Rock Candy Reviews

Making the “liar revealed” trope work

(Spoilers for Kpop Demon Hunters)

Something that surprised me while watching Netflix’s Kpop Demon Hunters, was how understandable the lead singer, Rumi, was.

Many audiences have been conditioned to become instant haters of any plot with the “liar revealed” trope. (Any story that features the main character trying to keep up a lie that the other characters fully believe for a majority of the story.) People usually say these type of plots are predictable, and hard to sit through.

While some people enjoy screaming at the characters to make better decisions while they read or watch, others find this to be simply irratating and draining.

Even then, Kpop Demon Hunters’ Rumi has falls into this type of story and still comes out the other side unscathed, and loved. Why is this? How is it even possible?!

The answer hides within Rumi’s motivation and back story. This may seem like an obvious realization, but characters that fail in these type of stories don’t have these qualities.

Rumi automatically wins some likability points, despite her flaws, because we find out early on that her reason for lying is not linked to any ego or personal gain. For her, keeping the secret of her demon roots is a matter of safety for herself and everyone she cares about.

Whether it be Huntrix fans, or her groupmates Zoey, and Mira, she keeps lying about her demon patterns so that the Golden Honmoon can be sealed as quickly as possible. Thus blocking Gwi-ma from the human world forever. This isn’t just about her feelings, she has a bigger goal in mind. A goal that is not directly linked to something born from greed or pure resentment.

Many other characters that follow this trope fail spectacularly, because their motivations for lying and secrecy have no grander purpose. Take Oscar from Sharktale for example. All he wants is a luxurious lifestyle, where he can brag and party all day. He also takes those around him for granted, and betrays their trust in other ways that are unrelated to the main secret he is keeping. It doesn’t help that he has a backstory that isn’t supposed to be taken seriously. Playing off the main character’s origin’s as a joke is usually not a good way to win the audience over.

Kpop Demon Hunters takes itself seriously enough to treat the characters with respect through good writing. Even though the movie is a comedy, it knows how to balance out the parts that need to be dramatic and emotional. With the message of the film centering around acknowledging flaws and fears, Rumi ends up having to come to terms with her mistakes before she can unlock her full potential. Despite being found out in the end, she still remains a character to root for because her reasoning behind lying is a huge part of her character development.