This review may contain spoilers
One of the loveliest drama ....
Writing review after ep 10it has a strong staring ,but the first two episodes can seems like a typical time traveling plot or mixture of several time traveling school dramas. But this is not the case .....this is one of the best time traveling drama I've ever watched .....
1) the romance is top notch. It will give you butterflies. I don't actually have patience to watch lame romance dramas. But this is different. I giggled and smiled whenever ml and fl being together.
2) the male lead!!!! Ryu SeonJae is the best greenest, simp and softie male lead I've ever seen. Nope he's not your typical cold , stone faced male lead. He got crush on our girl , he smiles, giggles, through his feet in air and stuff his face in pillow thinking about his crush. Of course he tries to stay cool and not being obvious.....haha .... I loved the fact he didn't misunderstood Im Sol and believed in her even after her past self cut relations with him . He still loved her and waited for 15 years.
3) the female lead ---- yes the female lead is adorable. She's also a simp for him . She's balanced . She got a positive character .
4) the Humour !!!!! LoL it got me fall out of chair . The comedy is soo good . Like her thinking the bridge as bridge of hell , the adult DVD, him being jealous, Im Sol passing through his dad by shouting future events, Sunjae pulling out chili plant instead of weed by overthinking...........there are countless moments that will crack you up.. LMFAO..
5) Anxiety:::::::: you're gonna have good anxiety attack..... There's not a single dull moment so far . The sad moments are soo heart breaking .like Sol can't change her past self and she has to come back to future and her regrets for misbehaving . And Sunjae got rejected (forgotten) by Sol, while she had feelings for him!!! Then their reunion in ep 10!!!
6) the plot: the plot is deep and intense... And the name makes sense as our fl has to run from past to future to save the ml . This is not very light hearted drama .... But a mysterious plot that unfolds in every single episode .the best part is there is youth school romance, mature/ modern day drama romance as well as collage romance and each part is soo sweet that can give you diabetes.....+ Each era 's kissing scenes hits differently.
7) the acting:::;;;; the acting is soo good . The comedy or embarrassing moments could have ended up giving cringe if it wasn't done well . BWS ' s portrayal of Sunjae is out of the world...the emotions, smile , pain in smile , mentally being disturbed or comedy everything is too good( first time watching Byeon Woo Seok and I became a fan). ....the ost , cinematography everything is done so well !!!
8) disclaimer :you're gonna ride on a pile of emotions while watching this.
**Things I didn't like:**
1) Im Sol being unnecessarily childish . Yes mental retardation can happen after a accident but as a 34 years old behaving like a teenager feels awkward sometimes ...
2) As the mc of this drama, I don't understand why her character got no life goal or bigger ambition after getting back her legs . This drama is too focused on saving the ml . Yes having idol of life is good thing but we should focus on our own life too ......
3) first 10 episodes are absolutely gold (9/10) . but after that things started to become draggy and repetitive , I don't understand why Im Sol didn't make a proper plan and was just taking action passively.....
**Finally**
If you are looking for a sweet romcom with a good story , If you are ready to simp for BWS and KHY [ they're really cute here ] , a green flag fluffy male lead ,
I absolutely recommend this drama. I expected much more but still it's good and is very sweet. Not a single drama is flawless. And lovely runner worth your time...
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"First Love Again."
First and foremost, Lovely Runner is a rom-com. Meaning that if you came to watch some science fiction fantasy drama which is a stickler for rules of time travel, this drama isn't for you. [The title of my review is from a 2021 CDrama, which has a very similar plot, but with the laws of nature governing the whole thing.]But, if you are looking out for a real wholesome one, Lovely Runner is just perfect for you. It's a well written, well-paced, romantic, comedic and heartwarmingly satisfying.
Im Sol, a wheelchair bound 34 year old woman, is an avid fan of Ryu Sun Jae, the lead singer of a boy band Eclipse.
It's not a simple relationship either – His words had inspired her to keep living on, and to add to that, he also had happened to go to the high school close to hers. In spite of her disadvantages that hinder her from applying for her dream job, she still maintains a cheerful demeanor.
