This review may contain spoilers
Great cast and acting, great chemistry, good story (one slight spoiler called out)
OverallI urge you not to take the super low ratings to heart. This show has a lot of trauma, but also a lot of humor that really works. Watch it!
Give me those two leads and the same level of trauma as in Touch Your Heart and it’s a classic worthy of an 11 rating.
The Good
- The cast is great. especially leads.
- The leads are a beautiful couple and their chemistry is off the charts.
- The FL’s smile is dazzling.
- Comedic elements landed and were not over the top. Both leads (and the secondary characters) pulled the humor off very well.
- Tenderness between leads, during the happy times, was inspiring.
- There were some really nice Mercedes cars (LOL even though I am a BMW guy :-)
- We got some decent amount of happy times at the end, not just the last 15 minutes like in some series.
- The story was interesting, with the caveats below.
Sub-Optimal
- There are at least one too many time slips. It did get repetitive and frustrating, as others have noted.
- There was also too much trauma, which accompanied the too many time slips. I would have rated this a 10 if there was less trauma and at least one fewer time slips.
- Those two things almost pushed this down to a 7 or 8. But my love for the leads and the comedic elements saved it for me.
- The villain (I feel sorry for the actor, who did his job well) was somehow not compelling for me.
-v(Kind of a spoiler) They dIdn’t really show a marriage - well they kinda did, but not for reals. I’ll leave it at that.
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Consistent Good Scene writing and Humour.
This show has good cinematography, consistent excellent scene writing, and humour.I thought after reading that there would be repetition of time travel many times which would make the story repetitive so it would end up boring. Turns out I was wrong. There were 4 times of time travel to the past, but 3 of them came to different times. The fourth (last) is just a flashback. The story telling in the future is also the same, the 4 futures have different situations and atmospheres.
There are some minor plot hole.
From that time travel situation.
But just minor plot hole.
And, Its typical Rom-com fantasy drama.
What do you expect?
Some minor plot hole sometimes necessary too exagrate the scene.
As long as it serves the purpose it was created for and fulfills its function and is "served" well as a rom-com. I won't expect more, let alone go beyond their's goal.
Watching this, I was giggling in my room while blushing at the scenes in each episode. This drama is one of the rom-com dramas that I rarely "fast forward".
I personally have watched a lot of rom-coms, this drama is one of the best. All scenes are presented well. There are many romcoms that try to be funny and want to depict a romantic atmosphere. But they failed miserably.
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my experience with the show
lovely runner (2024)I was hesitant when deciding to watch it, but it really got me out of my kdrama slump,
it reminded me so much of extraordinary you that I couldn't stop myself from continuing. This was my first time watching Byeon Woo-seok drama, he played well and of course I love Kim Hye-yoon, she was made for this role.
I feel bad that I didn't decide to watch it when it came out, I thought the hype was a little too much, usually when a show get too hyped it's not really that good, but I was wrong, from the plot to the soundtrack, it was absolutely wonderful. I'm a sucker for time traveling and the FL I was familiar, it felt nostalgic. I really do think that everyone should at least give this show a chance. It was worth it, even if I was 6 months late, it was quite an enjoyable experience.
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Delightful whirlwind of emotions, blending sci-fi thrills, heart-melting romance♡♡
If you haven’t yet fallen head-over-heels for *Lovely Runner*, prepare to be enchanted. This kdrama is a delightful whirlwind of emotions, blending sci-fi thrills, heart-melting romance, and adorable moments that will make you swoon.Im Sol and Ryu Sun Jae, our dreamy leads, have an otherworldly chemistry that’s simply off the charts. Their on-screen connection is like magic, making you wish you were part of their story. Im Sol’s portrayal is a perfect mix of strength and vulnerability, while Ryu Sun Jae is the charming, enigmatic hero you’ll find impossible to resist. Together, they create a love story so captivating, you might just get a little delulu and start daydreaming about their romance in real life!
From the fun and cute moments that make you giggle to the intense sci-fi twists that keep you hooked, *Lovely Runner* has it all. It even gives you that delicious second lead syndrome that has you rooting for more than one character. And let’s not forget the beautifully portrayed grief and tension that add depth to the story.
