Lovely Runner

Just a recent viewer trying to balance out the hate

I haven't written a review in a while. But then again, I haven't watched such an addictive drama in a while. The kind that you can see yourself going back to every as some kind of annual rewatching festival (such dramas pop up once every five years or so). And if anyone knows me, they know that I can't help writing a review for a drama I fell in love with. And I definitely fell for this one. Hard.

As someone who watched Dark recently, I have to say that no time travel plotline would manage to surprise me anymore. Once you watch Dark, you've watched everything time-travel genre has to offer. But Lovely Runner is not about time travel. It's about love. Time travel is merely a plot device to keep things going. The true heart of this beautiful drama lies in its wonderful characters, its unforgettable male lead and its hilarious female lead. She is one of those rare actresses who can make a cutesy character funny and not cringe. And can we talk about how many actors whose careers she has kicked to hallyu level (Rowoon, Lee Jae Wook and Byun Woo Seok being a few examples). She's extremely talented and deserves all the praise in the world.

Coming to Sun Jae. This character is definitely everyone's internet boyfriend right now and for good reason. He has the most pure love, the most beautiful heart and not to mention the cutest reactions to everything Sol does. He is definitely the cause of all those nights in the future when we are binge-watching this drama like crazy.

They use all the romantic cliches in this drama but definitely give a 2024 touch to it (or should I say 2009 touch? LOL). You will find no red flags here. The SML was awesome and I haven't enjoyed a love triangle this much in a long time.

I know many people are concerned with loopholes in the story but that happens in almost every time travel story if you ask me. A lot can happen and a lot is left to interpretation (her grandmother, the killer's motive etc). But honestly, if you ask me, I feel that they give you enough hint about everything and leave a bit to your imagination (which isn't necessarily a bad thing; I mean it's not like they forgot to tell you who she ends up marrying in the end (you know what drama I'm talking about lol)).

The music is to die for, Definitely ringtone material and more.

You can love this drama or hate it, but you can take it from me that this is going to be the most relevant 2020s drama in the future decades (and for good reason).

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Dissapointing and Overrated

So I'll be honest, I did not really enjoy watching Lovely Runner. I had really high expectations but it was just boring...

I thought the beginning was interesting as she had suffered a terrible accident and had to learn how to live her life in a wheel chair. She was unhappy and suicidal, but then suddenly, one call from some idol and some simple message like "live to enjoy tomorrow", would completely change her outlook on life. This does not seem realistic. One does not change from suicidal to suddenly a bubbly and positive girl from one moment to the next. After the concert in episode 1, he meets her at the bridge, which is a huge coincidence to be honest. Then it turns out he had been her neigbour, another big coincidence, he was actually the one who saved her at the bridge, another big coincidence... I know fiction always has coincidences and unrealistic occurances, but this was really too much! Also, I thought we would learn of his struggle with depression and suicide, and the plot twist was so dissapointing.

Additionally, I thought it was strange that the whole plot of his "suicide" would suddenly change to a murder case, which was connected to Im Sol's car accident. It is just so typical and predictable at this point. Furthermore, the serial killer does not have any personality and is just a chess piece for the plot.

The second couple in the drama were just so unnecessary. What did that add to the story?

All the problems in this drama are external, and the most important being that the murderer will kill Sun Jae. This is also boring, as there is no character development in the whole story. What did Sun Jae and Im Sol learn in the process? Nothing. Only that they loved each other.

The whole plot was based on saving Sun Jae, and there is literally nothing else the plot is about. He was in love with her from the beginning also making the whole "falling in love" process really gone. I usually love romance, but this drama did not make my heart flutter at all!

Well, throughout the drama until like episode 15 I was somewhat okay with the drama. Nothing exceptional but some light entertainment, but at episode 15, when the killer got hit by a truck, I was really shocked! This is it? That's it? The main characters were not even responsible for the catching of the murderer! I mean what did I watch this drama for? I watched it so that Im Sol manages would put the criminal in prison. So when episode 16 came, I expected something dramatic to happen cause episode 15 was so underwhelming and dissapointing. Turns out episode 16 is just one super long episode about Im Sol and Sun Jae being together. I really felt nothing when I finished the drama.

