Production company of the ongoing K-drama "Lovely Runner" clarifies alleged similarities to SHINee's late Jonghyun's life amid backlash

The production company of the tvN's ongoing K-drama Lovely Runner, CJ ENM, has stepped forward to address the mounting criticism surrounding alleged similarities between the drama's plot and the life of the late SHINee member, Jonghyun.

Responding to the backlash, the production company emphasized that Lovely Runner is based on the web novel titled Tomorrow's Best and is not intended to depict any specific real-life character.

The company released a statement where they explained that the choice of 2008 as the setting for the time travel was selected to effectively illustrate the contrast between different periods, rather than adhering strictly to the original work's timeline:

"Hello, this is the CJ ENM Viewer Counsel Team. First, we would like to thank you for your interest in our show, ‘Lovely Runner.’ This is the response to the inquiry received. The male lead’s debut year in the drama is 2009. It is based on the original webtoon and is not a drama made with a specific character or situation in mind. "

The statement continued,

"However, during the production process, we felt that the original work setting of six years before was not a big enough gap to depict the young days of the main characters. So, we decided to go back 15 years before to 2008, to show a contrast between the times."

However, some fans still believe that it is disrespectful to use someone's death for entertainment purposes.

They cited similarities between the drama's setting and Jonghyun's life, particularly noting that the year 2008, when the female lead travels back in time, coincides with SHINee's (the group that Jonghyun belonged to) debut year.

Additionally, the first episode aired on April 8, which also happens to be Jonghyun's birthday, leading to speculation and criticism. However, the production company has now clarified its stance, aiming to quell the controversy.

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CJ ENM responds to the similarities between Lovely Runner and late idol, Jonghyun's life amidst backlash

The drama follows the story of a devoted fan, Im Sol (played by Kim Hye-yoon) who travels back in time to prevent the untimely death of her idol, Ryu Seon-jae, (played by Byeon Woo-seok). It has faced backlash from viewers who drew parallels between the dying artist in the storyline and Jonghyun.

Furthermore, the company has dismissed any intentional connection between the drama's premiere date and Jonghyun's birthday, stating that programming orders are determined sequentially and do not involve deliberate planning:

"We inform you that the premiere date was determined by the drama block programming order and was not an intentional setting, as that is not realistically possible."

The controversy surrounding Lovely Runner has sparked a broader conversation about the portrayal of sensitive topics in media and the responsibility of production companies to handle such narratives with care and sensitivity.

Moreover, the depiction of the lead actor's death following a concert also allegedly resembles the idol's life. The actress's sweatshirt colour on the poster also reportedly is in line with the idol's fanbase color, aqua pearl green.

Furthermore, the alteration of the storyline from a five-member idol group to a four-member band is allegedly reminiscent of SHINee's adjustment after Jonghyun's passing.

Parallels are also drawn between the lead actor's death in the drama and Jonghyun's tragedy.

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The drama presents a time-travel romance narrative, prompting the thought-provoking query: "What decisions would you make if you could change destiny for your ultimate idol?"

According to the latest data from Nielsen Korea, the premiere episode aired on April 8, 2024, garnered an average nationwide viewership rating of 3.1 per cent.

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The drama is available for viewing on Viki Rakuten and airs on tvN every Monday and Tuesday at 20:50 KST.