Lovely Runner, the new romantic comedy-drama, premiered on tvN on Monday (April 8) at 8:50 pm KST. It introduced Byun Woo Seok and Kim Hye Yoon as artist RYU Sun Jae and his devoted fan Im Sol. People in Korea watch the mini-series on TV or stream it on various online streaming platforms.
K-drama fans from other parts of the world, including the US, Canada, Australia, the UK, Mexico, Denmark, Romania, Slovakia, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Finland, France, Greece, Greenland, Hong Kong, China, Japan, New Zealand, UAE, Singapore, Turkey, and South Africa, watch the mini-series with subtitles on various online streaming platforms, including Viki.
The first episode of Lovely Runner took the viewers to the beginning of a friendship between RYU Sun Jae and Im Sol. It began by introducing the female lead as a depressed person who lost her hope to move forward in life after a tragic accident. She was in a hospital bed listening to a radio talk show. Her mother took care of her and helped her with daily activities because her legs were numb. She lost her ability to use it after the accident.
The First Conversation
When the female lead was about to make a crucial decision in life, she received a call from the radio station. Sun Jae, a member of rookie boy band Eclipse, was on the other side of the call. She was frustrated and rudely responded to the young idol. She became furious after the show host told her about getting sneakers as a gift. The female lead felt that the world was making fun of her after she lost her ability to walk in Lovely Runner.
Im Sol threw her phone away and asked her mother to turn off the radio. Sun Jae felt sorry for the person. He patiently tried talking to her and helped her to gather the courage to move forward. The male asked the girl to enjoy every moment when she was getting a chance. His words had an impact on the female lead's life. She decided to fight back in life and work harder to be a winner.
The Second Meeting
Years later, Im Sol confidently dealt with all the hardships in life and became a huge fan of Sun Jae. She attended his shows and became a member of the fan club. The female lead excitedly went out of her house to watch a concert by her favorite artist. Sadly, she received a call from an employer for a job interview and missed her opportunity to meet her favorite idol in place.
Though Im Sol attended the interview, she did not get the job because the office building had two floors with no elevator. The female lead lost her concert ticket while returning to the venue. She enjoyed the show from the outside. Her phone fell and got damaged on her way out of the concert venue. Im Sol got stuck in the middle of a bridge after her wheelchair stopped working. She cried her eyes out after realizing what she went through that day. It was snowing, and she was shivering due to the cold climate.
The female lead was crying alone when Sun Jae approached her with an umbrella and a heating pad. She could not hide her excitement. The female lead thought she got the best gift of her life on that day. The happiness did not last long. She read the news that Sun Jae was in critical condition and had been admitted to the hospital. Though the female lead rushed to the hospital, she heard about his demise on her way.
The New Beginning
Im Sol unknowingly traveled back in time to the year 2008 and woke up in her classroom as a high school student. She became confident and ran out of the classroom and searched for Sun Jae. The first thing she did after seeing her favorite idol was to hug him and console him. The female lead decided to protect her favorite idol at any cost. Will she succeed in her mission? Watch Lovely Runner episode 2 on tvN on Tuesday (April 9) at 8:50 pm KST.
Lovely Runner Episode 1 Review and Reactions
The K-drama will be my obsession for sure.
#LovelyRunner hitting very hard because I lost one of my favorite idols a few years back. I'm literally in tears while watching the scenes. It's very triggering.
Whoever decided the Lovely Runner air date needs a raise because having a K-drama with K-pop boy group ECLIPSE on the day of the eclipse!
The angst, the longing, the pain. The way this drama is going breaks me down and makes me bawl.
It's so amazing how the Solar Eclipse in Episode 1, which aired on April 8, 2024, coincides with the same day the real-life Solar Eclipse happened. WHAT A PERFECT TIMING! The writer did an impressive job here! Just wow!
Everything is just so perfect - the acting, cinematography, OST! I especially liked the part when Sunjae started to walk toward Im Sol.
