Byeon Woo Seok and Kim Hye Yoon Lovely Runner – Behind the scenes (Ep. 12)

[contains spoilers]

I'm an eternal digger of good narrative techniques. A decent story becomes great in my eyes if the narrative is done right. And it's one of the hardest things to do really, since there's no one-size-fits-all rule for what technique works well with a particular story and what doesn't. One of the primary reasons I keep obsessing over Lovely Runner is its' narrative technique. In all honesty, if it had a linear, singular narrative, I would not be hyperventilating over it on a constant basis (I still would just a certain amount, because both Byeon Woo Seok and Kim Hye Yoon deserve awards for what they are doing). One reason it has managed to knock it out off the park and take the top spot in my forever-favorite list is how wonderfully well the narrative is done.

The primary perspective used in this show is Im Sol's. It's through her we're introduced to the story. Her perspective gives shape to the plot, the characters, because we learn things through her. Her perspective is absolutely critical for exposition. Without her thoughts and way of viewing things, you would never realize why saving Seon Jae means so much to her, or why she would bend the rules and bulldoze ahead when it comes to his safety (exhibit A, her leaving home on the day of the accident, despite knowing about her fate). She'd rather have him alive than have him in her life. Without her narrative, you'd think it's really all about a fan saving her idol (thanks to everyone who'd rejected the script listening to that pitch by the way, I'm grateful we have BWS and KHY as the leads because of that, I would not change it for anyone else). With Im Sol's perspective, you realize, she is not just a fan: she's an ardent admirer, a cheerleader, a well-wisher, a protector, an invisible friend trying to support her friend any way she can, someone who respects Seon Jae, sees him as an idol but also as a human, someone who wants to give back to him the same kindness, empathy and love she had once received from him over a radio call. To her, Seon Jae is first a guardian angel and then an idol, the angel who changed her view of life, made her appreciate things even amidst all that could be wrong with the world and her life. He saved her. Not just on that day at the hospital but every time she struggled and faltered since then, he was there, as invisible as it may have been. So this time, she wants to save him, no matter the price.

Then comes Seon Jae. Oof. If Im Sol's perspective gives the story its beautiful, beautiful shape, Seon Jae's perspective breathes literal life in to the body of the story. The show wouldn't be what it is today if not for his perspective. Without his view into things, Im Sol appears as a fangirl going to extreme measures to save her idol, clinging onto him like a monkey (yes I mean the poster) embarrassing the heck out of herself, making you cringe (in a good, enjoyable way) throughout. Then you reach the end of episode 2 and it knocks the breath out of you because WHAT DO YOU EVEN MEAN. It all clicks.

All this while we kept thinking Seon Jae was caught off guard and just kind enough to tolerate her antics, and maybe he'd slowly fall for her now, only to realize we were completely oblivious to a whole different side of the story. If Im Sol's narrative draws you in and keeps you hooked, making you root for her to succeed, it's Seon Jae's narrative that makes you irredeemably fall in love with them and sincerely, genuinely, desperately hope they get their happy ending together after all the storm.

And the motifs. Walking/running, for instance. I'll focus on just one scene here. I recall seeing a bts where KHY is discussing the OG 2008 accident scene, and it explains how she has to slow down, while running away, for just a moment, only to be hit by the taxi driver. Have you ever been in a situation of absolute panic, desperation and stress, then suddenly found a familiar face or a name or a thing you could connect to, and felt a wave of relief rush through you? She sees Seon Jae, a person who is calling out her name. Even if she didn't know him back then, the fact that he knew her (and that he had his uniform on), gives her a sense of safety she badly needed that moment. That momentary relief, so visible in her features, then overtakes the crippling fear she felt running in the middle of nowhere with no one in sight in the dead of the night. Her body, already exhausted beyond anything, responds to the relief she feels for those few seconds, slowing down her steps.

And that is when she is caught off-guard and hit. That also might have added to Im Sol's anger at the hospital when she is screaming at Seon Jae, her internal anguish that if only she had not paused seeing Seon Jae, and kept on running, then maybe she wouldn't be hit, wouldn't fall, wouldn't lose her ability to walk. It's one thing to have tropes and symbolic things, but it's a very different thing to know how to use them effectively so they elicit very specific types of emotions/reactions out of people. Lovely Runner excels in that. All kdramas more or less have 'things' that take on different meanings for the couples/viewers. It's the way motifs are used to narrate the story in this one that has me going back over and over again to all the episodes aired so far. These are not just their 'things', these are 'things' that drive the plot forward, tell you about their characters, their personal motivations, what they mean to each other and so much more.

This is getting longer that I intended it to be so will end with this. I feel valued when watching Lovely Runner. And I've seen people saying the same thing. It feels like they respect your critical thinking skills, and your ability to infer, so they don't spoon-feed you everything from the get-go, and you can't predict much despite it being primarily a rom-com. You'd be pulling your hair out (again, in a good way) trying to figure out what they will show next, and you will be somewhat or very far from the truth, which will compel you to think further about the story, the characters, long after an episode has aired...I can't remember the last time it happened with a drama. I love this storytelling.

