Lovely Runner (2024)

THE MOST PERFECT DRAMA OF THE CENTURY

Sunjae. Sol. Two perfect characters and what a beautiful journey they took us on. Hooked right from the moment we realised Sunjae fell for her. Not a moment in this drama felt like a drag. They never wasted time on useless narratives (IM Geum is an exception). My heart is so full. Thank you for creating this beautiful masterpiece. We enjoyed this drama together, as a whole. Perfect acting, soundtrack, storylines, even the villain was perfect. The parallels were so beautifully crafted. The story never felt confusing even with 4 time slips. How will I deal with my Mon, Tue now? ???

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Started so good, but they got lost in the story

Overall the acting is good from most characters but the story got progressively worse. I like the time travel aspect, but after the first episodes they tried to much and the time travel and the actions of both leads didn't make sense anymore. The music was great. Just to list two points I found unfortunate:
- A majority of the story played with the characters in highschool and for me the actors are just to old to play highschoolers. At least college student or more of the story in the present instead of the past would've been more fitting.
- Another point I thought was unfortunate that the female lead had a disability in the beginning which I found so good and made here character more complex but that part just got erased in the time travel and never got picked up again, besides the fl remembering everything else just that part she and the writers completely ignored.

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The K-drama of the Year! 10+++

What makes this rom-com THE BEST of its genre. This rom-com is a MUST watch. I think it's as good as Crash Landing on You. Queen of Tears is also good, but it has too much vengeful conflicts and repetitions. This is a true nostalgic rom-com ... This couple is natural - doesn't feel like acting as shown in the QofTears' couple.

1) The main leads have chemistry. The way they look at each other ... the way they enhance each others' appealing qualities. Everything just works for them. Regardless of budget, famous actors, plot, etc ... if the actors don't have chemistry, the drama fails. This couple - not the most handsome and beautiful - has the best chemistry and charms. And they bring out the best in each other. The director gives enough time for the couple to develop chemistry.

2) The plot - ok typical time travel plot - but it's so nostalgic and the filming of the past looks so retro and pretty. The director knows how to make the audience feel nostalgic. The filming of the rainbow scene, for example. So beautiful and cute to watch! And the use of colors in the retro scenes - so perfect ... her yellow umbrella and his blue umbrella - so beautiful and symbolic.

3) The humor - classic irony and just typical humor that makes you laugh - it's old but whatever works! The humor just has its classic charms. I couldn't help but laughed out loud A LOT throughout the 16 episodes... Humor doesn't have to be sophisticated, it just has to fit the situation.

4) The suspense - you really root for the couple because they are so believable. The key is the director and chemistry make you care for them. This is what makes a good crime drama ... not showing everything ... physical abuse and violence are so trendy right now because it's easy! In a rom-com, it would be too much to mix in physical violence. I think this was executed perfectly by the director.

5) The poetic justice - the resolution at the end just ties everything up nicely. He got what he would have given his victims. This is the perfect ending that cinched the deal.


After all the disappointments in K drama this year, this drama is a redemption ... It makes me want to watch K drama again. It has all the classic elements: the humor, the time travel, the suspense, the chemistry, the good actors, the good plot, etc.. what it doesn't have is the abusive relationships and predictable stories that started creeping up everywhere starting last year (after the glory)!

I didn't know both lead actors when I first saw episode 1. Not knowing what to expect, I was very patient to watch ep 1. I think the lead actress makes this story so interesting! The way she acts is so perfect for this role. She makes it funny without being too overacting. This story was written for her.

The main leads have chemistry.
The story has logic and every time she travels, it changes accordingly.

Highly recommend this drama. If you haven't seen her in Extraordinary You (2019), she acted similarly and made that story interesting too. But the plot was too repetitive!

Wow ... such an amazing ending to the story. I really love how grandma says it: "Where do you think memories of what I see, listen, and feel in my life go? ... They are all smeared into my soul."

