings.

If we had to return to Chan Young, I agree with girlfriday...

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If we had to return to Chan Young, I agree with girlfriday that he played his role well, but I agree with javabeans, that he was a character I could empathize with. I understood his tendencies to repress his deepest feelings, insecurities, and secret desire to belong in a band, and in Crude Play's friendship. He might act and say things that would indicate to the contrary, but we could see that his true feelings was a strong desire to belong, which, when frustrated, led him to attempt to lash and and throw that desire away by separating himself.

I think he is the main reason, as a character and as an actor, which made me feel that this drama is different from, say, Dream High, who also had a second lead. It is unfair for Taec Yeon to have been compared with Kim Soo Hyun, but he was given the cooler, more likable character compared to Song Sam Dong, which technically, could have made him shone and more easily share the spotlight.

Chan Young, on the other hand, was also the less experienced actor of the two, and also the more unlikable character, and yet, he held his own place within the drama and made me feel things for him (whether good or bad) I didn't feel for Taec Yeon. It was a combination of both charisma as an actor, and complexity of the character. I liked Han Gyul more and Lee Hyun Woo's performance at least equally, but Chan Young held his equal ground in presence within the drama.

My long-winded point is, this drama's ability to tell a focused story keeping to its theme on loyalty and music, a story nicely spread out to involve all its characters, made me feel more focused on its overall theme and message of hope and friendship, than just focused on any one particular character like other youth dramas, which is probably why I didn't feel the youth part as much. The characters' ability for growing maturity and wisdom eclipsed that.

With reflection, I admit that the loyalty perhaps couldn't have been as well displayed without their youth, as only pure people like those young people could have survived this story with their loyalty kept intact and protected. Because with youth came purity, which they all had, and which, like In Woo said, the adults like CEO Yoo, Jin Hyuk, and even Yoo Na to some extent, have lost or begun to lose. Other adults like Teacher Bong and So Rim's grandmother, showed that you could keep even in old age, or attempt to preserve like with In Woo and Jin Hyuk.

And I don't have a good way to conclude my ramble about this show except to say that it has brought much light into my old soul, and I thank it for it.

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I also wanted to add my agreement to javabeans' opinion that this drama wasn't mainly about romance, which was another reason why I felt it was different from other youth dramas. The romance was just another manifestation of its theme about loyalty.

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Just popping in to say that I love your POV. For me up until now, the Show was more about honesty and music, but I have to agree that loyalty was as much or more of an overarching theme.
I have not been able to box this Show as a youth drama or even simply as a romance or a musical too. It is all that and so much more.
And you could always pop in on the finale thread to leave your thoughts there. Many beanies(like myself) are still hanging out there and would be delighted to read your thoughts.

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hehe.. true. I'm still lurking there and just saw you there. :) Nice emoji comment about the party.

The show is about honesty too. Honesty with yourself and with others can bring you the kind of freedom, peace of mind, and happiness money and fame can't. It was the choice Crude Play made in the end. And Sorim has always made.
And I agree about not being able to box this show into just one label. It has elements of all, but nothing too much emphasized of one relatively compared others in the genre that you can categorically classify it with them.

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Tho I agree with you that loyalty might also be the choice Crude Play and Mush & Co made in the end. That they would be happier climbing up together, than staying up at the peak alone. Though the show also made a point to show that it wasn't a choice everyone has to make to be happy: cf Yoona x Jin-hyuk, CEO Yoo

So I'll say, you're both right. It's a show paying tribute to loyalty AND honesty AND optimism. <3

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AND music XD

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@chaimaa Heh I'm seeing and upvoting you all over too! ? It's great to see all the Liar love on this thread and people still writing essays on it and newbies and lurkers leaving their fresh thoughts and perspectives. ?

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lol I swear TLAHL has turned me into an upvoting machine. I don't even do it consciously nowadays, it's just an automatic reflex at this point. XD

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I want to thank that Beanie for cautioning about the cut comment so that I could have made the precaution to save my comment before submitting it. It saved me much rewriting effort!

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Apologies for all the typos and grammatical error. It's always embarrassing to re-read my thoughts and see those. I write better on paper than I type I suppose.

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I want to go on the record as saying that I think in Strong Woman, they realized they had crossed a line with the mom's assault on the dad and I believe it was a ret-con at the end. It was very stiff and forced delivery and ... at the same time a lot of domestic abusers DO blame 'accidents' for the injuries. So I think they either tried to back out of what they had put out, OR they were actually doubling-down and having her be a typical abuser covering it up with the explanation of an accident. Because for a LOT of that show, the Dad DID act scared of her.

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Listening to this podcast, I was glad the show went that way with the mom... in being aware of the stuff (or the staff being aware they shouldn't have gone far with it) because I dropped the show earlier. I was wholeheartedly mad at her character. Also I felt the mom was just plain harsh to her children and husband and that left emotional scars even if the show pointed out she didn't leave so much physical scars. Hits home for me a bit there. I admit I may have taken the jokes too seriously (kinda glad i dropped it and only read recaps on scenes of the couple).

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I think it was worth keeping in mind that Mom was a bully and lost her magical strength in her youth so there was precedent. But if you look at the situation and take it at face value you could still enjoy the show.

I'm glad though that the show brought up the possibility. "What if" the mom is a domestic abuser is actually a very progressive thing to mention. The show also showed a flamboyant gay man as a valued manager at work AND had fun with the character. It may have been aiming for low brow comedy but maybe because it was, it could bring up some things that would not fly for a typical drama.

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Totally agree about how the show brought in progressive ideas and just presented them without making a fuss about it.

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BS clearly had the emotional scars from the way mom was always caring about the doctor in the family more. It made me sympathize with her character even more because after she yelled at her mother, she went back to preparing the food for her brother. I remember Deoksun also had that conversation with her dad and I felt for both of the girls. The problem was, unlike with Reply, they missed the timing for me to reconcile with the mom. With Reply, they had that conversation with the dad right after, but with the mother, it was just almost brushed off with a little bit of food. The emotional scars inflicted on BS deserved something better than that.