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Had high expectation but felt short!

Lovely Runner has been on my plan to watch list forever and I finally completed it. Unfortunately, I am disappointed after watching it, especially given the high rating and awards the show has won. I struggled with the first 10 episodes, from episodes 11 to 15 it got better and then there was the last episode ( not sure if we even needed it…)
What’s good:
1) ML’s acting. I thought he did a decent job as a ML. Only saw 1 movie of him prior to this show so no real expectation.
2) Chemistry between the three actors, BWS, SGH and LSH. Whenever there was a scene between them it brought a smile to my face or a LOL.
3) Decent OST
What’s not great:
1) The plot - too repetitive, boring and confusing. I did want to drop the show because of it but I preserved until the end because I don’t like dropping dramas lol.
2) Chemistry between ML and FL. I know this is possibly an unpopular opinion but for me it was just average. I really don’t feel the electrifying chemistry between them, which made it difficult to watch because the show is about great first love who timed travel many times over to save each other. I felt there was better chemistry between the FL and SML (SGH).

Overall, I would not rewatch this show. If you like the actors/actress then give it a go. It is an ok show to watch but definitely no more than that, in my opinion.

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“Run into your Unknown”

Yes, this is the best kdrama you will ever watch.

I don’t even know where to begin because this show has literally EVERYTHING! You want romance? They got it. Comedy? They got it. Drama? You best believe they got it. Fantasy, Mystery, and Thriller? Of course!


I’m writing this week before the show ends, hoping I can take my time to review everything I love about this show and why I think the show is a must-watch! The first thing that I should mention is that there is a familiarity when it comes to Lovely Runner from your favorite kdramas, such as Twinkling Watermelon, Strong Woman Do Bong Song, 20th Century Girl, Twenty-Five Twenty-One, and My Lovely Stranger. Yet, besides all of that, this show is very different. It’s nothing like the shows I mentioned. I don’t want to give much away since this is a spoiler-free review, but it’s safe to say there’s a lot of familiarity with the show, BUT there is also a lot of originality. The Twist and Turns… When I say this show is unpredictable, I genuinely mean it. When I tell you I did not expect a reveal so soon at the end of the 2nd episode, I knew that this show would continue blowing my expectations; I was not wrong. Every week, this show continued to surprise us in the best way possible. For a Romantic Comedy with Fantasy and thriller, the show thrives in everything! I have watched many dramas, and what feels like forever, it truly feels like you’re watching true love. What Imsol and Sunjae have feels and looks natural. When I watch each episode, I feel like I’m watching these two people fall in love repeatedly. It makes me all giddy inside as the two try desperately to hold on to each other. 

Speaking of Imsol and Sunjae, let's speak about the beautiful actors who portray them. Kim Hye-Yoon, THE WOMAN YOU ARE! I've actually been following this show since it was announced because of Hye-Yoon. I'm a big fan of her and happy to see her get the recognition she deserves since I believe she is one of the best actors I have ever seen (watch her in Sky Castle; there's no better example). Hye-Yoon always gives it her all and works endlessly to provide us with the best results. I mean, the fact I could tell which Imsol she was playing, I think, says it all. This girl has RANGE. Hye-Yoon plays Imsol with so much love, as someone once commented, "The person who loved Seonjae more than anyone else and understood Imsol more than anyone else was Kim Hye-yoon." Not to mention, this show would not have existed without her. She is the reason why we have this fantastic show to watch. For apparent reasons, I think a lot of the spotlight is more on Byeon Woo-Seok. Still, I hope Hye-Yoon doesn't get forgotten when this is all done and shines as much as him because she deserves it. 