Episode 1:
The reality version 0 - she is crippled. He met her in high school and feel for her but she didn't even know about him. They "met" later through a radio talk show. He impressed her with his sincerity and encouragement. She became his fan. She went to his concert ...
The person to watch is the grandma: actually, in the first ep, the grandma already hinted at the ending when she puts the red dot makeup on Sol. Korean brides wear these on their faces.

Episode 2:
He was killed by the crazy taxi driver ... she became heart-broken and time-traveled to the past by using his watch. It's a crazy and funny ride until the end from here on.

.... fixing the past to get a better future ....

Episode 15:
New Reality: You kind of know where the ending is heading ... He didn't get killed but the taxi driver did.

Episode 16:
This is the first time I can see that a rom-com made it entertaining until the end. It's so funny!
Grandma threw away the watch. So it hinted that she time-traveled. Also, when she came back to hold SJ's hand after the birthday party, he cried as if he remembers her suddenly. So she did something ... I think that would be an interesting story to see how she was able to change the past!

Poetic Justice: the bad ends up in the scenario for his victims!

Why this rom-com is SO WORTH watching? and re-watching?
I haven't seen a rom-com where the entire 16 episodes were worth watching ... even to the last few scenes! So entertaining and funny! The FL actress is so versatile. You can see her eyes can be shy, gentle, and funny ... but when she glares, she can also be a toughie!
The combination of the leads actor and actress is a winner. I think I read somewhere that she brings out the charming quality in him. This is totally right ... the contrast in height, size, and personalities adds charm to his personality.

Will there be a sequel??
I think the ending is open so there is a chance.
A few things to note:
The ending is filmed in a dreamy sequence with soft focus filter and the wedding has no one attending ... the whole thing looks like a dream ... so is it real?
Sol also said that "let's be with each other even in our dreams" ...

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If I got to be that guy so be it. SADLY RUNNER is more like it

Lovely runner started off as a show that seems to show promise. I love the fact that they have two great cast and probably an exceptional storyline. However, it's get too draggy and boring real quick. The show tries to show multiple ways that indicates how the story plays out. It doesn't help if the FL keeps messing up and tries to keep it a secret. Messing up does unlock a lot of potential plot twist or surprising moments. With poor execution and pretty predictable, it wasn't gonna work. I say this show had everything and just could deliver. At least make the bad guy better since he wasn't even feared at all.

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My favorite romcom of all time, not just 2024

This has fluffy romance, comedy aplenty and a lot of heart. I can't believe that within 10 minutes into the drama, I was already crying with Im Sol. Kim Hye Yoon delivered such a great performance in the first episode that before it ended I was hooked.

The story is about Im Sol (Hye Yoon) who was about to give up on life after an accident. Because of the encouragement she got from an idol Ryu Sun Jae (Woon Seok), she decided to live. For more than 10 years, she supported Sun Jae as a fan and was very shocked when news came out that Sun Jae died from apparent suicide. A mystic occurrence brought her back in time when both she and Sun Jae were still in high school. Can she stop Sun Jae's death? Was it really a suicide?

Only 2 episodes are out but I am already enjoying this drama. In fact, the last few minutes of Episode 2 had me silently screaming with excitement. Scenes that may seem cringey on paper turned out lovely and sweet because of the music used and the chemistry between Hye Yoon and Woon Seok. And then there's also Geon Hee who's playing the second lead. He also looks good with Hye Yoon. But I'm still team Sun Jae. The scriptwriters so far made somewhat believable scenarios (yeah, I will also run/get scared when a person seems crazy). I am looking forward for the next episodes.

Edit:
I am now at episode 7 and this just keeps getting better so I'm changing my review score from 9.5 to 10. This deserves it for making me look forward to Mondays even though it's the start of my work week. Now I'm not just on the Sunjae-Sol ship but also on the Woo soek-Hye yoon ship too. These two are really lovely together.

