Time Walking on Memory (2024)

Review

Lovely Runner

I have watched this drama, except for the good acting of the players. This story is actually common! I've watched dramas with almost the same plot and scenes. So I just enjoy, for music, I wonder why it can be top 1 on the charts? Even though dramas actually have a lot of music that is more beautiful and makes us reminisce.

Or maybe because it's viral, I don't know but it won't be long before this drama will pass. Not the type of drama that is remembered for a long time.

okay for acting, I like the main characters, both of them synergize with each other. At least it can perfect the story.

Citeste mai mult

Perfect example of a series being carried by a good looking Male lead. Please beware.

I feel so bad. I've reviewed some titles lately and many of them were terrible. The crazy thing is that I've seen some incredible shows lately, yet I've never had the time to review them. The Atypical Family, King the Land, Queen of Tears, and Perfect Marriage Revenge, These are some of the best K-dramas I've ever seen and my personal list for best shows of the past two years. And the reason why I've never written a review for them is cause I'm immediately rewatching my favorite scenes over and over. I go back to reddit and watch the episode recaps and usually I get to see people share the same love and excitement I had for the series.

But when shows don't respect your time and they can be a complete miss, that's when I feel the need to write. Lovely Runner is one of those examples. Despite all the love for the shows above, I could not get away from people recommending Runner or at least including it on a "must watch" list. So let me keep this sort. My verdict is this, it's a poorly written show. It tackles extremely sensitive subjects with juvenile intelligence that doesn't make any sense, given the plot.

The Fl is extremely dim-witted and childish. Which makes no sense given that she's supposed to be approaching her mid 30's. She gets the chance to save a friend but makes it a completely linear goal, void of intelligent thought. With how sensitive suicide has become for it to be a subject in a drama, the approach from this show baffles me. Our FL gets the chance to save her friend, but she can't openly state what the future will be. That's fine. She's actually 30, so she could comfort her friend. Become his friend. Openly talk to him, allow him to express his feelings and learn whatever darkness he has, right? Well, she doesn't do that. Instead, she becomes a 15 year old high school girl with a one way track of thought. She forces the ML to avoid anything to do with his future career. Becomes overprotective with no communication as to why. No character buildup to demonstrate how or why she cares. No chemistry. Do you understand how confusing irritating that can be? So I go online to reddit and I'm relieved to see so many others agreeing with how annoying she is, but also her intelligence. Why do they love each other? There's no clear answer, no writing to explain, no chemistry to show. It's just... bad. If you have ever watch Run On, you'll remember how strange and dimwitted the ML was. This show has the FL equivalent perfectly.

There really isn't much to say beyond that. I mean, the writer does throw in a serial killer and why not? Let's just throw in another trope when the others don't even make sense or help. As for the ML. Well, I'm a straight man, but even I can admit when another man has won the genetic lottery. He is handsome, there's no other way to put it. Has everything. But I've watched many of his past shows, there's a reason he's been playing support for the past decade. He's not a bad actor, I just strongly believe you need something more than a baby face to be a lead. And this guy just doesn't have it.

Suicide is nothing to balk at. It's a tough subject that demands slow caution and careful writing. I'm not suggest the show doesn't respect the subject itself, it just shows that the writer doesn't understand it. Never use it as a plot device when you don't know how to properly approach it, especially in 2024. Along with that, I just can't recommend this show. Dropped.

Citeste mai mult

An unexpected storyline

When I first started this show I expected a storyline where the FL would go back in time to save the ML and help him deal with this mental health problems. However it quickly moved in another direction with numerous time jumps as main storylines, as someone that usually doesn't like this type of drama, I really liked it in this instance.

The only thing I found lacking was that the ML felt a bit one dimensional at times with not a lot of character, besides his shoulder injury there are not really other storylines about him (that don't involve FL or her kidnapping/time jumping)

Citeste mai mult

Your mileage may vary...

This show is very polarizing in the sense that either you really love it or you really hate it. I think I fall squarely in the middle, especially now that some time has passed (it's been a couple of months since I finished it).

