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A Masterpiece
I am very GRATEFUL that I actually wanted to start this drama, but little did I know that I will become very in love with it. I’ve watch 60+ dramas in my life and this is the first one that made me so so obsessed and in love with everything (cast, characters, story, OST, everything). I doubt that I’ll never feel this same way with other drama. Everything it’s perfect, and also the writer gave us all types of tropes of love.Pd: I rewatched it like 4 times and more, and still want to rewatch it again.
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This review may contain spoilers
EVERY TOUNGE RISE AGAINSE SOL AND HYEYOON WILL FALL.
Some of you watchers are very weird cause the storyline is honestly very easy to understand but i saw some of yall are actually being really ...- Saying Sol is lack of regard to other ppl cause she is too into Sunjae?? now let's ignore the fact that the series has 16 episodes, each with nearly 1 hour, also the fact that yall beloved Sunjae died. Sol actually saved her house from being on fire, leading to her mother getting burned in her hand. Sol care about her mother you can actually see that through Hyeyoon's outstanding acting when the mother was in the hospital. Sol spent her days with her family, going to the market with her mom, doing chores, helping her grandma, bickering with her brother, literally told him the lottery numbers so he and her best friend will be comfortable in the future... and more than that, she stayed friends and gave advice to Taesung. Her reason is savng Sunjae but she also had times with her loved family and friends. Moreover yall are hypocrite because when yall criticize Sol for neglecting her family, Sunjae did literally the same but guess what, it's somehow cute and for the comedy.
- Now move to the main plot of the show, saving Sunjae. yall just never get tired of hating and blaming Sol for everything she did cause when she tried her best saving the ml, all you care is "omg this hurt sunjae fvck sol". only care about the ml feelings but never put yourself in sol shoes cause Sol literally sacrifice her happiness just for him to be alive and yall still criticize her. She's happy yall will freaking scream saying how about Sunjae, she's desperated saving him yall will still blame her cause your fragile ml is sad. At the end of the day, yall just watch this show for the visual but not for the plot cause everything Sol did is so understandable and empathic.
- The reason why Sol did not use time stop or whatever it's called is literally so easy to understand but yall chose to be dumb. SHE CAME BACK TO SAVE SUNJAE AND IF SHE KEEPS PAUSING THE TIME, THE TAXI DRIVER WILL STILL BE FREE ROAMING AND HARM SOL IN THE PAST, LEADING TO SUNJAE SAVING SOL IN THE PAST AND SUNJAE WILL DIE IN THE FUTURE. So what's the point of coming back? Also everytime she screams for the time to stop, there's always a person to listen to her story. One scream to stop the time then keep screaming while running to escape the taxi drivers who has a fcking car to drive, with the panic she is having. Yeah let's get yall in that damn story to see if it's gonna freaking work.
- And about Kim Hyeyoon, i swear i will really raise hand if i see anyone downplaying her cause the muse of Im Sol, the Blue Dragon, Grand Bell, Baeksang awardee is not something to be joked about. Not to mention the male lead, and many actors in the show said SHE made them acting and expressing emotions better because SHE acted so well. Her acting skills, her acting range, her diction is praised by not only the crew but also film critics, experts. Pay some respect to her name.
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Perfect Timing is of great essence.....
Portia : How many things by season season’d are;To their right praise and true perfection!
( The Merchant of Venice by William Shakespeare)
Many things are better because they are perfectly timed, a similar theme is underlined in the drama as well as the reason for me to like this drama. Perhaps my fondness for this drama stems from the fact that I watched it when I was in a drama slump and nothing seemed to engage me as a viewer till this came along, riding on a white horse piercing through the fog of funk. I watched it after the full series had aired so was fortunate enough to binge watch all episodes and maybe that has coloured my judgement. For me, the drama is interesting when I immediately want to see the next episode as soon as I finish watching an episode and an invigorating drama is one that makes me stay awake sacrificing my precious sleep to watch just one more episode and then another and then another of the series...This drama ticked all of those boxes for me.
A modern-day fairytale with time travel thrown in along with certain elements of mystery. It is commonplace for many fans to be spellbound and adore an idol but when a good looking, talented star reciprocates the feeling of the fan passionately it becomes a story worthy to be narrated, very reminiscent of Prince Charming falling in love with a plain looking Cinderella. Such a situation is highly improbable and unrealistic hence it makes it alluring, a situation that most of us fantasize about.
