This review may contain spoilers
A Wholesome Drama But Nothing Happens?
Quick Overall SummaryRun On is a drama that does well to be wholesome and fluffy, but nothing really happens with the story and characters. This slice of life drama is good for light watching and not thinking too much about the plot or story. The drama is great for sessions where you simply switch off and just watch, but it has its shares of good and bad. Excellent OSTs though!
Quick Story/Plot
The Male Lead just recently lost his job as a national athlete and is wondering what to do with life. The Female Lead just happens to come into the Male Lead's life? The CEO is the boss of a sports agency (ex-agency of the ML) and likes her brand and people not to waste her time. The art student is just a go-happy dude. Then a whole bunch of talking about life... (I have watched to the end and still don't even know what the plot is about. Like is the ML trying a new job and all the other characters are there to support him?)
Quick Acting/Cast/Characters
- Not sure why the ML is portrayed/written this way, but he is often awkward and says stuff that don't match the situation. A conversation could be like, Q:"Hey, were you waiting for me?", A: "I can run 9 seconds". I don't understand the writer's direction for the ML.
- The Female Lead is a movie translator who loves guns, alcohol and movies. Honestly, we the audience knows more about her likes and as a character than any other character in the drama. She loves her work as a movie translator.
- The CEO is a straightforward person who says things exactly on her mind and doesn't reflect back on what she said (She is sensitive to what others think about her). She is not a bad person, but often agitates people with what she says. Soo Young played the character well.
- The art student. I honestly, don't understand and get this character. I am unable to explain why he is even in this story. The CEO and art student couple makes no sense to me (how are they even a couple in this story???), but they are cute in how they bicker with each other.
- Have to mention the Assembleyman father. He is emotionally abusive and two-faced. On the outside he is the 'family man', but he is emotionally manipulative towards his family members.
Music/OSTs
Great music and OSTs in this drama. All great to listen to and unique. One reason I stuck with the drama to the end is the music. Music makes alot of the scenes much better.
Rewatch Value
A single walkthrough is enough.
Why my current rating (7.5)
Drama is great to watch after a long day and watching the interactions of the main couple. The joy of watching them trying to be happy and building upon their relationship is fun to watch. However often, I have question marks pinging with the side couple story and the plot of the story, where I am constantly saying; where is this taking me/ why is this happening? The drama frequently jumps to different locations just for the sake of it and shows off its production value (I guess). Also the abusive father and rest of the family, I don't get their purpose. There is a lot of product placement.
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This review may contain spoilers
to be frank, i dived in this drama full force when i saw the feeds raving about im si wan. what a surprise it was for me to have my whole heart whipped not just for im si wan but for the whole cast and the characters they portray.you may wonder if this is just another cheesy romance with some love triangle thrown in. well.... it's not. you have much more in store as you are presented with characters working their way around in life.
you have a female lead that values her self more but not in a selfish sense. she is a character that went through tough times and knows her worth. she is not whiny or overboard but she stands up for herself. the male lead is a sight to see as you see him go against his horrible father, wholeheartedly helps his friend from getting bullied and supports him in his recovery and full on knows what's right and what's wrong. two individuals who have different way of living and when together, they are the best duo you can find. this couple is straightforward and doesn't go round in circles about how they feel. when shit hits the fan, they actually talk about it.
the second couple is just as refreshing. sure... seo dan ah may seem too much at first. with how messed up her family situation was and having the mentality that nice things don't last long, we see her debating on her relationship with yeong hwa. her longing for liking something is overshadowed by her strong personality. yeong hwa is perfect for her as he may seem outgoing and fun but when pushed to the limits, he can be stubborn.
what i particularly like in this drama is how chill this feels. you have seon gyeom's dad being a whole ass prick but then you see the main leads have pure love for each other so everything is right in the world again. the chemistry of every single character in this drama is hella amazing. heck, even dan oh and mi joo have amazing chemistry together. it's almost like watching a square relationship but it's peaceful and not overwhelming.
i appreciate the gay character of yeong hwa's friend. it's good that they're opening a conversation. seeing seo dan oh apologise and the bromance with yeong hwa not broken had me clapping all the way. i also appreciate the asexual character that is mi joo's friend. such representations says a lot and i'm happy they're done well.
what else did i like?
-the amazing ost
-badass female characters
-the movie bits
-the cinematography
-aesthetics
overall, this is a drama that i treasure with its refreshing characters and hilarious moments. the ending itself was nicely wrapped up (besides the trashy dad) and it goes to show that everyone involved in this put a lot of effort. i hope to see more kdramas done in such a way.