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It's hilarious how endless essays in the recaps after recaps, and thousands of comments is still not enough for Liar Beanies, and they're still writing essays in this thread, weeks after the drama ended XD It's not enough to see others show their love for the show, you have to show it yourself. XD

It's truly hard to shut up about the show once you start. Speaking about what you love and your passion to a friendly ear is strong temptation for most to resist. XD
We all sound like those mothers bragging about their babies and those pet owners talking about the puppies. It's not to far-fetched a comparison, given that the characters are all PUPPPPIESSSSSSSSSSSS!!

I'll try to limit what I have to say with bullet points. Let's see if I can do it. I loved Liar because:

+ It was a sincere, heartfelt show, without being maudlin. Paraphrasing from Liar Beanies, I didn't feel emotionally manipulated by the show. It kept things relatively dry. No tears from Jin-hyuk, Chan-young and even So-rim once she stopped experiencing all the "first" shocks.

+ To continue the point above, the show didn't throw away characterization for the sake of drama. No sacrificing of side-stories and last-minute quick half-as*ed resolutions for them. No throwing away of other aspects of the shows for luuuuuv drama. When friendship needed to come first, it came first. No tears when the character cum situation didn't call for it. No dragged on misunderstandings. Characters talked to each other, and confronted each other. Characters explained themselves so you didn't have to invent a rationale for their actions and behaviors or inner thoughts.

+ The problems were presented in a matter-of-a-fact way that made them feel credible and logical. You hated that they had to deal with them, but you couldn't deny that it was something they needed to address, one way or another. You even understood all the villains and why they had to put those obstacles in our puppies' paths. You even felt for those villains, because they had their own demons and obstacles to battle. Plus, they were right more often than not, so you couldn't disagree with them even when you wished you could.

+ No drama and matter-of-fact realism, and young pure characters full of dreams, positivity and perseverance made the drama feel light, even when we were the most concerned for the puppies. The concern was real and deep, but never overwhelmingly worrying it became stressful.

+ A heroine who was kind and nice, but with quiet strength who stuck to her guns and didn't get swayed by her principles, not even by love and her boyfriend. She also had personality and charm, and was not boring.

+ The characters started as frustrated people, but it didn't feel frustrating for us to watch them, because they were also full of passion and drive and positivitity. In their struggle, they enjoyed being with each other, so it was easy for us to enjoy watching them together. They were a family,...

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They were a family, always. All for one and one for all, and we were one with them all the way.

+ Well it's getting obvious the bullet point method is not working to curb my inner Liar Beanies chatty self so I need to stop before I get to far into the chatterbox wormhole. Much love. XD

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*too far

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Ok.... one tiiiiny little more thing. I loved the way this drama was filmed and directed (minus the choppy editing in the beginning). No cheesy shots and effects, just vibrant and pretty and springish. Love the clooothes too. I want those comfy pretty clothes. I have a feeling the director is particular averse to too much cheap cheese and sentimental soup and tries to keep it at a minimum.

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ok... very last one, I promise

+ strong-will, professional, but not masculinated women
+ music
+ Mush & Co girl-boys friendship is goals. Why aren't my guy friends like this?
+ Crude Play bromance makes me want to write fanfics
+ grandma-grand-daughter relationship was love
+ teacher-student love was love
+ the guys getting equally needy, if not more needy and giddy about their girls is a nice reversal of situation from what was initially shown
+ pupppiessssss. squish squish.

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*No throwing away of other aspects of the shows for luuuuuv drama. When friendship needed to come first, it came first.
Also when professionalism needed to come first, it came first. Thank goodness. (plus, thank god they didn't pair Gyusun with Sejung in the end, I would have barfed)

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How lovely written. High five.

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High five! :)

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And thanks too... where are my manners! XD

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SWDBS: Main couple is love, the humor was ok
TWY: Shin Min Ah carried it. I want her in a more light-hearted role next time
IB: the writing was definitely the main culprit, even the kisses couldn't make it up
TLAHL: a drama which made me squee and gave me more feels than IB even without the kisses. Crude Play needs to be a real band, that is all.

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Yay, podcast! I have been here from the podcast #1 :--) And although my memory is generally very very bad, I still remember the drunken podcast with Lee Min Ho (#7) and how funny it was (especially hearing Javabeans slurring ;--)))) ).

As for the showes discussed now... I actually preferred "Introverted Boss" before the rewrite (and dropped it after). Yes, the herione was a bulldozer and there was unexpected darkness (suicide+the manager), but at least I had some emotions and investment when watching. And I was curious about what happened in the past and liked how they revealed it step by step.... the rewrite told the complete story in one episode and then was bland... (at least for me).

I also dropped Liar (sorry Liar Lovers).... I liked the first episode, but then it was somehow too cheesy for me (age thing?)...

Thanks for the extra info about "Do Bong-soon".... I surprisingly really enjoyed the humour there :--) (though some toilet one was a bit too much for me). I also enjoyed Kim Won-Hae as the team leader Oh Dol-Byung.

And last, but not least.... I'm sooooo enjoying Lee Yu-Ri in "Father is Strange"!!! She is fantastic and whenever she is on the screen I squeal :--)))

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Would you guys be able to or consider uploading the podcast to itunes? It would be much easier for me to listen to in my car with a setup like that.

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I'm ambivalent about Tomorrow with you. There are aspects in it I loved and wished to have seen more, such as the wistful tone and relationship not often seen in dramas, and there are other aspects mediocre in their execution. Overall, it's a show that didn't live up to its potential, but did some things right, I'm left with several good memories.

I agree about Ji Sung's tendency to put 100% and more into everything, which made him great in Defendant, but the director should have asked him to tone it down and reserve it for me key moments.

Strong Woman Do Bong Soon gave me a good time every week. It wasn't the most quality drama out there, but the chemistry between the two Park was a rare treat that elevated the drama to something more than it was. The humor was outrageous and I enjoyed it. Overall, a show that wasn't intelligent or trying to be, and I appreciated it for what it was. The lack of intelligence (I'm not talking about the level of jokes, just story-telling/writing skills) prevents it from being one of these outstanding dramas and become a beloved favorite, but I have a special place in my heart for its main couple. In one phrase, a non-outstanding special show.

Liar and His Lover is one of those rare shows which have transcended their limited potential, and I give most of the credit to the solid writing. It's one of those shows you come to appreciate the more you think about it because of the intelligent writing, as opposed to plots that fall apart when you look at them too closely.