These four dramatic clowns deserve to be in the same family idc

I really have no objections to the best friend and Sol's brother dating. I know most people find the brother annoying and the couple boring. And I know a lot wanted the friend with Sunjae's bestie. It would've been cute, ngl, but at the end of the day we got what we got and if that was the price to pay in return for such a perfect main couple, you'd hear no complaints from me.

Plus, they kinda fit each other lol

Never let your tiny gf overheat or she could malfunction. lol

LOVELY RUNNER // EP. 12

Regarding the guest room confession scene from episode 12, how do you think their night ended? The way the camera panned out from the window while they were kissing left the rest of their night open to interpretation. I've been reading a lot of interpretations online and would like to know yours!

hi, anon!

i think what was so beautiful about the camera widening out towards the window as they kissed was how it left room for so many possible subtle implications.

i'm a poet; it's in my nature to inhabit a thousand possible universes — and so i imagined a million different things.

the "blue estuaries" of imagination create infinite space — you can fill them with so many scenarios. maybe they simply stayed up all night talking to each other, lost in each other's gaze; rapt by the speech of each other's skin.

maybe they held each other till morning, committing touch to precise memory — measuring each eyelash, each glistening strand of hair.

maybe sunjae told sol everything he would do till he met her in the future, the dreams he would keep safe in his pocket until her hand would rediscover them, fifteen years later.

maybe sol, knowing this to be her last night with sunjae before she has to let him go, asked him to sing for her — the roses of his voice kept fresh in her memory.

maybe they did sleep together in the full sense of the word — learnt each other's bodies by heart: mapped the errant mole, the fading scar, kissed the tan lines and knuckles.

love's rooms are silent until you enter them for yourself — who can say for sure what they heard inside?

there are a hundred different intimacies to be had. maybe they shared them all. :)

Ok Woo Seok needs to stop with the smitten eyes and adorable smile every time he looks at Hye Yoon because I can't handle it.

They're so cute 😍

THIS IS SO BEAUTIFUL. LOOK AT THEM BEING HAPPY TOGETHER. PLS GIVE THEM HAPPIEST ENDING 😭

Byeon Woo Seok and Kim Hye Yoon Lovely Runner – Behind the scenes (Ep. 12)

lovely runner really has some magic that makes you fall in love with every single episode

we get happy, loving scenes, youth vibes, insane chemistry between the main couple and scenes that are actually funny! i am sure all of us who are watching lovely runner will place it in top 5 kdramas of 2024

You know what, this scene reminds me a lot of another romcom-fantasy classic, Strong Woman Do BongSoon. That one where Min-Hyuk was all like "Please love me" and BongSoon was all teary eyed saying "I already do". This scene here, held the same amount of intimacy and romance imo.

Saying I like you after someone said I love you? Awkward. Ouchie. You're not meant to be. But saying I love you to I like you? Now, that's like a dare. Like, I care this much, can you reach my level? I'm gonna wait for you, so reach it hahahaha I loved it.

Well... What can I say? My initial reaction wasn't that coherent or completely nice if I'm being honest. And I'm not complaining about my sweet Sol, but rather about the writer. After doing many things right (in my eyes) she eventually had to do some wrongs. And I kinda take it personal, so maybe this isn't something that bothers anyone else on the same level but I HATE HATE HATE HATE the most these two tropes in dramas: Amnesia and Noble Idiocy.

Now, this drama has done amnesia to some extent (but not in the BOF Gu JunPyo suddenly forgets JanDi right before the finish line of the story level) and within reason. It makes sense to me, so it doesn't annoy me. But Noble Idiocy is a whole different thing. It was done in last week's episodes when Sol was putting distance between them and I thought Sunjae saying "Don't run away anymore" was the end of it.

Plus, it's called Noble Idiocy for a reason. At the end of the day, even if the person had the best of intentions and wanted to keep their SO out of danger, they fail, because well, it's right there on the name. They foolishly fail to see that their plan in fact isn't flawless and someone (or everyone) gets hurt in the process. One way or another.

As I said, my issue isn't with Sol. I understand she's afraid of what could happen to Sunjae. After all, that's why we're here in the first place. Dude has died twice and suffered quite a lot. And Sol has gone through hell by this point as well. But could the writer seriously not find another reason or create a situation in which Sol would be left alone with the killer? Must we, as a society that's evolved, use the dreaded, boring and stupid Noble Idiocy? Me thinks not.

with the season about to end soon, my mind keeps going back to ep 8. it was such a beautiful episode with profound confessions and moments, i adore that episode.

im really excited for them to finally get together properly after everything gets solved soon, but i really miss 2nd 2023 timeline sun jae. he was such an adorable idiot who was so down bad for literally more than a decade and then finally got his girl after the funniest night only to be stabbed like what even. he was such a happy giddy boi and they were so giggly and happy, it was truly a dream. he was so cute with the the whole digging up the time capsule and waiting for her, falling down into the water and then acting all 'top star' rizz, losing his mind about sol staying over and finally leaning in so preciously for consent and being so giddy the entire day. my heart just aches for him truly, he was everything and the future was everything they could've asked for. it's sad that technically the entire night they spent together is erased from the timeline they both will remember, it's so sad. the only silver lining is that they had one night for them to truly be with each other without any worries and just be absolute dumbasses with each other.

This is real 🙂🔥

A whole ass movie poster.

Me: