Corredora Encantadora (2024)

The romance and music are great. PLot Holes. And characterizations greatly diminish the enjoyment.

The effervescence around this drama is excessive. If one can watch without a critical eye it is absolutely wonderful And I agree. If you are The type of k drama watcher, who likes cohesive plots and well developed characters.Then you may have issues with this drama. It may still be well worth watching for the emotional beats and the music. The acting is very good and the couple is amazingly cute. I do not regret watching this show but it was stressful at times.

This is my first review. I wanted to present overall a more balanced view. I rely in part on these ratings to decide whether to watch a show or not. If I relied on the ratings and reviews here I would have thought this is The absolutely Best drama ever and this is definitely not the case.

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i don't like this one

most of the actors are overacting all the time, too many filler, too many "coincidental" scenes between main characters (falling into each other,...). Additionally, there are many details that are given only once and are not repeated or developed or explained (the first time the male lead dies of depression - why is he depressed?, the scene where the female lead discovers that
her mom hides her illness - has their relationship changed?, the female lead can escape the fate of being crippled but find it difficult to save the male lead?). In particular, what annoys me the most is the pair of supporting characters (the female lead's brother and best friend). They're too loud and don't really contribute to the main story line

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lovely time travel story with good romance

I am glad for people's positive reactions which made me decide to give this drama a try.
overall I loved the story including the time travel element, found the love story endearing with good chemistry, the acting through was solid and strong, maybe the FL's facial expressions and reactions sometimes annoyed me but I still appreciated her strong character overall which for me is a very strong selling point for any Korean RomCom.
The comedy parts were pretty well done as well and I liked most of the side characters that helped provide comic relief, I particularly enjoyed the scenes that included the FL's mom and ML's dad bickering and being petty.
the OST was lovely though there were not many tracks that particurarly stuck with me tbh.

For me, the only negative aspect to the story was the villain and the whole serial murderer arc. I know that the story needed a plot device to push it forward and into the danger and angst zone, but our bad guy was just that, too bad and psycho down to the core, but the story never bothered to show us any sort of background story to flesh him out or show us his motives, so he ends up as a 2D caricature of a bad guy, whenever he pops up on screen I am rolling my eyes rather than being on the edge of my seat.
And also there is just too many times that the writer is allowed to use the exact same plot device before it becomes too repitive it essentially is no longer surving its purpose but rather it's cheapening the worth of the whole story. I mean to sum up all troubles the lead couple could ever and will ever face together in the mere existence of one villain, who mind you has no long or deep running grudge against them to begin with, was too much for me. I understand that if the story was that she was going back in time to save her love after getting hit by random traffic or someother accident, it might have had its uncertainties and felt like defying fate, but I just felt it would have been better than overusing the same bad dude like he is some sort of bad karma in their lifes, like his psycho switch only turns on when he's around either of them.
I guess the writers were playing at the concept of destiny involving both good and bad bonds, so people who were meant to cross path are destined to for good or for worse, but I couldn't help feeling like I would have appreciated more if there was more time given to delve deeper into our bad guy's story and psyche so he would not feel like a wack-a-mole puppet popping put every couple of episodes.
I noticed some reviewers expressing their view that they would have preferred if the drama was only 12 episodes long, and I have to admit I agree to a certain point. I didn't find that the pacing was bad per se, but if the story didn't include that many resets and time slips I would have liked it more, it just had one too many, and maybe if the drama was shorter there would have been no need for at least one of them.

Overall this drama is not perfect but it was still really a nice watch that I would recommend to any K-RomCom fan. the fantasy element might have been utilized too much for its own good, and the concept might not be considered the most original out there (what with all the other time slip dramas that come out each season), and some scenes (coincidences and chance encounters in particular) bordered on cliché but each time they somehow made me feel that they're aware it's being commicaly clichéd, so it somehow never felt downright hackneyed. Still I can't say that the negative aspects overweighed the positive, great chemistry strong acting and an epic love story that spans mutiple timelines.

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So many timelines, so little development.

I want to start with - I really did enjoy the show a lot, I hyped it at the beginning like crazy and got quite a few people to watch it too. That said, I cannot act as if it had no flaws. In fact, it had many.

