Lovely Runner

what is a plot

this drama was not extraordinary by any means. there was so much missing in the plot nor there was any reasoning behind anything that was happening yet i found myself drawn to the amazing chemistry of the main leads. if the cast wasn't doing a good job, i might've dozed off and skipped this.

so why is my rating 8? i'm guilty and say that this drama ignited the hopeless romantic in me. that lingering hope of fate bringing you close to the person meant for you type of deal. i was squealing, smiling and laughing throughout this drama. there were sweet moments, comical situations and just scenes that were clearly filler scenes but I still found it enjoyable because i found this drama to be something like a compilation of everything at once. while some dramas that tries hard to bring in every single genre possible, somehow, lovely runner worked well for me with its comedy, thriller, and romance. kim tae sung, in hyeok and sun jae trio and sun jae x tae sung duo; such a fun combination of characters.

even though i'm fond of this drama, i can't deny how flawed it is. there was little to no explanation for its time travel, the abrupt jumping back and forth, flashbacks and the villain feels likes an annoying hindrance to the story instead of an important feature to the plot. heck, what even was the plot?

despite the incoherence of the holes in the story, i would fall in love with this drama again just like sun jae and im sol.

Read More

Great if you don't have high expectations

The premise of this drama is pretty good. It really draws you in, but toward the end the time traveling story starts to get convoluted and straight up nonsensical. How come can Sol still be friends with Taesung in the future she doesn't meet Sunjae, when her following Sunjae around is what starts her friendship with him? There are other plotholes like this scattared through the story, I think the overuse of the time travel really harmed the story a bit. If the show ended earlier, it would've been better, in my opinion.

Also, I have to say, Sol was a bit annoying with her obssession with Sunjae at the start. I undertand the importance he has on her life, but she just barkes any sort of boundary of a normal fan. She's not even close to him, but she keeps acting extremely suspicious and like a total creep and just hopes for the best. She has no actual plan to help him and the only reason it goes right is because they are leads is a romance story, cause otherwise this is very problematic as she's literally a stalker and she'd probably get herself killed or arrasted in a few days. Besides, Sunjae doesn't have much depth. Despite having to give up on his dream and struggling with depression, we don't really dive into how he feels about these things or how they truelly affect him. Also, Sol and Sunjae's obssession with sacrificing themselves for the other doesn't fell warranted. Like, you barely know each other, please let's calm down a bit. I guess these types of over the top, melodramatic plots only really work in a more high fantasy or historical setting, not in this type of slice of life drama (despite having sci-fi elements).

Despite all of this, I have to say it gets better with time. If you can suspend your disbelief, Sol and Sunjae really become a cute couple and they really grow on you as the plot progresses. They have a lot of chemistry and Sunjae is peak loser behaviour (in a good way). They carry this drama on their back. Furthermore, the plot with the granny is touching, but a bit weird? Her Alzheimer is portrayed almost like a magical thing, but it's more comical than anything else. Taesung has a nice evolution throughout the drama, too.

If you're looking for a strong plot with deep characters, this is not for you. But if you can get past the more problematic aspects of this drama, you can find a very sweet and endearing story, with a lot of tension and drama, so if that's your thing, definitely go for it. It isn't anything new but it's very entertaining in this regard.

Read More

I reallly enjoyed it a lot, for the most part

I've read a lot of comments from people who did NOT like it, and I agree on some of the things they say, but most of the things they complain about simply don't bother me. This is a formulaic ROMANCE DRAMA, not a deep character study or social commentary or advocacy film or sci-fi thriller. It's true that the paralyzation didn't get much attention (or the reversal thereof) and the characters aren't super deep and some things just exist to serve the plot without a lot of backstory or examination (or explanation, such as in the case of the time travel). But I did not watch it for any of those things. I watched it for the do-or-die ROMANCE, and it delivers that! The show is ALL about the love between two people, and one character's willingness to do whatever it takes, no matter the cost to herself, to save her beloved. And that is exactly what I wanted!

