A struggling actress finds herself in a unique predicament when her long-time friend asks her to pretend to be his wife in order to hide his sexual orientation from his demanding grandfather.  As heir to a major conglomerate, the pressure to settle down and take over the family business is more than he can bear. 

As a boy, Ji Han was involved in a car accident on a rainy night that left his mother dead and him terrified of the rain and saddled with extreme survivor guilt. But as the truth of the accident slowly comes out, Ji Han is eventually able to find healing.  Moon Sang Min is an adorable actor and I felt like he did a nice job of showing a range of emotions through the course of the drama.  

Lee Do Han has been Ah Jung's best friend since high school.  That is when she first started playing his girlfriend to help him hide the fact that he is gay.  Now, as an adult, his grandfather is pressuring him to get married and take over the family business.  So he enlists Ah Jung's help once again.  

Yoon Chae Won is a family friend of Do Han's family who is also the daughter of Taeyang Corporation.  Their families want the pair to marry to help boost their own businesses.  But Chae Won has always had a crush on Ji Han insead of Do Han.  

I felt like Do Han's story really kind of disappeared as this drama went along.  He started out as an interesting character who was going to learn to become true to himself after hiding his sexual orientation for years.  He at least deserved his own love story or potential love story.  Instead, his only "love interests" are a nameless one night stand in the first episode and a psycho ex.

Another downside is the time wasted on unnecessary secondary characters. There were too many character for a 12 episode drama, and none of them got much development.  The half sibling storyline felt like a waste of good screen time.  And there were characters like Ji Ae and Min Seop who could have been much better if they had gotten the extra screen time instead.

This drama does not have a great ending, in my opinion.  Do Han finally makes a public statement about his sexuality, and then has to leave the country.  So much for being able to be honest and learning to accept yourself.  We also have our leads decide they can't possible date now that Do Han has sacrificed everything for them.  Way to ruin Do Han's selfless act of love for them.  On the positive side, their grandfather is finally interested in having a relationship with his grandsons. 

A young teacher has avoided dating her whole life because of a family curse that makes them turn into dogs if they kiss someone.  But following a work drinking party, she kisses a fellow teacher, mistaking him for the man she has a crush on.  Now every night for 100 nights, she turns into a cute little dog.  And after that time she will become a dog forever, unless she can break the curse.  Breaking it requires the same person who kissed her to kiss her again in dog form.  But she has two major problems. First, the guy she kissed doesn't seem interested in her and second, he is deathly afraid of dogs.  So she sets out to befriend him, help him overcome his fear of dogs, and eventually gain his help in breaking the spell.  And as she gets to know him, she will discover that this teaching rival that she had once despised as cold and uninteresting actually has a sweet, charming side.

Park Gyu Young as Han Hae Na

Han Hae Na is a high school Korean language teacher.  She avoids romantic relationships because of a family curse that causes her to turn into a dog if she kisses someone.  But when she gets drunk at a work party, she finally decides to take the risk and confess her feelings to Bo Gyum, who is a fellow teacher. Unfortunately she ends up kissing Seo Won instead.  Now every night she turns into a dog until morning.  But there is a simple way to break the curse.  She just needs Seo Won to kiss her while she is still a dog.  But as luck would have it, Seo Won is deathly afraid of dogs.  So she is going to have to help him get over that fear if she is going to avoid living the rest of her life as a dog.  And she has 100 days to make it happen.  But more important than the spell itself is the story of how it all began and who else had a part in the original curse.  

Han Hae Na is friendly and outgoing.  She has always found Seo Won's cold personality to feel condescending and rude.  But when she is forced to befriend him and spend time with him, she begins to see that he is not at all the person she had assumed.  And her desire to help him with his fear of dogs becomes less about saving her own destiny, and more about helping him heal from his past trauma.  Park Gyu Young plays this kind of spunky, optimistic character well.  I liked her in this role, and I enjoyed watching her relationship with Seo Won develop.

Yoon Hyun Soo as Choi Yool

Choi Yool is Seo Won's nephew.  He is also a student at the high school his uncle teaches at.  And when Yool accidentally discovers the truth about Hae Na's curse, he vows to do whatever he can to help her break it.  Yool develops a crush on Hae Na but in the end, he has to concede to his uncle, Seo Won, who finally succeeds in winning her heart.  