Every character's traits and arcs were carefully mapped from the beginning. Every relationship and their intertwined threads was layered and gave the drama substance. Supported by a well thought-out plan, the story was told with understated assurance, intelligence and sensibility from beginning to end. It demanded patience from its viewers, but rewarded them for their investment with fulfilling character arcs, and mended relationships which became stronger with trial.

The romance wasn't the main focus, but was a little special because of its pure innocence, and made up for the lack of hot passion with subtle but profound affection. The delight they felt in each others' presence, the tender fondness, understanding support, and playful rapport, was a delight to watch.

It was a drama that would satisfy you at a cerebral level if you bothered to dissect it, not complex in plot per se, but rich in characterization. However, it was also a feels-good drama. The writing was intelligent, but not dryly intellectual and didn't lack for emotions. It had a lovely slightly idealistic message to tell, but not preachy or heavy-handed.

It felt very real and slice-of-life, especially those little moments between father and son, those little disagreements between Inwoo and CEO Yoo, those little moments between Sorim and her grandmother, those little couple moments between Sorim and Hangyul, or friendship moments between Mush & Co,...

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....between Mush & Co, between Crude Play.

I even appreciated the undercurrent tension between the two heads of the company, or between Yoona and Sorim. The girls in this drama were admirable and likable in their own way, whether it be Sooyeon, Sorim, Grandma, Yoona, or CEO Yoo. They were all subtly stronger in many ways than the men in the drama. I also liked how the truce, self-reflection and insight into oneself, the resolutions, the redemption and turnaround, all happened naturally without making much of a fuss for the boys. That hospital scene with Inho's mother was a highlight.

I appreciated the well-thought out overall plotting, and the detailed characterization. However, it was the writing in those small moments which made the story special and a delight to watch. Solid writing can be worked out with enough time. However, that perceptive instinct for just the right balance used to deliver a message through dialogue but make it feel natural and slice-of-life, giving just enough to get the message through, but leaving things unsaid just enough for the viewer to interpret the meaning themselves, is a gifted talent of the writer. Light but thoughtful and I can only ask for more.

Of course, the writing alone couldn't have achieved everything. The acting, chemistry, music, directing and more were more than adequate support to make the drama shine overall. The writing gave it a slice of life feel, the other components made the world within the drama feel better-than-life, like a realistic but pleasant dream.
In one phrase, an understated little diamond in the rough.

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After some reflection, perhaps saying it was a rough diamond would be unfair to the drama.
It was carefully crafted and written. There was attention to details in both the directing and writing. For example, it always remembered to include little scenes like the father watching the news of the band on the television screen in his bar, or the classroom watching their classmates, or the managers following Jinhyuk/Yoona around, and the multiple journalists circling around, all those little details made the world feel more coherent and real.

So I would revise my description of this drama to simply, an understated little diamond.
It wasn't perfect, but had quality, too small to be fancy and catch many people's interest, but was precious and sparkled for those who cherished it.

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Aww. Reading your insights made me feel like i have watched the drama from the start to finish again. This drama really gave me so much feelings, i gave me so much satisfaction at at a cerebral level as you said. This drama made this drama fan with 20 years of watching under my belt looking forward to every monday&tuesdays like never before.

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Speaking of drunken podcasts, if I remember correctly, was that the Lee Min Ho one when City Hunter was airing? That one cracked me up, it sounded like when my girlfriends and I would get together for wine night!

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Could you maybe download the podcast?

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i find the critics of Lee Jee Hoon on chemistry front is out of place. Because while Shin min ah is good in a skinship front, she is quite comfortable doing skinship, she is not there emotionally. means Lee je Hoon carried the emotional weight of their relationship. It's baffled me how shin min ah has regressed as an actor. kim ye won outshine her completely despite limit screentime

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I agree that Kim Ye Won did well in the drama. Her and Shin Hye Sun are great at those roles.

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I like Kim Ye Won in TWY. she is abit waste in here though. She should take to a more challenging role. When her character in TWY given the spotlight, she is shining.

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Yeah, LJH did his part well. I think part of it might be his character. He wasn't emotionally involved in the relationship at first, so it was hard to forget that as we went on watching.

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Oh it's what's his character is supposed to be in the beginning, but LJH's char and acting towards second half of the drama is basically show geniune feeling towards SHin Mi Ah's char. Either it feels jarring is not his fault but partly due to the writing. Might be both JB and GF feel that way because how the character has been written and not pure the acting front. if they are refering to the acting, I wonder if we are watching the same drama or I might be not pay more attention towards Shin Min Ah "subtle acting"? I'm quite dissapoint with her performances, particularly in emotional scene, it feels force, simplicity and not geniune. She should learn from her boyfriend Kim Woo Bin how to show sincerity.

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Why the quote with subtle acting? I must have missed it but I don't remember they talked about Shin Min Ah subtle acting in the podcast? Do you mind pointing the time stamp where they did? Or just the general conversation so that I can go back to and find it? Thanks :)

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lol @ everyone writing these long analysis about TLAHL and here I am dropping by my cheap comment...

My fav moments from TLAHL are:
- Sorim kicking Hangyul in the nuts
- Jinwoo and Gyusun getting drunk on milk
- Hangyul waving like an idiot to cover Chanyoung on the TV
- Hangyul jumping up and down the bed holding his phone
- Hangyul derp face

Yeah, I love Hangyul.

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- Hangyul smiling like a fool
- Hangyul fussing like a mother hen every hangover-mornings

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- Hangyul after the retreat news and running away so quickly, his headphones pulled him back
- Hangyul dozing off at the drop of alcohol
- Hangyul botching the first date so badly Sorim walked out of it
- Hangyul trying to touch Sorim's head for her temperature not knowing she was hyper aware of the skinship
- Hangyul the foodie mushroom lover

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I love Han Gyul so much too.

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from the comments... omg, JB & GF like TLAHL!!! *does a little dance* *flails around* *runs to click play*

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I get so excited when I see a podcast posted. I love listening to them in the car or half studying. Your comments about SWDBS made my day! I totally felt the sadness when people did not love the drama as much as I did. I recommended it to 2 other of my drama watching friends and both were not mesmerized like I was which was sad. Although one of these friends finished introverted boss...so to each their own. To further your imagination of the Park Puppy couple, I have replayed this fanmeet scene 10000x times watching PHS adjust a chair for PBY = LOVE.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6PZ2OS6SZxI

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omo that was sooo sweet. If they're not together, why are they teasing us by being like that??? T___T

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I do wanna throw my 2 cents on the harsh criticism -- the show was airing when there were less romcom and romcom attract a lot of dramabeans viewers (it's the most commented genre here), hence more criticism. It's popularity exploded (took some folks by surprise). Felt some criticisms were spot on though, like the pacing and integration of the thriller and romance. Had this show went purely romance, guess it would be a bit more well-received.

