437. Run On 런 온 (2021) Korean

Im Siwan, Shin Se Kyung, Sooyoung, Kang Tae Oh

Drama Rating: 9/10     Neck Score: A

Dang it, I started this and then it didn't save, and somehow got published before it was finished, lol. I'm not sure why this review was so hard to write besides all that. I loved this drama, but it's also hard for me to describe in words that will accurately show how great it is. It's like a melodrama that was instead turned into a slice of life, if that makes sense. It has all the tropes of a typical melodrama set up, with the orphans, the chaebols, the overly ambitious politicians, celebrities, and quirky artists. But instead of it being a dramatic mess, instead it humanized at these typically stereotyped characters and made them real people. Incredibly flawed and lovable people. I very much appreciated that there weren't those lame tropes like love triangles, but instead we got multiple sets of people developing their relationships in very organic ways, where the biggest tests of their relationships are getting to know each other and working out differences. Not that other things don't also influence and that there weren't any misunderstandings, there of course were, but they were the real kind and the couples were really good at talking through them instead of being dumb. That was probably the best part, it was full of communication, but also the dialog felt very organic and real. It let the characters be awkward, imperfect, and lovable.

I really enjoyed the independence of Oh Mi Joo (Shin Se Kyung). She had figured out what she wanted and what she could take, and had a snarky wit on top of it. I really love all the female relationships she had too. Her roommate May or with Seo Dan Ah (Sooyoung), the chaebol who has no empathy. I loved Dan Ah and her inability to recognize how rude/mean she is being because of her over bluntness. I also loved how she learned to a bit more. Also, her smile is just killer.

I also really loved the bromances. Im Siwan of course was amazing as Ki Seon Gyeom, and I love how he portrayed a boy who grew up without parental support who just didn't develop the social skills that most people gain, or pop culture knowledge, but instead had decided on his own what he valued and would strive for, to the point of being a paragon of incorruptibility, or whatever. Like serious self-discipline, dude. I loved him and his teammates, not knowing that they are besties, but being besties. I love him and Lee Yong Hwa (Kang Tae Oh) as sudden friends. Like, is he an ENFP on the MBTI, because he just loves everyone and just squeezes himself into their lives.

I really loved how it was paced. It was a real life journey with such good character development, in nice arcs, with good resolutions. I loved watching all the characters grow. It was healing almost. Just a quiet, slice of life, but with all the making to be a melodrama instead, but it wasn't. Instead it was lovely and cute. I started it late, binged it, and then was sad I had to wait for the last 2 weeks of episodes. But I fell in love with all the characters too much to pace myself. It's so good.