♥ Choi Yool

I really loved the character of Choi Yool.  The way they handled his crush on Hae Na made him come across as mature and well-grounded.  And the relationship between him and Seo Won was touching and fun.  I did wonder at first if they would put him with Ji Ah, but that didn't work out for him either.  I think it would have been really easy to paint him as childish and jealous, but I am so glad they gave him more depth of character than some of the average "second leads".

 ♥ The Dog Story

I enjoyed the concept of the dog curse, and although the story sounded a little weird, it was well told.  I especially liked the first half of the show when they were focused on the curse, how to break it, and how to keep it a secret.  I think this portion of the series was easily the strongest and most interesting.  I didn't like some of the other elements quite as well as the central story itself.  

Uncle's Story

I loved the idea of an uncle who had been unsuccessful at removing the curse.  He is the cautionary tale of what happens if you don't get your second kiss.  But his storyline was strangely non-cohesive.  The scenes of the very old, sick dog are heartbreaking, but then we move on to his miraculous transformation back to a human and he just seems fine.  Then he loses his voice but mysterious gets it back again with absolutely no explanation.  I'm not sure what the point of his character is most of the time, and they did nothing to explain any of it in a way that makes sense or makes me care.  

Flashbacks and Repetition

Even with only 14 episodes, this drama seemed a bit too long for the material they had.  The use of repetition in the story and endless flashbacks to the the same scenes over and over began to lose their appeal over time.  Particularly toward the end of the drama, there seemed to be more memories then new material.  Which is a shame, because I think there are other parts of the story they could have focused on if they had removed some of the overused scenes.

Pretty much everyone gets a happy ending in this one.  The final episode starts with Hae Na getting all her memories back.  Then we jump forward one year to catch up with all our characters.  Now that the curse is broken and Bo Gyum's revenge is complete, he and the Vice Principal have disappeared.  Dong Cheol finally is back to being a human with a voice.  After a rough patch, he and Ms. Yoon get back together and are moving forward in their relationship.  Yoo Na and Woo Taek officially define their relationship and get engaged.  Once Ji Ah graduates, she goes to find Bo Gyum and confess her feelings for him.  The couple share a special time together as they release lanterns into the sky.  I hope Bo Gyum can be honest now and return her love.  After hiding the fact that they are dating, our lead couple decide to go public.  Seo Won has overcome his fear of dogs and he and Hae Na adopted a dog of their own.  The drama ends with Hae Na's voiceover about how they are learning to enjoy the normal things in life together.  

A young athlete makes his living on the county ssireum team for traditional Korean wrestlers.  He has grown up with a father and brothers who have all been ssireum champions.  But despite his early reputation as a child prodigy, he has never been able to win a championship.  Just when he is ready to retire from the sport a new manager comes to town who looks just like his childhood friend and first love.  And when she encourages him to continue working toward his dream, he begins to believe in himself again.  But the new manager has a secret past that threatens to shock their small community and cast a shadow on some of it's respected members.

Lee Joo Myung as Oh Yoo Kyung/ Oh Doo Sik

Oh Doo Sik is Baek Doo's childhood friend and first love.  She is forced to leave town when she is young after her father is accused of murder.  Although he is acquitted, many in town still believe he is guilty, so they move away to find a fresh start.  But Doo Sik always believed that her father was purposely framed for the crime he didn't commit.  Now as an adult, Doo Sik has followed her dream of becoming a detective.  And when a case similar to her father's comes into her department, she begs her mentor to let her go undercover to investigate.  Posing as Oh Yoo Kyung, Doo Sik takes a job as the county ssireum team manager.  But of course her old friend Baek Doo immediately recognizes her. And although she tries to maintain the secret of her identity, she is eventually forced to confess and swear him to secrecy.  Now the pair, with the help of Doo Sik's partner and their childhood friends, will try to solve the current case and clear Doo Sik's dad once and for all.  

Oh Doo Sik is tough and outspoken.  As the only girl in their friend group, she took charge of every situation and beat up anyone who disagreed.  As a "tomboy" whose father was the ssireum coach, Doo Sik grew up loving the sport and her friends who competed.  Because of this, she is thrilled to have a chance to come back to the hometown and friends she has always missed.  I enjoyed Lee Joo Myung as Oh Doo Sik.  This character would have been easy to overplay, but I thought she kept the role balanced and consistent all the way through. I especially loved how her character could go from mature police detective to overbearing and immature leader of the pack in the blink of an eye.  It gave her character a nice, yet understated complexity.