However, her life takes a drastic turn when she finds out that the person who had encouraged her to live on had committed suicide. When she is stricken by grief, fate gives her another chance – Ryu Seon Jae’s watch, which she had bought for a hefty sum at an auction becomes a time machine and she hurtles to the year 2008.
Now, stuck in her high school self, Im Sol snatches the chance to befriend the teenage Ryu Seon Jae (whom she had ignored in her youth) and change his fate. This also meant that she has the chance to avoid the accident that crippled her and distort the future.
But, as she begins to change the past, she realizes that there are some things just can not be altered.
☆ The Plot + Romance:
Lovely Runner is nothing new in terms of plot. What I loved were the characters and the relationships between them. I think this is what most people loved about it and hence the drama's sky high ratings. I have mixed feelings about the “plot”, but as it's a rom-com, I'll try to overlook it.
Romance is a strong building block; yet at the beginning it's evident that Im Sol treated Sun Jae as her “idol” rather than a real person.
But, the transition to love and the absolute possibility of their relationship was genuine.
An Idol meeting a fan and falling in love?
In the case of LR, Im Sol and Sunjae were already neighbors and had met before, it was just that he was a person who passed by her life without ever influencing it ‘directly’.
It was both sad and comedic to see Im Sol attempt to rescue Sun Jae from his fate, particularly when she couldn't tell him anything about the future.
[This plot point got lost somewhere after EP10… or did it?]
Both Sun Jae and Im Sol were innocent people to begin with. Heck, even their friends and relatives are funny and nice people in general - hence, there is absolutely ‘NO’ additional drama.
Also, it was an added bonus to see a ML who was for once, not an all knowing God. Dude was legit dumb.
In Hyuk and Sun Jae’s bromance, Sun Jae and his father’s antics, Im Geum’s dreams, Sol and the relationship with her grandmother, mother, Tae Seong (the 2nd ML and my favorite character) and her best friend together were just heartwarming to watch.
I did feel that there was a distinct difference between the original timeline and the altered version where Sun Jae dies.
In the original timeline, it looked like the scriptwriter went with the way of the webtoon and had Sun Jae actually commit suicide. (It might be because of the way it was shot.) The other timeliness however, showed a stark difference from EP1 and followed the ‘thriller’ aspect.
I still feel a bit irked about a quote that never became a reality. But, hey, the drama was fulfilling.
☆ Also, this is one emotionally draining drama. Hats off to Kim Hye Yoon for managing to bring about both comedy and tears in a seamless manner. She had that Song Yi Ren kind of energy and was very flexible as a 34 year old grown woman stuck in the body of a teenager, which might've
become awkward had it been any other actress.
I had never heard about Bye Woon Seok, except in passing after the ‘Strong Girl’ drama but, oh dear. Both his comedic scenes as well as the emotional ones were spot on.
[One of my friends was contemplating whether to watch this or not after it aired, and another one advised her that it's ‘either death or villain’ when it comes to him.]
I'll definitely be checking out their future works. Even In Hyuk and Tae Seong had their moments.
☆ Soundtrack: KDramas rarely disappoint in this department. Every song went well with the scenes, but if I could listen to a song all by itself, then it would be ‘Monologue' by Jae Eon and ‘You & I’ by Eclipse.
It's been a long time since I watched a KDrama while on air. It reminded me of those times when they actually managed to grab my attention and continue watching them. I've been serial dropping KDramas a lot since the one hour runtime and emotional investment is much more than CDramas. This one is a surprise from 2024.
It reminded me strongly of ‘Legally Romance’ and ‘First Love Again’ both of which were memorable dramas I liked and had similarities to.
A solid 7.5 from me. I cut off points as I felt that something went ‘missing’ with the story after a couple of episodes. The characters were the only thing that kept me going. [Updated the score from 8.5 to 7.5 because I don't think I'll be revisiting this drama anytime soon. Perhaps I might change the rating if I rewatch it.]
