Lovely Runner

They saved each other

I really enjoy time-travel dramas and have seen quite a bit of them. Lovely Runner doesn't really do anything new that comes to mind or stand out, but I don't think it has to. Very few things are truly unique these days. As long as it's enjoyable to watch, it doesn't really matter. I fall into the group of people who really enjoyed this series.

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● SHORT REVIEW
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[ --LIKES-- ]

✔ Characters were very likable to me. The main leads were both sincere and selfless in their goals. I'm able to relate to them both.

✔ Story had layers and complexities .

✔ Lots of emotional moments but also lots of cute moments.

✔ While a lot of topics and themes weren't explored very deeply, there is still some depth. Themes/topics include mental health, pressure, the impact we have on the lives of others, goals and ambitions, grief/loss, fate/destiny, and selflessness.


[ --DISLIKES-- ]

✖ Vague time travel rules and hardly any explanation for magic watch

✖ Drunk kiss and forgotten confession

✖ We know very little about the villain. His motive and character were under-developed.


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● IN-DEPTH REVIEW
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[ --STORY/PLOT-- ]

So the first comparison that came to mind when I was watching this series was "Someday or One Day", another time travel series that I really love for its depth, layers and complexities. "Lovely Runner" is similar in that it's also has layers to it. The time travel aspect is also not as straightforward as just going back in time, completing a mission, and then going back to the present where everything is fixed. It's trial and error, and that's part of why love these complex time-travel stories. I like the characters attempting to fix things but never truly knowing if the thing they tried work until they return to present time. In this case, with every timeline, Im Sol tries to avoid Seon Jae more and more because it is his involvement with her that gets him killed later. Is it her fault though? No. It's not her fault that she got targeted by a serial killer who becomes obsessed with them both when they are the reason he is caught.

In a lot of the series I watch, there is usually some object that is the trigger for the time travel. In this one, it's our ML's watch. But why can it do that? What sorcery is dictating how much information Im Sol can tell the other characters in the past? Why does this time deity want her to save Seon Jae? Is he the chosen one? Do other magical watches exists in this universe? If not, why? We will never know. But I guess, plot-wise, none of that is important. In every timeline, Seon Jae always ends up trying to save Im Sol and getting targeted by the serial killer. In order to save our male lead, she has to prevent him from saving her. It's a bit of a circle and ultimately, she finds that the only way is to keep him out of her life. But the universe seems to always favor Seon Jae and he ends up in her life anyway and falling for her once again. He must have accumulated a lot of merits in his past life or something. Obviously, the great time god really wants Seon Jae to live cause why else would Im Sol be given so many chances to save him. And it's obvious that it is inevitable that they meet, and Seon Jae will fall in love all over again. So I feel like this digital watch deity could've just skipped all the trouble of Im Sol time traveling and just remove the killer from history to skip all the unnecessary steps. Surely a time god can do that, right? Right? No? Oh. xD

With time-travel, there is also an element of fate. You can change the events that happen, but ultimately, some things are fated to happen. And some people will forever be connected by the red thread of fate. Regardless of how much she tries to avoid it, they always meet again and Seon Jae always end up falling for Im Sol. Like, Fate is always rooting for them. There is a moment in this series where our male lead gets back his memories (kind of reminds me of "The Legend of the Blue Sea") from the alternate timelines that were changed. Again, what magical force is at work and why do they love Seon Jae so much? xD Jest aside, the reason they give is that memories are never truly erased, they just get buried deep in our soul... or something like that. I can't remember the exact phrasing Grandma gave but that was the vibe of it. Now I can't help but wonder if all my feelings of deja vu in my life was because someone was messing with time.

Anyway, let me share my thoughts on each character below.

