Lovely Runner

Romance? Soulmates? Or Just A Parasocial Disaster

I don’t know who needs to hear this, but Lovely Runner is not the masterpiece people are claiming it is. It’s a fanfiction fever dream that banks entirely on Byun Woo Seok’s star power and the delusion that a celebrity could fall for a fan. Strip away the idol-fan fantasy, and what’s left? A painfully bland, repetitive, emotionally hollow drama pretending to be deep with a time-travel gimmick.

Let’s talk about Im Sol. From the jump—bridge, pool, pick your dramatic scene—she’s doing the absolute most. I get the anxiety and confusion, sure, but she approaches every problem with maximum chaos when simpler, smarter solutions are right there. Her constant secrecy, poor decision-making, and refusal to work with literally anyone around her make her insufferable. Every trip back in time yields the same results, and the writers act like we won’t notice. How many times does a character need to repeat the same mistake before it just becomes lazy writing?

And Sun Jae? He’s not a character, he’s a fantasy template. Talented, tragic, kind, perfect—basically a blank slate for Sol’s obsession to project onto. The show wants you to root for this romance, but it’s creepy when you remember Sol’s been idolizing him for over a decade. This isn’t touching. It’s uncomfortable.

Everyone keeps acting like Sun Jae is some sort of green flag just because he’s tall and “handsome,” but his character has zero depth. We never get a real sense of why he’s even into Sol—he saw her running with a yellow umbrella and suddenly fell for her. I can’t stand that trope where the girl is head over heels for the guy, and then they write it so the guy already fell for her too? Like brotha eughhh. It feels lazy and forced. There’s no real development, no actual chemistry—just a convenient excuse to make it look like the romance was meant to be.

The only character with any potential in this mess was Tae Sung, but of course, they completely butchered his storyline. He started off as this rebellious bad boy with a hint of depth, but suddenly, just because he had a crush on Im Sol, he magically turns into an model citizen? He goes from being a delinquent to following in his father’s footsteps and becoming a police officer to help Sol in the future? It’s all a bit ridiculous. There’s no believable character arc here—just a weak attempt to turn him into a hero for the sake of the plot. It feels forced, like the writers wanted to give him a redemption arc but didn’t know how to make it actually make sense. Honestly, it undermines the character’s original potential and just leaves you wondering why they even bothered introducing him as a “bad boy” in the first place.

And don’t even get me started on the relationship dynamics. Everyone’s conveniently ignoring that Sol is a 30-year-old woman flirting with an 18-year-old boy. Just because she’s in a younger body doesn’t erase the fact that she’s spent over a decade idolizing Sun Jae. The show wants us to see this as fate, but it’s weird. Sun Jae himself isn’t even a real character— just there to look handsome, talented, tortured, and just conveniently obsessed with the girl who keeps randomly appearing in his life. They never even touch on his depression or possible suicide after the first episode? I can't. There’s no real development, no personality beyond being sad and in love. He exists to be saved, desired, and worshipped. That’s not romance. That’s fan service.

The pacing doesn’t help either. Lovely Runner somehow manages to drag despite its time-travel premise. Scenes repeat, conflicts go nowhere, and the supporting cast is barely utilized. The Eclipse members? Decorative. Any side character with potential? Wasted. The show puts all its energy into dramatizing Sol and Sun Jae’s relationship, but without a strong foundation, it just feels empty.

Plot holes and absurd decisions aside, what really sent my disbelief through the roof was Sol’s idiotic plan to trap the murderer. She randomly gets off a train in a strange village, completely defenseless, with zero backup plan. I’d never walk alone in dark alleys with a killer on the loose—there’s no way she didn’t consider a plan B, C, or even Z. Meanwhile, Sunjae has enough common sense to call the cops, but Sol’s convinced she can summon the main cop from Seoul at her whim. Ridiculous.

And what happened to her taser and pepper spray? They were only ever used against her brother and then forgotten. Don’t even get me started on the time-freeze power. Why even introduce it if it can’t help with anything important, like stopping the killer or saving her from awkward moments with Sunjae? Wasted potential.

The romance? Please. Sol had way too much control in that relationship. The PDA was borderline uncomfortable, especially considering how they were supposed to be strangers. She’d throw herself at him and then pretend to be demure. Sunjae chased her even when she had red flags all over her, and she just blended in with the background of annoying girl fans. Major eye roll.

The time travel was a mess too, especially the final twist. After failing with her 3 time-travel attempts, she somehow gets to pick when and where she travels to next after Sunjae dies? How? Suddenly, she can control the timeline like it’s nothing.

