Completed
M_L
14 people found this review helpful
May 29, 2024
16 of 16 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 10
Story 10
Acting/Cast 10
Music 10
Rewatch Value 10

“The tale of two people whose love is so meant to be that the heavens fought for them”

Lovely Runner is truly one of the greatest and best dramas of all time. This drama really had a mixture of everything, great story, strong plot, character development, romance, comedy, secret crush, first love everything that you could imagine of for a drama. Honestly watch a delightful drama this was. I’m really going to miss waiting for episodes to drop each week. I’m going to miss being happy and excited every Monday and Tuesday. My Mondays and Tuesdays was made exciting because of this drama. I’m going to miss hearing “Sunjaeahh” and “Solah” each week. This SolJae couple was epic.

Every character in this drama worked so hard to create this amazing masterpiece. I’m going to miss each and every character in this drama, from Taesung, In Hyuk and our beloved Halmoni. Really what an amazing drama this was. The story was written so well and one of the best time travel dramas I have ever seen.

Ryu Sunjae character was literally a forest full of green flags and Byeon Wooseok did such an exceptional job in portraying Sunjae’s character so well, he really bought that character alive. I also have to mention Wooseok also participating in singing one of the OST’s Sudden Shower really added that special touch, hearing his voice singing this song in the drama really added that extra touch and made this drama whole.

Kim Hye Yoon also portrayed her character Im Sol so well. You can really tell that this drama was really written for her, I can’t think of anyone else playing the role of Im Sol that Hye Yoon herself. She really did such a great job in bringing out her character and it was amazing to see Im Sol go to great lengths to keep Sunjae alive. The ending of this drama was so wholesome as well.

Special mention of Son Geon Hee who plays the role of Kim Taesung. Wow he is such a talented actor and he played his character so well. The OSTs in this drama was also top notch, each OST really shows the character story and the feeling of the drama. Byeon Wooseok (Eclipse) singing Sudden Shower to 10cm long awaited OST Spring Snow that we were all waiting for so long.

Overall, this was a beautiful drama and definitely a drama that everyone needs to watch. Everything about this drama has been written so well that you will be captured by this drama from episode 1. Thank you Lovely Runner for making my Mondays and Tuesdays so beautiful for the past 6 weeks. I’m really going to miss this drama. Lovely Runner you have shown what true love really means and what it feels like to be in love and to be loved by someone.??✨

Read More

Was this review helpful to you?
Completed
irmar
5 people found this review helpful
Jul 11, 2024
16 of 16 episodes seen
Completed 8
Overall 9.0
Story 9.0
Acting/Cast 9.0
Music 8.5
Rewatch Value 8.5
This review may contain spoilers

Very good, although not perfect

I thought this drama was very well-done and highly entertaining. Was it perfect? Of course not. But I don't get the hate I read in some reviews and in the Viki Timed Comments while I was watching. It is surprising to me that this drama provoked such extreme reactions, with people either calling it the best of the best (which it isn't) or hating it to bits (which I don't think it deserves). Personally, I lean more towards the positive, although I found some weaknesses, that I will describe below.

The time travel

I happen to like dramas with second and third chances, where the character travels to the past trying to change things and, if it's done properly, I don't mind at all seeing the same things happening in different ways. It is exciting to think about the implications that changing one single thing can have to the future of all those involved.
I loved "Operation proposal" with Yoo Seung-ho, I also liked "Tomorrow with You", I hated "Manhole" with a passion. I loved "Twinkling Watermelon", except for the finale. I felt really let down and cheated of my happy ending. After all this desperate struggle of the son to save his future father, the accident happens anyway - although the outcome is significantly better. I felt like the writers went for the politically correct ending, with all its absurdities (he gets an executive job, of all things, in a company selling music instruments where everyone learns or at least understands sign language, just to accomodate one person who is not even close to them).
I was afraid of this here as well. I was afraid that they would have her end up paralyzed anyway, but with the love of her man, saying "there's nothing wrong in being disabled, it's just as good as not being disabled, you can be happy anyway". I've heard the argument that her ending disabled anyway would have been more realistic? Realistic? What on earth is a realistic outcome in a time-travel k-drama? Does time-travel exist and does it have real rules, realistic or otherwise? What are our criteria for calling something "realistic" in that context? Thankfully they didn't go that route.
Although I thought that overall "Watermelon" was a better drama, this one had its own charm.
I liked that the female lead does not travel to the same moment in time, and also that her visits are not always in chronological order. This gives variety and freshness, and helps us explore different moments of the characters' lives.
I didn't like that the reason and rules of time travel were not explained properly (was the grandma the Heavenly Granny after all, as was hinted at the end?) Just because the clock showed 3 o' clock and the next time 2 o' cloth, she assumed that there were three tries? That's random. But then, time travel dramas usually are a bit vague about that part, you're expected to just suspend disbelief.

