What Went Wrong with Lovely Runner: A Critical Take on This Time-Travel Drama

The Drama That Gave Us Love, Time Travel, and More Poor Decisions Than We Can Count

Tv Drama Name: 선재 업고 튀어 (Run Away With Sun-jae on Piggyback)

Where to watch: Rakuten Viki ← *Click for direct link*

Average Rating: 9.0/10 (MyDramaList)

My Rating: 5.0/10

One sentence description: The Tale of a Time-Traveling Fangirl, a Doomed Idol, and a Villain Who Just Wouldn’t Quit—  With a Side of Plot Holes, a Watch, and One Very Desperate Man in Love

Trailer:

Disclaimer: This review is 100% my opinion — I’m not here to hate, just to share my thoughts! Also, SPOILERS AHEAD, so proceed with caution if you haven’t watched yet. Watch it, come back and let’s see if you agree. Let’s keep the discussion respectful and fun! 💕

WARNING: I hope you’ve already seen this show and know what the deal is. But in case you don’t, I felt like I should add in a little warning. This show has mentions of suicide and slight mentions of mental health struggles. And since this is a review, I do also talk about this (in relation to the show only). Please be aware of that before you continue and be mindful of it. Stay safe ❤️

Simple Description

Lovely Runner follows Im Sol, a devoted fan who travels back in time to save her favourite idol,  only to become the reason he keeps dying.

⚠️Length Note: This post includes a detailed (and long) story breakdown. Want to skip straight to the review? Jump to the Review

The show opens in 2008, with Im Sol, a young girl, lying in a hospital bed. Her mother, busy clipping her toenails, accidentally cuts too short, causing it to bleed—  a mishap that Im Sol barely seems to notice. Panicking slightly, her mother drops a glass vase and rushes off to clean up the mess. Left alone, Im Sol picks up a shard of glass and hides it, a silent yet telling moment.

Meanwhile, a boy group called Eclipse is on their way to a radio show. During the show, they play a game where they call random numbers to see if they’re famous enough to be recognised. Ryu Sun Jae,  a group member , dials a number and ends up calling Im Sol. Annoyed, she picks up, clearly not knowing or caring who they are. To thank her for participating, they offer her running shoes. Here’s the twist:  she’s paralyzed, and their well-meaning gesture only fuels her anger. Attempting to recover, they offer her an indoor exercise bike instead, but things go from bad to worse when she expresses her frustration about not being able to walk.

In a deeply intense moment, she vents about how not everyone finds the good weather a reason to live, turning what was supposed to be lighthearted into something incredibly raw and profound. Before the host can apologise for the awkwardness, Sun Jae thanks her for simply being alive, urging her to keep going for the good days and the people who love her. In that moment, a one-sided love is born.

Fast forward to December 2022. Im Sol is now a devoted Eclipse fan, especially obsessed with Sun Jae, and she’s pumped for their concert that night.

After a disastrous day, a rejected job interview, a lost ticket and a missed concert, Im Sol stays positive and sings along from the outside of the concert hall before heading home. Inside, tensions run high. Sun Jae argues with a bandmate about leaving the band—  things aren’t looking good. On her way home, out on the street, Im Sol’s wheelchair dies, leaving her stranded on a bridge. Just her luck, Sun Jae spots her and offers a ride. But before she can say yes, her friend Lee Hyun Joo swoops in with a ride instead. Talk about bad timing. A classic fan-meets-idol interaction ensues before she departs, ecstatic from the encounter.

Back home, Im Sol is glowing. She even asks her mom about the accident that left her paralyzed  as if  finally wanting to thank the man who saved her, despite hating him for years. Her mom gives a vague answer. Im Sol heads to her room, replaying the night in her head, still giddy. Everything seems good until the scene switches. Sun Jae is alone in his room and he doesn’t look good. We cut to a shot of pills and then he jumps from his balcony into the pool and dies.

