autobuss

I enjoyed this drama very much because, compared to the average k-Dramas:
-IT DOES NOT have impossible coincidences in order to create artificially suspenseful or dramatic situations; there still are some coincidences, like both leads having mothers who left them, or all the 3 friends crashing together at the same time at Tae-O's house, but those are acceptable since they don't affect the principal love story in a fundamental way.
- THERE ARE NOT unbelievable or just stupid dialogues or acting decisions, like you find in many dramas and shout at the TV "Why did you do/say this, STUPID?", whose purposes generally are to extend the action artificially
- THERE ARE NOT discontinuities or inconsistencies between episodes or seasons, to give you the impressions there are multiple writers who don't know about one another.

All in all, I liked very much that the action between the 3 main leads is very believable and all 3 are very relatable and their love story develops naturally. Everything that happens CAN happen in real life, but it is beautifully written and acted, and thus worth watching. They all make mistakes that everybody can make, especially for the first love. The way Tae-O and then Song-i gradually discover their feelings, and how Do-Hyeon understands this and "lets her go" are also well acted. I thought there will be a conflict between he two MLs, especially after Do-Hyeon says "I am confident she will choose me" but, this situation is resolved peacefully - yes, that means Do-Hyeon is much more mature than Tae-O, but this also is a good thing to have on the show. All characters have distinct personalities which are well put into acting.

Still, I liked Tae-O's character very much, there is nothing wrong he did from the perspective of an inexperienced teenager who witnessed 2 potential rejections from Song-I: first in hi school just before he scene when they "fight" in the rain, and then later when he asks her on the rooftop "The mysterious guy that you like, is it me?" and she says clearly no.

Also, I strongly disagree with those who pity Do-Hyeon for losing the girl, despite being the hard-working and charming and mature guy: at the beginning, HE HIDES the fact that he is dating Song-i from Tae-o who is his friend. Why would he do this? I believe it is because he knows/feels that Tae-o has SOME feelings for his longtime childhood friend. If there were any other girl he would have told Tae-O. So he knows he is taking a risk by starting this relationship.

Also he participates in Song-I's eviction at the beginning, which of course is a coincidence, but it is an ominous memory for her to start with. Or, when he doesn't respond to Song-I's call for help from the Observatory, it is not because he is working, but because he lets his phone unattended, which is a mistake. And his shouting at her when he is jealous. All these details were probably introduced by the writers in order to demote the character a little, and make him less perfect. Unlike other dramas where there comes a perfect, ideal, fantastic hero who easily snatches the girl away from the childhood friend, no questions asked.

The only quirk is that the 3 characters, being in the last year of college, are too old for first loves and first kisses. They could have moved the story to a high school environment. Also, the characters Ga-Rin and Hoon are exaggerated and silly but, for some reason, I kinda found them cute, maybe because of Ga-Rin's smile.

All in all, I loved that drama, especially after watching dozens of K-dramas and J-Dramas which most have major plotholes and unbelievable developments and/or endings, all for the sake of challenging the viewer and keeping him in a state of elevated excitement.