It did stretch out the achy-breaky angst too much, and the show cut have been cut down into fewer episodes, but even as is, I thoroughly enjoyed it and will most likely watch it again someday. It has really sweet and funny and cute moments, too; it's not all heartbreak. (And there are no stupid misunderstandings that needlessly go on forever!) (Although it does use the "I have to hurt you to save you" trope as well as the "I have to hurt MYSELF to save you" trope--as I said, it's formulaic. But generally speaking, for myself, I LIKE the formula!) And it has a happy ending! The last episode, I held my breath the whole time waiting for disaster to strike again, but it didn't happen, and I got more epilogue from it than I think I've ever gotten from any other Asian drama, and I really appreciated that.

So, if you are like me and you just want an angsty, cute-funny, obsessivish romance story, you should enjoy this one. Just don't expect more than that from it. It's not War and Peace. (Or should I reference Gone With the Wind instead, as a deeper version of a love story?) You get the idea. :)

Read More

BIG Surprise...

I was pleasantly surprised by this drama. Excellent all around, especially Kim Hye Yoon. For someone who has done limited lead roles, what an actress.
She has it all:
- Acting = 9
- Appeal = 10
- Role = Character was perfect for her (so the casting director gets 5 stars)
I am not even sure if the casting directors in the KWood world analyze character fit before placing someone in a role because I have seen numerous miscasts since I started watching KDRAMAs 14 years ago. Anyone could have played the male role but Byeon Woo Seok was good. FL knocked it out of the park and kept you glued to the drama wishing the episodes would come faster. I am seriously going to save Kim Hye Yoon on all my Korean entertainment sites so I can make sure to watch her future projects. This young woman is going to be a great actress!

Read More

This drama demands your full attention; otherwise, you might find yourself rewinding to grasp the storyline. Byeon Woo Seok, portraying Ryu Seon Jae, and Kim Hye Yoon, playing Im Sol, delivered outstanding performances. Keeping up with Im Sol’s character was a thrilling challenge—she truly had my head spinning. Byeon Woo Seok's mere presence and his gaze into the camera were captivating. The height difference between the two actors was notable; I hope he didn't strain his back! Kudos to all the actors and actresses for a job well done. I’ll never look at a wristwatch the same way again!

Read More

HEART MORE THAN WARM!

I started enchanted with this drama and ended in a state of grace and with a certain nostalgia. Few dramas have moved me as much as this one, a completely unpretentious drama that, when I saw the trailers, I thought I would ignore and forget. However, after watching the first episode, it was clear that there was a story with a simple premise but with immediate magnetism. It's hard to explain, but I feel full and happy with everything that happened and with this ending that was a "fan service" beyond reproach.

I hope that Kim Hye-Yoon takes on roles that don't require her to mould her voice into a cute and almost childish version. Her serene performance with her natural voice in the first episode was of high quality. Now we need to talk about the actor of the moment: Byeon WooSeok, who gave his body and soul to this role. It seems like he lived every moment of Seon-Jae as if it were his own. Moreover, he is an actor who doesn't stay in his comfort zone and constantly challenges himself. In 12 months, he played a villain and this hero in this romantic comedy. WooSeok is the moment and deserves all the possible praise. By the way, in his scene with the grandmother, it was clear that his crying was natural and authentic, not acting. Hearing that from someone should move you, I was choked up.

I cannot forget the Archangel Michael of this drama, Tae Sung, who protected the couple and put an end to all that anguish. It is worth noting that Tae Sung was excellently portrayed by the outstanding Song Geon-Hee, who is long overdue to be the lead in a drama. He is a complete actor as well. The trio of protagonists did very well, and that's why this drama was successful in Korea and worldwide.

I will miss it; the spring snows will never be the same.

Read More

A Triumph of Writing, Direction, and Acting

If you're on the fence about this show because of the plot, let me assure you: the writing, direction, and acting are absolutely stellar.

The storyline might not break new ground, and that's clear, but wow, the writing is phenomenal. Each character is crafted with such care, capturing the essence of the mid-2000s perfectly. The praise can't be overstated; every character, no matter how minor, is intricately developed.

Now, let's talk about the director. What a vision! The director's intelligence shines through, knowing exactly what will captivate the audience. The direction is gripping, with not a single dull moment, showcasing the director's remarkable vision.

