Lovely Runner

BEST SHOW IVE EVER WATCHED

ACHABAIWHAUAHA it’s about time I got a new favorite all time show. The sheer beauty in this show is astounding the amount it’s set up and the acting is TOP TEIR. LIKE TOP. I can’t get over these characters who have the most wonderful growth and emotion throughout them. The storyline is crazy good with so many well thought out plots that unravel perfectly. The relationships are intricate and make you cry laugh and get angry just the right amount. Not to mention hot damn I am OBSESSED with this main male and female lead. They are a match actually made in heaven and I want to see them so bad again in other shows. I can’t even describe how well made this show is. If you’re first getting into kdramas this should be the first show you watch ever cause I can’t even begin to describe the meaningful relationships it holds. Everything about it is a new level of beauty.

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was it the memory i lost? or was it you?

i would rate this show an infinity out of 10. this show was a show that took kdrama land by storm. it came out of nowhere and took everyone by surprise.

i watched this show because of hyeyoon as her acting in extraordinary you as eun danoh is one of my favourite. hyeyoon and wooseok brought sol and sunjae to live. im so glad that both of them were casted. but huge kudos to hyeyoon because sol is such a complex character and the fact that sol cries in every episode. i don't know how taxing it is for hyeyoon but she does really well. there is no sunjae if not for wooseok, but there is no lovely runner if not for hyeyoon. i just felt that she is neglected compared to wooseok.

this show is a masterpiece. the script, the story, the cinematographic and even to the ost are perfect. this show also highlighted that we only know each other's existence because we paid attention. if not, we would miss each other. which aligns perfectly with my thinking that all of us are linked one way or another, its just a matter of time for us to know each other.

right from the bat, the first episode tugged my heart because it reflects why one becomes a fan of an idol. the idol, saved us in someway without them knowing.

one thing i love about this show is how they have cliche scenes with their own twist. they took the rom-COM really seriously. you never expect what will happen, it can be scary, romantic and suddenly 360 changes with comedy. i think its one of the highlights for this show as well.

what make viewers love this show so much?
- i believe its the characters. we have ryu sunjae, a green flag and a loser in every timeline. we have im sol, someone that is positive and carries a lot of things behind her. we have kim taesung, our second male lead that is not irritating and helped our main lead. each character have good relationship with others as well. (and truck-nim finishing kys was classic as well)

and also, as the show goes on, you would realise details that you didn't in the first watch. on the later part, you would go like "oh? OH!" this is a factor i enjoyed as well. everything is so detailed that its beautiful.

what made the viewers stayed?
- well, well, let's welcome our iconic episode 2 ending. it was a well plot twist that is going into the books for years. something simple yet fulfilling. it was a wow factor because for the past 2 episodes are in sol's point of view and we get to see her drifting from sunjae as she thinks that sunjae founds her annoying. but in reality, sunjae fell long ago.

another scene that took me by storm was the ending of episode 4 where sunjae saved sol and she looked at him with teary eyes, wondering "was it the memory i lost? or was it you?" this got me bawling and was the it scene for me.

another thing about lovely runner is that the writer, is good at her ending. the episode always ends on a spot, craving the viewers to want more. therefore, many people looked forward to monday because lovely runner day they say, and im no different.

my favourite ost are:
- run run by eclipse
- like a dream by minnie
- spring snow by 10cm
- may i love you? by umji

despite the problems they faced such as changing of director, actors rejecting the script and more, it was a hit huge. if you are looking for a show to out of nowhere, this is it. it cured my drama slump and made me into them so so much.

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Lovely Runner: The Drama That Stole My Heart

I actually don’t even know how to put into words how much Lovely Runner means to me. From the very first episode, it pulled me in with its emotional story and beautiful direction. The cinematography, the vibe, and the way the plot unfolded just felt so unique and heart-touching.

But the highlight for me is definitely Im Sol. She has officially stolen my heart and I’ve become her fan for life 😄. The actress is so incredibly talented—her expressions, her warmth, the way she carries every scene with such sincerity—it just made me fall in love with her character completely. Im Sol’s kindness, courage, and bright personality made the whole drama shine.

The chemistry between the leads was magical too. Every interaction felt natural and real, like they weren’t just acting but truly living those moments. Their relationship gave me butterflies and made my heart ache at the same time. By the last few episodes, I was crying, laughing, and cheering all at once.

Lovely Runner is the kind of drama that makes you feel everything—joy, heartbreak, hope, and love. It’s emotional, healing, and so full of heart. I know I’m going to rewatch this again and again because it’s truly one of the most beautiful series I’ve ever seen.

