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Lovely Runner starring Kim Hye-yoon and Byeon Woo-seok has been receiving attention from viewers for its captivating plotline and the chemistry of the cast members. The show aired its final episode on Tuesday, May 28 on tvN.
Lovely Runner is based on the web novel and webtoon Tomorrow's Best, illustrated by illustrator Doong Doong.
It is written by screenwriter Lee Si-eun known for her work in True Beauty and helmed by directors Kim Tae-yeop and Yoon Jong-ho. Although the show was inspired by Tomorrow’s Best, there are major differences between the webtoon and the drama. From characters’ backgrounds, location settings, plot twists, and more.
5 differences between the K-drama Lovely Runner and the webtoon Tomorrow's Best
1) The second male lead Kim Tae-sung
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Tomorrow's Best Webtoon did not have a second lead character. Kim Tae-sung played by Song Geon-hee was introduced through Lovely Runner. Kim Tae-sung was a popular boy in high school who was Im Sol's crush in the first timeline, the two dated each other for two weeks in the second timeline. In the final timeline, Kim Tae-sung was a close friend of Im Sol.
Kim Tae-sung played a pivotal role in the drama as he caught the antagonist Kim Young-soo who died in the last episode. Song Geon-hee also received appreciation from fans and viewers online for portraying Kim Tae-sung’s cool and likable personality.
2) Ryu Sun-jae and the band
In the webtoon Tomorrow's Best, the band was named after a Korean dish Gamjajeon meaning Potato Pancake. Originally, Gamjajeon had a line-up of four members without Ryu Sun-jae with a different genre. Ryu Sun-jae joined the band after two years in the webtoon.
Meanwhile, according to the drama Lovely Runner, the band was named Eclipse. The original line-up including Ryu Sun-jae, Baek In-hyuk (Lee Seung-hyub, Hyun-soo (Moon Xion), and Jay (Yang Hyuk) debuted with the song Sudden Shower.
3) Ryu Sun-jae and Im Sol’s character & location setting
In the webtoon, Ryu Sun-jae went through rigorous training to become a singer and failed. This is why he joined the band Gamjajeon two years after its official debut. However, in Lovely Runner, Ryu Sun-jae had been a swimmer for 10 years and passionately pursued sports.
He went through an accident which resulted in an injury in his shoulder. Ryu Sun-jae loved swimming, however, had no choice but to quit. He then joined his Baek In-hyuk to pursue a career in music with the band Eclipse. Notably, Jagam High School where Ryu Sun-jae studied was quite far from Im Sol's school where she had to take a bus to travel to his school.
Kim Hye-yoon’s character Im Sol in the webtoon became a fan of Ryu Sun-jae following his debut. Her legs were completely fine and could walk. Meanwhile, Im Sol in the drama, had a tragic accident that caused paralysis in both her legs. She had no will to live, however, after hearing Ryu Sun-jae’s comforting words on a radio show, she finds a reason to live again. Moreover, in the drama, Jagam High School was right across from Im Sol's school.
4) Ryu Sun-Jae's Cause of death
According to the storyline of Tomorrow's Best, Ryu Sun-jae had a hard time mentally as he received hate from original fans of Gamjajeon who did not wish for him to join the band as he took over Baek In-hyuk’s position as the main vocalist.
In the webtoon, Ryu Sun-jae died due to an overdose of prescribed drugs, including sleeping pills. As Im Sol, traveled back in time she decided to tell him the exact day he would die in the present with the reason behind his death, so he could avoid it.
In Lovely Runner, the reason behind Ryu Sun-jae's death in the first time slip was not revealed. However, similar to the webtoon Ryu Sun-jae received hate from Baek In-hyuk’s fans.
5) Time-slip period
What sets the webtoon Tomorrow's Best and Lovely Runner apart is the time slip arc which showcases a major difference. In the webtoon, Ryu Sun-jae passed away at the age of 23, meaning Im Sol traveled back 6 years in time to save him, when they both were in the second year of high school.
On the other hand, in the drama, Im Sol travels back 15 years in time, as Ryu Sun-jae died when he was 34 years old. She had been an avid supporter of Ryu Sun-jae for 13 years.
Lovely Runner is available on TVING for South Korean fans. International viewers may catch the show on Viu and Viki in selected regions.
