Byeon Woo-seok and Kim Hye-yoon’s Lovely Runner turns one: Fans celebrate the K-drama gem that still shines bright

While the polarising Queen of Tears dominated discourse last year, another show airing quietly alongside it—with barely any promotions—was steadily gathering steam.

Lovely Runner,  starring Byeon Woo-seok as Sun-jae and Kim Hye-yoon was already a fan-favourite by the end of Episode 2. The premise, rooted in time-heist romance, wasn’t exactly new.

 Yet, the sweetness and freshness of it all still lingers, a year later. A yellow umbrella is synonymous with the show's magic. Perhaps even the straight-bangs hairstyles, and the 'time-travel' watch.

It’s still feels comforting to revisit the first episode, for the last few minutes of a ‘twist’, the hilarious chaos and comedy between the stars, and finally, the scenes that demonstrate a quiet, yet overpowering love that didn’t need explosive dialogues or melodrama.

You could say K-Drama fans had been starved for real romance—the pining, the fawning, the aching sense of yearning, and all the classic tropes that had quietly vanished from recent Korean shows. Dramas came and went, some romances fading without impact due to weak storytelling, others leaning too heavily on star power and forgetting the heart of it all: a story worth falling for.

 Lovely Runner brought it all back and more, reviving the sense of all-consuming romance that Korean shows are practically known for. At first, the story appears to be about wheelchair-ridden Im-sol (Hye-yoon), and her devoted-fan like adoration for Sun-jae, a popular singer and K-Pop idol, whose profound words of wisdom had pulled her out of depression. After a chance meeting on the road, she has to reluctantly bid goodbye, only to learn later that night, he has passed away.

A bitter knowledge. A man who had saved her, couldn't save himself. The guilt of what-ifs, begins.

And that’s where the time warp begins, we return to the past, many, many times, as Im-sol keeps trying to rewrite the story, forced to revisit different and painful memories, all while trying to save Sun-jae from a dreadful fate. The story grows from the school days to professional lives in alternate timelines, and the first wholesome realisation is that Sun-jae has loved her all along, and somehow, she misses all the signs despite her best efforts. And, the best part, is that you don't feel frustrated with the different timelines.

What appears to begin as a one-sided crush, actually turns out to be space-time bending powerful romance between two-crossed lovers, each trying to save the other.  Perhaps what worked so well in the story’s favour, was the acting, conviction of the two stars---resuscitating the romantic drama flair that had long been fading for those who needed those thrills with solid storytelling and dialogues. There’s mystery, suspense and intrigue too, as Im-sol has a rather haunting kidnapper on the prowl—a man whom she remembers only by his keychains.

 Lovely Runner delivers everything a true romantic craves — from tender crushes to sweeping, time-bending love. With compelling storytelling and standout performances, it hits every emotional beat just right. It’s only fitting that both leads earn a rightful spot among the Baeksang nominees.