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Good Enough
Korean Drama "Run On" is a healing slow-paced drama with a realistic view when it came to the romantic relationships. However, the drama's story other than the romance was weak. They didn't really expand on it, the family drama was rushly resolved, the sports theme that was pretty interesting at first with the scandal, was lukewarm and the side characters were added here and there to provide coverage of the gaps between the love stories.The drama also lost its charm in the final episodes, with some boring scenes and a pretty slow pace. The product placement in this one was also ridiculous, with actual scenes being created for the sole purpose of the placement. Another minus of this drama was the fact that, except for the leading lady, the other characters felt pretentious at times, like they were trying hard to fit in the description of their personalities.
Other than that, the drama had a nice atmosphere, with a slow tempo and some nice aesthetics. The female lead was an interesting character and the performances from everyone in the cast were pretty good. The love stories had a realistic aspect to them, as well, which was refreshing and unique.
So, overall, 6.5 out of 10.
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The charm lies in the unique characters.
How I would describe the show: an unusual take on a typical romantic comedy. For starters, this show does not really have any leading plot line - there is no mystery to solve, as it often happens in rom-coms. It’s all about the characters, their relationships and them dealing with their current situation.I do believe the characters are the best part of the show. They all have unique personalities with individual outlooks in life, personal dreams, motivations and values. Each and every one of them reacts differently to the given situations. That said, while watching their current self is fun, by the end of the show... I didn't really know that much about some of the main ones. All of the main characters have a really complex and deep set up, with many struggles happening in the past. Even the majority of the supporting roles are written in that way - they are supposed to convey some kind of serious issues and dilemmas. And while said setups, as the concepts, are as deep as the Mariana Trench, practically speaking, they were never fully explored and I didn't even get my head underwater while watching.
The show shines with the cast and their interactions. We've got a whole set of puppy-like male characters that are nice, polite, cute and understanding. On the other hand, we have strong, driven and outspoken female characters. The synergy was pure perfection. This led to many unexpected and extremely hilarious scenes. I just could not predict how the characters would react and behave. The comedy in this show has been just so fresh and fun, I could not stop laughing while watching some scenes.
While I honestly thought the main couple was amazingly adorable and enjoyed basically everything they presented, I didn't get as excited for the second one. Mostly I just felt bad for Young Hwa while watching his interactions with Dan Ah (especially at the beginning). Later, the lines delivered for their scenes became painfully corny and cliche...
The acting was on the top level. Im Shi Wan did an outstanding job portraying Seon Gyeom. The socially awkward and at times distant characters that mostly keep to themselves are extremely hard to present well - bad acting leads to the character looking robotic, boring and empty. Shi Wan, though, delivered the best performance I could imagine for this role. I cannot think of any actor or actress that was awkward or unpolished in their roles and portrayals. Top notch casting for sure.
The production value was good. The scenes were shot in an amazing way, as I would say: aesthetics on point. The unexpected turns in how the scenes were written were perfectly reflected by how they were filmed. I just felt a harmony between what the writer wanted to tell and the director wanted to show.
The OST was fine, fitting the show and scenes, but not that memorable? Only two songs truly caught my attention - “I Wish It Was You” and “Sorry”, taking the crowns as the best songs from the drama for me.
Overall, I enjoyed the show for its entertainment value, unique characters, funny twists and fresh, out of the box directing of certain scenes and plot lines. I wish they introduced less serious and complex backgrounds for the characters, focused on just a few and truly dive deeper into them. For me, having just 4 or 5 scenes in the whole show to address something is not enough.
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Boring
I started watching this drama because of the 2 leads. I loved Shin Se kyung in Rookie historian so I was happy to see her in a modern peace.But the whole story was boring, the lead actors had no passion nor any chemistry whatsoever (despite both leads having really a nice potential for passion).
I felt nothing watching them grow. Yim Siwan is a cutie but his character didn’t strike a cord. His character is basically a teenager who’s completely lost and thankfully lands on Oh Mi Joo who’s going to mother him and help him grow...
the second leads were more interesting to me because, although they are bickering most of the time they looked alive.
This show terribly lacked of life and passion. It’s a pity for a show about life your life to the full dispute the many curve balls life can throw at you.
