The drama is the Korean remake from the Japanese version released in 2007. I haven’t watch the latter so this adaption was like a initiation to me.
Here are
five facts for the Liar Game’s review.
This Korean adaptation is the remake of the Japanese drama aired in 2007. I
haven’t watch the latter so everything was new to me. I tried this review in
five points, it could have been more though. I wanted to try something
different this time and who knows that could last if I feel like it.
1. The
first point is a really an important one: Lee Sang-yoon was crazily, intensely
hot in Liar Game! Well
it’s probably not flatter for the drama to start with the hotness of his lead,
I mean if the drama is good, there should be something else, good enough to
start with? Surely, but what can I do, Lee Sang-yoon was hot. Hotter than in
everything else he has ever played. I’m probably going too much ahead here as
I’ve only seen…two of his dramas! That’s not a lot to judge, but whatever I’m
saying it anyway: I’ve never seen him that appealing before. He’s usually a
pleasure for the eyes, definitely good looking but he had an incredible intensity
in Liar Game. The drama called for
his dark and tortuous side and that side is sexy if you ask me!
One thing leading to another, once released from
prison the genius professor will end up helping our heroine, Nam Da-jung to win
the liar game. He has ulterior motives other than empathy but hey you can’t be
a genius and have a heart of gold on top of that. He’s cold and haughty but it doesn’t
take long to found out he’s actually human and somehow full of fears. He’s
obsessed with his mother’s suicide. He’ll accept (what a sweet euphemism! He’ll
be friendly forced by Kang Do-young) to enter the liar game in order to finally
understand what leaded his beloved mother to end her life.
2.
Kang Do-young (Shin Sung-rok) is scrazy.
That’s my combination of scary and crazy because that’s exactly what he is. No
joke Shin Sung-rok plays the villain so well, it’s terrifying. He portrayed the
worrying and troubled Kang Do-young in
a way you could only want to know what happened to that man, how did he end up
like that. I mean there must be a concrete reason for someone to push others to
their limits and to act like a creepy sociopath? He justified the liar game, he
created, as good way to see and show how far people can go for money (money
rules the world, it’s well known). Well you can be curious but not there’s a
considerable gap between curiosity and tenacity my dear Kang Do-young. He’s
emotionless, doesn’t care for anything or anyone, is ready to do anything for
the sake of the game and that includes lying to the PD, the channel’s director,
the candidates and go beyond the law. He’s determinate and basically no one can
(or should) interfere in his business and ruin his plans. Him creating the liar
game isn’t completely innocent. I know there’s many other ways to show human’s
nature but there are so less entertaining, why bother asking? Kang Do-young has
things to settle with some people (we know quite fast that it’s Ha Woo-jin, and
Nam Da-jung) and if he has to use others to reach his goal, well they can only
be regrettable loss. That’s called collateral damages. Well some would be happy
to be counted as collateral damages if that includes ending up with millions of
dollars.
Kang Do-young’s
motives are obscure, that’s a given. He’s not doing all that for financial
reasons. The guy is extremely rich. He amassed his fortune while working in finances and is ready to give most of that
fortune to the winner of the game. Are we dealing with a philanthropist? Don’t
think so. Ulterior motives? Hell yeah! Despite his official statement about the
reason he created the liar game (a life-size test of human nature), we’re not
fooled. From the get go we know Kang Do-young is after Ha Woo-jin, and Nam Da-jung.
Their connection is deeper than what we see. Kang Do-young knows way too much about Ha
Woo-jin’s mother’s death (he forced the latter to enter the game with the
promise of revealing the truth behinds her mother suicide) and he’s way too
interested in Nam Da-jung.
