Lovely Runner is one of those dramas that completely takes over your heart from the very first episode. It's a time-travel romance that follows Im Sol, a former track athlete now in a wheelchair, and Ryu Seon-jae, a beloved but deeply lonely idol-actor. The story begins in present-day Seoul where Sol lives quietly with her grandmother, spending her days as a devoted fan of Seon-jae's band 'Eclipse'. Despite his fame and success, Seon-jae struggles with depression and isolation.
The tragedy unfolds on New Year's Eve when Sol calls into a radio show that Seon-jae is hosting. She thanks him for helping her get through life despite his pain, not knowing that he's planning to end his life that very night. In a heartbreaking scene, Seon-jae steps off his hotel balcony and falls into the empty pool below. Sol rushes to the hospital when she hears the news, catching only a glimpse of him on a stretcher. In her despair, she throws the precious watch he had given her at the hospital room door, and something magical happens. She wakes up fifteen years in the past, back in April 2008, as her 19-year-old self with full use of her legs again.
Back in 2008, everything is different. Seon-jae is just a scrawny high school track team captain, awkward and shy, and Sol is his quiet neighbor. She's desperate to tell him about the future and save him from his fate, but the writers created this clever rule where whenever she tries to reveal what will happen, the whole world freezes around her and no one can hear what she's saying. This forces Sol to find creative ways to connect with him and change the course of events.
The early episodes are filled with sweet comedy as Sol tries everything to get through to Seon-jae. She blurts out declarations of love that he misinterprets, she secretly films him confessing his crush at a party, and they share all these tender moments studying together, having pillow fights, and holding hands under desks. It's pure teenage romance at its finest. But Sol gradually learns the painful truth about why Seon-jae took his own life in the original timeline. He had lost his passion for life after hearing about Sol's supposed death, and this knowledge destroyed him.
Knowing this, Sol makes the heartbreaking decision to sacrifice her own happiness to save him. Just when their relationship is blossoming and Seon-jae is ready to make her his girlfriend, she crushes him by telling him she can't return his feelings and begging him to stop liking her. It's gut-wrenching to watch because you can see how much it destroys both of them.
The plot thickens when Sol remembers that in her original timeline, she was attacked twice by a crazed taxi driver. Seon-jae saved her both times, which led to the driver developing a grudge against him. This same man eventually became Seon-jae's killer. Sol realizes she needs to break this cycle completely. Using her magical watch one final time, she jumps to 2009, determined to avoid Seon-jae entirely so he'll never have to save her.
But fate has other plans. In 2009, they're both college students and they can't seem to stay away from each other. Seon-jae is studying PE instead of being an idol, and he's still completely smitten with Sol. There's this beautiful scene where he pours his heart into playing a piano ballad, the same melody from the radio show in 2023, as his way of confessing his feelings to his best friend. When Sol gets trapped in a wild boar cage during a school field trip, Seon-jae charges to her rescue once again. They have this electric moment surrounded by fireflies, but Sol panics and pulls away.
Later, drunk at a beach bonfire, Sol tearfully begs him to pretend he doesn't know her so he'll stop following her. But Seon-jae lifts her onto his back and carries her away, and in a moment of weakness, Sol accidentally kisses him under the lantern-lit trees. There's this local myth that a kiss under those trees means you'll end up married. But then Sol sees another girl kiss Seon-jae at a party, and she bursts into jealous tears. When Seon-jae finds her crying in an alley, having lost her slipper in frustration, he kneels down and gently puts it back on her foot like some kind of fairy tale prince. He asks her how it felt to see him kiss another girl, and Sol lies through her tears, saying she doesn't feel anything and has never liked him at all.
This is the breaking point for both of them. Seon-jae finally begs her to stop running and promises he'll deal with whatever consequences come from loving her. He wants to cherish every moment they have together. And finally, Sol gives in. They become an official couple, and watching them date is absolutely magical. They hold hands everywhere, catch cherry blossom petals to make wishes, and share all these tender moments that feel so authentic and real.
But there's always this ticking clock hanging over them. Sol knows that once her younger self's timeline catches up, her memories will vanish and she'll be pulled back to 2023 forever. The show literally shows a countdown on her magical watch during these episodes. In one devastating scene, Sol tells Seon-jae that if she has to send him to a safer future without her, she'd rather endure any heartbreak herself. But Seon-jae confesses that he now knows exactly what's at stake, and he's not leaving her side. He tells her that if he ends up dying for her, he's okay with that. They share this tearful embrace and promise to hold onto each other until the very last second.
The second half of the kdrama shifts into the final cycle of choices. Sol ends up back in 2023 as an adult working as a film producer, living a completely different life. She's happy and successful, having fulfilled her childhood dream of working in film. But she's also carrying the guilt of having lied to everyone and isolated herself to protect Seon-jae. Meanwhile, Seon-jae is alive and thriving as a music star, completely unaware of Sol's existence or their shared history.
