First and foremost, Lovely Runner is a rom-com. Meaning that if you came to watch some science fiction fantasy drama which is a stickler for rules of time travel, this drama isn't for you. [The title of my review is from a 2021 CDrama, which has a very similar plot, but with the laws of nature governing the whole thing.]

But, if you are looking out for a real wholesome one, Lovely Runner is just perfect for you. It's a well written, well-paced, romantic, comedic and heartwarmingly satisfying.

Im Sol, a wheelchair bound 34 year old woman, is an avid fan of Ryu Sun Jae, the lead singer of a boy band Eclipse.
It's not a simple relationship either – His words had inspired her to keep living on, and to add to that, he also had happened to go to the high school close to hers. In spite of her disadvantages that hinder her from applying for her dream job, she still maintains a cheerful demeanor.
However, her life takes a drastic turn when she finds out that the person who had encouraged her to live on had committed suicide. When she is stricken by grief, fate gives her another chance – Ryu Seon Jae’s watch, which she had bought for a hefty sum at an auction becomes a time machine and she hurtles to the year 2008.
Now, stuck in her high school self, Im Sol snatches the chance to befriend the teenage Ryu Seon Jae (whom she had ignored in her youth) and change his fate. This also meant that she has the chance to avoid the accident that crippled her and distort the future.
But, as she begins to change the past, she realizes that there are some things just can not be altered.


☆ The Plot + Romance:

Lovely Runner is nothing new in terms of plot. What I loved were the characters and the relationships between them. I think this is what most people loved about it and hence the drama's sky high ratings. I have mixed feelings about the “plot”, but as it's a rom-com, I'll try to overlook it.

Romance is a strong building block; yet at the beginning it's evident that Im Sol treated Sun Jae as her “idol” rather than a real person.

But, the transition to love and the absolute possibility of their relationship was genuine.
An Idol meeting a fan and falling in love?
In the case of LR, Im Sol and Sunjae were already neighbors and had met before, it was just that he was a person who passed by her life without ever influencing it ‘directly’.

It was both sad and comedic to see Im Sol attempt to rescue Sun Jae from his fate, particularly when she couldn't tell him anything about the future.
[This plot point got lost somewhere after EP10… or did it?]

Both Sun Jae and Im Sol were innocent people to begin with. Heck, even their friends and relatives are funny and nice people in general - hence, there is absolutely ‘NO’ additional drama.
Also, it was an added bonus to see a ML who was for once, not an all knowing God. Dude was legit dumb.

In Hyuk and Sun Jae’s bromance, Sun Jae and his father’s antics, Im Geum’s dreams, Sol and the relationship with her grandmother, mother, Tae Seong (the 2nd ML and my favorite character) and her best friend together were just heartwarming to watch.

I did feel that there was a distinct difference between the original timeline and the altered version where Sun Jae dies.
In the original timeline, it looked like the scriptwriter went with the way of the webtoon and had Sun Jae actually commit suicide. (It might be because of the way it was shot.) The other timeliness however, showed a stark difference from EP1 and followed the ‘thriller’ aspect.

I still feel a bit irked about a quote that never became a reality. But, hey, the drama was fulfilling.

☆ Also, this is one emotionally draining drama. Hats off to Kim Hye Yoon for managing to bring about both comedy and tears in a seamless manner. She had that Song Yi Ren kind of energy and was very flexible as a 34 year old grown woman stuck in the body of a teenager, which might've
become awkward had it been any other actress.

I had never heard about Bye Woon Seok, except in passing after the ‘Strong Girl’ drama but, oh dear. Both his comedic scenes as well as the emotional ones were spot on.
[One of my friends was contemplating whether to watch this or not after it aired, and another one advised her that it's ‘either death or villain’ when it comes to him.]

I'll definitely be checking out their future works. Even In Hyuk and Tae Seong had their moments.

☆ Soundtrack: KDramas rarely disappoint in this department. Every song went well with the scenes, but if I could listen to a song all by itself, then it would be ‘Monologue' by Jae Eon and ‘You & I’ by Eclipse.

It's been a long time since I watched a KDrama while on air. It reminded me of those times when they actually managed to grab my attention and continue watching them. I've been serial dropping KDramas a lot since the one hour runtime and emotional investment is much more than CDramas. This one is a surprise from 2024.
It reminded me strongly of ‘Legally Romance’ and ‘First Love Again’ both of which were memorable dramas I liked and had similarities to.

A solid 7.5 from me. I cut off points as I felt that something went ‘missing’ with the story after a couple of episodes. The characters were the only thing that kept me going. [Updated the score from 8.5 to 7.5 because I don't think I'll be revisiting this drama anytime soon. Perhaps I might change the rating if I rewatch it.]

Anyways, one thing I learnt from time travel dramas is that I'll be single for a very, very, very long time unless someone from some other parallel universe risks everything to travel through space and time to meet me.

All in all, it was a wonderful journey. I hope that both Im Sol and Sun Jae manage to meet each other in every universe, however slim the chance is. (And that Kim Tae Seong never changes.)