Great pacing and chemistry
If you are debating whether you should watch this drama or not, it's better to just start watching the first episode, then decide whether you'd like to continue or not. And just a piece of advice, if you don't like the actress/actor playing the main characters, then you might wanna double or even triple think about watching this drama. Because if you already dislike the actor/actress, you'll just find everything that they do (including their acting) annoying.Now here's to everything that I love about this drama:
OST - Honestly there's no skip with this one. Everything's great - the lyrics and the melody. One of reasons why I fell in love with this drama.
Cast - We're not going to fight who carried the show here. They all did! No one really fell short in terms of acting. The chemistry between Hyeyoon and Wooseok - amazing. The chemistry between their friends and families - amazing. They're all funny!
Plot - Well, I wouldn't really call it a masterpiece. So if you are looking for something with an award-winning masterpiece, it's not here. Also, if you are someone who overanalyzes everything in a story, I don't think this drama is for you.
But the plot is decent, okay? Cliche? Yes. But here's the thing about cliche, it still takes great writing in order for it to be enjoyable up until the last episode. As for the storyline, I promise you'll understand it if you don't overthink it so much.
Just one thing that I'd really like to commend the writer and director for is the pacing of the story. It has great pacing. Usual kdrama would get boring around episode 8, it'll pick up the pace around episode 13 and 14, and then that's it. The ending is either meh or good.
But Lovely Runner has no boring episode. I don't even think that there are filler scenes in this drama. 60 mins for one episode wasn't even enough. The ending was so LOVELY. I even want more of it, but you know too much of everything is really bad.
Anyway, the success of Lovely Runner is well-deserved. It's one of the best romcom I've ever watched. No wonder why this drama helped a lot of people from their slump.
Was this review helpful to you?
from a seasoned drama lover- this is just as good as they say
when i first encountered this drama, it seemed to me a typical romance drama that people had overhyped. i usually dont watch dramas involving time travel or anything similar either, so i was hesitant.boy, i was wrong.
this drama is fabulous - each part of the plot is intricately mapped out and kim hye yoon and byeon woo seok's stellar chemistry is the cherry on top. the characters are lovable, the time travel element strengthens the bond between the main leads whilst simultaneously conveying real life emotions like nostalgia, heartbreak and gratitude.
not to mention my own personal reactions - i was kicking my feet and smiling at their romance and even let out some sly tears at their emotional reunion.
i like the aspects that each time travel results in different realities - by the end theyve experienced several realities together and somehow find a way to connect each time - this is truly beautiful.
i also have to shout out the comedy element - my favourite scene is when sun jae is zoning out and says something insulting whilst his friend is stealing his food and says 'i just wanted a bite...' - so many moments like these made me chuckle!!! i was laughing so much, it was really hilarious!!
i could nitpick, but honestly i dont think i can, ive had too much fun watching this drama, it was genuinely incredibly enjoyable.
dramas like these make me totally starstruck - as an INFP, i am guilty of being highly fantastical in my own head- their incredible romance makes me a little sad i cant have it in my own life.
WATCH THIS DRAMA!!!!! hopefully you will enjoy it as much as i did
everyone who worked on this needs a pat on the back, the director/s, cast and production crew, all personnel, everyone.
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
I am in love!
I don't even know where to start, so I'll just say this: Go watch it if you haven't!!!From the casting to the story to the ost, everything was absolutely amazing. So much so that I want to rewatch it already.
Firstly the cast: Byeon Wooseok and Kim Hyeyoon have such amazing chemistry, which just made it easy to get super invested in their story. I was all in after the pilot already and that is something not many (if any) dramas have ever achieved. Aside from the two leads, I also liked all the side characters a lot. For once, I didn't fall victim to the second lead syndrome because Ryu Seonjae is just THAT GUY. Somehow Byeon Wooseok manages to convincingly play both a teenager and a 30-something year old, despite knowing he is the latter in real life. And then there's Kim Hyeyoon who just made me feel all of the same emotions as her, her acting is just so great. It constantly made me wonder what I would do in her situation and often times I could so viscerally feel her desperation.
As for the story: I really wasn't sure about how they would carry out the plot and still keep it engaging but they totally exceeded my expecations. The first eight episodes (roughly) set up lots of background info but without feeling too overwhelming or boring. In the second half of the drama is where shit really goes down, though that is not to say that the first half is unnecessary or not enjoyable. On the contrary, it sets up all the characters and their backstories nicely which really gave me the time to get invested and attached to them. There is not a single episode that I can think of that was even the slightest bit boring to me.
