Poorly executed to the point where it becomes frustrating, but fun to roast

1. The theme of the story does not match how it plays out

There are a lot of tales about fate and the futility of rebelling against it. Oedipus Rex. Ragnarok. In China, the Tui Bei Tu was a real prophecy book which inspired a real Emperor to go on a massive massacre in order to prevent one of its prophecies, which still came to pass (ie, a female Emperor Wu Zetian interrupted his dynasty, but then she gave it back so I don't know what his problem was). Generally, though, if you're going to write a story about the fruitlessness of do-overs, there should be something about the character that had enough hubris to challenge fate. For example: if someone WANTED to go back in time and change everything, and then actively created a time machine/cast a spell/sacrificed first-borns, etc. If you're going to drag our FL INVOLUNTARILY back in time, however, then Fate itself was responsible for the repeat, in which case, why? If everything that happened should have happened, why did the universe itself propel Lu Anran back in time just to do everything over again? I normally forgive the mechanics of supernatural phenomena when it comes to writing, but literally no one asked for this. When I realized everything was just going to be the same as before, I was so bored. This isn't Lost Track of Time, this is Wasting Everyone's Time.

2. Pacing, Where Art Thou?

It's clear to me that Xing Fei chose this role to flex her drama skills. She normally portrays young women who are relatively collected and put together. At best, they get mildly distressed/aggravated, but rarely are they truly angsty. But 10 minutes of watching Xing Fei cry isn't the way to do this. If she's going to mope for a day and a night, you don't have to film her moping ALL DAY AND ALL NIGHT. It's possible to cut forward. No one looks good enough to sustain such a long segment. These episodes are only 45 minutes long, we're not interested in lingering over a sobfest for almost a quarter of it. Further, the script has a tendency to make characters introspect when they really should be in action; ie, if someone is found dead, even if that someone is a loved one, the natural reaction is not feeling sorry for yourself, it's calling the police. If you found your best friend expired from blunt force trauma, wouldn't you want to figure out what led to that? No? You want to lay out a red curtain neatly on the ground and lie down next to it in a stupor to simulate your dead friend's corpse instead? Who does this? It's absurd. And then, because this show drags these ridiculous scenes out past the limits of anyone's attention-span, to move forward it employs the strangest time-skips I've ever seen. It's a low budget show, so they can't even be bothered to change outfits and hairstyles, all of the sudden we're five months out when it looks like the same day. They don't even change the lighting. It's so confusing that any limited immersion you might have had gets rudely interrupted because you're trying to reorient yourself. Ultimately, the director and editor have a poor understanding of what the audience needs to see at any given moment. They are constantly choosing the wrong thing to show; when we are ready to move on to see what happens next, they wax philosophical over the same scene for another 7 minutes. However, when we actually want to see what is going on right now, they jump forward 2 months and retroactively tell us all the things we missed. Whoever directed this thing should go back to school.

3. Intrusive OST

Pet peeve of mine: Songs with lyrics overlapping on-screen dialogue. You have words being spoken and words being sung in the background; which one am I supposed to listen to? It just becomes a cacophony of gibberish. Granted, a lot of shows do this for some reason. I suspect it has to do with limited soundtracks that they must disperse throughout multiple episodes, but it is never not ridiculous.

This show also has a tendency to use soundtracks the way 80s films used to. Sometimes the music would switch from one angsty piece to another mid-phrase. It often begins loudly too, to the point where it might startle you, and clearly indicates when you should start feeling sad in an incredibly melodramatic way. It's to the point where my friend and I exclaim "Cue music!" every time something sad was supposed to happen, and it always plays! It always plays.

4. FL's character is poorly written

It's hard to write a strong character. It's harder to write a strong FEMALE character in a period drama. I get it. But one key thing about strong characters is that, while they're allowed to cry and feel scared/helpless, they should be doers when something needs doing, not just mope on the side. Lu Anran supposedly accomplished all these things; she expanded her father's business empire despite facing down bandits and natural disasters, but these are things you are told. The Lu Anran on screen usually doesn't fit this description. On occasion, she gets her act together, but most of the time she's just in a self-pitying daze. It's clear to me that whoever wrote her character WANTED to write someone strong, but didn't know how strong people are defined. Everyone's allowed to feel sorry for themselves, but if you're trying to convince us that Lu Anran was competent in any way, you should probably double-check to see what competence requires on a fundamental level (hint: it means getting stuff done!)

