Reviews

If you enjoy a slow burn type school romance drama that spans multiple flashes of the lives then this romance drama is for you. I am enjoying the acting and I would not listen too much to comments that the actress is very young and can't pull off being an adult. I found that odd considering she is an adult and is 20 years old .The only issue really is the wardrobe choices the director went with for her adult scenes were really not appropriate . They were something a grandmother would wear which gave her a awkward appearance especially considering she is like Irene Song in that she has a baby face.

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Too predictable

The premise was so promising. Unfortunately, the storyline itself just couldn’t deliver on it being a suspense or thriller. You already know that the victims will die no matter what. So you’re not on the edge of your seat seeing if they’ll survive along with the many other incidents that happen.

I’m dropping this at ep7. So far, not once has the seer been able to stop the bad guys. I’m sure he’ll be able to by the end. But with no back and forth and one outsmarting the other as we go along, it makes the story boring.

Eventually the bad guys are probably going to backstab each other. It would be entertaining if they weren’t already pathetic to begin with. It makes no sense for the main bad guy to be this person who can read and manipulate anyone and yet be serving the other men (who would be nothing without him), calling them “sir” and such. Either make him stupid or smart, he can’t be both.

Disappointing given the premise and all star cast here.

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Heroic resistance

Very excited about the ratings/ ranking, I have stubbornly clinged on until ep 6, hoping it will get better ..It happened that in some cases, like Faith, for instance - where it took the FL 4 eps to adjust , but after that it was a rush !!!
Here however the cringe was too much, with the screeching and jumping of " young" character clever child-like playfullness..Sirry, not enough "."
Make a mash of Love and redemption and add a bit of Ashes of Love , let it slowly slowly cook until you are bored, and call it Immortal .
After all the wait and hype , such a bitter dissapointment !
Watch it for visuals of the actors, if you wish - or better rewatch one of their earlier, better dramas.

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Not your typical C-Drama romcom, and that's a great thing!

Chinese romcoms are moving away from having adult female characters (ages 30+) act cutesy and clueless, and I am glad. Finally, we are seeing female lead characters who are normal and real. I was so surprised by the female lead character because not only did the actress do a fantastic job, but the character is someone that women between the ages of 28-40 can relate to. I was also surprised by the interaction that she had with her female coworkers about their job, while they were inside of the restroom at the bar/restaurant. The reason I was surprised is because they were speaking up about the conflict that many women face around the world, when working at a corporate job or in tech; sexism in the workplace is real and horrible.

Side note: I'd date a man who is 6 years younger than me, as long as he is not in his 20's. What I like about the male lead character is that although he is young, he is confident, and isn't interested in living for the moment as most male 20 year olds do nowadays. Also, the actor is cute, and I like his haircut.

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So good so far!

I honestly wasn't expecting to be this intrigued by this drama. The story itself is intriguing (unfortunately very predictable), I can tell it can be kind of slow sometimes since it has 100 episodes, however I haven't been bored once but for Hara's mother and father's scenes, but overall the families and main characters' scenes are entertaining enough. Speaking of the acting it is not the best, of course it's very dramatic but I think it fits the whole drama? The cameraworks and settings also remind of the ones in old kdramas. As a matter of a fact nowadays they're still being used for daily dramas like this one, so I wouldn't recommend it if you're not used to this "old style" but you can always try!

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A Masterpiece of Romance and Fantasy: "Lovely Runner" Review

I started watching this drama because the premise seemed intriguing. Written by the same screenwriter behind "True Beauty" and starring Kim Hye Yoon, whose talent I appreciated in "Extraordinary You," I didn't have high expectations; I anticipated something similar to those other dramas. However, now that I've finished it, I can confidently say that it not only met but far exceeded my expectations in every category, surpassing even my wildest imagination.

Story

What truly distinguishes this drama from other romcom, time-slip, and fantasy series is how the story unfolds over its 16 episodes. By weaving together multiple timelines, the narrative offers characters various meet-cutes, challenging situations, delightful montages, and enlightening moments, keeping viewers engaged and intrigued throughout. Unlike other romcoms that introduce a random killer midway, "Lovely Runner’s" entire storyline revolves around the villain's actions affecting the main characters, seamlessly integrating with the plot. Additionally, the writer ensures a balanced mix of elements in each episode, preventing viewers from enduring lengthy stretches of heavy plot centered solely on the killer. The pacing was executed perfectly, ensuring viewers neither felt rushed nor bored. Every scene was given just the right amount of time, culminating in a fully satisfying happy ending in the final two episodes.