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feels like tempo of this show.. is off.. somehow
this show gives me mixed feelings and i was waiting for it for a while.. but... just dunno...the cast is great and the chemistry is awesome.. the plot and the story is ok.. solid..
maybe the pacing.. or maybe the weird ways they ties the characters to each other.. felt.. forced.. strained.. like hold ur imagination even harder.. even though everything else is possibly as real as kdrama real life can get
some ties are natural and work better than others.. i guess is how i put this..
the story is light relatively fluffy.. no true evil mastermind.. except the usual.. reaching daddys love/approval and power... which for me seems like a weird story to tell parallel to the main characters issues and plot development..
which somehow they realized and felt like they just dropped it midway through..
its a good show.. just... theres something missing.. or off about it
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A MUST WATCH
Watching this drama with zero expectation. Turned out Run On becoming one of my favorites.A healing & warm drama with a realistic event so you can feel related to this drama.
It gets better each episode and make you craving for more.
It also breaks many K-Drama stereotypes, giving a fresh air to the industry.
The storyline revolve around our daily life, which create a connection between the audience while showing us how mature and healthy relationship are. Not only romantic relationship, but also a friendship and the importance of communication + self love.
At first i thought it would be just another drama. But i was wrong, this drama is well written and well executed. The dialogues between them are so meaningful. Their character's development and progress are well thought.
Definitely get a place in my heart, it give me meaning and valueable life lesson.
You'll find a lot of strong and admirable female characters (i would say all of them!). You won't find a weak and annoying female character in this drama. They know what they want and they're not afraid to achieve it. They're bold and not asking for a justification.
I can go on and on and on because this is one of the best drama. just take a look and watch it! because this drama deserved more recognition since it's not your typical k-drama, it'll teach you and heal you.
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An ordinary UNordinary K-drama
I thought that I had to write a review about this AMAZING drama. I hope that people like me who are hesitating decide to watch this drama, because I know how hard it is to find a gem like that.SYNOPSIS : At first, I was not really convinced by the synopsis. I was focused on True Beauty as everyone does I assume. But since the ratings were high, I decided to give it a chance.
STORY : I have to admit that the story in itself is not that interesting; it's about the ordinary life of a translator (Oh Mi Jo) who meet an handsome and rich athlete, son of a wealthy deputy (Ki Son Gyeom). It is yet not boring at all, the love stories and the chemistry between the couples is fantastic. I also have to say that this drama is really natural, and it's rare (except maybe for ep1 where there may be too many coincidences to be true, Seoul is not a small village lol...).
ACTING/CAST : AMAZING, FANTASTIC. The characters of this drama are so entertaining !!! I fell in love with Ki Son Gyeom at first view. He's a weird and rich boy, far from being the usual bad boy character we use to have in k-drama. I've never loved a nice main role character like him. Handsome, cute and perfect acting. I really love Oh Mi Jo, who is a down to earth and strong female main lead. I really like how they share Oh Mi Jo's past as she gets closer to Ki Son Gyeom. But my favorite character appeared to be CEO Seo Da Nah !!!!! She's is weird, but omg she's so strong, confident and funny and I honestly wait for her character's development and love story more than anything in this drama. I love women wearing sneakers with pretty clothes too !!
MUSIC : I love how the music isn't omnipresent like in some drama, which make usually the scene unnatural. The OST is pretty good.
REWATCH VALUE : I will rewatch this drama with pleasure; It is kind of the same genre as Because This is my First Life, one of my favorite drama ever.
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Nothing you haven't seen before.
TLDR; The writing is subpar at best, but the music was good and it's a nice "feel good" drama.This drama was fairly well received, with average scores of 8.5 on MDL and 7.7 on IMDb. Viewership also appears to be competitive in its season. Pretty much everywhere you're going to see fairly good reviews for this drama, but overall, it's average.
Music: 8
This soundtrack does everything you need it to in a drama and it does it pretty well. There were a lot of moments that were *made* by the music. An example of this is that while there was no skin/s** in this drama, the song "Starlight" by Jeong Hyo Bean, along with some great production created intimate, sensual moments. The song is wonderful, highly recommend. Other standout tracks are I Wish It Was You and Run To You. The instrumental tracks in this album are good too.
Acting/Cast: 7
Actors in a rom com have to achieve two things: be funny, and show love. The romantic moments were so much better than the comedic moments. Im Si-wan (ML) and Shin Se-kyung (FL) did a really great job with their characters, but the second couple of focus and their actors Kang Tae-oh and Choi Soo-young were so much more fun to watch. They were funnier and gave us the most romantic moments in the drama.
