The Devoted Love of Seonjae: ‘Lovely Runner’ Craze

The Drama ‘Lovely Runner’ Ends

Cast and Crew Discuss the ‘Seonjae Craze’

Seonjae (Byeon Woo-seok) and Sol (Kim Hye-yoon) from ‘Lovely Runner’ express their feelings for each other, transcending past and present. The popularity of Seonjae is so high that overseas fans have even displayed videos of Byeon Woo-seok on New York’s Times Square billboard.

The undying and pure love, often seen in supporting characters, has captured the hearts of female viewers. The main character ‘Seonjae’ (played by Byeon Woo-seok) from the drama ‘Lovely Runner’ (tvN) continues to be loved even after the show concluded on the 28th of last month. Fans are visiting the filming locations, and husbands have been posting pictures on social media with Seonjae’s photo on their faces for their wives. Byeon Woo-seok’s social media followers approached 9 million as of the 2nd of this month. We spoke to actor Byeon Woo-seok and the director and writer to explore why ‘Seonjae’ is resonating now.

A Unique Love Story Based on a Web Novel ‘Lovely Runner’

The drama, based on a web novel, brings a fresh take on its story. Seonjae has been in love with the female protagonist ‘Sol’ (played by Kim Hye-yoon) since high school, always honest and self-sacrificing about his feelings. Unlike typical romantic comedy leads who only realize their feelings after being prickly, Seonjae is different.

Writer Lee Si-eun stated, “In fact, Seonjae has many traits of a ‘sub’ male lead who loves the female protagonist but isn’t chosen. I always wanted to make such a purely devoted character the lead. But I wondered, ‘Will he be loved?’ ‘Will he be too boring?’ This was a challenge I wanted to take on.” Byeon Woo-seok added, “Seonjae quickly reveals his feelings. His clumsy but sincere ‘I like you’ is a distinguishing feature.” The result was a refreshing success for a purely devoted character. Early in the drama, when it was revealed that Seonjae secretly liked Sol first, it caused a stir among female viewers aged 20-40.From left: Director Yoon Jong-ho, Writer Lee Si-eun, and Director Kim Tae-yeop from ‘Lovely Runner’.

Overcoming the ‘Boring Character of Seonjae’ Concern

Seonjae’s charm overcame the fear of being a ‘boring character.’ Due to the time travel element, Seonjae appears in his 10s, 20s, and 30s, as well as various professions like swimmer, singer, and actor. After going through several actors, the role finally went to Byeon Woo-seok. Taking on his first lead role in a 16-episode drama, Byeon Woo-seok kept it fresh with diverse portrayals. Directors Yoon Jong-ho and Kim Tae-yeop noted, “Seonjae had to show many things, and it seems like he showed everything he hadn’t before.” Byeon Woo-seok commented, “I paid attention to my hair, clothes, and body for each situation. I think this might be a defining work in my career.”

Lovely Runner: Comforting the Audience with Warm Fantasy

The focus on warm love fantasy provided comfort to viewers tired of reality. Writer Lee said, “I wanted to ensure that, despite external hindrances, there would be no misunderstanding between the protagonists. I included frustrating content in odd-numbered episodes so it would be resolved quickly that week. I wrote the script with the feeling that the two protagonists would be truly happy and continue to be so.” This intention of depicting a ‘beautiful heart’ that believes and cherishes each other reached the viewers. Airing on Mondays and Tuesdays, it earned the nickname ‘Monday Sickness Cure.’ Fantasy acted as a ‘medicine.’

Byeon Woo-seok said, “The part of the drama that gives us strength is experiencing our desired fantasies. I believed in portraying such beautiful fantasies, and that’s what our drama was about.”

Rising Popularity of Byeon Woo-seok as Seonjae

With the success of ‘Lovely Runner,’ Byeon Woo-seok, who appeared in the movie ‘Soulmate,’ ’20th Century Girl,’ and drama ‘Search: WWW,’ gained significant recognition. He expressed, “I, too, am experiencing ‘Seonjae Fever’ and love being called Seonjae. I’ve always strived to do my best, thinking that people might like me one day if I keep improving. I want to become an actor who can evoke empathy through good acting.”

Reference: https://n.news.naver.com/mnews/article/023/0003837997?sid=103

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