Was the main lead a "loser"?

Someone said that it was unnecessary that the male lead is revealed to have liked her since the beginning. That he has no reason to like her. Yes, it wasn't indispensable, yes he could have grown to like her little by little.
But that revelation makes it much less one-sided, it made for a nice twist to see everything from his point of view. And, more importantly, given her crazy antics the first time she travelled, I don't know whether it would have been reasonable to put up with her if he didn't like her beforehand. He would have brushed her off as a weirdo. I know I would have! And, okay, let's be real, teenagers don't need very deep reasons to like someone. Consider that he went to an all-boys' school and wasn't very exposed to females, dedicated to his sport as he was. And at that age where hormones are raging. He saw a pretty girl with a radiant smile and he was smitten. At that point, it was just a generic liking, someone you would wish to meet again and make an acquaintance with, not the great love of his life, for whom he would be ready to give up his own - this came later, in a much more organic way.
There was the criticism that the main lead only thinks about his love and not enough about his career. He forgets about swimming too easily only because of her. Yes and no. The way I understood it is that while he was young he did like swimming and it was his life, but he was also encouraged a lot by his father, and he was happy to be able to excel somewhere. The time he had taken away from the sport led him to explore other interests as well. He did get interested in singing after that first time he got on the stage. He did write a song (inspired by his love, yes, but aren't 95% of songs love songs anyway?) Let's not forget that we're talking about 18 or 19-year-olds. They can change interests. I think that he really didn't want to go the the US for rehabilitation. First he was afraid that he wouldn't make it anyway and he would have raised his and his father's hopes for nothing. I didn't feel that was an excuse, it was a very realistic fear he had. Yes, not going to the US had a lot to do with his love, we know that. But I don't think it's the whole story. Not everyone goes on to do what they did when they were very young. So I don't find this a flaw. Otherwise, yes, he is ocncentrated on her a lot, but aren't we all like that when we are in love? Why call him a loser, as so many people did? Are you a loser if you are able to feel deep love and show it to your beloved? I know, she rejected him so he should move on. But we also know that in reality she liked him a lot. Her eyes often gave her away, her care for him etc... Why not assume that something within him sensed that, he felt that he was loved back, that while her lips told him to go away, she was unconsciously sending him messages to stay, and that's why he couldn't move on? It wasn't spelled out, but that's a factor to consider.
Was it unlikely that the male lead had no other relationships in every possible timeline, even in the one where he had never met her and didn't remember her? Of course it was. I agree with that. But we're watching a k-drama, and this is a k-drama trope. In k-drama world this is the normal thing. Being an idol, it's slightly more likely, as they are closely watched and fearful of scandals, but we know that real idols have relationships anyway, secretly.
The Viki comments consistently called him a loser. How can you call a man a loser when a woman goes through all of this only to save his life, even to the point of risking her own? Just because she doesn't show it and he does, he's a loser? What a shitty, old-fashioned mentality is this? She doesn't play hard-to-get because she's playing games, but becasue there are very important things at stake.

In defense of the female lead.

While I was watching at Viki, many Timed Comments were very critical (nasty I'd say) of the female lead, especially every time she rejected him. And here on MDL, at least two reviews criticized her for not using her time in the past to enjoy the company of her family, instead of making him her only pursuit. People, did you forget? The goal of this trip was not to have a cozy time with friends and family but to save a person's life! And especially once she got the information that the man dies because of her, it's absolutely normal that this desperate quest takes top priority. Moreover, she doesn't seem to have been the sort of person who didn't spend time with her family anyway, one who didn't appreciate the grandma while she had her with her mind intact. So there was no special need to do something extra to make up for lost time, because there was no lost time. That would have been an important thing to do if she had a weight on her conscience that she took her mom and grandma for granted, that she did not spend enough time with them or give them enough affection. But we were shown that they were a close-knit and loving family anyway, so this need would not have overriden the mission to save the life of an innocent person who died unjustly in the prime of his youth. That's all. I don't think I have to add more to this.

