"It's one of those ordinary love stories where one can be a nut job, a loser, a psychopath, a piece of trash, or someone's first love"
— Yook Ji-woo, Episode 1
Run On is a 2020 Korean romance drama series, which tells the story of retiring sprinter, Ki Seon-gyeom, and film translator, Oh Mi-joo, as the pair develop an odd friendship and eventual romance. Starring Im Si-wan, Shin Se-kyung, Choi Soo-young and Kang Tae-oh.
This show provides examples of:
- Abusive Parents: Ki patriarch, Assemblyman Jung-do, is often shown yelling, berating and occasionally hitting his two children.
- The Ace: Mi-joo is fluent in English and can translate at incredible speeds. Though he may not admit it, her professor in episode 1 is said to describe her as "the best of all his students".
- Actually, I Am Him: Many don't expect Dan-ah to be the CEO of Dann Industry, thus she gets this a lot.
- Am I Just a Toy to You?: Yeong-hwa to Dan-ah.
- And Your Reward Is Edible: How Seon-gyeom thanks Mi-joo and May for letting him stay with them.
- Anger Born of Worry: Mi-joo is angry after Seon-gyeom disappears for the night without letting her know.
- Annoying Younger Sibling: Both of Dan-ah's brothers qualify as this to her.
- Arc Words: "I might make a mistake".
- Attention Whore: Seo Tae-woong. Justified as he is a very famous idol in-universe.
- Awful Wedded Life: The two Ki parents show instances of this, Ji-woo in particular seems the most bitter about her marriage.
- Belligerent Sexual Tension: Both fore-shadowed couples have this.
- Beware the Quiet Ones: Seon-gyeom casully walks out of Woo-shik's hospital room to No-Holds-Barred Beatdown Gyu-deok and Gi-beom. All with a smile on his face.
- Big Sister Instinct: Eun-bi is very protective over Seon-gyeom.
- Blended Family Drama: The Seo's. Dan-ah has a lot of friction between her, her father, her step-mother and her two half brothers.
- Break-Up/Make-Up Scenario: Mi-Joo and Seon-gyeom 'break-up' in episode 13 and get back together in episode 14 once Mi-Joo explains her commitment issues
- The Bully: Gyu-deok is this in spades.
- Career-Ending Injury: Woo-shik got attacked so brutally that finds running very painful and tries to quit his athletic career.
- The Chain of Harm: The case for the athletics system where physical abuse of your youngers is common enough that any form of whistleblowing is seen as pointless.
- Calling the Old Man Out: Seon-gyeom spends every seen with Assemblyman Ki calling him out.
- Cigarette of Anxiety: Mi-joo was seen going for one until stopped by Seon-gyeom.
- Contemplation Location: Outside steps and stairs are a reoccuring place for contemplation and deep character discussions.
- Corrupt Politician: Assemblyman Ki.
- "Could Have Avoided This!" Plot: If Seon-gyeom had been honest about him staying over with Yeong-hwa, he could have avoided Mi-joo's worried anger about his whereabouts.
- Crash-Into Hello: Mi-joo and Seon-gyeom.
- Crush Filter: Soft lighting and romantic music plays during important moments of connection between the characters.
- Dark and Troubled Past: For both Seon-gyeom and Mi-joo.
- Did They or Didn't They?: Mi-joo and Seon-gyeom in episode 14 when a shot of them on her bed quickly cuts to a shot of the 'no minors' sign on her door
- The Dog Bites Back: After withstanding so many insults from Dan-ah, Yeong-hwa finally snaps and dumps paint over the painting Dan-ah had commission from him in a very satifying way.
- Double Entendre: "Does he drive stick?"
- Drowning My Sorrows: Mi-joo drowns her sorrows after getting fired from her on-set translator gig, where she is joined by Seon-gyeom in a heartwarming moment.
- Dysfunctional Family: There doesn't seem to be a functional one in this series at all.
- Earn Your Happy Ending: Even though Oh Mi-joo passionately explained how happy endings are a fantasy, this show ends on a happy (or at least a hopeful) note for all the characters.
- Go Ye-chan is seen happily hanging out with Lee Yeong-hwa, as opposed to his earlier brooding from the unrequited love.
- Kim Woo-shik makes a fully recovery and wins first place.
- Kwon Young-il joins agency, helping to cement Ki Seon-gyeom's reputation as an agent even further.
- Seo Tae-woong's reputation remains unblemished and he happily re-engages with his work, and Seo Myung-min is present at the cinema in the final scene seems to have reconciled with his siblings (he did not force his sister out of the company after taking over, instead promoting her to Vice President).
- Ki Jung-do appears to have been humbled and starting at a second chance to have a healthy relationship with his wife and children.
- Even the verbally and emotionally abusive film producer seems to have changed her ways, and is seen playfully hanging out with Park Mae-yi.
- Fake Relationship: Seon-gyeom claims that Mi-joo is his girlfriend in episode 2 to convince Choi Tae-ri's manager that he is not in a relationship with Tae-ri.
- Fate Drives Us Together: Mi-joo and Seon-gyeom meet twice three times if you count when Seon-gyeom sees Mi-joo at the film festival before meeting officially as collegues.
- Flashback Echo: In episode 14 when Mi-joo is doing the marathon she almost gives up and a series of low points in her life flash up on the screen.
- Four-Temperament Ensemble: Mi-joo (Melancholic), Seon-gyeom (Phelgmatic), Dan-ah (Choleric), and Yeong-hwa (Sanguine).