Im Sol finds out soon after. Distraught, she grabs Sun Jae’s old watch and rushes out. She drops it into the river and, desperate, falls out of her wheelchair trying to retrieve it. She gets the watch back, but it’s too late , he’s gone. We learn he had been quietly battling depression. The watch begins to glow right as Sun Jae is pronounced dead. Then , all of a sudden,  time freezes and her soul is sent back to 2008. She wakes up and is unaware she has traveled through time. (she’s not paralysed at this point)

Driven by emotion, Im Sol rushes off to find Sun Jae. Upon finding him swimming, without thinking, she hugs him and confesses her love. Keep in mind they’re total strangers at this point. Soon after realising she’s been granted a second chance, she vows to rewrite his fate.

Im Sol quickly adjusts to her life in 2008, she meets her 19-year-old self’s crush, Kim Tae Sung, a stereotypical bad boy in a boy band. She confronts him about his rebellious behaviour and smoking, delivering a stern lecture before they part ways.

Later, Im Sol notices a swimming competition banner and recalls that Sun Jae’s career as a swimmer ended during that competition due to an injury. Determined to change his fate, she embarks on a mission to stop him from swimming. But there’s a catch,  every time she tries to reveal future events, time freezes, stopping her mid-sentence. It becomes clear that meddling with the timeline too directly is off-limits.

As the story unfolds, we discover that Sun Jae had undergone shoulder surgery and needed to take it easy, foreshadowing how his swimming career would eventually end. Im Sol persists in her attempts to deter him, but her efforts repeatedly fail. During one of these attempts, she runs into Tae Sung again and ends up tending to his wounds after he’s injured. This moment seems to mark a turning point for Tae Sung, as he begins to warm up to her.

We later get a little backstory on Im Sol’s accident too,  it was actually Sun Jae who saved her life. Though he acts cold and annoyed around her, we soon learn that Sun Jae has liked Im Sol for a while, as in ever since he moved in next door. She once mistook him for a delivery guy and ran to him in the rain holding a yellow umbrella (yes, that umbrella moment). She shouted “Ajusssshiiii!” and bam , love at first sight. He’s been silently crushing ever since—  effectively cementing their connection.

Despite her interference, Sun Jae competes in the swimming event and wins gold  without sustaining any injury. Relieved, Im Sol assumes she has changed his fate. But the next day, she discovers he’s been rushed to the hospital. His condition has worsened, requiring years of recovery and effectively ending his swimming aspirations. Heartbroken, Im Sol realises that while she altered the timeline, she could not change the outcome.

Im Sol stays stuck in 2008 until the moment Tae Sung asks her out. Right then, she’s zapped back to 2023. Nothing’s changed. Sun Jae still dies. When she returns to 2008 later that night, she discovers that 10 days have passed, and her 2008 self has accepted Tae Sung’s request to date. Sun Jae’s heartbroken because, the night before she went back, while she was drunk, he confessed his love to her  and they even kissed. (She remembers none of this.)

Time marches on and Im Sol is stunned when she discovers that Sun Jae likes her. Caught off guard, she ends her relationship with Tae Sung, paving the way for her bond with Sun Jae to blossom. Then, boom. It’s the day of her accident. Im Sol tries to stay inside like a responsible time traveler but ends up going to see Sun Jae anyway. It’s raining and she’s carrying a yellow umbrella, a small but very important detail. While walking, she remembers older Sun Jae talking about his first love and the yellow umbrella. The math starts mathing: he was talking about her. But before she can emotionally process any of this, she gets kidnapped. Because why not?

At last, the truth about her paralysis is revealed. That fateful day, Im Sol accidentally falls asleep on the bus, missing her stop. Sun Jae, ever the smitten crush, stays on the bus, hoping to walk her home. However, when Im Sol wakes up and bolts off the bus in a hurry, Sun Jae fumbles to gather his belongings just as the bus pulls away. Im Sol, now stranded, attempts to hail a taxi. Alarm bells ring when she notices suspicious items in the car, prompting her to decline the ride, but it’s too late . The driver drugs and kidnaps her.

Im Sol eventually escapes her captor and spots Sun Jae running toward her, relief washing over her. But just as she believes she’s safe, the taxi driver hits her with his car, sending her tumbling into the water  and setting the stage for her tragic fate.

