K-Drama 'Lovely Runner' Ends On Its Highest Ratings Yet

Queen of Tears was not the only hit Korean drama series this summer! tvN's Lovely Runner started off modestly, airing at the beginning of April and has been picking up steam ever since. Yesterday, the show wrapped it's season finale on a major high, achieving its highest viewership ratings yet. Domestically, it hit an average nationawide rating of 5.8% (the show's best performance yet) and internationally, Lovely Runner has been in the top 10 shows in multiple regions across streaming platforms like Viu. Online, the internet is a buzz, discussing the finale and gushing about the onscreen couple, Byeon Woo-seok and Kim Hye-yoon. 

The romantic series is based on a popular webtoon titled Tomorrow's Best and follows the story of Im Sol (played by Kim Hye-yoon) who is huge fan of idol Ryu Sun-jae (played by Byeon Woo-seok). Bright-eyed and bubbly Sol was an aspiring film director who gave up on her dreams after an unfortunate incident left her paralyzed from waist down. Through those difficult moments, Sol had turned to Sun-jae's music for solace and comfort. However, her life would take another tragic turn when Sun-jae dies in an fatal accident, taking away her source of strength during this time. The twists of fate continue as Sol later finds herself waking up 15 years in the past, when both her and Sun-jae were still in high school. Determined, she decides to use this twist to her favour and change their lives forever. 

The time-slip series turned Byeon Woo-seok and Kim Hye-yoon into household names with many viewers particularly enamoured with Byeon's tall stature and  portrayal of boyfriend-material Sun-jae. Kim also won the hearts of many as lovable, bubbly and sensitive Im Sol. Their chemistry and charm has caused the series to be affectionately dubbed as the 'Monday Blues remedy' due to its airing schedule. And we can attest that it certainly made our Mondays much more bearable as viewers look forward to their weekly episodes. 

It certainly looks like Lovely Runner stuck the landing too. Beyond viewership ratings, fans of the romantic drama have been buzzing about the series' sweet conclusion. Many also turned to the behind-the-scenes vlog that tvN released shortly after the finale as we simply couldn't get enough of the Lovely Runner couple. Even though our Monday blues remedy is gone, we certainly can't wait for both Kim Hye-yoon and Byeon Woo-seok's next project!