Time Walking on Memory (2024)

A Green Forest Kdrama

This is undoubtedly my favorite kdrama of all time!

I had started this unexpectedly because the plot was something which is not everyone's cup of tea and I really liked KHY and BWS as actors so gave it a go. And ngl I was seated from 1st ep to the 16th one with rewatching each ep after it aired. It was also surprising to see a drama do well with next to zero promotional activities.

This drama had all tropes like time travel, love at first sight, friends to lovers, enemies to lovers, comedy, bromance and what not. It was hard to bring all these together, but the director and the writer did a fabulous job portray it wonderfully. Even the 3 timelines shown were also beautifully put together. The acting was top notch from everyone and this drama had one of the green flag SML. The OST's are also so good that I listen to it almost everyday.

The chemistry here is one of the best I've ever seen. The way KHY and BWS portrayed sol and sunjae I don't think any other actor could have done it like them. They made me laugh, cry, gave me so many butterflies and made me stuck with them in this joyful ride together. For me they've become the best on screen couples of all time.

This drama had everything in it that captivated the viewers hearts from the beginning. It made my 2 months so wholesome that it'll forever remain in my heart. It'll be hard to get over this masterpiece but till then I'm gonna just rewatch the eps or else I'll miss each monday and tuesday from now on.

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They saved each other

I really enjoy time-travel dramas and have seen quite a bit of them. Lovely Runner doesn't really do anything new that comes to mind or stand out, but I don't think it has to. Very few things are truly unique these days. As long as it's enjoyable to watch, it doesn't really matter. I fall into the group of people who really enjoyed this series.

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● SHORT REVIEW
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LIKES:
-- Characters were very likable to me
-- Story had layers and complexities
-- Lots of emotional moments but also lots of cute moments


DISLIKES:
-- Vague time travel rules and hardly any explanation for magic watch
-- Drunk kiss and forgotten confession
-- We know very little about the villain


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● IN-DEPT REVIEW
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[ --STORY/PLOT-- ]

So the first comparison that came to mind when I was watching this series was "Someday or One Day", another time travel series that I really love for its depth, layers and complexities. "Lovely Runner" is similar in that it's also has layers to it. The time travel aspect is also not as straightforward as just going back in time, completing a mission, and then going back to the present where everything is fixed. It's trial and error, and that's part of why love these complex time-travel stories. I like the characters attempting to fix things but never truly knowing if the thing they tried work until they return to present time. In this case, with every timeline, Im Sol tries to avoid Seon Jae more and more because it is his involvement with her that gets him killed later. Is it her fault though? No. It's not her fault that she got targeted by a serial killer who becomes obsessed with them both when they are the reason he is caught.

In a lot of the series I watch, there is usually some object that is the trigger for the time travel. In this one, it's our ML's watch. But why can it do that? What sorcery is dictating how much information Im Sol can tell the other characters in the past? Why does this time deity want her to save Seon Jae? Is he the chosen one? Do other magical watches exists in this universe? If not, why? We will never know. But I guess, plot-wise, none of that is important. In every timeline, Seon Jae always ends up trying to save Im Sol and getting targeted by the serial killer. In order to save our male lead, she has to prevent him from saving her. It's a bit of a circle and ultimately, she finds that the only way is to keep him out of her life. But the universe seems to always favor Seon Jae and he ends up in her life anyway and falling for her once again. He must have accumulated a lot of merits in his past life or something. Obviously, the great time god really wants Seon Jae to live cause why else would Im Sol be given so many chances to save him. And it's obvious that it is inevitable that they meet, and Seon Jae will fall in love all over again. So I feel like this digital watch deity could've just skipped all the trouble of Im Sol time traveling and just remove the killer from history to skip all the unnecessary steps. Surely a time god can do that, right? Right? No? Oh. xD

With time-travel, there is also an element of fate. You can change the events that happen, but ultimately, some things are fated to happen. And some people will forever be connected by the red thread of fate. Regardless of how much she tries to avoid it, they always meet again and Seon Jae always end up falling for Im Sol. Like, Fate is always rooting for them. There is a moment in this series where our male lead gets back his memories (kind of reminds me of "The Legend of the Blue Sea") from the alternate timelines that were changed. Again, what magical force is at work and why do they love Seon Jae so much? xD Jest aside, the reason they give is that memories are never truly erased, they just get buried deep in our soul... or something like that. I can't remember the exact phrasing Grandma gave but that was the vibe of it. Now I can't help but wonder if all my feelings of deja vu in my life was because someone was messing with time.