5. Acting is decent for the script

Some people complained about the actors, but I don't think that was the problem. I wouldn't say the actors were Oscar-worthy, but considering what they were working with, I thought they did a decent job. FL and ML had pretty good chemistry. I agree with many that ML doesn't seem to have the chops to lead an ensemble, but his character wasn't written in a ML way. He was kind of useless and passive, playing into the "I'm a prince but I want to be a commoner because that's more honest" trope, which, considering the events of the story when this was happening, feels very immature. He was like a little boy who didn't want to become a man because being a man is too hard, with responsibilities and duties and having to do things you don't enjoy in order to support yourself. This was how he was written, though, so I don't fault the actor for that. FL can cry,, and glare stonily at people, which. Glad you flexed that, Xing Fei. I would never have guessed. I suppose from now on you can audition for roles that exercise your lacrimal glands. On a more serious note, though, Xing Fei added a certain maturity and grace to the character, which I don't think most actresses can. She certainly looked smart enough, even if she didn't act smart, but the latter's due to the script, not anything Xing Fei did.

SML definitely steals every scene he's in. People say he's not black or white. I disagree; he's definitely an evil character. I don't see any controversy about that. Sympathizing with someone doesn't make them less evil. Hitler grew up poor. He grew up without a father. He had to sleep on park benches and even spent time in jail. When he became a dictator, he fell in love with Eva Braun. Yes, Adolf Hitler did love someone. He even loved his mother enough that he allowed her Jewish doctor to escape Germany before systematically killing Jews. What, does this confuse people now, are we no longer sure if Hitler was a bad guy? Ultimately, everyone is good to some people at certain times. Even evil people. What matters is their bottom line. The difference between a good person and a bad one is there are certain things a good person will never do. Bad people can do good things, but they'll reverse course when it suits them, whereas a good person will continue to do good deeds even if it's hard. SML had the hots for FL and that made everyone melt, which, what? However, I do give SML props for giving the character so much charisma. His interpretation of the role is refreshing and delightful. A lot of villains are annoying, or you hate them too much to enjoy them, but SML here is someone who is interesting enough to capture your attention. He's a disgusting son-of-a-gun, but he's so much fun, partially because it's clear that the actor's having so much fun playing this character.

6. Good for roasting

The wallpaper backgrounds depicting 2D mountains. The polyester robes that these characters wear for weeks at a time. The lack of seasonal change. The rain when characters cry (lolz). The random narrator that pops in out of nowhere to recite things you already know, in this deep voice full of gravitas. The flashbacks to 2 minutes prior in the same episode, because the director's scared that our memory spans are as long as a goldfish's. This is one of those shows where you can do a Mystery Science Theater 3000 and it would be a good time. But, frankly, there are so many Cdramas where you can do this as well, so it's up to you, whether you want to waste your time.

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Slice of Life, Sweet, Warm, Cute, and Hilarious without being Stupid

I don't know who came up with the drama description, but I almost skipped this one because of it, and boy would that have been a loss for me! To clarify, FL is NOT some indecisive buffoon who doesn't know what to do with her life. Quite the opposite, actually; she is very proactive, motivated, and methodical about how she wants to pursue life after college in terms of her career. This isn't some genius guy falls in love with dumb bimbo sort of story. In many ways, FL is smarter than ML; she just happened to not be a science major. What the description should actually say is that the FL realized towards the end of college that she actually wanted to pursue a career outside her major, and due to having to amass the credentials to apply for job positions once she graduates, winds up living in the same apartment as the ML. Now that we've gotten that cleared up, let's go over what's great about this show.

1. Plot

The show is about fourth-year college students who are on the cusp of entering the adult world. They are young enough to still be innocent in some areas, but mature enough that they don't pull childish moves on each other out of spite. There are no dramatic twists, no angsty deaths or injuries, no catfights out of petty jealousy. The drama lies in how people who are in love figure out how to show it, and honestly? That's interesting to watch, because if you think about it, even though this seems very straightforward, if someone were to ask you to give them advice on how to approach someone they like but don't know if this is reciprocated, how easy would it be for you to teach them? Interspersed between this is the college life of preparing for a future while indulging in the present as long as it lasts. Characters have fun. Characters get stressed about the future. All things that anyone who's gone through college ought to sympathize with. The romance feels clean and despite the weird premise (in the real world I don't think any parent would set up their children to live together if they're of different genders, at least not in China) it actually feels realistic, and I can see a real couple going through something similar. At no point did I get frustrated with how intentionally dense someone was, or feel like we've taken a step backwards. Everything was smooth and logical and all the characters reacted reasonably to their situations. Watching this drama feels like skating on freshly smoothed ice, or sledding on undisturbed snow.

