Woohoo, I’m so excited for this drama making the first return of Kim So Hyun back to the small screen in two years since sageuk River Where the Moon Rises. She actually has another drama Is it Coincidence but this tvN series Useless Lies will arrive first in early July. The first stills are out of her and male lead Minhyun and she’s rocking blunt bangs and looking so pretty and fresh! I just need Minhyun to keep improving as an actor because he’s quite charming onscreen. She plays a woman who has the ability to tell if someone is lying and he’s the man accused of murder who no one believes is innocent. The first stills make the drama visually look like a rom-com but the subject matter is obviously more serious.
Shouldn’t the title be ‘for Mon-Tue tvN drama Useless Lies’? Though the official English title has now changed to My Lovely Liar which is a very romcom title. Can’t believe KSH has entered the league of celebs who take 2 years or more between projects. She consistently delivered annual dramas till 2019 but I guess new decade new changes. Maybe once she graduates from University she’ll be back to her annual schedule. It seems Is It A Coincidence is going to wait till CJH gets his major breakout through the new PEB drama before pushing for his drama with KSH, maybe to capitalize on the fame of both their new dramas. Either ways its always great to see KSH back in dramas and this one looks especially fun plus Hwang Minhyun is always eye candy to watch and agreed he is extremely charming onscreen. The chemistry is sparkling at first sight but a teaser would be even better. Looking forward to this especially because of the romcom drought in kdramas these days.
Kim Sohyun is extremely talented but the long hiatus between projects is hurting her career. I feel like her team never capitalized on her post Love Alarm and Tale of Nokdu fame in 2019. She was going strong until her 2020 break where she was nowhere to be seen. Her 2021 drama while a breakthrough for her acting did nothing for her popularity. She disappeared completely for 2 years and effectively wiped out all her CF power. With none of her dramas getting picked up for Netflix simulcast, inability to land any new Netflix original dramas after Love Alarm and the absolute lack of promotions from her agency is eradicating what’s left of her 15 year career. She badly and desperately needs a massive hit like Park Eunbin with Strange Lawyer in order to become relevant again. With the amount of new talent breaking out left, right and centre I don’t think that will happen anytime soon. I think Kim Sohyun rightly predicted that in the future there would be a lot more competition but she hasn’t figured out the game plan to stay relevant amidst the extremely competitive landscape. This one doesn’t look like it’ll be a very popular drama and I doubt it’ll ever break past 4% since tvn weekday dramas haven’t been pulling ratings for a while now. Still it’s good for the fans to have something to obsess over till her next long hiatus. Maybe one day she’ll finally land a weekend drama and get the big break she needs. Will be rooting for her.
As a huge KSH fan, I actually like this nuanced comment. I find that when it comes to KSH, it’s mostly either vile hate comments or overly optimistic comments that pretending everything is okay even tho her agency barely promotes our girl, and I find both types of comments delusional, just in different ways. Yours is a fair one.
I too worry so much about her future. Seems like she doesn’t have much interest in promoting herself either these days (lack of social media updates). I definitely agree with you that her management didn’t capitalize on her 2019 popularity. A better agency would’ve also capitalize on her status as the youngest Baeksang Best Actress nominee and would’ve rubbed it in people’s faces, but yeah, we get nothing.
And yes, I know Sidus is quite problematic, yadda yadda. But I still miss her Sidus days. She had plenty of CFs, dramas, movies, memorable cameos, and photoshoots back then. I also miss those high-definition behind the scene pics they used to release from her dramas and CFs/photoshoots. Us fans were super well-fed with KSH content back then, sigh. Oh, and her styling was so much better during that period. I feel like the last time I saw her sporting trendy makeup was in her E&T Story days. Nowadays, I find her styling borderline drab, which is a shame as she’s so beautiful.
