The curse of the 16 episode Kdrama strikes again
For me, this show was a solid 8.5 when I first started it. I have to say, I had no interest in this show. Then I heard about the plot and how it's about a girl going back in time to save her favorite idol...I thought the plot was so pitiful and sad! I started this out of pity! I just feel like it's sad when you have regrets about people you can't save. And the show didn't disappoint. The start of this show was exhilarating. It was relatable and emotional and so sincere. Then after the sad start, there was the humor, and the love interest developed into one of the more endearing male leads of Dramaland as he wore his heart on his sleeve and was just dorky and handsome at the same time. Not many can pull that off so kudos to Byeon Woo Seok for that. In addition, our leading lady is a tried and guaranteed good actress. The chemistry was sizzling, the plot was engaging, the humor was delightful, and the second male lead was not too annoying...it was all too good to be true. And it was, in fact, too good to be true.It is a truth, universally understood but everyone is too chicken to acknowledge it, that all kdramas have the potential to end on episode 12 but get dragged on for four more episodes until the show loses all its unique charm and rots away in the cesspool of cliched stereotypes. My only wish while watching a kdrama is either for it to end with 12 episodes or if it has to go on, at least go with grace. Very few shows do that.
I was really rooting for this show. I really was. But sadly, the show started to stutter around episode 10/11 and by episode 12, the plot was lost, dead, and buried.
Here's the thing, you need to let your MacGuffin macguffin! You need to let your plot device be a device to drive the plot ahead. Not for the plot to run after the plot device on a bicycle! What I'm trying to say is that a lot of Korean rom-coms add murder mysteries or thriller subplots to their shows both to make them longer and to spice up the plot. And I'm gonna assume at some point this worked but lately, these subplots are becoming so intense, convoluted, and clunky that they totally derail the show and ruin its final arc. Here it was no exception as the plot began to fall into a repetitive cycle, the female lead lost all her brain cells, misunderstandings and miscommunications ensued, and characters actively made choices to sabotage the progress of the story.
Girl, you're traveling back in time. Putting aside the ludicrous shock of such an event, after figuring out the rules (which the show took as guidelines, instead of rules as they frequently and shamelessly broke them for plot convenience) why do you keep repeating the same pattern of behavior, hoping to get different results?!
The plot really fell in a loop. It became exhausting. Then the murderer plot became too big and it was like the villain had extra superpowers because why was he absolutely undefeatable for 16 bloody episodes?!
It was just too much and then episode 15 rushed to close the plotlines while most of episode 16 was fan service. The pace of the show was a mess. They should've established better rules for their universe and stuck to them at least in important plot moments. Unfortunately, logic and narrative were sacrificed for melodramatic effect, ultimately ruining the second half of the show beyond repair.
Now the actors were okay. I would especially say just the mains stood out as good. The side actors were so-so. The subplot of the brother and best friend was really bad. It was boring and wasted time more than anything else. Every other character was written only as background decoration or comic relief, making them too caricaturish to be taken seriously.
Production was minimal but it worked. Music was tolerable I guess. But I was still tired of the ballad by the end.
I won't rewatch this. The second half ruined it for me but the first half will always remain an exceptional "One that got away" for me.
I wish they had done better by the show. It deserved better. It could've been so much better. I still think if you really wanna watch it, it's a good rom-com and the leads' dynamic is worth enjoying. Just maybe prepare to clench your teeth in the second half.
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1Heart fluttering rom-com quickly moved downhill with another murder mystery *tsk tsk*
Finally, FINALLY I finished Lovely Runner.Phew! That was a damn loooong ride. It should have ended with min 8ep max 12eps. But no, they exaggerated it untillll they couldn't. (─.─||）
Plot:
# It was good, funny, cute, lovely until the murder mystery emerged out of nowhere. I properly watched until ep 12, after that I skipped a lot and watched only the important scenes.
