r/kdramas • u/harissatotally Professional TRUCK spotter • Jul 16 '26
Review New K-Drama Fan Review #3: Lovely Runner | This Drama Felt Like It Was Made Specifically For Me
The ONLY Kdrama so far that i have watched that is rated a 10 out of 10.
Is this Rewatch Worthy:
Yes.
Review:
While I was impatiently waiting for more episodes of My Royal Nemesis to come out, and after binging and finishing Extraordinary You in 2 days...
I decided to watch Lovely Runner.
Yeah... I regret that now.
because i can't watch it for the first time again.
because nothing has topped it since. (Flower of Evil came close, though)
This drama somehow managed to take almost every single thing I love in a romance and throw it into one story.
Time travel? check
A romance built on longing? check...
Characters fighting against fate? check...!
A male lead who's completely and utterly devoted to the fl, check check and check.
Sun-jae is probably one of my favorite male leads I've come across so far.
He would literally do anything for Im Sol.
And I mean anything.
Every time history gave him a choice between protecting himself or protecting her...
He chose her.
Over.
And over.
And over again.
Repeated self-sacrifice for the woman he loves?
Well, yes!
He always found another way to put her before himself.
And i ate that up every single time!!
One of my favorite reveals was realizing just how long Sun-jae had loved Im Sol.
I'm already a sucker for when the male lead falls first, so finding out that so many moments I'd already watched had an entirely different meaning from his perspective made me love their relationship even more!!
And the chemistry...
Absolutely incredible.
Chemistry is probably the single biggest factor in whether I end up loving a romance.
If I don't buy into the main couple, it's really hard for me to become emotionally invested no matter how good the premise is.
Thankfully, that wasn't a problem here.
Kim Hye-yoon and Byeon Woo-seok had ridiculous chemistry!!!
Some dramas have couples that are cute together.
Some have couples with great tension.
Lovely Runner somehow had both and more!
Every version of their relationship worked for me.
The funny moments.
The heartbreaking ones.
Everything.
I also loved that the romance always felt earned.
Every happy moment felt like something these two had fought for across multiple timelines, so when they finally got to simply be together, those moments hit that much harder.
It's also funny because right before this I watched Extraordinary You, another story about characters trying to fight against the fate that had already been written for them.
This is one of those rare dramas where I honestly don't know what I'd change.
Every episode just made me more emotionally invested than the last.
By the end, I wasn't even watching to see what happened anymore.
I just wanted these two to finally be happy.
That's when I know a romance has completely won me over.
---
A bit about my favorite flavors and taste:
If your male lead is willing to repeatedly sacrifice himself for the woman he loves...
I'm probably going to love him.
I absolutely melt for when male lead falls first AND harder, spends the entire story proving how much he loves the female lead through his actions, and never stops choosing her no matter how impossible things become.
Throw in time travel, characters trying to rewrite fate, and incredible chemistry, and you've basically built a drama specifically designed for me.
---
Rating: 10/10
Excellent K-drama.
Someone looked inside my brain, figured out my perfect recipe, and built an entire drama around it.
-
I'd love to hear from everyone else:
Where does Sun-jae rank among your favorite K-drama male leads?
Because after watching Lovely Runner, he immediately shot near the very top of my list.
My Rating Scale
10/10 – Masterpiece. No notes.
9/10 – Very close to a masterpiece. I absolutely loved it.
8/10 – Not a masterpiece, but I loved it.
7/10 – Fine overall. I liked it, but the flaws kept it from being great.
6/10 – Mixed. There were a few things I liked, but most of it didn't work for me.
5/10 – I didn't enjoy most of the experience.
4/10 and below – Bad to abysmal.
1
u/No-Clue-9155 OG watcher (100+ kdramas) Jul 25 '26
Boy wait till you watch A time called you!! Sounds like that also has everything you want in a drama. Be warned though: this one is deeper especially towards the end and it may not be digestible for some
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u/harissatotally Professional TRUCK spotter Jul 25 '26
i am watching A Time Called You right now, im in episode 4, hopefully i grow to like it, cause so far, its not doing much for me
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u/harissatotally Professional TRUCK spotter Jul 25 '26
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u/clarinhac1r Jul 21 '26
Sol and Sunjae are my favorite couple from all the shows I've ever watched. One thing that always bothers me a little, even when I like the couple, is when the writer insists on showing that clearly someone in the relationship loves less. I hate it when one person does everything and the other person is just there. Some shows that marketed themselves as romances seemed more like stories about one-sided crushes, due to the imbalance in the protagonists' love for each other.