Started as a fun and entertaining rom-com delivering some well established cliches in a refreshing way, with just enough angst to keep you invested. And next? It turned into its worst nightmare - poorly written development making the last few episodes lose the initial charm. The fate of many dramas in the past. The fate of many dramas to come.

Truth to be told, I have no idea how to write the review in a way that will point out all the issues I had, while also delivering the clear idea of the fun and joy I felt while watching. The drama is honestly mediocre, but it’s such an excellent presentation, you just forget and ignore how mediocre it is.

The plot was messy, with little explanation of how anything works. Time travel had close to zero rules truly established, the villain had literally nothing going on for himself and I feel like the yellow umbrella had more personality than him. He had no business being so important to the plot with this little fucks put into actually writing it in engaging and coherent manner.

Kim Tae Sung and Baek In Hyuk were pure sunshines, but it’s a joke to call them main characters (and they are named as such even on namu.wiki). The supporting couple was painfully unnecessary and the whole drama had overall too many filler scenes and flashbacks of things that happened even in the same episode.

And yet it was fun and adorable. The chemistry between Byeon Woo Seok and Kim Hye Yoon was amazing from literally the first scene - they aced the romance, comedy, drama. Lovely Runner is filled with scenes that will make you smile and laugh and lighten your mood. The down to earth comedy driven by the characters’ personalities and daily accidents was probably one of my favorite aspects of the show. Even though I felt like the characters were not truly complex and well developed, at the same time I fell in love with their quirky personalities. Seon Jae and Tae Sung? Surprisingly great and fun chemistry. Now I wish to see the two of them in a drama together as close friends.

What’s more to love? Amazing soundtrack with many uplifting and moving songs. Sudden Shower (소나기) just melts your heart when you listen to it. With a great soundtrack goes beautiful visuals - loved the set design, lighting, camera angles. The drama also had amazing timing - turning some romantic and dramatic scenes into comedy bits with a fun presentation. So many things worked, so what didn't?

Ryu Seon Jae is technically the main character, but the writing matches the supporting ones more. Where is the development? Where is the rich characterization? Where are the flaws and personal goals? Why is he Haru 2.0? On paper he is perfect, but would I want a man like that in real life? A person with little to no individuality, whose whole existence revolves around me? That’s how Seon Jae is presented. He is a 1+1 deal with Im Sol and that’s it. Yes, he is good looking, yes he is adorable with his loser charm, he is dedicated, killing viewers with his puppy love towards Sol. But I need more from my lead characters… I need some spice with that sugar.

Sol is not much different, so at least we have equality here. Everything she does is done for Seon Jae’s benefit. I get it, it’s a plot driven show about preventing the bad thing from happening - it does not mean they cannot use some screen time to develop the characters a bit more beyond what the plot needs them to do. Why are they giving so much screen time to a side romance when your main characters are 2-dimensional plot puppets even half way through the show?

And it’s not like the plot was well developed. As I already said, time travel has no rules established except how to get back in time. The crime/mystery part is laughably bad with ridiculous conclusions. 80% of the show is just cute and fun moments, and there would be nothing wrong with that if the drama did not try to pretend as if the reminding 20% were interesting and important. Make it 12 episodes and switching a crime to depression and we would get top quality heart warming healing rom-com. You could feel how they did not have enough material for 16 episodes when they started to show flashbacks of events that happened maybe 20 minutes ago in the same episode.

Acting wise I overall loved it. There were a few moments when I found Kim Hye Yoon’s performance not quite convincing, especially during a few lighter romantic scenes - the smile was just too much, it did not seem real. Something about her being so excessively happy did not vibe with me, as if she tried to convince me she is happy with her smile instead of showing it with her eyes. But these were truly just a few moments and overall I truly loved her as Sol. When you think about it, at least in some aspects it was in fact noona romance. Byeon Woo Seok did an amazing job too. Loved how he could be both cool and charismatic and a dorky loser and it made perfect sense.

Overall, often after I finished watching the episode I had this thought: wow, that was really a filler episode, but I had so much fun. It’s happy and bright, overdramatic with its mystery when the mystery is shallow and barely working for this plot. I had a great time watching, but I would hesitate to recommend it.