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^ referring to SWDBS

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dunno... if u look @ this list here, the most commented genre tends to lean more towards dramas that has actions mixed in....

http://www.dramabeans.com/2017/05/the-liar-and-his-lover-episode-16-final/comment-page-8/

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I mean there's romance obviously, but it's not straight-up romance, or even rom-com.

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after sm thoughts, I figure it's because those dramas are more unpredictable, so people can speculate more about what will happen, or discuss history, etc. = more comments. or some of those had controversial scenes so debates about what's ok and what's not, or went downhill (I'm thinking cheese in the trap)

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I didn't expect to be able to hear JB & GF talk about tlahl so soon after it ended. this is awesome. thanks!

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Finished listening to the podcast! I love it. thanks JB&GF.

your talk about joo won made my day, so funny. i think there's something a bit pouty about his mouth that makes him look like a young boy.

and then, your segment on tlahl made my whole week, if not my year.

as you can see in my pathetically small list of shows, I love watching dramas so much, but there's sadly not that many that takes my heart in a special way. I wished there were more, because that feeling of falling in love with a drama is something love even more than actually falling in love with someone. *geek* even if the drama ends badly like citt, just the fact that it made me fall in love with it is enough for me to treasure that experience. like I don't regret falling in love with my exes because the memory of the beginning is awesome, even if I got sick of them by the end.

anw, back to topic, I fell in love with this drama. it didn't come immediately, but by the end of the drama, I wasn't ready for the break up. this is one of the cases where I was in love right until the end, and now, I'm like that clingy girlfriend who still can't get over that great wonderful guy you can't hate even if you broke up... even though he moved on already. *sobs*

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eh~~~ this comment turned out longer than I thought it would. I apologize for the wall of text.
I'm not usually this chatty. it's just, my love for this drama is something I don't talk about at all outside of DB. I feel ashamed to talk about tlahl outside of this bubble. I feel less shame admitting that I read cheap romance novels than admitting my love for tlahl. It's just, I swear people would react better if you said that BOF is the best korean drama ever. At least, then they'd just say you have poor taste in dramas, not that you're a stupid brainless fangirl. I've never encountered this kind of level of disdain for any drama before. And I've liked quite a few dramas with idols in it like the Replies series, or Sassy go go, or the School series. I'm not sure what is different here. Maybe it's the fact that there's no one in the cast with a well-known and respected enough reputation to lend this the esteem? But then again, neither did Dream High and people then didn't feel so free to boldly and fearlessly trash this drama... maybe the ratings? I don't know. I'm just confused and writing a wall of text again so I'll stop. Just thanks JB & GF. You made me feel tons better about this.

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I love The liar and his lover to pieces. You are not alone. I dont know why too. I mean i have many actors and actresses i like, i dont always watch their dramas just becoz i am a fan. I drop dramas if isnt my type or i am not liking the chemistry or storyline. I was a fan of Lee Hyun Woo but this drama made me a diehard fan of him. Cant wait for his next project.

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I'm late! I wanted to comment yesterday but I fell asleep listening to the podcast (not bc you were boring, I was just dead tired), so I listened to it again today and finished it! yay!!

Introverted B: I stayed until the end because of Yeon woo jin and sort of wished I didn't. I guess that means I know what I'll do if 7 days queen isn't that good this time. lol. I really like Han Chae ah and shipped her more with him too!! or that cute little awkward secretary with the glasses. Out of topic, but speaking of Han Cha ah, I think she would be great as an aristocrat in the early 1900's even tho that's similar to her role in Gaksital. I just want her to have a big break. I have her or Seo Hye jin in mind for the role, so ofc that means neither of them will get it ^_^"""

Tomorrow with You: The chemistry was actually ok, not any worse than other couples with Shin Min ah in it so I thought LJH did ok but I see what you mean. He's really a great actor tho, so it's true I had high hopes for this drama, and was disappointed, but I'm still glad I watched it. It was an interesting concept that didn't get enough developed. It's like they just came up with a great idea, and decided that the job was done right there and didn't work more on it. Like hwarang. :(

I just started My Sassy Girl so let's see if BoA taught Joo won anything about love. Heee.

Strong Woman DBS: I wasn't part of the comments so I didn't know how criticized it was. I searched for all the bts videos too. Watching Suspicious partner is reminding me of how I was with this drama, same obsession with the couple in BTS. They were so cute together. It's true though that besides from the cute couple, nothing else was much to write about... I mean, I laughed a lot at the poop wine (LOL I'm still laughing), but it got old sometimes. Never got sick of Kim Won hae tho, he was great!!! Loved him. Maybe even more than min min... Ok, maybe not, but almost. Hee.

Liar & Lover: Wow, this show. I some a comment in the recap comparing it to hot chocolate drinks and I agree. That's totally how I feel about it. It's not the strong kind of addiction that grips you day and night, but like you can't get sick of it, it makes you feel so warm and happy sipping the cup and I just love that feeling. And you kinda crave that feeling even if it's nothing fancy or special. HOT CHOCOLATE is my besetting sin. I try not to drink it too often because hello acne (T___T) but boy it's good.

Anw, I digress. So, like hot chocolate addiction, I love how with this show, everything creeps up to you lowkey and you don't see it coming. I replayed that scene were Joy was singing Your Days at the music station tons of times. I remember the cliffhanger that stopped when she was JUST about to sing, and I flipped. I didn't know I'd want to listen to the soundtrack so badly everytime I heard a new song in the drama. I was like RELEASE IT ALREADY!! Why tease us like this!! Hee.

And when I...

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And when I started this show, I didn't expect the romance to turn out so sweetly mature the way it did. I love how Han gyul and So rim were as a couple. I thought it would be another Playful kiss romance, but it was so much better than that. So rim was awesome as the girlfriend and so was Han gyul. As the bf, not the gf, obviously. hee.

