Reviews are obviously subjective, so please keep that in mind!

To get it out of the way: If I could I would give this an 11/10!

Now on the the review - when I say this drama reminds me of "the good old days" I mean that it brings back the feeling I had when I first started watching K-dramas. Everything felt new and exciting, from storytelling, to directing, to acting - it was just pure happiness to explore this new genre. And while there are still shows that get me excited, I've been pretty disappointed with romance and comedy dramas in the last few years (with a few exceptions).

Enter "Lovely Runner", a comedy/romance drama with an element of fantasy/sci-fi that swept me off my feet and carried me all the way to K-drama heaven. I don't remember the last time a K-drama had me this hyped for the next episode and waiting a whole week for the next one is literal torture. But at the same time I'm kinda happy I can't binge it, because I get to enjoy it that much longer.

I initally started this drama because I loved Byeon Woo-seok in Strong Girl Nam-soon and when I read he would be the male lead, I just had to watch Lovely Runner, even though I didn't have any expectations. However, by the end of the first episode I had gone from sad to happy to devastated to giggling and kicking my feet in the air, and with the twist at the end of episode 2 I knew this was gonna be one of my all-time favourite dramas.
The chemistry between Byeon Woo-seok and Kim Hye-yoon is "chef's kiss" (I definitely recommend watching the behind the scenes and their promotional interviews) and the rest of the cast is great too, even the second male lead is really lovable. The story does include more serious topics that might be difficult for some people but overall it's a refreshing romantic comedy with some unexpected twists that will keep you on the edge of your seat!

So if you have thought about watching it but aren't sure, I would strongly recommend you do yourself a favor and give it a try ;)