Kim Bo Ra as Joo Mi Ran

Joo Mi Ran runs the small cafe in town.  No one knows where she comes from and her habit to randomly close the shop whenever she wants seems like a confusing business model.  But little do they know that Mi Ran also grew up in Geosan.  Although she was younger than them, she used to follow all of them around and try to play with them when they were kids.  Mi Ran's father was the wrestler Doo Sik's dad was accused of killing.  Mi Ran is also back in town hoping to find closure from the trauma of her past.

♥ The Sport

I am not a huge sports enthusiast, but Netflix seems to have found a formula for sports dramas that draws me in.  And while I knew nothing about ssireum, I am a huge fan of sumo, which shares some rules and strategies.  So I loved watching their training and matches.  The focus on the sport gave the drama a unique appeal and I felt like I got to learn a bit about it.

 ♥ Baek Doo and Doo Sik

I loved this sweet romance.  Their characters reminded me of one of my all-time favorite couples from "Fight My Way".  The childhood friend to lover trope can be tricky, but I really enjoyed the way this one is written.  Yes, there is a huge amount of head hitting and silly childhood games, but I feel like this fits two friends who haven't seen each other since middle school.  They are fast forwarding through the adolescence they missed together so they can get to know each other as the adults they have become. 

Culprit

It seemed like the actually murderer was pretty obvious from the beginning.  First, because Lee Gyung Myoung's character was so grumpy and unlikable. And second, because Ahn Chang Hwan is so good as a criminal.  I don't know why, but he just felt like the natural choice from the start.  I mean, even his on-screen wife, who coincidentally is also his wife in real life, doesn't seem to like him much. The revelation of the cause for the crime is interesting enough to make the mystery fun, but I wasn't surprised by the culprit himself.  

Poor Mi Ran

You have to feel for Mi Ran.  First her father is killed and she is left alone in a new place.  But when she comes back to her hometown, none of the kids she used to idolize even remembers her.  Yet Doo Sik comes to town with a new identity and they still figure out its her.  Mi Ran is left, as usual, watching from outside of the inner circle and wishing they would be her friends.  Of course, she does finally get the friendship and healing she deserves, but I sure felt for her during the early parts of the show.  

"Like Flowers in Sand" comes away with a sweet, satisfying ending.  The real killer is revealed, bringing restoration to Doo Sik's dad's reputation and closure to Mi Ran for the wrongful loss of her father.  The killer, Lee Kyung Moon, the owner of the rice cake shop, is caught and arrested.  Baek Doo finally wins his championship after a hard-fought match that again comes down to a last minute decision.  Luckily, this time, the decision goes his way.  And after the match, he finally gets a confession from Doo Sik that she does have feelings for him too. The couple finally share a kiss before meeting up with the gang at the coffee shop.  At the shop, the friends joke and reminisce together before going out to take a walk and play along the beach.  In the end, we find out that Baek Doo's dream for his future self was much more than wrestling or his love for Doo Sik. He wished he could spend time together with all his friends. It looks like he is going to have to start a new bucket list, because with his recent win, Doo Sik's confession, and his friends suddenly closer than ever, he has achieved everything he has ever wished for.  

A young woman with the supernatural ability to hear whether someone is telling the truth earns her living as the "liar hunter".  But her gift is also a curse, because it has taught her to always be distrustful of others.  And when she meets a mysterious new neighbor, she is shocked to find that he always tells the truth, even when it isn't easy.  So she is shocked to find out that, despite his inability to lie, he has been living his life in hiding after being accused of a terrible crime.  Now she is determined to help him find out the truth of what really happened that night so she can clear his name and help him go back to living a normal life.  

Hwang Min Hyun as Kim Do Ha

Kim Do Ha was accused of killing his girlfriend when he was a college student.  But his mother, who was a well-connected politician, paid off the police to dismiss the case.  Although he was declared as innocent, he has spend the last years in hiding, always wearing a mask wherever he goes.  He is a successful composer, who writes music in the privacy of his own home, and then hands it off to his best friend, Jo Deuk Chan, who owns a pop music label.  But when a rumor about him and a young pop star goes viral, Do Ha is forced to hide out in an extra apartment owned by Deuk Chan.  And when he keeps running into his beautiful new neighbor, he finds himself actually interested in life outside of his own 4 walls, and the possibility of finding love again. 

