A DRAMA THAT HAS BECOME AND WILL ALWAYS BE A PART OF MY LIFE.
Even after years have passed, memories of waiting ever since the official announcement, watching it in real-time, and seeing soljae's story unfold as they fight against their ill-fated destiny over and over again until they get the happy ending they deserve. I will be forever grateful to the cast and crew the whole team behind this masterpiece. They genuinely made me happy for the past 2 months. Finally I have something I can go back to and watch whenever life gets hard.Was this review helpful to you?
The best OTP
I have been watching kdramas since 2015 and for a while I was in a Kdrama slump but this is one of the dramas that took me back from that slump. I didnt pay attention much to Byeon Woo Seok before since I only saw a few of his work, and I am just glad that he got casted for this. He nailed his character so well and his character is literally is a green forest. I am so glad he's getting the shine he deserves.Kim Hye Yoon , my girl, I already know she's gonna kill the role. Her chemistry with her male leads are always on point!! People are all head over heels for Byeon Woo Seok, but she brought the drama to life as well!
The way they just love each other and are willing to sacrifice themselves ugh!! Their acting is just so beautiful, it wouldn't have the same impact if they casted diff actors for this. I just find myself kicking my feet cause of all the romcom moments. They really did well with the writing and cinematography.
There were moments that I was already so done with the plot because it kept repeating and just hurting my feelings but its all worth it.
Lets not even get started with the freaking OST that has been on repeat and makes me want a sunjae for myself that would put a yellow umbrella over me ?
I dont know how Ill move on from this drama but I do hope they get to work again in the future, though its rare.
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This review may contain spoilers
A classic: Perhaps the greatest romance drama ever
If you read the plot synopsis you'd think there's nothing new or revolutionary about this plot. And you'd be right. "Time Slip" genre has been done to death in not just Korean Dramas but Asian Dramas in general. Just last year we had three Time Slip dramas, and those are just the ones I watched. The writer has written the story of Lovely Runner in such a beautiful way that these overused tropes feel so fresh. Each episode ends on such a high that all you think about is this drama, while waiting for the next one to come out, so much so that your life will be consumed by it (I really envy people who are going to binge watch this). The ending of Ep 2 is a particular favorite of mine, where the writer spins the narrative on its head and that is the moment where I knew I was in for something special. And there was no looking back after and there was not one episode until the end where I was not captivated by the storytelling. The writer has a unique take on "Time Slip" where the main female character Im Sol is able to travel back and forth between past and the present. The only catch is, she has limited tries and there are some rules she must not break while she is in the past. This raises the stakes of the story and also keeps the narrative interesting.Im Sol and Ryu Sunjae are the heart and soul of this beautiful story. Kim Hye Yoon who plays Im Sol and Byeon Woo Seok who plays Ryu Sunjae give career defining performances. I have seen Kim Hye Yoon before in "Sky Castle" and "Extraordinary You", and I always thought she was a good actress, but with Lovely Runner she has become one of my favorite drama actresses. This is my first drama with Byeon Woo Seok and what an actor he is! He deserves all the praise that is coming his way for playing Sunjae. Im Sol and Ryu Sunjae are some of the best written main characters in kdrama history and Kim Hye Yoon and Byeon Woo Seok elevate those characters to a whole another level. The supporting characters were all great, especially the SML, Kim Tae Sung who is a breath of fresh air among second leads in kdramas. Never once does he force his feelings on Im Sol and was such a ray of sunshine throughout. I adored his bond with Sunjae and Sol.
Lovely Runner gives us a romance story for the ages spanning multiple decades. Im Sol challenging fate and destiny, failing multiple times along the way trying to save her love Ryu Sunjae. Their story will make you cry multiple times, but you'll also smile like crazy watching them being in love with each other. Unlike other romance dramas which run out of steam in Ep 10, this one just keeps getting better as it takes you through a roller coaster of emotions. And unlike most dramas the payoff at the end is so satisfying to watch. This is one of the rare dramas which gives you a very satisfying ending, an amazing payoff to Sol and Sunjae's love story.
