Lovely Runner

Lovely Runner is a 2024 South Korean television series starring Byeon Woo-seok and Kim Hye-yoon. It is based on a web novel titled Tomorrow's Best, which was also serialized as a webtoon by illustrator Doong Doong. It aired on tvN from April 8, 2024 to May 28, 2024, every Monday and Tuesday at 20:50 (KST). It is also available for streaming on TVING in South Korea, U-Next in Japan, Vidio in Indonesia, and Viki and Viu in selected regions.

Synopsis
The series follows the journey of Im Sol, an ardent fan of idol Ryu Sun-jae. Sol, a once-promising film director whose dreams were shattered by an accident leaving her paralyzed, finds solace in the music of Sun-jae. However, tragedy strikes again when Sun-jae dies by suicide, devastating Sol. But fate has other plans as Sol wakes up in a classroom 15 years in the past. Seeing this as a chance from Heaven, she vows to change the course of destiny for both of them.

Main

 * Byeon Woo-seok as Ryu Sun-jae
 * A top star who has everything, from good looks to talent and charm. He is a former swimmer turned singer and actor, but his life as a celebrity didn't end well, ultimately leading up to his unfortunate death.


 * Kim Hye-yoon as Im Sol
 * A cute and lovable young woman who gives up her dream of becoming a film director in 2009 when she injures her leg and becomes paralyzed.


 * Song Geon-hee as Kim Tae-sung
 * An ulzzang with a flamboyant look. He is the bassist from an Eclipse band in high school, and a police officer in present time.


 * Lee Seung-hyub as Baek In-hyuk
 * A friendly guy who is easy to get along with. He is Sun-jae's best friend, as well as the leader and guitarist of the famous band Eclipse.

People around Sol

 * Jung Young-ju as Park Bok-soon
 * A resilient single mother of Sol. She manages a struggling DVD store while raising her two children and caring for her elderly mother.


 * Seong Byeong-suk as Jung Mal-ja
 * A warm-hearted and wise grandmother of Sol.


 * Song Ji-ho as Im Geum
 * Sol's older brother. He is an aspiring actor full of passion for acting, but he repeatedly faces rejection in auditions.


 * Seo Hye-won as Lee Hyun-joo
 * Sol's best friend. She is bold, sharp, and stubborn in everything.

People around Sun-jae

 * Kim Won-hae as Ryu Geun-deok
 * Sun-jae's father and the owner of the Galbit House.


 * Ahn Sang-woo as Representative Kim
 * CEO of Sun-jae's agency JNT.


 * Lee Il-jun as Park Dong-suk
 * Sun-jae's manager.

People around Tae-sung

 * Park Yoon-hee as Detective Kim
 * Tae-sung's father who is a veteran detective with 20 years of experience.


 * Kim Hwi-gyu as Cha Yi-seul
 * Tae-sung's friend who has a weathered appearance that belies his pretty name.

JNT people

 * Moon Yong-suk as Hyun-soo
 * The drummer of the band Eclipse.


 * Yang Hyuk as Jay
 * A bassist and the youngest member of the band Eclipse.

Jagam High School students

 * Lee Chul-woo as Kim Hyung-gu
 * A member of the Jagam High School swimming club and self-proclaimed rival of Sun-jae.


 * Kim Hyun-kyu as Choi Hyun-gu
 * Sun-jae's friend from Jagam High School's swimming team.


 * Jung Kang-hee as Coach Ahn
 * Coach of the Jagam High School swimming team.


 * Oh Se-young as Choi Ga-hyun
 * Tae-sung's ex girlfriend.

Others

 * Heo Hyeong-Gyu as Kim Young-Soo
 * A taxi driver with a grudge against Sol and Sun-jae.


 * Ko Tae-jin as Choi Jeong-hoon
 * An employee of the cinema where Im Sol applied for an interview.

Special appearances

 * Park Tae-hwan as himself
 * A swimmer who plans to showcase his swimming skills alongside Sun-jae.


 * Kwon Yu-ri as herself
 * A member of the legendary girl group Girls' Generation.


 * Han Seung-yeon as Radio DJ
 * Lee Soo-ji as Heavenly Granny
 * Kim Min-gi as Park Do-jun

Development
The series was originally published as a web novel on KakaoPage between July and September 2020 written by Kim Bbang. It was later adapted into a webtoon by illustrator Doong Doong, which became available in September 2021.

It is directed by Yoon Jong-ho, who co-directed other popular works such as Guardian: The Lonely and Great God (2016–2017), My Holo Love (2020), and Flower of Evil (2020). It is also written by Lee Shi-eun, who is best known for her work True Beauty (2020–2021).

It was previously titled Time Walking on Memory.

Writer Lee Si-eun stated that the character Im Sol was specifically created with actress Kim Hye-yoon in mind. It was also revealed that the series took a solid three years to produce and was offered to several other actors before the role ultimately went to Byeon Woo-seok.

Casting
On March 28, 2023, reports surfaced stating that Kim Hye-yoon and Byeon Woo-seok were in discussions and actively considering taking the main roles. Their appearance was subsequently confirmed on July 19 by the production team of tvN. On July 27, Song Geon-hee was also confirmed to co-star alongside Kim and Byeon. On the same day, there were reports highlighting that Lee Seung-hyub was in discussions to appear in the drama, and his agency confirmed his participation on July 31. In the following days, it was reported that Yang Hyuk would also be joining the cast.

Filming
Filming began in the second half of 2023.

Lovely Runner: Original Soundtrack
The drama's soundtrack is compiled in a three-part album released by label Stone Music Entertainment on May 28, 2024. CD 1 contain of Eclipse's song, CD 2 contain the drama's theme songs, and CD 3 contain the drama's musical score.

Singles
The following is the track list of singles from Lovely Runner: Original Soundtrack.


 * Part 1


 * Part 2


 * Part 3


 * Part 4


 * Part 5


 * Part 6


 * Part 7


 * Part 8


 * Part 9


 * Part 10

Release
The series was originally scheduled to be broadcast in the second half of 2023; however, it was moved to the first half of 2024 due to the changes in tvN's Monday and Tuesday lineup.

During the CJ ENM Meet & Grow conference on January 18, 2024, tvN officially revealed that the premiere of Lovely Runner was scheduled for April 2024. It was later confirmed that the premiere will take place on April 8, 2024, at 20:50 (KST) and would also be available for streaming on TVING in South Korea, U-Next in Japan, Vidio in Indonesia, and Viki and Viu in selected regions. On July 15, 2024, it was announced that the television series will be available for streaming on Netflix in selected regions, starting from August 1, 2024.

Critical response
Despite its modest viewership ratings, Lovely Runner garnered positive reviews from audiences, contributing significantly to Byeon Woo-seok's rise to stardom and solidifying Kim Hye-yoon's reputation in the industry. Film critic Jeong Deok-hyeon, one of the prominent judge at the prestigious Baeksang Arts Awards, praised Kim for her exceptional acting prowess in her role as Im Sol.

Singapore's national newspaper The Straits Times gave the series four out of five stars, stating that the love story between the characters portrayed by Byeon and Kim was captivating and the "multi-layered" plot got richer and richer with each episode. Time Magazine praised the drama as one of the best K-dramas released in 2024, commending the series for its use of "familiar genres to craft a thrillingly unexpected, continuously moving story experience".

Following the show's breakout success, "Sudden Shower", the song sang by Byeon in the drama as the vocalist of the fictional K-pop boy band Eclipse, entered the Billboard Global 200.