Series that well deserves its high-rankings!
PLOT: a fan, the FL, in a wheelchair, is despaired by the death of her idol, the ML. Thanks to a watch, she is transported 15 years earlier, a final year high-school, and realizes that the ML was her neighbor. She will do everything to thwart the bad tricks of the fate / past.++ a heaven CL! Very cute, with TOP chemistry. I had seen Byeon Woo Seok as an "evil character" but here, he is adorable, moving,... cute. Kim Hye Yoon also brings her character to life with great talent.
+ great OST (now on my playlist)
+ Production without downtime, with constant suspense, magnificent framing, a well-balanced mix of romance, humor, suspense. Well done !!
+ All the actors are good. Some characters are a little excessive, for the touch of humor, but it works well.
I loved EVERYTHING about this drama and will definitely rewatch it soon. I also hope to see this CL again soon on the screens: together, they sparkle ヾ(◍’౪`◍)ﾉﾞ♡
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Série qui mérite bien ses high-rankings !
PLOT: une fan, la FL, en fauteuil, est désespérée par la mort de son idol, le ML. Grâce à 1 montre, elle est transportée 15 ans + tôt, élève de terminale, et se rend compte que le ML était son voisin. Elle va tout faire pour déjouer les mauvais tours du passé.
++ un CL d'enfer ! Très cute, avec une alchimie au TOP. J'avais vu Byeon Woo Seok en "evil charactere" mais là, il est adorable, émouvant,... craquant. Kim Hye Yoon donne également vie à son personnage avec beaucoup de talent.
+ super OST (désormais sur ma playlist)
+ Réalisation sans temps mort, avec un suspense constant, de magnifiques cadrages, un mix bien équilibré de romance, humour, suspense. Bravo !!
+ Tous les acteurs sont bons. Certains personnages sont un peu excessifs, pour la touche d'humour, mais ça passe bien.
J'ai TOUT aimé de ce drama et je le regarderai sûrement à nouveau bientôt. J'espère aussi revoir ce CL bientôt sur les écrans : ensemble, ils étincellent ヾ(◍’౪`◍)ﾉﾞ♡
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Lovely Runner
It was love at first sight. The ratings on MDL was high only after 2 episodes so I decided to watch it and I fall in love. When I couldn’t wait for the next episode I went back to watching all the old ones. It is close to an obsession. Also the OST!! I love all the songs, I have a playlist on my Apple Music app, I listen all of them when I am going to work. I’m glad that Byeon Woo Seok is gaining all the attention he is receiving these days, he went through a lot when he started his career. I also watched Kim Hye Yoon works and I love her personality. In addition to the episodes I watch the reactions on YouTube, all my after work time was Lovely Runner related. Now that all is finished what I am supposed to do? I feel empty and sad. Is not a perfect drama (there are some holes and filling-like episodes) but I really enjoyed every single one. For me is a 10, I cried and smiled for 16 hours of my life, I’m so attached to Im Sol and Ryu Seon Jae. Now starting from tomorrow I will rewatch everything because my life is empty now.Was this review helpful to you?
An addictive, super-romantic drama with a superb OTP
There is a lot of hype for this show. As a romantic comedy/drama this show hits out of the park and deserves that hype. It's addicting, fun, hilarious, melodramatic, romantic, and has writing that if inconsistent still attempts to be somewhat thought-provoking and character-driven. And the main pairing is one for drama history.If you're expecting anything other than that, this will fall very flat for you.
Watch this immediately if you are looking for:
- Painfully dreamy ML
- Heart-fluttering romance, high chemistry, sweet and touching love story
- Humor, fun, something to binge/be addicted to
Skip this or save it for a slump if prefer stories that have:
- Plots that are super coherent/tight
- Engrossing/realistic character arcs
- Though-provoking explorations of ideas/ themes
Here are the elements broken down:
SUPERB----
MALE LEAD: The absolute highlight of this show. Sun Jae is the ultimate "lovable loser." On the outside he pretends to be cool, logical, and independent, but on the inside he is a clingy, cringy, dork. He will steal your entire heart. Played pitch perfectly by Byeon Woo Seok.