# Lovey-dovey sweet scenes felt really monotonous and full of cringe.
# The amount of tears FL cried, she completed her quota of crying for a year.
# The number of times she said "Sun jae-ya⁸⁹; Oh Sun jae-ya.⁹⁹" is unhealthy.
Acting: 8/10, -1 for Im sol's occasional overacting, and -1 for dumb killer. (٥↼_↼)
OST: 100/10! The best OST of the year goes to Lovely Runner. Woo seok's voice was really soothing and on top of that 10cm, ah, no words for him, just brilliant! ( ◜‿◝ )♡
Re-watch:
Idk if I can. I mean idk if I can watch the thrill part, all the crying and bullshit melodramatic scenes all over again. But yes I do have my favourite parts that I will be replaying a few more times (. ❛ ᴗ ❛.)
Opinion about the characters:
Im sol: Girl! you can't change someone's entire life even if you change it thousand times. Learn your lesson, don't fuss, don't be oversmart and just move forward ┗(•ˇ_ˇ•)―→
Tae-sung: Idk if you know this, this character only existed in the drama version cuz in webtoon there's no Tae-sung. But man he stole my heart with his charming appearance. He's a best buddy you can have in your life. But one thing I would say is stop obsessing over other people's girlfriend, especially if she's your ex. (*_*)
Sun-jae: Ah...the heartthrob. His dimple. I'll stop here. But man was he stupid? No, he was extra stupid! He was straight up obsessed with Sol. Why would you remember a girl you met 15 yrs ago, who didn't even bat her eyes at you and keep messing up your head thinking about her?! (ノಠ益ಠ)ノ
The killer: Dude, ahjussi find a better job in next life, it ain't worth it. What a crackhead dumb killer, do your research first, watch some crime documentaries and then think about doing something new ¯\_( ͠° ͟ʖ °͠ )_/¯
My Rating: 7/10 (5 for overall, 0.5 for OST and 0.5+0.5+0.5 for Tae-sung, Sun-Jae and Im-sol's dimples) ♡(ӦｖӦ｡)
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long and boring and basic
i loved both FL & ML they are incredibly amazing actors and really good at what they’re doing, however, the story is too typical for a time travel dramaI feel like we have seen those type of dramas a lot, and there’s nothing really new in this one
only thing that kept me going are the actors I loved their chemistry together
but the storyline it just does not have anything special.
I feel like I have watched too much better time travel Kdramas with a better story( thats just for me at least ) And it was really unnecessarily long. It could’ve ended in 10 episodes, overall it’s not that bad I guess
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(Sadly) I agree, this is overhyped
I really really really wanted to love this. It started off incredibly great, I was on the edge of my seat hugging my pillow for the first couple of episodes and then at some point it just turned so incredibly random.It felt like someone had a pitch for the series and maybe the first couple of episodes thought out and then at some point they just winged it without any plan at all whatsoever. There were a bunch of fillers with a bit too much comic relief and a bit too little plot. They could have cut this show short by 5 episodes and it would have probably been a decently good show.
Although, even so the main plot had a bunch of holes (which is to be expected for this kind of story but still this one overdid it a little on the lack of logic front…).
The female lead is a bit… particular, her choices seem awfully random and not very thought out at all.. considering the whole thing kind of just revolves around her that was a bit annoying.
Now some positives which still made me sort of like this overall:
- it did have some exciting parts (although a lot of it was predictable too)
- I sincerely laughed quite a bit
- I absolutely adored the male lead (although his character does have some issues but I don’t mind particularly)
- male lead actor… just… <3
- soundtrack was pretty great and catchy
That’s it, overall I don’t think this was bad but it definitely does not live up to the hype, and it definitely did not live up to its own potential ..
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This review may contain spoilers
sadly they messed up the second part
The first ten episodes were fine, the story had a clear purpose and there weren't many cliches. They flew, I was so captured by the plot and the time-travel thing. I was curious about what happened between the lead characters. Nothing was done or decided, everything could have been changed even by a small gesture. Sadly the female lead seems not really on track, especially with the mad taxi driver. Also, there were some unbelievable communication issues because the fl was herself, then not anymore, and again another time: a little bit messy I'd say. It should have been planned a little better. On the other side, the ml is slow, insecure, and determined to act "cool" with the fl. The beautiful thing is that everything is connected but at the end, the fl decides to reset everything. What was the sense of the first part of the drama then?Then it became a classical rom-com like any other, although I appreciated the time they spent in the countryside, at the sea: all four of them were carefree, thoughtless, awesome scenes. I skipped episode thirteen, it was a mistake but it was predictable, I knew what I missed: firstly it wasn't crucial, also it was kinda obvious and ordinary. They meet again in the future. I found fine all the coincidences, the "destiny" that was calling. Then they rush things another time for example with the marriage thing.
