Lovely Runner

It's Lovely To Run Into Someone You Love!

Not too much Spoiler.

I watched this series while it aired and to date it's still one of my favorite Drama I watched
in 2024. I came on this page to comment on how the OST still lingers on in my head and what
alerted me into writing this review was a very misleading review about the FL's character name
Im Sol that she does not care about anyone but the ML Seon Jae which is untrue.
I don't want to spoil much but I must say this that Im Sol cared for others and may be
the most selfless character in the series, She helped her mom, grandma, brother, and best
friend on multiple occasions. So it was not the ML she cared about, but the series is based on
IM sol trying to save Seon Jae so honestly why would anyone want to act as if they were apart
of the crreative writing team. I think some people purposely trying to bring down a very greatly
made series and draw attention to themselves as only a negative review would garner attention.
If you have not watched this series yet, please read the synopsis first, it's got multiple time travel
for most of the series. So if you thought it was only a few episodes, it's not.

The series is based on the FL trying to save the ML through time travel
and each time she tried and failed, she kept going back to save him until she could not go back anymore
where the story conclusion in the last two episodes, you see them in the present time and that is
how they both discovered they met in the time travel.

I want to add that after visiting Seoul in 2024 and saw how much love Koreans have for the ML.
His face is everywhere you cannot miss him and I loved it. Imagine his face made you buy coffee
just cause lol. Anyway, I hope you enjoy the series as much as I did.

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This drama shows how important it is to show someone that you care

I really liked the story of this drama, as someone who has unfortunetly lost someone to suicid the thought of going back to save that person is tempting. I've read other reviews claiming this is fanfiction, fanatasy etc and in my opinion Sung Jae falls in love with her because she show him how much she cares about him, no one else around him shows him that much care and affection. I think showing someone that you care is very important and I think it's very easy to fall in love with someone who shows that they care - especially if you are not feeling well. Sol's intentions were never to make him fall in love with her. I also think they both end up falling in love because the feel the memories of each other in their bodies, Sol's grandmother says something about it and I think it applies very well to the plot. However, the story gets a little messy with the going back and forth but I think in the end they wrapped it up very nicely. Its also very intresting how she ended up chaning her own fate when that was never her intentions or purpose.

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The two main leads are carrying this show

some plots holes, too much tears from the main female lead, but their incredible alchemy and acting are making up for the mistakes this drama has.

I would have liked the main female to have more character development, aside the development about SunJae! it felt like she was living only for him, and it was a bit too much in my opinion.

I didn't feel the need to know more about the time travel (how? why?), but now I've finished the drama, I feel like there is too much questions and points that weren't explained (what we call plot holes)

but overall, the great points from this drama are definitely the acting and the alchemy beetwen the two mains! you laugh, you cry, you get angry at the scenario. and most of all, you're scared to finish it cause you're gonna miss them. And I think it's the sign you're watching a good drama.

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the love/hate reviews

Its a hate/love kind of feeling.
I get why there's so many mixed reviews about this drama, some of it I loved, some of it really annoyed me. I felt so frustrated at some points but then it warmed my heart other times. The characters were really immature (especially the FL lord help me) and the communication between them was terrible. It put a dampener on their chemistry because It was so needlessly frustrating at times. The plot had holes everywhere but I tried not to poke at them, just watch this lovely drama with a blank mind and a forgiving soul.

Byeon Woo Seok did an incredible job as an actor and a performer. It was a fun and sweet drama, Overall I would still recommend it and the music/soundtrack is great!

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The right amount of cringe for Rom-Com. LOVE!

the drama is waaaaayyyy better than the webtoon, i found the webtoon a bit boring, but theres not a single episode i found boring in the drama. I watched this for 8 times alr, they picked the right all the right cast, even the Grandmother is so cute. I know Kim Hye-Yoon was a great actrees but I became a fan after this drama, it still blew my mind she filmed both the first time Sunjae saw her in 1 day.

This is definitely always gonna be my "feel-good" drama. My fav character is Tae-Sung, i thought his character was going to be "smart&cool" all the way, but then the Sunny scene happened, it was so funny.

To me the point of this drama was not the fangirling part, but how she go back to save him. This drama was cringe, sad, funny, didnt make sense and relatable in some part, thats why i love it. It's the perfect Rom-Com.

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Everything doesn’t need to be logical to hit deeply

I can’t help but be biased when it comes to Lovely Runner. Even after watching well over a hundred dramas, and not even being a huge fan of rom-coms, this one holds the most special place in my heart. There are probably better dramas I've seen in terms of production or storyline, but a drama doesn’t have to be perfect to move you deeply. So allow me to be unapologetically subjective in my love for it.

At one point, I even debated whether to write a review. Despite its popularity and high ratings, it feels like people are often hating on it just for the sake of it... Calling it overrated, cringy, and whatnot. But everyone has their own taste. Here’s why Lovely Runner stands out as one of the best rom-coms I’ve seen.

First and foremost, the chemistry between the leads is unmatched. There are very few dramas where the romance feels this warm, this alive, this magnetic. The way they portrayed the feeling of choosing each other again and again across timelines was everything. I didn’t even need the time-travel logic to make sense (although it was quite solid in my opinion). I felt the emotional truth of it. So many scenes were breathtakingly beautiful, overflowing with raw emotion.

