#TvN

[sunlighthroughthe-ashes]

this was such a small moment; but so sweet and full of love that it transcended the screen.

in every timeline so far; sunjae's 'abeoji' has lost his son: has seen him depressed, guilt-ridden, and finally; irretrievably, dead. he must have felt so helpless — must have cried over sunjae's cold body: begged for a second chance for his son.

fate finally gave it to him: now sunjae's 'abeoji' gets to see him lit from within with happiness; together with the love of his life — embraced and welcomed by her family. touched by the tender hand of joy.

he doesn't know it, but seeing sunjae with sol has healed him of a hurt he didn't even know he had in the first place. all sunjae's 'abeoji' knows is that his son is smiling wider than he's ever seen him; lifted into the hands of bliss by pure, pure love. so he looks on fondly; his heart swelling with pride.

he accepts with easy grace: sunjae belongs to sol. and always will.

[kdim]

No Gain No Love 손해 보기 싫어서 (2024) | Episode 10 Finally! The Joo twins moment. They got kicked out of the penthouse.

[koreandragon]

CHOI JIN-HYUK as Gye Ji-ung in Miss Night and Day (2024)

[pinkiech]

Lovely Runner 선재 업고 튀어 (2024) Final Ep.

"You're a gift from sky." -Ryu Sun Jae

[lovenonymously]

the importance of well-written stories

watching Lovely Runner was like watching 4 K-dramas at once lol

well-written stories are so rare, you only understand that when you watch something exceptional. something unique. a once in a lifetime experience of watching it for the very first time.

this show gave me so many feelings. in truth, it was an experience. I'm glad I put aside my fear of sad endings and watched as it aired. for once, I took the leap and discovered that's exactly what this drama wanted me to learn.

usually, after finishing really good K-dramas or stories in general, I hit a slump where I cannot function. everything feels dull and boring. a different kind of grief at realising this was just fictional.

but not this time.

all I feel is light and happy. like I'm floating. I want to carry this feeling and runaway. I want to remember how this felt and hold onto it when I get down or get bad days.

lifetimes lived.

Sol was sunlight. bright and unwavering and unforgettable. 💛

living vicariously through Im Sol, from feeling her pain in the beginning to her sunny hope that Sun Jae gave her. all her struggles as she jumped through various lifetimes, loved and lived and loved again. crying with her, laughing with her, rooting for her despite all odds. it was a journey.

beyond her love for Sun Jae, Sol's choices changed her family's life too. they were less hurt and much happier in the future she helped them create. even giving her grandmother a chance to return to the past and relive her fondest memories.

Sun Jae was midnight rain. the comfort of a sudden shower in the middle of summer. 💙

apart from being a complete loser in love, Sun Jae was in love with Sol for a total accumulated time of 45 years.

yep. my reaction exactly ^

I won't lie, when they pulled the "he fell first" trope in Episode 2, I was wary. one, because if the writers were willing to pull such a twist in just the second episode, then who knew what else was in store for us? my guess was pretty spot on, the twists that followed had me gasping and yelling out loud. this show was unpredictable from beginning to end.

and two, because I was worried that Sun Jae's character might get reduced to just him being in love with Im Sol.

in that case, I'm glad to say,

I was completely wrong.

despite Sun Jae's love for Im Sol, he had a grounded personality of his own. whether it was OG Sun Jae (ep 1), who lived in the guilt of what happened to the girl he loved, or Timeline 3 Sun Jae (ep 15), who never fell in love at all, he was positive, kind, decisive and striving to live.

and i love that about him.

for two characters whose stories are so deeply interwoven together, having shaped aspects of each other's lives, Sol and Sun Jae displayed their unique traits exceptionally well as individuals.

I cannot emphasize how happy this makes me. Sun Jae is his own person, Sol is her own person, and they are destined to be together. beyond their desperation for each other's safety and well-being, Sol and Sun Jae are genuinely good people who deserved to be together. even fate and time bent to their will to make it happen.

