Lovely Runner

Unusual at its BEST

What a lovely run that was...

Thank you for this rough gem. It has been forever for a youth drama to shine in this era. I’ve experienced from the huge fandom and crazy buzz over Meteor Garden, Itazura Na Kiss, Goong, Coffee Prince, Boys Over Flowers to name a few, and now I’ve found another in Lovely Runner (LR). It’s a masterpiece to me but maybe trash for others, and it's OK. They can enjoy their high tea-scones coz I like to eat my greasy street food.

Although there are certain poorly written fillers/ subplot, borderline unnecessary and annoying, it can be overlooked as the leads are just amazing; Yes, you may say that both leads carried and aced the show. The spotlight is on them and I'm not going to complain. The writer/director did an awesome job of telling their journey of overcoming an ill-fated love story.

Sometimes people just forget that some of us just like to watch a drama/ movie as a way to escape from reality. If you like to be a realist then this drama isn't for you. BUT having said that, if I have to be picky, I wished that the depression part for both leads were explored and explained further.

Plot
Story wise at the beginning suffers a bit of incoherent flow as we deal with a time slip theme however as the story progresses, it builds up a steady momentum of our curiosity, love and anticipation in rooting the leads and where would they take us. The twists and turns in this one are unexpected, thus creating opportunities of endless parallels or reverse perspectives which then were being used to the max. I’m amazed at how beautifully it was being executed, from the cinematography, the ambience and colour grading, the music and how naturally I was to be sucked in and stuck in LR’s Lalaland.

BUT what I love most about LR is that I was being blindsided, multiple times by the unexpected perspectives of SJ and the others. The iconic moment of SJ blowing his kisses remains forever and imprinted in my mind, added with his best friend’s reaction, it was truly unexpected. From here on, I knew that LR is not going to be your typical average rom-com drama.

Cast
Both leads has an amazing-out-of-this-world chemistry and we could feel their love for one another. Their energy genuinely bring warmth and charmed many of us into a fan. And I fell hard on both characters especially in SJ’s part. He is honestly not-your-usual boy who fell head over heels for Sol. His type is really rare to non-existent and only exist in dramaland ^^.

Byeon Woo-Seok as SJ is shining so bright that I went blind. I mean whenever he is on-screen I could not help but to smile whenever he smiles, cry whenever he’s sad, and scream whenever he did those silly little things that could make him look like a fool. Yes, a lovely fool in love. THANK YOU for bringing Seon-jae into life. Let’s just sums it all up as SJ the adorable silly guy in love, whether as a high-schooler, college student or famous star, he just can’t help himself from his destiny. His portrayal for each version of himself are superb and differ from one another yet share the same silliness traits except the one where he was in despair in the beginning; which sets him apart from your typical rom-com leads and I couldn't picture anyone else portraying SJ.

Kim Hye-Yoon as Im Sol is like reminiscing her portrayal in Extraordinary You but it's an upgraded one as she dealt with multiple version of herself. As a girl who originally suffers hardship and trauma, she grows into the adult Sol as a bright yellow sun just like she was when she was in high-school; full of drive, hope and desire. Her portrayals are commendable and I just love her for being able to make each portrayal distinct from one another yet share the same strong concern and anxiety in ensuring SJ's wellbeing. Although this is a rom-com, her dramatic portrayal was actually her strongest points, especially when she was depressed for being paralysed or yelling ungratefully at SJ for saving her; and of course in the final part where she reunites with her lost and forgotten love. Her wailing is full of relief, yearning and sadness mixed with happiness. Her journey throughout the show is definitely not one dimensional.

Other Cast (Overall)
Sol's family n best friend - Mixture of good and bad; Funny but can be annoying at times.
SJ's father and friends - Epic and never enough.
Kim Tae-Sung - Mixed; Funny but can be ignored at some point. Sorry if I'm not a fan LOL.

3 Favourite Scenes;
1) The iconic yellow umbrella, their first meeting.
2) The reunion, after SJ remembers everything.
3) The finale, wishing cherry blossom and its parallel.
3+1) Grandma’s blessing to SJ, I just need to add this one coz BWS is such a damn good actor.

Music
Awesome. It helps to create the mood of hope, youth, love and yearning. My top 3 favourites are Sonagi, Like A Dream and Spring Snow. For me they are truly LR's anthems that complete the story as a whole.

Would I watch this again?
Definitely YES YES YES!

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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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THE PERFECT BLEND!!! ( of romance, fantasy, emotions, comedy, suspense and thrill)

Lovely runner is a coming of age drama that managed to blend together different aspects and actually made it work some how, lovely runner covers the emotional aspects through its plot and then it goes ahead and adds romance which is heartfluttering and heart warming and then goes ahead and adds in a little comedy to balance out the heaviness of the plot and then it continues to add in many other different aspects such as time travel which is done in a way I found interesting and Intruiging...it then goes ahead and adds suspense and thrill...all of this mixed up together to give as a memorable story....now it isn't easy to balance all of this together without giving much priority to one affecting the other but somehow lovely runner makes it work till the end.

lovely runner tells the story of a fan who loses her idol and during her time of desparation finds her self travelling back in time to the time when her idol was in his highschool days....hence she takes it upon her self to protect him from harm....and make sure she lives to see the future.