So many time jumps and changing of people's fate in a single series, makes a person wonder whether the Time is really linear? The events that we see in the beginning of the series have a deeper connection to the past and as the story keeps unraveling past events and the changes in the past that affects the future, makes a person think about the age old question... whether the egg came first or the chicken? Everything becomes circular and all emotional connections are based on the new changes, but were those changes already in motion, even in the past? The time travel aspect has been attempted in many other fictional motion works too, so the concept is not innovative but the emotional entanglement of the characters makes it a gripping watch.
What makes this drama a good watch is the phenomenal chemistry between the lead actors, Byeon Woo Seok(Ryu Sun Jae) and Kim Hye Yoon (Im Sol). Both actors are able to make the audience believe in the characters' enduring, everlasting, never changing love that will withstand any hardship in life but will always remain steadfast; that is a remarkable feat. Making it an epic story of all consuming love that binds two people as soulmates who defy destiny to stay together.
Other than the main cast, all the support casts have also done a marvelous job. The relationship between Ryu Sun Jae and his father, the nurturing bond between all members of Im Sol's family and the friends of the lead actors including the second ML, Kim Tae Sung.... Together they make the story relatable and believable.
Many thought provoking scenarios are shown but in a humourous and light hearted manner so as not to become too preachy or melodramatic. Some of the references are:
1. A sudden life changing accident that impacts a person's health often leads to a period of depression and a person needs just a ray of encouragement to come out of the darkness and see the light, but often times it is difficult for health care workers or family to make that person see the ray of hope. The person needs to be reached on a level that will enable them to see the hope for themselves.
2. The struggle of a disabled person to find a regular job, Im Sol's job interview in the first episode highlights the issue, even though everywhere in the world emphasis on equal opportunity for everyone, without any prejudice but the ground reality is often a little different. Im Sol looking at the staircase of the place where she was rejected, assuring herself that she would have been selected for the job if not for the stairs.
3. Expectations that parents have from their children to perform well often pressurise them constantly to keep going on if they don't want to see the disappointment in their parents' eyes and keep their parents' dreams alive. This often leads to frustration when the children are unable to achieve the desired result and may turn them delinquent. Both Ryu Sun Jae and Kim Tae Sung to some degree faced this but due to the understanding and overwhelming support from people around them they were able to transform their lives in spite of the limitations.
4. Select a different career path if you fail in your first choice, you may be more successful in that path compared to the first one.
5. Alzheimer; Im Sol's grandmother is shown to suffer from age related dementia. It is jarring to see a caring, loving family member changing to a person who barely recognises dear people and loses connection with reality.
6. Juvenile star struck fans; The series briefly touches on the fact that many young people are influenced and become star struck, they are unable to differentiate the real person from the star persona created on social media and often become stalkers and a great nuisance to celebrity. Many times the behaviour of such fans led them and others into a dangerous situation.
7. Restrictive life of a star due to constant coverage on social media; Constant speculation and rumours amongst the fans related to personal and professional life of an idol/ actor.
8. Life choices; upon reaching a certain age, one often wonders if they should have made a different choice. A person who has dedicated their life solely on building a career, sacrificing their personal life and a person who has dedicated their life in raising their family sacrificing their career choices, often speculate if their life choices were worthy.(Im Sol's brother and sister-in-law/ friend)
The drama is replete with symbolisms but two symbolisms that I would like to discuss here are of bridge and water:
1.Bridge; The bridge is inherently symbolic of communication and union, represents our aspirations to connect and choices between two possibilities in our lives. When a person is standing at one end of the bridge the choice is between crossing the bridge or staying in the same place because the choices we make change our life for better or worse. The series also shows the protagonists meeting on a bridge multiple times during different timelines. The constant struggle that they face is to select an option that is life altering, is real and painful to watch.
2.Water; There are many themes and ideas attached to water in literature. Water may be explored as a symbol of rebirth, cleansing, washing, drinking, playing in and it may have religious meanings or background. The protagonists are often shown to fall in water when they experience a life changing event. I feel it is used in the series as a means of cleansing ritual and rebirth, a new beginning, a second chance.
Conclusion: A perfect watch for a rainy day, hoping to have SOMEONE in our life who will always have an umbrella ready to provide shelter and warmth when things go South.
