Though I loved the show from the very beginning, it felt disappointing in the end. First, without spoilers, the cast was amazing. The leads had great chemistry and the supporting cast were all well done. Great acting across the board. There were some wonderful scenes. Heartfelt moments, and of course, the big reveal as to why the feud, was very interesting. My only complaint about that part of the story is that it felt unfinished. You know why the feud but then you don’t deal with it at all. I get why, because no matter right or wrong sometimes people can’t forgive or other people can’t acknowledge their fault. But even the leads don’t deal with it — instead they choose to allow it to continue and even support it in their own way. Which to me felt unfinished and disappointing. Everyone seems very concerned about whether or not the series was enjoyable from a BL standpoint, but even that was disappointing in the end.

So here is where spoilers come in. If you don’t want them, stop reading. At the end of the series, they come back from their running away phase and go back to their own houses and break up. Or at least pretend to break up. They go about their lives, mostly apart and only their closest friends know they are still together in secret. They even go to their high school reunion and continue to act as though they dislike each other. Why? I can’t find a purpose. To annoy every person who believed in them? To lie to their parents until they’re on their own and can support themselves? To live in the world without ever having to face themselves? I couldn’t tell you. Eventually their families know that they are seeing each other secretly but they stay quiet because neither side is ready to give up their feud and no one wants to take the first step. Plus Romeo and Julian here don’t ever say, “Could you at least be polite so we can be together?” It’s just as much of a tragedy because to me, this spells the death of their relationship.
One goes off to another country to work and they are apart for two years. Then they seem very happy to move in together and be back but still pretending to most of the world that they are not together. In a story, maybe you can pretend this will work out. The parents will be okay and they will love each other openly eventually. But really good love stories make you believe that it did happen.
In this story, it did not. It’s all pretend. In real life, relationships do not survive this behavior. They don’t have trust in themselves so how could they trust each other? Deep down they are lying to everyone and to themselves. Why pretend? Because it’s too hard. If it’s too hard, I can’t face it. So what happens when it’s something else that is hard? Like coming out to your boss who is homophobic and losing your job? Or like if one of you gets cancer and needs a lot of care? Will you keep pretending you aren’t together in those cases? You came out to your family and the whole faculty but you can’t be strong in the face of an old grudge? You don’t care if they disown you for being gay, but to disown you for choosing someone from a family they don’t like well that is too hurtful so I will just give him up in public and live a huge lie. Disappointing in the end because they were weak and untrustworthy and I can’t pretend that a relationship with that kind of foundation will last the test of time and reality. So it was a great story but it’s not a great LOVE story.