Lovely Runner (2024)

THE DISAPPOINTMENT OF TOMORROW

***DISCLAIMER: THIS IS JUST MY OPINION. YOU DON'T HAVE TO AGREE AND I'M NOT HERE TO ARGUE WITH ANYONE.***

I don't want to start conflict, so please keep scrolling to protect your peace if you believe you'll get defensive / triggered / be rude then obviously, this review isn’t for you.

As usual, this is a LONG one, so bare with me ツ


GENERAL COMMENTARY:

The title of this review perfectly encapsulates how I felt after watching the entire drama.

Long story short, Lovely Runner was really anticlimactic, to say the least. The drama was a promise unfulfilled, and it is severely overhyped imo.

Don’t get me wrong, this drama started as a cozy watch and I liked tuning in every week until we hit the midpoint.

There were too many plot holes, insufferable characters, a poor storyline, and no growth, which made the drama almost unfinishable for me.

I truly believe that this drama should have ended in 8–10 eps, 12 eps maximum. The plot was unnecessarily dragged out & going in circles.


IN MORE DETAIL (SPOILERS AHEAD!):

I really like Byeon Woo Seok (I’ll watch anything with him) but I think his character in Lovely Runner was just a big loser and that gave me the ick. The golden retriever boy is for some, but I don’t think they are for me. It’s endearing at first, but then it gets to a point, and ultimately becomes cringe. I also dislike how both characters are codependent and seemingly cannot exist without the other. Even when Sol erased him completely out of her life, they had to meet and reconnect. If she didn't want that to happen she would have relocated to somewhere he couldn't find her. Granted, the drama would have ended quicker / on a sad note but she didn't even try hard enough to avoid him?

First off, 34-year-old Sol did not behave like a 34-year-old. I'll give her the benefit of the doubt say that because she spent her first life confined to a wheelchair, she had no true perspective on life or dangerous individuals like the serial killer. This is why her choices seemed impulsive. She was no match for him, in my opinion, and I was bothered by the way she would scurry around terrified, waiting for him to attack. It was exhausting how she constantly put herself in danger and haphazardly traveled back in time without a solid plan in place.

Some people are engulfed in the fandom with their delusions and theories that would justify this “ill-fated” plot but the writers themselves became lazy and lost sight of their goals / the resolution for the drama. In a foolish attempt to break the fourth wall, the writers had Sol transform her experience into a script, and as Maddy Perez put it, "Is this f*cking play about us?" This arc was simply, corny / cheap and very similar to what you'd see in a Wattpad fanfic circa 2012.

I never thought I’d say this, but I felt sorry for the 2ML. I felt like he, too, was blinded by his love for Sol and became her biggest simp. Imo, he deserved better, and that plot where the 2ML always comes around and has to support the happy couple is such bs. It's overdone!

A lot of persons swear that this was the best drama they ever watched in their entire life and that the characters were fully fleshed out; that the time travel didn't need to make sense, and the storyline didn’t need to be elaborate or convoluted etc. but for me, I was more focused on the mystery and circumstances that created this time slip. I needed to find out the reason for Sol traveling back in time, Why Sol? How did this happen? Where did 19 y.o. Sol go when 34 y.o. Sol inhabited her body? Did Sunjae ever time travel in other timelines? Did they both happen to timeslip to save eachother? What was the grandma’s deal? Why and how was she able to time slip too? There were far too many unanswered questions and I just needed more depth.

The villain was lackluster and his sole purpose was to be an obstacle between the two leads. The serial killer lacks a backstory, previous killings, or reasoning for his focus on the couple making him a one dimensional character. It was like a dead end street watching both relentlessly try to escape their fate. I found his death cliche with the white truck of doom taking him out. They could’ve made him suffer more imo.

Byeon Woo Seok and Kim Hye Yoon did a good job. But if I'm being honest I think her character was annoying and overly emotional. She cried so much she could give Park Shin Hye a run for her money. She was also so sickeningly bubbly / hyper all the time which irritated me. Her voice was also grating to listen to, everytime she’d say “Sunjae-ah” I was over it.