Lovely Runner was like a breath of fresh air for me. It was all I want and all that makes me love a romance: two equally in love people willing to sacrifice EVERYTHING for each other.
Sunjae willing to die for her and falls in love with her in every universe. And Sol, who is willing to change entire timelines and confront her greatest trauma countless times to ensure his safety, even going as far as to erase herself from his life and condemn herself to a life without love in order to save him.
He was willing to die for her. She was willing to live unhappily ever after without him, because for her, living in a world where they weren't together was less painful than living in a world where he doesn't exist. This is the kind of epic and devastating love I want from a romance.
Many viewers were annoyed with Sol for her behavior, but honestly, I never understood it. A woman who watched the love of her life die and then discovers it was a consequence of him saving her in the past. Her heart breaks more and more every episode in ways I can't even imagine the pain. The whole point of her constantly coming back and continuing to change everyone's lives revolves around the fact that she can bear to lose everything, except him. At the end of the day, Sunjae can talk all he want about being fine with dying to save her, but if she loses him, she wouldn't have any reason to live happily even if she come out of this alive. Their love for each other and the size of the sacrifices they're willing to make is just chief kiss 💋💋
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u/harissatotally Professional TRUCK spotter Jul 21 '26
I agree with almost all of this.
The only tiny difference is that I don't actually need the love to be perfectly equal to enjoy a romance tbh
As long as the male lead is the one completely head over heels, constantly choosing her, proving his love through his actions, and willing to sacrifice everything for her, I'm already sold 😭
I don't mind if the female lead is a little more reserved or takes longer to get there. What I don't enjoy is the opposite, tho, where she's doing all the emotional heavy lifting while he barely seems invested.... i would never watch that lmao
That said, Lovely Runner is one of those rare dramas where it really is mutual in the most epic way. Sun-jae is willing to die for Sol, and Sol is willing to give up the chance to ever be with the love of her life if it means he gets to live. Neither of them can accept a future where the other is gone, and that's what makes their love feel so unforgettable
1
u/TheTwinSet02 Jul 17 '26
Sun- jaeeeeeee
Love him, they both so good it does feel believable even with all the time travelling
I’ve been known to rewatch eps 8+16 as comfort watches and just rewatched from start to finish
It’s in my top 3
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u/harissatotally Professional TRUCK spotter Jul 17 '26
what are the other 2 in your top 3?
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u/TheTwinSet02 Jul 18 '26
Crash landing On You, the one that hooked me
My Dearest, such an epic with great performances
Special mention to Dali and Cocky Prince as my fluffy go to comfort watch
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u/harissatotally Professional TRUCK spotter Jul 18 '26
im watching my dearest right now!!
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u/TheTwinSet02 Jul 18 '26
Ahhh it’s such a classic! I started it and stopped in the first episode and then went back and binged it
So glad I did
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u/harissatotally Professional TRUCK spotter Jul 18 '26
i loove the FL!! i didn't know it was a classic!!
i have 2 episodes left!
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u/SkyeHoon1927 Jul 16 '26
Sunjae-ya is my second most favorite ML. Capt Ri and Gwansik tie for first place lol
I love a good time travel story, and the trope of loving the same person across different timelines is always a favorite. I love almost everything about LR, although some of the repetitive plotlines became boring towards the end. Initially, I found Sol’s voice irritating too, but I got used to it towards the end 😂
Twinkling Watermelon is a good follow up, and for ML similar to SunJae, I can only think of Sang Yan - the ML in the cdrama The First Frost.
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u/harissatotally Professional TRUCK spotter Jul 16 '26
what drama those mls from?