I also didn't see the hilarious silly crush Jinwoo had turn out to be so devastatingly sincere. I should have, because this show was just so earnest and sincere. But I didn't.

What crept on me most was Crude Play. Totally didn't think i'd care for them this much when I started. I mean, I thought they'd be just those guys there for filler scenes and comic relief (boy was I wrong) and didn't pay attention to them at first. Bc you know, usually, in other dramas, the friends just get grouped together like extras and don't get much development. They're just "the friends."

When I saw Soo yeon sneakily look at Shi hyun practicing, I thought they'd just make their relationship this cute silly afterthought they usually do in other dramas, but it was great. Both of them have great eyes so chemi explosion!!!!

Basically, I just love how lowkey but super duper great this drama was. The comment about the director being averse cheese is probably right. This show didn't do over-indulgence. Like it was clearly written by a smart writer, but not trying to be clever. It kept the romance lowkey, with plenty of cute, but realistically cute, and in character (I totally LOVED all the phone calls). Nothing overly done just that felt like plain fanservice (Introverted boss, I'm looking at you). The friendship was kept lowkey too, but you could feel how much they cared for each other. The drama happening with the company was like matter-of-fact lowkey too. The pace was just great, everything just moved on once it was done. Didn't drag on. So Chan young gave up and gave up. Han gyul had a good cry and then went on to business. So rim cried and just pepped back up to be her bright self. Jin woo cried and then became more "mature" (lol). Jin hyuk had that moment in his car after he learn about In ho, and then that was it. And In ho had that shouting/crying match with Han gyul, and then that was it. It's so rare for a drama to show restraint like that, and I love it.

Looks like my comment is long just like everybody else, so I better copy it before I submit too. hee. Thanks for the warning, Beanies! ^__^

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I just read elric's comment about how she/he love that TWY romance was had was not over the top with no grand gesture, and I had to run back to add that that's what I love about Liar & Lover too.
No grand gestures, just intimate lowkey conversations, being there for each other. Like, they didn't even have nicknames for each other and it was hilarious how Shi hyun reacted to that as if it was the worst offense in history of dating. And Yoona's reaction to the modified name on the phone was freaking funny ^___^

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Do Rim-i! :D The low key romance was the best part because it was so real and relatable and it made us root for them more fiercely.

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Thank you. Loved reading.

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The difference there is like you said, ratings so it's easier to feel justified when you bash it.

Plus, most think this drama is like Boys over flowers or Cinderella 4 knights, with cheesy slow mo shots and effects and stuff. I saw a lot of people who dropped this drama after several episodes and said it was juvenile, which like javabeans and girlfriday said, isn't true. :D

And I would say antifans of Joy and red velvet too. There is rivalry going on between the new generation of girl groups, and red velvet is successful enough that other groups' fans feel threatened (I'm a fan of all of them so I feel horrible being in the middle ^___^").

Also, Joy has been getting a lot of attention and love since her stint on WGM, and people who don't know how think she's too ugly (their words) and untalented and don't get the hype about her, so they dislike her. Joy is super charming, but not everybody thinks so, and so they don't get the hype about her and yeah... So maybe that's why this drama has been unfairly panned when it's much better than dramas like Cinderella, Playful kiss and whatnot. ^___^;;;;;

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This was a reply to a comment above, don't know how it ended up here T___T

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and even praised shows like Sassy go go had their silly moments with the mothers, and the groups face-off shots, and all that stuff and people were fine with it.

TLAHL didn't have those kind of scenes and was shot seriously like one of those romance music videos you know? and so i don't get why it's called juvenile just because it had cute scenes. ^___^"" for the record, I love Sassy go go too.

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You two have lovely voices <3

Speaking of voices, I wonder how Sorim's speech sounds to a native Korean speaker because to my inexpert ears, I just love her speaking voice, not just her singing voice. I love how her cadence changes slightly when she's with Hangyul, it's softer. Her voice sounds more sturdy when she's with Gyusun or Jinwoo, or when her laugh is unrestrained, ie. that time she just excitedly threw the ball on Chanyoung and Hangyul and was ecstatic about winning, or when she drew on K's poster and laughed psychotically. When she giggles too, I like how it changes, ie. when she first met Chanyoung on the rooftop and fangirled about meeting her idol.

This discussion about voices reminds me... I can't interpret Javabeans' inflection on "devoted" when you referred to Healer and Liar fans as "devoted fans." Good or bad?

Back to Liar, I fell for the little Sorim as soon as she stood up to the teacher, and when she asked Jinhyuk to reconsider and see the potential in her friends Jinwoo and Gyusun too, that just sealed her place in my heart. I also could relate to her joy when she met Hangyul again, and then just ran back to her friends and jumped around the outdoor plaza at night. It was so relatable and reminded me of when I was young and giddy about my crushes.
I also loved the little music numbers in the classroom and wished we had more of them. I wished I've seen more of her interaction with Inho too. I still can't believe she held his face in her hands and squished it before asking if he's a fairy. Ha.

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Sorim was amazing courageous girl and loyal friend and we all love her.

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She's one of those female characters that keeps being awesome and so nice you just want to be her friend and protect her like a sister at the same time. I wasn't even jealous that she got the attention of everyone, I was like "She totally deserves that everyone loves her." Usually, I roll my eyes when that happens in reverse harem, but this one made sense of it. Bravo to it.

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Yes, absolutely, love her! <3

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As a 50+ years old woman, I find the accusations about The Liar being a juvenile fluff youth drama frankly puzzling.

I'm not in the habit of watching dramas with young people in them (I don't dislike them :) don't get me wrong), and I stay away from fluff. I tend to choose dramas with characters in their 30s or 40s. I watched this one because I love Lee Jung-jin in 9/2 with Su Ae. I also watched this for Choi Min Soo, and seeing Im Ye Jin and the mother in Jealousy Incarnate after starting this was a pleasant surprise.

I can't be accused of being blinded by the pretty boys, since they look like literal boys to me, just little boys.
As I've mentioned, my usual genre of dramas tend to lean more towards adult drama, and I watched this drama not only just fine, but loved it. It wasn't adult drama, but it was earnest, full of heart and warmth, and the little boys and girls and big boys and girls all displayed the kind of thoughtful maturity and values adults would be proud of. It is not fluff. I love the value of loyalty, and the optimistic vibe of the drama. It's one of the few youth dramas I've finished. In fact, it is like a mixture of those, which is perhaps why I love it just as well.