As for the villain’s backstory—who cares? The writers sure don't. He was just a random bad guy for no reason? It felt lazy and convenient, like they were just writing to get to the next plot point. They needed an obstacle between the two leads for a time until they didn't. Taking the villain out with the white truck of doom had to be the biggest cliche in the book. Like I said, no originality, no flavor. nothing.

The editing was another disaster. Some scenes, like the bathroom scene with Sunjae’s dad, felt completely random and pointless. The balance between light-hearted and heavy emotional scenes was off too. For example, Sunjae dies, and the next scene, Sol’s back to her normal life like nothing happened. The emotional weight was completely lost. It’s baffling how they made it seem like Sunjae didn’t matter that much.

The OST was ok, but nothing extraordinary because I’ve definitely heard better. Those who are hyping it up as the most groundbreaking soundtrack of all time seriously need to expand their drama repertoire. Props to Byeon Woo Seok for pulling off the songs, but let’s be real: plenty of artists who’ve covered those same songs have delivered stronger vocals.

Lastly, the acting and chemistry was not good enough. It felt so forced, there was nothing natural organic between the two. This is one of those times where you can tell this drama was produced by a man. I'm telling you had this drama been produced through the female gaze it would've probably been much better. Being real, none of their scenes gave me butterflies. There were no fireworks... nada.

Hye Yoon... she was decent in SKY Castle, but here? Not so much. Lovely Runner had moments that felt like a poor mix of Extraordinary You and True Beauty, and not in a good way. It’s honestly hard to find anything worth praising here.

Byun Woo Seok’s acting was pretty subpar here. He relied on the same few expressions the entire time, and honestly, what he was being asked to do wasn’t even that hard. It’s clear he was spoon-fed direction every step of the way. Hyeyoon had to carry the emotional weight of the scenes, while Byun Woo Seok barely did anything more than smile and occasionally cry.

Overall, Lovely runner is a lazy, repetitive drama that only feeds the delusions of a mentally unwell group of people that a one-sided obsession can turn into a fairytale. Honestly, it’s a disservice to viewers who expect more from K-dramas. In a time where real-life parasocial behavior is already spiraling—with fans thinking they can “manifest” their way into a relationship with their idols (Hailey Baldwin marrying Justin Beiber already set off that fantasy) and shows like this only make it worse! Lovely Runner feeds into that toxic delusion. It’s a sasaeng’s wet dream: “If I just keep trying (stalking) then he’ll love me back.” Gross.

Maybe it's not that deep and I'm "reaching" but people need to remember that life imitates art. Also, this isn’t me trying to be “woke.” But with everything going on, you’d think people would start opening their eyes and stop idolizing celebrities to the point of blind devotion.

We’ve seen time and time again how dangerous this level of obsession can get—when fans refuse to acknowledge even the worst behavior because they’ve convinced themselves their idol can do no wrong. And where does that kind of delusion start? Right here, with shows like Lovely Runner that romanticize one-sided obsession and feed into the idea that if you just keep lurking, sticking around, or inserting yourself into someone’s life long enough, they’ll eventually notice and fall for you.

Bottom line? Lovely Runner is skippable. If you want depth, tension, or actual emotional stakes, look elsewhere—this one’s a hard pass.

Don’t waste your time, even at 1.5x speed. If you’re here for time travel, there are way better options. If you’re here for romance, this ain’t it. And if you’re here for both, run—don’t walk—to literally any other drama.

2/10 – Lovely Runner is a total disaster that squanders any potential with shallow writing, cringe-worthy romance, and the misguided ‘soulmate’ fantasy that people seem to cling to.

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THE DISAPPOINTMENT OF TOMORROW

***DISCLAIMER: THIS IS JUST MY OPINION. YOU DON'T HAVE TO AGREE AND I'M NOT HERE TO ARGUE WITH ANYONE.***

I don't want to start conflict, so please keep scrolling to protect your peace if you believe you'll get defensive / triggered / be rude then obviously, this review isn’t for you.

As usual, this is a LONG one, so bare with me ツ


GENERAL COMMENTARY:

The title of this review perfectly encapsulates how I felt after watching the entire drama.

Long story short, Lovely Runner was really anticlimactic, to say the least. The drama was a promise unfulfilled, and it is severely overhyped imo.

Don’t get me wrong, this drama started as a cozy watch and I liked tuning in every week until we hit the midpoint.

There were too many plot holes, insufferable characters, a poor storyline, and no growth, which made the drama almost unfinishable for me.