The actors, oh my goodness, words fall short in describing their brilliance in their respective roles, especially the leads. The male lead is portrayed with such depth; the character is finely etched, and this role is a gift to him that he fully embraces. He's not just a good choice; he's the embodiment of perfection for this role.

As for the female lead, there's no doubt she is the ideal choice for the role; her character fits her like a glove. Kudos to her for taking on this role with such grace and strength.

"And she deserves immense credit for believing in the wonderful production team, even when many actors were hesitant to take on the male lead role in this drama. Yet, she persisted and waited for 2-3 years to meet Ryu Sun-jae in real life."

Hats off to the entire production team for their patience through delays and their unwavering confidence in the project. Despite the initial reluctance from other actors, they are a true source of inspiration.

For those considering whether to watch this because the plot seems average, trust me, the plot may not be revolutionary, but the writing is amazing, the direction is outstanding, and the acting is the cherry on top.

I thoroughly enjoyed this work and highly recommend it to anyone seeking a production that excels in every aspect. Don't be misled by a seemingly simple plot; it is the execution that makes this a true masterpiece.

Read More

Finest 2024 K-Drama So Far! This brings back old drama vibes!

At first glance, we all must assume that this drama is just another time travel storyline in which the FL annoyingly chases after the ML. The character's introduction illustrates FL's intense admiration for ML, which lends credence to this early judgment. For everyone who has seen this drama, we can all agree that the turning point in our opinion was when we saw ML's POV at the end of episode 2. From this epic scene, it was the second I knew that this drama was not just "just" a random drama.

The most intriguing aspect is that the 'vibes' I experienced while watching this drama reminded me of the first time I watched Korean dramas; they were amusing, light, and succeeded in making us laugh and feel butterflies in our stomachs at the same time. I watched it for joy because everyone said it was okay to watch, and heellll I spent nearly 7 episodes sitting on a seat! It was too exciting to leave my seat.

The plot of this drama is light; some may argue that it is a cliché plotline with random conflict and a predictable ending. But there's nothing wrong with those of you who enjoy light-hearted dramas about school life. We'll be like roller coasters, laughing out loud, getting excited, and crying at the end of each episode.

The two main characters accurately portray the characteristics of a high school lovey-dovey pair. While many people adore Sun Jae, I am particularly impressed by the image of Im Sol's character; this girl is depicted as vibrant and enthusiastic. Kim Hye Yoon is the perfect artist to play characters of different years in each era. I can't picture anyone else being Im Sol. On the other hand, Byeon Woo Seok is truly destined to play Sun Jae; he and his current popularity when this drama aired are enough proof that he is a superb actor, and I wish him all the best in his future endeavors as an actor.

Also, I hope we all find at least one man like Sun Jae in our lives (though this is almost impossible) hehe.

Each aspect of this story makes it difficult for me to forget. The OST for the drama "Sudden Shower" is certainly spectacular! Do listen and feel how Byeon Woo Seok sings this; I can nearly feel Sun Jae's complex feelings for Im Sol every time I hear this song.

Undoubtedly, Lovely Runner is the best 2024 drama so far; hopefully, we will see many more dramas like this. Hands up to the entire crew; despite the hardships they had at the beginning of production and filming, the hype surrounding this drama is well-deserved!

Read More

I was pleasantly surprised that the romcom and time travel aspects went well together, but the serial killer scenes were a bit off due to the abrupt shift in tone- the scenes would go from warm and sunny to cold and overcast with menacing background music in one instant. The villain was also flat and caricature-like, but given that this was just a plot device to keep the leads apart longer, I didn’t expect an interesting antagonist as if I were watching an actual thriller.

It wasn’t a deal breaker though, and I found myself enjoying this for the most part. The female lead was spirited and charismatic, the male lead was lovable and warm hearted. They had a cute, adorable chemistry.