Anyway, let me share my thoughts on each character below.

[ --Thoughts on Characters-- ]

Im Sol - At first, I thought she was just going to be just another clumsy, ditzy girl that did nothing but get in the male lead's way but I found her very likable and relatable. Was she perfect? Of course not. There were definitely moments where I felt she could come up with better excuses/lies to explain herself or made slightly different choices. However, overall, for the major decisions, her choices were fine/reasonable. I watched this on Viki and a lot of the timed comments I saw was about her being annoying. Most of that annoyance came from her causing our handsome male lead Seon Jae some heartaches. Personally, I think her choices regarding him were rational given the circumstances, what she knew, and that her goal was to make sure he doesn't die. Her goal wasn't to date him. I get it, he's a sweet puppy and it sucks for him sometimes, but that doesn't mean Im Sol did anything wrong. Another thing I read a lot was people saying she is spending a lot of effort chasing a celebrity crush. To that, I say sure... but he's also a guy that saved her life in a dark moment of her life. Words can hold a lot of power and Seon Jae's words of encourage gave her the strength to keep living. And I'm sure that is relatable to a significant number of idol stans out there. Im Sol is trying to save the person who save her. Let's not minimalize that to a mere crush. If I had the chance to save a life that greatly impacted me, I would take it. In all, I think she's pretty selfless and cute.

Seon Jae - So when I first started watching this series, my expectation was that he would slowly fall for Im Sol over time. However, it is established pretty quickly that he was already crushing on her waaay before she even took notice of him. I find it somewhat endearing how he tries to act so cool in front of her but is really just a lovesick puppy. I think the scenes that stand out in my mind is when Im Sol is making the stupid puns and he has to turn to hide his smiles because she knows his humor so well. I also like that Seon Jae was shown to be adaptable. He is a swimmer who was forced to give up that dream due to a shoulder injury. Instead of dwelling on it, he moved on and helped those around him move on. Even when he was given the chance to do rehab, he chose not to after realizing his enthusiasm for the sport is no longer there. And that's just how life can be sometimes. It's a really down to earth and relatable story for an athlete. Or anyone really. He, like Im Sol, also pretty selfless and cute.

Tae Sung - What I really loved about Tae Sung is that he never truly forced anything and never became an annoying third wheel. He always seems pretty honest and respected her feelings. There was small moments of animosity between him and our male lead, but it was never truly anything serious. I'm glad they were able to remain friends in the newest timeline. I'm also glad he mended his relationship with is father and ended also being a cop.

Everyone Else - I don't have much to say about everyone else and this is already super long, so I will just condense them altogether. One of the emotional moments for me was when Seon Jae and his dad were talking after his dad found about his son's shoulder injury. Both were emotional and I could feel it. It was a heartfelt moment that stood out to me. Similarly, Im Sol learning her mom had been sick but never told her. It's hard to find out when a family member is hiding a illness so you don't worry, especially when you misunderstood before.

I wasn't super invested in Im Sol's brother and her best friend love story. A lot of it was comedic moments and I just didn't feel like there was enough time or dept invested in their story for me to feel any kind of way. I'm glad they are happy, they are cute together, and they have cute kids, but I wish their story was fleshed out some more or taken more seriously. Same with Grandma. I want to know more about her and her time-traveling adventures. In all, it would've been nice to see more family moments. But I also get that this isn't like "Twinkling Watermelon" where family is the focus of the story. The serial killer was also another character that we did not know much about despite being an important factor in the story. He was merely a plot device and nothing more. All I learned of his obsessive stalking of our lead was that he was a vengeful person and wanted to kill the witness that put him in jail.