SECOND MALE LEAD: Tae Sung re-invents the definition of second male lead syndrome. In any other drama I would have been rooting for him over the ML. I expect to see Song Geon-lee leading a drama soon, he stood out in every single scene he was in.
ROMANCE/CHEMISTRY: The main couple oozed chemistry out of every pore. The longing looks, the cute interactions, the sexual tension. Your heart will flutter, then it will break. you'll scream, you'll cry, you'll jump for joy and throw things at the screen for them.
BROMANCE: The ML with is various homies (including Tae Sung) had such natural, fun chemistry. Just as engaging as the main couple romance. I loved every scene he had with his bros.
HUMOR: 10/10: I laughed out loud more times than I can count. The writer put them all in such ridiculous situations, played by a cast of actors who all had fantastic comedic timing. So many memorably funny moments.
MUSIC: The sountrack is top notch, including the songs sung from the band in the show.
GOOD---
FEMALE LEAD: For most of the drama she is funny, quirky, cute, fiesty and compassionate. But there are a few eps where she is so frustratingly stubborn and clueless in service of a poorly executed plotline that I came to dislike her for a while. I adore the actress on the whole and think she captures the soul of Im Sol well, she has to cry almost every episodes and cries so convincingly and with such heart. But there were times when she pulled the same facial expression over and over (she had a very overused wide-eyed look of clueless surprise quite often, for example).
MEH---
SIDE CHARACTERS/PLOTS: There were some funny moments involving the MCs families, but for the most part they had nothing to do with the main plot and seemed like filler, I had no real connection to any of the family. I started fast-forwarding through most of them by the end. The acting was serviceable but none of them stood out especially.
CHARACTER ARCS: While they went through a lot, I didn't see that the characters actually grew or changed much in any particular way. 2ML had a small arc, but it was glossed over and he was not used as much as he could have been. The characters have the same exact personalities and tendencies in the beginning as in the end, although there were many touching moments of realization and character moments throughout. Just no strong overall arcs.
MIXED---
PLOT
- EPS 1-8 (9/10) - The first 8 eps are full of intriguing twists and turns and raise a host of questions about the meaning of memory and fate.
- EPS 9-13 (5/10) - The middle episodes are dominated by an unnecessary and repetitive almost wholly unrelated crime storyline that drags and makes the characters act in uncharacteristic and frustrating ways. There are some cute and funny moments, but the romantic plotline became fluffy filler and the story completely loses its thematic center and meanders sloppily along.
- EPS 14-16 (7/10) - The story finds its footing again towards the end, but never really pays off the questions or ideas raised in the theme at the beginning of the show, even if it does somewhat try and close that loop. The romance tension fires back up at this point as well, and the ending is satisfying if nothing spectacular.
100% worth a watch if romantic comedies are your jam.
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This review may contain spoilers
A must watch- Kdrama returns to true romcom with Lovely Runner
I loved this drama so much. I hadn't been inspired by most dramas coming out with the exception of Queen of Tears, but I felt that Lovely Runner surpassed it in many ways.The storyline of Lovely Runner felt complete, the plot points weren't based on miscommunications like most dramas have. The comedy and humor was on point, large in part to the acting of Kim Hyeyoon and Byeon Wooseok, as well as the efforts of the whole ensemble cast. The ending was a breath of fresh air compared to other action-adjacent dramas which tend to leave defeating the villain to the very last second, while Lovely Runner was able to complete its own love story with time and care.
I felt the time travel was well executed and the different times helped explore Sol and Sunjae's love story and made it all the more devastating when Sol tries to save Sunjae. The mix between comedy, romance, sadness, compelling story telling, thrill, and action was able to be executed only by this cast, with special consideration to Kim Hyeyoon, who was likely the only actress who could have pulled off such stunning character work. Byeon Wooseok also deserves significant praise for his masterful portrayal of the different timelines of Sunjae, and his ability to reflect the nature of unrequited love in its many forms.