Lastly the ost: when I say that this is my favorite ost of all, I'm not exaggerating at all. All of the songs are amazing but I just love it when the one of the leads sings one of the songs because it just adds so much to the drama for me. Considering Seonjae is an idol, it only made sense for Wooseok to sing an ost and he delivered!!! I've been listeing to Sudden Shower, Spring Snow and of course A Day (where my other atinys at?) so much and I can't get enough. Every time I heard Jonghos voice, I knew I was about to cry and I can't even be mad because it's so beautiful. All of the songs were just so perfect in conveying the mood of the scenes.
So to end it I just want to say: this is an amazing drama and I would love to see more from this production crew, they really did a great job at bringing an awesome cast together with a great story and ost.
When I tell you I cried at least once watching most of the episodes, I'm being entirely honest. This drama was an emotional rollercoaster, in a good way.
Also watching this as it was still airing was certainly good test of my patience because I could barely wait for the next two episodes at the start of every week. Can't wait to rewatch this and be able to binge it in a few days!
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
i don't like this one
most of the actors are overacting all the time, too many filler, too many "coincidental" scenes between main characters (falling into each other,...). Additionally, there are many details that are given only once and are not repeated or developed or explained (the first time the male lead dies of depression - why is he depressed?, the scene where the female lead discovers thather mom hides her illness - has their relationship changed?, the female lead can escape the fate of being crippled but find it difficult to save the male lead?). In particular, what annoys me the most is the pair of supporting characters (the female lead's brother and best friend). They're too loud and don't really contribute to the main story line
Was this review helpful to you?
This is exactly the rom-com we needed
I have been anticipating this drama since they announced it. I honestly, watched the first episode after it's released without thinking about the consequence and pain having to wait for a new episode each week but we're here! Lol Never ever crossed my mind that they would give us THIS much chemistry and let alone be obsessed with SolJae couple. Seriously, this pairing is so GOOD and so cute.Kim Hye Yoon deserves to be casted as she truly portrayed Im Sol. She shined so much here. Her versatility and her showing so many emotions all at once is remarkable.
Byeon Woo Seok, delivers Ryu Sun Jae's character as well. His dynamics and expressions are on point. I'm literally in awe of how talented he is?! Like, his vocals??? He could do KPOP/Band vocalist full time! So happy for him he's getting the popularity he deserves now. (Don't sleep on him! He might be the next rom-com king!)
This is exactly the rom-com I needed. I honestly love this so much as I have been looking for dramas that are light and not stressful. This is what I'm hoping for! All tropes that I like are visible here. I just hope they won't focus on the thriller/murder part because that's seriously a turn off. Lol
It's still early to say as we gradually go on with the episodes but 9.1 rating is so deserving!!!!
🧏🏼♀️Dimple couple🧏🏻♂️~~~!!! Fighting!!!!
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
My Favorite Love Story in 2024
Have you watched a time travel romance that is exceedingly amusing but also exhausting!Adapted from the web novel “The Best of Tomorrow” (내일의 으뜸) by Kim Bbang (김빵), “Lovely Runner” was supposedly a fantasy comedy portraying the repeated attempts of a fan who travels back in time to save her favorite idol. Starring the fresh pairing of Byeon Woo Seok & Kim Hye Yoon, the show has become a global success, skyrocketing the actor’s popularity to new levels. Although it was tiring watching Im Sol (Kim Hye Yoon) frolicking back & forth to protect Ryu Seon Jae (Byeon Woo Seok), her strong sense of belief that she could save her loved one was truly inspirational. I have never seen a more committed character, even though her journey starts as a fan, it’s not long before they fall in love. The best part of this show was watching their teenage romance; the fact that Seon Jae fell first for Im Sol was shocking & surprising. And he remained true to his heart in every timeline; waiting or searching for her; shows how much they cherished & loved each other. “Lovely Runner” is an ardent love story, unlike any you have seen in recent times.
Read the complete article here-
https://kcdramamusings.wordpress.com/2024/05/29/lovely-runner-series-review/
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.
Was this review helpful to you?
Honest Review: Not Perfect, yet one of the best of 2024!
There have been moments in my 18 years of drama-addicted life, where I have been obsessed with a drama - its plot, actors, characters, scenes - to the point that made people question my sanity. But never have I come across a drama, that too airing, that has impacted me so much from Day 1 like Lovely Runner! I hardly have time to sleep/eat managing my work-personal life, but for this show - I decided to throw it all away to engage in MDL theories, comment and even create a Insta page dedicated to this show!Now that you have got an understanding of obsession, and I know this is going in the HALL OF FAME as one of the best K-dramas I have seen till date BUT it is IMPERFECTLY BEAUTIFUL. Hence, please read my un-biased review of this drama:
❤️ Ep 1-10 - Literal Perfection
Heart Fluttering Romance ✔ | Well-Timed Comedy ✔ | right amount of fantasy, suspense & angst ✔ | Music that heals ✔
Basically these episodes had sugar and spice - think of everything that you like in a drama, irrespective of genre, and Lovely Runner has it. The hype it initially created deserved every bit of recognition - and everyone in the cast and crew gave it their heart, which made the final presentation something to look forward to even on dreaded Mondays!
