Lovely Runner

THE BEST THING THAT WILL EVER HAPPEN TO YOU!!!

Watch this drama!! trust me!! one of the best kdrama ever with insane chemistry and amazing plotline and the definition of ROM and COM... it has truly every trope ever!! Watch until ep2 ending to be obsessed forever.

"Lovely Runner" is an absolute vibe! If you're into K-dramas, this one is a total must-watch. It’s got everything – romance, drama, and those feel-good moments that just hit different.

First off, the main actors are chef's kiss. They have insane chemistry, and you can totally feel the sparks flying. Their characters are so relatable, and you get super invested in their journey. Like, you’ll be shipping them hard by episode two.

The storyline is on point. It's this perfect mix of emotional highs and lows, with just the right amount of humor to keep things light. The dialogues? So quotable. And the way it’s shot – the cinematography is straight-up stunning. Every scene is like an Instagram-worthy moment.


So yeah, if you’re looking for a drama that’ll give you the best time of your life and keep you binge-watching till 3 AM, "Lovely Runner" is it. It’s not just a show; it’s an experience. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, and you’ll be thinking about it long after it’s over. Don’t sleep on this one – it’s a whole mood!

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Overall a good drama, I can’t watch it again tho my patience could never.

I want to love this so bad. Spoilers ahead. I was waiting for a different result with the many chances the main character was given to change things. However, with the exception of the first back in time, it was a repeat of almost the same thing every time after. It’s not that I didn’t like it, but it was hard watching Im Sol keep making the same mistakes trying to push Sun Jae away just to get the same result . It got tiring after the second time, buy the third time it was just annoying that she could treat him so bad. Sun Jae kept choosing her and again and again. Im Sol kept breaking his heart, acting as though she didn’t care. I was hoping at some point she would just say something! I was screaming at the tv if she would just communicate what she was doing or trying to do especially the last time around. I understand that she was trying to protect him, but she left him in the dark which could’ve saved them both some heartache. She missed the fate part of it & he would keep choosing her. I’d hoped for more romance between the two verses the bits and pieces throughout the episodes only when she let down her guard. Overall it was a good watch, I rooted for them and it paid off with happy ending. The two had great chemistry, there was plenty of humor, but I probably would not watch again, the storyline was frustrating until the last episode when it all worked out.

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All the emotions

Lovely Runner is a good 'cliche' time-travel romance that starts off as a straightforward fan-idol love story. The plot follows Im Sol, a 34 year old fan of K-pop star Ryu Sun-jae, who is sent back 15 years to prevent his death. The series blends nostalgia, romance, and suspense, with the finale that emphasizes emotional logic over strict plot mechanics.

This drama will take you on a wild emotional ride. It can make you laugh, cry, and feel all the butterflies that come with falling in love. Every episode is filled with moments that touch your heart and keep you wanting more. The characters and their story feel so real that you can’t help but get fully pulled in. By the end, you’re left with a full heart, maybe a few tears, and a drama you’ll never forget.

Some parts of the story feel a little slow or don’t make sense right away, but later everything comes together and it all fits. The show makes you feel all kinds of emotions, and by the end, you’re left with a full heart and maybe even a few tears. It’s the kind of story that stays with you long after it’s over.

Some parts of this series, particularly in episodes 3-4 and 11-12 exhibits uneven pacing. Episodes 3-4 introduce slapstick humor and exaggerated situations, such as the time Sol knocked Sun-jae into a fountain ensuing chaos. Episodes 11-12 feature prolonged comedic gags, including the subplot where Sun-jae's father is trapped in the bathroom, which some people (myself included) found quite excessive.

There are many times in this drama that makes you question "why?"
- "why is there a love triangle that never ends up occurring?"
- "why didn't he end up joining the band that he would've joined before Im Sol meddled?"
- "why was the murderer THAT interested in Im Sol?"

^These are questions I have asked myself while watching this drama.
But despite this, I feel like Lovely Runner ultimately delivers a satisfying conclusion, one where it didn't need to answer these questions. It was like this drama came full circle and made sense without answering them.

The finale episode ties together the various plot threads, providing emotional closure and left me with a sense of fulfillment.

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p.s. a good quote for this drama would be: "I didn't know how much I missed you until I saw you." i was thinking about this quote when Sun-jae told Sol he remembered everything.