And what? they mock her for crying in every episode? How couldn't she cry? When her desperate attempts to achieve her mission fail, time and again, when she's chased by a murderer and she has to witness this young man's death not once but multiple times? Who wouldn't cry, in real life? Then others criticize her for being too bubbly. Make up your mind, is she too sad or too bubbly? There's no satisfying people. As for me, I found the bubbliness forced in some scenes where she's pretending to be carefree and wants to hide something. She's very obvious. The actress is actually quite good but the character was not necessarily a good actress and they want to show us, the audience, that she's lying, doing it in a less than subtle way.

Did Im Sol always make good choices? Of course not. I thought it was careless of her, the last time, to assume that because the man hasn't met her, the killer is no longer a problem. She should at least search the news of the year 2008-09 to see whether he committed some crime and what happened to him. Because Ryu Seon Jae's fate of being killed by that man did not depend on his connection with Im Sol, as was shown at the end, where the criminal is about to kill him without even knowing who he is.
But if we found ourselves in that situation, would you and I make perfect choices every single time? Probably not. Right? The audience sometimes seems to think that the character knows what we the viewers know - what other characters are thinking or doing, where the killer is and so on. Of course this is not the case. The poor girl has to wing it, to do all she can with the available information she has, and with the chances she is given. She is bound to make mistakes. It's also for the sake of drama. The "hero's quest". Drama is made by overcoming obstacles. If there were no obstacles and she solved everything the first time around, the drama would be over in five episodes!
I kept reading "why is she breaking his heart, why is she so hard on him? Just date him and be happy". Those people seem to forget the main point of the travels her main goal, is to save his life.

My opinion on Im Sol's character? I found her very brave, she had the strength to stick to her main goal without wavering. Of course she longed to do what viewers wanted her to, of course she wanted to confess and throw herself into his arms. But if she did, she might have to face the trauma and heartbreak of his death again. After her first time travel, every time she went back with a very specific plan, and she stuck to it faithfully, no matter how much she was hurt, no matter how much he was hurt. And no, "telling him everything and figuring out solutions together" was not possible. We saw what happened the time before the last, when he understood her plan and said , "I don't care, let's love each other anyway and if I die I don't care". Which happened. He came back to the cliff to save her and got killed. So we were shown how this was not a good idea at all. She wasn't planning to blindly sacrifice herself. She had asked for backup from the policemen. She had a plan. Until he ruined it because he thought she was stupidly sacrificing her life.
This was a very smart heroine. Not perfect, but smart and loyal, and as much in love with him as much as he was with her, although she wasn't allowed to show it for most of the drama.

Secondary characters

Side characters are not well-developed and do not have any development arc, they don't mature, they don't change, they are one-dimensional. Yes, that's true. And, unfortunately this is too often true in k-drama (should I say most of the time?), it's one of the most frequent flaws. They are stock characters (the supportive friend, the goofy friend, the fat friend, the nagging but affectionate parent...) there only so that the leads have somebody to confide in, or just for comic relief. And it's a pity.
The second male lead is also not developed enough as a character. I agree with that as well. His family history and relationship with his father is only hinted at, and there's a sweet scene between them towards the end, which sort of mends things, but it could have been fleshed-out much more, since he does play an important role in the story at the end.
The killer. Yes, we would have needed some more of his motives, what his deal was. Not a lot of time spent on him, just a few hints on how and why he did what he did. Not that all serial killers have real reasons, but for dramatic balance it would have been nice.

Slapstick I hated

I was especially furious at how they used the ML's dad. Kim Won Hae is an amazing dramatic actor (as we saw in many many shows, for instance Good Manager and While You Were Sleeping). But since his role in Strong Woman Do Bok Soon in 2017, they have often been using him for heavy slapstick of the most vulgar kind. Since Strong Woman Do Bok Soon is another inspiration (together with Watermelon) for this show, they thought they would make supposedly fun scenes where he hurts himself and has to wash his soapy eyes with toilet water. I wanted to slap the writer for doing this. And yet people in the comments were saying it's so funny. I really don't understand these primitive people who can laugh with those things. Anyway, the actor being awesome as he is, he still manage to injet some humanity to his puppet-like character and show us his good heart and great love for his son. I thought this serious enough a flaw to take one star from my rating. There are more refined ways to make comedy, and we had some of those moments in the rest of the show.


