Na Direção do Amor (2020)

Life is a race we need to finish, but it's okay to take a break.

Highly recommended!

This drama is so refreshing and unique in its own way. Be it the pace of the drama, the storyline, the actors or even the topics that the drama revolves around. (Also can we talk about the aesthetics please!?)

The male lead is intriguing, complex and an unreliable character as in, he himself doesn't know what he is like until he unfolds his story with us. He looks naive and weird but in fact, he is just indifferent to things that normally extract a reaction out of us which adds to the humour in the whole drama. He knows a thing or two about how the world is, never hesitates to do what he wants to do, respects the people around him and holds a special place for his juniors.

The female lead (played by Shin Se Kyung and honestly might be her best role so far!) has a rather unique job and resonates with most of us (international fans) and creates a feeling of empathy and we can relate to the problems and issues one goes through while subtitling or translating things. She is soft but mentally fierce and strong, determined and hesitant at the same time but never does her inner conflict seem annoying but rather motivating.

They are cute together on screen, Ebe it before and after they get together and honestly, have one of the healthiest relationships I have ever seen in dramas. It warms your heart, makes you smile and by the end you are looking at them with heart eyes.

The second male lead (Kang Tae Oh my god, he's a rising star!) is a clingy teen-like art student but guess what? He has layers in him which makes him so much more interesting. He makes you curious, just like the second female lead was, and pulls you in his charms. He is an amazing addition to the whole drama, giving the right push to lessons and messages conveyed.

The second female lead (and Sooyoung has won my heart!) is a girl boss, with a little stereotyped fashion and personality but even then the writers have layered her character with curiosity, naiveness, sweet and gentle undertones and straight-forwardness. She is the right spice to everything, creates the mood for you to indulge in the whole drama.

The side characters— all have great elements and stories that make the whole drama worth watching. Be it SFL's sibling relationship which totally makes your heart pain and jump with joy at the same time, or the filming crew and impromptu curse battle they have on sets. The dialogues and script are in fact very funny and the actors never overdo it to add to the humour. The story unfolds slowly without major climaxing moments which really heals you throughout. The cinematography is insane. It is aesthetic, very calming and makes you lean back on your chair to just enjoy the visuals. The OSTs are good too, perfectly suiting for the drama.


By the look of it, every character is weird, imperfect, and a little crazy which makes the subtle messages of self-love, self-worth and "life is a race we all need to finish" reach us with more impact and leaves you smiling.

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So... I hyped myself too much.

Run On, actually, is an amazing show, considering the fact that it's a rom-com. And we all know how horrible Korean rom-coms can be, they can be toxic, they can be boring with souless characters, they always have too many cliches etc. But Run On is different. It's 100% character-driven drama that focuses mainly on the characters and the dialogues. Truly a heaven for people who are not into plot-driven shows. The characters are interesting because they don't seem fake, they feel somewhat realistic and down to earth. They have a great character development and the good thing is that the drama focuses on the side characters too, not only on the main couple.

Talking about the main couple, they were so sweet. What I loved about them is the fact that, even though they had problems, they were honest with themselves and with each other. They don't act childishly and aren't problematic and toxic. They are two grown people who faced and accepted their problems and grew even more as people loving each other. They learn about self-love and self-acceptance. They are strong as individuals, especially the FL who I admire a lot.

The beginning of the drama was too good to be true so I hyped myself too much. I got too excited and I think that affected my personal enjoyment later on. I grew a bit tired of the show, 16 episodes is a bit too long for my liking. And the second couple didn't really suit my taste. The second female lead was supposed to be a ''baddie'' but honestly I only saw her as a disrespectful, rude bish. And I eventually couldn't get into the second couple. They weren't absolutely horrible, from a different point of you it was interesting to watch them because they were so different, with such different personalities and interests and still made it work and fell in love with each other. So from this POV, I didn't mind them that much.

Overall, I would recommend this if you're looking for comforting show to watch. As rom-com, it was good.

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This drama ran towards my heart.

Definitely a drama I enjoyed watching. Not something you found around easily. It's a heartwarming, combines comedy, drama and romance leaving you with a satisfying feeling at the end of each episode. Sure, the story is unfolding slowly, but that under no circumstances makes the show boring! There's always something happening to make you laugh and enjoy your time while watching.

The plot surely has familiar bits that you've seen before, but the writer manages to maintain the element of surprise and twists every other scene making you want more. There's a fresh point of view in stories you might already have seen and that's what makes this show different. Most importantly, this is not just a love story. Life is depicted and you see obstacles someone might have to face. The characters don't drown themselves in love, they maintain their individuality.