[ --Thoughts on Characters-- ]

Im Sol - At first, I thought she was just going to be just another clumsy, ditzy girl that did nothing but get in the male lead's way but I found her very likable and relatable. Was she perfect? Of course not. There were definitely moments where I felt she could come up with better excuses/lies to explain herself or made slightly different choices. However, overall, for the major decisions, her choices were fine/reasonable. I watched this on Viki and a lot of the timed comments I saw was about her being annoying. Most of that annoyance came from her causing our handsome male lead Seon Jae some heartaches. Personally, I think her choices regarding him were rational given the circumstances, what she knew, and that her goal was to make sure he doesn't die. Her goal wasn't to date him. I get it, he's a sweet puppy and it sucks for him sometimes, but that doesn't mean Im Sol did anything wrong. Another thing I read a lot was people saying she is spending a lot of effort chasing a celebrity crush. To that, I say sure... but he's also a guy that saved her life in a dark moment of her life. Words can hold a lot of power and Seon Jae's words of encourage gave her the strength to keep living. And I'm sure that is relatable to a significant number of idol stans out there. Im Sol is trying to save the person who saved her. Let's not minimalize that to a mere crush. If I had the chance to save a life that greatly impacted me, I would take it. In all, I think she's pretty selfless and cute.

Seon Jae - So when I first started watching this series, my expectation was that he would slowly fall for Im Sol over time. However, it is established pretty quickly that he was already crushing on her way before she even took notice of him. I find it somewhat endearing how he tries to act so cool in front of her but is really just a lovesick puppy. I think the scenes that stand out in my mind is when Im Sol is making the stupid puns and he has to turn to hide his smiles because she knows his humor so well. I also like that Seon Jae was shown to be adaptable. He is a swimmer who was forced to give up that dream due to a shoulder injury. Instead of dwelling on it, he moved on and helped those around him move on. Even when he was given the chance to do rehab, he chose not to after realizing his enthusiasm for the sport is no longer there. And that's just how life can be sometimes. It's a really down to earth and relatable story for an athlete. Or anyone really. He, like Im Sol, also pretty selfless and cute.

Tae Sung - What I really loved about Tae Sung is that he never truly forced anything and never became an annoying third wheel. He always seems pretty honest and respected her feelings. There was small moments of animosity between him and our male lead, but it was never truly anything serious. I'm glad they were able to remain friends in the newest timeline. I'm also glad he mended his relationship with is father and ended up also being a cop.

Everyone Else - I don't have much to say about everyone else and this is already super long, so I will just condense them altogether. One of the emotional moments for me was when Seon Jae and his dad were talking after his dad found about his son's shoulder injury. Both were emotional and I could feel it. It was a heartfelt moment that stood out to me. Similarly, Im Sol learning her mom had been sick but never told her. It's hard to find out when a family member is hiding a illness so you don't worry, especially when you misunderstood before.

I wasn't super invested in Im Sol's brother and her best friend love story. A lot of it was comedic moments and I just didn't feel like there was enough time or dept invested in their story for me to feel any kind of way. I'm glad they are happy, they are cute together, and they have cute kids, but I wish their story was fleshed out some more or taken more seriously. Same with Grandma. I want to know more about her and her time-traveling adventures. In all, it would've been nice to see more family moments. But I also get that this isn't like "Twinkling Watermelon" where family is the focus of the story. The serial killer was also another character that we did not know much about despite being an important factor in the story. He was merely a plot device and nothing more. All I learned of his obsessive stalking of our lead was that he was a vengeful person and wanted to kill the witness that put him in jail.

And then there was Eclipse. Love the band. Liked their music. 10/10 would stan. I don't really have much to say about the band members other than In Hyuk. In Hyuk seems like he kind of resented our female lead in some parts and I get it. She caused our male lead a lot of trouble, so it makes sense that as the best friend of Seon Jae, he would kind of be annoyed his friend keeps going after her. I always like it in series when best friends also become friends with the love interest even if it's just a bickering relationship. In Hyuk also did get his only little story when he temporarily quit the band that resulted in some fun times at the ocean, but overall he wasn't super involved in the overall plot either and I wish we got to see more band interactions in general.

[ --Closing Thoughts-- ]

Again, I thought this was a cute series with some layers and depths to it. It's definitely not as shallow as it seems. And basically, this is a story of two people trying to save each other. He's her hero and she is his heroine. I don't really have much to say about the casts other than that I enjoyed their performances. I smiled at the cute/funny moments and I got teary eyes during the emotional ones so I think they did good. I also don't think it's overrated or underrated. It is the hype level that it is. I don't like to say something is over or under hyped because there is always a reason for the level of hype something gets. Whether we agree or understand it doesn't mean it's not deserved or is unworthy. To me, that is reminiscent of a sore loser's mentality. Criticism is fine, but let's not insult others' standards/taste. We are better than that. I've seen a lot of series where the rating doesn't reflect my own feeling about it, but my thought wasn't "Wow, everyone else is wrong, shallow, or high." We are just looking for different things.