Characters

All the characters were well-crafted, with even the majority of the supporting cast being three-dimensional. Unlike many other romcoms, where the comedic burden often falls solely on the actress and a few sidekicks, this drama distributes the humor evenly. Both the male and female leads, as well as the supporting characters, share an equal amount of comedic scenes.

Ryu Seon Jae: Who can resist falling in love with this character? He loves the main lead unconditionally and is willing to sacrifice his life for her time and again. Loyal, brave, and innocent (as his father says, "pure as oxygen"), he embodies all these qualities beautifully.

Im Sol: It's impossible not to cheer for our heroine as she bulldozes through every obstacle to rescue her love. She is loud, sweet, and a force to be reckoned with. Most importantly, she is strong; despite has lived with a disability, she faced a killer without fear, confronting the villain head-on to protect what she loves.

Kim Tae Sung: A second male lead who is not annoying or clingy, but a reliable friend to our main leads. It would be even nicer to know a little bit of his backstory.

Baek In Hyuk: A fantastic sidekick, always ready to deliver the best funny moments.

Acting

Byeon Woo Seok: To be honest, I've only seen him in "Record of Youth," but I fast-forwarded through 70% of that drama. Now, I question why I wasn't aware of this great actor earlier. His performance in this drama was exceptional. He effortlessly transforms from a 19-year-old high schooler to a 34-year-old idol. His expressions were so precise that you could feel the joy, sadness, longing, and countless moments of embarrassment. Additionally, his portrayal of an idol was incredibly believable, and he sang the drama's OSTs beautifully.

Kim Hye Yoon: It's difficult to distinguish Kim Hye Yoon from her character Im Sol because her performance was so convincing. What I love most about Kim Hye Yoon is her natural, sincere, and unpretentious demeanor. When she acts cute, it never comes off as annoying due to her genuine charm. When she portrays sadness, you can't help but want to cry along with her, and since she cried quite often in this drama, it was hard not to reach for the tissue box. When she passionately sings as a kpop fan, she perfectly embodies the fervor of someone you'd find at a concert.

Final thoughts

This exceptional drama sets a new benchmark for all romcoms, time-slip stories, and fantasy genres. The "Lovely Runner" team's outstanding efforts—from the director, screenwriter, and casting director to the editor, sound crew, and actors—deserve high praise. They have truly outdone themselves.

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Is it a good show? Maybe. But something is off.

First of all, english isn't my mother language, but i hope everyone at least know what I mean. I think nowadays, almost all tv shows which have good ratings, just part of hype, in fact not all of them is really good. After watching 2 ep, this show is pure action, and i quickly noticed something is off, which is, the logical action of the character based on situation. Enter Lee eun-hyuk. This guy shares a room with his sister. One night, he told her he was going to work. At ground level, he found some occupants grouping together & they seem can't get out. Then a monster attack. Tell me, in your logic, what should the guy do? First he tries to help others to fend off the monster & close the door. Pretty logical. Then he groups up with other. He forbids anyone opening the door to leave. Ok. He goes to security room and watches the monitors. He sits there with others & planning what to do. Errr...wait, did you say he has a sister?
Yep, that's exactly why i told you something is off with this tv show. The character doesn't act logically enough. Does he forget he has a sister up there? And when her sister finally goes downfloor, he just hands her a shirt for cover. No talk. Nothing.

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Sweet, Light, and Heartwarming

Whether you're fan of the K-POP boy group TREASURE or not, this show is enjoyable to all. You don't need to know who TREASURE is or their discography to enjoy it. The show introduces them as young men interacting with women around their age. While this is seen as a dating show, it's more of a show that highlights the journey of the boys' growth. Since K-POP idols usually grow up focused on training, this show puts a group of idols in another environment to push them out of their comfort zone. The interactions with the girls are sweet and light. But more than anything, you see TREASURE trying to grow and get out of their comfort zone (as most of them are introverts) by shedding their idol image and just engaging with the girls as normal boys.