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Dumb in the best possible way!
This drama has been a very fulfilling experience from beginning to end. Show of the year so far! A list of amazing elements:- The pilot episode: Hear me out, every kdrama so far for me has been a struggle to get into. No pilot episode by itself has ever held my attention the way this one did. KHY’s acting alone in the first episode was enough to pull me in. They did an Excellent job on writing the best pilot episode in the entire dramaland!
- Excellent FL! One of the best FL’s I’ve ever seen in a kdrama. She’s brave, determined abd puts him first almost everytime. Also, the actress is incredibly entertaining and has the most cheerful temperament. She’s a delight to watch!
- A ML who is worth all of the struggles! Sun Jae(a)… is sweet, shy, caring (the whole list of positive adjectives lol), but also kind of an idiot/loser in front of Im Sol. He truly brings life to the show with his smile and infectious energy. (And his ‘aggressive’ kissing scenes 😂)
- Usually I’m not the most interested in romantic shows, but this is certainly Romance done right! They’re overly cute, but when you consider the timelines and everything they went through, the cuteness/aegyo makes sense!
- The supporting cast (In Hyuk, grandma, Kim Tae Sung, mom, dad, manager) were all perfect in their respective roles. All of the supporting cast had their own mini story, and a purpose in the plot, which is refreshing since they weren’t simply adding pointless characters.
- The music/orgininal soundtrack from “Eclipse” charted for real in Korea, since that’s how amazing it is!
- Exceptional acting from all of the actors, but especially from BWS as this is his first large scale male lead role!
A few cons (unfortunately!) :
- I liked the best friend, but in the early episodes Im Geum and her story was the only parts I forwarded in the show. It didn’t hold my attention, seemed a little pointless, and it kind of made me cringe. (Like them happily married with kids in the future though!)
- Plot holes: regardless of how interesting or amazing the show is, it has quite a few plot holes. In one of the early episodes Sun Jae says “I would have still done swimming at 19 even if I knew how it would turn out.” That made me so sure he knew what was going on, or time travelled as well. Since the original webtoon has that story, perhaps they planned for it but changed it after? It was just a little strange that the ML ended up being more of Mary Sue character (very iconic lol) despite multiple parts that make you believe he knows what’s going on.
The time travel has some issues as well with timelines not matching up and some stuff they missed. Sun Jae’s unexplored depression and Sol’s disability were kind of pointless at the end and should’ve been explored more.
I’m not usually the person to say this, but there’s enough sadness and social commentary in real life. I like the idea of the leads having a miserable fate and a fun adventure which leads to a way happier ending. Ultimately, it’s good, direction, acting, singing, so I can overlook the writing here because of the joy these dumb characters bring. And the show is worth more than 1 watch, which isn’t something I’ve felt about any show before!
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This review may contain spoilers
The butterfly effect or we can just call it fate...
so at first i was pretty skeptical about it since im not a fan of dramas that have going back in time or that kind of stuff, cuz it just feels repetitive, however that was the whole point of the show. it was a bit repetitive in middle but, that itself potrays the character development and how the choices can lead to different thing.so basically everyone is convinced that she was able to change her and his fate, well thats not true. yes she may have gone back to the past a few times and made some changes, but those changes were never meant to be changed or moreover she had no right to choose.
why i think this?
well the Main lead's friend, who had become a mother tells her that, fate cannot be changed, and even if she was able to go in past she wouldnt change a thing, because everything is already in motion.
so if we take that in account, dosent that mean there are more than 100 timelines, no probably more than that, because how do you truly know that you are in the present?
its just events in a paradox.
and that paradox will continue, sun jae's death is inevitable, because he will die one day.
like i said, im sol changed nothing, she was dancing on the palm of so called fate.
to support my statement, whether she is in present or past, you can go all the way to episode 16.