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● NOTE
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I'll always conclude my review by saying that ratings and reviews are not really a indicator of whether you may enjoy something. We all have different criteria and standards. Don't let a bad rating, review, or comment discourage you from watching something. My advice will always be to give something a chance if the premise interests you, and only use the ratings/reviews to determine priority if you have a list, or if you're deciding if you want to continue it due to time limitations.

♥ Thanks reading my review! Feel free to comment or hit me up if you want to discuss anything ♥

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Honest Review: Not Perfect, yet one of the best of 2024!

There have been moments in my 18 years of drama-addicted life, where I have been obsessed with a drama - its plot, actors, characters, scenes - to the point that made people question my sanity. But never have I come across a drama, that too airing, that has impacted me so much from Day 1 like Lovely Runner! I hardly have time to sleep/eat managing my work-personal life, but for this show - I decided to throw it all away to engage in MDL theories, comment and even create a Insta page dedicated to this show!

Now that you have got an understanding of obsession, and I know this is going in the HALL OF FAME as one of the best K-dramas I have seen till date BUT it is IMPERFECTLY BEAUTIFUL. Hence, please read my un-biased review of this drama:

❤️ Ep 1-10 - Literal Perfection
Heart Fluttering Romance ✔ | Well-Timed Comedy ✔ | right amount of fantasy, suspense & angst ✔ | Music that heals ✔
Basically these episodes had sugar and spice - think of everything that you like in a drama, irrespective of genre, and Lovely Runner has it. The hype it initially created deserved every bit of recognition - and everyone in the cast and crew gave it their heart, which made the final presentation something to look forward to even on dreaded Mondays!

❤️ Byeon Woo Seok & Kim Hye Soon
I cannot even begin to describe the love & pride I feel for these two. Those who are acquainted with their journey would understand how long it has taken for them to be recognized as main leads in this industry. They literally breathed life into their characters - making the chemistry palpable that I won't be surprised if they share they are dating IRL. I think when we say that you cannot imagine anyone else doing these roles OR their character names is recalled more than their real names - it is a testimony of a job fabulously done. They were both amaJING and unbelieBUBBLE and I cannot wait to see them in new projects. Literally the example of #onwards-and-upwards - I am rooting for their success & happiness, and grateful that they took this project and gifted me with such a beautiful experience & memory.

❤️ Music:
I really love how they used the plot story and band - Eclipse and released the OST. Really love these kind of witty nuggets - am such a sucker for it. Thinking from a business perspective - this opens so many doors for BWS who has sung these tracks - to host concerts or sing in his fan meetings. I guess the sharp minds of the industry and agency must have already thought of it.

But I feel the main track - Sudden Shower (Sonaki/소나기) is so damn beautiful and I loved how catalytic it was in the plot.
Other favorites: Spring Snow by 10cm, Like a Dream by Minnie. Already a part of my playlist, and I know it will stay for long.

Now, onto what could have been better? Ep 11 and onwards
Please note that I write this with the mindset of "WABI-SABI" i.e. Beauty in Imperfection. The drama is still is great, but it is not without flaws:

✘ Character Development:
Harsh but true - the leads were uni-dimensional, having only one goal throughout FL wants to save ML, ML is all about puppy love for FL. Not bad per se, but by stretching this overkilled what was initially cute, heart warming, toe curling into fillers. Even the support characters (brother/best friend, In Hyuk, Tae Seong, FL & ML's parents) & villain were not judiciously used to their potential. They were enjoyable whenever onscreen, but the same kind of comedy due to repeating timelines killed the initial excitement thereby not leaving with the greatest impression.