The only time she was truly unhappy, grieving and sobbing uncontrollably was when Sunjae died. Ironic isn’t it? She literally could have saved Sunjae but she forgot to stop time in the moment? Be so astronomically for real.

I mean ok… let me be a little less harsh she was in “shock” seeing him get stabbed to death, but DID HER BRAIN STOP WORKING TOO? Excluding the last time she totally erased herself from his memory, all of her attempts to save him were merely ineffective. This drama had the feel of being stuck on a spinning merry-go-round with no way to halt or reach a satisfactory resolution / explanation for the happenstance.

I believe you could swap out these characters with any other actors, and I bet people would not be hyping up this drama as much, especially if the leads were not as attractive as the current ones. I can just see an alternate universe where people would just be hating on this same drama if that were the case. That’s just so crazy to think about but so telling.

I’ve seen too many heavily plot driven dramas with pretty good acting get bashed on MDL and other platforms because the leads are not attractive or don’t fit societal beauty standards. It’s sad the world is shallow like this but it’s a fact that visually stunning leads sell a drama more than the overall production, strong plot and great acting.

Which brings me to another topic. I honestly believe Sol was created for delusional soft girls / obsessive stans and I could not relate with her character at all. In my opinion, she was unpredictable, overhasty, and single-minded in many aspects. She also entered practically every timeline without a plausible and full proof strategy. Worse, I couldn't see upending my entire life for just a guy. Thank God this is just fiction.

The acting was also overly dramatic. At times I felt like I was watching a theatrical stage performance rather than a tv show. I understand this is the usual for dramas but in a lot of scenes it was overbearing. The acting didn’t feel natural in a lot of scenes and the hyperactive and big / flamboyant personalities were sometimes distracting. Not to mention a lot of Sol’s facial expressions were over done. She smiled and cried so much, but I didn’t really get any tender / loving looks from her which is essential for a good rom-com. KHY tried her best though and did numerous takes to try and capture what the director wanted so I really can’t fault her, I see her effort and dedication in the BTS scenes.

Additionally, I can’t stand dramas where the leads are one dimensional. I also wanted more in depth backstories for Sol, Sunjae and Tae Sung. It felt like Sol only cared about Sunjae and was willing to run off with him at any point in time. I feel like she got to time travel and had the golden opportunity of spending more time with her mom and grandma and she completely wasted it. If I was in her position and knew my grandma would get dementia and not remember me half the time I would’ve made the most of every single moment. Moreover, the drama started with her being his fan and then the scene where we find out he fell for her (at first sight no less) made me sort of kind of lose interest… like where’s the flavor in that? We also never fully understand why Sunjae even likes Sol. What about her is so special that he becomes a lovesick puppy / loser for her? Did he only see her smiling cheerfully and running with a bright yellow umbrella so he just randomly fell head over heels for her? Bffr

As for their chemistry, it was good up to a point then fell flat / seemed forced to me. I feel like nothing could top their tension in the almost kisses or their first kiss as adults in the present. That episode where they went to the countryside was everything. When we got back to present day, I was bored and just over the anguish and yearning, so in episode 16, I couldn't even truly be happy because it just felt like fan service. I’m glad they had a happy ending, but was it realistic? Nope. I believe they mulled over a lot of their issues too quickly. How would Sunjae have stayed single for 15 years? That’s just not possible. I also hate how Sunjae apologized to Sol when she was the one who erased her from his memory. Bsffr!

I think a lot of the side characters (Sol’s brother and her best friend) took up too much screen time. I honestly didn’t really care for them and they were the basic bsfs brother trope. It was ironic how the drama used realism with the lottery, making Geum share the win with others because of his stupidity, while they suspended belief in other aspects. They seriously couldn’t just make him win and become rich?

Don’t get me started on Sunjae’s overbearing father. I couldn’t stand him at all especially after he slapped him in a previous timeline. The tipping point for me was when he insulted Sol in front of her mothers face. Was that meant to be amusing?

I believe his dad was better in other timelines, tried to encourage Sunjae and push him but Sunjae is grown and he should’ve been sensible enough to make his own decisions. It seemed like he just gave up on swimming out of the blue even though his characterization was that he was passionate about it and hoped he’d make it to the Olympics one day if not for his injury. I felt like he gave up too quickly and became shortsighted because of his infatuation with Sol.