2. Music

I came across a lot of dramas where the music wasn't great. It wasn't even that the music itself was bad; sometimes the songs were great songs. They just weren't used well. Most of the time, they can be intrusive, and jar you out of the immersion instead of pulling you in deeper. The music in this drama features a rotating queue of a limited soundtrack list, however they all fit well with what's happening onscreen, and enhance the often playful, optimistic tone of the show.

Also, the sound effects. Puppies barking, kittens meowing, frogs ribbiting. On point, and just the cutest.

3. Side characters are enjoyable

And they don't steal time from the main couple! In many dramas, I've generally fast-forwarded any secondary character scenes (I'm looking at you, Dilraba Dilmurat from Eternal Love. Why were you even there? You added absolutely nothing! Just stick with the Pillow Book and stop stealing screen time from Yang Mi!) but in this drama, all of the characters contributed in some way to the main arc, even when they had their personal arcs. And the editing was such that when we did focus on their stories instead, it functioned as a much-needed change of scenery. They were also built up well; as secondary characters, they shouldn't be as fleshed out as the main couple, and the show doesn't try. These characters felt solidly like a supporting cast, until the plot introduced a question that only they could answer, and only then did the show flesh them out, in a quick, efficient way that was both sufficient and satisfying. It really felt like they enhanced the story without detracting from it, which is something many shows struggle with (like you, Sunshine of My Life, with freaking THREE romances going on at once. I saved so much time fastforwarding and I still didn't miss a thing.)

4. Good to relieve stress

This isn't a show that will keep you on the edge of your seat. Go watch Game of Thrones if you're in the mood for that. There are no adrenaline highs and no cathartic lows here. In the end, this is just a show about reasonable people with common sense who are good to each other because they love each other. Though seriously, how many (good) shows like this can you name?

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Better than Hollywood movies in the same genre

Okay not necessarily BETTER than some classic ones, but it depends on what you're into. Good time loop stories tend to try to be smart and clever, with characters using the time travel mechanic in interesting ways in order to propel the story forward. Reset's not really that kind of story. Characters do utilize time loop mechanics, but the purpose of the time loop is not really for the characters. The true purpose is to inspire a viewer's interest in learning ABOUT the characters. We open up to a scene with various people we don't know; they're stuck in an unusual, highly dangerous situation, and the only hope of anyone surviving is to understand why a certain event takes place, which requires delving into everyone's past. In this show, the time loop functions more like a narrative style; just as a book or script might flash back to a point in the past in order to explain the present, the show flashes back, except in a literal sense. And it does this very, very well.

I'd argue that the individual elements of this show are fairly mundane. The characters themselves don't break much boundaries. The editing style and camera work aren't revolutionary either. However, the way the pieces fit together is so harmonious that this is a show I come back to whenever I think I want to watch a good show. It feels like telling a familiar tale through a slightly nontraditional lens. If dramas are culinary dishes, there are some that might be edgy, Michelin star experiences where you feel just a little out of sorts because it's very new and exciting, yet slightly uncomfortable. This is a home-cooked meal by your grandma, where there's just something different about it that no other chef can replicate, because it was made with love and just suited to your taste. There are no ingredients added just to draw your appetite. There's no caviar, no gold leaf, no wagyu steak. Just wholesome, good quality components that, if you were to never have it again, you'd miss far more than any Wolfgang Puck creation. Yet if you were to explain why your grandma's cooking is so good, there's no individual part that you can name. This show is sort of like that. Everything is just harmoniously mixed together, so things flow so smoothly, and in a way it's nice that there's nothing in particular that stands out, because they all mesh together very well.

Give it a go. It will leave you feeling warm, much more so than any cold blockbuster movie.

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A relatively well-disguised story that is actually about self-romance (in a kind of loser way)

For the most part this was well-written story, with good themes and a strong logical basis. It was essentially a redemption arc where the protagonist learns from her mistakes and was able to repeat 2 years of her past with wiser decisions to lead to a happier result. However, arcing over the entire plot was a bizarre mechanic that for me ruins the credibility of the entire plot. Without going into too much detail, the story was similar to a time-travel story where the protagonist met a bad end but was able, through some mysterious means, to return to the past and make different decisions that led to different outcomes in terms of love interest and her family's fate. She was originally a villainess that everyone hated, but because of her new choices, became well-respected and even adored, to the point where the original "heroine" of the story turned into a villain in response. This was actually all done very well, but sprinkled throughout the episodes were these hints that something was not quite right with this reality. The FL kept smelling this scent that no one else around her smelled. Spoiler alert, it was all a dream. Everything up to the end of that first timeline was real, but the entire repeat of the past 2 years was completely in her head.

