Lovely Runner

Really good drama

Not many dramas these days manage to really capture the attention of viewers like older k-dramas. Lovely runner is the exception. Time travel stories might be a little overdone, but I found that Lovely runner did so very tastefully . It always had me wondering what was going to come next, and whether or not Sol was going to succeed in saving Sun jae. The stalker storyline is definitely the most overdone plotline it had. The lack of motivation behind the killer was almost comical at times but it still did a good job at keeping the story pretty entertaining. None of the characters ever felt annoying to me, their actions although may be a little exaggerated for the issue at hand always felt reasonable in concept and not merely to drive the plot forward. Lovely runner does a great job at portraying the love between Sol and Sun jae, and made the more sad parts of the show that much more impactful. Great show in all, sometimes felt a bit repetitive but did a god job at providing a meaningful story and conclusion to a relatively basic concept.

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The only series I ever Rewatched !! SciFi Romance has never been better <3

Don't overthink, JUST WATCH IT!!
I Don't know why people are hating it rn, but it's only of the hidden gem series of the year. I might be slightly biased for some reason to give it a 10, but even if I am being my usual self ( i.r being critical) I can find any reason to give this series less than 9 stars.
The acting, the pacing, the songs, the consistent attention that the series grabbed is what I love the most. I can't find a single significant flaw which I could point. Ofc some people could have their pet peeves or might dislikes the leads for some reason, which could be their reason for the low stars, but I would definitely recommend you to watch the series. Even if one doesn't fall in absolute love with it, still you would enjoy the series and appreciate it, in my humble opinion.

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Second chances don't come often.

A journey of life, love, and a little silliness.

Focusing on Im Sol, this drama follows her from the middle of her story and travels through time as she gets a new chance to save the person who saved her.

Lovely Runner was incredibly refreshing. Everything was balanced really well, the romance was sweet and angsty. If you're a sucker for leads who have complete loyalty to each other bordering on a (healthy) obsession like I am, then this has it in heaps, fits of laughter, and tears. All the side characters meshed well with the story, and there was neither too little nor too much of them. I loved watching the relationships grow and coincide with the story as it progressed, but this drama is about Im Sol and Sun Jae and they kept that focus for the most part throughout.

There was also enough plot to give everything in this meaning, and I really enjoyed how they paced it enough that with every change, it still kept us on the edge of our toes without being overbearing. Im Sol does get annoying at times with how sacrificial she is, but honestly both the leads share the burden of this mindset and it only helped to enhance how much they cared about each other. The humor in this was an absolute delight as well. If my heart wasn't hurting, I was laughing and it was a great pallet cleanser from more serious dramas.

All in all, I recommend this if you're looking for something refreshing, light but with plot, a great love story, and a little cringe in the best ways possible. This was a great watch and one I was unable to stop thinking about the entire time it aired.

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One of the most well-rounded and enjoyable watches EVER

I considered writing a well thought out review for like a total of five minutes, but I can't. So, allow me to just yap.

This drama had very quickly made it obvious to me that it would become my all time favourite. There are so many core reasons as to why, I'm not sure how to list them all. First off, the casting was splendid. I wouldn't change a single thing. The acting was impeccable. The emotions were so real. I adored that this drama started out with a focus on high school life, giving me that cute high school romance that I love so much. The fantasy undertones were the root, yet they did not take away from the sweetness of their youth. There were so many times when I genuinely forgot that this was a story of Im Sol going back and forth. It feels like she lived so many lives and we got to witness so much of it. I am also so glad that it wasn't a situation in which Sun jae's feelings were hidden for an unnecessary amount of time. You know how sometimes it'll be that the female lead likes the male lead and then you find out later that he liked her all along, but they tell you rather than showing you? I loved that this drama showed us his perspective so early on. There may have been some back and forth with him and Im Sol about their feelings, but we knew. However, I believe the miscommunication was just the right amount. It wasn't like they were going crazy trying to hide their feelings... Even in the last few episodes as Im Sol tried to stay away, it was obvious that Sun jae was just ignoring her completely because he could see through her efforts.

