I didn't think I would enjoy this drama as much as I did. In fact, when I started it I asked around if it was worth it because ep 1 didn't really catch my attention. However, I'm very glad I sticked to the end.

Even though it is true that this school is unrealistically mean and ridiculous things happen all the time (by the adults), I (generally) liked the way the characters handled every issue because they acted like teenagers, not too young but also not too old or mature. I liked the friendships formed through the drama, the makeups, the clarified misunderstandings and how they showed that friendships can hurt and friends can resent each other, but the important thing is to know when and how to forgive and trust each other.

I loved Tae Woon and Eun Ho's characters individually and together. Tae Woon is an explosive, yet very introspective guy who's hurt by society (as every other kid in this school) and who just wants to protect his girl no matter what. I loved how he held himself back several times just because she asked him to and wanted to help him become his better version. The character improvement he showed may not have been the most drastic one since he wasn't that bad from the beginning, but there is still some very important personal improvements, particularly with Dae Hwi and how he learned to open up to other people and love his father. Throughout the entire drama I just really wanted to hug him and protect him at all costs.

Eun Ho is one of my favorite teenage drama characters. She was strong, sometimes cold-headed when needed, but also reactive if the time came. She may not have been studious, but she was smart and knew her place and value in life; she loved her family, had a clear dream, a boyfriend she loved and friends she cared about and would protect all that even if she put herself in danger, which may be typical but she actually did it all. I didn't like that she was kind of nosy sometimes and that's what actually got her in trouble, though, but that was the essence of her character.

Their relationship was one of the purest I've seen in a while and I think it was perfectly paced and projected for high school kids. They never rushed anything, they were nervous around each other when they started, yet they trusted each other, were sincere, straightforward and never let misunderstandings grow too big in their way. I definitely loved how they'd care so much for each other and not just the other as a person, but the dreams and future. They were very mature considering everything they went through together, and they handled their hardships the best way they could. The way their relationship was developed is probably my favorite thing of this drama, since they did act like high school kids in a balanced way, not too cringey, but not like immature kids that didn't know what they wanted in life. It was just really pure and endearing.

My perspective of Song Dae Hwi changed throughout the drama a lot because I started off being okay with him, then hated him, but ended up just absolutely loving him and hoping the best for him. I loved that he was The Smart guy, and even though he made some mistakes, he learned from them and apologized and became his better self. At the end of the day, he was just another one of the many victims of the stupidly high standards that this school and society had. I loved how her realized everything with Nam Joo and started to protect her after he had hurt her that much. The scenes with Tae Woon were absolutely exciting and their makeup was probably one of the highlights of the drama. Although I wanted them to break the sexual tension and just kiss already. /jk

Supporting characters were really cool, both the good ones and the bad ones, they contributed to the plot as much as they needed and never felt like simple extras but part of the actual plot.

Eun Ho's family is my favorite of all time. They were the most supportive I've ever seen in a drama (or at least in a while), and seeing how they scolded Eun Ho for behaving like the teenager she was, yet they protected her and showed her how much they loved her was just so endearing and beautiful to see. I'm watching True Beauty right now too and the difference is just... abysmal.

On another note, I didn't like how ep 16 unfolded because I feel like they unnecessarily rushed things to wrap everything up in a good note, especially how quick and dumb was the breaking point for Tae Woon's dad to realize how much he had been hurting his kid and apologize and just randomly decide to live a quieter life in the countryside and be a better guy. I mean, not complaining that my baby Tae Woon got a loving father now, but he had been acting like the worst adult ever just in eps 14-15 and suddenly after the policewoman told him what Tae Woon said and how he felt, now they father wants to be a good one? Okay, I guess...

Anyway, I wouldn't say this drama is perfect but it definitely has a lot of highlights and things that make it a worth-watching drama and a memorable one. It did have sloppy writing at some point, leaving many characters that were directly or somehow related to the main characters to be forgotten for episodes (Sa Rang, the mean girls, Byung Goo, Seo Jihoon's character, Issue, Nam Joo, etc) or just forgotten forever (Dae Hwi's mom, the other cleaning ladies), but I would totally recommend it to anyone who wants to watch a light drama that may make you stressed at some point, but which will definitely leave you with a good feeling of fullfument on you if you're into school dramas and romcoms with a bit of something going on.