Anyway, I don’t know how these things work, but can someone explain to me why an agency would take on talents and not promote them, like what’s happening right now with KSH and Ieum Hashtag? I thought they will earn a lot too if their stars become more popular? I’m literally confused lol
I completely agree with everything you’ve said in this comment. Without a doubt KSH is crazy talented with endless potential but none of it is even close to being reached. My biggest regret is her shadow ban from movies with not a single director willing to cast her even in minor roles. This is extremely strange considering how even the most untalented idols manage to land meaty roles in movies these days. Even though the movie industry is in a sharp decline these but by limiting herself to only tv dramas she’s also narrowed her range of activities. I know she’s super shy and hates going on variety shows but she needs the exposure as people are very likely going to forget she exists. The public has a very short memory span. Her international fandom has also declined severely but maybe once the drama airs they’ll comeback but I get the feeling most have turned into casual fans rather than the hardcore fans she used to have which every fandom needs. I think the kind of roles current actresses are taking are more edgy, dark and badass with experimental genres like sci-fi, action, dark humor while KSH is still mostly doing romance dramas with love triangles. I like that this drama has a mystery and fantasy component but overall it looks more like a regular romcom. Which isn’t a bad thing if done right like Business Proposal but can end being boring and forgettable if not done right. She really needs to take a giant leap of faith and do hardcore villain roles like LJY in The Glory because she’s one of the very few actresses who can act across that wide range. I want to see her play a truly evil and unredeemable character that’s layered but still the devil spawn. She’d nail a character like that and good thing is she won’t be typecast because we know she has the range for anything. Like everyone here will hope for her to find that big career breakthrough.
I have same thoughts regarding her career. Idk why she is still with that agency when they don’t even do a good job of promoting their artists. They have opened an IG account but there are no new updates regarding KSH or other artists. Being a fan of her from 2015, this hiatus felt really longer than her previous break. During these 2 yr, she has made very few public appearance. Dk if that is her own decision or her agency’s. Kdrama industry is quite competitive and there are lots of newcomer every year. So, it could be hard.
i agree that her hiatus cause a setback in her career. But at the same time i’m glad that she took time off to focus on herself and her study. She’s been working non stop since young.
I hope her new management can promote her better.
@Willows Yeah, I was wondering what’s taking Is It A Coincidence so long to air when KSH finished shooting that drama first. But you made a great point which I didn’t think of. And yeah, I have to agree, they’re probably waiting for CJH’s drama with PEB to air first for more name recognition
@Ymir Actually things are very bad for Korean dramas and movies now days. The movie industry is on a decline and is expected to die out in the next few years and dramas can’t be aired because production houses aren’t being able to sell them at a profit. CJENM which is the parent company for TVN, STUDIO DRAGON and TVING is suffering huge losses, KakaoTV which was launched just 2 years ago has shut down and even Wavve is making fewer originals because of their losses. Netflix has actually ruined the entire industry and being the only monolith that pays sky high salaries has increased production costs by a 3x-4x times the original cost and local channels and production companies aren’t being able to keep up with the increasing salary demands of celebrities plus additional production costs. There are apparently over 70-80 dramas that have already been completed but can’t be aired anywhere because of no buyers. It’s not enough for a drama to have high ratings if nobody is willing to buy the drama and Netflix is buying them at very low prices which is not enough to cover the costs. Almost every channel has given up the Wed-Thurs slot not only because of ratings but many other financial factors. Compared to 6-7 years ago when TV was full of new dramas these days there are big breaks between dramas and only 1-2 consistent time slots. KSH and CJH might get lucky like the new KTH drama which only got picked up by ENA because LJY blew up massively after The Glory. Even though it was mean’t to be the comeback project of KTH but TVN ended up rejecting it because it wasn’t profitable for them to air it. If both MLL and Diva blow up only then will someone be willing to air their new drama. Maybe be an OTT like Disney+ might be willing to buy it off TVN and air it as an original.
@Misshi, didn’t Netflix just announce that the online streaming company will invest $2.5 billion USD in K drama alone over the next 4 years? I thought K drama industry couldn’t have been doing better.
@bambi @ymir i agree with you both. that’s why i actually find han so hee’s and lim ji yeon’s agencies to be impressive. after the successes of wotm and the glory, both agencies pushed these two actresses hard, and now they both have massive public recognition. both are everywhere as well. sucks for kim so hyun that her agency is useless, she’s very beautiful and extremely talented
Your thoughts about CJH makes sense. They could be waiting for his next with PEB but I doubt they would release drama with PEB this year. I was thinking why they would wait that long to broadcast ITF after already finishing shooting the drama. Also, that is shorter than the usual drama too.