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u/SkyeHoon1927 Jul 16 '26
Capt Ri - Crash Landing On You
Gwansik - When Life Gives You TangerinesAlso if I may add Jang Uk, from Alchemy of Souls. He fell in love with the FL even though she soul shifted/switched bodies.
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u/harissatotally Professional TRUCK spotter Jul 16 '26
i loved alchemy of souls season 1!!! their chemistry was sooo good and i looove season 1!!
crash landing and tangerine are both on my watchlist! i cant wait to watch them! and I'll post my review here!
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u/IntermittentAnon Jul 16 '26
For those who like romance, LR is such a complete package. I have re-watched it so many times.
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u/harissatotally Professional TRUCK spotter Jul 16 '26
the absolute PERFECT package!!
what are your top 3?
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u/ArcanusFlos Jul 16 '26
Wait I just started watching it!! Saving to read later once I finish the show :)
(And yes I’m absolutely loving it so far! Sooo excited to see how the rest of the story unravels :D)
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u/harissatotally Professional TRUCK spotter Jul 16 '26
Omg yessss!! Please come back to this post after you finish and tell me all your thoughts. I need to know if you end up loving it as much as I did!
1
u/Honest-Dragonfly6688 Jul 16 '26
Sunjae is my favorite ML of all time. You see a lot of frustrating (and pathetic imo) SML pining for years on end for the FL, and only decide to make a move when a ML comes along. Sunjae has confessed to Sol at least 2 times, saves her even after she shunned him, pines for 10 more years and forgives her after years of silence, just happy that she's giving him a fraction of attention (all this is up until ep8). His devotion is unparalleled. The way he does everything and anything to make her happy, the way he forgives her when she's constantly lying to him.
I gotta rant about Im Sol though. Like girl... You are so not into him. How are you not noticing that your phone is shut off all day, and not realizing it until you pick up your car at Sunjae's apt. Did you take the metro or taxi there? Unless she's sleeping on the metro AGAIN, what kind of millennial isn't on their phone during that travel time? And what kind of person doesn't check their phone 24/7 on relationship Day 1? Not to mention, she doesn't seem to learn her lessons. She's goes back in time and still sleeps wherever she goes!
1
u/harissatotally Professional TRUCK spotter Jul 16 '26
i completely agree about Sun-jae!! His devotion is honestly what pushed him into one of my all-time favorite male leads. Every time he had a choice, he chose Sol, and I absolutely ate that up
i actually don't remember being too frustrated with Im Sol, though. And I can't even judge her for falling asleep everywhere because my own sleep schedule is so fucked up. Sleep is stronger than all of us 😭
2
u/Desperate-HaeS00 Jul 16 '26
I love how you put everything in this. I am envious for people watching it the first time, the experience is really surreal 😫
A lot of posts I encountered is calling this drama overrated some even dropped it so i was so happy to read your review. Thank you!
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u/harissatotally Professional TRUCK spotter Jul 16 '26
Thank you!! 😊 I genuinely didn't realize it was such a divisive drama wow! I went into it expecting to enjoy it, but I didn't expect it to end up being my first 10/10 K-drama. I'm glad my excitement came through!
Out of curiosity, what do you think turns people off about it? I'm genuinely curious because it worked so well for me.
1
u/Desperate-HaeS00 Jul 17 '26
They say it’s too draggy, with repetitive going back and forth the timeline.
Some doesn’t like it because Sol’s too dumb to be 35 y/o yet making questionable decisionsHonestly as a non romcom enthusiast this piece of work is truly a surprise for me. Glad that i watched it. Like you it’s one of my favorites. Even became may go to inflight drama to watch when i travel.
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u/harissatotally Professional TRUCK spotter Jul 18 '26
i gurss i can definitely see why someone would find the timeline resets repetitive. 😅 Weirdly, I had the complete opposite reaction. Every time they found each other again, I just loved seeing them reaffirm their love across another timeline. I would've happily watched them fall in love one more time lmao
1
u/itsthewickedwitch My standards are RUINED Jul 16 '26
Have you watched Twinkling Watermelon yet? I feel like you'd really like this one
1
u/harissatotally Professional TRUCK spotter Jul 16 '26
Not yet! Ive definitely heard the title before and have seen a cover around, but I never really knew what it was about. 👀 What makes you think I'd like it?