Tropes.

Were there a lot of k-drama tropes? There were quite a few (way too many) "the female falls and the male grabs her to arrest her fall", there was also an accidental kiss if I'm not mistaken, there was the interruption of intimacy by an unexpected visitor and hiding into the closet, there was the botched proposal, the amusement park date and a few others. Although they were not overwhelmingly bothering, I wish they weren't there. And I was happy to see our old friend the white truck of death, for once in the role of the good guy. He deserved that break, after years of loyal service.

Product Placement

I was happy to not notice blatant product placement. Maybe the ice popsicles and a few others, but it was seamlessly woven into the narrative, so it didn't bother me. No female displaying all the range of a certain brand of cosmetics and suddenly starting to extol the virtues of some lotion out of nowhere. No Subway either. I didn't even notice the brand of the jewellery when Seon Jae went to buy the rings, so thanks show, for not being too pushy with those things.

The ending

One thing I was really grateful for is that the resolution didn't happen in the last five minutes, and we had a whole episode of happiness to enjoy, and we also were given the time to learn what happened to most of the other characters. That was super-refreshing. Some people found it "underwhelming" because the show didn't finish with a big dramatic splash. Personally I prefer them that way, rather than angst until the very end or, God forbid, an open ending, leaving you with all sorts of questions.

Music:

The Shower song was pretty good, I liked it, and there were a couple of other good ones. Not a score that will remain forever in my mind, but it served its purpose well.

All in all, I think it was a good drama. Not one of the ten best of all times, but a very good one nonetheless.

Read More

Was this review helpful to you?
Completed
izzy016
12 people found this review helpful
Jun 19, 2024
16 of 16 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 9.0
Story 9.0
Acting/Cast 9.5
Music 8.5
Rewatch Value 8.0

Good, humourous drama, full of ups and downs.

From start to finish, you'll feel invested in the characters story and want to see it come to an end. I appreciate that the male lead is actually the one who likes her first even though she's the one who's his fan in the future. Often with these stories the female fan is in love and absolutely idolises and worships the male idol (similar to female fans in real life), but I liked that they didn't go down that path and instead she was grateful to him for bringing her into the light and seeing that life is still worth living.
Was this review helpful to you?
Completed
mikrokosmos228
4 people found this review helpful
Aug 7, 2024
16 of 16 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 10
Story 9.5
Acting/Cast 10
Music 10
Rewatch Value 10
This review may contain spoilers

Be prepared for onslaught of dopamine hits

As complex as time traveling stories can be, at the heart of it, Lovely Runner is a simple love story about two people whose journey to happiness together will fill romance lovers like me with deep satisfaction and delight. And as light as that story is, there is nothing shallow about the impact this drama had on me that I can only call it a phenomenon. Even for a seasoned drama watcher like me, it far exceeded my expectations of what a drama in the romantic comedy genre could deliver. There is just something about it that gets me right in the heart. So if your experience is anything like mine, be prepared for an onslaught of dopamine hits to the senses that will stay with you well beyond the initial watch.

At the start, we are introduced to a wheelchair bound Sol (Kim Hye Yoon) in the present time who has committed to living well despite her circumstances, thanks to words of encouragement from Sun Jae (Byeon Woo Seok), the lead singer of the popular band Eclipse. Though Sol is a loyal and dedicated fan, she is metaphorically light years away from Sun Jae, or so it seems.

Sun Jae has that aura of a superstar, but also sorrow and regret in the way he carries himself that is a mystery as to why at this point. Soon, we learn he has died from an apparent suicide, devastating Sol. This touch of melancholy was so strong that it took me some time to settle into the lightness of the story as Sol travels back in time and we reset to Sol and Sun Jae in high school, 15 years in the past. Sol realizes she can walk again and learns Sun Jae is actually her next door neighbor. Equipped with the wisdom of the future, she sets out to save him from his untimely death.

Sol has the cutest, most relatable reactions to seeing her high school friends again, and in particular, the guy she had a crush on, which is just hilarious. I think I would have had the same reaction seeing my old crushes again haha. It's also at this point that we truly get to know Sun Jae. No longer the elusive celebrity from the future, Sun Jae is an ordinary 19 year old athlete. Sol's sudden appearance and interest in his life has him completely flustered. And as you're thinking as a viewer how he must be processing all this when they're virtually strangers, you learn that he knew her before she did, and in fact, has the biggest, most adorable secret crush on her.

