simply amazing!
arghhh this drama is so good! i was on a kdrama break and lovely runner started apearing on my fy, so i was like, i gotta watch!and i dont regret, its simply beautiful! the story revolves around time travel and its a very thrilling yet funny and lovely (lol) drama! the characters are super well written and you can see the development, as well the plans that they have to save each other
the soundtrack is BEAUTIFUL! i keep listening nonstop
im o b s e s s e d hihi
:) its super worth watching :))
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Worth the hype
Lovely Runner was one of the most beautiful series I've seen. Well-written, well-acted and well-directed. The plot was tight. Granted the timelines got a little confusing so I needed to rewatch a bit to understand. But overall, the vision of the writer and director was clear from the get-go. Brilliant acting by the lead actors. Explosive chemistry . Seriously jow can both leads not fall in love yet? >.< Awesome soundtrack. Not to mention, the ending was BEAUTIFUL and so satisfying. I'd highly recommend it to anyone looking for a top tier romcom with a solid plot. But for anyone looking for a romance series "closer to reality" than move on to romance melodramas. Korea has them in abundance lol.10/10 because of the rewatch value.
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Lowk The Best I've Seen In Years
The storyline was very good, and truly made me want to see more and more. The acting was also very great, specifically when it had Kim Hye Yoon who seems to be very good in my opinion. I don't remember much of the OST since I'm writing the review pretty late but I do remember I really liked it. I would 100% rewatch it!Favorite Characters: Im Sol
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Didn't live up to the set up AT ALL
[We have to acknowledge Sudden Shower being the best OST of 2024. That song carries soo much emotion]PLOT - The synopsis def caught my eye. As much as I typically avoid shows that use time travel but I wanted to see this play out. The set up was too good: a young talented idol gives hope to a girl who seemingly has nothing to live for. She becomes a die-hard fan and attempts to attend his concert one night, but to no avail–That same night he dies tragically after giving one of the most touching performances I've seen in a kdrama. Soon after the FL is magically transported into the past and ends up back in high school with her beloved idol. She uses this strange situation as a chance to save him from the dreadful fate she knows is coming in the future. The pilot is one of the best in a while. It's Oshi No Ko pilot good. After that I expected an uphill trajectory...except that didn't happen. None of the emotional story elements were addressed, and the show had no interest in finishing what it started. Instead the heavier topics were sidelined and character development went out the window to make way for a cop-out happily ever after. Real ones know it was a disservice to all the good this had going for itself. The time travel aspect got more inconsistent the longer this played out. The show also had tone issues at times.
CHARACTERS - I agree about the mains being well acted. BWS IS Ryu Sunjae. Tho she was grating at times, you could tell KHY immersed herself in this role. But even with all the great chemistry neither character progresses. They became devices for fan service and boy was that fan service pushed. Ofc they were cute asf but I couldn't help but feel the shallowness of the relationship. I believe it was a mistake for Sunjae to fall in love with Sol. His first arc was written so well and we lost that so he could become a simp. Once we went from platonic love to romantic, my investment collapsed. I would've been fine with SJ not surviving in the end. That seemed like the natural course of events and would've made this show truly impactful. Had that been the case I'd prob be writing a different review... The SL seemed pointless and only existed as plot device for unnecessary conflict. Seeing more of SJ's dad and his relationship with him would've been nice. In Hyuk served his purpose ok as comedic relief. This show def needed it with all the crying scenes.
The screenwriter here is the same one for True Beauty. Both works mirror each other in the sense of setting up rootable characters and launching difficult subjects only to abandon everything for superficial romance that doesn't feel earned. What a missed oppurtunity to discuss depression and how it affects both regular people and celebrites. Where's the social commentary? Where is the payoff?
