A series that ticked all the boxes
Everything you want in a drama was more than likely put into this. I expected them to skip over things most dramas do but it went into them and dived deeper than i even imagined.What I loved most was how this drama reflected life, the awkwardness of starting a new relationship, the trials of family, the trauma of stereotypes.
I don't want to give much away but this drama even stepped into subjects that are still sadly taboo in south korea and i respect them for that as it is real and they can't hide it (LGBT)
The 2 main leads (mijoo and seung) were a perfect match, their relationship was built on trust, understanding and most importantly communication, I loved the fact we would get so many scenes of them just talking and it wouldn't feel boring. While watching the drama I felt as though I could really see their relationship progress. There was no silly misunderstandings or drama just 2 people learning to love and becoming friends to lovers. The slow pace never felt as though it dragged it felt real and natural.
The other 2 leads (yeonghwa and Seo) had a little bit more drama to them, while there was no silly misunderstanding there were more trials to overcome. I am happy with the ending they had, generally because nothing was forced. They had great chemistry and even better personalities.
The ending was beautiful, it left me feeling complete.
Thank you, writers and directors and everyone for such a beautiful drama this definitely made my month!!
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A Getaway For Lost Souls
I never expected anything from this drama. I even thought that it'd be another sport drama like "Weightlifting Fairy : Kim Bok Joo". I was WRONG. This is what you called HUMBLE MASTERPIECE. Here's why..❤Say no to mediocre, cliche storyline you can find in any K-Dramas. It's refreshing, funny, hilarious, mind blowing and humbling. You'll find yourself smiling from ear to ear and crying in a matter of seconds in every episode (esp towards the end). So if you seek something different, refreshing & heart warming, this drama is your answer
❤Storyline that took focus on every character's daily lives. Just like someone said before in this platform, this drama showed that every person is their own main character in their lives. If you want a getaway from your work or even life itself, this drama will give you some kind like cure for your lost soul.
❤It promotes healthy relationship (the importance of communication & trust), LGBTQI+ awareness & female empowerement. Things that I rarely saw mentioned explicitly in a drama. Bravo!
❤Lovely, cute & beta male characters as mainleads. Really tho, I love how they portrayed both male mainleads to be more gentle, full of emotion & loving than the female mainleads. In contrast, the female mainleads are definitely independent Alpha females with their own badass charms. It's refreshing to see the gender role reversal.
❤The chemistry between the mainleads! 10000/10. Damn, I didn't expect to be blushing & squealing hearing drama dialogues. Seon Gyeoom, he's literally a poet & a flirt with/without him knowing that. His pickup lines or rather I'd say compliments for his gf were just too cute, hot, smart & unique at the same time. Seon Gyeom be lowkey waking up my deep down desire tbh, hahaha..
❤Acts : 1000/10. They're all amazing actors, but for me there should be a special shout out to Im Siwan for bringing Seon Gyeom character alive. He really left me with deep impression with his gentle, loving & nurturing traits. Even tho his character was oftenly misunderstood & even being hated just bcs he's mainly clueless & rather 'hard' to approach, I love to see him break down. Im Siwan was successfully portrayed that. You can learn from his character, to not overly thinking for whatever problem that you encountered on the road. Take your time, take a rest but don't give up. Enjoy the ride of the world that has given you.
For me his character would be the perfect depiction of my dream man/soulmate. Wise, smart, full of principles, family man, loyal, patience, had his own passion/dream, trustful & supportive. Damn even tho his character is awkward & oftenly lost on his own thoughts, but he's very charming in his own way. Just watch it guys, his & Yeong Hwa characters are hilarious to watch! (I also surprised to see Kang Tae Oh acting cutely. Even his cries also cute..)
❤Filmography : 1000/10. The asthetic, the vibe, the beautiful shots. Damn, it's not your typical K-Dramas, people, it's an art..
❤Motivational. Full of beautiful, meaningful & wise quotes from the start till the end. I even wrote down some of its quotes. My favourite would be "Who will be the longest to be with me? It'd definitely be me, myself. Until the day I die, even tho I already found my soulmate, I'll be buried alone, with no one but myself. I don't wanna love myself too much, but I also don't want to lose myself"
❤Bittersweet happy ending but it really showed that's life. Sometimes you just don't know what'll happen in the future. You just have to enjoy the ride and see what world will give to you. You learn from your past mistakes & experiences, to be a better person in the future.