Furthermore, these types of stories make it seem like being paralyzed is the worst thing that can happen to someone and that life isn’t worth living if you don't have legs or end up disabled because of an accident. I hope nobody who can relate to the former Sol or a similar situation feels like that or wishes they could go back in time to change the past. That's just so tone deaf and impossible. As people, we can only move forward and make the best of today. Worrying about tomorrow and what you could do differently will only bring you misery. Why torture yourself about things you can't change? Which is why I wished that they showed us another version of reality where she was paralyzed and still got to live her happy ending with Sunjae instead of the main plot we got with both of them lamenting the fact that they couldn't save each other.

Imo, representation matters and I think many viewers would have appreciated that arc instead. These inspirational stories are rare in everyday life and it would’ve been nice to see a resilient character be bold and daring in spite of their situation and just overcome life’s obstacles but maybe that’s a different drama for the future.

I’m happy for those who enjoyed this, but I really think I was expecting more. All I can think of is the wasted potential. I could have written this story at 13 y.o. I think this drama was written for younger or teenage audiences, and now that I’m a bit older I just don’t care for these weak plots. This drama had me frustrated somewhere between eps. 8-12 then disinterested from 13-16. I feel this drama should be tagged fantasy mainly because a lot of things don’t add up.

I realized that I like sensible, and resilient FLs, and sure some will say Sol “tried to do the best she could” but imo she was very flighty and unstable. Bffr, all she did was chase a man and I’m supposed to praise her for that?! ABSOULTELY NOT! I don’t like the message and I believe the essence of this drama is lacking. Yes, "hold onto memories, they will hold onto you" like the song says — but WHAT ELSE?

Of course the grandma’s quote that she was "time traveling through memories" can offer solace to individuals who have close friends or family suffering from Alzheimer's disease, but the drama missed the ideal chance to convey to us the full extent of her experience. What event caused her to acquire the ability to time slip and how was she now able to do it in her mind? Give us something, even if it is just a flashback to her youth or a memory with her husband. The grandma’s arc lacked depth and meaning. I believe that the drama's demise stems from the writers failure to make these quotes connect with the story and come full circle.

One of the only good things about this drama was the OST. I was really impressed knowing that BWS sang most of the songs. Throughout the drama however I think Sudden Shower and Spring Snow were played too often. Standouts for me were the last couple of songs: Gift, I Think I Did, Please Don't Leave Anywhere & A Day. Honorable mentions are: Monologue, Like a Dream & May I Love You.

I enjoyed the overall aesthetic of the drama. I thought the flashbacks to the past were really evocative and cinematic. The slow motion scenes create the illusion that you are seeing the character's pov at that moment in time. Kudos to the director for knowing what he was doing in that sense. The leads also had some visually stunning and cute scenes with plenty of kissing. If that's what you're looking for, the drama does not let you down or fall short in that regard.


FINAL THOUGHTS:

Overall, I think the drama was “mid” for lack of a better word. The drama initially amused me, but halfway through it, I began to lose interest, and by the end with 2-4 remaining episodes, they completely lost me. The fluff and filler bored me, and I felt like with each episode I could predict what would happen next.

The writers present this drama as a meaningful present but when you open the wrapping it’s just a basic ass necklace that you’d probably never wear (iykyk) As the light hits the small jewels, they appear shiny, and eye-catching from a distance. However, up close, you start to discover all of its defects and how cheaply made it actually is. In reality, you would return it as soon as you had the chance, even though you would act as though you liked it at the time.

LR is not terrible, it’s just not my favorite. I think it’s 2010s formulaic, and if you've watched many dramas, this one will feel boring and predictable. Imo, a lot of other time travel / youth dramas do it better. I think I would’ve preferred an open or more realistic ending over a happy one. If you are a beginner kdrama watcher however, this is perfect to get into dramas as it is reminiscent of dramas of the past, with less toxicity and more romance of course.

Would I rewatch this? Probably not, because I think an edit could suffice instead. This drama is another example where I think the edits are far better than the drama itself. They capture the positive and leave away the negative aspects of the drama.