A powerful
and electrifying duel will literally take place between the two lead men. A
fight of brains and strategies with the poor Nam Da-jung in the middle. I tried
like crazy to figure out in which way those three strangers, at some point of
their respective lives, could have been linked. How and when the three of them
met? I seriously couldn’t have imagine the outcome. Kang Do-young, Ha Woo-jin,
and Nam Da-jung’s lives crossed for a short period of time at the orphanage run
by Ha Woo-jin’s mother. The three kids met there and that’s where their fates
changed irreversibly. Kang Do-young the orphan, Nam Da Jung the little girl temporarily
left by her poor father and Ha Woo-jin the frustrated legitimate son of the
orphanage’s director got linked. But that short moment in time didn’t end up happily
for everyone. If Ha Woo-jin and Nam Da-jung grew up happily, the little Kang
Do-young was adopted (I mime huge quotes in the air ‘cause that term is probably
not the most appropriate here) by a strange guy who took him to the US. I’m not
going to spoil anything or even go deeply in neither the story nor the
connection but it’s surely sad and intriguing. But here’s my one and only
question: who those freaking people who turned Kang Do-young into a cold and
detached bastard are? We didn’t get a proper answer and that’s why I’m here
calling for a season 2. No joke they will give us one right?
3.
Nam Da Jung (Kim So-eun) isn’t exactly the most exciting character I’ve ever
seen. Seriously
she’s kind but way too kind. She’s honest but then again way too honest. She’s soft-hearted
in all her ways and sometimes that’s just too much. I can’t recall how many
times I screamed at her that people are scary and not trustworthy! Life is a
battle you have to fight back and sometimes gives back punches! Nam Da-jung was
always…in the middle, trying to satisfy all the contestants, to find
compromises and please each and every one. It can be tiring but all in all it brought
a balance. One white sheep among hungry wolves, in that terrifying atmosphere, not
only brought sympathy towards Nam Da-jung, that also gave us some space, to
stay human or at least to relate to someone not obsessed by money. So like Nam
Da-jung, let’s give importance to what’s essential: our fellow human beings. That
being said, throwing fists at times is vital. You can’t always win on a good
heart. Ha Won-jin got it. He was so frustrated to deal with someone so naïve as
Nam Da-jung. He half went crazy when she asked him what’s wrong in trusting
people. Well watching all the participants’ low blows I think it can be a wrong
move to blindly trust everyone!
Even if Ha
Won-jin helped Nam Da-jung all along, he never forced her to go. In the
contrary, he tried many times to make her give up. She refused. Right that’s
logic, we can have a drama where the female lead is missing. Ha Won-jin taught
the frail Nam Da-jung to fight back and not to necessarily rely on people but
to also trust in herself. She taught that sometimes trusting people isn’t all wrong.
It’s risky but it worth the risk. That’s what define human’s relationships
after all. Despite a not so accomplished character, Kim So-eun managed to give
to Nam Da-jung some relief. She was endearing, brave and fought the best she
could while staying the same al through the game. Kim So-eun succeeded in
making like Nam Da-jung, the kind of heroine I particularly dislike. The too
naïve, fragile and clueless ones.
I’m quite
happy we haven’t had any romance in the drama. Liar Game was already too tense to dare add a romantic feelings in
the mix. Now if the production gives us a season 2 (they have to! Sorry I was a
bit harsh: please be nice and give us a sequel.), I’m certainly not against a romantic
development between Ha Won-jin and Nam Da-jung!
4.
I loved that ajusshi a lot! Jo Dal-goo (Jo Jae-yoon) was funny, pitiful and devoted. Devoted to Nam Da-jung.
Can a loan shark be more attached to his debtor? It was a curious a
relationship but sweet to watch. That actor has the ability to put warm to his
characters. I remember him in Gu Family
Book. He didn’t play the most endearing character there but he was definitely
amusing and enjoyable! He did the same in Liar Game where he was adorkable. Eventually I can stay quiet about a
participant who gave me chills both in a good and bad ways. She’s was scary but
not only. She was dangerous. Dangerously clever. She reversed situations to her
own advantage so many times and so easily it was terrifying. So all my respect
to Oh Jung-ah (Lee El)! I would have
been darned sad to see her eliminate too early in the game!
5. A
season 2! P.L.E.A.S.E. Thank you!
Liar Game was all about surviving, a mental
fight to stay alive. A psychological battle to win. It was fascinating, captivating, exciting and
perilous. How far could you go for money? What are you ready to do in order to
win? Would you be able to crush others for your goal? Many questions the drama
asked subtlety. Every one of us has the answers. And in this fierce battle
there’s only one important question: Are
people trustworthy?
OR 