❤If "Because This Is My First Life" , "Fight For My Way" & web dramas on youtube had a 'child' it'd be this drama. Slice of life meets romcom. Relaxing with normal pace drama.
Some criticisms that I should point out :
❤I felt bored on somewhere in the middle of the drama. Some scenes are unnecessary to keep & it caused the dragging.
❤Minor plotholes that matters to detail oriented viewers, but overall it didn't affect the drama.
So what are you waiting for? Looking for motivational, entertaining, sweet & funny drama, you really should watch this drama! Definitely worth your time!
Would rate it 9/10 ❤
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This show was tiring!
Like, I don't mind watching a show which is character driven rather than plot-driven. But really, every Run-on character felt lethargic. Nothing wrong with the entire setup, but parts of it were too slow and unnecessary (could have done away with the assemblyman's cribbing). Could have easily wrapped up the everything (including character development) in 10 episodes. I wish there was some more context around dynamics of Seo Dan Ah and her family, especially the younger brother <3.Favorite characters: Yeong Hwa, Dana's younger brother and Doo Sik! I didn't care for the main lead. Slightly inclined towards the 2nd leads but gave up mid-way since that became cliched as well. Watch it if you have the patience to watch slow-paced shows with lots of everyday, casual conversations.
Lastly, for a show titled run-on, I wish there was more running involved. :-(
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really disliked the second couple
it was fine. the drama was fine. was it the best thing I've ever seen? no. but it was fine. but, man, I could not stand the second couple. by the 8th episode, I ended up fast forwarding through all their scenes. I would have much rather had more scenes with Woosik or the father than them.I liked the first couple, even though there wasn't much to their relationship. I've never been one that needs tons of making out to be satisfied with a relationship in a drama, and you don't definitely won't find a ton of making out here. you'll barely find a couple of kisses. but that was good enough for me.
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the perfect slice of life drama
Oh boy where do I begin... I loved everything about this drama, so much that I'm writing thing months after I finished watching it...I really think it has everything; an amazing cast, visually pleasing scenes, dialogues that really stick with you and awesome characters. Also! the OST by LUCY really is a masterpiece... god bless them.
Anyways, it's a tv show carried by the dialogues and if you don't like slow paced dramas that's not the series for you lmao but for me, that was what fascinated me the most... I think if I had to compare it to something, it reminds me of a Studio Ghibli movie, dealing with serious stuff but in a soft and hopeful way.
The writing is /fantastic/ and I think that they really wrote it like it was a long movie (ironically, movies are a big part of the plot but anyways), even the little details have a meaning with made my little obsessed brain really happy. The characters really are sweethearts... if you love the found family trope this is for you!!! Also! no love triangle god bless... and even though there's miscommunication at the beginning, the main couple has one of the healthiest relationships I have ever seen in a tv show... incredibile methinks.
In conclusion, if you're looking for a heart-warming drama but that deals with serious stuff too and the struggles of being an adult, that's what you're looking for!
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THIS DRAMA DESERVES A TEN
This drama may not be everyones's cup of tea, this is not for you if you like dramas with lot of twists. I can say that it can be like a typical drama for someone but for me it's not.It's my first time watching a kdrama that doesn't have lots of slow motion moment just bcs they 'hold their hands', they 'kiss', or like they 'bumped into each other'. I didn't feel awkward at all & it doesn't make me feel impatient bcs of that, I really like it.
I like how they don't just focus on their love life but also in their personal life. This drama is like really matured, they show how a relationship is, how they learn & grow in their presence.
I also love their acting and the script, they're all natural & not cringy at all. That's what I love the most abt this drama. It's just natural & there's a lot to learn.
I really recommend this drama, even tho you like a drama with full of surprises, you should give this a chance, it's just really good for me.
