ANOTHER HYPE DRAMA TURNS INTO A DISAPPOINTMENT
i thought it would be great but seems like i got conned, never trust tiktok & x trending, it didn't live up to the hype... shame, i like the cast thothe plot is messy, the chemistry didn't work, the character development not quite there, the acting is okay and good, the ost is the best thing from this drama
overall it's not a drama that i will rewatch over time
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"Lovely Runner" becomes one of those timeless dramas
Review by : flowerbby"Lovely Runner" weaves a storyline that is not only aesthetic and beautiful but also deeply enjoyable. The tone of the drama is enriched with a graceful aesthetic and charming, lighthearted comedy that delights. Every actor delivers a remarkable performance, with Kim Hye Yoon in the lead role truly shining. Her portrayal is exceptional, reaffirming that she fully deserves the title of an actress whose work you can always trust. Byeon Woo Seok is equally captivating, bringing Sun Jae to life with such profound and heart-wrenching emotion.
Each episode masterfully keeps the audience on their toes, with a plot that surprises and stirs deep feelings, making it impossible to move on easily. "Lovely Runner" leaves an indelible mark—it’s a drama that is hard to forget and will be cherished for a long time. This work is truly a gem, and I sincerely hope "Lovely Runner" becomes one of those timeless dramas. As a devoted fan, I know I will never forget this series, and I’m deeply grateful that it concluded so beautifully.
A heartfelt thank you goes out to the screenwriter, director, and every crew member who collaborated to create this masterpiece. Your dedication and hard work have brought this wonderful story to life, and it is deeply appreciated.
#solsunsubeom 💙💛
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only stayed for byeon wooseok
gonna be honest, i did not feed into the hype that this kdrama had. just from the clips i saw online, it didn’t look all that interesting to me. just your run of the mill cheesy drama. and i was right.it was funny for sure and if not for byeon wooseok i never wouldve watched this. my main issue is with im sol’s character. she lacks depth and personality throughout the whole series, which is a fault many many kdramas are guilty of. they dedicate so much character development and realness to the male lead that the female lead is always overshadowed and unliked. her character was unnecessarily clueless, slow and overall, just stupid. literally in any scenario this girl was in, she chose to make the stupidest decision that negatively affected the people around her. made no sense and just left me resenting her character. also this immature/childish “personality” that theyre always giving to the female lead- get over it already. this 30 year old woman jumping around like a preschooler? really? baby voice at her grown age?
while it is cute and swoonworthy, it just was not developed enough. it was kind of random like many kdramas out there—some random crime happening and super tragic backstory like i don't even know why the stalker plotline was necessary. well, i know why it was necessary —for drama— but come on. it didn't even make any sense. this is one of those dramas where it would've been perfectly fine if the storyline was just normal, mundane, sweet. but of course there had to be some sort of egregious criminal activity thrown in for the plot. the time travel alone was a stretch but sprinkle in all this random other stuff?? personally i don't find that smart or appealing.
the best best component about this show is the soundtrack. it is jam packed with catchy songs by great artists and of course, byeon wooseok; the real treasure of this series. let's be real it's probably why most of us tuned in to watch this but he carried this show's success on his back. yes, they are cute, both in real life and this show but only wooseok was giving what needed to give. is it funny? yes. is it cute? yes. is it also at the same time something that seems like it was written by a 14 year old who has never seen a real life couple before? also yes.
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Cheesy Fanfiction Loaded with Fanservice and a Side of Time Travel
I was really excited to watch this show after hearing all the great things about it. It seemed liked everyone was talking about it like it was up there with Queen of Tears, so maybe I had my expectations set too high to begin with because I was rather disappointed with how it turned out. The show isn't entirely bad, but it's very lacking.I thought the overall tone of the show was fun. There were some funny moments and cute interactions between the leads, but most of it is overshadowed by the poor writing and lack of character development. The cast did good in their roles, though there is a bit of overacting that I suppose kind of fits with the quirky vibe but does seem out of place sometimes. First time seeing Byeon Woo Seok in a leading role like this, so I was excited to see how he does. I think he did good considering the poorly written character he had to play, but some of the overacting bits and exaggerated comedic expressions were a little awkward to watch. I do like how Seon Jae was not your usual cold and lifeless ML that we see a lot of in K-dramas, and he had a bit of a fun personality which was refreshing. Kim Hye Yoon did good as well, but I do agree with others that say her character could be a little annoying at times. The rest of the side characters were kind of just there to be there. They didn't really add much to the story, and I kind of wished the writers would have given a little more screentime to delve into the complexities around time travel and how that can impact relationships in Im Sol's life (something that Twinkling Watermelon did great on). Maybe more focus could have been on Seon Jae's depression and how Im Sol tries to help him through it (like the show "Seasons of Blossom"). The lack of character development for any of the characters, especially the leads, made the emotional aspect of the show suffer. I didn't really feel connected to any of the characters, so it just kind of felt like the writers were trying really hard to make me feel emotional and invested when I was anything but. Everything just seemed very surface level, like they had the potential to dive in way deeper when it comes to time travel and attempting to save a loved one by going back to the past, but instead they focused more on cliche fanfiction-like romance to make hearts flutter. But at the end of the day, even those heart-fluttery moments didn't really feel real or genuine since there was very little character to feel connected with and I wasn't even emotionally invested in their relationship. The time traveling was confusing at times and didn't really make sense. I wasn't a fan of how they kept switching between time periods and basically "resetting" everything multiple times. It got repetitive very quickly and the push-and-pull with the FL got boring.
