While tvN K-Drama Lovely Runner (also known as Run Away With Sun-Jae On Piggyback), adapted from webcomic Tomorrow’s Best, finished strong, the production was riddled with hurdles.
Ryu Seon-Jae (Byeon Woo-Seok) is a top star who has been in the spotlight since his debut. His life seems perfect, but being in the entertainment industry has completely worn him out. Meanwhile, Lim Sol (Kim Hye-Yoon) loves Ryu Seon-Jae as an adoring fan. When she was little, she had an accident. Due to that, she gave up on her dream, but listening to Ryu Seon-Jae’s song on the radio gave her comfort and she became his fan since then. One day, Lim Sol hears breaking news that Ryu Seon-Jae has ended his own life. She feels deep sadness over the tragic news. Miraculously, Lim Sol somehow travels back in time to 15 years in the past. There, she faces Ryu Seon-Jae, who is a 19 year old high school student. She struggles to prevent his tragic future.
— AsianWiki
Kim Hye Yoon (left) and Byeon Woo Seok (right)
Previously, it was reported that the production of Lovely Runner was delayed by three years. One factor holding back production was casting, as many actors rejected the role of Ryu Sun Jae, misjudging the script as a superficial romance between a fan and idol. Thankfully, Byeon Woo Seok saw the script for the impactful and meaningful story it is and happily took the role of Ryu Sun Jae.
#LovelyRunner's male lead role has been rejected by various actors saying that it was only a story about a "K-pop fan's unrequited love". It was #ByeonWooseok who only decided to pick up the role.
This right here is so touching. 😭 I can't imagine any actor playing this role. https://t.co/zqycwpY3Zs
"it took 3 years for u to come to me thank u so much. can i even meet character i really love so much? since it's something i love the most so when i read last eps script, i couldn't stop crying. it felt really weird but that's how much it means to me" 🥹 pic.twitter.com/QgiF7Z4U6n
Reportedly, Lovely Runner also filmed for eleven months. Not only did they film for nearly a year, but the filming days were long and challenging.
Recently, actress Jung Young Joo, who portrayed Im Sol’s (Kim Hye Yoon) mother, Park Bok Soon, was interviewed by Zum. She praised her co-stars, Byeon Woo Seok and Kim Hye Yoon, for enduring the brutal filming conditions. She explained that they had little to no time for rest.
Filming ended every day at 2 AM and then we would have to be back at the shop by 6 AM. It was a repetitive process.
— Jung Young Joo
Kim Hye Yoon (left) and Jung Young Joo (right) | tvN
It took a toll on the actors. They would even resort to hospital trips to get an IV drip.
There was no time to rest, so sometimes we had to go to the ER for IV drips. Sometimes, we would literally be out of tears because we cried so much.
Knowing what all the cast went through, Jung Young Joo praised Byeon Woo Seok and Kim Hye Yoon. She was proud of them, like a mother.
They filmed swimming scenes, went into a lake in the middle of winter, and shot in the rain. They really went through a lot. It’s not like I birthed them or raised them, so I don’t know why I feel so proud of them. I support them a lot.
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