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Male Lead inconsistent in Cozy Romance
I have mixed feelings about this drama. I kept watching because I was fascinated with the FL's profession of subtitlist, and I liked the story of the second lead couple. The male lead actor Im Shi Wan was inconsistent. He was good in some key scenes, but overall I found him flat and stiff. He just didn't have a good active listening face. The drama also really dragged for me in the middle episodes. I can see why people call this a comfort watch as overall it's more of a cozy romance without a high level of angst.Was this review helpful to you?
I’m not a fan of Shin Se Kyung, but I always see her in other dramas that are quite popular, and honestly I don't really find her roles appealing. This time around though, I really like her role and how she portrayed the character. I cannot explain it but I really like her
The dramas lines are also astounding, great writing. Deep lines that somehow made me think and learn just by watching it. At first I find the lines a bit weird for my taste but then I have adapted how it should be interpreted.
The drama has a lot of side characters, and the first part of the series is quite uninteresting but as it goes, yeah, I was totally into it. Siwan as the male lead actor is the best choice, he is gorgeous and embodied the character really well. Siwan’s character is so cute, which is so far to the usual chaebol seen on other korean dramas.
My favorite line would be: ‘can you not teach me? How to break up? I felt the emotions in this line so much and I can't find to words to express how much this impacted me as a watcher. There is a tinge of reality in the drama and I don't find the romance over the top though the genre of the drama is romance.
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FLUFFY WARM COZY VIBES!!!!
This drama is nothing special. The plot is basic and simple BUT OH BOY IT IS GOOD. There is just something ATTRACTIVE about the story where it tickles your lil heart uwu. NO BS LOVE TRIANGLES and cliche misunderstandings. In simpler terms the guy IS A LOST SAD PUPPY and the girl ENDS UP TAKING CARE OF IT and now he acts like an adorable loyal cute dog wanting HER ATTENTION.Breath of fresh air? Friendship goals? Healing story? Cute rom-com? You can label this drama as anything because its relatable in every sense. It might not be as memorable as other action-pact drama but you will feel happy and giggly watching it. If you FEEL SINGLE AND LONELY LIKE ALMOST EVERY KDRAMA VIEWER then this show is the one for you....im kidding <3
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How is this so well written?
It's from a rookie writer so the that that each character has such depth is so interesting. Why does it feel like nothing is happening when everything is happening at a subtle speed, at the right tempo, giving a strange flow you get pulled into? The dialogues go from funny to deep easily. The acting of the cast is great. I never enjoyed any other previous drama of the lead actress but I still gave this a go because I have always admired the acting of the main male leads. I was pleasantly surprised seeing how much she has improved.The highlight of the show is how uniquely the four leads have been written. The strongest female lead might not be so strong and the weak in status one is not is one hell of a strong woman but if you notice all the women of this drama are strong independent, cool women. So that sure is refreshing.
One male lead is extremely unique, like a kid in an adult's body. A good and kind one. Very kind one. Another one seems like a kid but has the soul of a man, making him a paradox.
I am enjoying the human relationships portrayed in this drama and the friendship is so well written, not just between the male characters but between the female characters and the male characters and between all of them. The complexity of humane relationships is in full bloom here. Very raw, very real.
This drama has a strange power of making you happy after you have watched it when nothing exceptional is happening. This is its beauty.
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I love it cause it's chill
It's one of my favorite K-drama of all time. It's my go to drama when I want to watch something but don't want to watch something new. The funny thing is that so far the people that I've seen talked about this drama either 1) they find it too boring then dropped it or 2) people who were able to finished it and ended up really loving it.My sisters and I watched this because we had an Im Si Wan craze and started to marathon all his projects. So yeah, me liking the story maybe just because I'm biased as I am obsessed with Im Si Wan 😄 Plus, Ki Seon Gyeom is a breath of fresh air to every male leads out there. Talk about a green flag guy. Seon Gyeom's character development is smooth and natural. He did not just woke up one day then became more sensitive and caring on his surrounding. The writer took her time to build up the relationship with FL that's why for me it felt natural and I appreciate it.
