[Seong Chan-eol’s Comic Books] She Lied Her Way Into the School Heartthrob’s Engagement in 〈The Glory of Yuriko the Liar〉

I am obsessed with subculture. I look into anything that handles fresh stories, themes, or characters—not only films but webtoons, games, manga, and animation. Having entered fandom through comics, I’ve grown into the kind of adult who reads manga as e-books and webtoons on a smartphone while still hanging onto a childlike enthusiasm for both. That said, it’s less fun alone. I write "Seong Chan-eol's Comic Books" to share things that are more enjoyable together from the perspective of an omnivorous fan.

In Tanaka Utsuto's 〈The Glory of Yuriko the Liar〉, a middle-school girl named Yuriko, who has spent her life lying, claims that she is Ieyasu’s fiancée. Growing up, Yuriko became a habitual liar—what you might call an attention seeker. With ordinary looks and an ordinary background, she craved attention more than anything else. She used lies to dress herself up, and only when she reached middle school did she vow to show her true self without artifice. But the resolve quickly collapses when she ends up, of all people, in the same class as Ieyasu, who comes from a prosperous family of businesspeople, and when he stole all the attention, she did what she had always done: she dropped a bombshell—she said she was Ieyasu’s fiancée.

From that moment, Ieyasu also begins to take an interest in Yuriko. At first it might seem like a rom-com that starts with a lie, but as the reasons behind Ieyasu's interest are gradually revealed, the manga pivots toward mystery. Through Yuriko's brazen lies—lies that could fool almost anyone—Ieyasu tries to approach some hidden truth, and Yuriko cooperates not out of goodwill or simple curiosity but to become someone who commands attention.

Like Yuriko's brazen lies, 〈The Glory of Yuriko the Liar〉 steers its story with a certain cheeky audacity. The way the two middle-schoolers pursue a case that should be far beyond them, using lies and carefully laid plans, can feel absurd unless you accept Yuriko's lying as almost a superpower. If you can accept that premise, then the manga lets you enjoy the mystery of the case and the boldness of the two protagonists confronting the people behind the case.

Coincidentally, the work never paints its protagonist as purely virtuous. As if to emphasize that lying is wrong, the manga repeatedly stresses until near the end that Yuriko's motivations are selfish. Yuriko herself insists repeatedly that she must be the protagonist. Even so, she also tries to find ways to genuinely help someone whose feelings are sincere. Selfishness for oneself and altruism for others. Because the protagonist is not dressed up as a saint, the overlap between that selfishness and altruism becomes all the more interesting.

The four-volume series 〈The Glory of Yuriko the Liar〉 evokes a range of emotions in a story that is concise but impactful. Much of that emotional pull begins with the central device: lies. Many stories start from a lie, but far fewer build a plot where lies are used to solve problems. Because lying is an act clearly intended to deceive others, most stories end with truth prevailing. 〈The Glory of Yuriko the Liar〉 refuses to make a moral judgment between lie and truth. Of course, given how Yuriko is treated by those around her, the common notion that lying is bad remains the backdrop. Still, the protagonists' discovery and investigation of the case through lies never leaves an impression of cowardice or ugliness. On the contrary, Yuriko's active use of that ability makes you root for her. The story’s events may be unrealistic, or the power of lying may seem fanciful, but more importantly, the ability is portrayed aptly as a trait and advantage that fits Yuriko's character.

Mixing the freshness of teen comedy with brainy showdowns, intrigue, and coming-of-age elements, 〈The Glory of Yuriko the Liar〉 blends those flavors together. It’s a short, punchy story that ends in exactly four volumes, so it’s worth diving into with a light heart. It’s available on e-book platforms such as Naver Series and Kakao Page. Tanaka Utsuto is currently serializing Shigo Shuppan and Shibazuke. Neither title has been officially released domestically yet, but I hope we’ll see his new work here someday.