I'd suggest to anyone thinking about watching this show not to get sucked into the hype. Watch it with an open mind and no expectations. That's what I did, as I pretty much ignored this while it was airing and even for a while afterwards; I personally don't enjoy stories that feature time travel, I'm not a huge fan of the concept (and honestly watching this drama further cemented why).

It was during a lull between dramas that I finally decided to pick this up, and I pretty much inhaled it over the course of two days. It was just the right amount of fluff I needed at the time, with comedic moments and great chemistry from the cast. The leads really make you believe in the romance, that there really could be a love so strong and so powerful that not even time (and a very persistent serial killer) can do anything to stop it.

But as enough time has passed that I can say that while I enjoyed the bingeing experience of this drama, it will not necessarily hold up for me as time goes on. For me, the greatest draw of Lovely Runner is the charisma of its leads. They embody their roles so well and also play off one other quite well. However, not even they can save a weak script and characterization.

To be honest, I'm getting less and less enamored with crushes/attraction being propped up as "abiding love at first sight." What really does Sunjae see in Sol, and vice versa? How much do they really know about each other? BWS pulls off the pining quite well with his "melo eyes", but what really was there to wait 15 whole years for? KHY is effervescent and bubbly as Sol, but how much does she know about Sunjae to fall for him beyond his being the idol she wanted so desperately to save? Why are they so willing to go so far for each other?

I learned that the webtoon that Lovely Runner is based on didn't have Sol's disability or the killer plotline, and I think that perhaps the show should have stuck to the premise of the original. Especially because the disability erasure left a bad taste in my mouth, and maintaining Sunjae's death as a suicide would have given the show more opportunity to delve into some heavier, more poignant themes and develop the characters a little more.

I didn't like that Sunjae's passion for swimming and the subsequent loss of his career were just waved aside because of this supposed great love for Sol, and I didn't fully understand his relentlessness in trying to save her, especially when she'd rejected him so many times.

And where does Sol's love for directing/filming come from? We don't see any hints of that when she goes back to the past (apart from the video she did for Taesung I guess?). I also would have loved her to spend more time with her family and BFF, especially her grandmother. There just wasn't much else to their characters apart from being squee and in love with each other.

The rest of the cast was sadly underutilized (and in some cases, overutilized *ahem ahem* Imgeum and Hyunjoo, just had to skip over some of their scenes). I understand that it's a romcom and not a family drama and so the main leads are the focus, but that doesn't mean that side characters need to be caricatures either.

And poor Taesung; the actor is so good and so charismatic; I wished we could have seen more of his journey to becoming a police officer. I don't usually get SLS but I wanted more for him than just being the 2ML.

I don't even want to go into the inconsistencies with the fantasy/sci-fi/time-travel elements or how unnecessary the serial killer plotline was. I can only pray that the trend of inserting murder mysteries into romcoms dies in 2024 and we can maybe go back to focusing on character development. That's the strength of romcoms; they don't need to be plot-heavy, it's about watching how the leads grow and how said growth is reflected in their relationship with each other.

Maybe this review isn't very coherent but these are just the thoughts I've been wrestling with since I finished this drama. I suppose I can understand why people like this a lot. I'd even recommend this for anyone looking for something light that doesn't require too much emotional investment.