Had this been a 10-12 episode drama format, it would have more impactful, as the repeats/fillers would have not been there. I quote this from a fellow MDL user, Kate's review: it did seem like that they ran out of what to create, in the second half and therefore repurposed many of the epic scenes in new timeline packaging. (Read her review here: https://kisskh.at/profile/Shini/review/363193)

❤️Overall
In the end - the anticipation and fun that we had as we watched while it aired might not be felt by those who binge it. Hence I am fearful the high ratings we see now, might dwindle. But honestly, this has been a very refreshing, feel good, guilty pleasure drama (thirst trap - included: BWS shirtless scenes, them veiny forearms & hands, long fingers, ability to catch a woman by her waist - OOOHLALALA!) but mainly a show that has after a long time: made me smile in a way that split my face in half or snort like a goofy person at the antics the drama characters played. And what else do you want from a drama : Other than the fact that it makes you feel happy from the bottom of your heart! Lovely Runner did that and more and hence recommend it to be watched at least once ❤️

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The More I Watched It, The More I Got Pissed Off

First and foremost, how the hell do you able to mess up such a beautiful idea like this? The idea for this drama is really good, but yet the writer decided to screw it up. To be honest, the first half is really good, with great addition of comedy. This drama should be ended in episode 12, even 8. The serial killer idea is really awful. Out of 9 million citizens of Seoul, why did the serial killer have to keep choosing Sol IN ALL OF THE TIMEFRAME like she is his nemesis? The serial killer in the third time travel already feels unecessary because Sol has dodged it in the second time travel, but maybe they need it because he kills Sun-Jae in the present. Yet the serial killer should not even show up in the present after the fourth time travel, because the timeframe have been changed! The third time travel is the worst. If Sol choose to avoid Sun-Jae from the beginning, then she may not survive the killer's first attack (he is the one who saves her). Those two premises are there just only to support the ending that the writer's intended, nothing more. This drama might be too long that they have to add ridiculous things such as the second watch, that one is horrendous! I understand that most K-Dramas has strong start and hollow ending, but I really don't expect this one became silly only after half of the season.

On the contrary, thanks to Hye Yoon, Woo Seok and Geon Hee who plays their characters excellently, they literally carry this drama. Overall, this drama is still enjoyable since it brings a lot of morale of the story, but you may get frustrated with the storyline after watching halfway.

EDIT: After watching several more shows, I noticed that this show has a good example of how a last episode should be.

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A masterpiece.

WHAT. A. DRAMA.

This is gonna stay in my memories for so long, I have grown emotionally attached to the characters, the playfulness of some scenes, there was never a dull moment... It will be difficult to move on from this drama.

Watching it was like a rollercoaster ride.
Some scenes were simply hilarious, I genuinely laughed so much, while some scenes were heartbreaking, I couldn't stop myself from crying and resonate with Sol and Sun Jae. 🩵💛

The plot was written by one of the best scriptwriters of South Korea, Lee Si Eun.
She depicted the whole time slip story so well, logically and without loopholes.

Do we wanna talk about the cast?
Byun Woo Seok, you are a gem, now the whole world will understand how amazing you are.
Kim Hye Yoon, you are so talented, I could feel your emotions through my screen every time.
Seon Geon Hee, another little gem, can't wait to see you rise more and more.
And the supporting cast? Everybody did so well, uri halmoni, Sol's eomma and Sun Jae's appa, Baek In Hyuk... I need a friend like you in my life.

I need some time to process the fact that I won't have any more Sol and Sun Jae in my Mondays and Tuesdays.
How to move on?!

Anyway, guys start this drama if you still haven't, you won't regret it. 🥰

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Life Changing Experience (literally).

Words cannot convey how I felt watching Lovely Runner and the journey it took me through.

I was sceptical at first because they painted this as an idol-fan love story (and what I thought would be a weird age-gap), so I wasn't exactly looking forward to it, but I love Hyeyoon to pieces and was familiar with Wooseok (hated his character in Record of Youth or cried for him in 20th Century Girl), so I decided to give it a go. Episode 1 was alright, surprisingly left me wanting more, but nothing too extraordinary. I waited another day for Episode 2 to be release and well, I watched it and here I am, still in my Lovely Runner sh*t. I think everything changed for Subeom nation after that episode 2 ending, and from that moment I knew this would become a favourite of mine.