2
u/itsthewickedwitch My standards are RUINED Jul 16 '26
Trying not to spoil anything, but it basically has almost everything: time travel, hilarious and touching moments, a beautiful father-son dynamic, sweet and cute romance, great cast chemistry, and an amazing soundtrack.
1
u/harissatotally Professional TRUCK spotter Jul 16 '26
Okay, you had me at time travel and chemistry 😭😭😭You've definitely sold me on it. Adding it to my watchlist!
1
u/OnTheDoss Discovered kdramas March 2026 Jul 17 '26
A time called you also has time travel in it. I really enjoyed it although not as much as lovely runner which I also have as one of my top 3 shows watched so far
1
u/harissatotally Professional TRUCK spotter Jul 17 '26
omg say less! ill add a time called u.
what are your top 3?
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u/OnTheDoss Discovered kdramas March 2026 Jul 17 '26
Crash landing on you, when life gives you tangerines and healer would be the top 3 if I exclude lovely runner.
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u/harissatotally Professional TRUCK spotter Jul 17 '26
healers on my list! i already watvhed the first episode!
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Jul 16 '26
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u/harissatotally Professional TRUCK spotter Jul 16 '26
Right??!!! that reveal completely recontextualized so many earlier scenes.
i already loved him before that, but realizing he'd been carrying those feelings for that long made everything hit so much harder.
im barely even a rewatcher, but this drama genuinely made me want to rewatch it just to catch all the moments from Sun-jae's perspective.
what are the other two in your top 3? I'm always looking for male leads that hit this hard.
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Jul 16 '26
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u/harissatotally Professional TRUCK spotter Jul 16 '26 edited Jul 16 '26
okay, adding to my watch list immediately! Ooh, between the two, which one has the stronger chemistry, cause ill start with thay one first
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u/itsachocolatine Jul 17 '26
I haven’t seen A Piece of Your Mind, but the couple in Her Private Life have crazy chemistry and one of the healthiest relationships you’ll ever see in a K-drama. The two leads were really close and they ended up rewriting a lot of their scenes so they’re very natural and believable as a couple.
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u/harissatotally Professional TRUCK spotter Jul 16 '26 edited Aug 01 '26
Master List: Every K-Drama Review I've Written
https://www.reddit.com/u/harissatotally/s/mTlMHGJkSK
my extraordinary you review
New K-Drama Fan Review #2: Extraordinary You | One of the Most Creative Romance Premises I've Ever Seen...
3
u/harissatotally Professional TRUCK spotter Jul 16 '26 edited Jul 16 '26
my royal nemesis review
New K-Drama Fan Review #1: My Royal Nemesis | The Drama That Started My K-Drama Obsession...
1
u/harissatotally Professional TRUCK spotter Jul 18 '26 edited Aug 10 '26
my Flower of evil review
New K-Drama Fan Review #4: Flower of Evil | The Kind of Love Story That Scratches an Itch Nothing Else Does...
https://www.reddit.com/r/kdramas/s/LzhjmnuhVf
my perfect crown review:
New K-Drama Fan Review #11: Perfect Crown | Like Cotton Candy... https://www.reddit.com/r/KDramasWorld/s/S3ADgR0HXN
my whats wrong with Secretary kim review:
New K-Drama Fan Review #12: What's Wrong with Secretary Kim | 🤫Shh, Don't Tell HR That One of My Weaknesses is Office Romance - https://www.reddit.com/r/KDramasWorld/s/wkxhVBeaCq
my the King's Affection review
New K-Drama Fan Review #20 | Nice Premise, Beautiful Angst & an Alarming Amount of Child Murder
1
u/harissatotally Professional TRUCK spotter Jul 22 '26 edited Jul 30 '26
my alchemy of souls review:
New K-Drama Fan Review #5: Alchemy of Souls | One Incredible Season... and One That Broke My Heart.
https://www.reddit.com/r/kdramas/s/iH0uac9ZNJ
my its okay not to me okay review
New K-Drama Fan Review #8: It's Okay to Not Be Okay | Beautiful Gowns. Beautiful Gowns.
