Lovely Runner (Korean: 선재 업고 튀어) 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 every Monday and Tuesday at 20:50 (KST) from April 8 to May 28, 2024. 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.
Contents
Synopsis
In the world of stardom, Ryu Sun-jae shines as a top-tier celebrity whose life, despite its public facade, is marred by exhaustion. Im Sol, an ardent admirer of Sun-jae, finds solace in his music after an accident in her teenage years derailed her dreams.
When news breaks of Sun-jae's tragic death, Sol is devastated and is transported to fifteen years into the past, in 2008, when they were both 19-year-old high school students. Seeing this as a chance from heaven, Sol vows to change the course of destiny for both of them while challenging their past.
Cast and characters
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 of the band Eclipse and actor.
Kim Hye-yoon as Im Sol
Letting go of her dreams of becoming a film director after an accident in 2008, she becomes an ardent fan of Sun-jae and Eclipse after finding solace in his words.
Song Geon-hee as Kim Tae-seong
An ulzzang with a flamboyant look. He was the bassist of the band Eclipse in high school.
Supporting
People around Sol
Jung Young-joo as Park Bok-soon
Sol's resilient single mother. She manages a struggling DVD store while raising her two children and caring for her elderly mother.
Seong Byeong-suk as Jung Mal-ja
Sol's warm-hearted and wise grandmother.
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 who is bold, sharp, and stubborn.
People around Sun-jae
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.
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-seong
Park Yoon-hee as Detective Kim
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 girl group Girls' Generation.
Han Seung-yeon as Radio DJ
Lee Soo-ji as Heavenly Granny
Kim Min-gi as Park Do-jun
Production
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 Si-eun, who is best known for her work True Beauty (2020–2021).
It was previously titled Time Walking on Memory (기억을 걷는 시간; Gieogeul geonneun sigan).
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 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 lead 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 be also joining the cast.
Filming
Filming began in the second half of 2023.
Original soundtrack
Album
The drama's soundtrack is compiled in a three-part album released by label Stone Music Entertainment on May 28, 2024. CD 1 contains Eclipse's song, CD 2 contains the drama's theme songs, and CD 3 contains the drama's musical score.
Singles
The following is the track list of singles from Lovely Runner: Original Soundtrack.
Release
The series was originally scheduled to be broadcast in the second half of 2023, but 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 confirmed that Lovely Runner was scheduled for April 2024. The series premiered on April 8, 2024. It was also 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 series would also be available for streaming on Netflix in selected regions, starting from August 1, 2024.
Reception
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 Jung Duk-hyun, one of the prominent judges 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".