*Potential spoiler section is marked below*

Ahhh, the series that made viewers fall in love and then broke their hearts! Putting aside the unfortunate news that Season 2 is unlikely, I still think this is a good drama and recommend adding it to your watch list. Just get your heart and tissues ready before watching the final episode (and make sure to watch the Director's Version so you don't miss anything).

The plot was interesting and dynamic, with each episode moving the story along nicely. Beware that we are introduced to a lot of characters up front, and for me at least it was a little challenging keeping track of who was who and what their relationship to one another was, but with the help of a cheat sheet and a couple of episodes later, I had each one down.

The acting, for the most part, was pretty good. Although some actors in the beginning felt a little stiff, I did notice it improving as the series went on. Saint as Pete was absolutely adorable, and he somehow managed to exude both shy innocence and sexy naughtiness. As others have noted, it was so refreshing to see that this character was gay and not gay-for-you, which occurs frequently in BL pieces. Perth as Ae was caring and doting, and his loyalty to and protectiveness of Pete was charming. Tin and Can--ugh, my favorite couple and the favorite of probably a majority of fans as well. Can (or Cantaloupe, as Tin likes to call him *my heart*) was so cute: young, naive, and pretty much drama-free until resident tsundere Tin decides to make Can the target of his affections. Once it became apparent that they would become a pair, I waited impatiently for the upcoming episode to see how much further along they would get. I just loved the side of Tin that Can brought out, and seeing Can get so flustered with Tin as he tried to work out his emotions towards the other boy was so charming and well-done. And that last scene with Tin in the shower, wow. Surrounding circumstances notwithstanding, he really shone in that scene. It was so beautiful and so raw and probably the best-acted scene in the entire series, in my humble opinion.

There are two other BL couples to speak of, though they don't get nearly as much screen time. The first is Tum and Tar, step-brothers who harbor complicated feelings for one another and one of whom hides a dark secret. The second consists of Kenglka, a high school student crushing on his best friend's brother, Techno, a university student who is friends with Ae and Can. Though short, I feel that Tum and Tar are given sufficient screen time to tell a complete story and leave you with a bit of closure. But I was a bit disappointed that KlaNo's story got barely any development. The most significant thing that happened between them occurred in the last episode, and it felt more like the beginning of something that would have been explored further in Season 2. I did hear that P'New was going to make a spin-off for these two characters, though we'll see if that's still going to happen now. I hope that he does, as I'd love to see Mark and Gun breathe more life into these characters. Though they only had a few minutes together as a couple, Mark did so well in his role as Kengkla, and I'm curious to know how KlaNo's relationship develops.

Characters aside, in terms of story line, from what I've seen, P'New stuck pretty closely to the timeline and events in the books. Thus, although I got a little bored with Ae and Pete's story, preferring to see more development in the three side couples, I appreciate the director's faithfulness to the original text. This also helps explain why the other couples didn't get as much screen time, especially TumTar and KlaNo, as I don't think they played major roles in the book (with Tum and Tar playing bigger roles in other books from this universe). And, without revealing too much, this may also explain why one of the couples got a sad (read: heartbreaking) ending. I think the series just ended in the wrong place in the books.

***BEGIN SPOILER***
Speaking of that ending, because I have to get my thoughts down . . . . Sadly, Tin and Can do not get a happily ever after. At least, not in the series. This, coupled with the fact that Season 2 seems unlikely, is the source of disappointment for most people. One the one hand, I respect P'New's rationale that it makes the series more realistic: not everyone gets a happy ending. I can also see where Can's rejection was somewhat supported by his earlier actions. Tin was the more pushy one, and Can struggled with his feelings throughout the entire series. He was still struggling when Tin confessed to him, trying to figure out the difference between liking someone as a friend and liking someone as more than that. But on the other hand, Can also (perhaps subtly) seemed to be warming up to having Tin as a boyfriend, which I think gave a lot of viewers hope and made the ending even more surprising. We saw Can get jealous when he though Tin liked someone else, and we also saw Can ask for more kisses when hanging out with Tin earlier. Again, it may just be that Tin confessed too soon, before Can had a chance to work out his feelings, and because of that I can see how P'New would construe the confession scene, and its consequences, the way he did.
***END SPOILER***

Overall, this was a really solid start to what could have been a few great seasons, and I'm sad to see it end the way it did. I'll keep my fingers crossed that things will get resolved and we'll get a Season 2 or maybe a couple of spin-offs, but I thin right now P'New needs a break from the real-life drama. On the plus side, I heard he's cleaning up some unedited footage with plans to release it, so at least we'll get one final treat. I'm also now impatiently waiting for the English translation of the novel to be released to I can get that happy ending I'm told exists. :)