(SPOILER) ep 16
They both see themselves getting married, which is strange, because similar things happened to sun jae when he was recovering his memory from a different timeline, and same with im sol, when she was gonna catch the killer.
meaning that the memory they saw was either from a timeline, took place in future or a premonition, similar to when im sol was at the restaurant waiting for the killer.
why i made this post?
well, there are alot of people who kept on going on abt how its poorly made or how she did nothing even though it was obvious that she could save sun jae. No.
she had no right to mess with the timelines from the beginning and if she did, nothing is bound to change, either the events will take place later on, or in some other way. but they will happen whether she changes her choices or keep them the same.
"lovely runner"
could have many interpretation. for me I'd say it means that she is denying fate to protect her loved ones, but you know its 'runner' its as if its telling us that someone or something is running away from something terrible or unfortunate which cannot be outrunned or matched, because of how complex it is. it also shows the endurance of im sol backed up by runner, because she dosent give up no matter what.
i can keep rambling about it, but this series was very well written, they chose the story carefully and there were some hidden hints yall missed while watching the show, if you still call it shit despite not noticing all of that, you must be one biased individual.
producing a story with such a complex concept can be veryy challenging, especially dealing with timelines, but yes there were some loopholes, tho with enough thinking and common sense, it all adds up in the end. i would have given this a 10 if it had no loop holes, however no show is perfect imo. but this series really captured me because of its repetitive (that i dont like) it's music and Ost, truly 'crush'ed it lol.
my fav ost: spring snow by 10cm and sonaki.
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This review may contain spoilers
Never Have I Ever Imagine A Parasocial Relationship with My Idol
On the contrary by public prediction, I only cried once at the first episode because it reminds me so much about the moment we lost our dearest Jonghyun, RIP, we miss you so much...But boy do I giggled and slouching down at my seat in the office because I was...FLABBERGASTED? SHOOKED? for the rest of the show? HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!
You really cannot hate Im Sol (though I feel like she fainted too much and does questionable choices) her selflessness and her natural adorableness will make you fall in love, as quickly as Ryu Sunjae does probably. While Ryu Sunjae is potrayed as a cool and very unbothered king at first, once we figured he is a big fat loser it is hard not wanting to protect him at all cost (yes, he is 6 feet tall, what about it!)
Told about the Idol!Sunjae and Fan!Sol who met after a concert before a tragedy where Sunjae passed away falling down from his apartment. Sol wishes she can protect him from harm before finally traveling in time back to realize that they were both in the same timeline of life as classmates and Sol needs to convince the stranger Sunjae that in his future he has some kind of choices to avoid his death.
NO but when they traveled back in time and turns out to be classmates I was...prolifically GIGGLING, because never have I ever written me as a fan and my idol together in the parallel universe as someone who shares the same timeline with me like THAT! Though the context is very different, to imagine that Sol was very starstrucked to realize that her idol actually only her neighbour next door to see him just as Sunjae, the guy she likes has hit me like a freaking ROCK ON MY TOES. I adore the slow revelations at epilogue how we found out that Sunjae has his own history of feelings towards Sol and the first plot we have is actually not one-sided? At how Sol can possibly has different future because his feelings towards Taesung is also always reciprocated too in each timeline? WHOA, I AM.
What is lacking though is how time-travelling system is exclusive only to Sol that we as an audience is carried at Sol's perpective only and have limited creativity about how we wish or re-write different plot of the scenes. And, what vexed me too is the villain character who wants to harm Sol. It is unknown his motives so it seems really a nuisance to figure out how he still chases Sol and Sunjae through his adulthood too. If we are left with a motives or interlinked with their relationship, it probably makes even more sense that Sol and Sunjae will travel in time to fix that too.
While the story is focusing on how Sol and Sunjae starting different role of relationship in different timeline and roles, my liking to this story is that it also digs the matter of friendship and family. Not that just by time traveling we can see different choices of how they build friendships, it is also shows how Sol wishes to treat her mother and brother results to many kinder outputs and to Sunjae to understand his father a little bit more. The warmth this drama cooks is so comforting. The comedy of the friendships shared between Hyunju and Inhyuk with them is also laugh-worthy.
