(Spoilers at the bottom regarding a character's sexuality)

Such a down-hearted and sweet ML. He's such a good-natured person that he sometimes lets things slide or doesn't stand up for himself enough when he should though. But, he is true to himself and his morals, and he does stand up in his own way later on. 

The big "misunderstanding" was annoying but the payoff was perfect. The lesson was genuinely learned and the FL was apologetic and did better afterward.

This was a teen drama but also a sort of heavy slice-of-life. It's slow, but purposefully so. These are teenagers dealing with typical problems/more serious problems but also bigger things out of their control that they shouldn't have to face. It covers emotional/physical abuse, overdemanding and anxiety-inducing parental pressure, divorce, child abandonment, a form of self-harm, peer pressure, a victim choosing for themself how they handle things, bullying, etc. 

It's about being more present in life, realizing what you can and can't control, and accepting what is and isn't your fault. Parental pressure and abuse is never the fault of the victim, but maliciously taking out that pain on others is. And you can understand why someone would act that way because of their horrible environment but it doesn't mean you condone or forgive the behavior. Life circumstances can get in the way of us and being with our loved ones but it doesn't mean the relationship is lost.

We do the best we can and we still struggle. But there are moments to cherish in our past and moments to look forward to in the future.

Regarding Representation: We had a Gay SML, Jung Oh Je, who had unrequited feelings for one of the MLs, Ma Hwi Young. He didn't have a lot of screen time but he was a calming presence and his character had an impact, particularly when the drama was airing.

The way they hint at his real feelings is nicely subtle in the background. Even when he doesn't have lines, if you pay attention and follow his stare you notice who he's looking at. And he has a very openly thoughtful yet guarded expression to him that speaks of someone who is figuring something out within themself that they are scared of.

I think they did a good job. Realistically the outing likely would have gone much worse but I think them toning it down helped in showing acceptance of someone's sexuality as being the right and natural thing. Even Ma Hwi Young wasn't really a jerk about it in the way he would be about anything else.