The villain was kind of a joke. I still don't really understand what the point of him was, and I feel like the writers really tried to squeeze by hoping that no one would notice how poorly written his character is. He didn't seem all that threatening to me, especially when the script was rather predictable and I could tell based on the numerous dramas I've seen with similar villains that it was going to end up playing out the same way. He was just a crazy bad guy who was only there to progress the story when needed and add some conflict here and there. Every time he showed up on screen with his one bad eye I was like "oh great, I forgot about this guy".
I wasn't familiar with Lee Seung Hyub before this show, but he was surprisingly a breath of fresh air. He added that bit of comic relief while also not being too obnoxious or annoying. Im Geum and Hyun Joo were kind of funny and cute sometimes, but mostly just annoying and were clearly there to add comic relief. This wasn't really necessary since the show itself has enough comedic moments.
Then there's the love triangle with Kim Tae Sung. I read that his character was actually written specifically for the show and wasn't in the original. It seems like most people love him, but I felt more annoyed than anything else. His character was also not developed well at all, and he seemed kind of pointless until the last few episodes. He would just show up every now and then to add cheesy fanservice and jealous ML scenes. The dialogue in his scenes felt especially cliche to me when looking at it from a writing perspective. Like it's painfully obvious it was just fanservice most of the time, and of course they had to have the FL's past self be in love with the 2ML, while the present day FL is in love with the ML. Both Seon Jae and Tae Sung are constantly fighting for Im Sol's attention and love (more rivalry fanservice incoming), but both have very little character outside of this and this continues until basically the very last episode. It's hard to see how you could have 2ML syndrome when his character isn't at all interesting and very underdeveloped, added with the fact that he only has a few scenes here and there and doesn't really contribute much until the very end.
Sorry if my review seemed all over the place (I was really just typing whatever came to mind). Overall, if you're looking for a cheesy cliche rom-com that isn't necessarily groundbreaking but just as an easy watch, then this show could be for you. If you're looking for more of a complex story and deeper connections with its characters, then you might want to look elsewhere.
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TOP NOTCH CHEMISTRY
Okay, let’s get one thing straight—this romance? INSANE. Like, Hye-yoon and Byeon Woo-seok ATE. Their chemistry?? Off. The. Charts. I was screaming at my screen every time they even LOOKED at each other. I swear, they could be standing five feet apart, and I’d still feel the tension.Tbh, I almost didn’t watch this because of Kim Hye-yoon (nothing against her, just wasn’t drawn in, watched Extraordinary You because of Rowoon too), but THANK GOD I did. Because this was romance gold. The way their moments felt so raw, so natural, so everything?? Nothing less the peak.
Now, onto the crime plot... meh. Most of the time, crime/mystery subplots in romance K-dramas don’t do it for me, and this one was no exception. But I will admit, the stalker gave me chills. Like, when he appeared infront of Sol or when he kidnapped Im Sol? Instant shivers. Creepy dude aside, though, the crime aspect wasn’t the selling point.
Now, here’s where my rant kicks in—FOUR TIMELINES. I love a good time-travel twist, but did we really need FOUR?! At some point, it started feeling repetitive. And don’t even get me started on the "power of love" suddenly making Sun-jae remember everything—like huh??? That was kinda weird, ngl. But whatever, I was too busy swooning over their romance to care.
Up until Episode 10 or 12? PEAK. Literally flawless. But after Ep 13... yeah, I checked out. Not even gonna lie, I don’t even remember what happened in Ep 14 or 15. Did they get together? Probably. Did I care? Not really, because the high point had already passed for me. I might have to rewatch those episodes just to fill in the gaps.