Lovely Runner was an incredible watch that I was happy to have completed in real time. I strongly urge those considering it to give Lovely Runner a watch as it is my favorite drama of the year. There is a nostalgia in watching Lovely Runner, both because of the literal time travel and because of the sense of returning to the days of classic romcoms that are so fun to watch. This drama represents an incredibly moving, fun, and wonderful story that I suggest everyone should see.
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one of my favorites this 2024!
What a trip we had with lovely runner, a kdrama that had difficult beginnings and despite all odds has become one of my favorites this year!the main couple 10/10, the script was very good for the most part, the performances were very good... the beautiful ost with songs to remember ✨
lovely runner wholeheartedly deserves the success she has achieved and I hope this boosts everyone's career! I will be attentive 👏
The ending was more perfect than I could have dreamed of, they gave me everything I wanted and more... thanks to all the team behind this project ✨
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The best romcom for me!
I will writed my first review here in MDL!The main leads did wonderful on this drama!The songs fit perfectly on the story. I LOVE that the drama shows the high school, college and adult story that makes it nostalgic. Very well done!10/10 for me! I will not add spoilers here as I want a viewer to watch the 1st and 2nd episodes and you get hook on this drama!LMAO!Im Sol and Sun Jae portrayed their characters very very well!Was this review helpful to you?
This Kdrama will be forever in my heart
Lovely Runner was my every week happiness, it got me smiling, crying, blushing, giggling, squealing and kicking my feet all the time. When I started this drama, I had no idea it would take over my whole life. It made me feel everything, even though I do not like Mondays, I'd wait for every week just to watch it, and I would spend hours making up theories for future episodes.I’m happy for all the cast and production team and thankful for their efforts to give us a wonderful drama. The story was executed so well and the actors did such an amazing job portraying their characters, I felt very touched.
Byeon Woo Seok did an exceptional job portraying his character, Sun Jae. This role was made for him, and he owns it. I’m so happy that he’s receiving the recognition and love he deserves, his acting is so good.
As for Kim Hye Yoon, she is a very good actress and has portrayed Sol very well. (I suffered with her character every time 😢).
And finally, our Kim Taesung, played by the amazing Song Geon Hee. I loved him so much, and the fact that he was not an annoying character but lovely and funny.
The OST is EVERYTHING 😆 I could listen to it forever. I love that Byeon Woo Seok sings and does it so well, his voice is so beautiful.
The ending was perfect. The failed proposal was so funny, but the actual proposal was sooo beautiful and touching🥰 I loved the fluff and cuteness of the entire last episode, and that scene with the halmoni made me cry so much. 😭
Overall, This honestly made my Mondays and Tuesdays so much fun. Best k-drama I watched in 2024 so far, everything was really great! Lovely Runner reminds me why I enjoyed watching Kdramas so much. I don't think I will be able to move on for a long time. 1000/10 ⭐
PS: Future viewers, If you're hesitating to watch this, trust me you're not gonna regret it. Maybe the time travel part is a little inconsistent, but the writing and direction are amazing, and the acting is even better.
PS 2: Now every time it's raining or I see an umbrella ☂️ I'm going to think of lovely runner. 🙂
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A heart-warming yet heart-wrenching series
I waited for this one to end airing so that I could make myself a marathon and it was so good!Let me tell you, I really love my fluffy romances and looking at the poster I never thought how many tears I'd shed because of the story. I had some moments where I could relate from my personal life too, even conversations that I've had, and that hit home too hard at times тт.тт
ML and FL had a good chemistry and personally I think they re-enacted the characters exactly how they were supposed to be. Side characters were also interesting and fun to watch! From acting stand point, I think it is very decent. I first watched Byeong Woo Seok in Record or Youth and I'm glad to see how much he improved ~
Тime travel is not a new concept, however they made it so interesting here and the story felt quite refreshing as well. The series were shot so well and aesthetic, such an eye-pleaser! The music too, one of the best OSTs of the year for sure ~
I definitely recommend to people searching for youth, first love, wanting to fix regrets from the past, and a little suspence but also happy ending for their next watch.