And then there was Eclipse. Love the band. Liked their music. 10/10 would stan. I don't really have much to say about the band members other than In Hyuk. In Hyuk seems like he kind of resented our female lead in some parts and I get it. She caused our male lead a lot of trouble, so it makes sense that as the best friend of Seon Jae, he would kind of be annoyed his friend keeps going after her. I always like it in series when best friends also become friends with the love interest even if it's just a bickering relationship. In Hyuk also did get his only little story when he temporarily quit the band that resulted in some fun times at the ocean, but overall he wasn't super involved in the overall plot either and I wish we got to see more band interactions in general.

[ --Closing Thoughts-- ]

Again, I thought this was a cute series with some layers and depths to it. And basically, this is a story of two people trying to save each other. He's her hero and she is his heroine. I don't really have much to say about the casts other than that I enjoyed their performances. I smiled at the cute/funny moments and I got teary eyes during the emotional ones so I think they did good. I also don't think it's overrated or underrated. It is the hype level that it is. I don't like to say something is over or under hyped because there is always a reason for the level of hype something gets. Whether we agree or understand it doesn't mean it's not deserved or is unworthy. To me, that is reminiscent of a sore loser's mentality. Criticism is fine, but let's not insult others' standards/taste. We are better than that. I've seen a lot of series where the rating doesn't reflect my own feeling about it, but my thought wasn't "Wow, everyone else is wrong, shallow, or high." We are just looking for different things.

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● NOTE
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I'll always conclude my review by saying that ratings and reviews are not really a indicator of whether you may enjoy something. We all have different criteria and standards. Don't let a bad rating, review, or comment discourage you from watching something. My advice will always be to give something a chance if the premise interests you, and only use the ratings/reviews to determine priority if you have a list, or if you're deciding if you want to continue it due to time limitations.

♥ Thanks reading my review! Feel free to comment or hit me up if you want to discuss anything ♥

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The K-drama of the Year! 10+++

What makes this rom-com THE BEST of its genre is its just oh so nostalgic and real chemistry. This rom-com is a MUST watch. I think it's as good as Crash Landing on You. Queen of Tears is also good, but it has too much vengeful conflicts and repetitions. This is a true nostalgic rom-com ... This couple is natural - doesn't feel like forced/acting as shown in the QofTears' couple.

1) The main leads have chemistry. The way they look at each other ... the way they enhance each others' appealing qualities. Everything just works for them. Regardless of budget, famous actors, plot, etc ... if the actors don't have chemistry, the drama fails. This couple - not the most handsome and beautiful - has the best chemistry and charms. And they bring out the best in each other. The director gives enough time for the couple to develop chemistry.

2) The plot - ok typical time travel plot - but it's so nostalgic and the filming of the past looks so retro and pretty. The director knows how to make the audience feel nostalgic. The filming of the rainbow scene, for example. So beautiful and cute to watch! And the use of colors in the retro scenes - so perfect ... her yellow umbrella and his blue umbrella - so beautiful and symbolic.

3) The humor - classic irony and just typical humor that makes you laugh - it's old but whatever works! The humor just has its classic charms. I couldn't help but laughed out loud A LOT throughout the 16 episodes... Humor doesn't have to be sophisticated, it just has to fit the situation.

4) The suspense - you really root for the couple because they are so believable. The key is the director and chemistry make you care for them. This is what makes a good crime drama ... not showing everything ... physical abuse and violence are so trendy right now because it's easy! In a rom-com, it would be too much to mix in physical violence. I think this was executed perfectly by the director.

5) The poetic justice - the resolution at the end just ties everything up nicely. He got what he would have given his victims. This is the perfect ending that cinched the deal.


After all the disappointments in K drama this year, this drama is a redemption ... It makes me want to watch K drama again. It has all the classic elements: the humor, the time travel, the suspense, the chemistry, the good actors, the good plot, etc.. what it doesn't have is the abusive relationships and predictable stories that started creeping up everywhere starting last year (after the glory)!