It is at this stage of the drama that I turned from merely watching to completely in love with the drama. The incredible chemistry of Kim Hye Yoon and Byeon Woo Seok is evident from the get-go. As Sol and Sun Jae, they filled me with laughter and happiness at each interaction. The scenes are gorgeously shot, capturing the youthful charm of the two leads. The framing of each pivotal moment is like a work of art that's unforgettable, turning the romance spectacular. The music further strengthens these scenes and all this makes for a lethal combination that triggers a flurry of emotions from me and had me grinning like a fool.

Sol tends to get herself into very awkward situations with Sun Jae that had me feeling second hand embarrassment, only to quickly turn into giggles over Sun Jae's reactions to her. It's like she's got him wrapped around her little fingers, no matter which timeline they're in. As the story progresses, we see that their lives are even more intertwined than we ever expected, and in some ways, tragic. As a result, there is a layer of sadness present throughout the drama that gives it depth in that respect.

I have to say the pacing of the story is great. The plot is segmented into four main timelines as Sol time travels back and forth. And this has the added benefit of giving us progression in the leads' relationship throughout the drama without the expense of turning the story dull in the later episodes, as it often happens with dramas of this format. The romance delivers early on to your satisfaction. But there is also plenty left to keep you happy. A highlight for me is the part in which Sol travels back to the present, now able to walk and has the funniest encounters with the celebrity Sun Jae. You can turn Sun Jae into the most popular star on the planet, but you can never take the dorkiness out of him. Furthermore, I love seeing how steadfast his love is for Sol, which is perfectly captured in the song Sonaki (Sudden Shower) that pulls at my heartstrings every time I listen to it. Sun Jae is one of the best male lead characters I have ever seen. You think you have found the best version of him, only for him to endear you with an even better version in each progressive timeline. There were so, so many wonderful moments to look back on, but those flying kisses he gave Sol will forever be ingrained in my mind xD.

I'll acknowledge at this juncture that if you're watching for the time traveling concept, you may be disappointed because that is simply the mechanism used to propel the main plot, which is this deep focus on the love story of Sol and Sun Jae from teenagers to adults. I honestly didn't think much in length on whether it all made sense. All I wanted was for the two of them to have a happy ending and I was willing to accept anything that can make that happen. And to that end, it delivered enough for me to be satisfied with the resolution of the time travel aspect.

Kim Hye Yoon is naturally charming as Sol. She is like a little ball of sunshine. Her character can be frustrating at times but I never disliked her and I think that's all thanks to how Kim Hye Yoon portrayed Sol. Whether she's being cute or crying her eyes out, Kim Hye Yoon does it so well that it just elevates the scene. As for Byeon Woo Seok, thanks to him as Sun Jae, the heroine's reality in time traveling turned into a dream for all the viewers. Tall, handsome, and a wonderful actor with an incredible voice, it's remarkable how long it has taken him to get to this point in his career. He deserves all the recognition and popularity that has followed him since the debut of the drama. I see him as an underdog who was given a once in a life time opportunity with this project and he superbly exceeded all expectations with his impressive performance as Sun Jae. The OST, which he extensively participated in, is outstanding as well; sweet, touching and soothing, just like him.

In my opinion, this drama epitomizes all the wonderful idiosyncratic things that make kdramas special in ways that has captured the hearts of many romance lovers like me. It has been a lengthy period of time since I've come across a kdrama with this much rewatch value. The entire drama is filled with so many heart tugging scenes with such moving soundtrack that they have me in a tight grip and I can't let go. The characters of Sol and Sun Jae will remain in my heart as fond memories for years to come.

