This is going to be more of a rant than a review so those who like this series please skip reading.
What worked well - the beautiful cinematography, ost music, new concepts being explored.
However instead of a feel good romantic drama as one would expect based on the title, this one turned out to be melancholic and weepy. Most of the time the FL is seen crying or silently ruminating. Sun Oh who was the main FL in the first season is understandably angry, confused and upset, unable to move on from the sudden end to his first close relationship - he never got closure from JoJo despite repeatedly approaching her to understand. All he wanted and was entitled to was an honest conversation with JoJo so that he could make sense of the past and move on in life. Kim JoJo was an immature coward, that too a selfish one who didn't care to give any explanation. Sun Oh was always kind to her and saved her from public humiliation by openly offering his hand to her in the classroom in the first season. However towards the end she is seen publicly humiliating him by showing that her alarm does not ring for him any more, despite having her own selfish reason she never clarifies why nor cares how much heartbreak her decision and lack of closure would cause. I couldn't empathise with her idiotic decision as Sun Oh had been nothing but kind and supportive of her all the while, and an honest conversation with him him would have been enough to keep the relationship alive.
As for Hye Young, he was the only character which had some development. From being a creepy stalker kind of person who loved JoJo without even being on speaking terms with her, he went to openly expressing his interest and courting her. He was also a lousy friend to Sun Oh, cutting off all ties with him and moving out of home without even informing him.
I felt all the sympathy more for Sun Oh character more than the JoJo or Hye Young. He lost his love, his friend, his smile and his girlfriend in between because of lack of open communication from JoJo. If JoJo could be excused for her fears, why couldn't Sun Oh be excused for his justified anger? If JoJo could love someone again, why didn't she choose Sun Oh who was still in love with her, someone she is attracted to and had left in the lurch. Why go for Hye Young?
Using the sword and the shield for selfish reasons is cheating. Hiding the reason from someone you like is also a kind of betrayal. I wished both Sun Oh and Hye Young had walked away from her towards the end and taught her a lesson to be honest to deserve a relationship with either of them.
The only satisfactory part is that Sun Oh deserved a warm and honest girlfriend rather than JoJo and therefore in a way it was good he didn't end up with her. The gloomy reticent JoJo and the morose glum Hye Young deserved each other.