Fast Forward to the 2008 redo, Sun Jae finds her umbrella and rushes to the reservoir, remembering when he saved her in the past (different situation). Meanwhile, Im Sol, now fully remembering everything, tries to switch things up. She grabs the guy’s keys, but of course, he follows her in a truck. We’re right back in the exact scene that led to her original accident. Only this time, right before things go full horror again, a random car shows up, and the kidnapper flees. She’s saved.

She’s sent back to 2023 and this time, everything’s different. Sun Jae is alive, but her grandmother is still sick (so… no miracles there). She sees Sun Jae again, and not wanting to risk losing him, she basically forces a sleepover in case he dies overnight. Priorities. He assures her he’s fine, not depressed, and still very into her. They kiss and he leaves. But the cab driver is still watching from a distance.

Some time passes, they’re all flirty and dating, and then , Sun Jae is attacked by the kidnapper and ends up in a coma. Plot twist: the guy is holding a grudge for Sun Jae saving Im Sol’s life all those years ago. She travels back once again, now in 2009, with a new plan: avoid Sun Jae like the plague. Of course, it fails immediately because fate (and the script) won’t let her be great. They go on a school retreat, and avoiding him becomes a joke. He’s always conveniently there. She even drunkenly tells him to leave her alone and even ends up singing an unreleased song of his. Suspicious. He pieces things together and starts believing she’s from the future.

Sun Jae eventually pieces together his death in 2023 and that Im Sol is there to save his life and, instead of panicking, he’s just like “Okay, cool. Let’s date.” Their relationship deepens, and they finally catch Young Soo, the killer. Everyone relaxes. Too soon. The detectives transporting him crash, and guess who escapes? Yep. This guy.

In a bid to find Sun Jae’s friend, In Hyuk, who has returned to his hometown, Im Sol, Sun Jae, and Tae Sung embark on a trip to bring him back. While there, despite admitting his feelings for Im Sol, Tae Sung ultimately wishes the couple well —  a surprising moment of maturity for him. Im Sol loses her phone during the trip and starts recalling memories that hadn’t occurred before, signaling that the timeline has shifted yet again. Alarmingly, she discovers that Sun Jae is now fated to die while protecting her. To ensure his survival, she pretends to have traveled back in time, hoping he will leave her alone and avoid danger.

Her plan, of course, doesn’t last. Sun Jae quickly uncovers the lie and rushes back to her side (sigh). The stakes rise as Im Sol learns when and where Young Soo plans to strike. Displaying an unsettling amount of bravery (or recklessness), she waits for him alone — a serial killer, no less. The police arrive just in time, defusing the situation before anything tragic can occur. But Sun Jae, as usual, can’t catch a break. He goes after Young Soo, who stabs him and sends him off a cliff and into the ocean.

Back to 2023 we go. Im Sol buries herself in work and reconnects with Tae Sung, who followed his father’s footsteps and is now a full-fledged cop. When Im Sol gets drunk one night, she writes a scathing letter to her boss as a way to vent her frustrations. The following day, she realises the gravity of her actions and sneaks into an award show to retrieve the letter before it’s read. Just when she thinks she’s in the clear, she’s caught mid-fall by a man in a suit. Guess who? SUN JAE.

Flashback to how this is even possible: the day Sun Jae supposedly died, his watch stopped, prompting Im Sol to press it and travel back to the past once again. This time, she goes back to the pivotal moment when he first fell in love with her — the scene with the yellow umbrella and her iconic cry of “Ajusshiiii!” Instead of allowing it to unfold, she intervenes, stopping herself from running to him. By doing so, she effectively erases herself from his life and memory. Unfortunately, it’s not that simple. Sun Jae starts having visions, reading her scripts, and  despite her best efforts,  keeps orbiting her.

Im Sol’s grandmother goes missing one day and is discovered at Sun Jae’s father’s restaurant. When Sun Jae brings her back, he experiences vivid memories of being in Im Sol’s apartment, further solidifying his connection to the timeline they shared. To everyone’s shock, it’s revealed that the grandmother has known everything about the past all along, having been silently rooting for Sun Jae and Im Sol the entire time.