I truly believe that this drama should have ended in 8–10 eps, 12 eps maximum. The plot was unnecessarily dragged out & going in circles.


IN MORE DETAIL (SPOILERS AHEAD!):

I really like Byeon Woo Seok (I’ll watch anything with him) but I think his character in Lovely Runner was just a big loser and that gave me the ick. The golden retriever boy is for some, but I don’t think they are for me. It’s endearing at first, but then it gets to a point, and ultimately becomes cringe. I also dislike how both characters are codependent and seemingly cannot exist without the other. Even when Sol erased him completely out of her life, they had to meet and reconnect. If she didn't want that to happen she would have relocated to somewhere he couldn't find her. Granted, the drama would have ended quicker / on a sad note but she didn't even try hard enough to avoid him?

First off, 34-year-old Sol did not behave like a 34-year-old. I'll give her the benefit of the doubt say that because she spent her first life confined to a wheelchair, she had no true perspective on life or dangerous individuals like the serial killer. This is why her choices seemed impulsive. She was no match for him, in my opinion, and I was bothered by the way she would scurry around terrified, waiting for him to attack. It was exhausting how she constantly put herself in danger and haphazardly traveled back in time without a solid plan in place.

Some people are engulfed in the fandom with their delusions and theories that would justify this “ill-fated” plot but the writers themselves became lazy and lost sight of their goals / the resolution for the drama. In a foolish attempt to break the fourth wall, the writers had Sol transform her experience into a script, and as Maddy Perez put it, "Is this f*cking play about us?" This arc was simply, corny / cheap and very similar to what you'd see in a Wattpad fanfic circa 2012.

I never thought I’d say this, but I felt sorry for the 2ML. I felt like he, too, was blinded by his love for Sol and became her biggest simp. Imo, he deserved better, and that plot where the 2ML always comes around and has to support the happy couple is such bs. It's overdone!

A lot of persons swear that this was the best drama they ever watched in their entire life and that the characters were fully fleshed out; that the time travel didn't need to make sense, and the storyline didn’t need to be elaborate or convoluted etc. but for me, I was more focused on the mystery and circumstances that created this time slip. I needed to find out the reason for Sol traveling back in time, Why Sol? How did this happen? Where did 19 y.o. Sol go when 34 y.o. Sol inhabited her body? Did Sunjae ever time travel in other timelines? Did they both happen to timeslip to save eachother? What was the grandma’s deal? Why and how was she able to time slip too? There were far too many unanswered questions and I just needed more plot.

The villain was lackluster and his sole purpose was to be an obstacle between the two leads. The serial killer lacks a backstory, previous killings, or reasoning for his focus on the couple making him a one dimensional character. It was like a dead end street watching both relentlessly try to escape their fate. I found his death cliche with the white truck of doom taking him out. They could’ve made him suffer more imo.

Byeon Woo Seok and Kim Hye Yoon did a good job. But if I'm being honest I think her character was annoying and overly emotional. She cried so much she could give Park Shin Hye a run for her money. She was also so sickeningly bubbly / hyper all the time which irritated me. Her voice was also grating to listen to, everytime she’d say “Sunjae-ah” I was so done.

The only time she was truly unhappy, grieving and sobbing uncontrollably was when Sunjae died. Ironic isn’t it? She literally could have saved Sunjae but she forgot to stop time in the moment? Be so astronomically for real.

I mean ok… let me be a little less harsh she was in “shock” seeing him get stabbed to death, but DID HER BRAIN STOP WORKING TOO? Excluding the last time she totally erased herself from his memory, all of her attempts to save him were merely ineffective. This drama had the feel of being stuck on a spinning merry-go-round with no way to halt or reach a satisfactory resolution / explanation for the happenstance.

I believe you could swap out these characters with any other actors, and I bet people would not be hyping up this drama as much, especially if the leads were not as attractive as the current ones. I can just see an alternate universe where people would just be hating on this same drama if that were the case. That’s just so crazy to think about but so telling.

I’ve seen too many heavily plot driven dramas with pretty good acting get bashed on MDL and other platforms because the leads are not attractive or don’t fit societal beauty standards. It’s sad the world is shallow like this but it’s a fact that visually stunning leads sell a drama more than the overall production, strong plot and great acting.

Which brings me to another topic. I honestly believe Sol was created for delusional soft girls / obsessive stans and I could not relate with her character at all. In my opinion, she was unpredictable, overhasty, and single-minded in many aspects. She also entered practically every timeline without a plausible and full proof strategy. Worse, I couldn't see upending my entire life for just a guy. Thank God this is just fiction.