A girl time travelling to save the boy who gave her courage to live but that boy loved her all along for like 15 years? Dude, I don't know about you but I was OBSESSED. And from that moment on, my Mondays and Tuesdays became such a source of happiness to the point I hated weekends. Crazy, right? Plot-wise, this was brilliant. Even the smallest details made sense, and even thought there were a couple plot-holes (as expected since time-travelling media can't help but have them), this was brilliantly executed. From small things such as Sunjae realising Sol is from the future because she's singing Sudden Shower to more complex things such as Sol going further back into the past to erase herself from Sunjae's past, marvellous and beautiful.

Character-wise, I've got absolutely nothing to complain about, either.

Let's start with Im Sol, played by one of the greatest actresses of our generation, Kim Hyeyoon. This role was literally (because it was, in fact) written for her and no one, absolutely no one could've pulled it off the way she did. We saw Sol go through so many things in order to save Sunjae, sometimes failing to realise she was slowly losing herself during the process. But I am so happy that even though she had to endure a lot, at the end, all that effort paid off for her. I laughed with and at her, I cried with and for her, and I felt this character so much that I simply couldn't help but love her to pieces. I never understood the hate she was receiving, I believe her to be one of the most selfless characters I've come across and one I'm sure we will cherish for a long time.

As for Ryu Sunjae, played by big softie Byeon Wooseok, all I gotta say he deserves this huge blow up. which I gotta say, I'm not sure why he didn't get huge after (at least) 20th Century Girl, where he played a very similar character. Nevertheless, really happy for him because he became a global sensation, so deserved! Anyway, Sunjae!! God, Sunjae!! Leader of Subeom nation, a pathetic malewife and certified loser, I love you so much. Wooseok played Sunjae in a way I believe no one else could have, and we're all the richer for it. Sunjae was just a simply little (2 meter) guy who fell in love and that's it, but that doesn't mean his story ends there. He showed us perseverance, longing, grief, love, happiness, so many raw emotions we rarely see from male characters, and I think you will all agree with me that you just simply love him.

And finally, our Kim Taesung, played by the amazing Song Geonhee. I am very pleased to say I never disliked him, jokes on y'all for never seeing his potential! Taesung, thank you for showing the audience that second leads do not need to be toxic and clingy in order to stay relevant. Geonhee played such a charming Taesung that one couldn't just help but love him (which was my case). He was always there for Sol as a friend (and I'm so glad Sol never lead him on), and that he believed and trusted her when she asked for things that did not make any sense (future related, of course). Such a refreshing character that I will miss dearly.

I would also like to point out two more things regarding this drama. The first one is the make up and costume department, I AM CLAPPING AT THIS VERY SAME MOMENT. How were you able to convince me that Hyeyoon and Wooseok were 19 at some point and 34 at the other and so on? I mean, the actors of course had a great deal to do with this, but I believe the make up and costume team did a marvellous job that needs to be recognised.

THE OST! It's been such a while since an all-rounder OST came along, I will forever remember how desperate we all were for Spring Snow to be released, we were truly losing my minds. And I'm also forever thankful we had Wooseok sing Sudden Shower because that just adds a great deal more of emotion to the whole thing. Great singer choices, great songwriting, 10/10.

Overall, this drama did everything splendidly, and I am so sad that I have to let it go after 2 months, I wish I could forget it all so I can watch it again for the first time. I'm sure I'll rewatch from time to time (tomorrow, maybe hahah). If what you're looking for is a refreshing experience, I do certainly recommend this one right here. You won't be disappointed.

Perfection does not exist, but if it did and it came in the shape of a Korean television series, it would be Lovely Runner.

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My favorite kdrama

I was surprised to see so much reviews that disliked this series so I made an account just to support my (current) favorite kdrama.

First of all, I admit there is a bias here. I love Kim Hye-yoon, and she was the reason I started watching this. From the first scene, I was hooked. She was crying, and I was crying with her. I was satisfied with her as always but I held back my judgement because I don't know how the ML would act and how good their chemistry would be. I also wasn't too fond of the plot because I feel icky about idol and fan romances and also because I thought it was another run-of-the-mill romance trope with an aloof guy and a sweet cheerful girl. That was my impression throughout the first episode up until the second, except the viewers were hit with that plot twist at the ending. And my first thought was I shouldn't have doubted Kim Hye-yoon at all. The second thought was how the hell am I going to have to wait for another week to see the next episode? And from that, the rest of my Mondays and Tuesdays of the following weeks are filled with a rollercoaster of emotions. Whenever there are happy moments of the main leads, I am also happy. When they are sad, I'm also sad. This drama just hooked me like that up until the end.

