Lovely Runner

Memories will never disappeared. They will engraved to your soul!

I decide to watch this drama out of curiousity, but turned out to be my top list favorite drama..

Like Sol and Sunjae, I feel like meeting this drama are like destiny. It is surprisingly give me wonderful impact.

Story,
This drama have such a beautiful and unique story which I can't find in K-Drama land nowadays. Time traveling with so many things that make it more beautiful. The story was easy to follow and light-hearted, but it's make me both cry or laugh so hard. Respect to production team especially writer-nim. Thank you for making such a beautiful story for us.

Acting/Casting,
Byeon Wooseok, I can't believe I spend my whole life missing this talented artist. His acting skill, how he potrayed his character, his gesture, his effort to bring the character alive, all about him bring me undescribable feeling. It is such a blessing I get to know you Byeon Wooseok. He shows that effort and hardwork will never betrayed us. Thank you Wooseok for bringing Sunjae alive for us so perfectly.
Also I want to shout out for Kim Hyeyeon for all of her work for this drama. She is such a talented actrees until I believe that Im Sol is made just for her. I can't imagine other Im Sol besides her. Wooseok and Hyeyeon really made such a great chemistry that can spread their impact around the world.
I can proudly say myself as a fan for any person who act in this drama. All of the actors doing really great job. I didn't skip any moment and scene cause all of them are incredibly enjoyable.

Music,
I love all of the soundtrack. From Eclipse's songs, and other ost. Each song really suit the mood of each scene. Beside that, sometimes the soundtrack seem trivial and production team just unbothered and put the song carelessly. This drama really an exceptuon. The music departement really doing a great effort to match the mood both of the scene and the song itself. And they chose the singer of their soundtrack perfectly.
I can proudly say that if Eclipse really debut, I will be a hard fan. All of the soundtrack already being a permanent resident on my daily playlist.
And my favorite is Sudden Shower or 소나기 of course. This song along with A Day from ATEEZ's Jongho Never failed to make me cry.
p.s, if any production team read this, please bring Eclipse to music show, their live perfornance really blown me away. I need their performance video!

Rewatch Value,
I will proudly put this for my number 1 on my top favorite drama. I plan to rewatched it for sometime, maybe for some months until I'm ready to move on from this beautiful masterpiece.
Overall I can say that such a blessing get to know this drama, the story, the character, the actor, the soundtrack, and other aspec to. This is my most perfect drama that really suit my preference!

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Packed with heart and pretty faces, but weighed down by logic gaps and narrative loops.

I write really long reviews but here's a summary. Keep in mind this is just my opinion and I don't mean to offend anyone ❤️
This one's a bit long- so if you like slightly detailed reviews, you're gonna (hopefully) love this.

❗SPOILERS AHEAD❗

The Good

The Casting Was a Gift
Let’s be real: watching Byeon Woo Seok and Song Geon Hee for 16 episodes was a blessing. The entire cast was easy on the eyes, but these two definitely carried a chunk of the show's watchability on their ridiculously attractive backs.

That Soundtrack Slapped
Honestly, the music was the MVP. The song Sun Jae wrote for her? Instant classic. The rest of the OST was just as strong — emotional, memorable, and the kind you keep on your playlist long after the drama ends.

Sun Jae’s Over-the-Top Love
Some people thought his love was too much — and yeah, the air-kissing scene was… a choice — but overall, I found it sweet. There’s something adorable about someone being head-over-heels, timeline-spanning in love. I just wish it had felt more earned. With a bit more depth to their story, this could’ve hit me even harder.

The Bad

Im Sol’s Lack of a Plan
Im Sol’s entire approach to time travel is… questionable, to say the least. After Sun Jae dies, instead of focusing on stopping the serial killer or figuring out how to protect him, her first instinct is to ghost him. Really? You’ve got a chance to save him, and you choose to avoid him like he's the one toxic ex you can’t escape? She spends her time reacting emotionally, but there's little thought behind her actions. She’s supposed to be a grown woman with life experience, yet she acts like a teenager with no game plan. Avoiding Sun Jae just wasn’t the move here.

Im Sol’s Lack of Survival Skills
Then there’s the sheer recklessness of her actions. She decides to lure the serial killer by herself, walking down a creepy alley with zero backup plan. Was she expecting him to follow her into a trap? If he had, no one would have known where she was. She’s a 30-something-year-old woman, but here she is, making choices that scream “I never learned basic survival skills.” This is especially frustrating because her lack of caution directly contributes to Sun Jae’s death. The serial killer was around, and she had no plan—just bad decisions all around.

The Villain That Wasn’t
Young Soo, the villain, is a major letdown. There’s no backstory, no motive, and he has no real purpose other than to create unnecessary drama. He’s obsessed with Im Sol for reasons unknown, and we never get any answers. For a character who’s supposed to be a threat, he’s more of a plot device. His death is anticlimactic—taken out by a random truck. What was the point of all the buildup? His character never really adds anything substantial to the story, and his unsatisfying end just leaves more questions than answers.