I didn't know both lead actors when I first saw episode 1. Not knowing what to expect, I was very patient to watch ep 1. I think the lead actress makes this story so interesting! The way she acts is so perfect for this role. She makes it funny without being too overacting. This story was written for her.

The main leads have chemistry.
The story has logic and every time she travels, it changes accordingly.

Highly recommend this drama. If you haven't seen her in Extraordinary You (2019), she acted similarly and made that story interesting too. But the plot was too repetitive!

Wow ... such an amazing ending to the story. I really love how grandma says it: "Where do you think memories of what I see, listen, and feel in my life go? ... They are all smeared into my soul."

Episode 1:
The reality version 0 - she is crippled. He met her in high school and feel for her but she didn't even know about him. They "met" later through a radio talk show. He impressed her with his sincerity and encouragement. She became his fan. She went to his concert ...
The person to watch is the grandma: actually, in the first ep, the grandma already hinted at the ending when she puts the red dot makeup on Sol. Korean brides wear these on their faces.

Episode 2:
He was killed by the crazy taxi driver ... she became heart-broken and time-traveled to the past by using his watch. It's a crazy and funny ride until the end from here on.

.... fixing the past to get a better future ....

Episode 15:
New Reality: You kind of know where the ending is heading ... He didn't get killed but the taxi driver did.

Episode 16:
This is the first time I can see that a rom-com made it entertaining until the end. It's so funny!
Grandma threw away the watch. So it hinted that she time-traveled. Also, when she came back to hold SJ's hand after the birthday party, he cried as if he remembers her suddenly. So she did something ... I think that would be an interesting story to see how she was able to change the past!

Poetic Justice: the bad ends up in the scenario for his victims!

Why this rom-com is SO WORTH watching? and re-watching?
I haven't seen a rom-com where the entire 16 episodes were worth watching ... even to the last few scenes! So entertaining and funny! The FL actress is so versatile. You can see her eyes can be shy, gentle, and funny ... but when she glares, she can also be a toughie!
The combination of the leads actor and actress is a winner. I think I read somewhere that she brings out the charming quality in him. This is totally right ... the contrast in height, size, and personalities adds charm to his personality.

Will there be a sequel??
I think the ending is open so there is a chance.
A few things to note:
The ending is filmed in a dreamy sequence with soft focus filter and the wedding has no one attending ... the whole thing looks like a dream ... so is it real?
Sol also said that "let's be with each other even in our dreams" ...

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Nhẹ nhàng, sâu lắng, ướt gối

Một câu chuyện tuy nhẹ nhàng nhưng lại sâu lắng bởi sự giản đơn trong tình yêu tuổi học trò. Cả hai đều đã cứu lấy cuộc đời đầy bất hạnh của nhau để rồi va vào nhau thêm một lần nữa. Định mệnh như đã sắp đặt cho cả 2 cố gắng để vượt qua bao hi sinh mà đến với nhau. Thật sự một bộ phim đã lấy của tôi đi bao nhiêu nước mắt với đủ đầy những cảm xúc tình yêu mà ta có thể nhận được. Không chỉ đơn thuần là đu Idol thành công, mà còn là bài học về sự trân trọng từng khoảnh khắc trong cuộc sống này, rằng chẳng có ai biết được mình "chỉ còn 15 năm" hay tiếp tục mãi. Hãy sống như thể chúng ta sợ ngày mai sẽ lại tới, rằng hãy còn sống thì còn tin rằng mọi chuyện rồi sẽ ổn thôi. Từng khoảnh khắc của bộ phim như thắt lại từng tâm hồn đang vụn vỡ.
Phản ứng hóa học của 2 nhân vật chính đã khiến những phân cảnh dù buồn hay vui đều bùng nổ được cảm xúc. Tuy phần giữa phim có hơi dài dòng về cách kể chuyện nhưng với một bộ phim dài tập thì đây lại là khoảng nghỉ cho một bữa tiệc cảm xúc mà bộ phim đem lại. Để rồi khi xem xong bộ phim ta lại đặt ra rất nhiều suy nghĩ trong thâm tâm. Liệu rằng hạnh phúc có phải nhất thiết là đánh đổi đi tình yêu định mệnh của đời mình ? Để rồi, anh lại thích em thêm một lần nữa, ở một dòng thời gian khác...

