Although it seemed like my kind of story, and I like both lead actors very much, I deliberately held off on watching the k-drama Lovely Runner because I've been too grumpy lately to give it a fair go. I don't know why I'm so unhappy with romance series these days. Maybe because they're short on romance and long on everything else I don't like. I was able to finish it, but I admit I fast-forwarded through the last couple of episodes quite a bit due to my problems with the plot. That's on me, not the series.
The premise: Celebrity singer/composer Ryu Sun-jae (Byeon Woo-seok) has all the fame and fortune any guy could want, but is sick and tired of it all. Wheelchair-bound Im Sol (Kim Hye-yoon), one of Sun-jae's most devoted fans, takes refuge in his music and is heartbroken when she hears of his sudden death. Suddenly Sol is transported via a magic watch to fifteen years into the past, when she and Sun-jae were 19-year-old high school students. Seeing this as a chance to save her idol's life and escape becoming disabled, Sol attempts to change both their fates by making different choices.
It's a sweet romance, and there are multiple trips through time as Sol struggles to alter their destinies. There's also an ominous serial killer subplot that provides suspense and keeps you wondering if either one can ever really escape fate. I really liked the ordinary slice of life settings and the families of the two leads; there's the right touch of fantasy and comedy along with an interesting cast of secondary characters. Byeon Woo-seok will likely have a very nice career in k-dramas. I liked Kim Hye-yoon in Extraordinary You, where she plays a very interesting but difficult role as a comic book side character that comes to life offstage. She seemed a tad bit old to play this role, but she's as sweetly goofy as ever.
The only real problems I had with the series are the cascading misunderstandings that never seem adequately resolved along with the multiple trips through time -- that seemed off-kilter and forced. One big misunderstanding plus one trip through time would have been enough. Otherwise it's a decent series with a fine wrap-up. Available on Viki.com
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