Read More

Was this review helpful to you?
Completed
jenny
7 people found this review helpful
Jun 26, 2024
16 of 16 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 10
Story 10
Acting/Cast 10
Music 10
Rewatch Value 10
This review may contain spoilers

best kdrama ive ever seen

i love this drama so much. from the plot, to the characters, the acting and the music, visuals.. honestly everything was perfect.
i will rewatch this for sure. its so well written. I LOVE IT and enjoyed watching every single episode which is rare for me.

the fact sun-jae liked it sol from the start gets me everytime and his love for her?!
and i love how its not one-sided at all because sol shows how shes selfless as well and sacrisfies their love for his life although she missed him so much. i love how you can see how she went from fan to a lover. soo so so well written.
annnd honestly sun-jae is the standard. ill never get over him as ML. his love for sol is insane and made me giggle sm. mans loved her in every single lifetime and waited for her. and the things he does for her WOW. ill die alone.

the music as well WOOW. every time spring snow by 10cm played i got goosenbumps. it resonates so well to their love and dont get me started on their amazing acting and the actor's chemistry. i rlly enjoyed watching the BTS. both kim hyee-yoon and byeon woo-seok worked so hard you can tell by the outcome of this masterpiece. :)
i could write sm more but my fingers r getting tired... in conclusion ill def rewatch this kdrama!!!

Read More

Was this review helpful to you?
Completed
oldguyus
6 people found this review helpful
Jun 30, 2024
16 of 16 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 9.0
Story 9.0
Acting/Cast 10
Music 8.0
Rewatch Value 9.0
This review may contain spoilers

Great cast and acting, great chemistry, good story (one slight spoiler called out)

Overall
I urge you not to take the super low ratings to heart. This show has a lot of trauma, but also a lot of humor that really works. Watch it!

Give me those two leads and the same level of trauma as in Touch Your Heart and it’s a classic worthy of an 11 rating.

The Good
- The cast is great. especially leads.
- The leads are a beautiful couple and their chemistry is off the charts.
- The FL’s smile is dazzling.
- Comedic elements landed and were not over the top. Both leads (and the secondary characters) pulled the humor off very well.
- Tenderness between leads, during the happy times, was inspiring.
- There were some really nice Mercedes cars (LOL even though I am a BMW guy :-)
- We got some decent amount of happy times at the end, not just the last 15 minutes like in some series.
- The story was interesting, with the caveats below.

Sub-Optimal
- There are at least one too many time slips. It did get repetitive and frustrating, as others have noted.
- There was also too much trauma, which accompanied the too many time slips. I would have rated this a 10 if there was less trauma and at least one fewer time slips.
- Those two things almost pushed this down to a 7 or 8. But my love for the leads and the comedic elements saved it for me.
- The villain (I feel sorry for the actor, who did his job well) was somehow not compelling for me.
-v(Kind of a spoiler) They dIdn’t really show a marriage - well they kinda did, but not for reals. I’ll leave it at that.

Read More

Was this review helpful to you?
Completed
BubblesPink
14 people found this review helpful
May 30, 2024
16 of 16 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 10
Story 10
Acting/Cast 10
Music 10
Rewatch Value 10
This review may contain spoilers

Lovely Runner takes all the tropes and runs across the finish line for a spectacular finish

Lovely Runner was marketed as your run of the mill drama about a kpop idol and a fan falling in love after she traveled in time to save him. But what should've been an average romance drama became a worldwide phenomenon, thanks to three things: the actors, the writer and director, and the story being told.

Kim Hye Yoon as Im Sol and Byeon Woo Seok as Ryu Sun Jae are standouts, both portraying their characters perfectly. They are their characters, Kim Hye Yoon was able to showcase several versions of Sol across time, each one different enough to be distinct but still recognizable as the same character. High school Sol, college Sol, and adult Sol are all different, even though they are all the same person. The writer apparently wrote this role with her in mind and it was the right choice, as KHY displays a wide range of emotions wonderfully. Byeon Woo Seok was a standout, his first leading role and he became a fan favorite, with everyone wanting their own Sunjae. A role that no one wanted to take on, but BWS made it his own. He played pop idol, high school athlete and college student, and made him every girl's dream. I couldn't even imagine some big names in this role, BWS is the perfect Sunjae.

The story is pretty simple (for a drama). A girl loves a kpop idol and when he suddenly dies she is able to time travel using his watch back to high school, when they were neighbors and she never knew, giving her an opportunity to save him. Using her knowledge of the future, and of her bias, Sol attempts to save his life and is given 3 chances to do so. At the same time she is given a chance to save herself from an accident that paralyzed her in high school, giving her another opportunity at living her dreams.