Now, let’s talk about the Twinkling Watermelon comparisons. I keep seeing people compare Lovely Runner to Twinkling Watermelon, and honestly, it makes NO sense. These two shows are completely different in their execution. Lovely Runner is a pure romance (and it ATE—like 12/10, no, 20/10 romance, not saying that TW was any less than this, I was OBSESSED w TW couples and still am), while Twinkling Watermelon is much more layered, focusing on three different families and developing each of them deeply. TW isn't just about romance—it’s about family dynamics, growth, and multiple perspectives. You can’t just throw them into the same box because they both have time travel. They’re not the same, period.
Final thoughts: Even with the timeline chaos, this drama DELIVERED on romance. Every single scene between Im Sol and Sunjae? Perfection. If you’re watching for romance, you’ll be FED.
Would I rewatch it? Maybe just the first 12 episodes and the last one. Would I recommend it? 100%. Just be prepared for some timeline exhaustion.
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One of the best drama's out there.
This drama is everything one can dream about. Let me tell you all something: it's been a while since I've been in a slump. Watching K-dramas was never the same for me after 2022. Even though I start watching dramas, I often leave them unfinished. Recently, when I saw a video about upcoming dramas, this one caught my attention. I started watching it once the second episode was out, and let me tell you all something: this drama has a special place in my heart. It just gives me the feeling of the time when I used to enjoy watching dramas and was obsessed with them. The storyline is so good that, whether it has a happy ending or a sad one, I will appreciate it because this one made me feel things I've never felt before. The main leads' acting is actually top-notch; they are portraying their characters so well. And we have a villain who doesn't have more than two words of dialogue but still manages to make us all worried. I mean, this drama is the definition of perfect. I would recommend this drama to anyone who needs to get out of their slump and watch something great.
And to talk about the OST, man, it’s one of the best ones out there. I love how the characters have to endure the parallels. At first, it was Sunjae who loved Im Sol for 15 years and she didn't know. Now it's quite the opposite: she remembers everything, and he forgets about her. Overall, this drama is a must-watch.
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Ended my Kdrama slump , loved it !!
So basically it's a time travel story in which Our Fl goes back and forth to save ML and they save each other in the end. I just loved how BSW only had eye for Fl in every revind and every future story.It has all the cliches that I like-
Male lead loves fL first
Rich ML
Possessive ML
Calm And caring ML
Warm FL
But you still feel like rewatching it is that wholesome.
Honestly, in first few minutes in drama I was really annoyed by Fl of how she was behaving like a 12 year old and with squeky voice but you will regret not continuing as it gets so much better from there onwards and when we see fl in emotional scenes then we are able to connect with her acting.
And the title is well suited for the drama as Fl is always running away from ML , only to be even closer to ML.
Must watch show, loved every scene and that one scene when fl pokes ML in nostril was so hilarious 😂.
Also appa and Umma of ML and fL had really funny conversations. Granny did a great job too.
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very cute and romantic
This drama is very funny and romantic, it makes me like this drama, the OST is also very good.Was this review helpful to you?
One of The Best Romantic Comedy Drama
I really enjoy this drama, so many plot twist storyline with Comedy on all characters, Haha. The drama is light and the storyline is easy to understand. Don't miss all the episodes and if necessary, re-watch them so you can understand the storyline.In my opinion, there are not many time travel dramas that are easy to understand, full of sadness and comedy that can carry viewers away in a very coherent and good story. Thank you to the producers, actors and actresses as well as all the supporting roles for their excellent acting. There is a lot of inspiration that can be taken from this drama.
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The only series I ever Rewatched !! SciFi Romance has never been better <3
Don't overthink, JUST WATCH IT!!I Don't know why people are hating it rn, but it's only of the hidden gem series of the year. I might be slightly biased for some reason to give it a 10, but even if I am being my usual self ( i.r being critical) I can find any reason to give this series less than 9 stars.
The acting, the pacing, the songs, the consistent attention that the series grabbed is what I love the most. I can't find a single significant flaw which I could point. Ofc some people could have their pet peeves or might dislikes the leads for some reason, which could be their reason for the low stars, but I would definitely recommend you to watch the series. Even if one doesn't fall in absolute love with it, still you would enjoy the series and appreciate it, in my humble opinion.
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A DRAMA THAT NEVER FORGETS IT'S A ROMCOM, IN THE BEST WAY POSSIBLE!
It's so typical to see a drama toward the end getting boring or having an unsatisfying ending, but "Lovely Runner" managed not to go down that road. This drama was perfect from start to finish, never forgetting that it's a rom-com, even in its most dramatic moments. It was really great to follow Sol and Sunjae's love for each other, Taesung being one of the best second male leads, and the addictive OST.I'm gonna miss waiting every Monday and Tuesday for new episodes and coming up with thousands of theories about what would happen next, but even with a simple and uncomplicated ending (and using the truck of doom in the best way possible), it managed to be satisfying and beautifully conclude this story.
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