All About the Drama // Lovely Runner

📸: Credit

Name: Lovely Runner
Length: 16 episodes
Region: Korea
My Rating: 5/5

Synopsis: “Right after Ryu Seon-jae, a top star ends his life, Im Sol, his top fan somehow ends up at a time when they were in high school and tries to protect him. A fantasy romance unfolds where people who missed each other in time finally meet...” 

So after watching 20th Century Girl, Byeon Woo-seok has not left my radar. And when I heard he was filming a new show, I bookmarked it to follow up later. And well, that day finally came! Now, this show is still running, and only 12 of the 16 episodes have been released. That said, this one is soo good, that I’m already rating it a 5/5.

The previews were all pretty lighthearted, and then I read a bit more on the plot, and I kept thinking “Noooo. Not again!!” Because, as you read above, he dies. However, there is a bit of time travel involved, so we don’t know what the final outcome will be just yet. Still, it has been such a fun watch!

This show also touched on what I think is an important topic. In the first episode, we get a glimpse of how Korean celebrities are treated in Korea - which isn’t always good. Just last month there was a dating controversy with two actors, who faced a huge backlash that caused them to split. And they are not the first. Then there have been several K-pop star suicides over the years. Mainly due to their over-the-top workloads, heavy criticism by fans, and consistent social media attacks if fans find something to take issue with. It’s as if they feel that these stars should live only for their fans and not have personal lives or be able to make mistakes. It’s kind of heartbreaking.

Anyway, this show has done a great job of shedding light on these issues while also making sure not to take away from the relationship between the two main characters. It has quite a bit of comedy, just enough romance, and a lot of fun moments. And there is a bit of a “love triangle,” but it’s such a funny, non-toxic one if you can believe it. Byeon Woo-seok and Kim Hye-yoon have such a natural chemistry that the episodes play out so well, and nothing about them feels fake or too cheesy. Several side characters bring a lot of fun and humor to the show too. 

And that wraps up my review. While some episodes contain heavy subject matter, the majority of it is very light-hearted, funny, and cute. And even though the outcome of this show could be sad (I have not read the webtoon), I still recommend you give this one a watch. You can find it over on Viki with a VikiPass - linked in the name below the picture up top. Until the next one, 🤞.

All About the Drama // 20th Century Girl

Name: 20th Century Girl
Length: 1 hr 59m
Region: Korea
My Rating: 5/5

Synopsis: “In 1999, a teen girl keeps close tabs on a boy in school on behalf of her deeply smitten best friend – then she gets swept up in a love story of her own.”

First, let me say that this is a film - not a show. Second, Netflix labeled it a “lighthearted & easy” watch, which is why I picked it, and they straight-up LIED. This film left me wrecked - for days. The first 80% of the film is lighthearted as it touches on subjects of youth, friendship, humor, and first love. The other 20% is bittersweet, relatable, and so freakin’ sad. I ugly cried so hard. And then a few days later, while explaining the movie to my husband at a red light, I ugly cried again. The story was just so much deeper than what the synopsis makes you think.

Kim Yoo-jung is so delightful to watch in this one. She plays such a drastically different character in this film than the one she played in My Demon - which is what I first saw her in. And this was my introduction to Byeon Woo-seok, who kind of blew me away. The film itself isn’t some grand cinematic achievement either, but these two captured their character’s emotions so well. I mean, it was as if they WERE the characters. And when one of them cried, I cried too because it felt so real. Their portrayals of Na Bo-Ra and Poong Woon-Ho were perfect. The side characters played by Ong Seong-wu and Roh Yoon-seo were great too! They definitely added to the story rather than distracting from it.

Overall, this was a wonderful film. Though I don’t know if I could watch it again. I tried watching the last 30 minutes over, and couldn’t finish it. The way this story ended just felt so wrong and I really wish it had been different. There’s a beautiful letter, two plot twists, and a train scene - all left me feeling all of the feels. There’s also a specific piece of information that the audience doesn’t receive either and it frustrated me. Though you technically don’t need that information at all - I WANTED to know. I felt like I NEEDED to know. Heck, the audience DESERVED it. And when the last line was spoken and it cut to the credits I sobbed. "That can't be how it ends?!" Still, I appreciated how realistic it was, and how many emotions it stirred up for me. Again, not sure if I could watch it a second time though. 