The acting was also overly dramatic. At times I felt like I was watching a theatrical stage performance rather than a tv show. I understand this is the usual for dramas but in a lot of scenes it was overbearing. The acting didn’t feel natural in a lot of scenes and the hyperactive and big / flamboyant personalities were sometimes distracting. Not to mention a lot of Sol’s facial expressions were over done. She smiled and cried so much, but I didn’t really get any tender / loving looks from her which is essential for a good rom-com. KHY tried her best though and did numerous takes to try and capture what the director wanted so I really can’t fault her, I see her effort and dedication in the BTS scenes.

Additionally, I can’t stand dramas where the leads are one dimensional. I also wanted more in depth backstories for Sol, Sunjae and Tae Sung. It felt like Sol only cared about Sunjae and was willing to run off with him at any point in time. I feel like she got to time travel and had the golden opportunity of spending more time with her mom and grandma and she completely wasted it. If I was in her position and knew my grandma would get dementia and not remember me half the time I would’ve made the most of every single moment. Moreover, the drama started with her being his fan and then the scene where we find out he fell for her (at first sight no less) made me sort of kind of lose interest… like where’s the flavor in that? We also never fully understand why Sunjae even likes Sol. What about her is so special that he becomes a lovesick puppy / loser for her? Did he only see her smiling cheerfully and running with a bright yellow umbrella so he just randomly fell head over heels for her? Be serious.

As for their chemistry, it was good up to a point then fell flat / seemed forced to me. I feel like nothing could top their tension in the almost kisses or their first kiss as adults in the present. That episode where they went to the countryside was everything. When we got back to present day, I was bored and just over the anguish and yearning, so in episode 16, I couldn't even truly be happy because it just felt like fan service. I’m glad they had a happy ending, but was it realistic? Nope. I believe they mulled over a lot of their issues too quickly. How would Sunjae have stayed single for 15 years? That’s just not possible. I also hate how Sunjae apologized to Sol when she was the one who erased her from his memory. Bsffr!

I think a lot of the side characters (Sol’s brother and her best friend) took up too much screen time. I honestly didn’t really care for them and they were the basic bsfs brother trope. It was ironic how the drama used realism with the lottery, making Geum share the win with others because of his stupidity, while they suspended belief in other aspects. They seriously couldn’t just make him win and become rich?

Don’t get me started on Sunjae’s overbearing father. I couldn’t stand him at all especially after he slapped him in a previous timeline. The tipping point for me was when he insulted Sol in front of her mothers face. Was that meant to be amusing?

I believe his dad was better in other timelines, tried to encourage Sunjae and push him but Sunjae is grown and he should’ve been sensible enough to make his own decisions. It seemed like he just gave up on swimming out of the blue even though his characterization was that he was passionate about it and hoped he’d make it to the Olympics one day if not for his injury. I felt like he gave up too quickly and became shortsighted because of his infatuation with Sol.

Furthermore, these types of stories make it seem like being paralyzed is the worst thing that can happen to someone and that life isn’t worth living if you don't have legs or end up disabled because of an accident. I hope nobody who can relate to the former Sol or a similar situation feels like that or wishes they could go back in time to change the past. That's just so tone deaf and impossible. As people, we can only move forward and make the best of today. Worrying about tomorrow and what you could do differently will only bring you misery. Why torture yourself about things you can't change? Which is why I wished that they showed us another version of reality where she was paralyzed and still got to live her happy ending with Sunjae instead of the main plot we got with both of them lamenting the fact that they couldn't save each other.

Imo, representation matters and I think many viewers would have appreciated that arc instead. These inspirational stories are rare in everyday life and it would’ve been nice to see a resilient character be bold and daring in spite of their situation and just overcome life’s obstacles but maybe that’s a different drama for the future.

I’m happy for those who enjoyed this, but I really think I was expecting more. All I can think of is the wasted potential. I could have written this story at 13 y.o. I think LR was created for younger ie. teenage audiences and now that I’m a bit older I just don’t care for these weak plots. This drama had me frustrated somewhere between eps. 8-12 then disinterested from 13-16. I feel this drama should be tagged fantasy mainly because a lot of things don’t add up.

I realized that I like sensible, and resilient FLs, and sure some will say Sol “tried to do the best she could” but imo she was very flighty and unstable. Bffr, all she did was chase a man and I’m supposed to praise her for that?! ABSOULTELY NOT! I don’t like the message and I believe the essence of this drama is lacking. Yes, "hold onto memories, they will hold onto you" like the song says — but WHAT ELSE?

