What a calming watch this little show was.
The story is entirely driven by the complex inner lives of its main characters, two utterly ordinary people in more or less entirely ordinary circumstances, which are explored with such skill and deftness it renders the need for any outside conflict to their relationship entirely obsolete. It's a character-driven drama par excellence masquerading as a simple rom-com and for that alone I'd consider it worth watching.
Add to that the fact that the story and characters are absolutely delightful and deeply endearing, the editing and themes are cohesive and perfectly underscore the plot (the little dating sim-style vignettes of their time in high school in particular are brilliant), the performances are stellar, and the music is fantastic and has been stuck in my head since I first watched the show, well you essentially end up with a must-watch show, in my opinion.
It's a realistic, low-stakes drama with boundless charm and a great appreciation and understanding for love as a transformative force in all of human existence which very much resonated with me.
"Happy endings aren't guaranteed and might not even exist in real life", it says. "But choosing love every time? That's real. That's worthwhile."
And honestly, it couldn't be more right about that.