From the first two episodes, I got the idea that the drama would have been about depression problems, stress caused by success and disabilitiles. It was disappointing. Also, the whole thing was maybe too much focused only on the main couple.
Other things are good: the acting, the music. Personally "grandma" best character ever, I loved her, she was the one who remembered everything. Kim Tae Seong my baby, I started rooting for him at some point, I was happy he followed his dad in life as a policeman. I was hoping he'd had a gf or that he wasn't in love with the fl anymore ...
P.S. I don't consider RW in my final rating.
Thank you for reading <3
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FRUSTRATING FOR THE MOST PART BUT WAS OKAY
My Honest Thoughts on Lovely RunnerLovely Runner had so much potential, a nostalgic time-slip romance with a heartbreaking premise and two leads who shared undeniable chemistry. Byeon Woo seok and Kim Hye yoon carried the drama with their emotional performances, especially in the past timeline, where their youthful connection felt pure and touching. The early 2000s nostalgia was a nice touch, and the first few episodes hooked me with their mix of suspense, romance, and fate-driven tragedy. But as the story unfolded, the flaws became harder to ignore.
The biggest letdown was the villain, a random, one-dimensional killer with zero depth or backstory. He was just... there, a generic evil figure with no real motive, making the "mystery" aspect feel lazy. What frustrated me even more was the female lead’s baffling decisions when dealing with him. Instead of being smart or strategic, she kept making reckless choices that put herself (and others) in danger, which made some scenes unnecessarily frustrating to watch. The drama also fell into typical K-drama traps, dragging out the middle section with repetitive conflicts, relying on amnesia tropes, and forcing last-minute rescues that stretched believability.
Still, I can’t deny that the emotional core of the story worked. The leads’ performances and their heartbreaking love story kept me invested, even when the plot stumbled. If you’re a fan of melodramatic, fate-driven romances, you might enjoy Lovely Runner, just don’t expect a tightly written thriller or a well-developed antagonist. For me, it was a mixed bag: beautiful in moments, frustrating in others, and ultimately carried by its chemistry rather than its writing. 6.5/10, good, but could’ve been so much better.
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Started so good, but they got lost in the story
Overall the acting is good from most characters but the story got progressively worse. I like the time travel aspect, but after the first episodes they tried to much and the time travel and the actions of both leads didn't make sense anymore. The music was great. Just to list two points I found unfortunate:- A majority of the story played with the characters in highschool and for me the actors are just to old to play highschoolers. At least college student or more of the story in the present instead of the past would've been more fitting.
- Another point I thought was unfortunate that the female lead had a disability in the beginning which I found so good and made here character more complex but that part just got erased in the time travel and never got picked up again, besides the fl remembering everything else just that part she and the writers completely ignored.
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Interesting Story ruined by Annoying FL
I know is hard to explain and picture but I loved and "hated" watching this at the same time..There were too many moments where I really just had to push through because of how exasperated I was at what was happening on screen. (and the only reason I enjoyed it was honestly because, in between all of the cringy worthy dialogue and incredibly unbearably annoying actions, there truly are some really funny moments in this and I liked all of the supporting characters (for the most part, the brother is annoying af and so is her best friend but I'll give her a pass))
The story starts out with a very interesting and promising plot. from the get go we get introduced to this once-bitter female lead that has now changed into someone brighter and more positive because she was inspired by the male lead. However the situation is very cringy since she does start out as an obviously obsessed Kpop fan. doesn't matter why she started liking them, she ended obsessed. and that obsession/love for her idol ruins like 75% of the dialogue between the leads in the first like 7 episodes. she can't say something that doesn't sound stupid or crazy for the life of her.
The way they wrote the female lead really made this unbearable to watch sometimes.