I loved seeing their youth, it just gave me butterflies the whole time. I'm glad we spent time in the past, seeing them all build bonds and grow together. Everyone's story was touched on well, we got see how In Hyuk, Tae sung, Sun jae, and Im Sol had come together as well.

Tae Sung became a very beloved character and somehow one of the most sensible of them all. I appreciate how his intellect was something present even in his youth and he learned how to better channel it as he grew older.

Sun Jae was just a green flag all around. I have so much to say but my mind can't pinpoint a single thing. He was great.

All in all, this drama really touched my heart. It truly was about making sacrifices and learning to sometimes be selfish and give yourself a happy ending. I think the saddest part was knowing that even though Sun Jae and Im Sol have their memories, those experiences that all the characters shared in the past are no longer part of their timeline. It's unfortunate to know that in some ways, they missed out on a very pretty life filled with sweet moments. That's why episode 13 was definitely the saddest for me.

Anyways, this was a 10/10 kdrama with amazing romance, beautiful moments of the past, and really makes you appreciate the privilege of time.

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Disregarding disabilities

I'm way too late to the party, but I still have my 5 cents. I couldn't finish the drama in over a year, but I wanted to see if it's actually worth anything.
🔸The main comparison for Lovely Runner when it was airing was Twinkling Watermelon. But this comparison is absolutely not sustainable. If Twinkling Watermelon actually educated the common viewer about disabilities and accessibility issues, this drama is no more than a joke, and it's infuriating to me. Instead of installing elevators or acessible amenities in the office where wheelchair user Im Sol applied for a job, she just had to grow herself some new legs with magic instead of inconveniencing herself and others.

The drama started as something that had pretentions in that direction but it ended as the most cliche cartoonish production. I am genuinely grossed out. Even of we aren't talking about disabilities, there is nothing of value in this drama, it's extremely repetitive and predictable, and I could only finish it on x2 speed.

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breaking my silence ( i put whatever in the star rating because i want to finish it first)

The drama started out fun and great but it started going down hill after the "highschool arc" , she avoided him in the most absured ways giving me second hand embaressment instead of talking and making it clear she wants nothing to do with him tf . But i still had hope, a part of me did'nt want this show to go even further down the drain , i had hope that they will salvage it somehow and pick up the pace when they made up . I really waited and suffered through out the whole collage missunderstanding thing , the light at the end of the tunnel started shinning and i was as hopeful as i can get when they he finally figured out the future thing , i ran till the end of this tunnel following the bright hopeful light and when i finally reached it it turned dark and all i could feel was the despair of the fucking disaster of episode 13. it was so bad i just finished watching it right now and started to write this . Episode 13 was so bad it made me write a goddamn essay , and the thing that makes my blood boil is the fact that people LIKED the episode , am i the problem ??? i don't wanns say too much about the episode because i already reviewd it in the episode 13 review , but the ending actually made me almost cry ........out of anger lmaooo beacuse please tell me why did she do that , now all the other 12 episode mean nothing quite literally .

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Happy Pill

It’s hard to put perfectly into words just how amazing Lovely Runner is, but it is without a doubt, one of the best ones out there. Aside from the fiery chemistry of the leads. The storyline and narrative itself is just top notch. The way it could just make viewers like me feel so giddy in one second and fearful and stressed on the next is just perfect. I also loved how the ending unfolded. How it stressed that memories are etched in the heart. I just wish we had more time to uncover if and how is Grandma connected to the time traveling that’s happened. Speaking of Grandma, big kudos as well to the great family dynamics of this show. Within all the timelines all the family interactions where great. The love showcased within was truly heartwarming. Ahh~ would definitely rewatch this again.