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"Lovely Runner: A Drama That Surpassed All Expectations"
Almost every drama I've watched has disappointed me at some point. I start watching, thinking, "Oh, it's good," but then it lets me down. However, "Lovely Runner" is the type of drama that has never disappointed me! Most of its OSTs are my favorite so far. The cinematography, the cast, the story—I've never felt bored for a single second! I've never skipped any scene. I took at least 100 minutes to watch a one-hour episode. I've never felt like this while finishing a drama. I never thought I'd like it this much! I started watching it without any expectations, and it's my favorite drama now.Before this drama, I saw Byeon Woo-seok in "Strong Girl Nam-soon," but to be honest, I didn’t like him. I also didn’t like Kim Hye-yoon that much! So, I wasn’t interested in this drama at all. I started it out of monotony! But after watching this drama, I like them more than anyone else. They are my obsession now.I don't know how to express my thoughts. I have so many words to say, but it feels like I've lost all my words. Beat me, but "Lovely Runner" is the best drama this year.Was this review helpful to you?
Mesmerizing, emotional time travel drama
I’m adding my review because that’s one of the dramas that I have loved this year. English not being my maternal language, please accept the mistakes in this review.Describing "Lovely Runner" as a rom-com is simplistic : this is a romantic drama, using time travel to tell a love story spanning 5 timelines. Kind of a « variation on the same theme ».
So it allows the viewers to follow the same story, but at the same time, not the same story. Like a « what if » drama with the same characters. What if one turns left instead of right ? But at the same time, fate plays a part because no matter what the changes brought by the different decisions taken by the characters, they are always a victim of it.
Add a mix of mystery, thriller and boulevard comedy, and voila, you have "Lovely Runner".
So the mystery is how the time travel is possible. Not going to answer that one, viewers will discover the answer quite soon, but at the same time, the mystery remains as to why, even if it’s easy to guess if you follow the drama.
The thriller is the dangerous part of this drama, one that unfortunately, can strike everyone at anytime, anywhere, leaving broken characters. The two main characters are emotionally impacted by the consequences of the thriller part : depression, suicidal thoughts, loneliness, handicap (I admire how the FL overcame that one !)… That doesn’t make LR a depressing watch : the FL is one of those excentric characters, always on the move and always causing catastrophes and humiliating moments, mostly for her but sometimes also for the ML. It made the drama hilarious, at least for me.
That was the comedic boulevard part I mentioned, although it’s even more accentuated with the FL’s brother and sister-in-law : those characters are clearly portrayed as actors in a comedy on stage, or in sitcoms. Their facial expressions are exagerated. I suppose it’s a directing decision. So don’t expect them to be more serious characters. But they don’t have a too large part in the drama.
I found the actors to have chemistry and to fully embrace the story, with all the twists and turns it brought. Kim Hye Yoon portrays in a wonderful way the FL, radiating warmth and « joie de vivre », despite everything and her impulsiveness. That's part of her charm.
The ML is more reserved, and so easily… enthralled by the FL, because she is so different from him, embracing life, always running right and left (hence the title). I was surprised at how easily Byeon Woo Seok's played the role of a fool in love. But I guess that’s because I had seen him in more serious roles before. Here, he doesn't hesitate to appear weak or an idiot to his entourage, leading to some funny scenes.
I was sad to see this drama end, because I had grown attached to it. I had watched it twice so far and I will rewatch it in the future. I will recommand to watch it in a few days, to enjoy it and to brainstorm about what could happen in the next episodes : it’s always fun to think about theories when watching a drama.
Plus, the OST is magnificent.
"Lovely Runner" was a huge success in South Korea despite the fact that the drama wasn’t heavily promoted and the success a surprise one ; and also a success with international audience judging by the well deserved rating on MDL.
To end this review, I would say that "Lovely Runner" is a succesful mix of different genres and I wouldn’t put it in the rom-com section because that would be misleading to compare it to a rom-com like « Business Proposal » (I loved that one, and it had a little of boulevard comedy in it).
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Unbeliebubble and Amazing Leads with an Isekai Twist!
Story:The drama is based from a manhwa called best of tomorrow! The drama is well written with the perfect balance and ingredients of romance, comedy, suspense and a bit of a twist. True to the manhwa, our main lead accidentally isekai'ed to the past and given an opportunity to work on changing fate. Filled with lovveable characters and heartwarming romance. I love the fact that they've given more depth on our female lead and showed us the reason why she truly became a fan. The drama has also showed us the male lead's POV and its truly a gem to watch and see how their story unfolds.