Speaking of characters, I love how different from each other the main characters are. All of them have distinct personalities that might seem too hard to blend together, but they still find middle ground. It's hard to play favourites, you just have to love them all. Every character is well sculptured and you always want to see more of them. Most of all I enjoyed watching their relationships developing. Not only the romance, but the friendships too. If there's a show that portrays healthy relationships, this might be it.

Overall, Run On is a show worth your time. I enjoyed watching it alone as much as I enjoyed watching it with friends. You don't have to be a kdrama addict to have a good time with this one. The plot is easy to follow, the characters charm you at first sight and their chemistry is everything!

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The magic of this show is in it’s storytelling rather than the story.

I do have a feeling watching this slowly will make you like it more, I remember waiting each week to watch its episode and feeling relaxed and warmed after doing so.

Okay so where do I begin? As I watched, I kept thinking how natural everything felt. No big explosions, no dramatic interactions- raw and understated emotion done right.

Each character is likeable, well-written, flawed and realistic. All the four leads have a unique charm which I can’t quite express. Interactions between all characters at whichever point they occur, are very enjoyable to watch. (That does include a quirky Bromance and Sismance too).

The main couple‘s storyline progresses naturally and their chemistry is too real. Each interaction between the two gave me butterflies and made me unknowingly smile all the time. Even the second lead couple is built gradually even though their obvious connection is noted early on. They show realistic conversations that flow as the moment passes and there’s something really genuine in the way it’s done.

The side cast consists of characters interlinked to the 4 leads- no scene of theirs feels unnecessary too and they add a new charm to the show.

Another interesting point to note is the humour- it is well placed and comes at unexpected points leaving you smiling as you’re pleasantly surprised. Even the OST is really fitting and the pace is perfect in my books. It might seem slow to some as the show is very character driven. But the characters are interesting enough for that to be its biggest pro.

I urge whoever is reading to give it a go for an interesting and fresh storyline with the most endearing characters.

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Running on towards quirky dialogues and characters!

2 episodes into the drama, you realize the story isn't that special. Heck, it is reminiscent of older Rich Man/Poor Woman dramas. ML, a silver spoon, can't stand injustice, expects equality (duh!) and has a life dictated by his father. FL, orphan, unhesitant to take white envelopes, trying to survive against all odds. Sounds nothing special right. But something in it makes you keep watching. To decode its charms, I kept watching.

Charm #1 Dialogues.
There is something very different about the dialogues. Kudos, to the dialogue writer and to the translator. (Was that intentional given the context of FL's profession?!) Normally, any drama would offer dialogues which help the plot in some way or create the mood. Here, the dialogues are so in the moment. If you don't see the context, you might lose its meaning. Sometimes, I had to replay to understand what they were actually conveying. Sometimes, I had to look at what was happening in the background to understand the meaning. This would have more enjoyable if you are a native speaker not having to concentrate on subtitles and screen at the same time. Even the confession was a bit unconventional. I definitely want to rewatch just for the dialogues. But sometimes, this can feel very tiring too; having to think and observe a lot for this genre was unexpected.

Charm #2 Characters.
Initially, the four main characters almost seem familiar. But their actions are a bit unpredictable. When was the last time second FL wink teasingly at FL?! And the reaction of FL?! I don't remember.
Both ML and Second ML are probably the most gentlemanly, softest and cutest characters kdrama has ever given to us. I'm referring to their personality and not appearance but I agree that they look cute as well. Heck, these men are setting goals for ideal type BF!
Understanding ML is another piece of work. If you ever had a friend who pretty much lived under the rock, you could find it relatable. Or if you ever lived under the rock, then you might know the communication gap.
About Seo Dan Ah, I don't know where to begin. The moment I saw her I fell in love with her. She looks pretty and empowering at the same time. She can flirt and she means business too. She can pull off both business suit and tracksuit. This review is escalating into Seo Dan Ah stanning.
There are other cute characters as well like Seo Tae Woong, and Kim Woo Shik.
The casting was apt. SSK had good English. And ISW looked convincing like an athlete.

Okay, Charm #3 Healing Effect.
This drama is so light and heartwarming that even being an insomniac, I could fall asleep. Not in a negative sense, but there are some dramas for some moods and this is one to see after a tiresome day and feel relaxed. There are motivating moments and dialogues. I'm surprised with the healing theme it does not have that cinematography of snow feel or spring feel. It has a very summery feel to it. There are good comedy scenes and interactions especially SDA and OMJ's sismance. There are these imaginative scenes where OMJ imagines herself in the movie she is subbing which was interesting.