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sadly they messed up the second part

The first ten episodes were fine, the story had a clear purpose and there weren't many cliches. They flew, I was so captured by the plot and the time-travel thing. I was curious about what happened between the lead characters. Nothing was done or decided, everything could have been changed even by a small gesture. Sadly the female lead seems not really on track, especially with the mad taxi driver. Also, there were some unbelievable communication issues because the fl was herself, then not anymore, and again another time: a little bit messy I'd say. It should have been planned a little better. On the other side, the ml is slow, insecure, and determined to act "cool" with the fl. The beautiful thing is that everything is connected but at the end, the fl decides to reset everything. What was the sense of the first part of the drama then?

Then it became a classical rom-com like any other, although I appreciated the time they spent in the countryside, at the sea: all four of them were carefree, thoughtless, awesome scenes. I skipped episode thirteen, it was a mistake but it was predictable, I knew what I missed: firstly it wasn't crucial, also it was kinda obvious and ordinary. They meet again in the future. I found fine all the coincidences, the "destiny" that was calling. Then they rush things another time for example with the marriage thing.

From the first two episodes, I got the idea that the drama would have been about depression problems, stress caused by success and disabilitiles. It was disappointing. Also, the whole thing was maybe too much focused only on the main couple.
Other things are good: the acting, the music. Personally "grandma" best character ever, I loved her, she was the one who remembered everything. Kim Tae Seong my baby, I started rooting for him at some point, I was happy he followed his dad in life as a policeman. I was hoping he'd had a gf or that he wasn't in love with the fl anymore ...

P.S. I don't consider RW in my final rating.
Thank you for reading <3

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WE NEED MORE K-DRAMAS LIKE LOVELY RUNNER

**This is purely just my opinion and you are entitled to have your own opinion! :)**
If you're in the k-drama community, there's going to be hidden gems that you discover. These dramas are often underrated and not talked about. Many people's faves could be completely unknown to others but that's not the case for Lovely Runner. If you're in the community that watches k-dramas, you have most certaintly heard about Lovely Runner. I'd say the two biggest, most talked about k-dramas of 2024 are Queen of Tears and Lovely Runner. Literally 95% of k-drama watchers enjoyed atleast one of the two, if not both. Lovely Runner is going to become a name that everyone learns about, a drama that's going to be recommended to newbies. a drama that won't be forgotten for a long time.

Lovely Runner managed to pull many watchers out of their k-drama slumps, it managed to pull new people into k-dramas and it's probably the biggest loss for Netflix. People just can't get enough of Lovely Runner because each episode was beautifully crafted. We just need more. I hope writers and directors are taking notes..

Of course, there's going to be some people that don't like Lovely Runner and that's perfectly fine. I don't get why the community is hating towards these people? People have opinions and that's okay. This drama is not a 10/10 FOR ME, still very high up at a 9.5 but the majority enjoyed this and it has gone down as an all-time fave for many. Therefore, if someone wishes
create a drama that is successful in the eyes of the MAJORITY, they should produce it to have the same effect as LR. That's what I'm trying to say.

Anyway, onto my ACTUAL review.

The first episode was really cute and it kept me engaged which is why I watched the next episode straight after LOL. But I will say, I got second-hand embarrassment from sol's actions SO MANY TIMES. She really went up to a random ass man (technically), hugged him when he's half-naked and told him she loves him.

Also I don't get why people are dragging KHY for her looks, she's drop dead gorg?

I really enjoyed episodes 10-16, the comedy was PERFECT and I had a constant smile on my face. It was cliche yes but it was perfectly placed so it wasn't cringe, but funny.

Also I could have a whole drama of just sol and taesung. THE CHEMISTRY??? Their friendship dynamics are amazing and honestly he's a green flag.

