The Case of the Time Traveling Body Snatcher

There were two Im Sols in Lovely Runner and only one survived 👀
This video is about time travelers possessing the minds and bodies of their past selves, and then erasing their identity. I really loved Lovely Runner, especially every version of Kim Hye-yoon's Im Sol, so nothing I say here is criticism of the writing (that would be a different video, heh). I'm just trying to understand why writers make the choices they do when it comes to the "body" our hero is possessing in the past. Some erase the past self completely, while others allow them to have their independent thoughts. This video explores which choices make these stories more satisfying to watch.
I also go over the treatment of past selves in other dramas like Again My Life, Reborn Rich, Someday Or One Day, Mr Queen, Be My Favourite, and Story of Kunning Palace.
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[@AlisaRivera_aka_Li]

I love this essay! I remember the controversies around Mr. Queen but didn't connect them to YoungSol/NoonaSol. I also didn't think of the contrast between how LR and Someday or One Day dealt with this moral dilemma. SD1D explicitly built the dilemma into the narrative and the tragic-happy ending for the protagonists was to sacrifice their love to save the person whose body was possessed and their friend. They (temporarily) lost their love but grew into better, more ethical and ultimately more loving people because the circle of love expanded to include CYR and MJJ.
Lovely Runner was so laser focused on bringing Sol and Sunjae together as the highest priority that the changes to everyone else's lives never factored into Sol's decision making (e.g., Taesung going from an online retailer to a cop, Sol's brother and best friend marrying).
Be My Favorite is a good contrast for a lot of reasons, including that the protagonist's emotional journey was about growing past his selfish focus on getting the girl to thinking more broadly about how his actions could result in a disaster for everyone he cared about. I also think that BMF introduced that element of uncertainty to the narrative that you said made Lovely Runner compelling, only BMF did it by having the protagonist travel to the future repeatedly to see what changed as a result of his actions.
Anyway, good stuff! Loved this very much.

[@TheDramaNotes]

Be My Favourite got so good halfway through. It's one of my favourite time travel dramas now because of how well it explored the limitations of foreknowledge, obsession with a perfect future, and trusting others to make the right choice for themselves. Really such good storytelling! 💚

[@BethBlevins]

I don’t think Noona Im Sol takes over Kid Im Sol forever in the third time loop because the watch that grandma throws away is set to 0, which means that Noona Im Sol used it to go back to the future (some time after her family moved from Sun Jae’s neighborhood)

[@TheDramaNotes]

She does, you're right, but that still means Kid Im Sol had been living her own adult life in 2023 in the third timeline until one day Noona Im Sol woke up in her body. Does that make sense?

[@BethBlevins]

@@TheDramaNotes Oh you're right! It's hard to wrap one's head around all the repercussions, i.e., who was replacing who and when?