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This review may contain spoilers
Yes, it is overhyped...
Let's start with the worst: The StoryOnce you truly reflect about this drama, then you will be aware, that the story is lacking. Neither time travel nor the motive of the villain is truly explained. For the villain, they just could have added one scene as an explanation. And the whole time travelling left us with thousands of questions. We don't even know how this whole world works, where the story is happening. But also Sol as a 30+ years old travelling back to a highschoolers body, didn't behave the way one would....
But aside from the story, everything else is perfect (or at least for me). All the actors did a wonderful job, making "boring" characters lovable and charming! Especially FL & ML portrayed the emotions so well, one could feel all the pain and heartache! Their chemistry was great!
The music was phenomenous! While "Sonaki" is a very beautiful love letter, "Spring Snow" sums up the whole drama wonderfully. "Like a dream" is also one of my favourites!
Would I rewatch it? Absolutely! It is sooooooo hilarious! And the romance is very good, got me grinning and kicking like Minmin!
So, why is it overhyped? For a romcom, it's a great series! Fun, lovable and rewatchable with great acting and music. However, for a series, it is lacking (as previously mentioned). So, the more you look into reasoms and try to analyse it, the more you will realize how imperfect this series is. Imo it was a great choice to neglect the background of the whole time travalling, instead of coming up with a not good enough explanation, that would have ruined the whole vibe.
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if you haven’t watched this you better do it now
Lovely runner is definitely my top favorite k-drama of all time. it’s the feeling that everything you want inside you to fulfill. the story, the visuals, the satisfaction of watching it with the cuteness and the romance. same with the little evil stuff in here toojust makes everything to fulfill. i watched this when it came out and i had to wait everyweek. and i have rewatched it alot and i wish i could forget the series just to watch it as a first experience again.
you may find me weird but like the “hero” like series when female gets hurt and male being saved but same the other way. i like series when they go back in time too.
the music i just love it i listened it on repeat after the sries was done and still listening to the ost’s.
and i love the female role and the male very well. and so thankful this drama got released and fullfilled what i was craving if you understand what i mean. 🤭
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Watch the first few episodes before letting the reviews influence you.
This drama has split reviews. People either hate it or love it. One thing I can say to people who haven't watched it - make your own choice. I watched this drama without reading the reviews or expecting anything, and I ended up enjoying the show. Yes, there were weaknesses in the plot, but the cast carried the plot through in times where it seemed to falter. If you see this drama as it is - a simple romance drama and not a technical thriller scifi, then you can really enjoy it.Was this review helpful to you?
Enjoyable Romantic & Dramatic Comedy Series
"Lovely Runner" is a standout Korean drama that left a lasting impression with its clever writing and well-crafted plot. While there were a few areas that could have benefited from deeper development, especially the side characters and the comedic timing of the side characters were not enjoyable or well executed, the overall storyline was consistent and thoughtfully drawn out across the series. The main characters’ flaws added depth, as their motives, desires, and goals remained unwavering and relatable throughout the show. The two main actors delivered stellar performances, making the drama not only believable but also deeply engaging, as they roped viewers into their characters' thought processes and emotional journeys. Byeon Woo Seok made audiences believe, without a doubt, that his character was brimming with love and dedication from start to finish—conveying that the world was better because she existed, and that the moon and stars hung on her every smile and presence. The love and connection between the protagonists were the true highlights, setting this drama apart from others in 2024. Kim Hye Yoon, in particular, shone brilliantly, bringing the series together with her nuanced and captivating performance. "Lovely Runner" is a beautiful blend of heart, intellect, and emotion, leaving an indelible mark on the year’s slate of dramas.Was this review helpful to you?