I loved the build up of the idol and fan relationship, i loved how the idol was shown as some one who was their for the fan during her tough times and that added a specific emotion towards her bond with him.

We explore the story more and find out that there is more to these two's relationship than just then being fan and idol and that's when the fun begins.....

There are plenty of things I loved about this drama and I'll try to summarise them into five respectively....

THE PLOT : Any one would say that this story has been seen before and yes maybe it has but I loved how it was executed in a way that made it feel fresh to me as a watcher...like I said I love how they blended various aspects together to create something rather memorable.

THE ACTING : The acting was nothing short of being phenomenominal...every one gave their best and I love how they acted with passion, it was the kind of acting that draws you in as a viewer because you get to feel every little bit of emotion through these characters and it was really amazing....

THE CHARACTERISATION: The characters in this drama were made for the actors and actresses that took them on......my only flaw was that I wished that they fleshed out some of the characters a bit more for example I wanted to see the second male lead as more than just this cool guy but rather a glimpse of his personal life and his family something to get me connected to him as a person not that I wasn't but I needed a bit more...a other interesting character that felt wasted was lnyuk, his passion for music alone could have been a build up for his own story he would have shined.. because best believe he knows how to act but it felt like he was a guest role that only showed up when they needed some comedic reactions from him...I also kind of wished that his friendship with the male lead was fleshed out a bit...it would have been heartwarming to see their bromance...that felt lacking other than that the leads were written perfectly each felt complex and each felt like they had personality...the male lead being showed as this golden retriever and a string willed and headed female lead whose hate O wont entertain btw considering her actions and reactions to things were nothing short of how any human being would react......the characters were written well enough...

THE COMEDIC TIMING: This dramas strongest weapon was the spot on comedy..nothing felt un natural or forced..the characters them selves had amazing comedy timing..their reactions to things felt real to the point that some situations couldn't have really called for laughing but I did because the characters sold it...hearts off to the direction of the comedy scenes they added a charm to the story....

THE ROMANCE: what makes a good romance, the answer is being well written in a way that it doesn't cringe but rather gives you flutters and leaves you feeling single...and then the chemistry.. chemistry is such an important factor for me when it comes to romance having no CHEMISTRY ruins everything for me and thank God the leads had song chemistry..they had the tension, they had the cute interactions that felt natural it all felt right so I have to say in addition to the way their there romance was built I appreciated the chemistry that sold that romance to me...I also loved how their love story was a mixture of different genres...we had first love, live at first sight, he fell first and harder, unrequited love, friends to lovers, highschool sweethearts, college romance, adult romance, meet against, and many more....

THE OSTS: “ cause Iam falling slowly in love with you.." I have this on repeat....the osts were absolutely amazing.

This drama was the perfect blend...the romance was done well and so was the thrill and suspense in addition to the time travel and fantasy in addition to the comedy it was the perfect blend!!!

I'll wait to conclude my review before I watch the final episode.....

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I loved the story, and it had great lead actors and supporting actors.

IT’S MY FIRST TIME WRITING A REVIEW

I started watching this drama the day its first episode was released. I have been a big fan of Kim Hye Yoon aka Im Sol since her first drama as the lead in Extraordinary You. So I gave this drama a shot and it didn't let me down at all. She is a great actor, and her chemistry with Byeon Woo Seok aka Ryu Seon Jae was amazing out of the world. Byeon Woo Seok is also a great actor. I first noticed him in the movie 20th Century Girl, and I also saw his other works like Strong Girl Nam-soon and Soulmate. Both his acting and his handsome face left a deep impression on me.

Byeon Woo Seok as Ryu Seon Jae and Kim Hye Yoon as Im Sol was a great decision. They both look so great together that I can’t explain it in words and they did their part so well. Our Ryu Seon Jae being a loser in love with our lovely Im Sol was so damn cute and funny. Im Sol’s awkward laugh in episode 2 reminded me of Eun Dan-oh's character in Extraordinary You but man Byeon Woo Seok loves to play the character who dies or has a sad ending in dramas and movies.

The time traveling makes this romance drama more interesting even though many nowadays youth or romance dramas do have the concept of time traveling very often still this drama feels so fresh and makes me feel nostalgic. This drama has the charm to make you emotionally invested.

The kiss scenes were so good I was blushing the whole time in episode 8 and their all kiss scenes in the drama were good. They both together make me giddy in the cherry blossom scene even behind the scenes were making me giddy.

The poor Ryu Seon Jae died three times and I felt so sad for him and Im Sol. Ryu Seon Jae's POV of episode 2 was so beautiful.

The fictional band/group Eclipse was so handsome and so cool and the OSTs of this drama were so great like Sonaki (Sudden Shower), Spring Snow and Run Run etc. Ryu Seon Jae as an idol and a swimmer too good.