Kim Do Ha has never had a great relationship with his mother, and after a toxic relationship with his high school girlfriend, he has become cold and withdrawn.  The only person he trusts is his old friend Deuk Chan.  But when he meets Sol Hee, his frosty exterior starts to melt away.  Her straightforward attitude and unwavering support, even when he believes he is responsible for Eum Ji's death, win his trust and eventually his love.  Hwang Min Hyun has gained quite a following since starring in "Alchemy of Souls" and I expect we will continue to see him in upcoming dramas.  He is ackwardly charming and reflects a sweet disposition that makes him good for these quiet, misunderstood kinds of characters.

Yun Ji On as Jo Deuk Chan

Jo Deuk Chan is Do Ha's best friend from high school.  After Do Ha was arrested and cleared, the pair started a music label that would allow Deuk Chan to run everything from the top while Do Ha wrote award-winning music in secret, under a pseudonym.  But what Do Ha never imagined, is that there is another reason Deuk Chan has stayed by his side all these years.  He has had romantic feelings for his friend since high school, but he has never had the courage to admit it to anyone.  And those feelings led to a fatal accident he has kept hidden.  

 ♥ Exposing the Gray

I love the way this drama played with the idea that truth and lies are not as simple to discern as we may think, even if we were a human lie detector.  The fact is that the truth is often a murky shade of gray and not all liars are motivated by some kind of evil disregard for the truth.  There are white lies, that we tell to save someone's feelings or pride and there are lies that we tell because we have convinced ourselves that they are true.  Sometimes knowing the truth causes us to miss the motivations of certain lies.  Right or wrong, this is a great reminder that lies come in all shapes and sizes.

♥ Jang Jung Gyu

I really enjoyed the relationship between Do Ha and the local jazz club owner and musician, Jang Jung Gyu.  Jung Su is  proof that Deuk Chan is not the only one Do Ha has, even if he doesn't exactly know it.  Somehow, it was comforting to know that Do Ha could count on his mentor to always be there.  Jung Gyu's quiet guidance, gentle teasing, and sincere concern is heartwarming to watch.  I would have enjoyed many more scenes between these two. 

Terrible Mothers

I could not stand either of these mothers.  Sol Hee's mom was whiny and self-centered.  She never seemed to care about how Sol Hee felt about her gift, or the fact that her mom's lies had put her in an impossible situation.  Meanwhile, Do Ha's mom automatically assumes her own son is guilty, no matter how many times he swore he was innocent.  I was fine with Do Ha's mom ending up in jail where she belonged, but I think Sol Hee's mom got off way too easy.  She didn't deserve either Sol Hee or her sweet, handsome husband.  

Side Story Development

As I have mentioned, I felt like this drama had way too many secondary characters with unsatisfying stories and development.  There was a lot of potential there.  Whether they had focused on the music industry element, the neighborhood shop owners, the tarot card shop, or the parents, there was way too much material and far too little follow-through.  Personally, I would have loved to have seen Syaon and Chi Hoon get featured as more of a second lead couple.  And how about some present story for our handsome ex, Kang Min?

"My Lovely Liar" gives us several happy endings.  But first we have the two jailbirds, Deuk Chan and Do Ha's mom.  They have both apologized to Do Ha for what they did to him and he has forgiven them both.  In the neighborhood, Cho Rok and O Baek finally get back together.  And Boro goes on a reality dating show.  Chi Hoon leaves the Tarot Shop to become Syaon's bodyguard, and love is in the air for the sweet couple.  Do Ha has a new artist to support in Ethan, and he is working with the brothers to put out more great hits.  While Sol Hee does lose her gift briefly, she gets it back.  But even still, she decides that she is no longer interested in living her life focuses on other people and their lies.  The couple get engaged and take a familiar bus trip back to where it all began.  

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A Joseon woman has her husband die on their wedding night.  While she is still in mourning, she is kidnapped and thrown into a well.  But instead of dying, the woman wakes up in a rooftop swimming pool in modern times.  And the man who saves her from drowning looks exactly like the husband she lost.  The couple end up in a contract marriage to satisfy his grandfather's pressure to continue the family line.  And as she spends time with him, she learns that this present day version of her husband is not the same man that she married in the past.  But he is someone she could grow to love.  Now she will need to make a choice whether to try to get back to her original life or stay in present day Seoul and build a new life .