- Forgotten First Meeting: Seon-gyeom first saw Mi-joo from afar at the film festival.
- Friendly Rivalry: Between Mi-joo and Dan-ah though Dan-ah sees it as friendly banter as opposed to true rivalry.
- Friendship Moment: Seon-gyeom and Yeong-hwa's E.T moment at the supermarket.
- Funny Background Event: In episode 13 chaos erupts during a Longing Look moment between Mi-Joo and Seon-gyeom.
- Green-Eyed Epiphany: Seon-gyeom appears to have this whilst third-wheeling Mi-joo and Yeong-hwa excited discussion about movies.
- Hairstyle Malfunction: The professor's Dodgy Toupee flies off in the first episode and Mi-joo quickly catches it only to then be accused of taking it by the professor.
- Hopeless Suitor: Goh Ye-Jun for Yeong-hwa (Possible Incompatible Orientation but neither parties sexuality has been mentioned)
- I Just Want to Be Normal: Mi-joo gives a heartbreaking version of this in episode 13.
- If I Can't Have You…: Dan-ah to Yeong-hwa in episode 10 - though more of a 'if you don't paint for me then you don't paint at all'.
- I'll Tell You When I've Had Enough!: Professor Hwang takes great insult to Mi-joo suggesting that he's had enough to drink.
- Imagine Spot: Mi-joo and Yeong-hwa are prone to these. A particularly detailed one regarding a plot script happens in episode 14.
- I'm Your Biggest Fan: Mi-joo to Yook Ji-woo.
- Interclass Friendship: Between Seon-gyeom and Woo-shik, Seon-gyeom and Yeong-hwa, and Dan-ah and Mi-joo.
- I Will Punish Your Friendfor Your Failure: Gyu-deok and Gi-boem assult Woo-shik, not just because he's poor but also because they can't attack Seon-gyeom for performing better than them.
- Kick Them While They Are Down: How Gyu-doek and Gi-boem attack Woo-shik.
- The Kindness of Strangers: Before they meet officially, Seon-gyeom helps Mi-joo twice at her request.
- Longing Look: Being a romance drama it is filled with these.
- Love-Obstructing Parents: Assemblyman Ki despises the idea of Seon-gyeom and Mi-joo being in a relationship. He's perfectly fine if it was just a 'passing fancy' though.
- The Matchmaker: Dan-ah sees herself as this for Seon-gyeom and Mi-joo
- Manipulative Bastard: Dan-ah uses this tactic many times throughout the series but especially towards Mi-joo.
- Monochrome Past: The flashback scenes are often more muted in colour and drab as opposed to the clear and bright scenes in the present.
- Mysterious Past: In the first half of the series all we know of Mi-joo's childhood is that her parents died when she was very young.
- No Social Skills: The only one of the main four to have some social skills is Yeong-hwa. Dan-ah has none whatsoever.
- Odd Friendship: Seon-gyeom and Yeong-hwa.
- Only a Lighter: In episode 1, Seon-gyeom uses Mi-joo's prop 'gun' lighter to threaten Han Seok-won into letting go of Mi-joo.
- Opposites Attract: The main idea between Seon-gyeom and Mi-joo, but also Yeong-hwa and Dan-ah.
- Parental Favoritism: It is clear that Eun-bi is her father's favorite.
- Parental Neglect: Shots of Seon-gyeom's childhood show he was largely left alone whilst his family focused on their careers - Ji-woo apologises to Seon-gyeom about this in episode 8.
- Played for Laughs between Seon-gyeom and Yeong-hwa during their E.T. moment at the supermarket.
- Please, Don't Leave Me: Seon-gyeom tearfully asks this of Mi-Joo in episode 14.
- Precision F-Strike: In episode 9, the foreign director and Mi-joo start launching these at each other.
- "The Reason You Suck" Speech: Every interaction between Seon-gyeom and Jung-do has at least one of them giving one of these to the other.
- Recognition Failure: Yeong-hwa fails to recognise famous idol Seo Tae-Woong even when told his name.
- Relationship Upgrade: Mi-joo and Seon-gyeom start dating in in episode 10
- Resign in Protest: Seon-gyeom resigns to protest how neither he nor Woo-shik's attackers got diciplined for their actions.
- Silent Scapegoat: Seon-gyeom attempts this to protect Kim Woo-shik from further attacks. Woo-shik's story comes out in episode 5 after Mi-joo publishes the Korean version of his interview.
- Slap-Slap-Kiss: Dan-ah and Yeong-hwa in episode 11.
- Slave to PR: Every decision Ki Jung-do makes is to maintain the perfect family image even though the Ki family is less than perfect.
- Successful Sibling Syndrome: Subverted. Seon-gyeom is the least famous of his immediate family before the assult scandel yet he seems unbothered by this.
- The Thing That Would Not Leave: Dan-ah to Mi-joo in episode 10 she then passes out in Mi-joo's living room and has to sleep in her bed
- Training Montage: Once Woo-shik accepted Seon-gyeom's proposal that he act as Woo-shik's personal trainer and manager a training montage showing Woo-shik's improvements followed.
- Unresolved Sexual Tension: Felt most keenly between Yeong-hwa and Dan-ah. He can admit the tension, she cannot.
- Uptown Girl: Mi-joo to Seon-gyeom and Yeong-hwa to Dan-ah.