And that wraps up my review. While looking up the synopsis for the film I came across this review and it’s brief but also spot on. If you’re ever in the mood for some 1999 nostalgia, a lovely story, and a good cry - give this one a watch. You can find it over on Netflix - linked in the name below the picture up top. Until the next one, 🤞.

All About the Drama // Wonderland of Love

If you haven’t heard, I’m seriously into Asian dramas right now. When I have control of the remote, and even when I watch on my phone, it is very rarely in English these days. This really isn’t surprising, as I’ve always enjoyed watching shows/films in other languages. I love the different stories, and seeing what viewers in other countries find interesting. I’ve spent a few months watching French, Turkish, and Spanish language shows/films before. But we’re going on six months of me watching Asian dramas - exclusively. So, this may not be “just a phase”. I decided to start a little series on my blog dedicated to some of my favorite dramas! First up, is Wonderland of Love.

Name: Wonderland of Love

Length: 40 Episodes

Region: Mainland China

My Rating: 5/5 

Synopsis: "Li Ni (Xu Kai) is the Emperor's grandson and a keen warrior. Despite his illustrious family background, he does not seek power – although his jealous father holds him in contempt. He wants to spend his life in the army, so must hide his true identity from his fellow soldiers as he rises to the rank of general. He is assigned to patrol a dangerous border territory where violence erupts on a regular basis. He is happy in his role as a frontier fighter and has no intention of trying to take the throne. 

While on the border, he meets Cui Lin (Jing Tian), the only daughter of a well-known military leader. Like Li Ni, however, she is also a fighter with a secret identity – dressing up as a military officer so she can fight on the front lines. As they meet on the battlefield again and again, they begin to form a rivalry. But could this competitive spirit one day give way to love?”

I’ll start by saying that Xu Kai (male lead - ML) and Jing Tian (female lead - FL) had great chemistry. When the chemistry is not there it’s usually a deal breaker for me when watching these shows. So, this was already off to a great start.

The storyline moved along pretty smoothly, there were a few episodes that lagged, but overall it was good. I went through ALL of the emotions with this one too. I laughed, felt happy, got angry, and even cried. Watch out for episodes 30, 31, 37, & 38. They were emotional and intense and had me in tears. Xu Kai nailed his performance in these.

The show is filled with a lot of action, some funny banter, and just enough flirting to keep me interested the entire time. And they shifted fairly quickly without making me wonder what was going on. As soon as I felt like there was a lot of intensity, the next episode would bring some comedic relief. And while a lot of FLs in these dramas can be whiny or childish, the FL in this one was surprisingly a strong character. She did have her moments though. Anyway, I liked that these characters were so compatible in all aspects. From their fighting style, and interests, to viewpoints on their world.

Now, one thing you should know about these dramas is that most of them are only one season long and range anywhere between 8-40 episodes. It varies by style, country, and sometimes platform. Wonderland of Love came in at 40 episodes. It took me a little over two weeks to finish it. Now, as for the accuracy of that specific period (costumes, language, deities, traditions, etc.) I can’t speak to them. So, that’s something you’d have to check for yourself.

Overall, the show was wonderful! This was my second show to see Xu Kai as a ML and I am now a huge fan of his. While the female lead character was a bit frustrating at times towards the end, Jing Tian was great! I believe they both did their characters and this drama justice. I hope we get to see them together in a different drama in the future. It’d be cool to see them in a modern, or present-day one. 

And that wraps up my first review. The next one probably won’t be as long, and I’ll tweak some things here and there. Maybe touch on the storylines a bit more or the actors. But you get this gist. You can find this drama over on Viki - the link is in the name below the picture up top. Until the next one, 🤞.