I was actually worried that I won't like this drama because of female lead. Honestly, I don't like Shin Se Kyung's projects before but I realized what a great actress she is. I figured out that she's a good at acting but lacks right chemistry with her leading men. She and Si Wan had a very good chemistry that's why I was able to stay for the story. She was able to perfectly portray Mi Joo's no-nonsense, independent woman personality without being cringy. What I loved about Mi Joo's character was that she's been very consistent from start to finish. Her morals, actions, and personality all aligned in the story's progression.
Also, the second couple? Dan Ah and Yeong Hwa is so chaotic. My favorite thing is how interactions between the four main characters are so comedic and entertaining. Dan Ah and Mi Joo are almost too good to not be shipped.
Most of all, I love how the conflict is not that dramatic and complicated. Welll, aside from Seon Gyeom's dad? (which kinda resolved immediately and not dragged). Overall, it was pretty chill drama.
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Clever cute, funny and sweet
Clever, cute, funny and sweet. Every fan has a favorite light romedy and Run On is mine, my 'Paris' drama -- the romantic and sentimentalized view of Paris in light midcentury comedy is so like the image of Seoul now, a city made solely for lovers....4 lovers wander in and out of one of those great cafe settings where artists could meet patrons and lovers can eavesdrop jealously; no one suddenly develops a fatal illness and lovers' misunderstandings are honest mistakes, not willful blundering.All 4 have intense and very different professional lives -- when love calls them out into each other's worlds, all four are clueless for awhile. Bridges have to be built, concepts have to be translated, lovers struggle to understand. A grown-ups' world where lovers can be childish with each other and men weep when they are sad instead of going all morose. Wonderful and fully developed supporting characters fill out the main leads' narratives.
Siwan's character, Ki Seon Gyeom (SG) at first seems very slow on the uptake. A sprinter on the national team, a compliant child of an actress mother and an awful hypocrite of a father, we see him through the eyes of Shin Se Kyung's xcharacter, Oh MiJoo (MJ). MJ is the heart of this piece, the real POV, a film translator and subtitler who sometimes does some live interpreting. Shin Se Kyung's voice is so wonderful, both warm and sarcastic with a wide range of emotional expression, and her portrayal of MJ is of an active, hardworking intelligent woman. She always keeps on running metaphorically forward towards a life she has chosen, with a great mane of auburn hair rippling like a flag behind her.
MJ's changing descriptions of SG inform our own view of him, at first 'odd' (seen. even by his teamates as distant/arrogant), then bafflingly restricted verbally, (she of course is very verbal with her friends). Suddenly in civilian clothes a real beauty, and slowly more expressive as bit by bit as he and she work their way to understanding the close tie they feel almost from the beginning. She and the viewer finally see him as adorable and his constant steady attention to her as the faithfulness of a true romantic lead.
Luckily so, because the second couple generates enough steam and smoke for a whole other drama. Written in classic point/counter point with the more realistic and careful OTP, Kang Tae Oh as Yonghwa (YW) and Choi Soo Young as Seo Danah (DA) are nearly equal to them in screen time, action and arc. This is a deliberate move because the underlying theme is an exploration of the poisonous remnants of a once rigid, systematic ,and highly detailed mostly male social hierarchy.
The longest arc in the story are the individual results of a scandal involving really violent bullying in the national team, where one member turns his anger and jealousy of SG upon a more vulnerable teammate. SG's life is changed by his solid moral compass and refusal to hide the scandal. MJ serves as interpreter for an interview the victim gives to the international press and she translates the subsequent English article for online publication. SG embarks on a journey of self-discovery with MJ, while his real personal strengths and abilities become clearer to the viewer.
The script contains many funny gender reversals and commentaries on the concept of hierarchy and power, some subtle, some played more broadly for laughs. A JTBC show with Kim Se Jin as composer. Writer -- Park Shi Hyun.
On a first watch I recommend looking forward to a real debacle of a birthday party, SG and NJ's first two meetings, and Dan-ah's and Younghwa's last fight.
Hope y'all enjoy Run On as much as I do!
On my top ten best ever kdramas list as of 12/24: Goblin, Hwayugi, Because This Is My First Life, Just between Lovers; the K2, Run On, Doom at Your Service; Tomorrow, Alchemy of Souls (earliest to latest) and Mr. Plankton .
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