Meanwhile, Young Soo, the relentless stalker and cab driver, remains a threat. The police attempt to capture him yet again, only for him to escape. Sun Jae’s flashbacks intensify, leading him to remember everything about his life with Im Sol across the timelines. Eventually, Young Soo dies— anticlimactically—  by getting hit by a truck.

With Young Soo gone for good, Im Sol rushes to find Sun Jae. They reunite and rekindle their romance in this timeline. The story concludes with their engagement and Im Sol’s grandmother throwing away the fateful watch, symbolising an end to the time-traveling chaos.

The End.

The Review

The Good

Casting

I think we can all agree that seeing Byeon Woo Seok and Song Geon Hee for 16 episodes was one of the best parts of the whole film. The cast in general was pretty attractive but they definitely helped me get through this.

Soundtrack

The soundtrack was honestly the best part of the whole show. The song he wrote for her was so good and the other songs were really good too.

Sun Jae’s Love

When reading other people’s comments and reviews, I saw that many people found it obnoxious and too much. For me, I thought it was super cute. I won’t lie, when he was kissing the air in that one scene, it was cringey. But his secret smiles and other things were cute. Even though I talk about this in “The Bad” section, I liked how desperate and in love they were. My favourite romances are the ones where they are destined to be together no matter what. My only issue (which I talk about below) was that it was undeserved love. If their love story was a bit deeper, this would’ve been a lot better.

The Bad

Get ready. It’s going to be a lot..

Time Traveling without a clue

Watching Im Sol fumble through time with absolutely no plan really made me question her priorities. Her first reaction after he dies? “I must avoid him at all costs.” Not “Let me stop the serial killer” or even “How can I protect him this time?” Nope. Just straight to ghosting him. That was her first idea? Avoiding him should’ve been the last thing on her mind. There were so many different things she could’ve tried, and yet, nothing. When she returned to 2023 after he died again, she didn’t try to regroup or strategise ,  she just kept reacting with pure emotion. It honestly felt like she was thinking like a lovestruck teenager rather than a thirty-something-year-old woman with a shred of common sense who’d lived through trauma and knew what was at stake. It’s ironic really , that she’s so laser-focused on “saving” Sun Jae, yet she doesn’t actually make a proper plan to do it. Where was all that wisdom she mysteriously acquired when dealing with Tae Sung? It’s like she reserved her brainpower for scolding him and left nothing for tackling life-and-death situations.

Im Sol’s Main Character Energy and Zero Survival Skills

This one ties into the first point but deserves its own spotlight. Im Sol’s complete lack of awareness when it came to the dangers of a serial killer was not just irritating, it was downright baffling. Like… What do you mean you’re going to lure the serial killer out alone without telling anyone — not even the police—  what you’re doing? Then you stroll down a sketchy alley in hopes he follows you, with no backup plan. NO BACKUP PLAN??

What was she expecting to happen? If he had followed her and kidnapped her, no one would’ve known where she was. She was nineteen, no match for a grown man, and still thought she could wing it? That wasn’t brave,  it was reckless. And again, she’s a 30-something mentally, so this isn’t giving “desperate girl with a crush,” it’s giving “have you learned nothing?”. Sure, maybe her life in a wheelchair had sheltered her to some degree, but that doesn’t excuse total obliviousness. If anything, her circumstances should have made her more cautious, not less.

Sun Jae’s death, especially in In Hyuk’s hometown, was totally on her and painfully avoidable. Not because he was too noble or protective, but because she consistently undervalued her own safety. She knew the serial killer was there, so why didn’t she just at the very least tell someone what was going on? Why not team up with the police or at least clue them in on his location? You don’t need to be a detective to figure that one out, it’s basic survival instincts.

The Plot Device A.K.A the Villain

What was Young Soo even supposed to be? What a waste of a villain. He had no backstory, no motive, and no depth. He was weirdly obsessed with Im Sol in every timeline and we never found out why. Why her? Why every time? He didn’t even feel like a real character . He just felt like a random device to create drama when things got too peaceful. Instead of actually doing, you know, serial killer stuff, he spends most of his time conveniently popping up to stir up drama for Sun Jae and Im Sol. For someone who was such a major threat to our leads, he was paper-thin in terms of development. What could’ve been an intriguing and terrifying character ended up as little more than a plot device.