What I really don't like about this kind of mechanic is that everything that occurs within a dream instantly loses its credibility. While realistically as an audience we can believe that good deeds lead to good returns, for example, the fact is that within the dream, every single character is actually a figment of the dreamer's imagination, even if they were based on actual people that the dreamer knew. It doesn't matter how familiar the dreamer might be with the real life counterparts; everything within the dream is still made up. Their reactions and responses, their thoughts and feelings, all of these are actually constructed by the dreamer and part of the dreamer's own self. This drama even doubles up on this insult by adding a third love interest who's completely fictional; he didn't exist in real life and was basically conjured by FL's brain while she was asleep. It's actually kind of hilarious how completely devoted he was to FL once you realize that this was essentially her being in love with herself. Then, at the very last episode, she wakes up briefly from this universe she's created where the entire world was in love with her and realizes the real world isn't like this. I'm also sitting here kind of in disbelief that I watched 29 episodes of a woman essentially romancing herself. At the very end, the series tries to salvage things by indicating that in real life, there are people who actually love FL, so she's not really THAT pathetic, but this is essentially a story about a protagonist with narcissism so severe that their delusion literally wiped out their ability to remain conscious for 2 years. Well, their injuries contributed, but let's face it; physical wounds are physical wounds, but this kind of catatonia is generally mentally-induced. If I had known that THIS was the direction the script was going, honestly, I would not have watched it, but I give it an 8.5/10 because the drama was still constructed well despite this small but somewhat fatal detail. This thing really had me rooting for it until the end of episode 29, when I realized I was NOT watching the kind of story I thought I was. So maybe watch until episode 29 and stop when you see numerous cut scenes of incense. It's such a shame when writers compromise the integrity of their stories by embellishing on such crucial weak points. Maybe the author was trying to do something new, but…this isn't even new, and made the story worse.

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Hidden Gem

This is a very well-rounded show where all the essential elements of creating a drama: the script, the cast, the editing, the music, all work together harmoniously to create a fun story that is very grounded in real life but yet keeps it wholesome. In truth, the very premise itself is already dramatic enough: the girl is 7 years older than the guy. That's it. That's all the drama anyone can handle, and so this show doesn't try to create more artificial conflict. All the characters are thoughtfully written, and even the side characters are essential to the main storyline. I generally dislike the habit Cdramas tend to have of having secondary characters and romances that generally have absolutely nothing to do with the main couple, but in this show, every side character has a role that is integral to the main plot, and so their fate and how they entwine together are therefore very relevant. The comedic timing in this show is on point; not only do characters deliver their punchlines impeccably, but the director knows exactly which angles, which shots, and which background music will deliver the jokes to the greatest effect. I was crying from laughter throughout many episodes and sometimes couldn't even sleep because I was giggling too much over a particular gag. Flashback scenes are hilarious and also tie into the present timeline's themes, with childhood quirks setting up jokes later in the episode, and even later in the series. Most of all, this show is very self-aware; the characters point things out almost as soon as I think them in my head, including things that someone didn't do but should have done, and what this typically signifies. A lot of usual stereotypes get turned on their heads; many characters that would normally be antagonists in other stories are thoughtful allies in this one; comic relief characters are essential heroes that display appropriate gravitas and dignity when the situation warrants, and even the one flat antagonist that I believe other reviewers have referred to has the interesting symbolic role of representing the often superficial public opinion, so her lack of depth is actually appropriate for what she is meant to portray. This show is made of top quality ingredients that are cooked together in a way that both complement and elevate all the individual components, leading to a truly enjoyable experience. I couldn't put the series down and ended up finishing this show two days. An absolute must watch!

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Very rich story with many different storylines woven together to form a solid arc

This drama is actually full of well-written mini-arcs. The main character has three coinciding: one is her career, one is her romance, and one is her relationship with her mother. All three mix together in a reasonable way that does not feel cluttered, because each obstacle within any arc is affected by the circumstances of the others. Following this, there are two side arcs involving the supporting cast that also contribute to the main story in a way that enriches the world the drama takes place in. Though there aren't very many characters, it feels like you're getting to know way more people with diverse backgrounds and motivations than truly depicted, which I think is masterful, because each point is delivered in an effective way.

