Lovely Runner — Episodes 1 & 2 Recap

Network: tvN  |  Episodes aired: 1–2  |  Year: 2024

⚠️ Spoiler Warning: This recap covers the full events of Episodes 1 and 2.

Episode 1 — "If I Could Go Back"

We open in the present day with Im Sol (Byeon Woo-seok), a young woman who has been essentially housebound for years due to a physical condition that has limited her mobility. Her world, we quickly learn, has been sustained almost entirely by one thing: the music of idol star Ryu Sun-jae (Kim Hye-yoon), whose songs have been her constant companion through pain and isolation.

When news breaks that Sun-jae has died, Sol is devastated. In a moment of grief and desperation, she reaches out toward a vinyl record of his — and suddenly finds herself transported back to 1995, the year Sun-jae was in high school.

The time-travel mechanics are established quickly and cleanly: Sol retains all her memories but arrives in the body of her teenage self. She is disoriented, but one thought overrides everything — she knows how Sun-jae's story ends, and she intends to change it.

First Meeting — And the Sparks It Generates

Sol's first encounter with the teenage Sun-jae is chaotic and endearing. He is cocky, effortlessly charming, and entirely unaware of the fact that the girl he's just bumped into knows his entire discography by heart. The show plays this dramatic irony beautifully — we see every moment through Sol's eyes, aware of everything he is destined to become.

Byeon Woo-seok is immediately magnetic. Kim Hye-yoon matches him beat for beat, bringing warmth and quiet desperation to Sol's mission-driven energy.

Episode 2 — "The Boy Who Doesn't Know Yet"

Episode 2 slows down just enough to establish the rules of Sol's new reality. She is living her teenage years over again, attending the same school as Sun-jae, and navigating the awkwardness of knowing too much. Key developments include:

  • Sol realising that in this timeline, Sun-jae has not yet discovered his passion for music — and that she may have a role to play in that discovery.
  • An early rivalry forming between Sol and Sun-jae after a misunderstanding during a school event.
  • A touching flashback sequence showing Sol as a child, hearing Sun-jae's music for the first time, making clear the depth of what he means to her.
  • The episode ends with Sun-jae unexpectedly hearing Sol hum one of his future songs — a song he hasn't written yet — and looking genuinely unsettled.

Early Impressions

Lovely Runner sets itself apart from other time-travel romances by grounding its fantastical premise in genuine emotional stakes. Sol is not here for adventure — she is here because she lost something irreplaceable and refuses to accept it. That urgency gives the show an engine that keeps things moving even in its quieter moments.

The 1990s production design is delightful — chunky mobile phones, period-accurate uniforms, and a colour palette drenched in golden nostalgia. The OST is already doing heavy lifting.

What to Watch For Next Episode

  • How Sun-jae reacts to the humming incident — will he become suspicious of Sol?
  • The introduction of Sol's teenage best friend, who seems to know more about Sun-jae's future than she should.
  • The first hint of the timeline-altering consequences Sol's presence might already be causing.