Now Woo-Seok, I've been a fan of him since 20th Century Girl. I'd seen his work before the movie, and he always stood out to me with his acting; maybe his height helped a little, too. I genuinely appreciate Wook-Seok for bringing to life a character that feels fresh and exciting to watch. When I say, his portrayal of Sunjae being the GREENEST FLAG THERE IS, I'm not kidding. He indeed wears his heart on his sleeves, and with his facile expression, he is easy to read. Something to mention is that these two actors have to play teenagers, young adults, and adults, which is already impressive. The two perfectly play the awkward years and the maturing times. The two both play their character with love and innocence with a little of a rough side. 

As I currently listen to the music on repeat, yes, on repeat, because the soundtrack is that good. It evokes emotions that remind me of everything I love about this show. The young love that lasts through the years, the heartbreak, the joy, and the anticipation. It's hard to put everything I feel through words as I try to write, but I want to mention that I love every song dearly, and they share a core memory. A memory I hope to not forget.

So, in conclusion… yes, I highly recommend this show!!! Now go watch!!!

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Perfect Romantic Comedy with All the Right Elements

As someone already mentioned here, it's literally one of the rare gems of K-dramas. The series has everything that's necessary for romcoms and K-series in general:

✓ Great from start to finish
✓ Green flag main characters
✓ Interesting plotline
✓ Happy ending
✓ Suitable cast for the characters
✓ Focus on main characters with minimal focus on side characters
✓ Beautiful OSTs (Sonagi and Spring Snow!!!)
✓ Green flag second male lead
✓ Many more things I probably forgot to mention

It had many emotional scenes, but overall it wasn't depressing at all, so it's perfect if you want to watch something to feel entertained and feel like you're a teenager again, kicking your feet, lying in bed giggling, and blushing out of adoration for the characters.

literally 10 out of 10

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im sorry for the person im gonna be

there's a lot of things that i wanna say about this drama because the more i watched it the more i started to force me to finished it and i couldn't. i watched half of the 14th ep and i decided to watch another thing 💀

i'm not gonna talk abt the acting cuz idk abt those things but instead i'm gonna talk abt sol's character. she pissed me off so bad, she just did things that i didn't like and she was just doing it for stupid reasons. that time where she made the guy from her career eat the mouthwash just because she didn't want sunjae to see her??? and the fact that she wanted sunjae not to fall in love with her and okay, i kinda get it but why would you say that if you're gonna cry and start to date him suddenly?? doesn't make sense. sol needed to make up her mind SO BAD i bet she also didn't know what she was doing

i also didn't know when was the time that sol felt something for sunjae because in 2023, she told him she did but did she really? when was that actually? /gen like, i never noticed that (i think it was when sunjae asked her if she didn't feel anything towards him at any of those times she was in when they were at her house)

also, can we talk abt the crime subplot?? if there's something i hate on romcoms dramas is that mf crime subplot like, why?? if i wanted to watch a crime drama i would. and please don't try to excuse them with the "it's because she couldn't walk" okay i get it, but there's so many options for that, she could've just get in a car accident-

speaking of which, there were a lot of drama at some point because of the guy that abducted her, sunjae confessing and sol's mom at the hospital?? 🧍🏼‍♂️

even tho i gave it a 6.5 i won't say this was a bad drama. like, i actually enjoyed it and it gave me a good chuckle and, if it wasn't for sol's personality i would say sunjae and her had a good relationship, it was cute and all.

btw omg i loved sunjae's personality. he was so cute, he really liked sol and he was so down bad for her. i love when the male leads are a losers <3

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PHENOMINAL

AHHHH !!! You should watch this when you get the chance !! Its literally so amazing and haa such a unique storyline (so far as it is ongoing). Lovely Runner had me hooked with the first few minutes of episode 1.

I may or may not be biased since I don't watch a lot of k-drama or dramas in general, but this is one of the most interesting takes I've seen on the time travel plot line. It adds just the right amount of suspense and satisfaction!!