Agreed with everything that is being said in this thread. So good to have Kim So Hyun back and loving the cute chemistry with Hwang Min Hyun who isn’t the best actor but is very likeable and great to look at. True that Kim So Hyun could have and should have been a much bigger star by now if only she had better people to manage her career and image. The only plus point is that we can see her act opposite so many age appropriate and attractive actors that who I personally like. In fact would love to see her opposite Cha Eun Woo one day soon because their visual and physical chemistry would be crazy and I’m trash for generic but fun romcoms. I know her calibre is so much more but romance is my favorite genre and I love seeing Kim So Hyun with so many gorgeous rising stars and am super excited for Coincidence as well. Still I do agree she should do something out of her comfort zone and get lots of critical acclaim for it. Maybe she can find a balance between high quality dramas and generic cute romcoms and we can have both maybe. I’m definitely greedy for both.
@Lachicha Yeah Kim so hyun and Cha eun woo is one of my dream pairings. There’s that one time Eun Woo was asked in a variety show who would he choose between So Hyun and Kim Yoo Jung and he chose So Hyun without hesitation. Since then I’ve always wanted them to pair up. Plus I love seeing beautiful couples on my screen lol
I remember in 2020 these two were supposed to host some awards ceremony but that got cancelled due to pandemic. Weird that nothing shows up when I searched about that news now.
Nonetheless, I really wish they pair up someday. To Eun Woo’s credit, he could’ve coasted on his looks and just play safe romantic lead roles all the time, but kudos to him for choosing challenging roles recently
It been a while since i see her on screen 😍 she look so lovely. The synopsis remind me with my fav drama I Can Hear You Voice. I love it when FL have ability.
Both Kim Sohyun and Hwang Minhyun have small face, it cute and lovely too see them together 🤣
This drama could be extremely good or lackluster, I literally have no idea how it’s going to be.
But all I know for now is that these two make such a gorgeous couple. Even if it turns out to be bad, at least I can just enjoy the eye candy (yes, I’m a shallow bish lol).
Kim So Hyun is a living doll! 😍
Ah same! Watching this only to see Sohyun! She’s been gone too long! For her I’d watch anything irrespective if it’s good or not! She always delivers!
@Ymir I am with you regarding Sohyun’s styling. Idk why but after she joined this new agency I am not liking her styling. They don’t give her age appropriate dresses and most of the time they give her no makeup look instead of something bold.
(don’t know why my comment didn’t show up, so I’m commenting again)
The styling issue reminds me of Margot Robbie fans feeling frustrated with Margot’s styling (Margot is a Chanel ambassador and has to wear those godawful Chanel dresses that don’t fit her body type, and her hair is always the same, flat and lack styling). Her fans are also convinced her stylist must hate her lmao
Such a shame when stylists don’t know how to style these beautiful women to enhance their beauty even more. Both actresses need Zendaya’s stylist, stat lol
I’m not confident about Minhyun. If I liked him in AoS it was more about his character than his acting. I think played by someone else, his character could have been way better.
He’s cute but not very charismatic on screen.
I hope the best for KSH but it’s not the kind of drama that brings ratings but with both of their fandoms, they can bring buzz.
I love KSH and she’s an absolute gem to watch on screen but I agree with the general sentiment that the dramas and roles being offered to her are below her caliber and are not helping grow her career. I don’t think one needs ratings to be truly successful but one does need memorable roles and good scripts to be regarded as trustworthy and create buzz. It doesn’t seem like most people expect this drama to do well but everyone is just happy to have her back on screen after 2 years which is enough for most fans. I’m also happy to just have something to watch her in but also hope that one day she finds the script, character, writer, director and co-star that is truly worthy of her talents. By then maybe she would have found herself a better agent too. She’ll be in her mid 20s next year and the competition will only get worse. The 2000s have some extremely talented actresses who are thirsty for a challenge and are moving at breakneck speed to superstardom. She needs to find a way to get ahead of them and fast. The 30s might not be so kind to her like they were to PEB and LJY.
THEY. ARE. SO. CUTE. Been waiting for this drama since it was announced and finally its next month! Gonna be squealing like crazy when the teaser drops! Visual couple of the year!
i like KSH as i like some other actresses but her career reminds me of Yoo Seung ho’s one . Both are talented, have great visuals, can be considered as veterans but they didn’t get yet the role to reach the stardom and the chance to chose the projects that they really want . It saddens me because the competition is rude and rookies, idols,newcomers are leading major works . I don’t know if it’s because of bad management , timing, luck or simply because they are low key persons . As an Int drama viewer i don’t know much about their life but it may be their choice to be actors who don’t care about the spotlight and all that goes with .
