It got out of hand in the last two episodes, but I saw this show as simply a criticism of SK society's focus on beauty standards within someone's life, although it wasn't realistic at times.
I believe this wasn't the drama for you, seeing your list. I didn't watch it live, but I had the entire experience…
I respectfully disagree with that point. Just because you thought the first half was superior doesn't mean there were filler episodes. This is a slice-of-life show that focuses on friendship, fencing and romance, with the theme of the transient nature of youth. The first half leans more toward introducing the characters and NHD's fencing journey. The second half feels repetitive to you because it focuses more on the friendships and romance, but it's not. That is the true, objective nature of the show, regardless of your enjoyment.