Sorry (not sorry) but this drama was clearly not for me. If you’re looking for fluffy romance and no plot, then what you see is what you get. Unfortunately, my standards were “too high” and I expected too much (sarcasm)

I feel bad as I haven’t loved a drama in a while as they tend to usually start off pretty well, then everything suddenly goes downhill & I’m left feeling dissatisfied/ disappointed by the end. This was the case with Lovely Runner but, EVERYONE CAN'T BE EXPECTED TO “LOVE” EVERYTHING!

Overall, I give this drama a 6/10 and it’s because this drama is just average ntm extremely forgettable to me.

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SIDENOTE:

My friend and I were at a crossroads because they "loved" the drama and I didn’t. You can imagine that I woke up to 80+ messages from them breaking down the drama for me, like I hadn’t already watched it? So don’t bother with the essays / rants. We’ll just have to agree to disagree because I won’t change my mind. Also, this is not me “raging” or trying to “hate” on LR as what is amazing to one might be a let down to another.

I will not be someone who pretends to love a drama just because it is labeled a “masterpiece” by others. I also believe that everyone is entitled to their own preferences.

Personally, I’m waiting for the next groundbreaking rom-com drama that will fill me up and make me feel everything and then some. So I have hope at least!

Anyway, don’t let my review discourage you. I say WATCH IT AND FORM YOUR OWN OPINION!

Also what I’ve said here is merely a fraction of what I actually think. I only highlighted what came to my mind 1st.

__________

It’s unbelievable the amount of backlash I received. For those unaware, I altered my rating (as one does) after reflecting on the drama + also reading several offensive comments and DMs. IMO, a 6/10 is decent / reasonable and honestly, I should rate it lower given all I’ve faced due to fans who can’t accept differing opinions. Ultimately, it’s never too late to stop and think before commenting hateful words.

If you happen to stumble across this review and perhaps read this review with your eyes closed and are here to start unnecessary drama (ie. leaving hate) I advise that you quit while you are ahead. Thank you! ʕ•ᴥ•ʔっ❀

Once again, this is just my point of view. I never intend to offend anyone who thinks differently.

Thanks for reading & happy watching!

˚ʚ♡ɞ˚

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I'm going to be that person.

Lemme give this drama the review it truly deserves...

I want to say that a good looking face is not what makes a drama good... If you think that the FL is annoying because she is badly written... then great! I agree. If you think she is "not good enough." for the so called perfect ML then please reply to me so we can fight... A metric ton of these reviews REEK of misogyny. I don't understand how people can continuously dunk on the FL while praising the ML to death. BOTH are shallow and underdeveloped and still continue to be as of the most recent episodes...

Anyways....

Going off of the summary I thought I'd be getting an intelligent melodrama that touches on the struggles of fame, parasocial relationships and the viciousness of depression... maybe a little commentary on living with disabilities (since Sol was not disabled in the original story) but since EP 3 It's turned into a generic rom com with ANOTHER serial killer subplot that comes out of nowhere and Sol's disability has become non-existent. Yay proper representation and social commentary!

I really dislike Sol's lack of regard for anyone aside from the ML... She doesn't care or pay attention to her grandma or mother. I could almost imagine a better drama having the female lead taking the time to slow down and enjoy the company of her grandmother before she gets dementia in the future. A subtle reminder to the audience to appreciate the people currently in their lives while they can. But because the female lead is only focused on the male lead we never see anything like this, Im Sol's family and friends are accessories or props that are never fleshed out enough to actually feel like any of them are real people. Im Sol's mom being sick is so dumb too because it doesn't really matter, it has no bearing on the story, and it's resolved in 10 mintues and Sol does not change her behavior at all after learning the news... Instead of humanizing the mother her sickness is used as a cheap accelerant, she gets sick so the writer has a reason to cause a misunderstanding between the leads and later justify how Sol gets kidnapped.

Also the writers have made Im Sol annoying, unserious and illogical when it comes to her "goal". On the other hand Ryu Sun Jae is a boring paper cutout who also never feels like a real person. His existence revolves around the FL, every action he takes is in response to her and her feelings and he never manages to develop a solid character of his own. Swimming was Ryu Sunjae's whole life but he got over not being able to do it anymore super quick? Why? because he likes Im Sol? Once again I could imagine a better show showing the ML struggling under the weight of possibly being a disappointment or just dealing with pressure at a very young age , which could have naturally led into exploring his depression.