Watching Sol travel in time to save Sunjae over and over was full of angst, but at the same time the writer soothes the angst with heartwarming moments between Sol and Sunjae. The benefits of the time travel allow us to see three versions of their romance, high school, college, and adult. Writer Lee Si-Eun doesn't let up on the romance either, giving us multiple, multiple scenes of romantic moments - every romance kdrama fans' dream. So many dramas fall into the trap of getting characters together only to break them up for a nonsensical reason until they get back together at the very end. This cycle is overdone and not really fun to watch. We're here for the romance, so give it to us!

In the end this drama is perfect not because the story has no flaws, any story does. It's perfect because it does what it sets out to do, it gives us a romantic comedy that delivers on the romance and the comedy. So many dramas fall into a slump at the end, losing the momentum from the first half, but Lovely Runner never lets off the gas. Just when you think it's going to linger too long or introduce a new character to throw a wrench into things it doesn't.

Now who is this drama not for? People who need their time travel rules to be explained and function perfectly, who need the killer's drive and motivation to be explained, and those who want realism. This is not a sci-fi or crime drama, it's not realistic, so if you go in wanting these things you may be disappointed.

If you like romance, comedy, star-crossed lovers with some fantasy thrown in, this is for you. The last hour of this drama is mostly fluff and romance, a dream for any romance fan. Writer Lee Si-Eun avoided all the common pitfalls of kdrama writing and instead of sputtering out at the end, Lovely Runner goes out with a bang. It takes all the tropes and runs across the finish line for a spectacular finish. There's a reason this drama went from unknown to number one across the world so quickly, why Netflix is trying to capitalize on its success, and why people can't stop talking about it. This is the romance story we want more of, an organic (and orgasmic ?) success that has become the best drama of 2024, and one that will be remembered for a long time.

Read More

Was this review helpful to you?
Completed
Angela Reed
13 people found this review helpful
May 28, 2024
16 of 16 episodes seen
Completed 1
Overall 10
Story 10
Acting/Cast 10
Music 10
Rewatch Value 10
This review may contain spoilers

THE BEST DRAMA OF 2024! THE BEST KDRAMA AFTER A LONG TIME

THE BEAUTIFUL OST IS A CHERRY ON THE TOP FOR THIS WONDERFUL DRAMA!
I can't comprehend that this beautiful drama has come to an end! This drama right here specifically sun jae and Im Sol made me believe in love again! The episodes leave you giggling and kicking your feet!
And I'm a person who has watched over 150+ dramas and I'm sorry but I watch all of them in 1.5x speed with another task like using phone or doing work etc. But this is the first drama in over 2 yrs where I have waited every week dropped all my tasks to watch the episodes and I'm watching other ongoing dramas but this is the only one which I'm watching in normal speed!

SUN JAE IS THE BEST MALE CHARACTER EVER WRITTEN IN THE HISTORY OF KDRAMAS!
My man is the definition of perfection and pureness(like oxygen?) He will always be dear to my heart! BWS's acting is the reason Sunjae is loved all over the world! I'm so happy he is finally getting recognized! He deserves everything!

IM SOL IS HANDS DOWN THE BEST FEMALE CHARACTER EVER WRITTEN!
She is the bravest and the strongest person ever! Whoever hated her should go to hell!
She is the epitome of determination! She tried to save him every damn time even if her heart was torn apart! KHW was always one of my fav. actors but after this she is my only fav. actor! HATS OFF TO HER ACTING!

TAESUNG IS MY FAV SECOND LEAD! HE TRULY WON MY HEART!
BEST KDRAMA OF 2024!
10/10! I'll def rewatch from next week! Because I know I'll miss them a lot!

Read More

Was this review helpful to you?
Completed
kdrama Lover
13 people found this review helpful
May 10, 2024
16 of 16 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 10
Story 10
Acting/Cast 10
Music 9.0
Rewatch Value 6.5

Interesting Story

Every Episode is super interesting. Don't miss it. It is funny as well. The leads play the role so well especially the female lead is too good. I did not expect the male lead could act so well. wish to see him more Kdrmas in playing different roles and characters.

It gets super funny when she has a memory of an old girl but taking a role of a student and still exhibiting the mature lady character is super funny. I loved all those scenes where she scolds them at the same time takes care of them as an adult.
Was this review helpful to you?
Completed
xjaimax
14 people found this review helpful
May 28, 2024
16 of 16 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 10
Story 10
Acting/Cast 10
Music 10
Rewatch Value 10

BEST ROMCOM DRAMA I HAVE EVER WATCHED!!!!