And don’t even get me started on his death. That was so anticlimactic it was funny. We’ve got this allegedly terrifying guy who’s been stalking Im Sol for years, and he gets taken out by a truck? That’s it? No final confrontation, no poetic justice, just… splat. He was lucky enough to evade police all this time, but unlucky when it came to crossing the street? Okay.

Since he was so tied to both Sun Jae and Im Sol, his ending should’ve involved them somehow (see: my “What I Would Do” section). When he got hit, I honestly thought he’d somehow survive and crawl away to cause more chaos later. But no. Just a rushed, lazy ending for a villain who was never really fleshed out in the first place.

A Love Story That Did the Most

Their love was sweet if you zoom in on the small moments. But if you look at the bigger picture? Too much.

Im Sol’s side:

I understood why she loved him, those moments were sweet, but it was also all she cared about. On one hand, I get it—  her whole point in going back in time was to save him. But on the other hand, she missed out on a lot of other opportunities to be with her family. The way she prioritised him over everything else became, well, a lot. She literally had the chance to go back in time and yet she barely used it to reconnect with her family. She could’ve spent it mending old relationships and, most importantly, her grandma. Her grandma had dementia, and she had a golden chance to make more memories with her while she still could—  and she barely did. It was like Sun Jae was her whole world, and everyone else was just background noise. Yes, she prevented the fire and saved a few lives, but the emotional weight of her family was never prioritised. It made her love feel all-consuming in a way that didn’t quite sit right.

Sun Jae’s Side:

Listen. I loved his soft obsession as much as the next person, but his reasoning didn’t hold up. It all started with one rainy-day encounter, some candies, and a yellow umbrella, and suddenly he was ready to move mountains for her? Be so for real. One umbrella moment and suddenly he’s writing songs, calling her on purpose at the hospital, and never forgetting her or the candies. It was cute… but also, what? And don’t forget, this was happening in timelines where she actively avoided him, which made the obsession even less logical.

And let’s talk about his attitude. Why was he playing so hard-to-get? If he’d been secretly in love with her that whole time, why was he so cold and standoffish in the beginning? He acted like she was creepy and annoying (she kind of was, let’s be honest), but then we find out he’s been obsessed with her this whole time? The disconnect was frustrating. He didn’t make it easy for her, and once you realise he had feelings all along, his cold behaviour becomes even harder to justify.

The Friend & Brother Duo No One Asked For

Let’s talk about the friend/brother dynamic. Or more accurately, the train wreck that was Hyun Joo and Im Geum. For starters, the deep love Hyun Joo had for Im Geum felt wildly undeserved. His nonstop stupidity caused so many problems for her that it’s hard to believe she stuck around. Like when he blew all their money on some random friend’s company AND gave away the lottery numbers — how is that not a breaking point?? Also, sidenote: why did everyone believe his drunken lottery ramble? He was just a random drunk guy yelling numbers, but everyone was like, “Let’s invest!” Make it make sense.

Anyway, back to their relationship. She had three kids with this man-child who kept making dumb decisions and we were supposed to root for them? I don’t know what it is about K-dramas and husbands losing all the family money on bad investments, but it’s such a thing. Their relationship was so overdone and unnecessarily dramatic that every scene they were in was a struggle not to skip.

Purposefully-dumb characters are the worst, and Im Geum was the textbook definition. Im Geum was such an ick. Take the camp retreat, for example, where he sobbed over an ex. That moment alone was so cringe-worthy, I would’ve needed a break from Im Sol just for being related to him. Their relationship should’ve had far fewer scenes, leaving them as true side characters instead of minor main ones. Less would’ve been so much more.

Grandma Knows Everything?

Can we pause for a moment to discuss the grandma? What was going on there? She somehow knew everything about the past without the watch, and managed to time travel, yet we never got an explanation for how any of that was possible. How is she clued in on all the details when even Sun Jae wasn’t able to figure it out until the very end (and only after reading a script about it)? She was one giant plot hole that the writers seemed content to ignore, leaving her character unfinished and confusing.