I want to point out that Im Sol's love for the ML is understandable because we see hints of his personality in the 1st episode... He's a caring person who would say kind words to a stranger to give them hope.... he changes Im Sol's outlook on life and gives her the push she needs to live her life again despite her new disabilities. Her caring about and supporting him as a fan is not a toxic parasocial connection because we're shown how great of a guy he is, and THIS is what makes his suicide really hit hard.... But once you learn that he's liked her thats all that he becomes... all nuance is lost. Im Sol goes from relatable fan to goofy weirdo which is still So disappointing especially because we have no idea why the ML likes the FL?

Kim Taesung could have had an intresting side story about his family and his own form of depression that he uses acting out to deal with, but... it never happens... He's easliy the most compelling character but he too is overlooked and underutilized. Instead dumb jokes and gags are prioritized over what could have been a great story for the second male lead. Also theres this weird Exposition character that shows up pretty early on that hangs around him.... this man was only there so say the most obvious nonsense for the sake of the audience for like 2-3 episodes... The show presents him as if he is the 2nd ML'sbest friend but then he disappears Into thin air after just a couple episodes. That was so weird and unnecessary, how about you just show us what's going on instead of inventing a new character to tell us instead.... it's like the writer and director think we need our hands to be held to watch this stupid rom-com.

I can not stress enough that having Sunjae like Sol all of a sudden was a terrible idea. The extent of their past connection should have been him helping her in the accident that made her disabled. He should have fallen in love with her naturally while she took steps to save his life....
Her effort and care could have been rewarded with affection and loyalty in turn... Because you ALREADY know they like each other, theres no tension or excitement. I never laugh or cry...

I don't feel anything because nothing feels earned... I need more than pretty faces for a drama to be a 10/10. The amount of people who are saying this show is PERFECT makes me feel like I'm in the twilight zone. It's not as bad as More than Friends but this is not going to be a memorable masterpiece like last year's Twinkling Watermelon or My Dearest.

It's trying so hard to be Twinkling Watermelon without attempting to do any of the heavy lifting.

Fight me if you like, I know I'm right tho. 🎤⤵

Final thoughts: 3.5 ->4.0
Imma add half a point cuz I liked that Im Sol finally had a heart to heart with her Grandma, and Kim Tae Sung (who is in FACT the best character) had his own fufilling emotional moment with his Father. I also liked the actual proposal scene.

On the other hand I dont like that in ep 15 the ML lies to the FL so he can keep her in his house even though she wanted to leave... I hated that this show STILL couldn't put the gags away so the proposal could happen on time and the audience can get a proper wedding scene. The serial killer (who drives 95% of the conflict) was taken care of in such an unceremonious way in ep 15 and we STILL didn't get a wedding in the last episode. Hooray!





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Also as a note to that one person in the comments who believes that we should give out participation trophies to every single piece of media. Cuz nothing deserves less than a 5 >< LOL.

Lemme paint a picture.

Let's say your next door neighbor was a farmer. You see him toiling away in his Fields all day. You watch from the window, witnessing as he shovels something into his wagon. The farmer is sweating, but diligently working hard in shoveling. So you think "Wow, that man is so hard working." You find yourself being excited and finding out what he's been working on. Soon you see that the farmer is done with his shoveling and he has started making his way over to your home with his wagon....

You're surprised that he's coming to you but you're also delighted in finding out what he could be offering. So you wait by your door, the anticipation starting to get to you. Finally you hear a knock, and as you open your door you find the farmer standing there with his wheelbarrow full of manure. Dudes standing on ur porch with a wagon full of poop and then he procedes to dump it. Right onto your feet.

There you are standing in doo doo, that the farmer worked soooo hard to gather for you. He put his everything into gathering that brownie pile thats decorating your feet. Do you still tell the farmer good job even though you don't enjoy his work? And when you do and he continues to shovel manure onto you will you be happy then???

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