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surprisingly engaging story in a timeworn genre

I was half expecting a silly high school teen idol story & was half prepared to drop this show. I was only curious to see Byeon Woo Seok again after seeing him in Strong Girl Namsoon & thought I would just check out the 1st episode or two. My goodness what a pleasant surprise this turned out to be. It's along the same level of pleasant surprise as Legally Romance, another story about a woman returning to the past to change her fate. It's actually not a teen story because it's told from an adult perspective.

Kim Hye Yoon plays Im Sol, a 30 y/o woman who travels back 15 yrs in time to try to prevent a trajedy from happening to her first love Ryu Seon Jae, played by BWS. As things don't quite turn out the way she hopes the first time, she figures out a way to travel back & forth for further attemtps to affect different outcomes. In the course of storytelling, I find the more times this happens, the more muddled things get & too many questions arise about just what the heck is going on. Some characters seem to retain memories you wouldn't expect them to if the time travel didn't involve them. Did Sol return to the past at a point before or after she told certain people certain things? I couldn't keep track. Sol also gains new memories from her new timelines, but the editing made it a bit confusing to follow. Finally comes the question of whether fate is strong enough that if things don't happen one day, will it happen on another day, in another way? And wouldn't that apply to all events, including trajedy?

You'd think the theme of going back in time is so worn out; how can it possibly be retold & still be entertaining? The strength of this drama, I realize, is in the skill of weaving in the developing relationship between Sol & Seon Jae. Sol drives the teen relationship with her 30 y/o maturity, & what she doesn't realize is SJ's own maturity which was far beyond her clueless younger self. Equally impressive was the steady & consistent performance of KHY, who could convey so much of Sol's conflict & hesitation without saying a word. I've read that KHY is not receiving as much attention for this drama as her co-star, which is itself very sad to see as she is the true star of the show. (Addendum: as of Aug 2024 it's reported that she has won an award for this performance).

I'll just add a short comment on the depiction of disability, which I've yet to see portrayed as anything other than worse than death in an Asian drama. Seeing Sol's independence while in a wheelchair, but being denied job opportunities because of inaccessibility which is no fault of her own, it might've been an opportunity to make some sort of statement by having Sol advocate for accessibility, especially since she ends up working at the place that initially rejected her. I was actually excited at the thought of a show featuring a disabled lead character, but alas the show was not up to that level & I decided to let this one go for now.

One of the co-writers of this show also wrote for True Beauty, a show I was far less impressed with. This show was quite entertaining overall, and with good performances. I've rated it higher than I might normally with this type of fluff piece, but only because it was nicely shot, had more than a few truly funny moments, and raised interesting questions about fate. If I had to compare, though, I'd say Legally Romance is a better show.

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Amazing!

I started this show after putting it off for a long time, and I'm glad I gave it a chance.

The actors did an amazing job. Whether it was for a funny scene, a heartbreaking scene, or a romantic scene. I loved it all. I think that they were perfect for their roles, as they all acted as their characters so well.

This is actually my first time watching something with Byeon Wooseok and Kim Hyeyoon (separately). I knew about them and knew that they're loved by many, so I had a feeling that this show would be good. Glad it turned out to be much better than "good". Also, I think that the producers/ director made a good choice by casting those two together. I honestly felt every emotion they portrayed. The love they had for each other felt so real that I really considered the possibility that they might've been crushing IRL lol. I will definitely check out their other dramas as well.

The side characters were really funny, and I enjoyed every little weird thing they did. They made me laugh a lot more than I'd like to admit. When Im Sol's brother and friend started to do aegyo with each other, I cringed so HARD haha.
Although the grandmother didn't make me laugh as much, she definitely surprised me. I know that actors are supposed to be able to play multiple characters with different personalities, but the fact that she played the same person but differently (pre-dementia and post-dementia) made me respect her a lot.
The bad guy wasn't always there, which I think I like better than them being in every episode for longer than they should be. He was a little mysterious and ominous, which I quite liked. He didn't act like some super villain with the biggest ego. Instead, he was tricky but still careful with his actions. For the record, I'm not praising the character lol, but rather the actor. He did really well.

At first, the whole time travel and different timelines made sense. But in the end, when Im Sol went back to erase herself from Sunjae's life, I had a few questions.
For starters, how did Sol's brother and friend still end up together? In the original timeline, they weren't together. They only started to have feelings for each other because Sol and Sunjae got closer when she went back in time. But then she changed the past by making sure he never met her. So how did they catch feelings again?
Second, Im Sol's mother's hand. Again, in the original time, it was different since her hand had a big scar on it from the fire, but Im Sol prevented that. How did her mother's hand come out perfectly fine in the final timeline? Did Im Sol go back again?
Lastly, how did Im Sol stop her own accident from happening? She tried a couple of times before but failed. So what changed this time for her to be perfectly fine in the end?
I actually have a few more questions, but I will keep them to myself.

