Lovely Runner

Good but the second half was unnecesary

TL;DR:
A heartfelt time-travel romance with strong emotional moments, good acting, and a compelling twist — but the second half drags with unnecessary plot padding. Still, it’s a memorable ride.

The drama begins with Im Sol, a girl in a wheelchair who lost her will to live after an accident left her disabled. One day, while listening to a radio talk show featuring a rising boy idol group, she unexpectedly gets through as a caller. The group’s leader, Ryu Sun-Jae, gives her heartfelt encouragement — a moment that becomes the spark she needs to find purpose again. From that moment on, she becomes his biggest fan.

Years later, Im Sol finally gets to meet Sun-Jae in person. But mere hours after their encounter, she’s devastated to hear the news of his sudden suicide. In a desperate attempt to see him at the hospital, she races there in her wheelchair, only to fall into a small river — along with the special watch she believes belonged to Sun-Jae. When she reaches for it, something strange happens: the watch “glitches,” and she wakes up in her high school years, in the past.

The rest of the story follows her attempt to change the past and save Sun-Jae from his fate. Along the way, she reconnects with her younger self, learns more about Sun-Jae’s life before fame, and discovers that he once loved swimming — until an injury ended his dreams. She tries to protect him, hoping that saving his passion might also save his life.

Then comes a major twist: Sun-Jae already knew Im Sol long before she knew him. Not only were they childhood neighbors, but he was the one who saved her during the accident that changed her life. While Im Sol always saw herself as just a fan, Sun-Jae had loved her first — quietly and selflessly.

Eventually, after failing to stop his death, Im Sol chooses a different path: she rewrites the past to avoid ever meeting Sun-Jae — believing that her presence is what led to his tragedy. But Sun-Jae, even in this new timeline, begins to recall memories from the previous one, leading them both to a bittersweet yet happy ending.

Strengths:
The core romance and emotional beats are genuinely strong. The chemistry between the leads works well, especially with Im Sol's arc from fangirl to someone who deeply cares, not out of obsession, but out of gratitude and respect. Sun-Jae, meanwhile, balances charm with emotional vulnerability — a highlight of the show. The soundtrack is fitting and adds to the emotional tone. The second male lead also stands out more than expected, delivering a solid, grounded performance.

Weaknesses:
Where the show falters is in its final stretch (episodes 10–12 and beyond). Instead of ending at a natural emotional high point, the drama adds an unnecessary murder-crime subplot involving a persistent stalker. This twist, while intended to raise stakes, ends up dragging the story and adding melodrama that didn’t need to be there. The emotional impact of Im Sol wanting to save her bias — not just as a fan, but because he saved her — was strong enough without tacking on a suspense thriller angle.

There’s also a gimmicky feel to how she avoids interacting with Sun-Jae during her second trip to the past. The emotional weight would’ve hit harder if the show had focused more on their connection rather than hiding behind misunderstandings and memory resets.

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enchanted

Well, I confess that I became interested in this drama by reading the synopsis which, in short, talks about a fan who obtains the power to go back in time to try to save her favorite idol right after he supposedly committed suicide in 2023. To try to save him , Sol goes back to 2008 where she was still a student and Sunjae, the idol she admired so much, was also still a student. There are MANY plots (breaking expectations) that make you fall in love with each episode and the protagonists. I would never have imagined that both would have such a deep and interconnected story. The feelings they both feel are transmitted in such a pure and human way that it is impossible not to be moved. I cried in almost every scene (I consider myself very sensitive). So far, for me, Lovely Runner has become the best drama of 2024 in my opinion, Byeon Woo-seok (Sunjae) and Kim Hye-yoon (Im Sol) gave a show of chemistry, comfort and emotion in each scene they starred in together . I recommend it a thousand times and a thousand more if possible, it was wonderful to watch every second of this masterpiece episode ☔💛

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Lovely Runner Delivers from Start to Finish