It's not a perfect drama by all means but it was definitely one for me. I love the characterizations and I understand the decisions they made, no matter how frustrating it is. I like how the writer ultimately treated all the characters with love. Everyone got their happy ending in the end, and the antagonist was also dealt with quickly. (This drama's last episode is the best last episode period). Another feature I like is how many parallel scenes they have and spotting them was like finding an easter egg to me.

I guess I'm just a sucker for mutual redemption tropes. The love they have for each other is so pure and selfless, it makes me want to love wholeheartedly like that too. And also the fated lovers trope, if I may add, which is the cherry on top.

I'm also happy that the plot didn't steer to a dark story with a fan saving her idol from depression and ultimately committing suicide. There were concerns from other people at the start because of that so it was good that it didn't become that story. Because if I wanted to watch a genre like that, I wouldn't want romance mixed in it because that should not be in the romance category at all. It is too heavy and serious of a topic to do.

But I think the magic of this series is the community it made of people gushing over this drama. I watched this from the moment it aired and the moment ep 2 ended I immediately went to the kdrama thread of this at reddit (which I have never done before). I wanted to see the shock other people had as I did and their anticipation for the next week too. And on the following weeks, I had fun reading the different theories they have for the time travel. And I think the way the writer handled the time travel was their message on how the viewers should treat this drama. Don't overcomplicate it, love wins all. And sometimes, that's just what we need. No complex time travel rules, no big misunderstandings, no frustrating push and pull of love, just two people getting together despite everything.

I also want to add that the strength of this drama was the romance of the main leads. Their chemistry is undeniable. There were so many sweet moments of them, I am just so so happy seeing them be happy. They were not stingy with their kiss scenes too, which I'm totally satisfied about too.

Ultimately, I get why this became a popular drama and I'm happy that it did because I think it deserves it. I laughed, swooned, cringed, and cried all throughout the series. I am not a romantic by all means but it made me feel long-lost feelings of love and happiness again. So for the ones who take the chance by reading this too-long of a review (more of a rant from me), I hope you would be happy too. And for those who don't, that's totally okay because everyone has different tastes and it's understandable to have feelings of dislike for whatever reasons you have.

(Speacial mention for the ost because all songs were great, with one from 10cm which is one of my favorites. You know it's a hit when you see 10cm in it 😌)

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This is exactly the rom-com we needed

I have been anticipating this drama since they announced it. I honestly, watched the first episode after it's released without thinking about the consequence and pain having to wait for a new episode each week but we're here! Lol Never ever crossed my mind that they would give us THIS much chemistry and let alone be obsessed with SolJae couple. Seriously, this pairing is so GOOD and so cute.

Kim Hye Yoon deserves to be casted as she truly portrayed Im Sol. She shined so much here. Her versatility and her showing so many emotions all at once is remarkable.

Byeon Woo Seok, delivers Ryu Sun Jae's character as well. His dynamics and expressions are on point. I'm literally in awe of how talented he is?! Like, his vocals??? He could do KPOP/Band vocalist full time! So happy for him he's getting the popularity he deserves now. (Don't sleep on him! He might be the next rom-com king!)

This is exactly the rom-com I needed. I honestly love this so much as I have been looking for dramas that are light and not stressful. This is what I'm hoping for! All tropes that I like are visible here. I just hope they won't focus on the thriller/murder part because that's seriously a turn off. Lol

It's still early to say as we gradually go on with the episodes but 9.1 rating is so deserving!!!!

🧏🏼‍♀️Dimple couple🧏🏻‍♂️~~~!!! Fighting!!!!

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An unexpected storyline

When I first started this show I expected a storyline where the FL would go back in time to save the ML and help him deal with this mental health problems. However it quickly moved in another direction with numerous time jumps as main storylines, as someone that usually doesn't like this type of drama, I really liked it in this instance.