Even if the genre's arent your cup of tea, just give it a try. You seriously won't regret watching Lovely Runner.

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Handsdown one of the best drama in 2024

I am proud to say I am one of the few people that started the drama way before the craze and hype, all because I was excited since last year when Wooseok and Hyeyoon were announced as the cast. Frankly, I don't particularly care about drama theme when my fav actors or actresses star in it and in this case, it was Hyeyoon.

I started it out not expecting any great or perfect drama, I simply expect a usual romcom. Man was I wrong, episode 2 was absolutely magical and I knew right away I had to promote tf out of this drama to every single of my mutuals.

I just finished watching finale and my thoughts are jumbled up lol I'll comeback when I have sorted out my thoughts and feelings and will write a proper review.

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It has everything. My favorite romcom of all time, not just 2024

This has fluffy romance, comedy aplenty and a lot of heart. I can't believe that within 10 minutes into the drama, I was already crying with Im Sol. Kim HyeYoon delivered such a great performance in the first episode that before it ended I was hooked.

The story is about Im Sol (HyeYoon) who was about to give up on life after an accident. Because of the encouragement she got from an idol Ryu SunJae (WooSeok), she decided to live. For more than 10 years, she supported SunJae as a fan and was very shocked when news came out that SunJae died from apparent suicide. A mystic occurrence brought her back in time when both she and SunJae were still in high school. Can she stop SunJae's death? Was it really a suicide?

As of writing this only 2 episodes are out but I am already enjoying this drama. In fact, the last few minutes of Episode 2 gave me overexcited butterflies. Scenes that may seem cringey on paper turned out lovely and sweet because of the music used and the chemistry between HyeYoon and WooSeok. And then there's also GeonHee who's playing the second lead. He also looks good with HyeYoon. But I'm still team SunJae. The scriptwriters so far made somewhat believable scenarios (yeah, I will also run/get scared when a person seems crazy). I am looking forward for the next episodes.

Edit:
I am now at episode 8, my favorite thus far, and this just keeps getting better so I'm changing my review score from 9.5 to 10. This deserves it for making me look forward to Mondays even though it's the start of my work week. Now I'm not just on the Sunjae-Sol ship but also on the WooSeok-HyeYoon ship too. These two are really lovely together.

Edit 2:
After completion, this has become my standard for a romcom and has become my favorite drama of all time. I would rate it more than 10 if I could. This has everything like a mashup of all possible drama tropes (running after a leaving car, time capsules, etc) and settings (jungle scenes, island scenes, school scenes, the ever present airport scene, etc) but still done right. I kept thinking that the writer has a checklist to see which ones she haven't used yet. I love all the OSTs, they are used at the right timing throughout the drama even the BGMs. My favorites are "Gift", "Sudden Shower" and "Run, run". This also has the best pacing among all the dramas I've seen with the focus mostly on the leads. Its romance is satisfying and was not stingy at all with the kiss scenes unlike usual kdramas. Its comedy despite a few misses are ones that remain funny even in a rewatch. Its logic as a time travel drama made sense. There are detail consistencies in the interconnected scenes like scars, head bump, etc which shows that this had been meticulously made (yeah, I had a minor issue with 34 yrs old Sunjae's haircuts but it's negligible cause he looked almost the same anyway). There was a time in Ep13 that this drama broke my heart but immediately fixed it again in the next episode. It is a self-aware romcom and often references itself with parallelism and easter eggs that are spread throughout the entire drama. As such, it makes you want to rewatch previous scenes and episodes. It shows again and again that the leads have an interconnection that time and distance cannot truly sever and how selfless is their love for each other. I'm so glad that I chased this because I was able to discuss theories and ship the lead couple with fellow capellas (eclipse fandom) and subeoms (solseon fandom). I know I'll rewatch this again just for the comfort it brings.