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so i just came here to let out my frustration, like really the FEMALE LEAD is super ANNOYING!!!
I'm trying hard not to drop it only because of the MALE lead. He has great acting skills.. which has keep en me to further watch it.
Now back to it, like out of know where the FM is super clingy to the hero n always nagging, besides that she has no respect for the hero. Yeah, she has her perspective that he maybe a conman but still u must have respect for your elder staff. She is being like she is the chief.
Ok, now to the next point. The prosecutor just by looking at the FM got a crush on her. COME ON, yeah its just a drama but there should have been a little bit of sense of reality in it too. He has no reason to like her, like some quality, unique character anything.
HUFFF, okey got some burden off my chest. Will

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It was supposed to be fun and comedic historic drama.
I was really enjoying it but at episode 6 the scene where they play soccer and subsequent scenes neither logical nor fun or rational.
I just couldn't surpass that nagging how come a man is ok with getting hit for someone else fault in public in front of empress especially when he is 21st century male in female body. That somehow irritates me unconditionally.


It was supposed to be fun and comedic historic drama.
I was really enjoying it but at episode 6 the scene where they play soccer and subsequent scenes neither logical nor fun or rational.
I just couldn't surpass that nagging how come a man is ok with getting hit for someone else fault in public in front of empress especially when he is 21st century male in female body. That somehow irritates me unconditionally.


It was supposed to be fun and comedic historic drama.
I was really enjoying it but at episode 6 the scene where they play soccer and subsequent scenes neither logical nor fun or rational.
I just couldn't surpass that nagging how come a man is ok with getting hit for someone else fault in public in front of empress especially when he is 21st century male in female body. That somehow irritates me unconditionally.

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Park Soo Ae is in double role (wow), but the main guy looks lame and is kind of pitiful psycho. I would wish a better partner for Soo Ae, both cast & character.

Also, her double role doesn't last long. Two identical women, one is rich, one is poor, but since episode 2 the rich is out of the picture. The poor is offered to pose as her. That includes to be engaged to the psycho who is about the last guy I would ship her with. Maybe even the shady older guy who made her the offer...? No, also a psycho. Some events are like from parody/comedy. Certainly not "psychological thriller"... lol. Seriously, what did I start watching? It has a high MDL rating but that is NOT a good sign, either (sorry). Definitely, this is weird. What a colossal missuse of Soo Ae. Surely I am not going to drop a drama with HER in the lead? But by episode 3, I was close to it.

Episode 4, I still weighed the pros and cons. I love watching Park Soo Ae. I liked her heroine, who was forced to watch her family mourning her at her own funeral. Who was told that as long as she played her new role well, they will be all well cared for. Had she not have beloved family that struggled, the drama would be pointless. The guy portrayed by Yeon Jung Hoon was alright too, he had the right amount of coldness and manipulativeness. Who was not alright, was the "main" guy. I couldn't stand him and he was not even attractive. Will I watch a couple where I love the girl but hate the guy? It's TWENTY episodes...

Since episode 4, main heroine starts living with the main guy in the same room (she has to sleep on the sofa), but luckilly, she is so preocupied with her own drama that she more or less ignores him. He makes a big scene about every detail (as he has some obsessive-compulsive disorder among everything else) and I liked how calm she was in her reactions. Yeah, she had other things to worry. There are more people in the rich house, who each have their problem with the new daughter-in-law, but I honestly did not care for those. I found all the support cast annoying. Basically, I liked only one person and disliked everything that surrounded her.

At one point, she leaves from very important meeting (important for every other character but hers) and drives off in a car. Some of the characters are pursuing her. I did not want them to catch her. I felt this was symbolical, and I realized. I just wanted Soo Ae to drive, drive very far, from this all and leave this whole show. Yes, I wish to watch Soo Ae, but in some different series.

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Interesting premise with unfortunately, an unbelievable main character. The MC makes too many careless mistakes, doesn’t have the street smarts, decisiveness or emotional intelligence to pull off running a network of girls along with fail safes and a single subordinate all by himself WHILE going to school full-time. I just don’t buy it.

It would make more sense if the story built him up to get to the point of managing this illegal operation or have someone else more believable be the mastermind. It’s too bad given its interesting premise and supporting characters.

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