Original, thought-provoking, and daring. A masterpiece as far as the Korean series go. The actors all did a fantastic job and the variety of characters, their quirks, and sheer reality of their depictions leave one glued to the screen.
It is sad that this series gets such a bad rep on various social media outlets. People who like a typical sugar-coated, far-fetched, conservative Korean drama might not actually like this series. For the rest of us, it is a breath of fresh air.
The bulk of negative comments online surround the male lead character and his "poisonous" personality. Also, the relationship between the male and female leads is frequently described as toxic. If you watch this and your negatives only pertain to the male lead - you have missed a lot.
The male lead does not want a relationship - the female lead does not want love. She is raised by a mother so frequently in and out of love that she is determined not to go down the same route. He does not think one needs to settle. Their physical attraction and their inexperienced selves think they can handle a detached and aloof relationship - that was their common starting point. Yet they fall for each other without even knowing it- and they spend a good amount of time denying it.
This is a story about love if there ever was one. A story that is much more rooted in modern reality than 90% of shows out there. It is original, heartfelt, and exudes love and emotions. A coming of age and growing-up story, too.