The Drama Refused to End

This drama dragged. By episode 12, I was begging for it to end. It just kept going in circles. Im Sol avoids him, he chases her, she caves, they get cute, he dies. Rinse and repeat. How many times can we watch the same pattern before it gets old? The later episodes were so full of fluff that I found myself zoning out more than once. It was exhausting. At some point, you have to ask yourself: are we watching a drama or running a marathon? Just end it already!

The Ending

Let’s break this down into two parts:

Controlled time travel

All series long, the time travel felt random and story-driven. Then suddenly, in the final round, she manages to travel to the exact moment he fell in love with her? Really? It just so happens that this one time, she gets to land precisely where she wants to? Be so serious. It was way too coincidental to be believable and felt more like lazy writing than anything else.

The Paralysis That (Conveniently) Didn’t Happen

In her final life, where she stops Sun Jae from falling in love with her, what exactly happened to the night she was supposed to be paralyzed? Sun Jae being there didn’t directly cause her accident, so how was she able to sidestep that fate this time around?

There’s no way she could’ve stayed in her 19-year-old body long enough to avoid the incident entirely. Logically, when she got hit without Sun Jae’s intervention, the taxi driver would’ve just… finished the job. But no, he apparently just decided to stalk her quietly for years. YEARS. Why? Are we really supposed to believe that removing Sun Jae from the equation was enough to make this guy switch from serial killer to silent spectator? The logic here was nonexistent.

Sun Jae’s Suicide

Let’s tackle this one because it’s small but incredibly confusing. Did Sun Jae actually jump on purpose? In that first timeline, the media said he did due to depression, but in another timeline, he explicitly states that he’s never been depressed and blames the media for spreading rumours. So was his depression unique to that one timeline, or was something else going on? Because Young Soo clearly had resentment towards him either way. Did he push him? He was even at the concert that night. Did he manipulate the situation? Are we just supposed to connect the dots ourselves or was that another thread they forgot to tie up?

What I Would Do

This will be short because, honestly, this show left me with mostly vague feelings and me simply thinking, “I’d just… do everything differently.” 🥲 But let’s break it down.

A Love that Actually Makes Sense (Sun Jae’s Side)

In my version, Sun Jae’s deep, obsessive love for Im Sol would actually make sense. Remember how she fell for him because his kind words gave her the courage to live? I’d create a parallel moment for him. Something heartfelt and impactful.

Maybe after he injures his shoulder and is told he’ll never swim again, he’s devastated. That same night, maybe his dad slaps him, and everything feels like it’s falling apart. He ends up sitting somewhere alone, clearly upset , and that’s when she finds him. She comforts him, says something beautifully sentimental about how pain is temporary and life still moves forward. And suddenly, she’s no longer just “that girl from the rain” , she’s someone who sees him. Someone who helps him breathe again. We can still have the iconic running in the rain scene but that wouldn’t be his sole reason for loving her. It’d be the first time he notices her and is intrigued, but definitely not head over heels at that point. This added scene transforms the shallow crush into something deep and real. He starts noticing her , non-creepily,  and realises she’s this bright, hopeful person. And that brightness? It helps him. Deepens his feelings. Makes everything click.

Or, you know, something. Anything.

The Villain: A Plot Device No More

It’s painfully obvious from my earlier rant, but the villain desperately needed a backstory and some actual depth. He wouldn’t just be a generic plot device to stir up drama for the couple,  he’d have a genuine reason for targeting Im Sol. Maybe he’s a full-blown serial killer who’s murdered multiple women, all of whom resemble her. Or maybe he fixates on her for a more twisted, personal reason. Whatever the angle, we’d understand why he’s obsessed with her.

And his death? Yeah, I’m redoing that too. Since he was so weirdly obsessed with both Sun Jae and Im Sol, they’d both play a role in taking him down. Remember that scene where she tried to lure him out to the countryside? Yeah well  in the final life, it’d be something similar—  only this time, she’d have an actual plan and not just wing it. She’d be working with the police, but of course, they’d get held up. She ends up alone with the killer, tension builds, and then , bam! Sun Jae shows up. They fight. It’s chaotic. The police finally arrive, and right as the villain tries to end it all, Sun Jae gets stabbed. The villain gets shot by police and dies. This time, however, Sun Jae survives — finally breaking the cycle of his endless deaths. The curse breaks. He stops dying. Closure.