The Korean series Lovely Runner stands out among countless others for its exceptional storytelling. Every scene is crafted with purpose, and each character, no matter how minor, contributes meaningfully to the plot. There are no wasted moments; every storyline is resolved, and the execution is so seamless that it avoids any cringe-worthy moments. This series is a testament to masterful direction and thoughtful writing.
The series is packed with humor that will keep you laughing from the very first episode to the last. It never loses its charm and is crafted so well that it truly engages your emotions and takes you on an unforgettable journey.
The screenwriters and director of Lovely Runner were clearly in perfect harmony, as evidenced by the seamless execution of the series. The actors were perfectly cast and did full justice to the characters they portrayed, bringing the well-written script to life in a compelling and engaging way.
This is a show that I'd travel across time just to see.

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? Lovely Runner – A Refreshing, Heartwarming Ride Through Young Love ?

Lovely Runner truly stole my heart. The cast was perfect, and I’m especially a fan of the main lead—he portrayed his emotions so sincerely. What touched me most was how he fell for her first, but she ended up falling even harder. The emotional depth between them, the way he acted brave around her while being soft inside—it felt so real, just like how we are in real life when we love someone deeply.

This drama beautifully showed how love often means letting go to protect the other person. But when love is real, it finds a way—no matter what. Their dedication, their connection, their youthful emotions—everything felt so refreshing and genuine. It made me feel warm, happy, and full of hope.

A must-watch for anyone who believes in second chances, true love, and the magic of fate. 💖

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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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“The tale of two people whose love is so meant to be that the heavens fought for them”

Lovely Runner is truly one of the greatest and best dramas of all time. This drama really had a mixture of everything, great story, strong plot, character development, romance, comedy, secret crush, first love everything that you could imagine of for a drama. Honestly watch a delightful drama this was. I’m really going to miss waiting for episodes to drop each week. I’m going to miss being happy and excited every Monday and Tuesday. My Mondays and Tuesdays was made exciting because of this drama. I’m going to miss hearing “Sunjaeahh” and “Solah” each week. This SolJae couple was epic.

Every character in this drama worked so hard to create this amazing masterpiece. I’m going to miss each and every character in this drama, from Taesung, In Hyuk and our beloved Halmoni. Really what an amazing drama this was. The story was written so well and one of the best time travel dramas I have ever seen.

Ryu Sunjae character was literally a forest full of green flags and Byeon Wooseok did such an exceptional job in portraying Sunjae’s character so well, he really bought that character alive. I also have to mention Wooseok also participating in singing one of the OST’s Sudden Shower really added that special touch, hearing his voice singing this song in the drama really added that extra touch and made this drama whole.

Kim Hye Yoon also portrayed her character Im Sol so well. You can really tell that this drama was really written for her, I can’t think of anyone else playing the role of Im Sol that Hye Yoon herself. She really did such a great job in bringing out her character and it was amazing to see Im Sol go to great lengths to keep Sunjae alive. The ending of this drama was so wholesome as well.

Special mention of Son Geon Hee who plays the role of Kim Taesung. Wow he is such a talented actor and he played his character so well. The OSTs in this drama was also top notch, each OST really shows the character story and the feeling of the drama. Byeon Wooseok (Eclipse) singing Sudden Shower to 10cm long awaited OST Spring Snow that we were all waiting for so long.

Overall, this was a beautiful drama and definitely a drama that everyone needs to watch. Everything about this drama has been written so well that you will be captured by this drama from episode 1. Thank you Lovely Runner for making my Mondays and Tuesdays so beautiful for the past 6 weeks. I’m really going to miss this drama. Lovely Runner you have shown what true love really means and what it feels like to be in love and to be loved by someone.💛💫✨

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Because maybe, before that, there was a more interesting drama.

I don't know, I've only watched dramas with the same story. Even more feelings and sadness can be felt. I watched it just because of the actor and it went viral.

So, in my opinion, the story is easy to predict, because it is the same as the drama from the neighboring country which was previously released. Even the drama made me cry, but when I watched this I felt normal. Except my heart is happy to see the actor.