DISLIKES (all fairly mild):
- i feel bad for taesung (SML), he really did love sol and even after everything had changed, he cared for her as a friend. it was unfortunate they didn't let him meet a nice woman in ep 16
- after time travelling multiple times, you'd think sol gets smarter, well she doesnt. she kept making stupid decisions when the obvious smart answer was right there!

i also noticed, idk if this was done on purpose as a sort of easter egg, but LR has a lot of similarities to 20th century girl. it's most likely because of BWS playing the lead role in both.
SIMILARITIES:
- female lead's family owns a movie/tape store
- female lead blames cramps to get out of class
- female lead holds item above head at school bc she's in trouble and BWS comes and takes it from her.

anyway, overall it's a 9.5 for me because it was insanely good but IDK it just didn't feel like a 10? but please, some of you need to stop harrassing others who didn't enjoy the show and STOP HATING ON KIM HYEYOONS LOOKSSSSS. she's gorgeous!! just as a reminder, this review is my opinion and you can have your own! you may hate this or really love it, it's up to you :)

if you watch lovely runner, i hope you enjoy it !

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Mesmerizing, emotional time travel drama

I’m adding my review because that’s one of the dramas that I have loved this year. English not being my maternal language, please accept the mistakes in this review.

Describing "Lovely Runner" as a rom-com is simplistic : this is a romantic drama, using time travel to tell a love story spanning 5 timelines. Kind of a « variation on the same theme ».

So it allows the viewers to follow the same story, but at the same time, not the same story. Like a « what if » drama with the same characters. What if one turns left instead of right ? But at the same time, fate plays a part because no matter what the changes brought by the different decisions taken by the characters, they are always a victim of it.

Add a mix of mystery, thriller and boulevard comedy, and voila, you have "Lovely Runner".
So the mystery is how the time travel is possible. Not going to answer that one, viewers will discover the answer quite soon, but at the same time, the mystery remains as to why, even if it’s easy to guess if you follow the drama.

The thriller is the dangerous part of this drama, one that unfortunately, can strike everyone at anytime, anywhere, leaving broken characters. The two main characters are emotionally impacted by the consequences of the thriller part : depression, suicidal thoughts, loneliness, handicap (I admire how the FL overcame that one !)… That doesn’t make LR a depressing watch : the FL is one of those excentric characters, always on the move and always causing catastrophes and humiliating moments, mostly for her but sometimes also for the ML. It made the drama hilarious, at least for me.

That was the comedic boulevard part I mentioned, although it’s even more accentuated with the FL’s brother and sister-in-law : those characters are clearly portrayed as actors in a comedy on stage, or in sitcoms. Their facial expressions are exagerated. I suppose it’s a directing decision. So don’t expect them to be more serious characters. But they don’t have a too large part in the drama.

I found the actors to have chemistry and to fully embrace the story, with all the twists and turns it brought. Kim Hye Yoon portrays in a wonderful way the FL, radiating warmth and « joie de vivre », despite everything and her impulsiveness. That's part of her charm.

The ML is more reserved, and so easily… enthralled by the FL, because she is so different from him, embracing life, always running right and left (hence the title). I was surprised at how easily Byeon Woo Seok's played the role of a fool in love. But I guess that’s because I had seen him in more serious roles before. Here, he doesn't hesitate to appear weak or an idiot to his entourage, leading to some funny scenes.

I was sad to see this drama end, because I had grown attached to it. I had watched it twice so far and I will rewatch it in the future. I will recommand to watch it in a few days, to enjoy it and to brainstorm about what could happen in the next episodes : it’s always fun to think about theories when watching a drama.

Plus, the OST is magnificent.

"Lovely Runner" was a huge success in South Korea despite the fact that the drama wasn’t heavily promoted and the success a surprise one ; and also a success with international audience judging by the well deserved rating on MDL.

To end this review, I would say that "Lovely Runner" is a succesful mix of different genres and I wouldn’t put it in the rom-com section because that would be misleading to compare it to a rom-com like « Business Proposal » (I loved that one, and it had a little of boulevard comedy in it).

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