❤️ Byeon Woo Seok & Kim Hye Soon
I cannot even begin to describe the love & pride I feel for these two. Those who are acquainted with their journey would understand how long it has taken for them to be recognized as main leads in this industry. They literally breathed life into their characters - making the chemistry palpable that I won't be surprised if they share they are dating IRL. I think when we say that you cannot imagine anyone else doing these roles OR their character names is recalled more than their real names - it is a testimony of a job fabulously done. They were both amaJING and unbelieBUBBLE and I cannot wait to see them in new projects. Literally the example of #onwards-and-upwards - I am rooting for their success & happiness, and grateful that they took this project and gifted me with such a beautiful experience & memory.
❤️ Music:
I really love how they used the plot story and band - Eclipse and released the OST. Really love these kind of witty nuggets - am such a sucker for it. Thinking from a business perspective - this opens so many doors for BWS who has sung these tracks - to host concerts or sing in his fan meetings. I guess the sharp minds of the industry and agency must have already thought of it.
But I feel the main track - Sudden Shower (Sonaki/소나기) is so damn beautiful and I loved how catalytic it was in the plot.
Other favorites: Spring Snow by 10cm, Like a Dream by Minnie. Already a part of my playlist, and I know it will stay for long.
Now, onto what could have been better? Ep 11 and onwards
Please note that I write this with the mindset of "WABI-SABI" i.e. Beauty in Imperfection. The drama is still is great, but it is not without flaws:
✘ Character Development:
Harsh but true - the leads were uni-dimensional, having only one goal throughout FL wants to save ML, ML is all about puppy love for FL. Not bad per se, but by stretching this overkilled what was initially cute, heart warming, toe curling into fillers. Even the support characters (brother/best friend, In Hyuk, Tae Seong, FL & ML's parents) & villain were not judiciously used to their potential. They were enjoyable whenever onscreen, but the same kind of comedy due to repeating timelines killed the initial excitement thereby not leaving with the greatest impression.
Had this been a 10-12 episode drama format, it would have more impactful, as the repeats/fillers would have not been there. I quote this from a fellow MDL user, Kate's review: it did seem like that they ran out of what to create, in the second half and therefore repurposed many of the epic scenes in new timeline packaging. (Read her review here: https://kisskh.at/profile/Shini/review/363193)
❤️Overall
In the end - the anticipation and fun that we had as we watched while it aired might not be felt by those who binge it. Hence I am fearful the high ratings we see now, might dwindle. But honestly, this has been a very refreshing, feel good, guilty pleasure drama (thirst trap - included: BWS shirtless scenes, them veiny forearms & hands, long fingers, ability to catch a woman by her waist - OOOHLALALA!) but mainly a show that has after a long time: made me smile in a way that split my face in half or snort like a goofy person at the antics the drama characters played. And what else do you want from a drama : Other than the fact that it makes you feel happy from the bottom of your heart! Lovely Runner did that and more and hence recommend it to be watched at least once ❤️
Was this review helpful to you?
More over-the-top comedy than I expected, especially from a supposedly 30-year old woman.
Subjective Gut Rating: 8.25My expectations of the drama might have ruined “Lovely Runner” a little bit for me. I was expecting a back-to-the-past sweet and innocent romance with some longing, angst and uncertainty due to the fantasy element of the show. But in reality, this drama is full of over-the-top comedic moments and loud characters that I was not prepared for. I am not adverse to comedy. There are actually a few very funny laugh-out-loud moments that I enjoy tremendously through the creative writing of the team. I just had some troubles adjusting and re-calibrating to the tone difference (expectations vs reality) and I believe this dampened my enjoyment a little. Of course, this is all on me.
My main criticism of the show (maybe a little more objective than my preference of the tone) is the decisions made by our female lead, Im Sol. I have a hard time believing a 30-year old woman would act quite immaturely and without a plan. I understand the initial shock of going back to the past. But once that wears off, and you have a mission to change the past, all you could come up with is to bulldoze your way into Rye Seong Jae’s life? There’s no plan of action. Instead of behaving like a mature adult (who has gone through some really tough times in life), Im Sol behaves like a teenager. The only way the drama shows her ‘maturity’ is when she yells at the kids for misbehaving.
I also feel that the drama could be shorter. After a while, it feels rather repetitive going back and forth. There aren’t enough intimate moments between the leads during their high school days. The only I could think of is in ep 12 when the leads were lying in each other’s arms and professing their love. These are the moments I want more. I would have loved to see more of the present-day timelines stories and how the leads fall in love with each other all over again. Therefore, I was especially happy in the last few episodes. That’s what I was looking for. That’s the tone of the drama that I was expecting. The last few episodes probably bump the rating back up to an 8.25-8.5.