In conclusion, this ended up being a big ball of wasted potential. I'd be lying if I said parts of the show didn't still linger. The essence was good and I enjoyed the feels but this didn't live up to what was promised. This had the makings to be one of the best dramas of the year but ended up being just ok. Now back to those OSTs
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la mejor serie de la existencia
Es, sin duda alguna, la mejor serie que podrás ver en toda tu vida. Nunca había encontrado algo siquiera parecido, ni una historia que lograra atraparme de esta manera desde el primer momento. Cada episodio es una experiencia única que te envuelve por completo, haciendo imposible dejar de verla. Los visuales son simplemente espectaculares, cuidados hasta el más mínimo detalle, convirtiendo cada escena en una auténtica obra de arte.Las canciones son otro nivel: cada una encaja perfectamente con la historia y logra transmitirte emociones profundas, haciéndote sentir parte de ese mundo. Es una serie que no solo se ve, se siente, y que permanece contigo incluso después de terminarla.
La recomiendo totalmente a todo el mundo, porque es una experiencia que merece ser vivida al menos una vez en la vida. De verdad, quedé completamente encantada y enamorada de cada aspecto de esta serie 🥹💓
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This review may contain spoilers
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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If I got to be that guy so be it. SADLY RUNNER is more like it
Lovely runner started off as a show that seems to show promise. I love the fact that they have two great cast and probably an exceptional storyline. However, it's get too draggy and boring real quick. The show tries to show multiple ways that indicates how the story plays out. It doesn't help if the FL keeps messing up and tries to keep it a secret. Messing up does unlock a lot of potential plot twist or surprising moments. With poor execution and pretty predictable, it wasn't gonna work. I say this show had everything and just could deliver. At least make the bad guy better since he wasn't even feared at all.Was this review helpful to you?
Memories don’t disappear.
I've always found it strange when they put crime and romance together, and it's quite common in dramas, but I have to say that this is one of those dramas that will live on for free in my mind.The story centres on Sol, who has suffered an accident and is unfortunately unable to walk. One day she gets a call from a radio competition saying that she's won some trainers or a bicycle. Upset that she's not wearing any of those things, she screams a lot and a voice (who were guests on the programme) from one of the members of Eclipse, a kpop band, encourages her to live.
So she became a fan of them and especially of the lead singer.
The lead singer dies years later, and she goes back in time to save him.
Sounds cliché, doesn't it?
But through all these journeys and deaths, Sol discovers many things, tries to change others and continues to live and know how to live.
The soundtrack is fantastic!!! how could I not have heard N.Flying? The whole ost is beautiful!
And Sol's grandmother? the explanation she gives for her dementia made me cry.
Sol's brother's side story is quite comical and I actually enjoyed it.
As for Taesung, he was a completely different character if he hadn't met Sol, and even though he ignored her in the past, it made him a better person. I really liked him!
I would watch this drama again and laugh like an idiot again
Memories don’t disappear. Where do you think all the countless memories of what you see, listen, and feel in your life go? They’re all smeared into my soul. Even if my brain forgot them, my soul hasn’t. It’s been keeping every piece of it.” – Grandma
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More over-the-top comedy than I expected, especially from a supposedly 30-year old woman.
Subjective Gut Rating: 8.25My expectations of the drama might have ruined “Lovely Runner” a little bit for me. I was expecting a back-to-the-past sweet and innocent romance with some longing, angst and uncertainty due to the fantasy element of the show. But in reality, this drama is full of over-the-top comedic moments and loud characters that I was not prepared for. I am not adverse to comedy. There are actually a few very funny laugh-out-loud moments that I enjoy tremendously through the creative writing of the team. I just had some troubles adjusting and re-calibrating to the tone difference (expectations vs reality) and I believe this dampened my enjoyment a little. Of course, this is all on me.
My main criticism of the show (maybe a little more objective than my preference of the tone) is the decisions made by our female lead, Im Sol. I have a hard time believing a 30-year old woman would act quite immaturely and without a plan. I understand the initial shock of going back to the past. But once that wears off, and you have a mission to change the past, all you could come up with is to bulldoze your way into Rye Seong Jae’s life? There’s no plan of action. Instead of behaving like a mature adult (who has gone through some really tough times in life), Im Sol behaves like a teenager. The only way the drama shows her ‘maturity’ is when she yells at the kids for misbehaving.