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Still a 10 but some things could have been explored a bit more

I love this drama and the story. My rewatch value is 7.5 just because of the time travel. That suspense won’t hit the same the 2nd time around for me. But I definitely recommend watching the series if you haven’t already!

People are saying it’s a star falling in love with a regular person but that’s not true. ML has been in love with FL since the beginning. But the story showed that sometimes no matter how your try to change a situation, the person may remain the same (Leads being in love, the murderer being a murderer)

I what I think should have been explored more was:
1. Living with disabilities - FL was able to change her fate but a lot of disable people can’t and while it was an important message in the beginning for everyone not to give up hope no matter the circumstances; I would have loved to have seen the FL interact with someone who’s disable. Maybe hire them as one of her staff members on the short film project and show that even though this person is disable they still deserve work and treatment and not how she was discriminated against for being in a wheelchair at the beginning which caused her not to get the job initially. Even go as far as having ML who’s rich ensure the place where she worked or other places in the city had for example Elevators or Ramps for easy wheelchair access. It seems like a lot but disable people go through a lot and as FL would have had those struggles it would have been nice for them to touch on that a bit more in their own way, even if it be a few minutes of the last episode.

2. Granny’s knowledge - I don’t know about you guys but it was clear to me after a while that the grandma was aware that Sol had been time traveling with the watch. The end also made it seem as though she knew Sun Jae from a past life (I could be reaching). But nevertheless, the fact that she threw the watch into the river at the end means she knows it’s no longer needed. I would have liked her connection to the time traveling to be explained a bit more.

Overall, I still give this series a 10. The story was heart pulling and tear jerking. It showed the sacrifice of Sol who just wanted what was best for the person she loves even if that meant staying away in order to save his life. And it showed the other side pertaining to Sun Jae where it doesn’t matter what happens to him because why live if I don’t have love? A lot of complex decisions were made that always affect everyone around them. Great romance, thriller, time travel and goofy series.

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EVERY TOUNGE RISE AGAINSE SOL AND HYEYOON WILL FALL.

Some of you watchers are very weird cause the storyline is honestly very easy to understand but i saw some of yall are actually being really ...
- Saying Sol is lack of regard to other ppl cause she is too into Sunjae?? now let's ignore the fact that the series has 16 episodes, each with nearly 1 hour, also the fact that yall beloved Sunjae died. Sol actually saved her house from being on fire, leading to her mother getting burned in her hand. Sol care about her mother you can actually see that through Hyeyoon's outstanding acting when the mother was in the hospital. Sol spent her days with her family, going to the market with her mom, doing chores, helping her grandma, bickering with her brother, literally told him the lottery numbers so he and her best friend will be comfortable in the future... and more than that, she stayed friends and gave advice to Taesung. Her reason is savng Sunjae but she also had times with her loved family and friends. Moreover yall are hypocrite because when yall criticize Sol for neglecting her family, Sunjae did literally the same but guess what, it's somehow cute and for the comedy.

- Now move to the main plot of the show, saving Sunjae. yall just never get tired of hating and blaming Sol for everything she did cause when she tried her best saving the ml, all you care is "omg this hurt sunjae fvck sol". only care about the ml feelings but never put yourself in sol shoes cause Sol literally sacrifice her happiness just for him to be alive and yall still criticize her. She's happy yall will freaking scream saying how about Sunjae, she's desperated saving him yall will still blame her cause your fragile ml is sad. At the end of the day, yall just watch this show for the visual but not for the plot cause everything Sol did is so understandable and empathic.

- The reason why Sol did not use time stop or whatever it's called is literally so easy to understand but yall chose to be dumb. SHE CAME BACK TO SAVE SUNJAE AND IF SHE KEEPS PAUSING THE TIME, THE TAXI DRIVER WILL STILL BE FREE ROAMING AND HARM SOL IN THE PAST, LEADING TO SUNJAE SAVING SOL IN THE PAST AND SUNJAE WILL DIE IN THE FUTURE. So what's the point of coming back? Also everytime she screams for the time to stop, there's always a person to listen to her story. One scream to stop the time then keep screaming while running to escape the taxi drivers who has a fcking car to drive, with the panic she is having. Yeah let's get yall in that damn story to see if it's gonna freaking work.

- And about Kim Hyeyoon, i swear i will really raise hand if i see anyone downplaying her cause the muse of Im Sol, the Blue Dragon, Grand Bell, Baeksang awardee is not something to be joked about. Not to mention the male lead, and many actors in the show said SHE made them acting and expressing emotions better because SHE acted so well. Her acting skills, her acting range, her diction is praised by not only the crew but also film critics, experts. Pay some respect to her name.