Having said all that, there’s a lot to like about this drama. First of all, I think the acting is pretty good. I was a little unsure of Byeon Woo Seok’s acting at first, but he did a good job, especially with the more emotional scenes. He’s so tall and lanky, and really does have the body for a swimmer. The drama doesn’t shy away in showing us his perfectly toned torso and abs. He also doesn’t mind showing his sillier and pettier side. Kim Hey Yoon is such an experienced actress at a young age. I realize she’s not the young high school girl in “Sky Castle" anymore. She has matured and her acting as well. Does she look different to you? Her role as Im Sol has a lot of comedic moments. I think I like her emotional scenes more enjoyable though. Song Geon Hee plays the role of the second male lead, Kim Tae Sung. Tae Sung is a lovely bad boy character, but a typical second male lead in a K-drama. I think I would have developed second lead syndrome if I found the actor, Song Geon Hee, attractive. Well, no second lead syndrome from me. It’s Seong Jae all the way.
The supporting cast has some amazing veteran actors such as, grandma Sung Byung Sook, FL’s mom Jung Young Joo, and ML’s dad Kim Won Hae. FL’s best friend is played by Seo Hye Won. Her pairing with FL’s brother as a couple is just a little too much for me. They provide a lot comic relief, but they are too loud and annoying for my taste.
I don’t mind the mystery/crime element of the drama. At least I felt that is justified to start this whole going-back-to-the-past process. However, as mentioned earlier, it felt repetitive. I was never sure why he’s so dialed into our leads. Is it mainly because of the cell phone or a mentally ill, psychotic state of mind? The drama never really fully explains how and why the fantasy element. One can only guess from the last episode who started it all. It’s OK, I won’t judge the drama too hard for that. I am more bothered by the illogical decisions and loopholes of the drama.
“Lovely Writer” was really hyped up in the Feeds during its airing. Everyone is in love with the drama and especially how cute Byeon Woo Seok is. Because of that, I might have expected a lot more. At the time of this review, “Lovely Writer” is rated 9.1 on MDL. That’s really high for a drama from any country. I have an enjoyable time watching, especially the first ⅓ and the last ⅓ of the drama. But I could only give it an 8.25 (rounding up to 8.5) rating.
Completed: 7/7/2024 - Review #458
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
"Memories don't disappear. They are smeared into your soul."
This drama fully entertained me. It has some very good looking actors, lots of laugh out loud moments, an interesting storyline and all of the characters have different quirks which makes it a very enjoyable watch.This was also the first time when the OST didn't bother me. Most of the time if an OST is repeated several times I just get bored and it soon starts to annoy me, but in this drama (even though I don't remember the name of the song) it made me happy every time I heard it.
The story itself was really good, although I feel like some moments need a little more work on them, like for example, when Im Sol went back in time and she could walk again, she only acknowledged it for an episode and moved on. I think that if a character truly spent over 5 years (and most likely more) in a wheelchair, they would need more time to readjust.
Also, I feel like this drama could have been a tad bit shorter. The time travelling kind of reset all of the progress that Im Sol made and it frustrated me at times, but the ending truly won me over and I couldn't care less anymore, they were happy and so was I.
Also, it is never explained how every time Im Sol went back in time, her grandmother hinted that she knew about it and didn't tell us further.
Besides a few characters that need a bit more development and a few story loop holes, it's an entertaining watch that finally got me out of my drama slump. If you want to watch it, go for it.
Side note: don't form your opinion based on a random persons review. Whether I liked it or hated it, you need to watch it for yourself and form your own opinion.
Happy watching!
Thanks for reading and have a good day.
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
An unexpected storyline
When I first started this show I expected a storyline where the FL would go back in time to save the ML and help him deal with this mental health problems. However it quickly moved in another direction with numerous time jumps as main storylines, as someone that usually doesn't like this type of drama, I really liked it in this instance.The only thing I found lacking was that the ML felt a bit one dimensional at times with not a lot of character, besides his shoulder injury there are not really other storylines about him (that don't involve FL or her kidnapping/time jumping)
Was this review helpful to you?
I’M LOVING EVERY SECOND OF THIS
I don’t want this drama to end 😭😭😭 I’m loving every second of every episode, I can’t get enough of them 🥹😭 I pray for a happy ending, they both deserve it!!! acting is incredible and their chemistry is insane!! I don’t know what I’m gonna do with my life after this kdrama ends, I might as well watch it all over again forever and never get tired of it! it’s perfect in every way and byeon wooseok’s voice??!! please, let’s talk about it!! he’s even an amazing singer, can he get more perfect than that??? 🥹🫠Was this review helpful to you?