A Love Story That Did the Most
Sun Jae and Im Sol’s love story was sweet... if you only focus on the small moments. But zoom out, and it quickly becomes way too much. Im Sol’s side of things felt like an unhealthy obsession with Sun Jae. She’s so caught up in him that she neglects her family, especially her grandma, who has dementia. Hello? You had a chance to reconnect, and instead, you’re running around saving the guy? It made her love feel a bit too consuming, like everyone else existed just as a backdrop to Sun Jae. On Sun Jae’s side? The whole “obsessed after one rainy day” thing was hard to believe. A yellow umbrella and some candy, and suddenly he’s writing songs and tracking her down? Cute, but totally insane. And the weird part? He’s been obsessed the whole time, but in the beginning, he acts like she’s the annoying one. The disconnect here was maddening and made it hard to buy into his whole “I’ve always loved you” act.

The Friend & Brother Duo No One Asked For
Let’s talk about Hyun Joo and Im Geum. Their relationship was a mess. Hyun Joo’s undying love for Im Geum felt utterly undeserved. The guy made so many poor decisions, like blowing all their money on some random friend’s company and giving away lottery numbers. And yet, we’re supposed to root for them? Why? She had three kids with this guy, but I wouldn’t have blamed her if she’d packed up and left after the first dumb investment. Im Geum was a walking disaster. From his absurd crying over an ex at a camp retreat to his general lack of maturity, he was nothing but a giant, unnecessary subplot. Purposefully dumb characters like him are a pain to watch, and this pair’s scenes were the hardest to sit through.

Grandma Knows Everything?
Okay, can we talk about Grandma for a second? How did she know everything about the past without the watch? How was she time traveling? She was like the show’s magical plot hole, and the writers never bothered to explain any of it. It was beyond frustrating, especially when even Sun Jae couldn’t figure things out until the very end. She was a walking mystery that the show never even tried to solve, leaving me scratching my head over how she could be so all-knowing without any actual explanation.

The Drama Refused to End
By episode 12, I was done. I swear, this drama just kept going in circles. Sol avoids him, Sun Jae chases her, they get cute, and then… rinse and repeat. It felt like we were watching the same cycle over and over, and I honestly started zoning out by the end. The drama dragged, and by the time we got to the last episodes, I was begging for it to just end. We were running a marathon, not watching a K-drama. The fluff piled on, and the episodes started to feel like filler. At a certain point, you have to ask, “Is this a K-drama, or are we just going through the motions?”

The Ending
Let’s break the ending down into two parts.
First, the time travel—suddenly, it’s all perfectly controlled. Im Sol just so happens to travel to the exact moment when Sun Jae falls for her? Convenient, but totally unrealistic. It felt like lazy storytelling, making everything fit neatly into the plot when we’d spent the whole drama dealing with time travel randomness.
And then there’s the paralyzed body mystery. In the final life, where she prevents Sun Jae from falling for her, how was she able to avoid the accident she was supposed to have? The taxi driver randomly decides to become a silent stalker instead of finishing the job? The logic didn’t add up.
Lastly, Sun Jae’s suicide. Was it on purpose or just a random accident? We’re never really told. His depression seemed to only exist in one timeline, but did Young Soo push him? It’s another thread left dangling, with no closure.

Final Thoughts:
Lovely Runner had all the ingredients to be great—a unique premise, a gorgeous cast, strong performances, and an OST worthy of repeat listens. But somewhere along the way, it traded depth for swoon, and logic for vibes. The writers seemed so focused on making Sun Jae the ultimate simp that they forgot to build a believable love story—or a plot that made sense.

Despite the setup, the romance never felt earned, the villain was more plot device than person, and the side characters took up way too much screen time for how little they contributed. Honestly, if it weren’t for the cast, I doubt this show would’ve made half the noise it did.

By the final stretch, the endless loop of tragedy and reset got exhausting. And let’s be real—just because a drama can be 16 episodes doesn’t mean it should be. In the end, Lovely Runner wasn’t a sprint or a marathon—it was more of a scenic detour with great visuals, killer tracks, and way too many slow-mo stares

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One of my favourites.

I really like this drama, it was really easy watch and it didn't make me feel like it's a struggle for me to finish it.

I really liked the idea of fate and going back in time, usually it's not potrayed that well but this time it actually made sense. Also loved how it was showed that when you change one bad thing for a good thing in the past it can change everything, and then because you don't know what will happen you don't know if changing this one thing was a good idea. Maybe leaving it as it was was the better option?
As for the plot, I also was afraid that the crime aspect of this drama would feel like they made it out of nowhere or something but it actually was played well!

I wish that we would see Inhyuk and Taeseong get their happy ending. Yes, we saw that they are happy but it didn't feel full for me at least.

Loved the chemistry between the main couple, on-screen and off-screen they made it well-known that they have love and respect for each other. I really like how it was Sunjae that was first one to fall in love and HARDER. Also, I was happy to see that they are not "afraid" of skinship.

I was scared that Sol's personality will be only this cute, obsessed girl but it was a nice surprised to see that she was actually really mature but still with a little bit of fun.

Wish we would see more of the friendships in this drama, because I really enjoyed the episode when they went looking for Inhyuk. It felt warm.