Im Sol Actually Acts Her (Mental) Age

While we’re here, I’d also upgrade Im Sol’s survival instincts. She’d try. She’d make plans. She’d try to run, fight back, avoid danger. But the villain? He’s just one step ahead every time. This would create real tension instead of frustration over her recklessness. Maybe there’s a phone call where he tells her she’s like a curse who gets everyone that helped her killed. So if she still ignores him, we at least get why. She’d fail multiple times trying to save herself and Sun Jae, but she’d never stop trying. In short, Im Sol would behave like an adult should, making logical choices and showing a genuine effort to survive—  not a character the plot needs to constantly be helpless.

The Brother and the Friend: Less Drama, More Growth

Let’s tone down the obnoxiousness, shall we? Im Geum would get some much-needed character development. Instead of being pathetic from start to finish, he’d actually grow and mature over time.

Hyun Joo’s love for him would feel more justified if he wasn’t constantly screwing things up. I’d let him win the lottery because, let’s be honest, he needed a win. They’d have far fewer scenes, leaving them as proper side characters instead of minor main ones. Their dynamic wouldn’t steal focus from the actual story, and we wouldn’t have to sit through so much unnecessary drama.

Grandma: The Secret Timekeeper

Finally, let’s talk about the grandma. She’d get a proper explanation for her mysterious knowledge. Maybe she’s the one who gave Im Sol the special watch or maybe she gave the watch its power, because she has some kind of ability herself. Perhaps she’s a “timekeeper” of sorts, and when she talks about “jumping through lives” (which we assumed were dementia-related) she’s not confused, she’s actually telling the truth. This way, she’s given a backstory that would add depth and tie everything together nicely.

Final Thoughts

Lovely Runner had the potential to be something amazing. With a unique premise, a visually blessed cast, solid acting, and an OST so good it’s playlist-worthy, the foundation was definitely there. But somewhere along the way, it felt like the writers were so focused on delivering a swoon-worthy love story and making the male lead the ultimate simp, that they forgot… everything else. Sure, they wanted Sun Jae’s “love at first sight” moment to be iconic— and while it was memorable—  it didn’t quite hold up when you figure out it’s the only reason he constantly dies for her and loves her so deeply that his only competition is the ocean (dumb comparison? maybe. But you get my point).

Between plot holes big enough to time-travel through, a love that didn’t feel earned, a villain who was more plot tool than threat, and side characters who somehow took up way too much space without adding much, it all fell flat. It seems the audience were too dazzled by the good-looking leads to notice, or admit,  how much this show was lacking. As one commenter put it, without this cast, the show wouldn’t have achieved even half the buzz it got, and I couldn’t agree more.

With the constant loop of tragedy, confession, reset, and rinse-repeat, even I started to feel like I was stuck in a time loop. And this isn’t just a Lovely Runner problem , K-Dramas everywhere: just because you can do 16 episodes doesn’t mean you should. Sometimes, less really is more.

In the end, Lovely Runner was less of a sprint and more of a stumble . But hey, at least we got some great tunes, chaotic drama, and enough slow-mo stares to last us a lifetime.

What did you think about this? Did you agree with anything or were we not on the same page at any point, haha?

Please let me know your thoughts and I’ll see you next week!! 💕

Aya

Aya

Previous Post

Mr. Plankton Review-Only: How a Predictable Death Still Broke Us All

Next Post

Lovely Runner Review-Only: A Critical Take on This Time-Travel Drama

You may also like

Comments (3)

Leave a comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Main Cast

Byeon Woo Seok as Ryu Sun Jae

Kim Hye Yoon as Im Sol

Song Geon Hee as Kim Tae Sung

Lee Seung Hyub as Baek In Hyeok

Themes/ Genres

Romantic Comedy, Fantasy, Time-Slip Drama

Time Travel, Second Chances, Fate, Destiny, Fan Devotion- Idol Relationships, Love, Loss, Redemption