So I watched this before, and I really liked a lot of parts of it, but it did have some, where it was lacking a lot, especially the ending is pretty bad honestly. So I read the manhwa it was based on to see if it's any different.

First of all the manhwa does have a different vibe, a more edgy vibe I guess.

First thing I realized is the drama is missing a lot of internal dialogue which helped a lot to understand the characters more.

Especially with Tae Hyun, he is a very complex character in the manhwa, who is struggling with the aftermath of a horrible trauma that left him quite messed up mentally. He has a deep problem with self love and loving others, and he is seriously struggling with this emptiness especially after meeting Da Yeol who is very forgiving and kind to him.
In the drama I love the actor playing him (so much ahh), but the writing is lacking to show more of this very dark side of his.

Da Yeol feels like a different character in the live action one, a more mellow and naive guy, and honestly I like his portayal like this more. I think the manhwa creator was trying to go for something more like this, but their version ended up feeling more rough.

So even if the writing is lacking to build more character, still it's easier to overlook as I'm completely happy with the mains' casting and their acting, they go well together too. They do a great job drawing away your attention from the writing issues.

Most of the side characters were changed a lot, I'm neutral about it, they have about the same purpose in both, not much honestly.

Most of the plot points are also a bit mixed up, like confessing happens in a bit different way, and so on, but they are not that big changes or might actually work better for live action stuff, so I think it's acceptable.

One thing I do want to praise the writing for, it's how we see more of Da Yeol, like the change about his home life felt better and more personal, and how most of the show focuses on his struggles with archery, which was a nice decision I think.

Also Da Yeol doesn't change schools at the end in the original work. Which I liked better, it felt rushed and weird in the drama.

but OMG, so you know the title, A shoulder to cry on. Well, there is a part in the manhwa when Tae Hyun has sort of a breakdown and actually cries on Da Yeol's shoulder, which was a very close moment for them. And yes, it is NOT in the drama. Honestly big L for the drama.


So what about the ending?

Weeeell, so it turns out, the ending also sucks in the manhwa... so it's not exactly the drama's fault. It's pretty dumb I think considering Da Yeol's writing in the original work, it doesn't feel like him at all.
Though it's important to note that in the manhwa the time skip was 3 months, while in the drama it was 2 YEARS omg... (I hate time skips)

Also the drama's last episode I can't compare, as it has about nothing to do with the manhwa... I suppose they just wanted to put some fan service there, but it feels really out of place for me and not very honest.
In the manhwa there are some extra special chapters at the end showing the two living together which would have been I think a much better choice to film as the last episode... But maybe the special chapters were not out yet at the time? I don't know.

Would I recommend the drama? Yes (for the first half definitely). But I'm biased because I absolutely fell for the actor, Shin Ye Chan... ehehe.
Would I recommend the manhwa? Yes, I think it's a fun read, nicely drawn, you can finish it in an afternoon. It's not very satisfactiory though, when it comes to lovey dovey stuff.