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The curse of the 16 episode Kdrama strikes again

For me, this show was a solid 8.5 when I first started it. I have to say, I had no interest in this show. Then I heard about the plot and how it's about a girl going back in time to save her favorite idol...I thought the plot was so pitiful and sad! I started this out of pity! I just feel like it's sad when you have regrets about people you can't save. And the show didn't disappoint. The start of this show was exhilarating. It was relatable and emotional and so sincere. Then after the sad start, there was the humor, and the love interest developed into one of the more endearing male leads of Dramaland as he wore his heart on his sleeve and was just dorky and handsome at the same time. Not many can pull that off so kudos to Byeon Woo Seok for that. In addition, our leading lady is a tried and guaranteed good actress. The chemistry was sizzling, the plot was engaging, the humor was delightful, and the second male lead was not too annoying...it was all too good to be true. And it was, in fact, too good to be true.
It is a truth, universally understood but everyone is too chicken to acknowledge it, that all kdramas have the potential to end on episode 12 but get dragged on for four more episodes until the show loses all its unique charm and rots away in the cesspool of cliched stereotypes. My only wish while watching a kdrama is either for it to end with 12 episodes or if it has to go on, at least go with grace. Very few shows do that.
I was really rooting for this show. I really was. But sadly, the show started to stutter around episode 10/11 and by episode 12, the plot was lost, dead, and buried.
Here's the thing, you need to let your MacGuffin macguffin! You need to let your plot device be a device to drive the plot ahead. Not for the plot to run after the plot device on a bicycle! What I'm trying to say is that a lot of Korean rom-coms add murder mysteries or thriller subplots to their shows both to make them longer and to spice up the plot. And I'm gonna assume at some point this worked but lately, these subplots are becoming so intense, convoluted, and clunky that they totally derail the show and ruin its final arc. Here it was no exception as the plot began to fall into a repetitive cycle, the female lead lost all her brain cells, misunderstandings and miscommunications ensued, and characters actively made choices to sabotage the progress of the story.
Girl, you're traveling back in time. Putting aside the ludicrous shock of such an event, after figuring out the rules (which the show took as guidelines, instead of rules as they frequently and shamelessly broke them for plot convenience) why do you keep repeating the same pattern of behavior, hoping to get different results?!
The plot really fell in a loop. It became exhausting. Then the murderer plot became too big and it was like the villain had extra superpowers because why was he absolutely undefeatable for 16 bloody episodes?!
It was just too much and then episode 15 rushed to close the plotlines while most of episode 16 was fan service. The pace of the show was a mess. They should've established better rules for their universe and stuck to them at least in important plot moments. Unfortunately, logic and narrative were sacrificed for melodramatic effect, ultimately ruining the second half of the show beyond repair.
Now the actors were okay. I would especially say just the mains stood out as good. The side actors were so-so. The subplot of the brother and best friend was really bad. It was boring and wasted time more than anything else. Every other character was written only as background decoration or comic relief, making them too caricaturish to be taken seriously.
Production was minimal but it worked. Music was tolerable I guess. But I was still tired of the ballad by the end.
I won't rewatch this. The second half ruined it for me but the first half will always remain an exceptional "One that got away" for me.
I wish they had done better by the show. It deserved better. It could've been so much better. I still think if you really wanna watch it, it's a good rom-com and the leads' dynamic is worth enjoying. Just maybe prepare to clench your teeth in the second half.

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Kim Hye Yoon stuns and Byeon Woo Seok is great, but after that?

Attempting to keep this brief.

Kim Hye Yoon and Im Sol are as perfect a pairing of actor and character as can be achieved by human effort.

Byeon Woo Seok is more than capable as a lead and is particularly good when Seon Jae is uncomfortable and awkwardly trying to make something happen with Im Sol. Somehow, when he's supposed to be cool and under control, doesn't seem as natural.

The two together are fantastic particularly through the first time loop sequences up until Im Sol finally (in present day) comes clean about her feelings and the big scene in her apartment doorway delivers the awaited romantic payoff.

These two can duke it out with the lead couple of just about any drama and hold their own.

But the rest?

Not great.