Of course the grandma’s quote that she was "time traveling through memories" can offer solace to individuals who have close friends or family suffering from Alzheimer's disease, but the drama missed the ideal chance to convey to us the full extent of her experience. What event caused her to acquire the ability to time slip and how was she now able to do it in her mind? Give us something, even if it is just a flashback to her youth or a memory with her husband. The grandma’s arc lacked depth and meaning. I believe that the drama's demise stems from the writers failure to make these quotes connect with the story and come full circle.

One of the only good things about this drama was the OST. I was really impressed knowing that BWS sang most of the songs. Throughout the drama however I think Sudden Shower and Spring Snow were played too often. Standouts for me were the last couple of songs: Gift, I Think I Did, Please Don't Leave Anywhere & A Day. Honorable mentions are: Monologue, Like a Dream & May I Love You.

I enjoyed the overall aesthetic of the drama. I thought the flashbacks to the past were really evocative and cinematic. The slow motion scenes create the illusion that you are seeing the character's pov at that moment in time. Kudos to the director for knowing what he was doing in that sense. The leads also had some visually stunning and cute scenes with plenty of kissing. If that's what you're looking for, the drama does not let you down or fall short in that regard.


FINAL THOUGHTS:

Overall, I think the drama was “mid” for lack of a better word. The drama initially amused me, but halfway through it, I began to lose interest, and by the end with 2-4 remaining episodes, they completely lost me. The fluff and filler bored me, and I felt like with each episode I could predict what would happen next.

The writers present this drama as a meaningful present but when you open the wrapping it’s just a basic ass necklace that you’d probably never wear (iykyk) As the light hits the small jewels, they appear shiny, and eye-catching from a distance. However, up close, you start to discover all of its defects and how cheaply made it actually is. In reality, you would return it as soon as you had the chance, even though you would act as though you liked it at the time.

LR is not terrible, it’s just not my favorite. I think it’s 2010s formulaic, and if you've watched many dramas, this one will feel boring and predictable. Imo, a lot of other time travel / youth dramas do it better. I think I would’ve preferred an open or more realistic ending over a happy one. If you are a beginner kdrama watcher however, this is perfect to get into dramas as it is reminiscent of dramas of the past, with less toxicity and more romance of course.

Would I rewatch this? Probably not, because I think an edit could suffice instead. This drama is another example where I think the edits are far better than the drama itself. They capture the positive and leave away the negative aspects of the drama.

Sorry (not sorry) but this drama was clearly not for me. If you’re looking for fluffy romance and no plot, then what you see is what you get. Unfortunately, my standards were “too high” and I expected too much (sarcasm)

I feel bad as I haven’t loved a drama in a while as they tend to usually start off pretty well, then everything suddenly goes downhill & I’m left feeling dissatisfied/ disappointed by the end. This was the case with Lovely Runner but, EVERYONE CAN'T BE EXPECTED TO “LOVE” EVERYTHING!

Overall, I give this drama a 6/10 mainly because this drama is just “meh” ntm extremely forgettable for me.

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SIDENOTE:

My friend and I were at a crossroads because they "loved" the drama and I didn’t. You can imagine that I woke up to 80+ messages from them breaking down the drama for me, like I hadn’t already watched it? So don’t bother with the essays / rants. We’ll just have to agree to disagree because I won’t change my mind. Also, this is not me “raging” or trying to “hate” on LR as what is amazing to one might be a let down to another.

I will not be someone who pretends to love a drama just because it is labeled a “masterpiece” by others. I also believe that everyone is entitled to their own preferences.

Personally, I’m waiting for the next groundbreaking rom-com drama that will fill me up and make me feel everything and then some. So I have hope at least!

Anyway, don’t let my review discourage you. I say WATCH IT AND FORM YOUR OWN OPINION!

Also what I’ve said here is merely a fraction of what I actually think. I only highlighted what came to my mind 1st.

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It’s unbelievable the amount of backlash I received. For those unaware, I altered my rating (as one does) after reflecting on the drama + also reading several offensive comments and DMs. IMO, a 6/10 is decent / reasonable and honestly, I should rate it lower given all I’ve faced due to fans who can’t accept differing opinions. Ultimately, it’s never too late to stop and think before commenting hateful words.

If you happen to stumble across this review and perhaps read this review with your eyes closed and are here to start unnecessary drama (ie. leaving hate) I advise that you quit while you are ahead. Thank you! ʕ•ᴥ•ʔっ❀

Once again, this is just my point of view. I never intend to offend anyone who thinks differently.

Thanks for reading & happy watching!

˚ʚ♡ɞ˚

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