Anyways, one thing I learnt from time travel dramas is that I'll be single for a very, very, very long time unless someone from some other parallel universe risks everything to travel through space and time to meet me.
All in all, it was a wonderful journey. I hope that both Im Sol and Sun Jae manage to meet each other in every universe, however slim the chance is. (And that Kim Tae Seong never changes.)
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1It was a good drama
There were so many time travelling drama.It was pretty gd.In this drama im sol tried hard to save sun jae to go back in past. 😥
When you know what will happen & try to change it bt can't again & again.
How frustrating it was.
No more spoiler 🤪
I love sun jae, aishhh!! 😍They were reaaly cute together.
There were so many funny moments 😂 One side there were tension that, how will she save him & other side there lovely moments😚
BUT, Every character play their part well.
Byeon Woo Seok was so handsome. He really do well in his previous drama. 😍
You can watch it without any doubt.
If you like time travelling drama! 💁
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This review may contain spoilers
Lost interest around episode 9
Perhaps my fault for not watching a trailer, but the first 3 eps of this show didn't indicate the rest of the drama was going to be shrouded in such an undeveloped, nonsensical murder plot. I also didn't understand what purpose the second ML served? I spent the entire drama feeling sorry for him. Also, her presence in his life just seemed to make his life harder. The cast is great. Regardless of my disdain for the FMC's writing, the actress committed. Both male leads were great. I wish the family and friends mattered a bit more, but whatever.Onto my issues:
Not only did the the FMC's actions make no sense, it honestly made me feel like the writers wrote the show as it went along. The FMC goes back in time and clearly has the knowledge that she was kidnapped and violently attacked when she was younger. Instead of trying to get ahead of that and change her own fate, she's solely worried about Sun Jae. She goes back several times but never does anything really impactful to change her fate. There's a glimpse of her trying to learn self defense, but she never does anything serious to do so. It feels like the kidnapper was an afterthought for her. The scene where her mom calls her in like Timeline 3 because her daughter was kidnapped a year prior and never told her was just laughable crazy.
The start of this drama was so fascinating. It seemed like a great set up and opportunity to discuss the lack of accessibility for those with physical disabilities in South Korea. It also seemed a bit like a Y/N fanfic where a fan meets their idol. This was such a cool start and would've made for a very interesting romance drama. Even with the time travel aspect, the chemistry between the actors was great. It just seemed odd to have the kidnapping plot seem almost randomly inserted. More than that, the drama was paced in such a stop/start way that every time the drama would make some progress, the FMC would make a nonsensical decision or there'd be such a ridiculous misunderstanding to slow it to a grinding halt. It made for a somewhat infuriating viewing experience after some time.
Add to that, this drama shoved every possible trope it could in here and it turned into sort of a hodge podge mess by ep 14 (where I stopped). In truth, the first 3 eps are so great. It grabbed my attention and I was couldn't wait to keep watching. It just fell off a bit after and I completely lost interest by episode 9. I hope someday there is a romance drama with a wheelchair user though. I don't think I've seen that kind of rep in any k-drama yet.
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Time Travel Romance/ Rom com/ idk
it seems like this show struggles to know its place and what it is. if you thought you were going to watch a cliche rom com this is not that. I wanted to make it work since it’s a popular drama but ultimately quit because the storyline changes to much. None of it makes sense and if that’s your cup of tea then this is for you. I prefer more simple everyday dramas and I thought that this was that. I’m sure you’ll like it if you’re into elaborate stories with good characters and comedy with a dash of sadness!Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
One of the better dramas of 2024
Sad to see the low ratings.I don't understand the hate on this series?? Yeah it was pretty cheesy and had several plot holes, but looking at the good parts, there were A LOT. I can easily compare this series with many others this year and it tops so much of them.