It had the youthful cheerful vibe of Bok joo the weightlifter, with the heart and emotional turmoil and insecurities of youth, and the sweet familial friendships and sensibility of the Answer Me series. Despite the glamorous profession of these people, I loved how their day-to-day life was presented in a relatable way. I believed in each of the characters as real people, and felt for their struggles and problems on an emotional level, even without having ever worked in the music industry. I wanted to belong in their little community. They were people I could have known, or would have l liked to get to know. All good people, who became even better people in the end and had my affection.

I loved all the little musical numbers spread throughout the drama. I knew I was in for the treat when So-rim sang trot along with all the neighborhood ladies with a carrot in her hand. My favorite scene was when Han-gyul played the Busan song on the piano, and Sorim held Grandma in her arms and closed their eyes and danced to the music.

The ending left a lingering good feeling. Too often, a drama ends with lackluster ending, but this one gave me an ending I could go back to and feel warm about. I've rewatched the 1-year-after part of episode 16 several times, because of how good it makes me feel to see those people lead happy humble lives. I don't necessarily think it was the most exciting or emotional part of the drama, but it's my favorite part to come back to and watch. It's like a warm soft blanket I can cocoon myself into.

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Awww.... What a amazing review of this drama. That is how i felt and how i loved them...

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Love how you put it! This drama is food for the soul and I do not understand the hate it is getting. :(

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You know.. it's a good thing we got the "shield" of the dramabeans staff for this drama so Beanies who don't like it are more mellow in their criticism compared to the outside world. They just say that they don't like it because of personal taste, but don't go around and put down the people who do or bash it saying it's a bad drama. :3
The staff's words of support is giving our good opinion about this drama some credence. If they weren't there, I wonder if Beanies who dislike this would feel more free to bash it a lot more than they do? We know how some other dramas get treated on this site... yikes, just thinking about the alternative reality of what could have been makes me sooo thankful for the dramabeans staff. <33333

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Defo that. Their opinions helped get the Liar Beanies some respect. People don't agree with them, but they respect them and the respect got extended to the Liar Beanies too. Truth.

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Them being jb, gf, and the recappers ofc. Darn it with the prepositions and the confusion they make.

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I read @Biela's comment in the Beanies Comments page and had to log in just to like it. :) It's so much of what I want to say about the drama too.

It's not laugh-out-loud funny (well, sometimes it is), but I love all the humor in it. It reminds me a bit of Miss Korea and as often mentioned, the Replies series, a bit contemplative, but much more infused with youthful energy that just lifts you up. The music is just great of course. All title tracks I believed could top the imaginary Lemon chart.

It's also surprisingly poignant. I didn't expect to be emotionally engaged in that way. As the drama slowly revealed how unhappy all these underdogs were with their situations, of how much they've tried to put up with, and I could just FEEL how much stretched they all felt. I wanted to hug each and everyone of them. Luckily, there were there for each other. I love how Crude Play just stayed in the hospital for Inho, how Sorim hugged Hangyul when he needed it, how Chanyoung was there for Crude Play at their lowest moment, or Sorim was there for Chanyoung, as were Crude Play. I love Gyusun and Jinwoo bromance.
I also loved Inwoo and all his singing-conversations with his guitar. Bringing alcohol to the hospital was one of those humorous moments I loved from the drama.

The drama had the best smiles, and seeing the characters smile was infectious and you couldn't help but smile with them too. Not just Hangyul and Sorim, but when you saw Chanyoung or Inwoo smile, or when Sooyeon had that little smile when she was paired up with Shihyun for the game and hugged him (I laughed when Shihyun was so obviously happy when the ladder game matched him up with her). Teacher Bong dancing in the classroom was adorable too.

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indeed. We smiled with them.

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Hangyul and Sorim smiling always worked on me. Inwoo teasing Hangyul works 100% of the time. Crude Play teasing each other and/or playing pranks on each other works 100% of the time too. Oh wait, that's most of the drama. :)

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I came from the link posted in the recap and am so glad I bothered. This made me smile.

Haven't had time to listen to the podcast yet except for Liar part, but I wanted to comment first because I'll listen to the rest and then probably will go to sleep right away after that.. :D

I agree that LHW was perfect for the part. As his noona fan, I was worried at first + he looked young (but I knew from Moorim school he could do grown up). After they started to date, he took on the role of the oppa very credibly so I was proud of him like a momma.
GF or JB compared JYP to him, but I'll say Hangyul is more like the fictional version of the brother in Akmu. Young successful producer, exclusive to one band too.
I wished he could have been in more soundtracks, the little piano serenade to apologize to Sorim and make her feel better didn't feel enough. I wanted more. :((

On to the positive stuff, my favorite stuff about this drama is:
- The episodes got better one after the other, how rare is that?
- It balanced everything well - mood, heart, angst, friendships, etc.
- The drama had substance, wasn't just surface fluff and gimmick musical
- There was no parts of the drama that was really a "weak" link or a stain in the drama, all had their purpose in driving the story or characters, and served it well, and most were a highlight in and of themselves. All the characters made you invested in them.
- The conflicts were layered, so you bought into them, even when they weren't life and death
- It kept angst believable but light. I didn't need the stress in my life so it was a nice respite.
- JB is right when she said the romance wasn't what kept the tension.... BUT it was still something I enjoyed tons. It gave the drama some of its cutest moment (bus date <3). One of my favorite scenes in the drama was the last 10 min of ep 9, when Sorim ran to Inwoo's bar, then Hangyul stayed to produce for Yoona, then ran to Sorim school just on time, then Sorim ran to catch up to him... the ending confession and hug was the culmination of all that adrenaline rush. <3
- For endings, the cliffhangers weren't nail-biting always, but I always wanted to come back for more. I still wanted to know what would happen next in those characters' lives. The first time I felt the urgency in the drama was the ending of episode 4, when things started to click to Hangyul that Sorim was the new rookie in the company. I was on my toes waiting to see if he'll run up on time (I knew he wouldn't, but I HOPED), and the last shot of the handshake with Hangyul looking on was great. Another cliffhanger was the Survival Show singing number. Hangyul going up on stage with Crude Play was another great ending. Or Crude Play's scandal.
- I'm glad Crude Play got their moment to shine. And ooof. When Shihyun read the pre-written statement that they had nothing to feel ashamed about and could barely spit out the words.... I felt it right there, with all of them.
- It's...

