Coming of age but with skeletons in the closet

It took me a long time to come back to this drama and finish it, but it was worth all the pain taken to sit and finish. I read a lot of reviews about it being slow paced, there being a lack of movement in plot or story, etc. I would like to add that if you're interested in character development, then this is the drama for you.
There's a popular phrase that states that you are bound to make the same mistakes over and again through the span of your lifetime. It's daunting but very easy to believe it. Every snippet of their past vowed a repetition of the same mistakes and the same habits that got them where they are, but their perseverance got them through to change. And all of that healing, all of these realizations, happened only and only because of how much they just really wanted to be with each other. Not because of their need for love, but because of their need to be better for the sake of each other. That was the highlight of this drama.
Choi Ung's art and its metaphors, interpretations, and meanings were a lovely and strong addition to his character development. Thoroughly enjoyed his character, it was very well conceptualized. Kook Yeon Soo's relationship with her grandmother and Lee Sol-I was also very insightful, but her character could have used a little bit more of the focus. There was a lack of addressal to the shift from her ambitious high school self to her office working determined but not as ambitious self. Losing all the money and having to build from ground up really changed her, and it would have been nice to have more depth into that as we got a lot of depth into Choi Ung.

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Complicated Past, Character Development

I started this drama expecting a light romance with sports just like everyone else. Three episodes in I realised it was anything but light. The pace was slow, the plotline was heavy and complicated, and a lot of it was about the characters.
I could see people getting frustrated with not just Park Taeyang but all of the characters, but I found that my frustrations were towards the situation, where each character despite trying their best could not manage to make the bad situations go away. I liked how they dealt with it all. Overall, it was a nice drama, I might have to rewatch as it was not a drama to be digested weekly on air. If you're into character development, this is the drama for you. If you're looking for a light drama with sports at the center, this might not be the drama for you.

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