If ‘Lovely Runner’ could receive an award for its popularity in 2024, it would be crowned the K-drama with some of the best scenes ever. The drama is so beloved by fans worldwide that it brought Netflix to its knees, compelling the platform to re-release it. So, in honour of its re-release, we bring you some of the best moments of ‘Lovely Runner’!
Sung-Jae Holding the Umbrella for Sol After Her Wheelchair Breaks Down
‘Lovely Runner’ is a wild ride. While it features laugh-out-loud comedy, it’s not without equally heartbreaking moments. One such bittersweet moment is when Sol returns from Sung-Jae’s concert, and her wheelchair breaks down. Sung-Jae, passing by, recognizes Sol and talks to her under an umbrella while it’s snowing. Sol gives him a jar of candies that he likes.
They have a touching exchange as a celebrity and a fan before Sol’s friend picks her up. Soon after, we hear about Sung-Jae’s death. This scene and its location become significant as Sung-Jae and Sol meet there many times before the time slip ends.
The Iconic Flying Kiss Scene
It’s a truth universally acknowledged that Sung-Jae is an absolute loser in love, and it shows in this iconic scene where he blows dramatic flying kisses for Sol. He gets caught like a deer in headlights by his friend, In-Hyuk. What makes this scene even more hilarious is the expression of disgust on In-Hyuk’s face, intensified by Sung-Jae blowing him kisses to hide his own embarrassing act of public affection.
In-Hyuk Throwing Petals from the Roof
Behind every successful love story is the sacrificing hand of a best friend. Introducing the best friend in question – Baek In-Hyuk. The scene takes place after Sung-Jae wins a gold medal in swimming and tries to confess to Sol in front of his house.
In-Hyuk is manually throwing petals from the roof of Sung-Jae’s house to create a romantic moment, only for Sol to hilariously say to Sung-Jae, “Let’s be friends!” There go all of In-Hyuk’s speeches on timing and his effort in creating the confession atmosphere for his best friend.
Sung-Jae’s Flying Condoms
‘Lovely Runner’ is known for its absolutely hilarious scenes, topped with a generous dose of drama, and this particular scene is the height of comedy. It so happens that while Sung-Jae and Sol fall asleep one night at the video store, they’re comically discovered together with Sung-Jae’s shirt ripped apart.
What ensues is both families arguing about how innocent their own child is while placing the blame on the other for being a seducer. The comic timing of the entire scene is just top-notch, from Sol’s mother accusing Sung-Jae of watching adult videos to Sung-Jae’s bag splitting open with a shower of condoms that aren’t even his!
Sung-Jae Asks Sol to Pursue Her Feelings for Him
After many frustrating episodes, episode 10 finally reveals the truth to Sung-Jae about Sol and her time travels. It’s an unforgettable scene where, despite knowing about his inevitable death, Sung-Jae asks Sol to pursue her feelings for him and stop running away. The couple finally shares a long-overdue second kiss before Sol’s mother ruins it for both of them with her comic timing!
Tae-Sung’s Car Drowning and Him Mourning It
All ‘Lovely Runner’fans know Tae-Sung’s love for his expensive car, so much so that he named it Sunny! Poor Tae-Sung, who’d protected Sunny to the point of snailing his way to In-Hyuk’s house, is distracted when the friends think In-Hyuk is trying to drown himself. Sunny is promptly left alone for a while before the car starts moving towards the ocean, eventually drowning itself instead of In-Hyuk.
What follows is Tae-Sung hilariously mourning the death of his blue-colored Sunny, and his friends paying their respects!
When Sol Pretends to Go Back to the Future
Apart from ‘Lovely Runner’being chaotic and hilarious, it’s also extremely sensitive and touching. One such scene is when Sol pretends to forget Sung-Jae when they’re about to leave In-Hyuk’s hometown. She does so to protect Sung-Jae from dying. We then hear Sol telling Sung-Jae the previous night, “If today ends up being my last day here, don’t be too sad… and don’t cry.”
Although Sung-Jae had told her he wouldn’t cry or be sad, he cannot help but feel shattered to find his Sol has gone back to the future. It’s an absolutely soul-crunching scene, isn’t it?
When Sung-Jae Remembers Everything
This beautiful sequence takes place in episode 15 when Sung-Jae gets into an accident and all his memories from different timelines come rushing back to him. It’s a beautiful scene with a montage of all the time that Sung-Jae and Sol have spent together, encompassing their unyielding love for each other.
“Memories Don’t Disappear”
Memory is one of the recurring motifs in “Lovely Runner,” often emphasized by Sol’s grandmother, who has dementia but displays miraculous moments where she recognizes Sol. In episode 16, when Sung-Jae finally remembers Sol, it’s as if his heart remembered her even if his brain forgot. This scene is one of the more profoundly beautiful scenes in the show, with the morals “love conquers all” and “memories don’t disappear.”
Top Star Sung-Jae Winking at Sol in Public
‘Lovely Runner’is complete with heart-fluttering scenes, but this one stands out from the rest because Sung-Jae winks at Sol in public! The scene takes place when Sol is too busy with her work to meet Sung-Jae. But our love-stricken Sung-Jae decides to pay her a visit in the café she’s working at and proceeds to publicly wink at her, disguised as a general wink towards everybody.
Although it’s impossible to reduce ‘Lovely Runner’ scenes to a list of 10 since it’s a minefield of memorable and iconic scenes, this was our attempt at giving you some of the memorable moments in the show. Which one is your favourite? Let us know in the comments!