There's a second couple but 1. it's forgotten almost completely from episodes 4 through 15 and 2. they are clearly intended to be the comic relief in a show where the leads provide plenty of laughs so the second couple has to take their acting to a sketch comedy level that is nails-on-chalkboard grating.

Kim Won Hae is great (as he almost always is) but the relationship between Sun Jae and KWH's father is rarely given any in depth play. What could have been a terrific subplot, particularly when dealing with Sun Jae's swimming career, is ignored.

Tae Sung is a promising character but he needed a bit of backstory and consistency. Like a lot of characters that aren't the main two, Tae Sung is too frequently simply a convenient device that transforms in to whatever the story requires him to be. A bad boy that needs to fake a relationship with Im Sol. Later a buddy for Sun Jae. Then an object of jealousy. Intermittently, a character teased as the third spoke of a triangle (thankfully only teased but even the teasing of it was unwelcome). Finally, a cop to pursue the villain. Although the time loop changes can account for some of this, it's jarring when in one loop he's a successful fashion entrepreneur and then suddenly he's a civil servant.

Back to the villain: it's the most bland villain ever and the final confrontation with him is so painfully anticlimactic.

And the storytelling overall is lacking. It starts after major events that drive the storyline have happened but the context is never adequately exposited. The time loops are fairly well handled but there is absolutely one more loop than there needed to be and it's clear that the writers grew tired of incorporating how the most recent loop back changed the present day circumstances.

It's a show that could have 1. been a show exclusively about the lead couple for about an 8 episode run (like a longer "Soundtrack" drama) or 2. a more traditional 16 episode drama that invested more screen time in the secondary stories and characters. Either way, with this lead couple, it could have been an all-time great show. Instead, it's a fun watch and certainly recommended but falls well short of what it should have been.

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Very disappointing

I had really high hopes for this show because of all the hype that was going on around it. I have one more episode left but so far I'm very disappointed. Don't get me wrong, it has some really sweet moments and their chemistry is really good. There are also lots of funny moments and the humor is very good too. The story really had a great potential but I just feel like they had no idea what to do with it.

First episode really had me hooked and the plot was portrayed as very unique and deep with FL being disabled and also talking about ML who is a famous celebrity with depression problems. After that the show became very shallow and predictable. I don't even understand why they portrayed them like that, because that was never mentioned again for the rest of the show.
For me it got good again around 8th episode, when they meet as adults, but that lasted only for that one episode and after that it became progressively worse. I was expecting the story to develop around their adult life but she went back in time once again. I don't understand why tho because they showed him being hurt but they never said anything about him dying. At that point I was very tired of all the time travel because it made no sense.

Talking about time travel, I don't understand how was she able to change the fate and prevent her home from burning but wasn't able to save ML, not even once and it happened three times.

The more I watched the more I realised that her only goal was to save ML and nothing else was important. All other characters weren't important at all and they never got the chance to develop. At some point, during her time travel, she found out her mom was in a hospital because she was sick but they never explained what was going on and they never mentioned that again.

Also, in the first half of the series they never really explained how she became disabled and it was obvious we would find out during the show. Then they decided to make the second half all about that and her kidnapper and also her saving ML form the kidnapper. It gave a feeling as if they didn't know what to do with the story so they just decided to put that there.

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Started out strong, downhill ep 12 on

The moment she left the train, all logic lost.

The story started out fun & interesting, so I thought it was going to be as strong as the drama "Extraordinary you."
Favorite aspects of this drama:
-ML Byeon Woo Seok did an amazing job and surprised me with that singing voice.
-FL Kim Hye Yoon always does a great job with these kinds of roles.
-The pairing is super cute, great chemistry

Not so great....
-Weak supporting characters & stories.
-Pacing started to slow down midway, and the constant crying scenes got repetitive. Nowadays the most annoying trend is for dramas to replay scenes that JUST happened 10 seconds ago as if viewers need a reminder.
-Ep 12 on the script went south as the FL made illogical decisions. And if you just go with those decisions she comes back to current time, shouldn't she try to find the SAME one-dimensional suspect? Girl has a cop friend/2wk ex/15 yrs 2nd lead she can ask..... Running away from the killer situation is not really fixing the source of the problem.

Downfall of many fluffy romances with strong beginning is the sloppy writing at the end.