Music is also an important part of the story with Sunjae headlining a famous band called "Eclipse". It is very well incorporated into the story and the songs are all top tier. Half of the songs are sung by Byeon Woo Seok himself, which is such a nice touch. No wonder these songs are so popular in Korea right now.
Dramas like Lovely Runner only come around once every few years. A drama that will captivate you through its storytelling and acting and production. This drama was not at the top of anyone's "Plan to Watch" list before it came out heck even the channel was expecting it to flop but through its sheer excellence it became the raging Hit that it is. Lovely Runner is a masterpiece and one of the best dramas I have ever seen. I am putting it in the same category as "Reply 1988" and "Twenty Five Twenty One" as my all time favorite dramas.
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LITERALLY PERFECT!
This drama is one of my top 5 kdramas. I really love the whole cast, the production, the storyline and the perfect ending. True to its genre "ROMCOM". Indeed, LOVE CONQUERS ALL! I will definitely watch this again and again. Much love to the people who made this show possible. You did a great job and you will always be in my heart.Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
"Memories don't disappear, they're all smeared into one's soul"
"Memories don't disappear, they're all smeared into one's soul, the brain may forget, but one soul's been keeping every piece of it" - Im Sol's HalmoniThe above quote perfectly describes what this drama is about. What started as saving one's life ended up being created memories with that special person. Those memories will always be there in one's soul, trying to find its way back no matter what.
Although the 2 episodes before the final 2 episodes felt like a slow progress, this drama was written pretty well overall. I love how this writer always included events that happen in a previously timeline back to the current timeline. The development of Im Sol's feelings to Sun Jae from being a fan wanting to save him, to wanting to save him because of her love for him.
The only repetitive part that I found in this drama was Sol keeping pushing away or avoiding Sun Jae (during college and then Eps 13-14). I get why she did that but still, I'm not a fan of those kind of tropes as I prefer the leads just communicating with each other and not hide anything from each other. Still, it was great seeing Im Sol's love for Sun Jae grow each time she travels back in time and Sun Jae getting chance after chance to be with Im Sol since his love for her never changed.
A huge amount of comedy between the main characters and their friends. Even when the preview for each week shows seriousness, there's so much more laughter that occurs in me when watching each episode and a lot of romantic and cute scenes between the leads.
THIS DRAMA IS THE DEFINITION OF A ROMANTIC COMEDY!
Even though there was a killer/kidnapper in this drama, I'm glad the writers stuck with the idea of keeping his screentime at a minimum towards the very end. It would've been okay to find out his motive but at the same time, since they barely showed him, I'm glad they got rid of him quickly as well.
The whole cast was awesome! From the best friends to the parents. Great acting! I like almost every character in this drama, and I find that as a rarity in dramas.
The ending was great. Although I kind of wish there was a wedding at the end, I'm glad we got a glimpse of what their wedding look like as our leads both saw their future together. At least they ended it with a proposal. I'm satisfied.
We're about halfway through 2024 as I'm writing this, and I haven't found any k-dramas that I would consider rewatching again, but this one definitely makes the list.
THIS IS MY FIRST FAVORITE KOREAN DRAMA OF 2024
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My New Favorite Romance Drama
This drama has to be one of the best kdramas ever. Originally, didn’t have any expectations for this, as I only started watching after seeing Byeon Wooseok was starring in it because I really enjoyed him in the movie 20th Century Girl. I also saw teaser videos online so I was intrigued. Right off the bat, I was hooked within the first episode and immediately fell in love with Kim Hyeyoon. Each episode kept getting better and better and I was always extremely excited whenever an episode aired. This drama has literally everything including romance, comedy, angst, melodramatic, and a bit of thriller. The story between Sunjae and Sol was also so precious and I loved each of their character dynamics. Kim Hyeyoons acting was phenomenal and was the perfect fit for Sol. This drama really made my Mondays and Tuesdays less gloomy and was so worth the watch. I hope to see more of the leading actors works soon!Was this review helpful to you?
A lovely drama that keeps me hooked all the time!!