In my opinion, as a picky romance eater, I take a good small bites of this drama and ended up finishing a jar. It is a drama worth to watch by the end of the day. Without further more looking to analyze the drama though, I can enjoy most of the bits where they only stare at each other while I stare back at the wall in front of me wishing this happened to me instead (no, I don't want the nuisances Sol has ever occurred but...save me..180cm tall man...loser man....down bad for me first encounter man...)
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This drama is GOATED
I really liked this drama its quiet refreshingi watched in the summer and it literally made my whole summer
the casting is great the plot and story is amazing
the chemistry between them is amazing
This is the second work ive seen for byeon woo seok and he absolutely slayed i hope to see him in more dramas in the future also the female lead is super talented and amazing i cant picture anyone other than her in this roll i will definitely be watching her othr dramas
Also the comedy and sad scenes is amazing i cant remember the last time ive laughed or cried this hard because of a drama, anyways it definitely worth a watch i 100% recommend
(if you notice any typos or smth thats because English isnt my first language:3)
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Honestly, one of the best kdramas EVER literally got me out of my slump
I genuinely don’t understand people who hate on this drama. like if you don’t like fluffy sweet rom coms then don’t watch this why be such a hater? it’s literally one of the best kdrama the story the acting is perfect and the chemistry OH MY don’t get me started. the way they always find their way back to each even though the hard barriers. like if that ain’t love then idk what to say. ♾️/10 totally recommend.Was this review helpful to you?
Bad story with potential.
Screenwriter just don't know how to do a good story, wasting a good premise with characters that are pure stupid, doing the worse decisions only to make the story longer. Childish jokes, adults that act as teenagers, specially Sol, that have a 30 years old mind in high-school, but act as a teenager. The only good thing in this drama is the OST, that is really catchy. If you're an adult with adult mind, run away from this drama.Was this review helpful to you?
THE BEST OF THE BESTEST
Is there a way to rate this drama a million out of 10 cause rating it 10 out of 10 would be an understatement ❤️ This drama is Immaculate! Perfect! I have no words!After years of watching K-drama, I never imagined loving a drama so much (as you kinda get used to storylines) but this has become my all-time favorite drama and it's gonna be undefeated for a long time. What amazing actors, and a brilliant storyline. It got me hooked from episode one, didn’t feel repetitive at all, and always caught me off guard. Despite so many twists and turns, the story didn’t feel dragged. The way they carried the story. I am speechless.
I am in love with Sun Jae and Im Sol has my whole heart🫶🏼🫶🏼🫶🏼🫶🏼 I love them so much... Every episode was brilliant... whole drama was a fan service. So many lovely moments and you still can’t have enough of them. I feel satisfied. My soul is filled with love because of Lovely Runner💕🫶🏼❤️💕
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This review may contain spoilers
A romcom that everyone needs to watch!
I just wanna say how much I LOVE this drama!!!It was the perfect romcom drama to watch if you don’t want heavy plot twist and all that. I honestly watched this with another on going drama (iykyk) but I dropped the other one because I am not liking the direction it was going.
I didn’t have high expectations for this. I just decided to watch this since I was intrigued with the synopsis, being a kpop fan myself. It was a great decision to try it out because I was hooked just from the first episode. (And ofc, I had to mention the ending of 2nd ep!)
It was well written and the production and direction of this drama was sooo good. The comedy parts are really comedy, in addition to the sound effects they added that makes the scenes more funny. 😂
Sunjae (my fav character) is such a green flag. Imagine loving someone for YEARS and being so faithful, even if you are not remembered and known by that someone? (the first timeline). And in all of the timelines, where he’s just down bad no matter what. Now everyone wants their own sunjae 🥹
The OST was such a treat to the ears as well! They chose the songs that would fit the scenes perfectly. At first I thought the songs of the band (eclipse) was recorded by others, but it turned out that it was recorded by the actors themselves! ☺️
The only thing that stops me from giving it a 10 was because it wasn’t totally clear how halmeoni was able to know about the watch and time travel??? Like if she was the reason, how was she able to have such privilege? Other than that, I can just ignore the obsession of the taxi driver because I want to believe that he’s just a psycho.
PS one of my fav scenes is the last scene of sunjae and halmeoni. It was so heartwarming 🥹❤️
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