At first, I hated the fan turns into lover idea, but you had to keep watching to realize the main characters had more history than they realized. The plot twists, or just seeing the characters futures changing due to past jumping, got me really excited for the next episodes. It had me giggling in my seat, and I was also OBSESSED with the soundtrack. Not often you see main actors singing for their OSTs!! Minus points for the random plot confusion toward the end, I'd say this show was a success ♡
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Heartwarming
A lovely story of two sweet and lovable characters finding each other and overcoming obstacles to be together. I was rooting for them every step of the way, and found them so cute together. He was so sweet and a lovely love interest. She was so cute and I really like her as an actress, she might be my favourite. I really loved them together and this drama was a highlight of my week every time more episodes were released. I envy everyone who hasn't watched it yet, and I hope you all enjoy it as much as I did!Was this review helpful to you?
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A beautiful start, a beautiful journey and an epic end.
A epic journey with wonderful actors. A compelling story with no boring episodes.Story
The drama is a epic romantic story that contains sad moments to the funniest moments you will ever watch. The POV of each characters are written very well. The POV of how the characters see each other will make you giggle and cry like teenagers even if you are grown a** adults. The last time i had this much fun watching a drama each week was when woo young woo came out.
Music
Just add the whole OST album to your Spotify playlist cause you will enjoy every single one.
Acting
The whole cast are really good specially Hye Yoon the Female lead. She goes from making you cry to make you smile in seconds. Her facial expressions to the tone of her voice is epic. The comedic acting of the ML is also epic. Cheers to all the other actors, every one of them is a 10/10.
Will definitely rewatch.
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Best kdrama, definitely worth the hype
This is the best Asian series I've ever watched, and I don't think I'll ever be the same 😭I don't even know where to start. The story—it was so engaging, unique, and beautiful. Watching the story of Im Sol and Sun Jae unfold was the best experience ever. Their story is so tragic yet so beautiful, and the second chance they got was incredibly satisfying to watch. I'll love them forever.
I adore the balance of comedy and tragedy in this series—it has it all: very funny moments and deeply emotional ones. Thanks to this balance, you don't feel too overwhelmed or underwhelmed while watching.
And then the acting!! The main actors were absolutely brilliant in their roles. The characters they played were so well written. The raw emotions they portrayed will stay with me for a long time. I swear this series was so perfect that I don't even have the words to express how much I loved it. It destroyed me emotionally and then healed me again. I cried so many times.
I loved Sun Jae's character—he's literally such a simp and a loser, but he treats Sol so well. They're truly soulmates. I also adore the themes of destiny and fate that this show explores. As viewers, we constantly wonder if Sun Jae's destiny is to die over and over again just to save Sol. But luckily, they got the happy ending they deserved ♥️.
The soundtrack was also perfect!! This is simply the best K-drama you'll find out there. And I can't believe it was my first one... I'll never find anything as great as this again.
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10********** because IT made me HAPPY
- 10* because during watching and after, just like the song: "...I said to myself/ What a wonderful world!"- 10* because IT made me watch without judgement/critique and just enjoy the ride
- 10* because my world transformed (If only for a moment): the sun îs brighter, the heart îs warmer and all people are beautiful
- 10* because this show is being home again, is singing in the rain, is a Smile in a dreary day, a lovely run under the sun
- 10* because it made me happy to feel and share the excitement and positive energy with so many people
- 10* because I felt captivated and lost in the moment
- 10* because the music spoke to me and made me sing and listen over and over again and IT still does
- 10* because I felt so much excitement and joy and satisfaction and fulfillment and cared so much for the characters
- SO: "BECAUSE I'M HAPPY
Clap along If you feel like that's what you wanna do" because of Lovely Runner 🙂
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My kdrama comeback
-Before watching this kdrama i was on a kdrama break for some reason i couldn't find anything interesting until i gave lovely runner a chance- the story : the story is very creative it's not just a regular time traveling kdrama also it's not easy to expect what's going to happen next which really made me interested more
-the cast : the cast is incredibly suitable for their roles the casting is out of this world and the biggest evidence is how the main lead got incredibly popular after the show even though they weren't as popular before
- music : i mean who didn't listen the songs in the kdrama they were beautiful specifically the one that sungjae wrote for seoul
- rewatch value: i would definitely rewatch this everytime i feel like there's nothing interesting
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