Actually at 1st I didn’t plan to watch this drama. Personally I don’t like drama with characters portraying idol. However, this drama is exceptionally beautiful n really out of my expectations. My sister who watched it 1st but later is me who fall harder. Everything about this drama the characters, storyline & OST is soooo GOOD. You will not get bored in each episode. There were no evil characters. Every character shine their own way. There were no other characters cuter than our SJ. His unconditional love to IS (Same goes to IS). SJ was so lovely n cute in all the scenes n exceptionally handsome on the last episode makes my heart fluttering nonstop. ???One of the BEST DRAMA EVER!! ?????
p/s: Thanks to my little sister who unintentionally bring me to this lovely drama.
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ASSISTAM LOVELY RUNNER!!!!!
O que falar de lovely runner!???eu comecei esse Dorama normalmente sem muitas espectativas não havia visto nada sobre.
quando vi o elenco já fiquei animada e já no primeiro episódio o Dorama me prendeu completamente, chorei muito, ri muito, fiquei muito ansiosa pelos episódios, fiz muitas teorias, foi uma experiência assitir esse dorama, não são todos que nós proporcionam isso, FINALMENTE UM FINAL FELIZ PRO MEU BYEON WOO SEOK!!!!!! eu estou tão feliz com isso vocês não tem noção! é isso assistam
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SUN JAE RAISING OUR STANDARDS ONCE AGAIN!
A truly beautiful story where love is timeless. No matter how much both try to forget each other through time travel or to save one another, they will end up falling in love because that's what their fate or destiny is. Byeon woo seok, I dont know where he has been all this time, but he is such an outstanding actor. It was really a comfort drama which made me go through an literal emotional rollercoaster every monday and tuesday. Indeed it was a bit frustating and exhausting to see them time traveling several times and thereafter situations getting complicated, but that's what made the last episode more satisfying and thrilling. As much as it made me cry, it also made me laugh hilariously because of their comedy. A true love story indeed!Was this review helpful to you?
775 / 5 000
I have to admit that I was worried about this series. That's because I didn't know what to expect from Kim Hye-Yoon. I saw her in Snowdrop, so I didn't know how her role would fit here in this series. Concerns were removed very quickly. The series looks good. The plot is fluid, tense, funny, entertaining but also serious and sad. The theme of time travel is not new, but the creators handled it well. The story has its own mystery and nice processing. But I have to admit that she was nervous about the last part, and I was waiting to see if there would be some twist at the end. And yes, Byeon Woo-seok charms many a woman's heart. You can also find his singing performances on Spotify under the name of the fictional serial group Eclipse:-D. And singer 10CM also released a great OST song - Spring snow.
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Miglior kdrama 2023/2024
Sto amando questo drama, sono al 6 episodio e per ora la storia è avvincente, diversa dal solito e con continui colpi di scena. Merita tanto! Era da molto che non trovavo un drama fatto cosi bene, ogni episodio è perfetto infatti a distanza di minuti riesci a ridere/commuovertiTratta inoltre un tema molto importante al giorno d'oggi: la depressione/salute mentale, e devo dire al momento questo tema è trattato in modo "leggero" ma con tanti significati sottostanti
Lo consiglio a chiunque, soprattutto a chi non sta passando un bel periodo ❤️
Aggiornamento: sono al 10 episodio, ed è sempre meglio ?
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This review may contain spoilers
"I'm thankful that you exist in this world"
Beautiful, Captivating & Chemistry - These are the words I would use to describe this drama. This time-traveling romance masterfully explores the concept of fate, setting it apart with its exceptional execution. The story transforms a complex narrative into a compelling reality, making the extraordinary feel profoundly real.I absolutely adore this drama - everything about it captivated me every Monday and Tuesday without fail. I was eager to keep watching each week. Every episode left me with a flurry of emotions: it tackled difficult topics such as grief, love and growing up. The one thing that I loved the most about this drama was the realism; it portrayed the difficulties of life and love as well as the difficulties of losing the one you love to keep them safe. All around: this drama was incredible.
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