Let’s be honest, the plot was not anything new or exciting, but I think the execution was done well! The plot was given time to develop, the friendships had time to form, and love had time to blossom. It’s definitely a slow-burn with a sprinkle of love triangle, maybe even a love square. The cinematography was beautiful, the locations were very picturesque. The music, the lightning, the camera angles… Korean series have definitely mastered that.

Noh Shin Woo & Woo Tae Kyung – the two are a hot mess. I think they are both so relatable. Tae Kyung is an introvert, does not have any friends, and doesn’t do well in social situations. He does often come across as cold and closed off, but I think it was often just his nerves and not knowing how to act in given situations. Shin Woo has a crush, and he does not know how to handle it. He has been hurt in the past, so he built walls to protect himself. He is awkward and comes across as rude, but in reality, he simply doesn’t know how to act around his crush. I really like how they take things slow, going from enemies to friends and only then to lovers. It is not rushed. This is a first love, first relationship for both after all.

Shin Da On – he is an over achiever and a people pleaser. He is friendly, approachable, always smiling and hiding his true feelings. I think his struggle to maintain his status, the idea of him that others have, has been done nicely, especially in the latter episodes. It really showed the painful reality of trying to achieve the expectations of others. Da On trying to be good and helpful to everyone did contribute to certain people feeling like he was leading them on, like they meant more to him. And I really appreciate how that was pointed out.

I do think that Shin Woo and Tae Kyung were not given enough time as a couple. I really wished everything would have been resolved sooner and we would get to see them being all cute and lovely for a bit longer. I also think certain people were forgiven too easily. What that person did is horrible, especially considering the society and the school environment. Another thing that bothered me is how it was implied that we can decide who we will like. That’s not how it works. Just because someone is being nice to you or has feelings for you, you can’t just say “I am going to like that person too” and be done with it. I found that very strange and not really making any sense.

I think it was good that they addressed and showed negative aspects of being gay in all boys’ school. It is definitely not all sunshine and rainbows and people are not nearly as accepting as we would all like them to. So I think it’s important that such things get addressed from both the positive and negative side.