As for the not so good points of this movie, well..

I think if this drama had only 12 episodes it would be better, it wasn't tiring to watch don't get me wrong – it just started to feel repetitive. They forgot each other, then they loved each other again, they forgot, they loved etc. etc. It def could fit in 12 episodes.

Sometimes I felt like the love between those two felt too obsessive, I understand the deep bond between them but they made it seem like they literally can't live without each other. Especially in the first episode it kinda felt parasocial.

I feel like the director made her disabled without really putting any meaning to it. It felt like one day she was disabled and the next day it was already forgotten, I actually forgot that it was the plot in the first episodes when I reached the episode 7/8. Which is again coming back to my first point – it should be only 12 episodes drama.

But in the end, even with those not so good things it still a really good drama.

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I might be biased?

I might be biased towards this drama but I have my own reason. Ive stop in watching korean dramas long time ago, i mean in terms of fangirling and binge-watching but Lovely Runner blows my mind!

My fingers are all curl up during “Sun Jae-ya!”. I love Hyeyoon cutesy and Wooseok’s smiley eyes. I love them, i love my pawrents!

Time-travelled story is quite difficult to understand unless you are slowly into it and a lot of questions for sure will pop up here and there, I do find myself in that situation but I keep on watching as I want to know the ending and ya! a super great ending!

All the OSTs are so great and I am still listening to them. Byeon Woo Seok has a nice voice, very good in acting, and he is just a perf-

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i'm sad that it's ending, but happy it's being given an ending

Lovely runner left me speechless, i just can't seem to find the right words to express how. By delving into these deeper aspects of the characters' lives, this drama resonates with viewers profoundly. This drama provide an escape into a world where love conquers all and i am overjoyed with their witty banters, slapstick humor, and memorable picturesque moments. It has fast-paced, energetic rhythm that keeps the story moving along and holds viewers' attention. It doesn't drag or feel too rushed, it has the right balance between romance, comedy, and plot development. each scene is beautifully shot and evocatively captures the spirit of timeless love.

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best k-drama of 2024

Lovely Runner is honestly the best K-drama of 2024, at least in my opinion. I loved each and every single episode and the chemistry between Kim Hye Yoon )KHY) and Byeon Woo Seok (BWS) was ON FIRE. Other than the main leads and their superb acting, the supporting characters acted well and the OSTs were fantastic. Here's a breakdown of the ratings for each part of the drama:

Story:

Im Sol is a fangirl who is disabled and during her toughest times, her Idol Ryu Sun Jae gives her the motivation to live. However, one day her idol dies and she has 3 chances to save her idol by traveling to the past. During this time, she finds herself falling in love with him. However, twists and turns cause obstacles between them. The story was amazing! The writer combined mystery, comedy, and romance very well. I LOVE time travel dramas when they are done well, and this one was one of those!

Cast/Acting:

The main leads' acting was everything! I've only watched 2-3 dramas of Kim Hye Yoon but I can't imagine any actress playing Im Sol other than Hye Yoon. I loved her character in Extraordinary You which was another fantasy drama, and her character here reminds me of Dan Oh too, but she portrayed Im Sol's character amazingly and brought her character to life.

Byeon Woo Seok did a great job in playing Ryu Sun Jae, who's a loser boy in love in all the timelines LOL. Additionally, his versatile acting from 20th Century Girl to Strong Girl Nam Soon, in this drama, he played different characters and portrayed all of them well.

Kim Tae Sung, played by Song Geon Hee, is one of my favorite second leads. he's one of those characters where I wished he didn't get the main girl but he gets his happy ending. Initially, I didn't like his character but he grew on me later and in the college timeline and the present timeline, he became one of my favorite characters ever. he's one of my favorite second leads because he respected Im Sol's boundaries and never made her uncomfortable, which is a HUGE GREEN FLAG. I loved that!

Music:

The OSTs were a 10 out of 10! The OSTs make the drama more memorable but one fact I loved was that Byeon Woo Seok himself sang some of the songs and one of my favorites was Sudden Shower! Here is a list of some of my favorite songs in the drama:

"Sudden Shower" - Eclipse (Byeon Woo Seok)
"Like A Dream" - MINNIE
"Star" - N.Flying
- Another one of my favorite supporting characters was Baek In Hyuk played by Lee Seung Hyub - the leader of N.Flying
"A Day" - Jong Ho
"Spring Snow "- 10CM

Rewatch value:

I've rewatched episode 8 a LOT, especially that scene (iykyk hahah) because of their incredible chemistry!!! I've also rewatched up to episode 13 while waiting for the other episodes and I'll definitely rewatch this drama if I need something to watch. I'd definitely rewatch it as I feel like I'd find many details that I had missed out on before. overall, I'd PAY to watch Lovely Runner for the first time again 😭

Overall:

This was one of the best dramas of 2024 if not the BEST. It deserves the high ratings it's receiving and even higher ratings, especially on MDL. Lovely Runner was everything to me, and I wanted to share my review because I completely enjoyed every episode, and the acting and OSTs to the story were OUTSTANDING!

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