Cast
As Im Sol's words, UNBELIEBUBBLE! HAHA! The chemistry from the two main leads down to the supporting cast is truly awesome! My screen was on FIRE from the chemistry of the main leads. The characters navigate the past and young love, pure and intense is both entertaining and suspenseful. Reminiscent of the olden day.My heart kept thumping and made it beat like how I've fallen in love for the first time. I love that the characters remain true to their little quirks and personalities. Example is that when Sun Jae woud like to hide, he always uses the blanket, how he is always a go getter from trying to pursue to act, or win a mobile device, to be with her in one room or act on his feelings when his older.Their dynamic is so n'sync and that I felt I truly live in their world!
Music
Is 10/10. It encapsulated the drama's pacing, funny and unforgetable moments. I have the songs as a favourite in my playlist.
Rewatch value
This is worth a rewatch and I've recommended this to my friends. I've watching it for the 2nd time this weekend! Truly a gem!
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I’M LOVING EVERY SECOND OF THIS
I don’t want this drama to end ??? I’m loving every second of every episode, I can’t get enough of them ?? I pray for a happy ending, they both deserve it!!! acting is incredible and their chemistry is insane!! I don’t know what I’m gonna do with my life after this kdrama ends, I might as well watch it all over again forever and never get tired of it! it’s perfect in every way and byeon wooseok’s voice??!! please, let’s talk about it!! he’s even an amazing singer, can he get more perfect than that??? ??Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
favourite kdrama!
This drama hurted my head stomach and heart in a good way, sunjae loved her in all timelines and he knew her from the FIRST EPISODE but she forgot but anyway i wont spoil anymore.Sunjae really raised my standards extremely high in men and i wont settle for less.
I feel really bad for tae sung though he is so cute why do all second leads are so good.
Anyways this is amazing and i play sonagi on repeat so, what are you waiting for? Go watch it!
also ignore the negative reviews it's a famous kdrama what do you expect? just go watch it yourself.
(also i watch kdramas and everything on a free website called cinego go check it out)
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A Charming Timeless Romance that will leave you wanting one of your own
After watching Strong Woman Namsoon, I needed to see more of Wooseok because I loved his portrayal of his villainous character, Ryu Shi Oh. His character was so charming and his acting was the saving grace that saved the whole show for me. Naturally, I went through his filmography to see what other dramas there were but realized he was never THE male lead, but he had Lovely Runner (I think it was titled Run Away with Sunjae then). I say all that to say that this was my most ANTICIPATED drama of 2024. Needless to say, the expectations I had for this were through the roof!Did it meet my standards? ABSOLUTELY!! It completely blew away all my expectations and surpassed them. It is the best time travel drama I have seen, top 3 K-Dramas & top 5 Asian dramas ever!! Let me break it down!
STORY:
Im Sol, an aspiring film director and a stan of her K-pop idol Ryu Sunjae, finds out he died and it was apparently via suicide. Through one of her personal memorabilia (Sunjae's watch she bought in an auction), she can travel back in time to attempt to change his fate and she has only a certain amount of times she can go back in time. As she is trying to save her favorite's life, she eventually learns she has to deal with an unlucky and tragic part of the original timeline that she did not know about before.
ACTING/CAST:
PHENOMENAL CASTING + ACTING!
First, I will talk about the leads. Wooseok as Sunjae is genius casting & I could not see anyone else playing him. I loved watching all the different sides of him: the comedic side, the emotional side & the serious side if he has to be. As for Kim Hye Yoon, we know what she brings to the table with her acting and she did not disappoint. I do feel as though her acting helps to elevate all of her co-stars & brings out the best in them & that is why these two are a match made in heaven. Wooseok is always looking to improve himself & she has the tools to do so. Their romance is one for the books & it took me through a rollercoaster ride emotionally, but it had its funny moments too that perfectly balance it out. I ADORE the way they looked at one another & the chemistry along with those kissing scenes were so top-tier. One of my favorite K-Drama couples!
Now for the supporting cast! A good supporting cast can take a drama to another level & make it feel like it is not dragging without seeing the main characters! For the most part, I appreciated them & they made for HILARIOUS moments!
First up are the MVPs of the drama: Song Geon Hee as Kim Tae Sung & our N.Flying leader Lee Seung Hyub as Baek In Hyuk. At first, I was not sure how to feel about Taesung because I am a ML type of gal & I have no room for 2MLs in my heart, but I am appreciative of how he stood by our FL side and is supportive of her relationship with our Sunjae! He is probably the best 2ML in K-Drama history because he helps the leads TREMENDOUSLY to achieve the lives they want! You have my thanks, Taesung! Now for Inhyuk, he was THE comedic relief outside of Sunjae and I love his friendship with SJ and the advice he has to continuously give him because SJ is so clueless.