The only thing I found lacking was that the ML felt a bit one dimensional at times with not a lot of character, besides his shoulder injury there are not really other storylines about him (that don't involve FL or her kidnapping/time jumping)

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Took me out of my kdrama slump

Was surprised that the good reviews have been buried by the pile on of bad ones. Not here to rain on their parade though because it's a matter of taste anyway.

Just glad that this drama took me out of a very long kdrama slump. It's been years since I'm invested in a drama. I remember being this enthusiastic watching Goong, Coffee Prince, My Name Is Kim Samsoon, City Hall, Secret Garden, Queen Inhyun's Man, and Crash Landing on You. So this is a treasure for me. The drama is not without flaws, but I love it for using all cliched tropes and subverting everything into one that is both endearing and heart shattering. The music is top notch, and the chemistry between the leads is the best thing that ever happened in a while. I love watching them both do their thing and create something good and something that makes me feel warm. You cannot fault both MCs trying their best against all odds even against destiny and time to save the one they love. I wish to have this kind of love in this lifetime.

And while waiting for that one great drama again, I'm just here lurking in cdramaland. Wish me luck!

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PERFECT PLOT, PERFECT ACTORS, PERFECT OST, PERFECT COUPLE AND PERFECT EVERYTHING

I don't know how to explain everything I think about this kdrama because all i think are positive things, I can't find any holes, gaps or something bad in this drama. I feel that from the acting to the plot is phenomenal. How Wooseok and Hyeyoon express their characters is something wonderful, you can feel every emotion they act and it touches your heart and the chemistry they have with each other is chef's kiss. And the plot leaves you hanging on to it and you want to know more and more, the best thing i could do is to watch this kdrama on air as every week there were theories, edits, memes and comments that i liked to check. thank you staff, cast, writer, director, Wooseok and Hyeyoon for this wonderful work of art. Definitely my top 1 kdrama.

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We are just living in Seon Jae & Sol’s world!

Lovely Runner will forever be etched in my heart 💛💙

Where do I even start? I’ll probably never love a drama as much as I did this one for a very long time. I woke up on Mondays with a smile on my face. I wanted my weekend to fly so Monday would come faster! That can't be normal.

Lovely Runner took me back to 15+ years ago when I first started watching kdramas. I was somehow on this long journey to one-day watch something incredible like this. The standard for rom-coms should be this! It was April 8th, aka Solar Eclipse Day in North America when it first aired. With each episode, it just got better and better!! Episode 2 of LR will be one of the 'most rewatchable worthy episodes' to ever exist. Episode 8? GOSH. Episode 11 with the cherry blossom scene? My mouth dropped. I never had such a visceral reaction. Episode 14-16 in the adult-era was so good! The combo of enemies-to-lovers + star-crossed-lovers reuniting hits so hard. Episode 16 is such comfort.

Until the very end, I would religiously follow the pattern of “watch>rewind>watch>rewind again" over and over again. Each episode took me forever to finish because I’d rewind to savour each moment. My toes would curl, I’d kick my feet and smile from ear-to-ear. I found myself going back and rewatching from the very start just waiting for new episodes. I’ve never done that in my life. I lost count how many times I’ve seen specific episodes.

This kdrama is perfect fluff. Cotton candy-esque.

I’ll fondly remember how I’d come home after work and walk into my sister’s room just to get her Lovely Runner reaction/thoughts. I’ll remember going over to my friend’s place so we can order takeout and watch Lovely Runner together. I’ll remember today. I’ll remember watching LR at my desk because I am easily tempted. Then going over to my friend’s after work and pretending it’s my first time seeing episode 16. One of these days, when we've both had a little too much to drink, I’ll tell her the truth. She will laugh.

I’ll remember Lovely Runner for the rest of my life. I am going to bottle up this feeling and keep it close to my heart. Lovely Runner felt like coming home for old-timers. This will be my comfort drama from now onwards.

I loved it so much that I had to write a review! This may very well be my first and last review on MDL.

Mondays will be the bane of my existence once more.

Forever Sol-ah, Seon-jae-aa!! 💛💙

All I see is 10s across the board.

Thank you Lovely Runner for giving me the happiest of the happiest endings!! ✨

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