Edit 2:
After completion, this has become my standard for a romcom and has become my favorite drama of all time. I would rate it more than 10 if I could. I love all the OSTs, they are used at the right timing throughout the drama even the BGMs. This also has the best pacing among all the dramas I've seen with the focus mostly on the leads. Its romance is satisfying and was not stingy at all with the kiss scenes unlike usual kdramas. Its comedy despite a few misses are ones that remain funny even after a few rewatches. Its logic as a time travel drama made sense and was not messy at all. I know I'll rewatch this just for the comfort it brings. There was a time in Ep13 that this drama broke my heart but immediately fixed it again in the next episode. Parallelism and easter eggs are spread throughout the entire drama which makes you want to rewatch. It shows you again and again that the leads are made for each other. I'm so glad that I chased this because I was able to discuss theories and ship the lead couple with fellow capellas (eclipse fandom) and subeoms (solseon fandom)

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breaking my silence ( i put whatever in the star rating because i want to finish it first)

The drama started out fun and great but it started going down hill after the "highschool arc" , she avoided him in the most absured ways giving me second hand embaressment instead of talking and making it clear she wants nothing to do with him tf . But i still had hope, a part of me did'nt want this show to go even further down the drain , i had hope that they will salvage it somehow and pick up the pace when they made up . I really waited and suffered through out the whole collage missunderstanding thing , the light at the end of the tunnel started shinning and i was as hopeful as i can get when they he finally figured out the future thing , i ran till the end of this tunnel following the bright hopeful light and when i finally reached it it turned dark and all i could feel was the despair of the fucking disaster of episode 13. it was so bad i just finished watching it right now and started to write this . Episode 13 was so bad it made me write a goddamn essay , and the thing that makes my blood boil is the fact that people LIKED the episode , am i the problem ??? i don't wanns say too much about the episode because i already reviewd it in the episode 13 review , but the ending actually made me almost cry ........out of anger lmaooo beacuse please tell me why did she do that , now all the other 12 episode mean nothing quite literally .

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An Intriguing Plot Line and Acting

At first the drama started really smoothly and each episode unfolds everything so well. First of all the story line and the plot twists is so good that you never get bored. I'm watching it from the very first episode of its airing and I'm currently watching while its still being aired. It pains me to wait every week to see the next episodes of the drama but I love this drama like no other so I can wait. The 'Lovely Runner' has become my most favourite drama so far replacing 'Goblin'.

Next let's talk about the theme of love in this drama. It's a modern drama with a 'Classic Love'. We have seen in the classic love stories by Shakespeare 'Romeo and Juliet' where they love each other so much so that one's life is empty or incomplete without the other just like how Im Sol's life is without Ryu Sun Jae and Sun Jae without Sol. I will include this drama 'Lovely Runner' among the classic love stories. Also how they are able to sacrifice themselves for the person they love. Sun Jae saves Sol and Sol travels back in time to save Sun Jae. Sun Jae doesn't care if he loses his life to save Sol and Sol doesn't want a life without Sun Jae so she doesn't care if she loses his affection for her. This kind of love is the most Selfless and Pure love like that of classic love stories. This is what attracts the viewers most.

Then the most talked about thing in this drama is the acting of the main leads. The role Im Sol played by Kim Hye Yoon and Ryu Sun Jae acted by Byeon Woo Soek portrays all the emotions of the characters so well that it is praiseworthy. I have seen the drama ' Extraordinary You' it is also a really good drama worth watching. In 'Lovely Runner' I like the chemistry of the main leads (Kim Hye Yoon and Byeon Woo Soek) on and off screen. Their height difference is soooo cute and good together. I would really love to watch more of their drama together. One more thing I would like to mention is the pain of the female lead character, each and every painful side of the story of her is very well acted by Kim Hye Yoon's crying scenes which hits the sad side of the story perfectly.