Citeste mai mult

lighthearted stretched out romance

the show is lighthearted. even at the most 'thrilling' moments, the show doesn't really take itself seriously that way. those moments are a shock value at best.
watch if you want a feel good but mildly complicated mildly funny show. the romance is like high school romance x idol-fan romance. fluffy puppy love?.
plot:
it's nothing new. but some elements in the first episode drew me in. like a fl in a wheelchair. i liked her acting. but this angle wasn't explored much, to my disappointment. All other serious topics like suicide, suicide prevention etc are also conveniently wrapped up, and discarded. TBH, if the first ep wasnt so serious-like i wouldnt have watched the show.
romance is the center in this drama. literally, the side characters' arcs are all over the place. There are many 'twists', that seem very unnecessary. They drag the show on and make it very tiring. i feel like the show could've been a lot more crisp.
similarity with extraordinary you:
KHY's character, IS is the heavy lifter of the show. she's running around and doing all of the 'stuff'. others just exist or show up in the nick of time. The tunnel focus on the romance is also similar in nature. There's also no villain per say.
that is why I feel like the target audience of the show must be younger people. like middle schoolers. the pining nature of the romance, the stretched out length, slight sprinkle of danger, whiny dialogue delivery (much to my chagrin). yaah.
nature of romance:
since romance is the centre point, i feel like it deserves a section. Both fl and ml are really into each other. They have good chemistry. I didnt find any glaring problematic sequences of mistreatment or abuse. The ml is green flag. The poor chap is clueless all the time, yet he figures what the fl is upto just by observing her. He's into her that much. They both put the other before themselves, so it checks out. The theme / flavour of romance changes according to the setting. idol x fan, next door neighbor, school sweethearts, longtime flame. Highlights a 'against all odds approach' . "No matter what the situation or stakes, my choice shall be the same". It was heartwarming to watch.
honorable mentions:
Tae song, his arc changes quite a bit. not explored much
In Hyuk, ultimate wingman.
Grandma, attempt of writers to make sense the 'twists'.

If you liked extraordinary you i think you will like this too. Dont go in expecting something serious. Its all just very lighthearted. not serious at all.

Citeste mai mult

Good but not great

First off, I really love all the actors. Byeon Woo Soek has solidified his place as an A list actor in Korea. I first saw him in Record of Youth but this role is where he really shined. He has come a long way.

I have to say, I did not like the script. I hated the back and forth so many times and just couldn’t keep up.

The music was fantastic. “Rain Shower” is so beautiful. And!!!!! “A Day” by my favorite group (Ateez) member Jongo!! So great!

Also, it was funny how the “bromance” reminded me of True Beauty. I really liked the other guy and also her brother and family!

It took me forever to get through this series but I’m glad I did. As for time travel though, I prefer Twinkling Watermelon.

Citeste mai mult

Started off great, ended up disappointed

Initially, I thought this kdrama would be a refreshing story about depression, disability, and fate. But of course, it ended up being just another kdrama with a meaningless serial killer driving the plot. Honestly, the serial killer is my biggest gripe about this series. He's a nobody antagonist who came out of nowhere with a grudge against the leads for no reason. They spent zero time fleshing him out, with no mention of his motivations, backstory, challenges, nothing. He's simply a plot device driving the couple apart and back together. Not to mention how they quickly killed him off at the end and then boom happy ending everyone's happy. However, Im Sol and Seon Jae were delightful to watch, and their chemistry was amazing. The comedic moments were well executed, and their story was touching. But I can't help but feel the story could have been so much more. If they had followed through with their setup: a story about a disabled woman and a depressed idol, where she goes back in time to save him from himself, the story would have been so much more impactful. I really don't like how they just discarded those plots. All of Im Sol's struggles with her disability and Seon jae's struggles with burnout and fame are just thrown out the window in favor of a generic serial killing taxi driver. If I rewatch this, it will be for the couple and the comedy aspect, because the plot really disappointed me.

Citeste mai mult

Personal Feedback

I'll start with the actors — The actors did a really great job portraying their characters. It's like it was made especially for them to act. From the female lead crying and acting tough and the male lead acting like an idol, swimmer, etc.., to the antagonists annoying the hell out of me. Bonus point to that is the chemistry of everyone.

For the plot — I have seen other K-Drama with the same "time-traveling" plot, but this one added some twist & turns on it. It kept me on edge until the end. Usually, when I watch K-Drama, I skip 1/4 of its scenes as there are of course awkward and cringey scenes but this one, if you're into sweet, kind-of childish couple, you would find yourself watching almost every part of it without skipping.

Finally, for the storyline — Of course, this isn't a perfect one. You would still find holes in the story such as "why is the grandma like this" or "why is the watch the "portal"" but I guess that might get answered by the Season 2.

Overall, it's not a new concept of K-Drama, but it does deserve the hype.

Citeste mai mult