Story + Writing 5
This is where this drama really suffers depending on what you're looking for. This drama is an exercise in cliches and troupes, There's nothing you haven't seen before here. A lead is incredibly wealthy/famous, the other one isn't but has strong work ethic, there's a love triangle, disapproving parents, and at the end even characters that only had 2 minutes of screen time ended up in a couple. There wasn't anything that made the cliches more compelling either. It almost felt like there was a bingo card of cliches the writers were trying to fill out so they had to create outlandish scenarios to check them off. There was also way too much going on- there were a lot of smaller characters that the story could have honestly gone without and been better for it because towards the end, they took away time from some of the more compelling storylines. Sometimes as viewers we just want to shut down our brains and absorb ourselves in a cute, light-hearted drama with a happy ending, and this one is that. This drama is never stressful to watch, but it's also never thrilling. There weren't any moments that stood out or that you'll remember years after watching it. Everything was just pretty average.
Rewatch Value: 2
You didn't miss anything the first time. In fact, you've seen this drama many times before, it just wore different names. Fine to rewatch if you have nothing better.
Overall: 5.5
To enjoy this drama at its fullest, know that this is going to be exactly what you think it is. It's light-hearted, cheesy, and predictable. Sometimes that's exactly what we want, but not always. Sometimes we want something that will really grab us, pull our heart strings, and thrill us. This drama will not do that. In my opinion, Choi Soo-young, the music and production carried the drama towards the end.
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Slow, rambling story - and not in a good way
I don't mind a story that develops slowly, giving me time to get to the know the characters and their reasoning for doing the things they do. Unfortunately, for me, this show never lived up to its potential. Multiple boring storylines. Multiple unlikeable characters. The bullying storyline was disturbing, the nightmare father was too over-the-top bad, of course they felt like they needed to include a gay storyline and then did nothing with it. As for the two main couples: I could never understand why they would have fallen in love. The main characters were SO different and they never seemed to work to get to know and respect the other's differences. Plus, I found the main actor's acting, as well as his character, problematic. Was he supposed to be on the autism spectrum? Because that's the way he was played. The actor had absolutely no facial expression and his stares were so intense it just looked like he was waiting to say his next line. The second couple had a lot of cute bickering scenes, but really, that's all they ever did.As I finished this show, I thought that the main goal of the show might have been "keep running forward, don't look back to where you've already been" but who knows, because at that point I just didn't care anymore.
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It could've been better.
What was refreshing about this story is that the main couple communicated what made them worry and shared their struggles with each other, so a lot of misscommunication and missunderstanding tropes that you see used for cheap angs all the time were avoided. I really enjoyed them working on themselves as people and learning to put boundaries and the idea that for yourself to be on a relationship and for it to be healthy, you have to speak your mind and also think of yourself. And that there should be a balance in between loving yourself but not thinking only about yourself to the point you ignore or walk on other people's feelings.I thought that was nice, but the story dragged at some points because some of the things did become repetitive, like the father trying to cause drama for his own benefit, the art student chasing after the CEO, the main couple being... really vainilla? Like I don't expect heavy stuff but the way they acted regarding intimacy was in a way something I wouldn't think people on their almost thirties would do. In the whole drama they've must kissed 3 times, and those were mostly pecks on the lips, and a lot of the times they acted as polite friends instead of a couple in love.
The romance between the art student and the CEO started cute but I feel there wasn't that much depth to it.
The only character I ended up actually bonding with and wanting to see more off was that secondary character who was male mc's friend. The one who always came first on track.
Overall, I don't think it was a bad drama, is just a drama to watch when you're tired and just want to lay on your bed or sofa and have a quiet momment for yourself.
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Whilst the central theme was opposites attracting (twice), that wasn't enough to keep my interest piqued and the story lacked a central theme. There were too many issues around the main characters, with none becoming a central, in-depth story that would have given weight to the drama.
Instead, they were all quite superficial with very crude and simplified closures. The most disappointing being that of the overbearing, status mad father/husband, who was totally self obsessed and viewed everyone as his pawns and tickets to power. I literally slapped my head at the way that was brought to an end.
On the plus side, the female characters are all pretty independent and don't run after men who treat them like poop, or just aren't interested. They're all successful (to varying degrees) in theircown rights.
I liked the dynamic between the main 2 as well. Here is a man who is pretty open when he needs to be, even though he's far from a sweet talker.
Overall an ok watch, but did lack substance.
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