The character of FL is very clever and full of integrity. It's hard to say what her flaws are, but that's not really the purpose of her character. She represents all women who aspire to be strong and capable while living in a world where their parameters are set at a disadvantage to men, whether it is from blatant sexism, traditional expectations, or flat out biology. However, this is not to say that this show derides men; there are honest, well-intentioned men such as ML. ML is equally clever and full of integrity. He is resourceful and persevering without being dominating, and watching the couple feels like they are truly a team, and they genuinely understand and care about each other.

Watching the show has been very thought-provoking, because the side characters bring their own perspectives to how a viewer might look at the main couple. FL starts off the drama as a single female professional in her 30s, who is stressed about her unmarried status and lack of prospects. She is reasonably concerned that her own standards were unrealistic, or there was something about her that repels men she would otherwise have liked. In contrast, her best friend starts off as a married homemaker who had given up her job to stay at home full-time, and it's evident in this show that this can come with its own challenges. Similar contrasts are made between older and younger people; older people may have more experience and wisdom, but younger people tend to have more unrealized potential which can make them more attractive to others in both personal and professional ways. No one has it easy, and this show does a great job of laying this out very painlessly for the viewer. It is a very comfortable show to watch, with one exception.

Every time FL's mother shows up, I really want to skip. She's supposed to be a teacher, and I'm sure there are teachers like her in the real world, but I've never seen one. For some reason, this actress decided to make her character a very solemn, kind of lethargic character who can't even make proper eye-contact with people and speaks in a voice that trails off toward the end like she doesn't have enough breath to finish a simple sentence. Even when she speaks to students or former students, she is like that. There is absolutely no authority in her posture or mannerisms and she's supposed to have taught middle school. It's actually really hard to watch her because this is a very classic representation of someone with major depressive disorder, but for some reason this show didn't acknowledge that, so I don't think the showrunners knew. If you met this person in real life, she would suck out all of your energy with her mere presence and make a birthday party as grave as a funeral. This mother also has a tendency to be incredibly shameless, doing the sort of embarrassingly passive-aggressive things that not only make her daughter lose face, but make herself lose face, in front of other people. Then she turns around and says something profoundly insightful, but the effect is ruined for me because it's always prefaced by something spiteful, all with her eyes lowered like she's too tired to lift her eyelids. She's actually more annoying than the antagonists of the show, because her character is inconsistent, and there's a manipulative aspect to her personality that the show never seems to acknowledge. I don't mind these character flaws on their own, but it seems like they were put there without knowing what they should entail, and she ends up with more screen-time than might be appropriate for her, and in a role within the story that I don't think is a good fit. She's kind of an oval peg trying to squeeze into a round hole, and she can kind of make it, but compared to other characters who are better written, it's always a letdown to see this depressed lady who looks too tired to go to work show up in a scene to do something frustratingly strange and have no one around her point out that this woman needs more than just counseling, she needs some Prozac and maybe a blepharoplasty so she can actually look at something higher than her lap. Unfortunately this lady does show up a lot and she drives some of the plot, so it's not really possible to skip her scenes, but man did I really hate how they utilized this character, which is why I can't give this show a 10/10. Still, you can sort of fast forward like I did so you get the gist of what she was supposed to do for the plot and then get to all the normal, interesting stuff, so, still 9/10!

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Promising premise that falters a bit on the message it chooses to send

I couldn't finish the show, so perhaps I lost some of the context, however here are the reasons I got so far (and why I couldn't go further)

The good: acting was excellent, particularly on the part of the girl, who is an actress well into her 20s but managed to portray an adolescent girl growing into herself in a very convincing way. The script also portrays the frustrations of a teenager who is trying to establish self-authority and identity conflicting with parents who don't always know how to interact or guide an offspring going through a transitional period of development. I particularly like how the girl, who is not unusually talented, is not intimidated by hardship or previous failures and is willing and capable of putting in the work to excel. She isn't afraid to ask for help, isn't afraid to admit her weaknesses, and isn't afraid to face her own character flaws consciously and deliberately in order to improve herself as a person. This is a well-written character whose personality would be laudable in real life, and this is what earns her the respect of her genius male friend; a lot of shows have a girl who is measurably dumber than the guy, and it's hard for me to accept why he would respect her when she's inferior to him in every way. I fully believe that in this show, the male lead genuinely admires the female lead for her resilience and character.

Their relationship in the beginning is very beautiful and very warm, with both clearly caring about each other. It almost runs a little saccharine, and I'm sure it does for some, but I personally wasn't looking for a show that depicts the sharp edges of our world, so I'm actually fine with this.