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Very interesting plot only for it to breakdown halfway towards the end

Just for disclaimer i was both of the leads fans, but being a fan doesn't mean i can't critic their work ok.

I already watched this drama before it became the hot topic over the neighborhood lol, it was because i like the fl and the ml previous work (sky castle and 20th century girl). I was so crazy about it when episode 2 was dropped, i was gagged and it got more exciting.

But the disappointment hits me at 10ish episode, because there was no character or even plot development at all. The plot losed it focus when they started to date i think. I know the main point in this drama is to save sunjae, and this drama is a romcom, but i really really hope that the fl and ml could have more bond with other characters too. I think it got to the point that other characters are pointless(?) and written just to fill the void. The ml's world is only imsol, he will do anything just to be with imsol, it's like he has no character at all because his decisions are easily influenced by his loved ones (imsol) (i know it's a romcom but come on... you can be lovey dovey while doing other things too). Same goes for the fl... It's like their character couldn't care less about other people if it's not about their gf/bf.

And the fl character is bad written imo, thank god hyeyoon saves it with her acting. She's supposed to be 30s yo woman trapped in higschooler body, but she even acts more childish than the highschooler could be. I know sol's character main purpose is to save sunjae, but she's too careless, has no plan, and just couldn't think straight (and i can't relate to it maybe that's why i can't empathize with her character).

Overall the acting was good enough, and the chemistry was fire. But there were probably some parts that's not really enjoyable to watch. Idk if it's because sol character is bad written or whatever it's, but sometimes the "i'm shocked" in sol's face kinda unnatural and i could tell that she's trying to act there, but other than that it was just great.

It's just my opinion, yall could try to watch it if you're interested, because i swear the few early episodes was dope tho ngl.

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I'm going to be that person.

Lemme give this drama the review it truly deserves...

I want to say that a good looking face is not what makes a drama good... If you think that the FL is annoying because she is badly written... then great! I agree. If you think she is "not good enough." for the so called perfect ML then please reply to me so we can fight... A metric ton of these reviews REEK of misogyny. I don't understand how people can continuously dunk on the FL while praising the ML to death. BOTH are shallow and underdeveloped and still continue to be as of the most recent episodes...

Anyways....

Going off of the summary I thought I'd be getting an intelligent melodrama that touches on the struggles of fame, parasocial relationships and the viciousness of depression... maybe a little commentary on living with disabilities (since Sol was not disabled in the original story) but since EP 3 It's turned into a generic rom com with ANOTHER serial killer subplot that comes out of nowhere and Sol's disability has become non-existent. Yay proper representation and social commentary!

I really dislike Sol's lack of regard for anyone aside from the ML... She doesn't care or pay attention to her grandma or mother. I could almost imagine a better drama having the female lead taking the time to slow down and enjoy the company of her grandmother before she gets dementia in the future. A subtle reminder to the audience to appreciate the people currently in their lives while they can. But because the female lead is only focused on the male lead we never see anything like this, Im Sol's family and friends are accessories or props that are never fleshed out enough to actually feel like any of them are real people. Im Sol's mom being sick is so dumb too because it doesn't really matter, it has no bearing on the story, and it's resolved in 10 mintues and Sol does not change her behavior at all after learning the news... Instead of humanizing the mother her sickness is used as a cheap accelerant, she gets sick so the writer has a reason to cause a misunderstanding between the leads and later justify how Sol gets kidnapped.

Also the writers have made Im Sol annoying, unserious and illogical when it comes to her "goal". On the other hand Ryu Sun Jae is a boring paper cutout who also never feels like a real person. His existence revolves around the FL, every action he takes is in response to her and her feelings and he never manages to develop a solid character of his own. Swimming was Ryu Sunjae's whole life but he got over not being able to do it anymore super quick? Why? because he likes Im Sol? Once again I could imagine a better show showing the ML struggling under the weight of possibly being a disappointment or just dealing with pressure at a very young age , which could have naturally led into exploring his depression.