Shoutout to Im Sol's grandma... you made everything possible & Sol's mom & Sunjae's dad added their charming humor. Although Im's best friend & brother had their funny moments. there were times I felt as though they were taking up screen time in almost every timeline, but thankfully they toned it down a bit in the last timeline.
MUSIC: Lovely Runner OST has been on repeat ever since all the part one songs came out. I get intense goosebumps when I start listening & remember all the scenes the song plays in. Since there are 15 songs, I will list my top 5: Sudden Shower, A Day, I Think I Did, Run Run & Star (HONORABLE MENTION: Spring Snow). But, ALL the songs are good!!!!!!!!! It puts you in such a good mood!
RE-WATCH VALUE: 10/10 I was re-watching every episode every week to prepare for the next episodes because the wait for the episodes was literal torture. I have not felt this obsessive about a K-Drama in a while. I love that I have another comfort K-drama to add to my list: DoTS, W: Two Worlds, WFKBJ, Shooting Stars & LoTBS
OVERALL: A wholesome drama that will fill you with overwhelming happiness & leave you feeling satisfied. This drama came to me in a time when I was not in the greatest of places so I do feel more emotionally attached to it than others. If you love romantic comedy with a dash of overcoming tragedy, this is for you. If you are not a romance fan, give it 2-4 episodes and if you do not like it by episode 4, then maybe it is not for & that is okay. Move on. You do not have to finish everything you start.
ANYWAYS, WATCH THIS DRAMA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It has a special place in my heart because of the beautiful love story between Sunjae + Sol. It was an emotional yet fun ride. I will never forget Soljae & the supporting cast because everyone played their part so perfectly!!! I loved that Wooseokie got the popularity he deserved with this drama! I am so happy for the success of this drama, especially for the leads who worked so hard over the years. I am looking forward to their next drama & the many re-watches I will be giving this drama!
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Some stories do manage that suspension of disbelief just a bit more smoothly than others. And Lovely Runners seem to be able to introduce us to the logics of their little fluffy, rom-com universe quite seamlessly and therefor making the more unbelievable moments feel both earnest and earned enough that is just might work. Or you are willing to forgive it despite how much of a fan fiction this story feels like it is.
The drama has a tendency to use excessive amount of tropes in it's storytelling, like the clumsy heroine, noble idiocy, miscommunication and so forth. The amount of times the two leads fell into each other arms was way to excessive to become endearing after a certain point. It also does have a tendency to drag out the plot and the twists on a bit too long as we get further into the story resulting in some pacing issues.
Towards the end the story, the convoluted timelines and the murder mystery subplot does becomes more of a burden to the drama, causing it to lose some momentum - I feel like episode one and until around 10 is this dramas sweet spot. Things just seem to be happening to the characters without too much depth but the character have such a good emotional core within them, despite me wanting a bit more development from them as the timelines become more messy and annoyed as things are just happening to keep the plot going, no matter what you are rooting for them to get together in the end.
The actors certainly add more spunk and feelings into these characters than they have on paper and really sell the earnest of the story and keep you coming back for more. It's a fluff, it's tropy, but it's fun and bubbly and compelling enough and you never really get the sense that the drama is trying too hard to be something more than it is. It's a breezy, cute watch with very likeable leads and characters that you enjoy spending times with despite it's flaws - I just wish we could have gotten more scenes with the second male lead.
The drama manages to blending humor and cliché with heartfelt moments and I do think the drama does a good job making you feel very at home in it's world and therefor invested in it and so light and airy that you just enjoy these moments with the characters. The drama creates a narrative that is light-hearted yet earnest, as it finds the most absurd situations and gives the characters enough stakes that you want to cheer them on and make sure that they finally get their happy ever after.
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I'M IN LOVE WITH THIS ONE.
I just finished it and i am already missing them. I loved the pair Byeon Woo Seok and Kim Hye Yoon. Byeon Woo Seok was adorable in this one he reminded me of Han Seo Jun (From True Beauty) Anyone who's planning to watch it please watch it asap, believe me you won't regret it. The chemistry, ost, cast, story everything was just perfect. I personally loved Lovely Runner. I would recommend this to every kdrama fan out there who's wanting to watch a cute, goofy love story. Idk why people call it boring, i absolutely loved it.Was this review helpful to you?