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Gostei de Lovely Runner? sim! queria ter gostado mais? sim tbm!!

Talvez meu grande problema com Lovely Runner tenha sido a quantidade de furos de roteiro que são muito evidentes, sabe? Acabou o drama e eu fiquei com várias duvidas que não foram tiradas. Além disso, o vilão é sem sal e terrivelmente mal escrito, o que me irritou bastante. Mas se você ignorar esses fatos, provavelmente você vai aproveitar muito mais do que eu!

O ponto alto pra mim, e que, acredito eu, que foi um dos motivos dessa história ter tanto sucesso, foi o casal principal, que entregou muita química. Ainda assim eu tenho algumas ressalvas em relação a protagonista feminina (não em relação a atriz, mas em relação a personagem em si), mas eu acho que é algo mais pessoal meu do que num geral.

Como uma grande apreciadora de OSTs não poderia deixar de falar que eles serviram muito, e até me arrisco a dizer que foram as melhores do ano ("Spring Snow" na minha casa você sempre será famosa!!)

Resumindo: É um drama gostosinho, divertido, com um plot legal, mas infelizmente mal desenvolvido.

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particularmente, achei a história diferente dos dramas que eu já assisti, apesar de o romance ser um pouquinho absurdo demais para o meu gosto.
foi muito legal acompanhar enquanto lançava porque os primeiros episódios acabavam sempre de forma interessante, mas conforme chegou na fase final (a partir do ep. 12) ficou mais lento e repetitivo, o que me fez terminar um pouquinho forçada pois já estava cansada da história. o plot final foi resolvido bem corrido, poderia ter sido melhor desenvolvido.
visualmente achei tudo tão fofo e cozy, e fiquei viciada na OST por algumas semanas, é bem divertida

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Just a recent viewer trying to balance out the hate

I haven't written a review in a while. But then again, I haven't watched such an addictive drama in a while. The kind that you can see yourself going back to every as some kind of annual rewatching festival (such dramas pop up once every five years or so). And if anyone knows me, they know that I can't help writing a review for a drama I fell in love with. And I definitely fell for this one. Hard.

As someone who watched Dark recently, I have to say that no time travel plotline would manage to surprise me anymore. Once you watch Dark, you've watched everything time-travel genre has to offer. But Lovely Runner is not about time travel. It's about love. Time travel is merely a plot device to keep things going. The true heart of this beautiful drama lies in its wonderful characters, its unforgettable male lead and its hilarious female lead. She is one of those rare actresses who can make a cutesy character funny and not cringe. And can we talk about how many actors whose careers she has kicked to hallyu level (Rowoon, Lee Jae Wook and Byun Woo Seok being a few examples). She's extremely talented and deserves all the praise in the world.

Coming to Sun Jae. This character is definitely everyone's internet boyfriend right now and for good reason. He has the most pure love, the most beautiful heart and not to mention the cutest reactions to everything Sol does. He is definitely the cause of all those nights in the future when we are binge-watching this drama like crazy.

They use all the romantic cliches in this drama but definitely give a 2024 touch to it (or should I say 2009 touch? LOL). You will find no red flags here. The SML was awesome and I haven't enjoyed a love triangle this much in a long time.

I know many people are concerned with loopholes in the story but that happens in almost every time travel story if you ask me. A lot can happen and a lot is left to interpretation (her grandmother, the killer's motive etc). But honestly, if you ask me, I feel that they give you enough hint about everything and leave a bit to your imagination (which isn't necessarily a bad thing; I mean it's not like they forgot to tell you who she ends up marrying in the end (you know what drama I'm talking about lol)).

The music is to die for, Definitely ringtone material and more.

You can love this drama or hate it, but you can take it from me that this is going to be the most relevant 2020s drama in the future decades (and for good reason).

