Lovely Runner

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, but his life as a celebrity doesn't go well, especially as he battles depression, ultimately leading up to his unfortunate death when he jumps off a hotel balcony into a pool. • Kim Hye-yoon as Im Sol : A well-liked young woman who gives up her dream of becoming a film director in 2008 when she injures her legs and becomes paralyzed and is a fan of Sun-jae and Eclipse and goes back in time to save him. • Song Geon-hee as Kim Tae-seong : An ulzzang with a flamboyant look. He was the bassist of the band Eclipse in high school, and is a police officer in the present time. Sol had a crush on him 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. • 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 manager. ;People around Tae-seong • Park Yoon-hee as Detective Kim : Tae-seong's father who is a veteran detective with 20 years of experience. • Kim Hwi-gyu as Cha Yi-seul : 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 Sun-jae's self-proclaimed rival. • Kim Hyun-kyu as Choi Hyun-gu : Sun-jae's friend from Jagam High School swimming team. • Jung Kang-hee as Coach Ahn : The coach of the Jagam High School swimming team. • Oh Se-young as Choi Ga-hyun : Tae-seong's ex-girlfriend. ;Others • Heo Hyeong-Gyu as Kim Young-Soo : A taxi driver with a grudge against Sol and Sun-jae. • as Choi Jeong-hoon : An employee of the cinema where Im Sol applies 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 girl group Girls' Generation. • Han Seung-yeon as Radio DJ • as Heavenly Granny • Kim Min-gi as Park Do-jun ==Episodes==

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). 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. In the following days, it was reported that Yang Hyuk would be also joining the cast. ==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 ;Part 1 ;Part 2 ;Part 3 ; Part 4 ; Part 5 ;Part 6 ;Part 7 ;Part 8 ;Part 9 ;Part 10 Chart performance Album Singles ==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. 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". Viewership ==Accolades==

Awards and nominations Honors Listicles ==Notes==