In conclusion, this show is complicated in a good way. I honestly didn't know what to expect, but this show warmed my heart and left me with a big smile on my face. I loved it so much and would absolutely watch it again!

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A lot of mistakes but also very emotional

There were definitely some parts of this show that could have used a second and third opinion. The multiple jumps through time actually just created loopholes and unnecessarily dragged on the show. I think it actually would have done a lot better with just 2 jumps or at least if they just focused on the two main goals of her not getting in that accident, and him not unaliving himself. Instead we got a murder plot that dragged on and then ended really randomly, we got multiple deaths.... like please.

BUT THEN... The romance and the acting was amazing. I felt real heartache for both characters, but especially for Ryu Sun Jae. I loved his character and the way he loves her. It's just so wholesome and it crushed me when they tried to reverse that in Ep.13. I don't know if my hormones are out of whack but I for sure cried a few times.

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I’ll Never Stop Thinking About This Drama

Lovely Runner wrecked me in the most beautiful way possible. It’s not just a time-slip romance it’s a story about fate, grief, and the desperate ache of wanting one more chance. The writing, the acting, the music… everything hit like a slow-burn heartbreak you never want to end.

Byeon Woo-seok as Ryu Sun-jae is the blueprint for tender devotion, and Kim Hye-yoon made Im Sol feel so painfully real that I could feel her joy and loss through the screen. Every episode left me clutching my chest, smiling through tears, whispering, “please, let them be happy this time.”

It reminded me why I fell in love with K-dramas in the first place—that raw emotion, sincerity, and timeless magic that feels straight out of the iconic 2016 era. It’s been so long since a drama felt this alive, this fresh, this real.

It’s the kind of story that stays with you long after the final scene—not just because it was beautiful, but because it meant something.

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Probably my favorite drama ever :)

I literally made an account to rate this k-drama because I've actually never done it.. lmao
When I saw people describing this as something kpop fans would love - when the drama first started out and only a few episodes were out, I thought it was gonna be one of those cringy, unrealistic, obsessive ones. Also, often times they make these love and time-travel dramas so unrealistic and not-human-like so you can't really connect with the characters. But man, was this a journey.. Absolutely amazingly written and one of the best show productions I've ever seen. It makes you addicted to the drama, even though its unrealistical in the *time-travel* aspect, it makes you wonder if you'd do the same if you were Sol, if this happened to you.. if you would do everything to save the person you love. It has a beautiful message, all the actors are so talented and did such an amazing job. This kdrama is so gentle, it has such funny and bright scenes that you are laughing out loud and it was so perfectly intense in the dangerous aspect and also the relationship between the two main characters was making us feel all the tension. Their chemistry was out of this world.
I truly hope we get to see more dramas like this.

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that chemistry...

Sometimes it happens to find a gem: this show is one. Just finished after a 20hours marathon to watch it in one shot, because after the first episode I just could not stop watching it. Literally. I waited for the last episode to be published on May 28 and I made a good choice. I was fully involved, and felt a lot of emotions, from amusement to sadness, from laughs to sobs. Great story. Great cast. Nice plot. Nice direction.
The two leads were simply adorable. I didn't know a lot Kim Hye Yoon. And she was a nice surprise to me: charismatic, talented, expressive, fascinating and what's about her stunning smile? While I had already chances to appreciate Ryu Seon Jae, who's not just a tall giant, but he's able to show charisma and scenic presence, from the comic till the dramatic scenes. But what I liked a lot was the chemistry between them: simply unbelievable, intense, moving, sparkling. Time has passed since the last time I found something similar. And I can even say when: watching Crash Landing on You and those Hyun Bin and Son Ye Jin (who were also mentioned at a certain point). I guess that who wrote that there is not chemistry, well: he/she apparently watched something else.
I liked the plot and how the stories were presented, the personalities of each character, and also the way the other lead and support roles were developed, which often are overlooked. And among them I appreciated a lot the figure of Kim Tae Sung and the loyal relationship he shares with the leads.
Actually the structure of the story do not bring anything very new: this is not the first show seeing the leads wrappend around a story, which happens along an extended timeframe and enriched by fantasy elements. But who developed the plot did a very nice work in making it so intense keeping the spectator literally glued to the screen.
Well done!!

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