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Best drama of 2024

This was an amazing drama which brought out all the butterflies of kdramas 🥰🥰🥰. love the main leads and the music. loved the story as well even though there were some loopholes. I rewatched this like thrice already and can’t recommend this more!

whatever I was missing in the recent kdramas, I got it all on this one. this was the first drama of both the leads that I watched and it didn’t disappoint. this had everything - story, romance, laughs, heartbreaks… u name it…

What I don’t understand is the comparison between LR and one other drama which was a totally different story altogether! I guess some fans are salty because of the success of LR!

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“Run into your Unknown”

Yes, this is the best kdrama you will ever watch.

I don’t even know where to begin because this show has literally EVERYTHING! You want romance? They got it. Comedy? They got it. Drama? You best believe they got it. Fantasy, Mystery, and Thriller? Of course!


I’m writing this week before the show ends, hoping I can take my time to review everything I love about this show and why I think the show is a must-watch! The first thing that I should mention is that there is a familiarity when it comes to Lovely Runner from your favorite kdramas, such as Twinkling Watermelon, Strong Woman Do Bong Song, 20th Century Girl, Twenty-Five Twenty-One, and My Lovely Stranger. Yet, besides all of that, this show is very different. It’s nothing like the shows I mentioned. I don’t want to give much away since this is a spoiler-free review, but it’s safe to say there’s a lot of familiarity with the show, BUT there is also a lot of originality. The Twist and Turns… When I say this show is unpredictable, I genuinely mean it. When I tell you I did not expect a reveal so soon at the end of the 2nd episode, I knew that this show would continue blowing my expectations; I was not wrong. Every week, this show continued to surprise us in the best way possible. For a Romantic Comedy with Fantasy and thriller, the show thrives in everything! I have watched many dramas, and what feels like forever, it truly feels like you’re watching true love. What Imsol and Sunjae have feels and looks natural. When I watch each episode, I feel like I’m watching these two people fall in love repeatedly. It makes me all giddy inside as the two try desperately to hold on to each other. 

Speaking of Imsol and Sunjae, let's speak about the beautiful actors who portray them. Kim Hye-Yoon, THE WOMAN YOU ARE! I've actually been following this show since it was announced because of Hye-Yoon. I'm a big fan of her and happy to see her get the recognition she deserves since I believe she is one of the best actors I have ever seen (watch her in Sky Castle; there's no better example). Hye-Yoon always gives it her all and works endlessly to provide us with the best results. I mean, the fact I could tell which Imsol she was playing, I think, says it all. This girl has RANGE. Hye-Yoon plays Imsol with so much love, as someone once commented, "The person who loved Seonjae more than anyone else and understood Imsol more than anyone else was Kim Hye-yoon." Not to mention, this show would not have existed without her. She is the reason why we have this fantastic show to watch. For apparent reasons, I think a lot of the spotlight is more on Byeon Woo-Seok. Still, I hope Hye-Yoon doesn't get forgotten when this is all done and shines as much as him because she deserves it. 

Now Woo-Seok, I've been a fan of him since 20th Century Girl. I'd seen his work before the movie, and he always stood out to me with his acting; maybe his height helped a little, too. I genuinely appreciate Wook-Seok for bringing to life a character that feels fresh and exciting to watch. When I say, his portrayal of Sunjae being the GREENEST FLAG THERE IS, I'm not kidding. He indeed wears his heart on his sleeves, and with his facile expression, he is easy to read. Something to mention is that these two actors have to play teenagers, young adults, and adults, which is already impressive. The two perfectly play the awkward years and the maturing times. The two both play their character with love and innocence with a little of a rough side. 

As I currently listen to the music on repeat, yes, on repeat, because the soundtrack is that good. It evokes emotions that remind me of everything I love about this show. The young love that lasts through the years, the heartbreak, the joy, and the anticipation. It's hard to put everything I feel through words as I try to write, but I want to mention that I love every song dearly, and they share a core memory. A memory I hope to not forget.

So, in conclusion… yes, I highly recommend this show!!! Now go watch!!!

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