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Very interesting plot only for it to breakdown halfway towards the end

Just for disclaimer i was both of the leads fans, but being a fan doesn't mean i can't critic their work ok.

I already watched this drama before it became the hot topic over the neighborhood lol, it was because i like the fl and the ml previous work (sky castle and 20th century girl). I was so crazy about it when episode 2 was dropped, i was gagged and it got more exciting.

But the disappointment hits me at 10ish episode, because there was no character or even plot development at all. The plot losed it focus when they started to date i think. I know the main point in this drama is to save sunjae, and this drama is a romcom, but i really really hope that the fl and ml could have more bond with other characters too. I think it got to the point that other characters are pointless(?) and written just to fill the void. The ml's world is only imsol, he will do anything just to be with imsol, it's like he has no character at all because his decisions are easily influenced by his loved ones (imsol) (i know it's a romcom but come on... you can be lovey dovey while doing other things too). Same goes for the fl... It's like their character couldn't care less about other people if it's not about their gf/bf.

And the fl character is bad written imo, thank god hyeyoon saves it with her acting. She's supposed to be 30s yo woman trapped in higschooler body, but she even acts more childish than the highschooler could be. I know sol's character main purpose is to save sunjae, but she's too careless, has no plan, and just couldn't think straight (and i can't relate to it maybe that's why i can't empathize with her character).

Overall the acting was good enough, and the chemistry was fire. But there were probably some parts that's not really enjoyable to watch. Idk if it's because sol character is bad written or whatever it's, but sometimes the "i'm shocked" in sol's face kinda unnatural and i could tell that she's trying to act there, but other than that it was just great.

It's just my opinion, yall could try to watch it if you're interested, because i swear the few early episodes was dope tho ngl.

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I'm going to be that person.

Lemme give this drama the review it truly deserves...

I want to say that a good looking face is not what makes a drama good... If you think that the FL is annoying because she is badly written... then great! I agree. If you think she is "not good enough." for the so called perfect ML then please reply to me so we can fight... A metric ton of these reviews REEK of misogyny. I don't understand how people can continuously dunk on the FL while praising the ML to death. BOTH are shallow and underdeveloped and still continue to be as of the most recent episodes...

Anyways....

Going off of the summary I thought I'd be getting an intelligent melodrama that touches on the struggles of fame, parasocial relationships and the viciousness of depression... maybe a little commentary on living with disabilities (since Sol was not disabled in the original story) but since EP 3 It's turned into a generic rom com with ANOTHER serial killer subplot that comes out of nowhere and Sol's disability has become non-existent. Yay proper representation and social commentary!

I really dislike Sol's lack of regard for anyone aside from the ML... She doesn't care or pay attention to her grandma or mother. I could almost imagine a better drama having the female lead taking the time to slow down and enjoy the company of her grandmother before she gets dementia in the future. A subtle reminder to the audience to appreciate the people currently in their lives while they can. But because the female lead is only focused on the male lead we never see anything like this, Im Sol's family and friends are accessories or props that are never fleshed out enough to actually feel like any of them are real people. Im Sol's mom being sick is so dumb too because it doesn't really matter, it has no bearing on the story, and it's resolved in 10 mintues and Sol does not change her behavior at all after learning the news... Instead of humanizing the mother her sickness is used as a cheap accelerant, she gets sick so the writer has a reason to cause a misunderstanding between the leads and later justify how Sol gets kidnapped.

Also the writers have made Im Sol annoying, unserious and illogical when it comes to her "goal". On the other hand Ryu Sun Jae is a boring paper cutout who also never feels like a real person. His existence revolves around the FL, every action he takes is in response to her and her feelings and he never manages to develop a solid character of his own. Swimming was Ryu Sunjae's whole life but he got over not being able to do it anymore super quick? Why? because he likes Im Sol? Once again I could imagine a better show showing the ML struggling under the weight of possibly being a disappointment or just dealing with pressure at a very young age , which could have naturally led into exploring his depression.


