[trigger warning: suicide]
Lovely Runner is the latest K-drama by tvN and is set to be a time-travelling rom-com. It stars Byeon Woo-seok following his successful stint as the antagonist in Strong Girl Nam-soon. Alongside him stars Ki Hye-yoon of Extraordinary You and SKY Castle fame. However, a month before its release in April, it’s been embroiled in a controversy as the internet believes that the plot of the show is quite similar to the life of K-pop idol, SHINee’s Jonghyun.
What is Lovely Runner?
If we look at the official plot summary of Lovely Runner, it claims the story is about Ryu Seon-jae and Im Sol. Seon-jae is an extremely popular and talented artist who has been in the spotlight since his debut. While he puts on the mask of being perfect, he is tired of the expectations and demanding nature of his job which leads to his death.
Im Sol is a huge fan who is heartbroken on the news of his death. However, one day, she finds that she has time-travelled to the past, to 15 years ago. There she meets 19-year-old high schooler, Seon-jae and decides to try and change his fate.
Some platforms add, “Ryu Sun-Jae has died from shock after taking sleeping pills and cold medicine together,” which has primarily created an uproar as SHINee’s Jonghyun had died by suicide. There are also other callbacks, whether intentional or unintentional, to the K-pop idol such as Hye-yoon wearing an aqua-coloured top in the poster, the official fandom colour of SHINee. On top of it, her character travels back to 2008, the year SHINee debuted and the drama is set to be released on April 8 which happens to be Jonghyun’s birthday.
Who is SHINee’s Jonghyun?
If you have been living under a rock or you are not a K-pop fan (for which we cannot fault you then), Jonghyun was one of the biggest K-pop idols of the 2000s and 2010s, hailing from an equally popular K-pop group – SHINee. While he was vocal about his struggles with mental health, no one could have guessed the magnitude which would lead to his passing.
He was and is still known among K-pop enthusiasts for his music, his style, his songwriting and more. Yep, he was out there advocating for mental health, the LGBT+ community and whatnot, back when their contracts were so airtight that if the manager decided they had to have a mysterious persona, they couldn’t say a word.
So, apart from being an ace in K-pop, Jonghyun has also always been known as a kindhearted soul which is why fans are even more protective of him. Any ridicule is not tolerated and that is where fans are coming from as they clamour to get a clarification from the writers of Lovely Runner.
Is there a link between Lovely Runner and Jonghyun?
The internet is torn as some believe that the similarities are pure coincidence. Others are disappointed as they believe that the show is romanticising Jonghyun’s life for entertainment and profit.
However, there are a small group of fans who think there aren’t many similarities and the spoiler-free press releases are simply creating misunderstandings. It seems that Seon-jae is not a K-pop idol but part of a Korean band and an actor. His death also is not explicitly mentioned as a suicide.
Seon-jae’s debut date happens to be 2009 unlike Jonghyun’s and there are rumours that the show was supposed to be released last year and has been constantly delayed, so the birthday release again could very well be a coincidence.
The manhwa it is based on does have way more similarities to SHINee and Jonghyun, however, those similarities have not yet been referenced by the drama’s trailers and press releases.
But for a proper comparison and confirmation, we will have to wait till the premiere of the K-drama.
Will you be watching the K-drama or waiting till it is clear it isn’t related to Jonghyun? What do you expect from the show? Let us know in the comments below.