Time Magazine Honors ‘Lovely Runner’ as the Best K-Drama of the Year

On May 30th, an article titled “How Lovely Runner Nailed Its Finale to Become the Year’s Best K-Drama”was published by Time Magazine.

The media outlet stated that despite only half of 2024 having passed, it will be crucial to put in every effort to remove ‘Lovely Runner’ from the position of the year’s top K-drama.

Despite a year filled with underwhelming K-dramas, ‘Lovely Runner’ proved to be a standout. By combining elements of nostalgia, romance, a murder subplot, and emotional turmoil across time, it surpassed expectations and produced a unique and compelling storyline.

Additionally, the text clarified that rather than giving precedence to logical causality, it focused on evocative storytelling, weaving together a love story that surpassed destiny and was brought to fruition through the three time slips experienced by the characters.

The article also emphasized that Sol’s happy ending was remarkable not just because of her successful relationship with Seon-jae, but also because she achieved her dream of becoming a film director with their unwavering love and support.

Despite this, the depiction of Sol’s disability in the film was criticized for portraying it as an obstacle to be overcome or cured in order to achieve a happy ending.

The film ‘Lovely Runner’ follows Im Sol (portrayed by Kim Hye-yoon), a devoted fan who is heartbroken by the passing of her favorite star, Ryu Seon-jae (played by Byeon Woo-seok), who had given her hope and inspiration. In an effort to rescue her beloved idol, she embarks on a journey back to the year 2008.

According to Good Data, in the third week of May, ‘Lovely Runner’ held the top spot for three consecutive weeks in TV-OTT drama buzz. Byeon Woo-seok and Kim Hye-yoon also maintained their positions at first and second, respectively, in the ranking of most buzzworthy TV-OTT drama actors for three straight weeks. Additionally, it remained the most-watched drama among men and women aged 20-49 on all channels for eight continuous weeks.

The series has spawned a large number of ‘Seon-chinjas’ (dedicated fans of ‘Lovely Runner’), and even after its last episode aired on May 28th, ‘Lovely Runner’ remains a popular topic among many individuals.

The information was taken from the website daum.