I also like the creative way the drama used time travel, like when the female lead blurted out spoilers to be able to pause time so she could get from one location to another. Im Sol's determination to protect the male lead, Sun Jae, was endearing and admirable, but it could get frustrating at times; the results of her efforts would tell her time and again that trying to change certain events would only make things worse, but she kept making the same mistake. Then again, I understood why. If you knew your loved one would end up getting murdered, I guess you wouldn’t be able to stop yourself from trying to prevent it either, even if your efforts were in vain.

This is a female centric show, but I don’t think of this as a flaw, more like a preference. If you want to see something that has an equal focus on both the leads, or is male centric, this may not be your cup of tea. Most of the story is from the female lead’s point of view and you only get bits of Sun Jae’s perspective later. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with having a preference for one trope or the other, but if one automatically dislikes a drama because of that one aspect/trope, it might be more practical to just choose another drama that has what they like. There is no point in watching a sports drama if you hate sports, anymore than it being counterproductive to watch a detective story if you hate that genre. I have my own set of preferences and tropes which I normally go for, but if another drama didn’t have what I liked but was still good, I wouldn’t rate it badly either.

Regardless of a drama being female centric, equally focused, multi-perspective, or male-centric…I want a drama to be good at what it does (be good at what it's trying to do), entertain me, be fast paced and have likable characters.

I think Lovely Runner succeeds for the most part. The plot didn’t slow down from beginning to end and while the leads were an odd couple- not just in terms of how they looked together but also how opposite their personalities were (manic, headstrong female lead, shy and vulnerable male lead) they were likeable and sweet together.

My main gripe is that I dislike the drama's over-the-top, slapstick humor. I found myself rolling my eyes at some of the jokes and gags, which were exaggerated. The male lead’s father getting stuck in the bathroom for a whole day because he was too weak to open the door... the second couple (the female lead’s brother and her best friend), were excruciating* in their courtship. They would jump into ponds in plain sight in the middle of the their school campus to avoid being seen, hide in lockers and cabinets, talk in extremely high pitched voices even a deaf person could hear…the toilet humor incident they had which got the best friend to like the brother...I felt that these scenes were plain unfunny and just added filler. They did more to detract from the drama and did nothing to enhance it.

The female lead herself, while spirited and charismatic, was a bit grating at first; she was way too over-the-top for me (shouting at the top of her lungs, etc), especially during her “high school” days, however, she gets better and mellows down during her college years. I don’t particularly care for her voice. I was trying to pinpoint what exactly bugged me about it. I’ve watched many an anime and asian drama with an annoyingly voiced female lead (ex: Orchid in Love Between Fairy and Devil, Sang Zhi from Hidden Love, etc) but they didn’t bother me…finally I realized that it’s because these female leads have high pitched girly voices which fits their age/character type.

The actress playing Im Sol has an old lady voice which doesn't sync with her appearance. It was like watching a 70 year old woman (with a syrupy sweet voice) talk in the body of a 30 something year old. The scene were Im Sol dresses in a monk’s costume with her face covered where she warns Sun Jae not to become a swimmer…I could really imagine an old woman as the embodiment of that voice.

The actress can’t help it though. It's her natural speaking voice and that aside, both she and the actor did fine; their performances weren’t extraordinary or anything like that. I could easily imagine another actress or actor playing them, but they delivered well and entertainingly. The rest of the cast were alright. There’s also a love triangle here, but it’s mostly played for laughs. I think the story does best when it focuses on the leads.

Read More

Nostalgia!

One of things that worked and brought the drama alot of attention is the timing and nostalgia when the drama was airing it was very addictive. Secondly Both Hye Yoon and Woo Seok did a amazing job, making the characters uniquely their own, I think the criticism made should be attributed not to the actors but to the direction and script, when reading excerpt of script, I realised It said Sol was wide eyed, which was how Sol mostly reacted to Sunjae's affection, they fell victim to poor writing. One thing people need to realise is that actors are portraying characters as written in the script. I agree that the story could have been better, a lost opportunity I guess, It started well but sadly feel victim to the 16 episode curse. I would have loved it more if Sol's disability was explored more. But all in all its a great watch and I guess it's the first time I have watched a drama without skipping, I loved the focus was on Sol and Sunjae as this was a romantic drama, and it didn't have complicated side plots or focused on side characters more than the leads.

Read More