Bonus #1, agreed that the main couple is adorable. This was the first time I was more curious about the second couple. They had more butterfly moments than the main couple.

Bonus #2, As for music, Run to you and Sorry sounded interesting.

Bonus #3, Given the professions of ML and FL, I learnt one or two things about sports and film industry.

Run on, an unconventionally written, nice and warm feel-good drama to fall asleep to. It can sometimes be like an art piece at a gallery. If you understand its meaning, you'd keep staring at it (like Seo Dan Ah staring at Young Hwa's works). If you don't, then this might not be for you.

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Before I start writing my review I just want to ask those people who gave 10/10 as an overall rating, did they give honest review? The drama started out really great and from episode 1 it was eye catching. The main lead actor is a professional sprinter for Korea National team and the female lead is a movie translator and a part time interpretor. The story starts out really well but it's only till episode 6, then it becomes really boring. The way destiny always allows both of them to meet somewhere and she becomes his personal interpretor was really awesome. However, when the lead actor beats up two of his team mates and quits the national team, it becomes really boring. The writer didn't even include a single scene of him sprinting for national team in all the later episode rather he stays at the second leads house as an unemployed person. Furthermore, it didn't feel like it was a romance drama genre, there was really few romantic plus kissing scenes and seemed as if they were forced to become together. To be honest the second leads romance was better. The whole episodes focused on the main leads, the second leads were shown properly from episode 10. Those viewers who gave 10/10 rating should watch chinese romantic dramas like love is sweet, mr honesty, well intended love 2, intense love, well dominated love, my little happiness and etc. This dramas also have first and second leads but their romance is way more cute plus lots of romantic scenes. Second leads are shown lots of time through out the episodes and story is way more eye catching and fascinating than this drama.

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This isn't a bad drama, but I don't really have the motivation to keep watching

Dropping the show after watching until almost the end of episode 10.

One of the main reasons why I started watching Run On was because of all the positive comments I saw on here from people who were really loving the show, but I think it just isn't my cup of tea. It's not that it's particularly bad, but there isn't really anything to keep me watching. I think overall the show is just kind of confusing and boring, and I couldn't feel the chemistry between the two leads. The only moment that I thought was really cute was the parking lot kiss, and I feel like that was just because Siwan is really cute when he smiles. The misunderstandings that they have are confusing too - she always blames him but I feel like she isn't good at communicating either.

The ML is hard to read, it seems like he just lived not caring about anything and now he is starting to make his own decisions and live his life. The FL keeps talking about how he is super considerate of others and not himself, but I feel like rather than being considerate he just didn't care and did what he was told. He does grow throughout the show and you can see that he is trying to discover his own path and figure out what he wants to do, which I'm all for but I think I'm just not personally very invested in him.

That being said, I really liked how he defended the runner who was getting bullied. The only reason I might keep watching is to just skip ahead to the scenes where they play out how that goes, because thats the only part of the show I'm actually invested in seeing how it turns out. I watched Lee Jung Ha compete in the Unit, and although he's still a rookie actor I enjoyed seeing him in the show.

I also felt like there were some discrepancies with Seo Tae Woong - how is he supposedly famous but he only has 1000+ followers on Instagram? And his fans have a name but their group hasn't debuted? Maybe it's because he's a minor character so they didn't really pay as much attention but details like that take me out of the story / make it confused.

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Run Away

Save yourself!
Run Away would be a better name since this drama seems to run away from every point it makes as soon as it touches it.
I really wanted to like this drama. I wanted to like the characters but I couldn't care less what happened to them after the first few episodes.

This drama seems to be written on the spot without an overall look. Every episode seems to run in an unexpected direction that doesn’t tie in with the previous or the next one in a meaningful way. After a certain point, it seems more like a never-ending advert than a drama.

What puzzled me the most was that the characters' personalities didn’t seem to match their actions a lot of the time. FL was extremely straightforward, brave and insightful, yet she couldn’t be honest with ML and would speak in riddles and makeup problems and misunderstandings. I honestly don't know how their relationship worked or why they fell in love. No, pity doesn't lead to love. Not healthy love, at least. Empathy and pity are very different.

A lot of the plot points seemed so useless. She invited him to stay over so he wouldn't be alone, yet didn’t make him company. They lived in completely different time zones. How can you fall in love with someone you hardly have contact with? They're also very different and don't have anything in common. "Opposites attract" only tends to work for batteries.
They seemed like friends most of the time. There was no spark, there was no relationship. They seemed like colleagues at times who were sharing the same space out of obligation.