Apart from that, most people watch it just because of the actors, it would be too much if this was the best drama. I'm surprised that even the previous drama was much better. This story is too common, come on, really

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Best drama to exist

Lovely runner holds a special place in my heart. As someone who likes to binge watch dramas, I started watching this drama as it was airing and I was thinking oh I should've waited till it was fully aired. I usually drop dramas if I watch them as they're airing as I get bored of waiting and I watch spoilers on Twitter but with Lovely Runner, not once did I watch a spoiler. The excitement for each ep, watching the pre-releases were all part of the experience that I am so happy I went through. Not one episode was bad or laggy or whatever. Every moment was worth it. Both the leads are wonderful and I am teary as I'm writing this review because I am going to miss them so much. As someone who hated Mondays, I waited for Mondays every week and now I feel empty without them on my Mondays and Tuesdays from now on. All OSTs were beautiful but Spring Snow warms my heart. Please everyone do no hesitate and watch Lovely Runner, trust me, you won't regret it. I will never forget the impact this drama had on me. Thank you Wooseok and Hyeyoon and the rest of the cast for this amazing drama, it really healed me. Truly the best drama to exist.

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Packed with heart and pretty faces, but weighed down by logic gaps and narrative loops.

I write really long reviews but here's a summary. Keep in mind this is just my opinion and I don't mean to offend anyone ❤️
This one's a bit long- so if you like slightly detailed reviews, you're gonna (hopefully) love this.

❗SPOILERS AHEAD❗

The Good

The Casting Was a Gift
Let’s be real: watching Byeon Woo Seok and Song Geon Hee for 16 episodes was a blessing. The entire cast was easy on the eyes, but these two definitely carried a chunk of the show's watchability on their ridiculously attractive backs.

That Soundtrack Slapped
Honestly, the music was the MVP. The song Sun Jae wrote for her? Instant classic. The rest of the OST was just as strong — emotional, memorable, and the kind you keep on your playlist long after the drama ends.

Sun Jae’s Over-the-Top Love
Some people thought his love was too much — and yeah, the air-kissing scene was… a choice — but overall, I found it sweet. There’s something adorable about someone being head-over-heels, timeline-spanning in love. I just wish it had felt more earned. With a bit more depth to their story, this could’ve hit me even harder.

The Bad

Im Sol’s Lack of a Plan
Im Sol’s entire approach to time travel is… questionable, to say the least. After Sun Jae dies, instead of focusing on stopping the serial killer or figuring out how to protect him, her first instinct is to ghost him. Really? You’ve got a chance to save him, and you choose to avoid him like he's the one toxic ex you can’t escape? She spends her time reacting emotionally, but there's little thought behind her actions. She’s supposed to be a grown woman with life experience, yet she acts like a teenager with no game plan. Avoiding Sun Jae just wasn’t the move here.

Im Sol’s Lack of Survival Skills
Then there’s the sheer recklessness of her actions. She decides to lure the serial killer by herself, walking down a creepy alley with zero backup plan. Was she expecting him to follow her into a trap? If he had, no one would have known where she was. She’s a 30-something-year-old woman, but here she is, making choices that scream “I never learned basic survival skills.” This is especially frustrating because her lack of caution directly contributes to Sun Jae’s death. The serial killer was around, and she had no plan—just bad decisions all around.

The Villain That Wasn’t
Young Soo, the villain, is a major letdown. There’s no backstory, no motive, and he has no real purpose other than to create unnecessary drama. He’s obsessed with Im Sol for reasons unknown, and we never get any answers. For a character who’s supposed to be a threat, he’s more of a plot device. His death is anticlimactic—taken out by a random truck. What was the point of all the buildup? His character never really adds anything substantial to the story, and his unsatisfying end just leaves more questions than answers.

