Lovely Runner

Amazing Youthful Entertainer - Clean Hit of 2024

I'm a big fan of time travel dramas; I watch time travel dramas most of the time." But after watching Some Day Or One Day," the time-travel rom-com caught me on the spot to explore these dramas. But I don't get enough dramas to freeze in those cute rom-coms, except for last year's "Twinkling Watermelon.". So I waited for this drama to breakout from the time-travel slump, as well as for the cast of Kim Hye Yoo, Byeon Woo Seok, and the trend of webtoon adaptations.


I watched all the episodes at once (I did not watch them when they were airing because I had exams), so I think I'm late to the party. The start is as good as I expected. The time travel aspect watch is another new element joined in the time travel mission. The synopsis tells the entire plot of the drama, so now it's up to the makers how they will keep the audience engaged with the plot, but it makes the drama watchable, like, Let's see how she will save him. Every episode is purely made as a youthful entertainer, especially the chemistry of the main leads, Kim Hye Yoon and Byeon Woo Seok, which makes the drama even more beautiful. The scene settings are impressive, and the use of the element "If the time traveler talks about the future or about the time travel, then the time will stop and no one in the past could hear anything from the time traveler '' made the plot engaging, but it will disappear suddenly from the drama. No love triangle; it has one but is not a complete one. The construction of a drama without a love triangle in a teenage love story is really something that we could appreciate from the from the director and writer because they focused on one story progression rather than love triangle points. With that unnecessary love triangle, sometimes the story progression is ruined. Emotional character development is pretty good. Kim Hye Yoon from funny lovable to emotional caring. Byeon Woo Seok a student with dreams to protective lovable. Song Geon Hee is a free-bird student and an understanding friend. The comedy plot is really a good entertainment aspect, and the execution of the comedy is also reasonable according to the story; there are no unnecessary side tracks, especially the comedy scenes of Kim Won Hae, Jung Young Joo, Seo Hye Won, and Song Ji, which will make the drama more enjoyable.

My only disappointment :-

This is not a thriller—time-travel—but they attempted a plot twist in the thriller zone by using a mysterious man (a killer), but the execution of that point is weak for me. If they try to give it some valuable scope and make it interesting, then the output is even better than this. Put the villain character only in boundary to show his face and drive a van or car. The director and writer got the friendship element to create a friendly environment around the male lead, but the protection point of the main lead was overshadowed. I agree; drama had the friendship moments between the main lead and his friends, but that's not enough for me. Even though it was a short time, it was good (male-led friendship).


ACTORS :-

One of the biggest elements of this drama's success is the chemistry between the main leads and the short girl tall guy troop. It was a classic troop in Kdrama Land, and we are missing it. So in the correct time this drama dropped their weapon, short girl tall guy love, it quickly gained the attention of every kdrama lover (also plot). Their acting is simply charismatic. Kim Hye Yoon I've been watching her dramas since "Extraordinary You," and she explored different genres, from dark to lovable, in every character she did an extraordinary performance. And in this drama, she really made me cry and laugh again, but this time more. She gave life to the Im Sol character; her superb emotional acting and ability to make you cry in funny scenes also contributed to her character development. The first half is totally funny, and the second totally emotional—multit character portrayal in a single-layer character—which is what made her one of the best actors in the upcoming generation.
Byeon Woo Seok, although this is my first main work of him, did great as Ryu Seon Jae. He caught me on the spot with his acting and I am now going to check out all his works (movies and dramas). And the supporting characters of Seo Hye Won, veteran actor Kim Won Hae, Jung Young Joo, Song Ji Ho, and Song Geon Hee gave complete decent acting performances in their respective character roles. They will make us laugh. Feel pain and emotion. What I found interesting is that, except for veteran actors Kim Won Hee, Jung Young Joo, and Seo Hye Won, no other supporting actors had a known face. Yet, this drama was a big success with them.

Writing - Direction - Screenplay - Sound Track Departments :-

Since it's an adaptation, the writer Lee Shi Eun's splendid script works very well. Attractive dialogues, lovely lines between the main leads, and hilarious conversations between supporting characters shine in every scene. Director Yoon Jung Ho, this is what made me excited because his previous masterpiece "Flower of Evil" is one of my favorite dramas, so I'm really excited to watch his other work, which is a Rom-com. He did pretty well his job as director. Every scene is stunningly beautiful, and no wonder I got thriller vibes with the killer plot in this drama. The scene settings are absolutely amazing, and his bold move for casting with limited big supporting actors and Byeon Woo Seok, Kim Hye Yoon is really appreciated. The screenplay in this typical drama is a really important aspect, to give the detailed drama structure from going in time backwards and forwards. There is not a lot of scope for the screenplay in this drama, but it is pretty good when it comes. One of the strongest pieces is the melodramatic sound track; it was amazing and fresh from the start to the end.

I would like to recommend this drama to every kdrama fan.

Note :- I’d like to notify that the following thoughts and words in my review are purely my own and not intended as criticism of any actor or drama.

Thank you - @Shinnosuke_Lee

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Second chances don't come often.