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Calibrate Your Expectations

If you don't like fluffy rom-coms with mild fantasy/sci-fi elements which sometimes lean into staple rom-com (for some, cringey or cheesy) humor, and prefer dramas with super tight writing that is plot-focused rather than character-driven, then you will probably find the gushing on this thread misplaced.

Do yourself a favor and reset your expectations so you don't come out the other side thinking, "That was overrated/overhyped." A lot of people like this kind of drama, hence the gushing. You may not be one of them, but that doesn't make everyone who loves this "wrong" or "a teenage fangirl."

This drama is not an artistic "masterpiece," but it is a very fun drama with strong chemistry between the leads that leans heavily into the concept of fate and true love with a dash of that old-timey romantic Kdrama nostalgia.

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Lovely Runner: A Sprint That Stumbled at the Finish Line

Story: 7.5/10
Lovely Runner embarks on an emotional voyage, intertwining themes of love, regret, and second chances. The narrative follows Im Sol (Kim Hye-yoon), a devoted fan of the illustrious singer-actor Ryu Sun-jae (Byeon Woo-seok). Trapped in a wheelchair due to a childhood accident, Sol's life takes an unexpected turn when she is transported back to 2008, finding herself as a high school student alongside a younger Sun-jae. Armed with the knowledge of future tragedies, Sol endeavours to alter their intertwined destinies. The series adeptly balances the complexities of time travel with heartfelt character development, though the latter episodes introduce convoluted subplots that slightly hinder the story's momentum.

Acting/Cast: 10/10
The cast delivers stellar performances that breathe life into the narrative. Kim Hye-yoon embodies Im Sol with a blend of vulnerability and determination, capturing the essence of a woman yearning to rewrite her fate. Byeon Woo-seok portrays Ryu Sun-jae with depth, seamlessly transitioning between the charm of a rising star and the turmoil of personal struggles. Their on-screen chemistry anchors the series, making their journey compelling. Their kiss scenes were phenomenal too. Supporting actors, including Song Geon-hee as Kim Tae-seong and Lee Seung-hyub as Baek In-hyuk, enrich the storyline with nuanced portrayals, adding layers to the central plot, although don't have much of their own stories, rather just being background characters to the main leads.

Music: 10/10
The original soundtrack (OST) of Lovely Runner is a standout element, enhancing the emotional resonance of the series.

These were my favourites:
"Sudden Shower" by ECLIPSE: An evocative piece with heartwarming lyrics (if you understand Korean) that mirrors the protagonists' unforeseen challenges.
"Run Run" by ECLIPSE: An energetic track encapsulating the relentless pursuit of dreams.
"Spring Snow" by 10cm: A romantic, soft ballad that reminds you of falling snow.

Rewatch Value: 6.0/10
The series' intricate plot and profound character arcs make it suitable for multiple viewings. Viewers may find new insights and appreciate subtle nuances upon revisiting the episodes. However, the pacing issues in the latter part may deter some from a full rewatch, (I got a little bored and it felt draggy towards the end).

Final Thoughts
Lovely Runner presents a poignant tale that melds the allure of time travel with the raw emotions of love and loss. While the narrative occasionally stumbles with pacing, the exceptional performances and a mesmerizing soundtrack ensure it remains a memorable addition to the K-drama landscape.

While Lovely Runner starts with a gripping premise and maintains a strong emotional pull for most of its run, the final few episodes falter. As the story approaches its climax, the pacing slows considerably, with prolonged scenes and unnecessary subplots that feel repetitive. The tension that once kept viewers on the edge of their seats dissipates, replaced by overly drawn-out conflicts and melodramatic resolutions that could have been handled more succinctly.

Key moments that should have packed an emotional punch are stretched thin, losing their impact. Instead of building on the earlier momentum, the series meanders, leaving viewers impatient for closure. This shift in tone and pacing not only undermines the narrative’s initial strengths but also risks disengaging the audience during what should be its most memorable moments.

Despite the stellar acting and soundtrack that continue to shine throughout, the draggy conclusion leaves Lovely Runner crossing the finish line with less enthusiasm than it began. A tighter edit and more focused storytelling in the later episodes could have elevated the drama to greater heights.

Overall Rating: 8.5/10

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