Lovely Runner

He may be the most successful Stan in history

This started off pretty depressing. Based on the massive amount of love and fluff posted in socials, I was taken a back by the first scenes with our leads. While it was unexpected, I do wish they would have leaned more into that plotline. The first episode was a great foundation to open up the depth of the characters, especially Sol. I was disappointed by the lack of development in her character. Her logic matched that of her teenage self more than the 'grown woman' who was traveling back and forth in time. I think we were all annoyed at her attempts to help Seon Jae but push that poor guy away.

Seon Jae. The newest tree in the forest of green men. A cinnamon roll. As stated in the above title, he is the most successful Stan in history. This man not only pined after her as teens but held onto her (mentally) in just about every timeline. I would have loved to see more about his side of the world as things changed. He really provided the community with unrealistic bf expectations. From the hand scene in E4 to the apologizing to her when he couldn't remember, when SHE removed herself from the narrative.

The side characters didn't add much but I really enjoyed them. I would have loved some more screen time for Tea Sung, In Hyuk, and Hyun Joo (minus the husband, he was aggravating as all hell.)

I see a lot of people ranking this at a 4/5 or a 10. I'm somewhere in the middle. I liked the storyline and characters but they took an interesting idea and watered it down.

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I'm in love with the main couple and I will sure as hell be watching their other projects. I'm a big fan of them both. It was super cute, engaging and well-paced but the plot was at some point too frustating and took the easy path. It was always the same sh*t happening... Ending was really simple in the end so not very satisfying imo. That being said, Lovely Runner has one of the best last episode but not because of how things wrapped up plot-wise (with the Villain) but because we finally had our MLs happy without worrying about anything or breaking up or whatever !!! Liked it overall

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"I'm thankful that you exist in this world"

Beautiful, Captivating & Chemistry - These are the words I would use to describe this drama. This time-traveling romance masterfully explores the concept of fate, setting it apart with its exceptional execution. The story transforms a complex narrative into a compelling reality, making the extraordinary feel profoundly real.

I absolutely adore this drama - everything about it captivated me every Monday and Tuesday without fail. I was eager to keep watching each week. Every episode left me with a flurry of emotions: it tackled difficult topics such as grief, love and growing up. The one thing that I loved the most about this drama was the realism; it portrayed the difficulties of life and love as well as the difficulties of losing the one you love to keep them safe. All around: this drama was incredible.

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A Solid Drama

This drama is one of those k-dramas that is really great overall but is perhaps missing that something really, really special that makes it resonate below the surface and takes it from a great k-drama to an outstanding drama. Don’t get me wrong. This is a special drama in that it got a lot of things right. It’s more solid in execution than a lot of the k-dramas of late. You absolutely won’t regret watching it. The first couple of episodes were strong and I think it has the type of ending execution we’ve all been yelling for years that we really want (even though the non-romantic plot side was anti-climatic and wrapped up somewhat too easily for the amount of tension that was built). The middle and the very last episode were less polished but again, great overall.

For me personally, there are great dramas that don’t connect to me that deeply simply because I can see the actors playing the characters rather than just being immersed in the characters. This is not to say the acting isn’t solid. It is. However, this reminds me of when you go to see a play and although you can appreciate and are impressed by the seasoned acting, you can very much tell the actors are acting in a play. In order for me to connect to a drama on a deeper level, I need to not see the actor but only see the character. For this reason I can only say this drama is a solid drama that was executed well and deserves praise but I cannot say it is a drama that gripped me or will stay with me in any way. I admired the love and strength of the characters and what they went through but it was like watching actors in a drama and that’s it. Other less polished dramas have that really, really special something that gets you below the surface; that has so much heart you know you are experiencing something unlike others when you watch. For me, this is not such a drama (although great overall).

If I could, I would rate this an 8.7 as I think it’s higher than an 8.5.

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Absolutely knock out!!

Since My Dearest finished I’ve only given out a couple more 10 ratings in about a year. Wow, wow, wow. What a masterpiece!