This drama is soo good,Best romcom I have ever watched in my life!!! The
OST,Acting,Story,Characters,The Actors chemistry everything was cherry on top.BYEON WOO SEOK AND KIM HYE YOON WAS THE PERFECT CAST FOR THIS DRAMA.I am sad it's ending today but I will rewatch it over and over again.This has now become my top favourite drama of all the time!!!! PLEASE WATCH THIS MASTERPIECE IF YOU HAVEN'T!!!
Was this review helpful to you?
Completed
KDramaMama
2 people found this review helpful
8 days ago
16 of 16 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 9.0
Story 9.0
Acting/Cast 10
Music 7.0
Rewatch Value 8.0
This review may contain spoilers

It was cute, but lacked in some areas

Now don't get me wrong when I say that this drama was absolutely amazing. But unfortunately, I feel like it lacked in some areas or was dragged out a bit. I loved watching every second of this drama, but I couldn't help but think of how it could of ended 3 or 4 episodes beforehand.

Im Sol and Seon Jae's relationship was absolutely the cutest, but I kept thinking I felt sorry for Tae Sung. There was just something about him that made me feel like Im Sol could have had a better relationship with him. Although, when Im Sol chose to change the past by never meeting Seon Jae, then it seems like Tae Sung's future had changed for the better as well. So I guess it wasn't such a total loss.

The one thing I loved about this drama was that Im Sol didn't keep it a secret entirely that she was from the future. But it would have been so much better if she had told Seon Jae a long time ago. Then maybe they wouldn't have kept dealing with the same thing over with him being confused with how Im Sol truly felt about him..

It would have been SO MUCH BETTER if Im Sol was able to just tell Tae Sung and Seon Jae about the kidnapper. I know she wasn't able to talk about certain facts and such, but there truly wasn't any reason why she was keeping them in the dark so much. Seon Jae and Im Sol could have had a better future if she had been honest about everything (that she could explain of course) and there wouldn't have been so much pain and constant change of events.

I loved this drama.
But I can't stop thinking that it could have been so much better if they changed a few things and it would have been a complete masterpiece.

Read More

Was this review helpful to you?
Completed
decrain
5 people found this review helpful
Jul 3, 2024
16 of 16 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 9.5
Story 9.0
Acting/Cast 9.5
Music 10
Rewatch Value 9.5
This review may contain spoilers

The Spring of Lovely Runner 2024

For : Lovely Runner
How did I watch: From the first premier, religiously waiting for every new eps.
Why did I watched: Kim Hyeyoon & Lee Seunghyub
Themes that I like in the drama: capital ROMCOM, Timeslip, doki doki, Both lead redemption, Fate, Fan Culture Meta,

1. Most favorite character: Baek Inhyuk ( The cherry blossom scattering living rent free in my head). I think he inspired me to do more for my friends.
2. Most favorite interactions:
> Im Sol and Ryu Sunjae. OTL. Im Sol my sunshine, the reason why yellow is so warm and the love of my life. Ryu Sunjae my adorable loser. Together they are explosion.
> Drunk Sunjae and Inhyuk: Inhyuk expression is the point.
3. Most memorable scene/ plot point: The part where inhyuk spill the beans, sol listening hehe.
4. Why did I stay for this drama: The couple chemistry is so good. The way the writer and director construct the show to lean more into the romance. The ost really speak to the drama and each other it felt like going on a journey.
5. What I would like to see more: THE DELETED SCENES and the life after.
6. What I would like to see less: I am sorry im geum and hyunjoo.And someone i love but kept dying, i love you but plsssss plssss.
7. Would I watch it again? YES!
8. When will be the best time to watch? When it's spring somewhere in four season country. When i need
9. Radar alert for the future watch: Kim Hyeyoon ! Lee Sieun ( The writer i have doubts, but she really leaning heavy on the chemistry and the romance and the comedy), but now im excited for her next work.

Read More

Was this review helpful to you?
Lovely Runner (2024) poster

Details

Statistics

  • Score: 9.0 (scored by 43,505 users)
  • Ranked: #42
  • Popularity: #109
  • Watchers: 78,224

Top Contributors

316 edits
97 edits
57 edits
49 edits

Popular Lists

Related lists from users
All Time Favorite Dramas
711 titles 1786 loves 35
tvN Dramas
334 titles 194 loves
Best Time Travel Dramas
143 titles 1092 voters 125 loves 34

Recently Watched By