A Love Story That Did the Most
Sun Jae and Im Sol’s love story was sweet... if you only focus on the small moments. But zoom out, and it quickly becomes way too much. Im Sol’s side of things felt like an unhealthy obsession with Sun Jae. She’s so caught up in him that she neglects her family, especially her grandma, who has dementia. Hello? You had a chance to reconnect, and instead, you’re running around saving the guy? It made her love feel a bit too consuming, like everyone else existed just as a backdrop to Sun Jae. On Sun Jae’s side? The whole “obsessed after one rainy day” thing was hard to believe. A yellow umbrella and some candy, and suddenly he’s writing songs and tracking her down? Cute, but totally insane. And the weird part? He’s been obsessed the whole time, but in the beginning, he acts like she’s the annoying one. The disconnect here was maddening and made it hard to buy into his whole “I’ve always loved you” act.

The Friend & Brother Duo No One Asked For
Let’s talk about Hyun Joo and Im Geum. Their relationship was a mess. Hyun Joo’s undying love for Im Geum felt utterly undeserved. The guy made so many poor decisions, like blowing all their money on some random friend’s company and giving away lottery numbers. And yet, we’re supposed to root for them? Why? She had three kids with this guy, but I wouldn’t have blamed her if she’d packed up and left after the first dumb investment. Im Geum was a walking disaster. From his absurd crying over an ex at a camp retreat to his general lack of maturity, he was nothing but a giant, unnecessary subplot. Purposefully dumb characters like him are a pain to watch, and this pair’s scenes were the hardest to sit through.

Grandma Knows Everything?
Okay, can we talk about Grandma for a second? How did she know everything about the past without the watch? How was she time traveling? She was like the show’s magical plot hole, and the writers never bothered to explain any of it. It was beyond frustrating, especially when even Sun Jae couldn’t figure things out until the very end. She was a walking mystery that the show never even tried to solve, leaving me scratching my head over how she could be so all-knowing without any actual explanation.

The Drama Refused to End
By episode 12, I was done. I swear, this drama just kept going in circles. Sol avoids him, Sun Jae chases her, they get cute, and then… rinse and repeat. It felt like we were watching the same cycle over and over, and I honestly started zoning out by the end. The drama dragged, and by the time we got to the last episodes, I was begging for it to just end. We were running a marathon, not watching a K-drama. The fluff piled on, and the episodes started to feel like filler. At a certain point, you have to ask, “Is this a K-drama, or are we just going through the motions?”

The Ending
Let’s break the ending down into two parts.
First, the time travel—suddenly, it’s all perfectly controlled. Im Sol just so happens to travel to the exact moment when Sun Jae falls for her? Convenient, but totally unrealistic. It felt like lazy storytelling, making everything fit neatly into the plot when we’d spent the whole drama dealing with time travel randomness.
And then there’s the paralyzed body mystery. In the final life, where she prevents Sun Jae from falling for her, how was she able to avoid the accident she was supposed to have? The taxi driver randomly decides to become a silent stalker instead of finishing the job? The logic didn’t add up.
Lastly, Sun Jae’s suicide. Was it on purpose or just a random accident? We’re never really told. His depression seemed to only exist in one timeline, but did Young Soo push him? It’s another thread left dangling, with no closure.

Final Thoughts:
Lovely Runner had all the ingredients to be great—a unique premise, a gorgeous cast, strong performances, and an OST worthy of repeat listens. But somewhere along the way, it traded depth for swoon, and logic for vibes. The writers seemed so focused on making Sun Jae the ultimate simp that they forgot to build a believable love story—or a plot that made sense.

Despite the setup, the romance never felt earned, the villain was more plot device than person, and the side characters took up way too much screen time for how little they contributed. Honestly, if it weren’t for the cast, I doubt this show would’ve made half the noise it did.

By the final stretch, the endless loop of tragedy and reset got exhausting. And let’s be real—just because a drama can be 16 episodes doesn’t mean it should be. In the end, Lovely Runner wasn’t a sprint or a marathon—it was more of a scenic detour with great visuals, killer tracks, and way too many slow-mo stares

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