I’ll admit, Im Sol frustrated me sometimes. Her stubbornness, her need to shoulder everything alone, her tendency to hurt Sunjae unintentionally by hiding things “for his own good”… at times it was tough to watch that. But oddly, that’s what made the love story feel even more real. Flawed, frustrating, and deeply human.

And then there’s Byeon Wooseok. I didn’t even really know his name before I started this drama. But wow. He IS Ryu Sunjae. One of those rare cases where the actor doesn’t just play the role, but becomes it. I truly believe Lovely Runner wouldn’t be half as magical without him. His emotional range, his sincerity, his ability to bring so much heart to every scene. I absolutely adored his golden retriever energy. He made Sunjae unforgettable. And I don't think that incredible chemistry could’ve happened without the real-life care and respect he clearly has for Kim Hyeyoon (the BTS clips say it all).

It’s also probably the only idol-themed drama I’ve seen that doesn’t feel flat or cliché. It handled the impact idols have and the sincerity of fan love with surprising depth.

And the OST? Don’t even get me started. A year later and I still listen to half the soundtrack regularly, screaming my lungs out to those gorgeous lyrics. "Sudden Shower" most of all will forever be legendary.

At the end of the day, Lovely Runner is one of those dramas that stay with you. The blue door. The yellow umbrella. And finally, the kind of love that defies time and logic to find its way back. To me, that’s unforgettable.

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Wow - Yea, not really

*I had to come edit my review because I have fully digested it and it's not a 9.5 lol*

Original: Indeed an amazing drama. I fell in love with Byun Wooseok and I'm now part of his fandom lol! I started watching this three days ago and already finished, and I'm so glad I gave it a shot (despite it being during finals season.... help!!).
The OST is unforgettable and I loved the whole concept of the drama. There are a few reasons why I didn't give it 10 stars though:
1) There were some holes in the story that made me uncomfortable at times. I don't want to include spoilers in this review so I won't go into detail but I think that all time-travel stories are bound to have some "unexplained" events, and it's okay because it's worth it! The story was fun even though it has some loose ends.
2) I think the first 5 episodes are the best of the whole show. I loved the beginning of this story and I wish we had spent more time there. I don't want to be preachy or politically right about this, but I wish we had had more time with original timeline Sol and Sunjae. I think it was a shame that they took the.... characteristics... of both characters in the first episode. I understand why (related to time-traveling consequences) but still; it's like they were used just to add drama.
3) I love the FL and I understand why she was affected by all that happened in the show, but having her cry in every episode is a bit much. And, in my opinion, she doesn't express mature happiness or love as well as she does innocent/childish happiness and love. There were parts where I was like "You don't seem all that happy??" Hahaha but she is a good actress, don't get me wrong.

I loved the chemistry between all the characters! It is an unforgettable drama, that's for sure.



Now: The things I liked about this drama were overshadowed by not so great things. The female lead is just annoying and empty. The ML also only exists for the FL and easily gives up his own aspirations, although less annoying because he cries less. My love for BWS and for golden retriever characters clearly blinded me – I can't help but love Sunjae despite the flaws in the way the character was written and BWS is a big reason for that because he's SO DAMN TALENTED! He was born to play that character and the actor literally saved the character for me.
I still really enjoy the first 5 episodes because I was expecting the show to develop the characters and the plot from there but it never did. It was just the same over and over again, to the point where the emotional scenes didn't hit anymore. I just wish they had taken the first episode and written a story about characters who have a life outside of each other, who have relationships that they value outside of their partner, who follow their dreams (lmao who even have dreams and goals), who make plans before rewinding time so that they can idk ACTUALLY SOLVE SOMETHING????... Having a ML who has loved the FL before they even "met" made it sooo boring once we find out (but I guess that's personal preference). I liked the first episodes because we didnt know that yet and it felt like we were going to join them on a journey; but no, they already liked each other so what's the point? I love the retro vibes like in the Reply series and 2521 but in those shows we can slowly get to know the characters and understand what is moving them in the plot but not in LR. I understand that it's a romance but it should have been more developed.
The music is GREAT and the vibes are ICONIC so I'm actually upset they wasted such a cool idea and turned it into this – "this" being a great drama that had the potential to become my favorite drama of all time but fell short because the FL cries in every scene and the plot is built around a relationship at the expense of logic sometimes. UGH it makes me want to rewrite the whole thing myself because the wasted potential is haunting me. I was clearly blinded when I first reviewed the show, although deep down I knew it hadn't been that great so I had to come and write this so that I can move on with my life in peace.

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THE BEST DRAMA IN MY HEART!!!!! 1000000/10

Lovely Runner has become one of my all-time favorite drama - a rare 10/10 for me! I almost never write reviews (at the time of making this review), but this drama is just that incredible. This is the only drama that I ever give all 10 for all aspects. The acting was phenomenal, with both the female and male leads delivering absolutely outstanding performances. The story had everything: it was funny, heartwarming, touching, heart-pulling, thrilling, and beautifully balanced a mix of rom-com, melodrama, crime, and fantasy.

The soundtrack was so good as well; every song was a masterpiece that perfectly heightened the emotions of each scene, making me feel every moment deeeeeply :( And the best part? The ending was wrapped up flawlessly - satisfying and complete, without any of those rushed or empty feelings that many dramas leave behind.

Lovely Runner is a truly exceptional and well-crafted drama that I can’t recommend enough!

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