Finally Byeon Woo Seok has his day. Why on earth it took the drama land folk this LONG to give him a ML lead part with a happy ending I don’t know. Let’s hope he stays squarely in that spot now. We all know we only endured that disaster of a show Strong Woman volume 2 because of him.

So well cast. Everyone- and I mean absolutely everyone on this cast played their roles to perfection. Lets give that casting director a gold medal.

While yes the revolving nature of this story started to get exhausting-I have to admit it was well written.

I was hooked from start to finish. The chemistry and the humor hit the spot.

The arc was simply beautiful.

Thank you for a wonderful show, that goes on the list of must watch reruns.

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THE BEST K-DRAMA EVER!! ☀️✨

Wow! I can't believe that was the ending of such an amazing drama. The chemistry between the characters was so sweet and overflowing, I just want to eat them up their are so cute, words can't literally describe how much I love them. Watching this drama was an emotional rollercoaster for me. One moment I was crying, the next laughing, then swooning over the actors, and then shocked and crying again. Despite being a mess of emotions, I enjoyed every second of it. This is now my top favorite drama☀️.

As a long-time fan of Hyeyoon since "Extraordinary You" and Wooseok from "Record of Youth", I was excited to hear that they were cast together. My anticipation grew so much that I even read the webtoon "Tomorrow's #1", which I thoroughly enjoyed. I watched as the title changed from "Time to Walk Through Memory" to "Carry Sunjae and Run", and every time they attended award shows to promote the drama or posted teaser photos, I constantly checked for updates and eagerly awaited the premiere. Like many others, I didn't anticipate its immense popularity. Seeing them reach this level of success feels incredibly rewarding and I am truly proud of their achievements. They say opportunity comes to those who are ready, and they truly deserve this success!!

The anticipation for each episode was like no other show, except maybe “Queen of Tears” and “Twinkling Watermelon”. But even then, I was more excited for this one. The chemistry between Sunjae and Im Sol is incredibly insane, it got me kicking my feet and punching my pillow. Their journey from sweet first love moments to intense, angsty scenes was incredibly portrayed, and their love story is so heart-wrenching that it transcends every time line. Kudos to the actors for executing all these shifts flawlessly🦋✨. Ugh, and the comedy aspect of this drama, I was laughing so hard lol. Whether it was Im Sol embarrassing herself in front of Sunjae, Sunjae's peak loser moments (which was my favorite), Sunjae’s dad and Im Sol’s mom moments, Inhyuk being stuck in between the 2 leads, or the interactions between the other characters, they made me laugh with tears🤣.

The cinematography was breathtaking. Each scene made my heart flutter or drew me deeper into the drama, especially when paired with the beautiful OST’s and BGM. I appreciate the hard work and attention to detail from everyone involved in making these captivating scenes possible, including the director, writers, Hair/makeup artists, staff and everyone else that was involved. Thank you for your tireless work and attention to detail you made this all happen, I really appreciate you guys. THANK YOU LOVELY RUNNER TEAM AND CAST 🫶🏻.

Oh my gosshh!! Don't even get me started with the OST’s every single one was so emotional that made me cry a river or enjoyable to listen to. A shout-out to the composers and musicians who made these beautiful pieces. And the Original classic timeless BGM where so good too. My top favorite songs right now have to be “Sudden Shower”, “I Think I Did” (Original and Cover), “I’ll Be There”, “Star” (both ver.), “A Day”, “Spring Now”, and “Run Run”🎶💽✨.

Kim Hyeyoon and Byeon Wooseok deserve an award for their impressive performances. Watching the behind-the-scenes and interviews, I saw how hard they worked in the cold weather, pouring out their emotions to create beautiful scenes every day for 10 months. I'm glad they had each other for support and had fun while filming. I hope they maintain their wonderful friendship, and I look forward to seeing more of their work in the future💗☀️✨.

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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. 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.

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