I want to point out that Im Sol's love for the ML is understandable because we see hints of his personality in the 1st episode... He's a caring person who would say kind words to a stranger to give them hope.... he changes Im Sol's outlook on life and gives her the push she needs to live her life again despite her new disabilities. Her caring about and supporting him as a fan is not a toxic parasocial connection because we're shown how great of a guy he is, and THIS is what makes his suicide really hit hard.... But once you learn that he's liked her thats all that he becomes... all nuance is lost. Im Sol goes from relatable fan to goofy weirdo which is still So disappointing especially because we have no idea why the ML likes the FL?

Kim Taesung could have had an intresting side story about his family and his own form of depression that he uses acting out to deal with, but... it never happens... He's easliy the most compelling character but he too is overlooked and underutilized. Instead dumb jokes and gags are prioritized over what could have been a great story for the second male lead. Also theres this weird Exposition character that shows up pretty early on that hangs around him.... this man was only there so say the most obvious nonsense for the sake of the audience for like 2-3 episodes... The show presents him as if he is the 2nd ML'sbest friend but then he disappears Into thin air after just a couple episodes. That was so weird and unnecessary, how about you just show us what's going on instead of inventing a new character to tell us instead.... it's like the writer and director think we need our hands to be held to watch this stupid rom-com.

I can not stress enough that having Sunjae like Sol all of a sudden was a terrible idea. The extent of their past connection should have been him helping her in the accident that made her disabled. He should have fallen in love with her naturally while she took steps to save his life....
Her effort and care could have been rewarded with affection and loyalty in turn... Because you ALREADY know they like each other, theres no tension or excitement. I never laugh or cry...

I don't feel anything because nothing feels earned... I need more than pretty faces for a drama to be a 10/10. The amount of people who are saying this show is PERFECT makes me feel like I'm in the twilight zone. It's not as bad as More than Friends but this is not going to be a memorable masterpiece like last year's Twinkling Watermelon or My Dearest.

It's trying so hard to be Twinkling Watermelon without attempting to do any of the heavy lifting.

Fight me if you like, I know I'm right tho. 🎤⤵

Final thoughts: 3.5 ->4.0
Imma add half a point cuz I liked that Im Sol finally had a heart to heart with her Grandma, and Kim Tae Sung (who is in FACT the best character) had his own fufilling emotional moment with his Father. I also liked the actual proposal scene.

On the other hand I dont like that in ep 15 the ML lies to the FL so he can keep her in his house even though she wanted to leave... I hated that this show STILL couldn't put the gags away so the proposal could happen on time and the audience can get a proper wedding scene. The serial killer (who drives 95% of the conflict) was taken care of in such an unceremonious way in ep 15 and we STILL didn't get a wedding in the last episode. Hooray!





_____________________________________________________________
Also as a note to that one person in the comments who believes that we should give out participation trophies to every single piece of media. Cuz nothing deserves less than a 5 >< LOL.

Lemme paint a picture.

Let's say your next door neighbor was a farmer. You see him toiling away in his Fields all day. You watch from the window, witnessing as he shovels something into his wagon. The farmer is sweating, but diligently working hard in shoveling. So you think "Wow, that man is so hard working." You find yourself being excited and finding out what he's been working on. Soon you see that the farmer is done with his shoveling and he has started making his way over to your home with his wagon....

You're surprised that he's coming to you but you're also delighted in finding out what he could be offering. So you wait by your door, the anticipation starting to get to you. Finally you hear a knock, and as you open your door you find the farmer standing there with his wheelbarrow full of manure. Dudes standing on ur porch with a wagon full of poop and then he procedes to dump it. Right onto your feet.

There you are standing in doo doo, that the farmer worked soooo hard to gather for you. He put his everything into gathering that brownie pile thats decorating your feet. Do you still tell the farmer good job even though you don't enjoy his work? And when you do and he continues to shovel manure onto you will you be happy then???

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