"As you wait for the rain to stop, live another day."

when a story makes you feel happy, hold onto that feeling. bottle it up. write it down. come back to it on the days the world feels against you and when the times feel too bleak.

fictional though it is, for what it's worth, at least the story exists. it means there are still people out there writing and bringing such stories to life. it means artists and creators like you and I haven't yet forgotten what it's supposed to be like to live. it means there are still people who connect to such stories and learn good things from it.

and as you wait for more such great stories, live another day. perhaps, if you get bored, write the story you want to read.

in the end, it's quite simple.

as for me, I'll be here. crying, laughing, screaming, giggling and kicking my feet while being up to my eyes in second-hand embarrassment (because goodness, these two idiots are COMPLETE LOSERS IN LOVE) throughout these past 8 weeks was the highlight of my year ✨ I will always remember that I watched a beautiful modern fairytale romance in the summer of '24 that reminded me that I was young and full of love to give.

good stories truly do make a difference 🤍

[coffeetraces]

we open the final episode with a 34-year-old clingy 6-foot baby

[cherrygeneralleader]

Hip Hop Team is their name, Confusion is their game

[kdram-chjh]

Kdrama: Alchemy of Souls (Season 2) (2022-2023)

Strongest Couple 🤧✨ | Alchemy Of Souls

Watch this video on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/-4sdA3bU9ZE

[love-is-dean]

Rang disgusted by literally everyone and everything is such a big mood

[feii1effect]

— Stay alert at my funeral. Everyone who disliked me will attend. Hyeon-ju, Jeong-mi, Eun-jin, and Ye-na. Listen carefully to what they say. — And? — Sue them all if they bad-mouth me. Sue them for defaming the dead. — Me? — Then, should I? I'll be in the coffin. — Come on. I don't think anyone would mourn. — So, you should.

[victorianera]

Yoo Insoo & Lee Jaewook reunited for Death’s Game

[sunlighthroughthe-ashes]

there's a translated scrap of plato that eventually found its way into a letter sent by emily dickinson: "i wish you a kinder sea."

seascape scenes in k-dramas can often be so trite — but love next door's characterization was beautiful. seunghyo pitching seokryu into the water might seem like an act of anger — but it's actually liberation. it's a rebirth; a re-emergence — a place of salt that can settle her tears. water is renewal: a washing place for wounds. a tincture to clear away the bitter and broken; and allow the touch of tenderness.

though seokryu is scared of water; in the sea she is safe: the waves hold the weight of her hurt and desperation as she screams at seungyo. he knows what she needs — he has always known what she needs. he stands still — takes the tips of her fingers striking him as what it is — finally, a surrender to all the emotions she refused to succumb to. a clearing of the air. an opening into a freer intimacy.

there were so many beautiful moments during this episode: the power of a simple "we'll hit rock bottom together." seokryu's ex was heartbreakingly right — what she needed wasn't someone to lift her up, but someone to fall down with her. when someone is in pain you sit with them in the dark; and look up at the impossibility of light together.

this is what seungyo has always understood so effortlessly about seokryu — that this is love: to climb down into the ravine of regret and raw hurt where the person you love has fallen — not to pull them out; but give them company. when people are in agony you must give them the dignity of their deep hurt — you must nurture the narrow, serrated edges of their sorrow. seunghyo taking seokryu to see off her ex — folding his coat around her to create a private hollow to express her heartache: it speaks of a man who understands that grief is not meant to be overcome; but gathered in the hands and given respect. attention. understanding.

this is love: to say "when you cry, it is my eyes that fill with salt. when you scream, it is my throat that burns. when you fall down, it is my knees that bruise in the color of your eyes."

this is love: to wish someone a kinder sea. a clearer day. a warmer hug.

this is seunghyo.

[kdim]

No Gain No Love 손해 보기 싫어서 (2024) | Episode 11 Brothers and Sisters

[chasingm00n]

Jung Yu-mi & Ju Ji-hoon for LOVE YOUR ENEMY (2024) promotion

[pinkiech]

Lovely Runner 선재 업고 튀어 (2024) Ep. 11

"Sun Jae, it's all over. We have a future now."

[lovenonymously]

"Was it my memory I lost, or was it you?"

- Lovely Runner (2024)