I also feel that the drama could be shorter. After a while, it feels rather repetitive going back and forth. There aren’t enough intimate moments between the leads during their high school days. The only I could think of is in ep 12 when the leads were lying in each other’s arms and professing their love. These are the moments I want more. I would have loved to see more of the present-day timelines stories and how the leads fall in love with each other all over again. Therefore, I was especially happy in the last few episodes. That’s what I was looking for. That’s the tone of the drama that I was expecting. The last few episodes probably bump the rating back up to an 8.25-8.5.
Having said all that, there’s a lot to like about this drama. First of all, I think the acting is pretty good. I was a little unsure of Byeon Woo Seok’s acting at first, but he did a good job, especially with the more emotional scenes. He’s so tall and lanky, and really does have the body for a swimmer. The drama doesn’t shy away in showing us his perfectly toned torso and abs. He also doesn’t mind showing his sillier and pettier side. Kim Hey Yoon is such an experienced actress at a young age. I realize she’s not the young high school girl in “Sky Castle" anymore. She has matured and her acting as well. Does she look different to you? Her role as Im Sol has a lot of comedic moments. I think I like her emotional scenes more enjoyable though. Song Geon Hee plays the role of the second male lead, Kim Tae Sung. Tae Sung is a lovely bad boy character, but a typical second male lead in a K-drama. I think I would have developed second lead syndrome if I found the actor, Song Geon Hee, attractive. Well, no second lead syndrome from me. It’s Seong Jae all the way.
The supporting cast has some amazing veteran actors such as, grandma Sung Byung Sook, FL’s mom Jung Young Joo, and ML’s dad Kim Won Hae. FL’s best friend is played by Seo Hye Won. Her pairing with FL’s brother as a couple is just a little too much for me. They provide a lot comic relief, but they are too loud and annoying for my taste.
I don’t mind the mystery/crime element of the drama. At least I felt that is justified to start this whole going-back-to-the-past process. However, as mentioned earlier, it felt repetitive. I was never sure why he’s so dialed into our leads. Is it mainly because of the cell phone or a mentally ill, psychotic state of mind? The drama never really fully explains how and why the fantasy element. One can only guess from the last episode who started it all. It’s OK, I won’t judge the drama too hard for that. I am more bothered by the illogical decisions and loopholes of the drama.
“Lovely Writer” was really hyped up in the Feeds during its airing. Everyone is in love with the drama and especially how cute Byeon Woo Seok is. Because of that, I might have expected a lot more. At the time of this review, “Lovely Writer” is rated 9.1 on MDL. That’s really high for a drama from any country. I have an enjoyable time watching, especially the first ⅓ and the last ⅓ of the drama. But I could only give it an 8.25 (rounding up to 8.5) rating.
Completed: 7/7/2024 - Review #458
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Renewed my absolute love for Kdramas
this is hands down one of the few kdramas I would rewatch from beginning to end without skipping a single second, sobbing and feeling all the emotions like I’m watching it for the first time. now don’t get me wrong, there are definitely others I have watched that I would rewatch simply for the good moments and the moments that really made me feel something, but this is different. this show is magnificent as a whole; from the acting to the story to the perfectly chosen OST by 10cm.would highly recommend - anyone could find something about this to fall in love with
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Started so good, but they got lost in the story
Overall the acting is good from most characters but the story got progressively worse. I like the time travel aspect, but after the first episodes they tried to much and the time travel and the actions of both leads didn't make sense anymore. The music was great. Just to list two points I found unfortunate:- A majority of the story played with the characters in highschool and for me the actors are just to old to play highschoolers. At least college student or more of the story in the present instead of the past would've been more fitting.
- Another point I thought was unfortunate that the female lead had a disability in the beginning which I found so good and made here character more complex but that part just got erased in the time travel and never got picked up again, besides the fl remembering everything else just that part she and the writers completely ignored.
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very cute and romantic
This drama is very funny and romantic, it makes me like this drama, the OST is also very good.Was this review helpful to you?