The bad:
SPOILER

In a way, the title gives it away. This is a show about secrets, and there are subtle secrets tucked into the foundation of this show. However, I'd argue that there isn't anything particularly good about the fact that these are secrets, nor the way the show addresses them. One of the main conflicts, as stated above, is the girl's relationship with her parents. Her mother, particularly, is a well-intentioned but thick-headed woman who isn't entirely able to see past her own assumptions, however while the method of communication is often a problem between teenagers and their parents and I'm totally fine with this, I don't like how the show seems to imply that the female lead is right to keep certain secrets. The fact is, teenagers are rash, inexperienced, and shortsighted. Yes, they should be allowed to make their own decisions, but this should be done with guidance. The problem is not that they make their own decisions, it's how. Even adults need counsel on choices in life. Heeding advice does not mean you allowed someone else to make the decision for you; you are allowing yourself to make a decision with context that happens to include that advice. This show celebrates how the girl defies her parents to make her own decisions in major, stands up for herself by never discussing her thought processes leading up to these decisions because they are her "secrets", and winds up revising an extra year just to get into the same university as her love interest, and goes as far as choosing a major she's not interested in nor particularly good at just because the male lead is in it. This has worked in real life precisely NEVER. It's one thing when she persevered in subjects she was weak at when she was in high school and these were necessary milestones shared by everyone at her stage; it's another when this is supposed to direct her future career. She even cries in one scene because she feels so exhausted trying to be a good match for the male lead, and instead of having him reassure her that he would love and respect her even if she chose her own career path, they could make it work and utilize each other's different talents to make a synergistic whole, the show has him try to move away from her to lessen the pressure on her, and then has her fight to win him back by proving that she can still excel in something she doesn't like as long as she puts her mind to it…and also devotes more hours and effort. Perhaps later in the show she might realize how dumb she is being and come to her senses, but given that all of her poor decisions have been rewarded for so many episodes already, I highly doubt it. I don't even care that she does luck out and her poor choices wind up being fruitful, because that happens, but the show seems bizarrely lacking in self-awareness in this case. There is also nothing healthy about her keeping her secrets, nor is there a healthy resolution to those secrets, and yet the show treats this like it is a beautiful, praiseworthy attribute.

The adults are a little more clueless than I'm used to. Early on, the show is set in a rather prestigious high school. I also went to a selective high school that required passing an entrance exam, though not in China, and from my recollection, the teachers in the school were much less suspicious of students compared to the teachers in this show. In the show, the teachers are always scolding students for slacking, falling asleep in class, reprimanding them for not taking their exams seriously. In my high school, the students were generally diligent and the teachers knew. Prestigious schools tend to have a culture among the student body, and students are usually well-behaved and studious at baseline, so teachers adjust accordingly. In this show, everyone is constantly concluding that the students are being lazy. It seems like the show was written by someone who has only been to a normal high school with delinquents and mediocre students and has no idea that such a model doesn't fit the school this show is supposed to be in. The show also doesn't seem to think highly of the adults; at one point the male lead sneaks out after curfew at the high school dorm (which is confusing to me because this isn't a boarding school as far as I know, but I don't know how it works in China) and when he comes back, he refuses to tell his supervising teacher where he went and what he did. He got punished, and the show depicts this like the teacher is judgmental and unfair; how is this judgmental and unfair? The teacher is responsible for all these teenage brats; what if the student were killed after he snuck out? Of course he should be punished. I realize a teenager might complain about this treatment, but the show should know better. It's weird how this show lacks insight when it otherwise seems pretty aware of other aspects of the teenage condition.

The love in this show starts off wholesome and sweet and I had true admiration for the characters for many episodes. It just a shame that the message becomes harmful in the middle. There is nothing to celebrate about losing yourself to love. That's how disasters happen in real life. Truly beautiful love should be the kind that nurtures and improves the kind of person you would have become on your own, and inspires you to make life decisions that make you happier and healthier than you would have
made without that love. By its nature, a romantic relationship requires sacrifice, so the benefits you reap need to be greater than what you give up in order for it to be worthwhile. If your relationship inspires you to do something that will exhaust you all the time in order to keep up, or makes you feel like you need to do something you don't like in order to make yourself worthy of your partner, that's not right. To be fair, the male lead does nothing to force or even encourage the female lead to do these airheaded stunts, but still, she's not doing this right and the show has had no acknowledgment of that. 8/10, being generous because I didn't finish, but I can't. Sorry, show. You had something great going at first.

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