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- It's rare for me to want an extension with a drama, but I wanted one with this one. Better yet, Season 2. So much more to explore, I loved the flashbacks and wanted to see more of their stories. Crude Play's. Shihyun and Sooyeon. Mush & Co forming their friendships. Inwoo and CEO Yoo's past story. More than that, I believe we could have continued to share the lives of Crude Play & Mush & Co in their new beginnings and it would have been just as fun, emotional, and fulfilling.

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That is how felt during Hang Gyul running to Sorim on ep4, that i hoped he come on time, but i knew he wouldnt. Survival show number, how i felt for Shi Hyun for reading that statement for his group and staff...

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I felt like Hangyul during that moment and felt every second. I was silently yelling "Run Hangyul Run!!!"

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the cliffhangers were effective for real. :3
And the pace might feel deceptively relaxing, but when you look back, that's when you realize how much has changed and happened in between. It's really a good pace. Just right. <3

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lol I love the hot chocolate comparison though I'm a caffeine addict, so it'd be mocha drink in my case. Same difference though. It's not a new unpredictable taste, which can be fun when you first taste something. With this, it's the familiar comforting taste that still revitalizes you every time you drink it like it's the first time. Yummy.

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Sorry. I wanted to reply to a comment about hot chocolate but the reply for some reason went all the way down here :/

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After listening to the podcast, I'm putting Father is Strange in my must-watch list. A family drama that's like a drama... I'll take that.

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I love how the segment about TLAHL during the podcast, was just basically a list of all the things they liked about it "well, I liked the music, and I like Jinhyuk, and the presentation of the industry, and I like CEO Yoo, and I like this, and I like that about the drama" Hahahahaha. :D I had a great time listening to it. Thank you. :)

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ps: I wanted CEO Yoo to have Inwoo in the end... Their story makes me want to have a spin-off drama with them as the main characters. It would have been a great childhood/past portion, and then a hard-fought, but eventually earned happy ending. CEO Yoo is lowkey my heroine of the drama. I want her to get her happiness, the success of the company is poor compensation for her, when she clearly hasn't lost all her soft side yet. She might scoff at Crude Play and Sorim, but I can tell that the romantic bone in her is still there when she's with Inwoo.

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YOu know... for a drama ebd agrees isn't that unpredictable, it's kinda amazing how Liar didn't feel like formulaic drama. It goes to show that if you can give substance and layers and heart to your formula, it will still make a good engaging drama.

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Exactly. Substance and layers. Each scene, even the cute ones, was not purposeless and there are not many scenes I would want to delete or find unnecessary in the drama. XDD We know I'm badly bias, but I think it's fair to say that all the scenes either serve purpose in advancing the plot, or lay ground for characterization of a character or help in establish progress in a relationship down the line. Some scenes were cut from the previews and not shown in the broadcast, and knowing the writer, I demand a director's DVD cut!! I want those scenes!! I'll pay good money for them. :"D

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As soon as I finished listening to the podcast file, I was going to write my own mini dissertation on TLAHL... That was until I saw all the wonderful but looong comments everyone has written. That's both awesome, and intimidating. I am nowhere near confident in my ability to write something that's as eloquent as all of you, and don't want to appear lacking.... so.... I'll cheat, and use Javabeans' words instead. :P (@javabeans, please don't sue me, I'll credit you for alllll the work XD)

Quote 1

I just started up this show, and was pleasantly surprised with its light, breezy charm. I love how much it’s about music; it’s not just a part of these characters’ lives as a job or a hobby, but infused throughout the whole show, like a character on its own. And I’m finally glad to see Lee Hyun-woo finally playing a character that actually makes use of his acting talents!

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Okay, so this was the show I’ve been waiting for—the kind that makes me eager to watch episode after episode, rather than feeling I have to try to keep up, and sticks in my mind even when I’m doing other things. It’s not perfect: The dialogue can get unrealistically drippy for my tastes (I cringe when it gets cheesy and push through it), I find the editing occasionally choppy, and the supporting cast is inexperienced. But despite all that, the show speaks to me with its breezy feel-good spirit; the tone, the mood, and the heart are all very engaging. And for once, I can absolutely see why everyone is fascinated with the same girl, and why they find her special. Joy is delightful.

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Okay, so this was the show I’ve been waiting for—the kind that makes me eager to watch episode after episode, rather than feeling I have to try to keep up, and sticks in my mind even when I’m doing other things. It’s not perfect: The dialogue can get unrealistically drippy for my tastes (I cringe when it gets cheesy and push through it), I find the editing occasionally choppy, and the supporting cast is inexperienced. But despite all that, the show speaks to me with its breezy feel-good spirit; the tone, the mood, and the heart are all very engaging. And for once, I can absolutely see why everyone is fascinated with the same girl, and why they find her special. Joy is delightful.

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Quote 3 (the real one, not the duplicate XD)

Yay, the mood took an upswing this week! Basically, when So-rim is happy, the drama is happy, and this week gave me a lot of feel-good moments to appreciate. Plus, I much prefer when Han-gyul is getting along with his Crude Play boys rather than fighting with them, even though I like that their conflict is layered and interesting and genuine. Just, you know, they can work that out gradually while still going on beachside MTs and drinking parties, right?

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Quote 4

There are so many things I want to talk about but not enough space to get into them! Like how I love-hate (but mostly love) how the music snippets play in such teasing drops that I’m dying to hear the full song by the time we get it, or how Choi Min-soo is the perfect quirky dad. Or how I initially thought that watching Han-gyul really step it up, putting So-rim first and showing his faith in her at every step, was the best thing this week. But then all the Crude Play development and substitute-performance conflict erupted and threw everybody into intersecting, but discrete, tracks of desperation and I was moved at how deep the emotional threads run, and how this drama has intertwined them so thoroughly that they all feel part of the same pain, although each person experiences it from a different angle. I felt an unexpectedly strong blow at the realization that the Crude Play boys have been using Han-gyul’s supposedly inferior bass playing to practice with, when all along that’s been one of Han-gyul’s biggest insecurities. Although he’ll never beat out Chan-young on the inferiority complex front—it breaks my heart every time Chan-young realizes that he’s only a stand-in for the guy everybody likes better than him… which made that ending sacrifice extra heart-pinchy. My heart was already pretty bruised—I don’t know if it can take much more!

