It’s finally here! For those who have been eagerly waiting for the romantic comedy “Lovely Runner,” the wait is over at last! Ever since the announcement of this new show, the anticipation for it has been on the rise, and it didn’t disappoint. There are definitely many things to love from this K-drama, from the fantastically casted actors, to the solid plot from the beginning. Here are a few things that we loved the most and some things we didn’t especially like from the first two episodes.
Warning: spoilers for episodes 1-2 below!
LOVED: The endearing and emotionally realistic plot
The story follows the female lead Im Sol (Kim Hye Yoon), who gets bedridden and loses all hope in life after an accident, that is, until she meets by chance the lead singer from the new boy group “Eclipse,” Ryu Sun Jae (Byun Woo Seok). He gives her the exact words of encouragement which help her to overcome her struggles. Fast-forward to several years later, we see a much recovered Im Sol, who turns into a positive and thriving woman, always eager to support her ultimate bias, Ryu Sun Jae.
Right from the start, “Lovely Runner” shows a very emotional setting, since we see two polar opposites in the main couple: Im Sol, who seems to be at her worst moment in life, and Ryu Sun Jae, who is at the start of a promising career, despite both being the same age. Later on, we will find out that their lives are more intertwined than it is initially shown. Furthermore, the show depicts how important the right support is when you need it the most, which is exactly what Im Sol will try to do for Sun Jae in order to prevent his tragic death when she finds herself back in 2008.
LOVED: Kim Hye Yoon and Byeon Woo Seok’s wide acting range
One thing you can count on when it comes to Kim Hye Yoon is that you can be laughing out loud with her hilarious scenes in one moment, just to be bawling your eyes out the next with her heart-wrenching moments. Her ability to portray deep emotional scenes without missing the chance to make you laugh is exactly what a character like Im Sol needs to be. This is especially true since she suddenly finds herself in the past, right before her accident (which left her impaired) and with the chance to save the life of her beloved Ryu Sun Jae.
On the other hand, Byeon Woo Seok has the opportunity to once again strike everyone not only with his dashing good looks, but also with his acting abilities to give us that sweet, tender, and emotionally complicated male lead that is Ryu Sun Jae. Though there is still much to discover about him and his inner thoughts, it looks like he will make many swoon with his charm as well as shed some tears in the near future.
LOVED: The representation and the struggles
Though we mostly see this in the first episode, the diversity represented in the show is well portrayed. Despite not being the first drama that has a disabled female lead, it shows her life in quite a natural way and also depicts the struggles Im Sol often faces such as the lack of job opportunities or the difficulties in her transportation. However, this does not mean she feels any less than other people, and it looks like she is quite at peace with her circumstances, something that also speaks a lot about her personality.
On the other hand, there is Ryu Sun Jae, and although he doesn’t have any physical disability, he suffers from depression, which makes it hard for him to exercise his job as a singer. It’s also pushing him to an early retirement, which of course not so many people, not even his band members, understand. Addressing depression is a great way to encourage people to talk about their mental health as well as to reach out for help in case they need it.
LOVED: The hilarious yet sweet exchange between the leads
As mentioned before, this drama has a lot of heavy topics and emotional background, but the funny and heart-fluttering parts aren’t left out, as the main leads bring it to the screen quite naturally. In episode one, they give us a scene that every fan has ever dreamt of, to meet and be rescued by your favorite idol. Later on in the past, when Im Sol appears before him and starts to cry, claiming to love him, Ryu Sun Jae seems naturally drawn to her. He makes every scene look charming and easygoing, despite his initial confusion.
All in all, this pair not only complements each other with their acting skills, but they also bring into the equation a great chemistry that hopefully will be enhanced in the upcoming episodes, filling their story with fun, excitement, and a lot of romance. The cherry on top is that as we get to see by the end of episode two, their relationship is not entirely like that of a normal fan and a celebrity, since Ryu Sun Jae is actually the one who fell first and fell harder for Im Sol. But just as predictable, she is not aware of this fact just yet.
HATED: The interfering second male lead subplot
Now for the things that are not so pleasing about this K-drama. Although there’s not much to complain about, this time the second male lead is a rather unwelcome surprise. For the most part, Kim Tae Sung (Song Geon Hee) seems like your typical troublemaker who deep down inside only wishes to be loved and understood by his family and those around him. And although the first thing he does when meeting Im Sol again is getting her into trouble, it looks like he easily grows to like her, or is at least amused by her.
Being Im Sol’s former crush, he shows a very confident and slightly conceited attitude towards her, a character who is polar opposite to the sweet and somehow shy Ryu Sun Jae. Though having a second male lead isn’t necessarily something to hate on and sometimes everybody suffers from the second lead syndrome, one can only hope that he doesn’t represent a true conflict between the leads. Hopefully he becomes a true friend and ally to Im Sol in the future instead.
HATED: The confusing time-slip format
Time travel can be dangerous and bring disastrous consequences for the people involved, which is why it makes sense that in this time-slip K-drama, Im Sol is unable to talk about the fact that she comes from the future and that she is trying to prevent Ryu Sun Jae from dying. However, this only makes it more frustrating and sad not only for her, but for all the people watching, as the show hints that no matter what she does, whatever is bound to happen will happen in the end.
Whatever the reason, she is back to the past for now, and despite seeing that time is quite literally against her, she won’t cease her efforts to save the person she truly loves, the one who gave her a reason to continue on living. So far, this K-drama has all the potential to become one of the best ones out of the first half of 2024. Let’s hope that the cast and crew continue on the good work to bring into life the enchanting story of “Lovely Runner”!
Start watching “Lovely Runner” below:
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Andy zar is an avid drama watcher, from K-dramas to C-dramas, she believes any weekend is a good weekend to enjoy 12 hours of binge-watching dramas. She loves romance, web comics, and K-pop. Her favorite groups are EXO, TWICE, and BOL4.
Currently watching: “Lovely Runner”
Plans to watch: “Queen Of Tears”