Sol can't handle the weight of it all and goes back to that coastal town, determined to lure the killer herself and end the cycle once and for all. The final confrontation happens on a clifftop, where Seon-jae shows up at the last second but gets stabbed by the madman. Sol holds him in her arms as he's dying, and once again she's transported back to 2023.
But fate gives them one more chance. At a film awards gala, Sol tumbles down the stairs and an adult Seon-jae catches her. He recognizes her immediately, but she has no idea who he is. It turns out that when Sol threw his watch at the hospital bed, it became his time-travel trigger. Seon-jae suddenly gains all his memories of the past timelines and realizes that Sol has been hurting herself to protect him. He jumps from that coastal winter in 2009 to 2023 with the full truth in his heart.
When they finally reunite at an airport, it's pure catharsis. He throws his arms around her, bursting into tears, and tells her he remembers everything. He quotes back her own words about fate and tells her he loves her no matter which time they meet. They kiss in the falling snow, and for the first time, their broken timeline is truly mended.
The final episodes are an absolute delight as we get to see them as adults, finally free to love each other without the weight of tragedy hanging over them. Seon-jae becomes this playful, flirty charmer who's completely unafraid to show his love. There's even this meta moment where he's cast in Sol's movie about their story and argues to rewrite the ending. The kdrama culminates in a breathtakingly romantic proposal under cherry blossoms, the same tree where they once caught petals in 2009. It's a perfect circle from where they began, but now they have their second chance.
What makes this drama so special is how genuinely emotional it feels throughout every episode. From the very beginning, Lovely Runner has this gentle, bittersweet quality that wraps around you like a warm blanket. The cinematography is absolutely gorgeous, with bright, sunlit shots and these perfectly composed frames that look like paintings. Every season has its own palette, from cherry blossoms to falling snow to rainy city streets, so you always feel like you're inside a beautiful memory.
The acting is superb across the board. Kim Hye-yoon as Sol never misses a beat, shifting seamlessly from gentle and goofy to fiercely determined. You can literally feel her heart breaking and healing alongside the story. Byun Woo-seok is equally wonderful as Seon-jae, adorably awkward in high school, cool and confident as an idol, and achingly earnest as the lover who refuses to say goodbye. Their chemistry is electric, and you completely believe in their connection from the very first scene.
The supporting cast adds so much depth to the story. Moon Sang-min as Tae-sung provides this sweet foil, and his rivalry-turned-friendship with Seon-jae feels genuine and fun to watch. Even the smaller roles, like Seon-jae's grandmother, deliver key emotional beats without saying a word. The little details are what really sell it though. The way Sol always tucks one strand of hair behind her ear when she's flustered, how Seon-jae's grin turns sheepish after he finally works up the courage to confess, these tiny touches make everything feel real and endearing.
The soundtrack is absolutely perfect and became incredibly popular. The original songs by Eclipse and the licensed indie tracks create this emotional landscape that hits you right in the chest. The piano ballad that connects their timelines, the pop choruses that swell during romantic moments, even the small musical elements reoccur throughout the kdrama, it all works together to create this fairy-tale atmosphere.
What really sets Lovely Runner apart is how honestly it handles the concept of sacrifice for love. Sol's unwavering selflessness, nearly giving up fifteen years of happiness for Seon-jae's life, feels both heartbreaking and admirable. But the show doesn't romanticize suffering. Instead, it argues that true love means choosing to be together despite the risks, choosing to fight for each other rather than giving up.
The time-travel element could have been gimmicky, but it's used so thoughtfully here. Each jump serves a purpose in the emotional journey, and the rules are consistent enough that you never feel cheated. The magical realism feels earned because it's always in service of the deeper themes about fate, choice, and the power of love to transcend time.
There's something deeply satisfying about watching these two characters fight so hard for each other across multiple timelines. Their love feels destined, but not in a passive way. They actively choose each other again and again, even when it's painful, even when it seems impossible. Seon-jae's declaration that he'll wait however long it takes, that loving Sol is worth any heartache, feels completely genuine because we've seen him prove it over and over.
The writing manages to take classic kdrama tropes like love triangles, missed connections, and even a serial killer subplot, but doesn't overdo them. Everything is leveled by humor and genuine feeling, so even the most dramatic moments feel authentic rather. The dialogue has this naturalistic quality that makes the characters feel like real people rather than typical kdrama stereotypes.
By the end, Lovely Runner leaves you with this warm, happy feeling in your chest. There's comfort in knowing these two will meet again, and you truly believe they should. Their love story feels inevitable in the best possible way. It's the kind of drama that makes you believe in second chances, in the power of love to overcome seemingly impossible obstacles, in the idea that some connections are so strong they can transcend time itself.
The kdrama strikes this perfect balance between heartbreak and hope, between tragedy and joy, that keeps you emotionally invested from start to finish. You'll find yourself crying one minute and smiling the next, completely absorbed in this slow burn magic that unfolds over 16 episodes. It's a beautiful, bittersweet ride that stays with you long after the final credits roll, the kind of love story that makes you want to believe in fate and destiny and the power of true love to conquer all.