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There’s something special about this drama in the way these characters feel real to me—it’s not the acting, which is fine but not phenomenal, and it’s not the story itself. It’s more that the show as a whole, on a big-picture scale, feels tight and cohesive, and thus the story enables a kind of full immersion into this world. I feel like Lee Hyun-woo is a musical genius with father issues, and that he really did write all these songs on the show. I’m keeping an eye on this rookie writer, because I’m pleased and amazed that we’ve made it 14 episodes and I’ve never once gotten bored or lost interest, or felt that the plot was running out of steam. Even if it’s a remake, it takes skill to plan, pace, and build a story so that it’s always developing and avoids that near-inevitable late-game dip in energy. Storywise, I was moved by the way each character wanted to take responsibility for everyone else, and how it felt actually noble without being idiotic. But since they’re young and unskilled, they can only attempt to fix their problem with insufficient methods, and it’s poignant because they try anyway, driven by their loyalty and care for each other.

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The Liar and His Lover: I’m sorry to say goodbye to this show, which has been a bright spot for the past two months and which bowed out with a sweet, poignant, and fully satisfying resolution. It wasn’t perfectly solved problems everywhere and triple-knotted bows, but there was a strong sense of leaving these people in a place that was better, more secure, and happier than they’d started out in, and that they would still face challenges but now be better equipped to deal with them. I’m glad that the show really made a point to give us closure for all of our friends and their various relationships, not just the romantic ones, and I really appreciated the lovely touch in the finale that reprised all of the big songs of the show in emotionally and lyrically appropriate moments, and the effect was elevated by often showcasing those songs in re-arranged, more contemplative versions. This show made me happy, and I leave it feeling happy, so I can’t really ask for more than that.

Aw... I'm sad it's over. I wanted to read more and more and more.

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I dare all of you to beat that in your essays :D Impossible. Goddess' words.
{credit to @javabeans for writing my homework for me}

Quote 1 comes from here:
http://www.dramabeans.com/2017/04/team-dramabeans-what-were-watching-46/

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Sixth quote from here:
http://www.dramabeans.com/2017/05/team-dramabeans-what-were-watching-51/

wow, I didn't realize javabeans spent 6 weeks together with all of us until now. I thought she came on the train later than when she did!! awesome.

I haven't done MLA formatting in years, so you'll have to forgive the lack of proper formatting for the credit. :3
Hopefully, this is adequate enough for people to know where those awesome words came from. Thanks for the help with the "homework" once again. XD

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The credit comment went into moderation... so to prevent the quotes to be credit-less during the time it takes to be approved... once again...
Credit to all this awesomeness to @javabeans

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ya know what's hilarious about this? I know I should be talking about how great her comments are and the content... but all I can see is their lengths. It's hilarious that jb wrote as long comments as all the comments of the Beanies here. pffft.

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Ahahah, I just love how this podcast just became another communion of the Liar Beanies. :D <3

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ikr? it feels just like another recap thread we're sharing with other dramas XDDD

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I've only had time to listen to the Joo won's section so far. I jumped straight into it because of all the comments and don't regret it one bit. The two of you had me in stitches. After watchign AJW in New Journey of the West, I love him but it's so true that he jumped straight into marriage after falling in love. pfffft. I can't for the life of me imagine Joo Won and Boa marriage getting announced in the news. It's like hearing that the baby version of So ji sub is getting married.

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I dont know whether to laugh or to cry. It's been nearly 5 weeks and Beanies' affection for the drama still hasn't waned. They're still writing essays and eulogies. lol.

Great podcast! Thanks.

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I came back to correct one of my post, and in passage, also want to thank you again (if I did already?) for this podcast.
I've cut myself an mp3 file of just the last segment. Have been listening to it on a loop constantly for the past 3 days because it's my happy pill to listen to your voices and insights on this drama. Never fails to make me smile. :)))))))

It's probably not, in fact, I know it's not... a perfect drama. Nevertheless, this drama has made me happier than many "perfect" dramas so in the end, that's what matters right? :)

Loads of beanies praised Lee seo won's acting already, he's popular among the ladies as well as that idol who played Shi Hyun. So I want to praise Lee Hyun Woo and Joy's acting. By the end of the drama, Joy didn't feel like a rookie at all. She did really good even compared to other young actresses. She has great potential, that girl. Lee Hyun Woo is just great. :))))) I don't know why people don't talk more about his acting... is it because they already expect him to be good? but he was the one who impressed me and carried all the scenes well. He was perfect for the role. Great dynamics with Choi Minsoo, and his scenes with everyone were great.

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Late to this mini TLAHL party. lol. I had stuff to do so couldn't listen to this until this week-end.

I agree with the Beanie above about how this show makes us feel so warm. Like she said, the theme is loyalty and if done right, you know a drama with loyalty for theme is gonna be giving us the warmth and fuzzies like no others (if done wrong... we get the cringe cheese. lol.)

I want to add that it's not just loyalty to others, or to who you are like that Beanie said. It's also loyalty to the person you want to be. And life is about balancing all of that. Keeping true to who you are, to the ones you love, and to whom you want to be.
CEO Yoo stayed who she thought she should stay as, but also heard Inwoo's words and gave an out to Crude Play. Inwoo stayed who he was from beginning to end, even if it doesn't bring him the fame and fortune. And of course HG, SR, Crude Play, Yoona, Jinhyuk, etc. all made the decision so they could stay true to who they were, be with the people they wanted to be with, but also becoming the better people they wanted to be as producers, honest musicians, Yoona the singer, a producer that grows slowly with his musician and nurture them, etc., even when they had to give up a bit to achieve that.
Warmth and fuzzies, I say. Cheers

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True. :) There are many good dramas, but there aren't many good dramas that are also feel-good from beginning to end. So I say this is a special one for making people feel good and happy. :)

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I really miss the podcasts javabeans and girlfriday made. It's kind of hard to download the old podcasts from the dramabeans site one by one. If it's possible, please restart the podcasts on an independent platform like apple or others so that we can still listen to those again!

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