She was super annoying and lacked any common sense. She was supposed to be acting like a 30 year old that goes back in time but instead she acts like she is 13 the entire time. Like, miss girl, did you NEVER watch ANY time travel media?? like, there are so many movies and tv shows about time travel that it can be considered general knowledge at this point. it should be obvious that if you travel back in time you should try and at least act normal about it. SHE NEVER ACTS NORMAL!! she is so incredibly dense.
I honestly wouldn't rewatch this drama ever, not even for the "good parts". Seriously. A drama not worth a rewatch is not a good drama.
Casting 20/10 tho.. Loved the actors. ❤️
edit: okay, some of yall are not understanding. I personally, did in fact watch the whole thing and found it alright. Simple as that.
There were annoying moments and things that I could, and have, nick-picked about the female lead because I can. It's my opinion and my take on my watching experience. that's it.
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A wasted potential
It started off with quite sensitive content but soon the story turns into a joke. Female lead had no idea what she was doing. Very little development in the story with respect to the timelines. But that's okay as long as the comedy is good and making me laugh but there were some odd comedy moments. I was okay with that too but most important thing was how story got soo boring in the middle. I didn't feel like going forward with it as show was soo dry. Even the serial killer couldn't bring any thrill in the show. I found myself bored through many episodes.Was this review helpful to you?
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Overall boring and frustrating
The plot seemed very interesting to me.But I didn't like the execution, Im Sol seems super desperate to me, a lot of things have happened to her in life but she is still very immature, literally their lives are at stake and she is not able to take things seriously.
It is super frustrating to see that the other male protagonist was only a decoration throughout the entire series.
It was not well explained how time travel works, and it is good that it is not explained in depth, but how is it possible that the two of them and the grandmother have memories but the other characters do not? If the murderer also had memories of him it could have been much more interesting.
Apart from the fact that the killer looks super out of nowhere. They don't tell you anything about his motives or his story.
The story of the brother and the best friend is not funny, it is super frustrating, no one behaves that way and if they do it would be super cringey
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If I got to be that guy so be it. SADLY RUNNER is more like it
Lovely runner started off as a show that seems to show promise. I love the fact that they have two great cast and probably an exceptional storyline. However, it's get too draggy and boring real quick. The show tries to show multiple ways that indicates how the story plays out. It doesn't help if the FL keeps messing up and tries to keep it a secret. Messing up does unlock a lot of potential plot twist or surprising moments. With poor execution and pretty predictable, it wasn't gonna work. I say this show had everything and just could deliver. At least make the bad guy better since he wasn't even feared at all.Was this review helpful to you?
Fizzles out but stays cute
I’m kind of surprised by the glowing reviews on this one, because as cute as the main couple is (and not only are they cute, they’ve got an AMAZING kiss scene)…I really think this is one of those dramas that starts out strong but ends up fizzling out.The first episode is extremely strong; the heart-wrenching tragedy of the male lead’s death gives our female lead a purpose in her time travel journey, and the added layer of her being able to walk after being in a wheelchair for so many years adds is also great. There’s commentary about disability and inaccessibility, which I really appreciated. I also really loved how we saw Im Sol getting back the will to live.
The next few episodes were still promising; it was the right balance of funny and heart-wrenching, and I was also pleasantly surprised that the FL already went back to a changed future.
The first thing I didn’t really like was the mystery element. The recent trend of inserting a random serial killer into a rom-com drama is something I really do not enjoy, and this was no different; it felt like a lot of the profound commentary we got at the start about living with a disability or depression and suicide became reduced to “actually there was a villain, so our ML was never depressed, and our FL shouldn’t have been disabled anyways.”
As the drama went on it felt like the story focused more on the mystery, with the second lead randomly popping in to fulfill his police officer role, while our main couple also got more repetitive: Im Sol was always sad because she had seen a sad future, while Sun Jae was in a perpetual state of ignorance, or even amnesia. The actual state of the future switched around, sure, but their core characters were always the same.
Ultimately, I think this was still a very cute watch; there are funny, chaotic scenes and the male lead is one heck of a green flag. I just wish it kept all the substance and momentum it had at the start.
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