A journey of life, love, and a little silliness.

Focusing on Im Sol, this drama follows her from the middle of her story and travels through time as she gets a new chance to save the person who saved her.

Lovely Runner was incredibly refreshing. Everything was balanced really well, the romance was sweet and angsty. If you're a sucker for leads who have complete loyalty to each other bordering on a (healthy) obsession like I am, then this has it in heaps, fits of laughter, and tears. All the side characters meshed well with the story, and there was neither too little nor too much of them. I loved watching the relationships grow and coincide with the story as it progressed, but this drama is about Im Sol and Sun Jae and they kept that focus for the most part throughout.

There was also enough plot to give everything in this meaning, and I really enjoyed how they paced it enough that with every change, it still kept us on the edge of our toes without being overbearing. Im Sol does get annoying at times with how sacrificial she is, but honestly both the leads share the burden of this mindset and it only helped to enhance how much they cared about each other. The humor in this was an absolute delight as well. If my heart wasn't hurting, I was laughing and it was a great pallet cleanser from more serious dramas.

All in all, I recommend this if you're looking for something refreshing, light but with plot, a great love story, and a little cringe in the best ways possible. This was a great watch and one I was unable to stop thinking about the entire time it aired.

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One of the most well-rounded and enjoyable watches EVER

I considered writing a well thought out review for like a total of five minutes, but I can't. So, allow me to just yap.

This drama had very quickly made it obvious to me that it would become my all time favourite. There are so many core reasons as to why, I'm not sure how to list them all. First off, the casting was splendid. I wouldn't change a single thing. The acting was impeccable. The emotions were so real. I adored that this drama started out with a focus on high school life, giving me that cute high school romance that I love so much. The fantasy undertones were the root, yet they did not take away from the sweetness of their youth. There were so many times when I genuinely forgot that this was a story of Im Sol going back and forth. It feels like she lived so many lives and we got to witness so much of it. I am also so glad that it wasn't a situation in which Sun jae's feelings were hidden for an unnecessary amount of time. You know how sometimes it'll be that the female lead likes the male lead and then you find out later that he liked her all along, but they tell you rather than showing you? I loved that this drama showed us his perspective so early on. There may have been some back and forth with him and Im Sol about their feelings, but we knew. However, I believe the miscommunication was just the right amount. It wasn't like they were going crazy trying to hide their feelings... Even in the last few episodes as Im Sol tried to stay away, it was obvious that Sun jae was just ignoring her completely because he could see through her efforts.

I loved seeing their youth, it just gave me butterflies the whole time. I'm glad we spent time in the past, seeing them all build bonds and grow together. Everyone's story was touched on well, we got see how In Hyuk, Tae sung, Sun jae, and Im Sol had come together as well.

Tae Sung became a very beloved character and somehow one of the most sensible of them all. I appreciate how his intellect was something present even in his youth and he learned how to better channel it as he grew older.

Sun Jae was just a green flag all around. I have so much to say but my mind can't pinpoint a single thing. He was great.

All in all, this drama really touched my heart. It truly was about making sacrifices and learning to sometimes be selfish and give yourself a happy ending. I think the saddest part was knowing that even though Sun Jae and Im Sol have their memories, those experiences that all the characters shared in the past are no longer part of their timeline. It's unfortunate to know that in some ways, they missed out on a very pretty life filled with sweet moments. That's why episode 13 was definitely the saddest for me.

Anyways, this was a 10/10 kdrama with amazing romance, beautiful moments of the past, and really makes you appreciate the privilege of time.

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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.

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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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lighthearted stretched out romance

the show is lighthearted. even at the most 'thrilling' moments, the show doesn't really take itself seriously that way. those moments are a shock value at best.
watch if you want a feel good but mildly complicated mildly funny show. the romance is like high school romance x idol-fan romance. fluffy puppy love?.
plot:
it's nothing new. but some elements in the first episode drew me in. like a fl in a wheelchair. i liked her acting. but this angle wasn't explored much, to my disappointment. All other serious topics like suicide, suicide prevention etc are also conveniently wrapped up, and discarded. TBH, if the first ep wasnt so serious-like i wouldnt have watched the show.
romance is the center in this drama. literally, the side characters' arcs are all over the place. There are many 'twists', that seem very unnecessary. They drag the show on and make it very tiring. i feel like the show could've been a lot more crisp.
similarity with extraordinary you:
KHY's character, IS is the heavy lifter of the show. she's running around and doing all of the 'stuff'. others just exist or show up in the nick of time. The tunnel focus on the romance is also similar in nature. There's also no villain per say.
that is why I feel like the target audience of the show must be younger people. like middle schoolers. the pining nature of the romance, the stretched out length, slight sprinkle of danger, whiny dialogue delivery (much to my chagrin). yaah.
nature of romance:
since romance is the centre point, i feel like it deserves a section. Both fl and ml are really into each other. They have good chemistry. I didnt find any glaring problematic sequences of mistreatment or abuse. The ml is green flag. The poor chap is clueless all the time, yet he figures what the fl is upto just by observing her. He's into her that much. They both put the other before themselves, so it checks out. The theme / flavour of romance changes according to the setting. idol x fan, next door neighbor, school sweethearts, longtime flame. Highlights a 'against all odds approach' . "No matter what the situation or stakes, my choice shall be the same". It was heartwarming to watch.
honorable mentions:
Tae song, his arc changes quite a bit. not explored much
In Hyuk, ultimate wingman.
Grandma, attempt of writers to make sense the 'twists'.