Would disagree on that. KSH is still miles ahead of YSH in terms of career. For her last drama she won several awards and got a Baeksang nomination while KBS completely sidelined YSH and instead his costars were the ones to get recognition. In fact YSH often gets out acted and out classed by his costars while KSH literally carries all her dramas on her back and her male leads also become extremely popular afterwards. KSH isn’t getting the dramas she deserves because her agency doesn’t give her right scripts and blocks any and all promotions for her. She is reclusive but not to the extent of being invisible. KSH still has massive name value not only due to her child roles but because of dramas like School 2015 and Nokdu which were extremely popular in South Korea. She needs to meet the right agency and she’ll be set but I have a feeling this drama will be good for her career to in some way. Yes its a generic romance drama but in every drama KSH shows massive growth in her acting and this time too we can expect her deliver another nuanced and moving performance that captivates the audience as always. Its good to see her finally progress to proper adult roles in modern dramas and HMH and her make a very good pair based on these still cuts. It might be a long road for her to become the top actress we all know she is but its only a matter of when not if.
I get what Cahill is saying, I think what she means is that both KSH and YSH should’ve been superstars by now given how both are celebrated for their talents, and in So Hyun’s case, she’s known for both beauty and talent, not to mention she’s scandal-free and known for being professional and getting along well with co-stars and staff.
But I also agree with you, it’s just a matter of “when”, not “if”, when it comes to So Hyun ascending A-listdom. Look at Lim Ji Yeon, if you look at her career a few years ago, everyone would’ve thought she will forever be stuck in small roles in small productions. And now look at her snagging CF deals left right and center. And she’s in her 30s already! So there’s still hope. Give So Hyun an agency who sees her superstar potential, and she’ll be golden. One thing So Hyun has that YSH doesn’t is that So Hyun has a quality to her that attracts a huge fandom. She also has a good amount of fanboys and fangirls, unlike other celebs who mainly either appeal to male fans or female fans, she appeals to both. I also think So Hyun can generate chemistry with most of her co-stars, unlike YSH. Speaking of which, I think YSH would do well pulling a Yoo Ah In and just take mostly non-romance projects, I personally think he’s handsome but something about him just doesn’t fit romance dramas. Don’t kill me please, it’s just my opinion, and I don’t think it’s even a bad thing, it just means he’s suited for other genres
Sorry @staryeyes, i wasn’t implying that KSH is the same as YSH , just that both should be above some others actors who are less talented, less experienced and get more recognition. Even if i’m not a korean ,i know that KSH has a great fandom and that she has to carry by herself some of her works, especially the last one . @Tuttifruity understood very well my meaning . All i want for her is to get “the role” ,that will make her reach the stardom . It’s where she belongs .
I like Minhyun but he is too ” flower boy” , i think that KSH should have been paired with a manlier actor . Both are too beautiful and cute and it may be an obstacle for the romance chemistry . But i may be wrong !
I like this pairing, but I get what you mean. Problematic age gap aside, So Hyun did look great with manly-looking Taecyeon in Bring it on ghost
@ Tuttifruity I agree with you . You understood me perfectly . She was great with Taecyeon . She would be great with Seo kang Joon , Lee Jae Wook, Woo Do Hwan, Park Hyung Sik, Lee Joon,… not to mention that they are more experienced in the acting field than Minhyun .
her career, looks and style after joining Jun Jihyun agency becomes so unflourish. there’s nothing remarkable and memorable happened during her time with that agency, both CD and IEUM. up to this point, as her fan, i just wish that her buzzs isn’t down so much more as it already has. knowing that the agency will not bother to promote their artists including her except their founder, i wish that the outcomes of this drama is above average. i already accept the fact that she isn’t as popular as she used to be, both domestically and internationally. it just that there’s still few delusional fans who still thinks everything is OK, nothing has changed, its all her decision etc. yeah keep delusioning yourself. as long as she is in that agency, you’ll never see kim sohyun in “undernineteen” era. her career and visual looked so flourish during that time. well, i look forward to passerby / casual fans to call me miss insider who know everything lol. it happened always everytime whenever i talked about her agency.
I took a hiatus from drama entertainment for years and came back to find KSH’s breakthrough acting. I’m currently catching up with River Where the Moon Rises. I got hooked with the series at the get-go. KSH is terrific in the drama. I never expected she could be so good. I’ll follow all her dramas after done this one.