So, I've seen almost every JBL there is to see. Here are the two things I hate the most about these stories: problems mainly based on miscommunication, and main characters who have a broom up their a** (french expression to say they are super stiff, don't know how to act or to speak out their mind). These two things were very present in "Our Dining Table" (which I hated, partly for these reasons), so I honestly didn't expect much from this drama. And given how it started, I thought I was going to hate it, but it won me over episode after episode.

Let's start with what people have criticized the most: Taishin.
I see where everyone's coming from. This guy has an annoying voice, cries all the time, acts like a child when he's a whole 19 yo, and, on top of all, changes school to stalk a complete stranger he met once and makes his whole life about that guy.
I agree with a lot of people that it is weird/toxic. It's also pretty ironic after how well they handled the old stalker guy chapter: They gave us the awesome message that even if someone only wants the best for you, it doesn't make it ok for them to follow you around. And then there is a whole Taishin doing the exact same thing and the only times it's adressed are when Takara calls him weird (like twice and they never mention it again).
Now, I would have been pissed by it too but here is the thing: Taishin is clueless to everything. The writers have decided to make him an actual adult child who doesn't even know that homosexuality exists before Takara mentions it. He thinks that life is simple, everyone is nice, and everything is fun to discover, etc... like an actual child. The director decided to make him more of a caricature, so people either hate or love it, but I think it works well because they left no gray area around his characterization.
Also, although he has all these personnality traits that can be annoying, he also has a few nice traits that got me to like him. Like how he speaks his mind all the time (no communication problem, yay!) and how he has hobbys and friends!!! The insane amount of Japanese romances where the main character doesn't have any hobby, interest, or any intention of interracting with other people than the love interest really itches me each time. Taishin likes his bird, hiking, is close to his family, cares about making friends and actually interacts with his friend group. I know it sounds like my standard are very low but it really changes the dynamics a lot. At last, yeah he cries a lot, but he is also super smily and that's just so adorable.

Now onto Takara.
He is your regular, handsome and mysterious love interest that is too cool to talk to mc at first but will fall in love while staying cool and oh god never show too much of his feelings.
Yeah, I'm not fond of this kind of characterization. I didn't really mind it because it's so common I'm used to it by now, but also because he had a great developpment. I like how he actually let himself be seduced little by little by Taishin although he didn't fall in love with him at first sight like in 90% of jbls where the more masculine figure falls in love first. At first he is weirded out and then he finds himself attracted to the small things Taishin does, never anything crazy, so it makes their love very sweet, simple and pure.
1 thing that bothere me about him though: He said twice that he was afraid he'd do something Taishin doesn't like because, just like his mother, when he wants something he doesn't let go. But not a single time did he hurt Taishin because of this. Like, yeah he was nonchalant, yeah he ignored Taishin at first because that's what he does with most people, but none of this has to do with the fact that he doesn't let go of what he wants. And he is actually super nice with Taishin throughout the whole show in his own way. The only moment we see a glimpse of him reaching for what he wants is that scene when he says it for the first time and almost kisses Taishin (very hot btw, mind you) and when he collects marbles, which is totally harmless. There's this thing in screenwriting called "show, don't tell" and I think they messed it up with Takara's characterization because he keeps saying he's a bad guy but never acts like it even once.

But in the end I think I actually got to like him because of their dynamic as a couple. I'm so happy we got to see them grow and spend time together as a couple where in most shows we have to wait until the last episode for them to get together and then we never know how they actually work. And although they are a bit distant at the beginning, they are far from having brooms up their a** (love that expression) as they actually act like a couple and don't hesitate to make move on each other.

That spin off wrapped it up perfectly, giving us the satisfaction of knowing that they won't let go of each other but still leaving space for a second season (I'll be praying lol). I just didn't get the point of the girl who wrote about them. I wish they had split it in two episode so that we'd actually know more about her and get to follow her a bit longer along her info-fishing adventure. It overall felt rushed and unecessary with how little she appeared.

So, overall, I don't think this JBL is revolutionary, I'm probably not going to rewatch it but it was a nice and sweet journey that made me look forward to mondays for a few weeks!