Bae In Hyuk as Kang Tae Ha

Kang Tae Ha is heir to SH Group.  His parents both died when he was young, leaving him to be raised by a jealous and overbearing stepmother and a doting grandfather.  He suffers from a heart condition, which he has hid from his family.  One day he meets a strange woman on the roof of his company's hotel.  At first he wants nothing to do with her, but later he approaches her about a contract marriage that would keep his grandfather from pushing him into marriage with some well connected stranger.  As he gets to know the woman, he begins to believe that, no matter how impossible it seems, her story of traveling from the past seems to be true.  And as his injured heart begins to accept her as his wife and one true love, he tries to persuade her to stay with him instead of going back to Joseon Korea.  

Kang Tae Ha lived a lonely life after losing both of his parents.  His grandfather has been supportive of him, but he is also a driven business man who puts the success of his company above all else, including family.  And as Tae Ha uncovers more about his grandfather's involvement in the death of his mother, he begins to realize that he is not the warm-hearted man he had always thought.  Bae In Hyuk portrayed this character well, although he is creating a niche for himself in playing cold, more reserved characters, without much emotional depth.  I hope that as he grows as an actor, he will be able to take on more complex roles.  

Yoo Sun Ho as Kang Tae Min

Kang Tae Min is Tae Ha's half brother.  He is a free spirit who doesn't really care about the family wealth or business.  Although his mother has spent his whole life grooming him to be the next Chairman of SH Group.  Tae Min develops a crush on Yun Woo, but he is quick to realize that her heart already belongs to Tae Ha.  

 ♥ Modern Day Yun Woo

While it is a bit unrealistic to think that Yun Woo adjusts so quickly to modern life, I loved how we see her as free-thinking and ahead of her time, even before she time travels.   And it is great to see her embrace the freedom she gains and really spread her wings and make her own opportunities.  I also love the way they included her clothes designing skills and used it as a way to show off some beautiful designs that incorporate traditional Korean clothing with modern day fashion.  

♥ Sa Wol and Seong Pyo

Most fans seem to agree that Sa Wol and Seong Pyo are both great side characters in their own right.  And they are even cuter as a couple.  This quirky duo provide some nice comic relief without being too heavy-handed.  And they were an easy couple to root for.  Although they didn't get a ton of screen time, I felt like we saw a nice development of their relationship. 

Joseon Tae Ha Ending

I did like the way they gave past and present Tae Ha their own story and character.  But I really felt bad for the ending they gave our Joseon friend.  First he loses the woman he has loved since he was a kid to someone he can't even see. When she first returns, Yun Woo avoids him all together, which must have been confusing and heartbreaking for him.  And then she just lives with him long enough to wait for him to die before returning to the man she actually loves.  I mean, what was the use of saving him on their wedding night if he was just going to die anyway?

Past and Time Travel Story

My biggest issue with this drama was all the inconsistencies in the time travel parts of the story.  First of all, if Cheon Myeong saved Yun Woo by helping her travel in time, then how did Sa Wol also end up there?  And how did just deciding to go back suddenly make it happen.  Aren't Yun Woo and Sa Wol somehow connected through time?  Also, how are the past and present actually connected?  How does the grandfather fit into the story and what does the painting have to do with it?  And what happens when Yun Woo leaves for good this time?  Does she go back to being dead or does her family forget she ever existed?  This is just the tip of the iceburg, but let's suffice it to say that I have a lot of questions.

I'm not really sure you can classify this ending as a happy one, but our couple does end up together, so that is good.  But first, our cast of villains each receive their own unique punishment.  Myung Soo goes to prison for trying to kill Tae Ha and Sang Mo.  Hye Suk has to step away from the business entirely, and live a quiet life.  And Sang Mo loses his memory, due to Myung Soo's hit to the head, and lives out his life in a blissful delusion.  I'm not sure justice was entirely served, but I appreciate the variation.  Now back to our leads.  To save Tae Ha's life, Yun Woo decides to go back to her time.  She gets some closure with her family, saves Tae Ha on their wedding night, and then stays with him until his heart finally gives out.  Although Joseon Tae Ha's original death didn't save present Tae Ha, this second death somehow makes it so Yun Woo can finally go back to modern day Seoul and present day Tae Ha, who has been waiting for her, spending countless time at the rooftop pool.  And right on cue, during one of his visits, the crepe myrtle tree blooms again and there is Yun Woo. She tells him that his prayers are the thing that brought her back.  The couple kiss and I'm sure they will live happily ever after.  

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