After that let's discuss about the supernaturality in the drama. The 'willing suspension of disbelief' is well maintained. The theme of time travel and where ever Sol tries to talk about future the time stops. The medium through which she time travels is also make good reasoning in the frame of the supernaturality. The time Sol travel back to past and in the present is interesting , sometimes its funny and sometimes its sad. The supernaturality is well represented.

Next is the symbolism. The childish and full of bright personality Sol's colour is yellow which carries the meaning of happiness and enthusiasm with it , also yellow colour depicts the cheerful and energetic nature of Im Sol. Holding the yellow umbrella Im Sol comes running towards Ryu Sun Jae and at that time he falls for her. He says that he used to hate rain but he doesn't anymore because with rain the image of Sol holding a yellow umbrella will come to his mind whenever he sees rain again. His clouded life which is full of problems will still be full of happiness if Sol is in his life. And Ryu Sun Jae is represented by blue. Blue is a colour which symbolises stability, serenity, intelligence and loyalty. We can understand how much clam is Ryu Sun Jae but his life becomes chaotic and full of fun aspects with Sol in it. Then again it is admiring how much loyal Sun Jae is to Sol that he can not even watch Sol's mother scolding her and he is willing to to go any length for her just as Sol is willing to do anything for him. Moreover yellow gives a warm feeling and blue gives a cold vibe which is like Summer and Winter, contradictory but inseparable and irreplaceable to each other. When Sol was in wheel chair Sun Jae's umbrella is of black colour which tells us that his blue has turned to black with grieving and regretting that he could not protect Sol from that accident. And in later episode we see Sol's scarf is more of a white or cream colour now than the first episode where it was yellow conveying that her life has turned to something colourless white with her loss of hope and happiness of a life where there is no Sun Jae with her.


The concept of life and fate and its chances to change. There are things that you can not change even when you travel back in time and things that you can change it depends on the choices one makes. And if you change you have to pay a price just like Sol pays the price which is her and Sun Jae's love and affection to save Sun Jae. Whether it's a happy ending or a sad ending it's yet to reveal. But now it's a happy ending for Sol as she was able to save Sun Jae and it's a sad ending for Sun Jae as he lost the love of his life.


The villain is also a classic one because he seems scary and gives a strong impression. The actor portrays the character very well which that of a bad psycho personality.

This drama is a slice of life with School Drama, Campus Drama and obviously More than that. Beautiful cinematography and the ost Sudden Shower, Spring Snow, Run Run and Like A Dream and many others suits the drama very much. I like all of the drama but some of the scenes that I would like to specially mention is the scene where Sol comes running towards Sun Jae and the accident scene and the college trip and where they both enjoy cherry blossoms and make wish further more the sea beach scenes and amusement park all of them.

The cast and the crew did a very good job making 'Lovely Runner'. The directors and other crew members did a commendable job.
I would recommend this drama. It's totally worth the watch. 'Lovely Runner' "hwaiting".

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PHENOMINAL

AHHHH !!! You should watch this when you get the chance !! Its literally so amazing and haa such a unique storyline (so far as it is ongoing). Lovely Runner had me hooked with the first few minutes of episode 1.

I may or may not be biased since I don't watch a lot of k-drama or dramas in general, but this is one of the most interesting takes I've seen on the time travel plot line. It adds just the right amount of suspense and satisfaction!!

Even if the genre's arent your cup of tea, just give it a try. You seriously won't regret watching Lovely Runner.

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Handsdown one of the best drama in 2024

I am proud to say I am one of the few people that started the drama way before the craze and hype, all because I was excited since last year when Wooseok and Hyeyoon were announced as the cast. Frankly, I don't particularly care about drama theme when my fav actors or actresses star in it and in this case, it was Hyeyoon.

I started it out not expecting any great or perfect drama, I simply expect a usual romcom. Man was I wrong, episode 2 was absolutely magical and I knew right away I had to promote tf out of this drama to every single of my mutuals.

I just finished watching finale and my thoughts are jumbled up lol I'll comeback when I have sorted out my thoughts and feelings and will write a proper review.

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