"Run On" the drama you didn't know you needed

Acceptance. That's the underlying theme for me of the show. Loving yourself. Loving others. All the while staying true to who you are and who you want to be. Showing you can change without selling your soul. Lessons for all of us.

I made no secret that the first episode was a bit wonky for me. I haven't re-watched it but if I had to guess why I thought it "wonky" then it because the show in the end wasn't your typical drama. Back then I said the timing and pacing was off, but now, I feel like that's just the beauty of this drama. It keeps you on your toes and interested without having to blow things up in your face literally and figuratively.

It's a simple concept for a drama. Girl meets boy. Another boy meets another girl. That's where the simple ends.

-Mi Joo is a interpreter for movies. Her character is essentially the reason we English speakers can watch dramas in the first place! She comes from an unstable background though not much was dwelled on it. She didn't have parents and that was that. She tends to live an unconventional lifestyle of odd sleeping patterns, few real friends, and a lot of wrong type of guy relationships.

-Seon Gyeom comes from a rich family, successful athlete with a strong sense of right and wrong. He seemingly lacked for nothing but unconditional love and support from his distant parents. He's the dumped one in relationships because he's boring and doesn't really like to give much of himself over to just anyone. This was painfully evident by the fact that he didn't know one of his best friends had had a girlfriend for 10 years! These two meet initially due to a strange event on the streets and then later through a job.

-Young Hwa. Artist. Naïve. Immensely emotional and very steadfast in his choices once he makes them. He's a late edition to the college scene and stands out due to his age. Feels things deeply and makes friends easily. Not afraid to be a bit quirky.

-Dan Ah comes from a rich family where love was pretty non-existent. She's had to scrap her way to build her own company while dealing with the issues that arise from being a woman not appreciated by her own family. She's rigid but beyond that rigidity she's a woman that needs love and needs to find a way to share herself.

For Mi Joo and Seon Gyeom their relationship started with as a business relationship that wasn't even built on trust. As time progressed, they slowly began to trust each other, sharing little naunces of their lives slowly. It was like a mouse savoring a piece of cheese, little by little they opened up. Mi Joo recognized this was hard for Seon Gyeom, even equating him as a kid that was learning to emotionally share and at the end of the drama she praised him for growing up. It's also way it was important to hear him confess first and say I love you first. They didn't have a lot of kissing scenes but I didn't need them here. The deep connection they had, the joy they were portrayed in just being together was enough. I also like how Seon Gyeom didn't have this massive emo revelation but he slowly built to an evolving person. He was the same but evolved emotional character. Didn't go over the top as some writers try to make the character do to show "growth". How pleasantly surprising was it when we were facing the fated "Episode 12 breakup" when they didn't actually break up but just agreed to give space when needed and then came back together when things were more clear and figured out.

Young Hwa and Dan Ah were much more an enigma. He was one that didn't really hide much of what he felt. It was usually all on his face- his happiness and he sadness. She struggled for longer with the opening up. I never really felt like they were true boyfriend and girlfriend because she continued to be so reserved and held so much in. She's the character that made the most progress to me. Her apologizing to Young Hwa's gay friend for her own pretending to be gay, realizing how hurtful that could be to use something so personal for gains. At the end, the "breakup" with Young Hwa was needed and if they had stayed broken up, that would have been okay for me, because it was honest and real and over fears that may or may not be able to be resolved. To be fair, I'm not even really sure they reconciled at the end. I feel like down the road, given some time, and more emotional lesson learning from Dan Ah they could be a couple but I am not sure she's 100% ready where the show ended. Again, something I am fine with.

The four together learned to have this bond. The boys had a much more evident one than the girls. They bonded quickly in some very quirky ways (E.T.??) The begrudging friendship Dan Ah with Mi Joo was played a lot for laughs but underneath that laughter the writer was building up respect and trust. They still weren't really friends friends but it was a good start.

One of the signs of a good drama is no character being wasted. The side characters were all needed and in the end all served a purpose and we got resolution for every single character. From Young Hwa's gay friend coming out to his mother accepting him. The mother accepting her daughters love for boxing and even taking lessons. Dan Ah's brother "always was the brother". Seon Gyeom's mom divorcing the dad. The Dad losing his election he rightly deserved to lose, losing his family and then realizing what mattered most and having to begin again. To May and Mr. Jung finding each other. Woo Sik and his grandma. To Eun Bi being free to be what she wanted to be...even be with the elusive Ryan and gaining her mother's attention.

All these characters the final scene of the show with them all being in that movie theater, supportive of each other in their roles represented the importance that people have in our lives, even seemingly "side characters". Don't overlook the little people!

I really can't say enough about the script and dialogue from this rookie writer-Park Shi Hyun. It was simple and complex at the same time. There were one liners that made me laugh out loud at times ("What's so great about liking men?" "We aren't dating...he's just following me.") and then other dialogue than made me sit and think about the true intent. It wasn't showy but real. Some might even call this show boring but for me it was so nuanced that it held my attention the whole time. So well done writer-nim for not choosing to go overboard and tropey but keeping it real and honest.

The actors...all of them were the best pick for their roles. Im Shi Wan. Shin Se Kyung. Choi Soo Young. Kang Tae Oh. It wouldn't be Run On with any other actor.

I will miss this show. I never thought I would have two shows that moved me so much...at the same time...but between this show and The Uncanny Counter, they certainly did. I have no complaints for this show. I don't even want a second season. It is just perfect as is. I think the lines that encapsulated the essence of the show was from the gay son to the mother:

"It's not wrong to be different". Acceptance.

So my rating for this show is 5/5. Absorbed by it. Can't find major flaws. Made me really feel the story.