tvN Drama Lovely Runner Named Best Drama of the Year by TIME

The tvN drama Lovely Runner has been recognized as the Best Drama of the Year by TIME magazine.

On December 18 (local time), TIME unveiled its list of "The 10 Best Dramas of 2024," with Lovely Runner (written by Lee Si-eun, directed by Yoon Jong-ho and Kim Tae-yeop) claiming the top spot.

The publication praised lead actors Byeon Woo-seok and Kim Hye-yoon for their performances, noting, "They portrayed their characters across their teenage, twenties, and thirties, seamlessly transitioning between two different timelines with genuine emotion, leaving a profound impact on viewers."

The drama's music also earned acclaim, with TIME stating, "In melodramas, the soundtrack is a key element in elevating emotional catharsis for the audience. Songs like Sonagi (sung by Byeon Woo-seok) played a significant role."

Highlighting the drama's strengths, TIME remarked, "Even without a massive budget, the series delivered an excellent and well-constructed story. This, ultimately, is the most crucial aspect of a drama."

Ranked second is tvN's 'Jeongnyeon: The Star is Born' (written by Choi Hyo-bi, directed by Jung Ji-in). It was praised as "not only a story of an outsider rising to the top of the performing arts world, but also a narrative that preserves Korea's cultural traditions."

TVING's 'Love in the Big City' (written by Park Sang-young, directed by Hur Jin-ho, Hong Ji-young, Son Tae-gyeom, and Kim Se-in) came in third. Disney+'s 'A Shop for Killer's ranked fourth, followed by JTBC's 'The Atypical Familyat' fifth.

SBS-TV's 'The Judge from Hell', TVING's 'Pyramid Game', tvN's 'Marry My Husband', TVING's 'Death's Game', and Netflix's 'Mr. Plankton' rounded out the top 10.