Song Geon Hee as Kim Tae Sung was good, he was a good second male lead but a great friend of Im Sol and I felt a little bit of second male lead syndrome for him. Lee Seung Hyub as Baek In Hyuk Ryu Seon Jae's best friend, Song Ji Ho as Im Geum Im Sol's brother and Seo Hye Won as Lee Hyun Joo Im Sol's best friend were funny and fun to watch.

This drama contains very funny scenes like Ryu Seon Jae mistaking Im Sol's nephew as her son, the whole of episode 11 was hilarious it was full of funny moments and the next episode 12 was funny too when Im Sol got to know about her brother and her best friend dating and cute Seon Jae fanning her face to calm her down.

The ending feels so surreal. At least Byeon Woo Seok's one character gets a happy ending. I am so happy for him.

I still can’t believe this drama ended yesterday now my Mondays and Tuesdays will feel so boring.

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Its not that deep but its gonna sink in your mind quickly

Although thriller aspect to it and not so happy begginig this drama is full of fluffyness and awkward missunderstandings you are gonna love.
Time travel, love angst and lots of laught combined with trully sorrowfull moments make watching this drama a full rollercoaster of emotions.
Nowadays it seems every movie and every series tries to be serious and touch on difficult topics. But in this difficult times something that will make you forget the darkness of reality may have even more value. Lovely Runner shows us that in every tragedy there is a possibility for a happy ending and reminds us that life has to be balanced as "for every precious thing you gain you have to lose something else". But sometimes this exchange is trully worth it.
Some say that 9.2 rating is exaggerated, but to me this drama has proven its worth. It may not be anything new or thought provoking, but it made me feel things i havent for years. And those is what matters the most to me.

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"Memories don't disappear, they're all smeared into one's soul"

"Memories don't disappear, they're all smeared into one's soul, the brain may forget, but one soul's been keeping every piece of it" - Im Sol's Halmoni

The above quote perfectly describes what this drama is about. What started as saving one's life ended up being created memories with that special person. Those memories will always be there in one's soul, trying to find its way back no matter what.

Although the 2 episodes before the final 2 episodes felt like a slow progress, this drama was written pretty well overall. I love how this writer always included events that happen in a previously timeline back to the current timeline. The development of Im Sol's feelings to Sun Jae from being a fan wanting to save him, to wanting to save him because of her love for him.

The only repetitive part that I found in this drama was Sol keeping pushing away or avoiding Sun Jae (during college and then Eps 13-14). I get why she did that but still, I'm not a fan of those kind of tropes as I prefer the leads just communicating with each other and not hide anything from each other. Still, it was great seeing Im Sol's love for Sun Jae grow each time she travels back in time and Sun Jae getting chance after chance to be with Im Sol since his love for her never changed.

A huge amount of comedy between the main characters and their friends. Even when the preview for each week shows seriousness, there's so much more laughter that occurs in me when watching each episode and a lot of romantic and cute scenes between the leads.

THIS DRAMA IS THE DEFINITION OF A ROMANTIC COMEDY!

Even though there was a killer/kidnapper in this drama, I'm glad the writers stuck with the idea of keeping his screentime at a minimum towards the very end. It would've been okay to find out his motive but at the same time, since they barely showed him, I'm glad they got rid of him quickly as well.

The whole cast was awesome! From the best friends to the parents. Great acting! I like almost every character in this drama, and I find that as a rarity in dramas.

The ending was great. Although I kind of wish there was a wedding at the end, I'm glad we got a glimpse of what their wedding look like as our leads both saw their future together. At least they ended it with a proposal. I'm satisfied.

We're about halfway through 2024 as I'm writing this, and I haven't found any k-dramas that I would consider rewatching again, but this one definitely makes the list.

THIS IS MY FIRST FAVORITE KOREAN DRAMA OF 2024

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The best kdrama in 2024 or even in the history of kdrama

The movie Lovely Runner was well written, well executed and won all other big budget drama production by a mile. The actors and actresses were all professional and executed their parts well. There were so many layers to the story that it is rich in relationships, storyline and presented a multi-dimensional yet entertaining, heart-warming and tear-inducing plot.

The love between Sunjae and ImSol, between ImSol and her mum, between ImSol and her maternal grandma, between Sunjae and his dad, between TaeSang and his dad were all so real, warm and relatable. The friendship between Sunjae and his bandmates, between ImSol and her bestie, the rivalry between Sunjae and TaeSang tucked a string in viwers heart. The hilarious boss of ImSol, the funny yet helpful driver of Sunjae, the pure kind hearted parents who hosted the gang in Tampuri, it was simply too much to take in all at once. Even the villain put up a good fight and made a deep impression on viewer.

I could not praise the supreme acting by the many good actors and actresses enough (particularly the leads, who braced freezing cold winter water for the filming), the writer, the directors, the lighting crew, the unsung heroes who made this show possible. I nearly to forget to praise the OST!!

So many memorable and catchy tunes by all the singers!!! The achievement by fiction band Eclispe and Byeon Woo Seok (who is not even a singer and yet sang Sunagi so well omg) were all highlights of 2024 and made this year so special. I think Lovely Runner deserved to be the best kdrama for 2024, and even deserved to be the best kdrama of all time. Way to go!!!

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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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