If you liked extraordinary you i think you will like this too. Dont go in expecting something serious. Its all just very lighthearted. not serious at all.

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Good but not great

First off, I really love all the actors. Byeon Woo Soek has solidified his place as an A list actor in Korea. I first saw him in Record of Youth but this role is where he really shined. He has come a long way.

I have to say, I did not like the script. I hated the back and forth so many times and just couldn’t keep up.

The music was fantastic. “Rain Shower” is so beautiful. And!!!!! “A Day” by my favorite group (Ateez) member Jongo!! So great!

Also, it was funny how the “bromance” reminded me of True Beauty. I really liked the other guy and also her brother and family!

It took me forever to get through this series but I’m glad I did. As for time travel though, I prefer Twinkling Watermelon.

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The best of 2024

As what Time Magazine said, the best of 2024; well deserve award!...

I had no expectations when i watch the drama, just seeing comments on why people are loving it, man after watching it, i cant help but wanting to watch more of it and was hooked every mondays and tuesdays.

Its very rare to have a drama that is fast paced all the way up to ep10 and eps 2, 8 and 16, are personal favourites. The drama took more than 10 months to film due to change in director/direction, and it was definately a worthwhile changes and investment.

Funny and heartfelt... best part is, the happy happy ending! Enough said ❤️❤️❤️

Opsss lets not forget, the OST... by Eclipse, Ryu Sun jae aka BWS.... Run Run, Sonaki and Minnie's Like a Dream 🫰🫰🫰

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A Masterpiece!!! PLEASE WATCH THIS DRAMA!!!

Oh my god!!! Where do I begin!? I'm crying happy tears right now!!
I have NEVER cried happy tears at the end of a k-drama before!! How do I live onnnnn! I'm gonna miss this show so much!! This show was fantastic!! I genuinely don't know why some people didn't like it!! This is coming from someone that spends all their (my) free time watching dramas from all over since like 2017.
When I say this was the most unique drama yet, I mean it!!

MAJOR SPOILERS!!!! (You've been warned!)




This was the best story plot I have seen at least in all of 2024! It was complex and unique but also absolutely hilarious all at the same time!! The acting was on point for this type of drama!! They nailed the timing for comedic relief when things got too serious without it being oddly placed! I found myself crying and then dying laughing soon after!
I can't even count on one hand how many times I cried throughout the entire drama (IT WAS A LOT!!!)
They tied off all the loose ends in the drama at the end which I LOVE! (The only thing I'm confused about is where did the watch powers come from??? And is the grandma the cause?? Is she some sort of magical being?? She seemed to know a lot more than they lead off!)
I felt the relief being lifted off my chest when he proposed and she said yes. They went through SO much to live happily ever after!! She had to watch him die tragically like 5 times!! Having to go through that once is already too much, but that many times!? That's insane! I don't even know how she herself lived through all that...
I fell in love with this drama and It will now be going in my top 5!!

ALSO can we take a moment to appreciate the fact that Byeon Woo Seok (Ryu Sun Jae) sang all those songs himself!? His voice is BEAUTIFUL!! I will be adding this entire OST to my playlist ASAP!!! These songs were EXTREMELY well made!!

I DON'T CARE WHAT ANYONE SAYS, THIS DRAMA WAS AMAZING!!!

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Never ending loop of same events

This is my take on lovely runner so you don’t have to agree with it.
I couldn’t help but notice alot of similarities in plot of the movie 20th century girl and lovely runner. I will be pointing out those similarities because there are just soo many. I almost thought lovely runner was a drama adaptation of the movie with a time travel twist.
Firstly, Sunjae death in lovely runner and woon ho’s death in 20th century girl.
Secondly sol’s character had resemblance with Bora who is effortlessly cute and cheerful in the movie. Unfortunately Sol didn’t make us feel that way. She was annoying to say the least.
Thirdly , we discover Sun Jae fell for Sol first and same happened in the 20th century girl. The aesthetics, the video rental shop and the neighbourhood are similar too.
Finally , the love triangle that builds confusion between Sun Jae and Sol and it continues up till the middle of the show. This also happens in the movie. i feel the writer was either inspired by the 20th century girl or it was just too much of a coincidence.(LOL)

I absolutely love sun jae and I was rooting for him but sol ughh. I don’t know why but she annoyed me throughout the show. I don’t understand what was she trying to do as her actions were abrupt and not thought through. Poor sunaje suffered much for her.
Anyhow i might not rewatch the show as story was lacking depth.. Sol’s time travel and sunjae’s death keep repeating in a never ending loop. It was bizarre towards the end.

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