I want to point out that Im Sol's love for the ML is understandable because we see hints of his personality in the 1st episode... He's a caring person who would say kind words to a stranger to give them hope.... he changes Im Sol's outlook on life and gives her the push she needs to live her life again despite her new disabilities. Her caring about and supporting him as a fan is not a toxic parasocial connection because we're shown how great of a guy he is, and THIS is what makes his suicide really hit hard.... But once you learn that he's liked her thats all that he becomes... all nuance is lost. Im Sol goes from relatable fan to goofy weirdo which is still So disappointing especially because we have no idea why the ML likes the FL?

Kim Taesung could have had an intresting side story about his family and his own form of depression that he uses acting out to deal with, but... it never happens... He's easliy the most compelling character but he too is overlooked and underutilized. Instead dumb jokes and gags are prioritized over what could have been a great story for the second male lead. Also theres this weird Exposition character that shows up pretty early on that hangs around him.... this man was only there so say the most obvious nonsense for the sake of the audience for like 2-3 episodes... The show presents him as if he is the 2nd ML'sbest friend but then he disappears Into thin air after just a couple episodes. That was so weird and unnecessary, how about you just show us what's going on instead of inventing a new character to tell us instead.... it's like the writer and director think we need our hands to be held to watch this stupid rom-com.

I can not stress enough that having Sunjae like Sol all of a sudden was a terrible idea. The extent of their past connection should have been him helping her in the accident that made her disabled. He should have fallen in love with her naturally while she took steps to save his life....
Her effort and care could have been rewarded with affection and loyalty in turn... Because you ALREADY know they like each other, theres no tension or excitement. I never laugh or cry...

I don't feel anything because nothing feels earned... I need more than pretty faces for a drama to be a 10/10. The amount of people who are saying this show is PERFECT makes me feel like I'm in the twilight zone. It's not as bad as More than Friends but this is not going to be a memorable masterpiece like last year's Twinkling Watermelon or My Dearest.

It's trying so hard to be Twinkling Watermelon without attempting to do any of the heavy lifting.

Fight me if you like, I know I'm right tho. ?⤵

Final thoughts: 3.5 ->4.0
Imma add half a point cuz I liked that Im Sol finally had a heart to heart with her Grandma, and Kim Tae Sung (who is in FACT the best character) had his own fufilling emotional moment with his Father. I also liked the actual proposal scene.

On the other hand I dont like that in ep 15 the ML lies to the FL so he can keep her in his house even though she wanted to leave... I hated that this show STILL couldn't put the gags away so the proposal could happen on time and the audience can get a proper wedding scene. The serial killer (who drives 95% of the conflict) was taken care of in such an unceremonious way in ep 15 and we STILL didn't get a wedding in the last episode. Hooray!

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An amazing start, but...

1. Something about "fix me" stories as it relates to people with disabilities just doesn't sit right with me, I was hoping the part of the story about the FL being a wheelchair user would return, at the very least because it was wrapped very quickly, but instead it was mainly used to further the plot, with few moments focused on representation, which was disappointing.

2. The serial killer plot dragged on for sooooo long and it ended in such an anticlimactic way, it felt like in the end the writer didn't know what to do with the guy.

3. The constant timeline changes killed the momentum, especially the last one because I absolutely despise the amnesia trope, I find it usually useless because it puts a stop at the character/relationship development.

All of that means that if the drama was shorter, around 12 episodes, some of the issues with the storytelling could have been resolved, at least for me. All in all though, I did enjoy the lead couple immensely, no matter the little things I disliked, their chemistry always made up for it in the end.

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PERFECT FOR THOSE WHO WANT A LIGHT-HEARTED DRAMA

I'm honestly in love with this drama especially now that i just want something light-hearted, not stressful, and makes u feel good. There are heart breaking moments of course but it has a good balance. I absolutely love the storyline and the plot twists <3 <3 FL's character is so relatable and funny! I was wheezing when she looked at ML's fan photo and zoomed it on his neck/collarbone cos yes girl same LMAO The FL and ML have amazing chemistryyy

I'm obsessed with ML's character (you'd want to protect him at all cost) --wooseok's soooo fine! I hope this gets more recognition and pushes wooseok & hye yoon to stardom!

AND WOOSEOK SANG SOOO WELL LIKE WTF HE COULD PASS AS AN IDOL (he sang eclipse' songs which is crazy good!!) Listen to Eclipse' songs on spotify they're perfect!

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