# The Liar and His Lover (2017)

> A reclusive composer who hides his identity falls for a high school singer with a gift for voice.

Canonical page: https://ember.film/tv/61411

## Facts

- Seasons: 1
- Episodes: 16
- Episode runtime: 64 min
- Status: Ended
- Genres: romance, drama, comedy
- Created by: Kotomi Aoki
- Network: tvN
- Cast: Lee Hyun-woo, JOY, Choi Min-soo, Lee Jung-jin, Kim In-kwon, Im Ye-jin, Lee Seo-won, Sung Joo
- TMDB rating: 6.8/10
- IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6422226/

## Ember's analysis

- Pacing: measured
- Intensity: mild
- Complexity: simple
- Violence: none
- Tone: wistful, whimsical, bittersweet, warm, comedic

## What critics say

Audience reception is mixed, with viewers appreciating the musical content and lead romance while finding the secret-identity premise uneven.

## Synopsis

The Liar and His Lover (2017) is a South Korean romantic comedy drama series created by Kotomi Aoki for tvN, adapted from her long-running manga. Sullen but gifted composer Kang Han-Kyeol, played by Lee Hyun-woo, lives behind a secret identity, drawing inspiration from the voices of people around him. His world turns when he meets Yoon So-Rim, a high school student with a remarkable singing voice, played by JOY, who falls for him while he is hiding who he really is. The engine of the story is the growing tangle of concealment: every lie he tells to protect his privacy threatens to unravel the relationship, and the wider cast, including Choi Min-soo as Kang In-Woo and Lee Jung-jin as Choi Jin-Hyuk, pulls the secret toward exposure. Told across a single sixteen-episode run of roughly an hour per episode, the series moves through romantic misunderstandings, musical moments, and workplace and school subplots rather than a case-of-the-week structure. Its register is wistful and warm, with comic awkwardness undercutting the melancholy of a man who cannot be himself. The music is central to the mood, and the show will appeal to viewers who enjoy Korean romance dramas such as Full House and Crash Landing on You, with the quiet emotional pull of Sky Castle.

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