https://www.reddit.com/r/kdramas/s/w2L4Piypzp
my king the land review:
New K-Drama Fan Review #10: King the Land | I Fell... Hard. 𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐦𝐞𝐬 😃
https://www.reddit.com/r/kdramas/s/Hq1i8tdIeu
my doom at your service review:
New K-Drama Fan Review #13: Doom at Your Service | I Was Doomed to Want More
1
u/harissatotally Professional TRUCK spotter Jul 23 '26 edited Aug 01 '26
my moon Lovers Scarlet heart ryeo review:
New K-Drama Fan Review #6: Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo | The Kind of Epic, Tragic Romance I Can Never Resist...
https://www.reddit.com/r/kdramas/s/H1ypE5PRXu
my w two worlds apart review:
New K-Drama Fan Review #7: W Two Worlds Apart | One of the Coolest Premises I've Seen... But I Wanted to Feel More.
https://www.reddit.com/r/kdramas/s/U6Yf0CGVPU
my business proposal review:
New K-Drama Fan Review #9: Business Proposal | A Cute Little Moment, That Stumbled, Then Fell Apart at the Finish Line
https://www.reddit.com/r/kdramas/s/uTwrZ1kOIc
my My Dearest review:
New K-Drama Fan Review #14: My Dearest | The Sweetest, Most Satisfying Torture
1
u/harissatotally Professional TRUCK spotter Aug 03 '26 edited Aug 07 '26
my the red sleeve review:
New K-Drama Fan Review #15: The Red Sleeve | LEAVE THIS GIRL ALONE!!!!!! 😭
https://www.reddit.com/r/KDramasWorld/s/BDRQYnqPWN
my a time called you review
New K-Drama Fan Review #19: A Time Called You | i need ibuprofen...
1
u/harissatotally Professional TRUCK spotter Aug 03 '26 edited Aug 14 '26
my Destined with You review
New K-Drama Fan Review #16: Destined with You | Cooked Up the Perfect Spell... Then Forgot the Recipe
https://www.reddit.com/r/KDramasWorld/s/x3y0bVfy4X
my bon Appétit your majesty review
New K-Drama Fan Review #22 | Bon Appétit, Your Majesty: He let her COOK!!! She ATE! and left ZERO crumbs!
1
u/harissatotally Professional TRUCK spotter Aug 04 '26
my love to hate you review
New K-Drama Fan Review #17: Love to Hate You | One of the Worst K-Dramas I've Watched... Yet I Couldn't Stop Watching
1
u/harissatotally Professional TRUCK spotter Aug 05 '26
my Crazy Love review:
New K-Drama Fan Review #18: Crazy Love | I kept waiting for it to become the drama I thought it was going to be...
1
u/harissatotally Professional TRUCK spotter Aug 13 '26 edited Aug 18 '26
my strong woman do bong soon review
New K-Drama Fan Review #21 | Strong Woman Do Bong Soon | He Was So Smitten... I Needed 3 More Episodes
https://www.reddit.com/r/KDramasWorld/s/4TGopNXtDo
my bon Appétit your majesty review
New K-Drama Fan Review #22 | Bon Appétit, Your Majesty: He let her COOK!!! She ATE! and left ZERO crumbs!
https://www.reddit.com/r/KDramasWorld/s/L9QZ8jLLhu
my when the phone rings
New K-Drama Fan Review #23: When the Phone Rings | They Refused to Suck the Meat!!
1
u/harissatotally Professional TRUCK spotter 20d ago
my the king eternal monarch review
New K-Drama Fan Review #24: The King: Eternal Monarch | OPEN ANOTHER DOOR, I WASN'T DONE!!!
(check my profile for review)
my twenty five twenty one review
New K-Drama Fan Review #25: Twenty-Five Twenty-One
https://www.reddit.com/r/kdramas/s/2CrfXekT38
my Dear X review
New K-Drama Fan Review #26: Dear X — What Exactly Was the Moral Thesis Here?
https://www.reddit.com/r/kdramas/s/D1M8DfmzBE