The second leads' relationship also doesn't make any sense at all. The CEO isn't likeable. There's no reason for the constant breakups. It makes no sense how someone with a congenital heart disease drinks a whole bottle of whisky at least once a week.
At first I thought she would drive him away because of her disease, but in the end, she drove him away for no reason at all. If she had to be destroyed in her line of business, she would have already by being (falsely) outed as a lesbian.

Also, the art always pertains to the artist even after it's sold. A Renoir doesn’t stop being a Renoir just because he's dead or because it was sold.

What I hate the most is that the man who used his whole family for personal gain was forgiven in the end. Didn't they learn anything?

There's too much that doesn't make any sense at all. It's not even worth mentioning. With such a good cast I was expecting something better, something different. Maybe this drama just isn't for me.

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Da questo drama mi aspettavo molto di più.

La storia si svolge in maniera troppo lenta per i miei gusti e, forse per questo, non è riuscita a coinvolgermi. I protagonisti, anche se molto bravi, non sono riusciti a farmi immergere nella storia. Lui, interpretato da Im Shi Wan, è un uomo/bambino dolce e imbranato ma veramente troppo strano. Il suo personaggio mi è piaciuto ma la sua crescita personale è minima. Lei, interpretata da Shin Se Kyung, mi è piaciuta meno; l’ho trovata a tratti irritante e troppo confusionaria. La loro storia d’amore, ai miei occhi, rimane fredda e distaccata.
Mi è piaciuta la coppia secondaria che da un po' di brio al tutto. Il finale davvero troppo lento.
Un drama da guardare senza troppe aspettative, e che un po' mi ha delusa.

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its a slow poison, so it will take its own sweet time to grow on you but then it gets addictive...

i watched this one simply because it was on netflix and had no expectations or anything... the first 2 episodes were very normal and the story also looked very ordinary... but what stood out was the characters... all of them are weird and crazy but the emotions they portray are as real as it gets... as the episodes passed the drama and its characters started to grown on me...

the makers show that they can deliver a beautiful drama with 16 episodes without toxic or unhealthy relationships and with no overdramatic scenes or twist and turns... i guess the only other drama i have seen that is similar in this aspect is the hospital playlist...

this drama deserves a special shoutout for the dialogue writers... its pure gold... it has really good sarcastic and comedy dialogues as well as deep and meaningful ones...

the acting and chemistry b/w all the actors fit really well with the ambiance of the drama... im siwan is perfect as Ki Seon Gyeom... the way he speaks, his body language and even his hand gestures contribute to the character... he literally creates an adoration and protectiveness inside the viewers for his character... i felt the same way mijoo felt protective over him as if he is a child that needs to be taken care of... shin se kyung's character mijoo is how a FL should be... having self respect is something most of the kdrama female leads lack and mijoo has the right amount... her self respect dont come off as being self-centered even for a minute... this is my first drama with both choi soo young and kang taeoh and i loved both of them... choi soo young's physical appearance is apt for danah who has a strong aura and is rich and powerful... she is the one that shows the least amount of emotions out of the 4 main characters and when she does at the end she made sure the audience cried with her... kang taeoh as yeong hwa is as cute as innocent as seon gyeom but is a little bit childish as well since he is the youngest among the 4... his reactions to some of the situations are hilarious... the rest of the supporting cast were also amazing... i wasnt even annoyed by the fathers who tried really had to be the ultimate kdrama villainous mothers but failed miserably because no one took them seriously... every single character had their own moments and they all shined in it...

it is the first work of the writer and i must say she did a better job than some of the famous and well-known writers in kdramaland... i will be looking forward to her next work... the director also did an amazing job... in short literally everyone did an amazing job...


its mostly a character-driven drama rather than story-driven.. if someone asks me whats the story of runon i don't know how to explain it even though i watched all the 16 episodes... all i can say is it's about some really interesting characters and their growth as individuals, as lovers, as friends etc...

overall its such a heart warming and heart touching drama with lots of positivity... it has high rewatch value...

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Wholesome but confusing

I had heard about this drama being really wholesome and healthy beforehand and that was indeed what I got. I really liked the eccentricity of the main leads — their dynamic was awkward but comfortable and it was really different from all the other dramas I'd seen. I especially really liked the main male lead and the way he handled family situations and conflict was just really unique.

If you're looking for a plot-driven drama though, this isn't it. It was very character-driven. I don't have a problem with that, but there were also a lot of side characters I just didn't really care about, including the second ship.

Overall, I just felt like aside I started clicking less and less with the characters; I do chalk this up to the writing style, as something about the way every character talked just was very confusing and obscure. They discussed things in metaphors and it all just kind of went way over my head. I wasn't sure what they were talking about and it made the drama kind of meh to me.

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